Bladelock build - Melee Warlock - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)

Bladelock - Melee Warlock Build

This is a very solid build setup where you go 12 levels in Warlock. You also take Pact of the Blade​ to effectively use melee weapons. This does not mean that you will always use them. However, it is a strong option.

As a Warlock, you still have access to the famous Eldritch Blast​ cantrip and an array of Spells to deal with enemies using Control or damage. The build will also heavily depend on itemization as these options will decide what highest damage you can do.

Another good aspect of going Bladelock is that you can utilize the unique synergy of Darkness​ and Devil's Sight​ to become the ultimate melee combatant, safely chipping away at enemies. This trivializes many of the game encounters.

Did this pique your interest? If yes, here is a short overview if you are interested before diving deep into the build.

Leveling Overview

Here is a concise table with all the main picks during your leveling progression. For more detailed reasoning, I go further in the article. Also, do not forget to check the recommended gear as it is crucial.

Level	Class	Selection
1	Warlock 1	Cantrips: Eldritch Blast, Friends​
		Subclass: The Fiend
		Spells: Hellish Rebuke, Hex​
		STR - 8, DEX - 16, CON - 14, INT - 8, WIS - 10, CHA - 17
		Skills: Deception, Intimidation
2	Warlock 2	Spells: Armour of Agathys​
		Eldritch Invocations: Agonising Blast, Armour of Shadows​
3	Warlock 3	Spells: Cloud of Daggers​
		Pact Boon: Pact of the Blade​
4	Warlock 4	Cantrips: Minor Illusion​
		Spells: Darkness​
		Feat: Great Weapon Master: All In​ or Ability Improvement +2 Charisma
5	Warlock 5	Spells: Hunger of Hadar​
		Eldritch Invocations: Devil's Sight​
		Replace Spell: Hellish Rebuke​ -> Fireball​
6	Warlock 6	Spells: Counterspell​
		Replace Spell: Cloud of Daggers​ -> Hold Person​
7	Warlock 7	Spells: Wall of Fire​
		Eldritch Invocations: Repelling Blast​
8	Warlock 8	Spells: Fear​
		Feat: Ability Improvement +2 Charisma or Great Weapon Master: All In​
9	Warlock 9	Spells: Cone of Cold​
		Eldritch Invocations: Dreadful Word​
10	Warlock 10	Cantrips: Blade Ward​
		Spells: Hold Monster​
11	Warlock 11	Mystic Arcanum: Eyebite​
		Spells: Flame Strike​
12	Warlock 12	Spells: Misty Step​
		Eldritch Invocations: Lifedrinker​
		Feat: Alert​ or Savage Attacker​

Starting the Game - Level 1

This section covers the creation screen and what would go into the best Races, Abilities, and Skills for the Bladelock build. Some of these choices are impactful as you cannot respec them.

Races

Picking a race provides various benefits - abilities, dialogue options, looks, etc. Also, keep in mind whether your picked race has Shield proficiency as this can improve survivability, especially in the early game.

Race	Features	Description
Githyanki	Martial Prodigy​	This is the race that I would recommend going with Bladelock. It gives medium armor proficiency, which greatly expands the armor that you can wear. Moreover, it gets some good actions like Misty Step​ and Astral Knowledge.
Half-Orc	Savage Attacks​ Relentless Endurance​ Darkvision​	A great choice, especially if you plan on going melee. The critical damage bonus is okay, but Relentless Endurance​ is what will make you exceptional in close combat.
Duergar Dwarf	Dwarven Combat Training​ Superior Darkvision​ Dwarven Resilience​ Duergar Resilience​	I love this pick as Invisibility​ allows for some good combat surprises. Moreover, you can cast Enlarge​ without concentration.
Wood Elf	Elven Weapon Training​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry​ Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.	Comes with improved movement speed which is good, and extremely useful for melee builds.
Wood Half-Elf	Civil Militia​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry​ Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.	Comes with improved movement speed which is good, and useful for melee builds. You can also equip a shield, which is great for improving AC early in the game.

Class

Overview
Warlock
Features
Warlock Spell Slots	These spell slots can be used to cast spells and refill each Short Rest.

Cantrips

Cantrips	Description
Eldritch Blast​	The iconic cantrip of Warlock gets significantly more powerful as you level up and unlock new features.
Friends​	This cantrip is mandatory if you are playing as a main character. Otherwise, skip it.
Mage Hand​	An alternative cantrip, that you can use to solve some puzzles. It can also perform adequately in early-game combat - throw items, shove, etc.

Subclass

I think there are a few options that you can pick here, specifically when going for the Bladelock build. I would like to suggest those that would mostly fit a melee warlock setup.

