Apocalypse Warlock Endgame Build (Season 15 Top Tier)

Strengths

• Maxroll lists easy to play, comes online quickly, and gigantic AoE explosions as strengths.
• Umbral Chains builds the stacks, sidestepping Apocalypse's long cooldown so explosions come repeatedly.
• Aspect of Accursed Touch gives near-permanent Vulnerable, and Sigil synergies stack further multipliers.

Limits

• Maxroll lists a combo build, damage ramping, and mediocre mobility as weaknesses.
• Scorching Fragment boosts damage but burns you whenever you attack, so a healing source (Undying Aspect, Life on Hit on the weapon) is required.
• The finished build needs Hands of the Worldbreaker and Mythics. The source guide predates 3.2.2, and current numbers are unverified.

Umbral Chains

Main skill. Spam it to build Apocalypse stacks and trigger the Annihilation explosion.

Apocalypse

Ultimate. Hands of the Worldbreaker makes it a Sigil skill, and Scepter of the Three scales greatly while you cast it every few seconds.

Command Valloch

Cast immediately at the start of each run and about every 20 seconds for resources and Overpower.

Sigil of Chaos

Cast on cooldown (automated by the five-piece Rite of the Nameless). It feeds the Hands of the Worldbreaker multiplier.

Doom

Generate resources as needed.

Nether Step

Mobility and breaking crowd control.

Primary Soul Shard

Almost all skills are Occult, benefiting from added damage and radius; stack Overpower synergies such as Tidal Aspect and The Hemat Stone.

Shard Fragment

Large damage increase, but you burn when you attack; always include a healing source.

Talisman

A set that grants a progressively stronger damage buff when you cast Sigil skills; until it is complete, cast Sigil of Chaos as often as possible.

Talisman

• Until Rite of the Nameless is complete, cast Sigil of Chaos as often as possible for the Hands of the Worldbreaker multiplier; one or two Sigil Duration Tempers help keep it up.
• Preferred Charm stats are Hellfire/Occult skill ranks and All Stats (plus Resistances late). There is no useful Mythic Seal for this build.
• For late-game speedfarming, Anathema of the Primes speeds up movement.

Runewords

• The starter variant uses Stealth (a common chest + Tal + Eth in the Cube; recycle three times into Stealth with the Teleport mod).
• Que (Barrier) and Lac are listed as defensive runes.
• The speedfarm variant uses Enigma for constant Teleport at the cost of about x3–4 damage; Stone of Jordan needs you to stack only Fire Resistance.

Mercenary

• Hire Varyana for more healing and Vulnerable uptime.
• Use Aldkin as Reinforcement for Field of Languish's damage reduction.
• Alternatively hire Raheir for survivability and Inspiration.

Warlock itself requires Lord of Hatred. Until Rite of the Nameless and other Talisman pieces are in hand, do not assume the finished damage; run the starter variant and cast Sigil of Chaos manually.

Starter

Chase Hands of the Worldbreaker first. Prepare for Scorching Fragment's self-burn with Undying Aspect (imprinted or transfigured onto the amulet) or a big Life on Hit roll on the weapon, and keep Vulnerable up with Aspect of Accursed Touch.

Midgame

Add Misanthropic Aspect for defense and Dominance recovery as you take damage; prioritize Critical stats only once Rite of the Nameless is complete.

Mythics

Maxroll's priority is Moloch's Beating Flame, Hands of the Worldbreaker, Scepter of the Three, Crown of Lucion, then Fleshwrit Carapace.

Finishing

For transfiguration, Elemental Multiplier (Fire) is the best outcome on every slot; put Tidal Aspect on the amulet (boots before you have it). Aim for 100% Critical Chance including the Splinter, and cover each Resistance type at least once across gear, gems, and charms.

Moloch's Beating Flame

Hands of the Worldbreaker

Scepter of the Three

Crown of Lucion

Ring of Starless Skies

Fleshwrit Carapace

Aspect of Accursed Touch

Misanthropic Aspect

Tidal Aspect (boots until obtained)

• Offense: Vulnerable/Crit/Fire/All Damage multipliers, Attack Speed, Willpower, and 100% Critical Chance including the Splinter. Defense: Maximum Life, Armor, and Resistances (cover each type at least once).
• Socket Seasonal Splinters in jewelry. Maxroll's order is Abyssal Splinter of Anguish, then Pain, then the Black Soulstone. Splinter stacks changed in 3.2.2–3.2.4 and the source guide (updated 9/28) may not reflect that, so verify numbers in game.
• Cover Scorching Fragment's self-damage with Life on Hit on the weapon and Undying Aspect; prioritize Maximum Life and Armor on defensive pieces and weapons.

Speedfarming

Maxroll has a speedfarm variant with Enigma for constant Teleport; mobility is rated mediocre and damage drops about x3–4.

Bosses

Open with Command Valloch, Sigil of Chaos, then Umbral Chains, and detonate Apocalypse once stacks are built.

Pit and Tower pushing

Maxroll has a Push variant (the main difference is the Paragon board). No specific tier is guaranteed.