Charisma Warlocks: What's your favorite Daily 1?

[maxlongstreet]

Hi folks - new to these boards and thought I'd post a question.

I've got a Charisma based, star pact warlock, and I keep changing up his level 1 Daily power (our DM let's us change powers between sessions until level 5, we are just approaching 3rd level).

We could use some AoE help, since we don't have a real controller in our group. I was going to have Decree of Khirad be my long term answer, but it's not playing as well as I'd hoped, perhaps to due to how my DM is ruling the power (he's saying that if you slide anything out of the close blast 3, it's not subject to any of the later effects).

So I've been playing with/looking at a few other things:

1) Hellfire Blast. Seems solid for AoE, and I don't mind being up close too much, but it doesn't offer any control.

2) Malicious Shadow. I like this one quite a bit-decent damage, and the possibility of continuous immobilization. We also have a bard with a lot of movement powers (Staggering Note, Blunder, the Beguiler encounter power), so it's easy for him to put stuff next to the shadow if the first target dies.

3) Crown of Stars. Another excellent power, but the control is limited (one blind, only on bloody), and the follow up laser isn't really a top notch aoe.

I'd like to hear what level 1 dailies other charisma based warlocks are using, and how they're liking them.

Thanks in advance for any responses!

[Kurald Galain]

Generally speaking, for your daily powers you want something that lasts for most or all of the encounter. That goes for almost every class, and it generally means (S)tance, (S)ummon, (S)ustain, or (S)ave ends powers. That's just a nice mnemonic, if a power happens to last the entire encounter without those keywords it's okay too :)


So for the warlock: don't take HB, that's just an encounter power with a bit of extra damage. COS is a great power... for a striker, but not so much if you want to play a controller 'lock. So out of these, Malicious Shadow is the obvious choice. Failing that, Prophecy of Zhudun is also a good pick.

[GPuzzle]

Decree of Khirad, for the sheer hilarity, and Fortune's Reversal with the Fey Pact is actually quite cool.

Those are my top two, to be honest. But, hey, that's just me.

[Tegu8788]

Your DM is wrong. It may not help to tell the DM that, but if they are a target, they continue to be a target regardless of where they go. And it's hard to get more control than guaranteed force movement and psuedo-dominate AoE for a striker.

[maxlongstreet]

Thanks for the responses so far. Yeah, I thought our DM wasn't playing it right on Decree of Khirad, but he seemed fairly firm on it - I may see if I can change his mind.

Otherwise, I'm leaning towards Malicious Shadow. Web of Shadows is another aoe/control possibility - anyone have experience with that one on the table?

[shamgar001]

I'm playing a Star Pact Hexblade with Star Shackles as my daily power. I haven't gotten a chance to try it out yet, but it seems useful, especially for control. Anyone else have experience with it?

[Kurald Galain]

I'm playing a Star Pact Hexblade with Star Shackles as my daily power. I haven't gotten a chance to try it out yet, but it seems useful, especially for control. Anyone else have experience with it?
I'm not impressed, first because of its very short range, and second because it's sustain standard. Immobilizing enemies is great only if they're out of melee range.

Malicious Shadow is better: it immobilizes at more than twice the range, and is sustain minor.