Subclass	Description
The Fiend	You could say this is more of a "versatile" option. You get Dark One's Blessing​ and a wide array of Fire spells. Another highlight is Command​ which is one of the best control spells in the game, not requiring any concentration.
The Great Old One	This subclass also fits the melee warlock build well. The main highlight is the Mortal Reminder​ effect which can immobilize enemies. Sadly the spell options are not as good in my opinion, as something like Fireball​ is hard to compete against.

For this build progression, I will be going with:

Overview
The Fiend
Features
Dark One's Blessing	When you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points, this gift from your patron grants you temporary hit points

Spells

Cantrips	Description
Hellish Rebuke​	This is a great spell early on where your actions are limited. With it you can attack using reaction, meaning it can be done on the enemy's turn.
Hex​	You can increase your damage with each hit and utilize bonus action in effective way early in the game. Later on, this spell loses its value.

Background

Backgrounds are mostly for role-playing and you can pick whatever you prefer. If you want to optimize, then it would be good to pick backgrounds that are based on your ability points of Charisma.

Abilities

Now let's take a look at the abilities of the best Melee Warlock build. Correct allocation will allow you to maximize the early gameplay and get good modifier bonuses.

Ability	Value	Description
Strength	8	Not relevant for the build, even though it is melee. The warlock will use Pact of the Blade​ for weapon damage.
Dexterity	16 (15+1)	This ability is important as it will ensure you can effectively use Finesse weapons before getting Pact of the Blade​. Moreover, it will give Armour class and higher initiative.
Constitution	14	Gives survivability and decreases the chance of spell concentration failure when hit.
Intelligence	8	No need for this ability.
Wisdom	10	The small allocation ensures that there is no negative modifier to Wisdom rolls.
Charisma	17 (15+2)	The main ability of Bladelock. It will ensure good spellcasting modifier, improved weapon damage with attack rolls and better dialogue outcomes.

Skills and Expertise

Overall, the skills should be impacted by your roleplaying and background decisions. However, you would still want those that will give you the best benefits. My recommendations are to pick those at which you have a high ability modifier and these are Charisma-related.

• Deception
• Intimidation

Also, you can pick any others, but they will not give relevant boosts based on ability allocation.

Leveling Progression - Levels 2-12

Here is the detailed progression for the Melee Warlock Build to get you started. You can use it as a guideline because early games can be daunting and overwhelming. Later on, once you get a feel for the class you can start picking your options

Level 2

This is where you will have left the tutorial area, and will start exploring the world. 

Spells

Spell	Description
Armour of Agathys​	Although I did not use it as much, it's a good spell to have, especially if you plan on short resting and use this to buff up yourself. However, it does not go well with Dark One's Blessing.

Eldritch Invocations

Here, you can make a few important choices, that depend on your playstyle:

Invocation	Description
Agonising Blast​	One of the most important invocations to make Eldritch Blast​ more powerful.
Armour of Shadows​	I recommend this pick if you do not have medium armor proficiency. It will also come in handy if you are planning to use Potent Robe later on. With this, your robes will give 13 Armour Class. Moreover, I would also prioritize this if you do not have anyone else in the group who could cast Mage Armour.
Devil's Sight​	If you plan on using the Darkness​ spell from level 3, I would take this option. You could use the dark area to your advantage and make enemies come at you at a disadvantage.

Replace Spell

Nothing to replace yet.

Level 3

First level 2 spells are unlocked and you can pick a pact boon

Spells

Spell	Description
Cloud of Daggers​	This is a very effective offensive spell in my opinion, and can help immensely in multiple early-game fights. Later on, you would be switching it out.
Darkness​	If you want to prioritize the darkness setup with Devil's Sight, this should be your immediate pick.

Pact Boon

Boon	Description
Pact of the Blade​	Once you get this, you can start wearing Two-Handed weapons and bind them to your character. This way you will be using Charisma instead of Strength/Dexterity to decide damage.

Replace Spell

Nothing to replace yet.

Level 4

The first feat is unlocked, and you get some great choices to pick.

Cantrips

Cantrips	Description
Minor Illusion​	You can use this cantrip to attract possible enemies to one place. After that follow up with the area of effect spell or attack to damage all of them.

Spells

Spell	Description
Darkness​	Be sure to take this if you did not get it.

If you do not need the spell above, pick what you prefer. Some good options - Mirror Image​, Scorching Ray​, Misty Step, etc.

Replace Spell

Nothing to replace.

Feat

Feat	Description
Great Weapon Master: All In​	This is the strongest feat if you are using two-handed weapons. First, it gives a bonus attack using a bonus action if you kill an enemy or land a critical hit. Second, it gives a big 10 damage boost, that comes with a -5 penalty to attack rolls. This is problematic in the early game but can be overcome in various ways. I recommend checking my guide on Attack Roll Increase, to get ideas on how to mitigate it.
Ability Improvement	If you want to be on the safe side, and not eager to use two-handed weapons as much, you could pick +2 Charisma instead. This would delay Great Weapon Master: All In​ to level 8.

