Diablo 4 doesn't hand you a Warlock button on the class screen, but you can still play one if you're willing to bend the Necromancer into shape. It's mostly about picking a lane and committing, because this game loves punishing "a bit of everything" setups. If you're gearing up fast, or you just don't feel like grinding every last drop, some folks even buy diablo 4 gold to smooth out the early gearing bumps, then focus on the build itself and how it feels in real fights.
Shadow DoT Warlock
This is the version that actually feels like you're playing dirty magic. You tag a pack, poison the air with shadow, and keep moving. Blight does the groundwork, Shadow Corpse Explosion turns every corpse into a little disaster, and Decrepify glues the whole loop together. The big win is freedom: you don't need to stand still and "cast forever" like some builds. In Nightmare Dungeons, that matters more than raw tooltip damage. On gear, I'd chase Shadow Damage, Damage Over Time, and Cooldown Reduction so your curse and explosions stay online without awkward gaps.
Minion Curse Warlock
If you want something calmer, this one's the comfy pick. Your Skeletons take the heat, you hang back, and you keep the pressure up with Iron Maiden and smart positioning. It's safer than it looks, too, because mobs waste time chewing through your frontline while you pick your spots. But yeah, bosses can feel like a slog. And if a big AoE wipes your army, you'll notice how naked you are. To push higher tiers, you'll want Minion Life, Minion Damage, and enough Essence support that you're not just waiting around while the fight drags.
Blood Drain Warlock
This one's for the players who don't mind getting their robe dirty. You play close, you trade hits, and you win by refusing to fall over. Blood Lance gives you that focused, nasty single-target pressure, and Blood Mist is your "nope" button when things get sketchy. It shines on elites and bosses because the sustain feels almost unfair when your stats are right. Stack Maximum Life, Overpower support, and the kind of survivability that lets you stay in range. The cost is speed—clearing random trash won't feel as effortless as Shadow DoT, and that's just the deal.
Picking One Lane
People love the idea of a chaos hybrid—some shadows, some blood, a few minions, why not. You'll try it, and pretty soon you'll feel it: damage falls off, defenses get weird, and your gear can't keep up with three different priorities. Pick the playstyle you actually enjoy and build around it hard, because that's where the endgame power comes from. If you're short on materials or want to speed up gearing for your chosen lane, it helps to know places like eznpc offer game currency and item services so you can spend more time testing builds and less time stuck farming the same loop.
