How do I beat Warlock as a Destroyer?

[zorz767]

I'm not so experienced yet, but I'm improving my win rate over time. I started like 2-12, since then I am about 17-17 in 1v1 matches, but no other class wrecks me so hard as Warlock. I don't know what to do.

[Pacma]

spin2win

[LostxExile]

You don't, you just die. Kthxbye

[Kitutzi]

This might be able to help you somewhat. As warlocks, our primary function is to lock you down and burst you. The best thing you can do as a destroyer is to save your SS for whenever we chain you down! Learning what the moves look like is also very helpful, if you can you should always try to shield our Wingstorm and Dragoncall/Helix. Warlocks only have 3 escapes. SS, a jump backwards while under cc, and if the Thrall is up we can swap places with it, get warlocks to waste their escapes and then power on them!

[HUnewearl]

6 hours ago, Kitutzi said:

This might be able to help you somewhat. As warlocks, our primary function is to lock you down and burst you. The best thing you can do as a destroyer is to save your SS for whenever we chain you down! Learning what the moves look like is also very helpful, if you can you should always try to shield our Wingstorm and Dragoncall/Helix. Warlocks only have 3 escapes. SS, a jump backwards while under cc, and if the Thrall is up we can swap places with it, get warlocks to waste their escapes and then power on them!

 

Stone Shield is on a 45-second cooldown. Warlocks have 3 ranged methods of breaking it (Siphon, Soul Shackle, Gravity Well), but you could also take T5S2 Dragon Call and penetrate the shield outright. You also have Sanctum providing 6 seconds of CC immunity if the Destroyer can reach you, then another snare on 9-second SS. Sanctum even does things it doesn't say it does -- it also confers Pull immunity (I already tried stage 3 Drag, no dice).

 

The general strategy for everyone is to work out the escapes and then lay the lumber, but I've been at a loss for what to do to Warlocks. Every attack a Warlock has, sans basic LMB, penetrates Deflect. They don't need basic LMB because their strong focus recovery LMB adjunct does penetrate deflect. Warlocks have 3 ranged means of blowing apart the only block skill. Destroyers already have the lowest defensive capacity in the game, and Warlocks walk right in and slap away what little they have. Trying to play aggressively runs you face-first into Sanctum and Bastion, then you get pulled, knocked over, and launched by the thrall since Hurricane doesn't prevent pull or knockdown. Using Scorching Strike as you do vs. FMs will help, but the damage is downright pathetic, then the Warlock is right back where he wants to be.

 

I dunno, maybe it would help if I had HM stage 1 Hurricane or something, but that still wouldn't solve the lack of offensive options once you get there. Have to outlast the Thrall, Sanctum, and Bastion, then get in 2 critical CCs and then get the kill before the other skills are back up and I'm dead in the water. Not exactly an easy problem to handle.