Level 5

This is a huge milestone and improvement to the melee warlock build, as you will get some nice features.

Feature	Description
Deepened Pact​	Unlock the Extra Attack​ feature with a weapon that is bound using the Pact of the Blade.

Spells

The new spell level tier is unlocked, and there are many great picks, however, I would recommend picking one for now:

Spell	Description
Hunger of Hadar​	This is one of the strongest control spells in the game. It covers a large area and makes enemies blind. Moreover, it inflicts damage per turn and slows them down. This is an extremely strong setup that makes multiple encounters a cakewalk.

Eldritch Invocations

Invocation	Description
Devil's Sight​	If you have not taken this one yet, and have Darkness, I would recommend doing that now.
Repelling Blast​	If you are interested in improving the Eldritch Blast​ cantrip further here is my pick. This can be used to push back enemies into chasms.

Replace Spells

I recommend removing - Hellish Rebuke​ and picking:

Spell	Description
Fireball​	This is a very powerful spell, that is simple and effective - deals a lot of damage in a big area. It is perfect for when enemies are grouped up.

Level 6

You are continuing further with incremental improvements to the Bladelock setup

Feature	Description
Dark One's Own Luck​	A great passive feature, that can be used to improve your chances of a particular roll.

Spells

Spell	Description
Counterspell​	I recommend having this spell if no one in your group can cast it. Although you have limited spell slots, it could save you from certain death if the enemy could land a strong spell.
Misty Step​	A good spell to have on hand, particularly if you are not a Githyanki.
Hypnotic Pattern​	A solid control spell that covers a big area, and can disable enemies for a few turns.

Replace Spell

I recommend removing Cloud of Daggers​ as I think it has served its purpose.

Spell	Description
Hold Person​	This spell is extremely useful if you will be using Helmet of Arcane Acuity and Band of the Mystic Scoundrel setup. The guaranteed critical hits are hard to pass.

Level 7

Level 4 spells are unlocked!

Spells

Spell	Description
Wall of Fire​	Nothing is better than a wall of tall flames. Use this to cover choke points and force enemies to damage themselves by walking through it.

Eldritch Invocations

Invocations	Description
Dreadful Word​	If you have read my builds, you know I have a weak spot for Confusion, and I have a hard time not recommending it.
Beguiling Influence​	Additional proficiencies for better dialogue rolls.

Replace Spell

Feel free to replace a spell that you are not using.

Level 8

More spells and a second feat are waiting for you. This level should be mid-Act 2, so you already will have access to some of the gear.

Spells

Overall, you could take any spell that you are curious to try with the build. My recommendation:

Spell	Description
Fear​	Force enemies to become fearful, drop their weapons, and run. This spell is perfect for frontliner build as it has a short range.

Replace Spell

Nothing to replace now.

Feat

There are plenty of options to take for the second feat, let's go through them

Feature	Description
Great Weapon Master: All In​	If you did not take this, I would recommend doing that now, as this will greatly boost your melee damage, and make it reasonable to go into frontlines for the bonus damage.
Ability Improvement	+2 Charisma, if you have not taken it, this will improve all the aspects of the Bladelock build.
Moderately Armoured​	If you would like to equip Medium armors this feat is mandatory. There are some good options in Act 2. However, this would require juggling some ability points. I would remove 1 point from Dexterity and add it to Wisdom or Constitution. Then get 1 point from this feat into Dexterity.

Level 9

The melee warlock can now access level 5 spells.

Spells

Spells	Description
Cone of Cold​	For this level, I would do one thing differently and get access to a cold spell. This will give some variety to your damage, in case enemies are resistant to fire. Moreover, you can double the damage of this spell by making enemies wet.

Eldritch Invocations

For now, I think the build has everything covered. So feel free to pick anything of interest:

Invocations	Description
Fiendish Vigour​	Get bonus temporary HP, for bonus survivability.
Repelling Blast​	Improve Eldritch Blast​ cantrip with a knockback effect. This can be used to push back enemies into chasms.
Otherworldly Leap​	Get Enhance Leap​ ritual spells for better mobility and world exploration.

Replace Spell

Feel free to replace anything you do not use.

Level 10

A new subclass feature and more spell picks.

Feature	Description
Fiendish Resilience​	A good action, that can be useful in Act 3. There will be a few fights where getting resistance to something like Fire can mean life or death.

Cantrips

At this stage in the game, it won't matter much what you pick.

Cantrip	Description
Blade Ward​	Some additional protection if you can precast this before combat.

Spells

Spells	Description
Hold Monster​	A very powerful hold spell. I also recommend this if you will be using Helmet of Arcane Acuity and Band of the Mystic Scoundrel setup. The guaranteed critical hits are hard to pass.
Blight​	A spell otpion if you want some more varied damage.

Level 11

This is where Warlock gets access to level 6 spells. Sadly the options are fairly limited, but they do not use your spell slots.

Mystic Arcanum

Spells	Description
Eyebite​	Debilitate and control creatures. This can be recast without costing a spell slot as long as you maintain concentration.
Create Undead​	As this gets a free use per Long Rest I do not see a reason not to take it.

Spells

Spells	Description
Flame Strike​	The ultimate fire spell for Fiend Warlock. It deals both fire and radiant damage, making it effective even if enemies have resistance to fire.

Replace Spell

For spell replacement, I don't think it is needed, feel free to try out something if you would like.

Level 12

This is the final level of the build. Some good options give a power-up to bladelock.

Spells

To be honest, pick anything that you prefer, the core of the build is covered. For example, need more mobility? Get Misty Step. Want more defensiveness? Mirror Image​ is there for you. And so on.

Eldritch Invocations

The final Invocation is something that will give a big boost to damage.

Invocations	Description
Lifedrinker​	Improves your damage by the charisma modifier when using melee attacks. At level 12 this should be 6-7 damage per hit which is a good amount for a melee build.

Replace Spell

You can replace any of the spells, I leave this to your discretion.

Feat

I will list some options that will give a little edge to the build:

Feats	Description
Dual Wielder​	If you have looked at the gear section for Act 3, I suggest a dual-wield setup. This feat could be taken to allow equipping and offhand weapons like the Infernal Rapier or Harmonic Dueller. Remember, if taking this, you will not need Great Weapon Master: All In.
Savage Attacker​	Excellent feat to be taken late into the game. It gives about 30% more damage to your damage rolls.
Alert​	If you did not take this, you can get it for an increased initiative and being able to take a turn on Surprise rounds.
Moderately Armoured​	If you have not taken this you could be interested in some late-game armours like Armour of Persistence. However, without Potent Robe your Eldritch Blast​ will become weaker, so take this into account.
War Caster: Concentration​	A decent feat that would allow you to have better concentration on spells.

Maximizing Ability Scores

Now, as the build progression is covered there are a few aspects and important decisions you will have to make throughout the game. These will decide your final score for abilities.

1. Act 1 - Auntie Ethel Hair - you will want to get +1 Charisma if you pick this choice.
2. Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma
3. Act 3 - Mirror of Loss - pick +2 Charisma.
4. Birthright - +2 Charisma

This will allow you to reach 24 natural Charisma. This results in a +7 Charisma modifier for your weapon attacks, spell rolls, and dialogue checks.

Potions, Elixirs and Consumables

Let's take a look at what consumables you can use to further empower the build. As Bladelock you can benefit both from caster and martial-related consumables.

Potions

These are general consumables, and most of them are activated for a few turns. Potions are separate from Elixirs and can be active together.

Consumable	Description
Potion of Speed	You can chug this potion before combat, or during combat using bonus action. It gives another action point that gives an additional attack or one more spell cast. Sadly its duration is only 3 turns.
Oil of Accuracy	Gives +2 to attack rolls, which minimizes the negative impact from Great Weapon Master: All In.
Diluted Oil of Sharpness	Gives a bonus attack roll and damage. It is a good coating if you can apply it before combat.
Potion of Animal Speaking	Although not something powerful, it is worth stocking up and saving a spell slot.
Potion of Invisibility	Can be used to get a perfect position before the encounter starts.

Elixirs

Unfortunately, only one Elixir can be active at a time. However, the good thing is that they last until a long rest, making them very useful and economical.

Be sure to activate them before combat as otherwise, you will need to use Bonus Action.

Consumable	Description
Elixir of Bloodlust	As you will be able to easily kill at least the weakest foe, this ensures additional attacks per turn. It is a perfect option when you kill an enemy with your attacks and then follow up with Eldritch Blast. On Honour Mode, the additional action point would result in only one attack, that would deal less than the cantrip.
Elixir of Vigilance	For some encounters, you will want to go first. This elixir will ensure that it overcomes even surprise mechanics.
Elixir of Battlemage's Power	Gain 3 stacks of Arcane Acuity. I would say this should be the most used elixir for higher spell success.
Elixir of Peerless Focus	Another good choice that allows to better maintain spell Concentration.
Superior Elixir of Arcane Cultivation	Grant's a single level 3 spell slot. Could be useful in case you are preparing for a longer encounter.
Supreme Elixir of Arcane Cultivation	Grant's a single level 4 spell slot. Could be useful in case you are preparing for a longer en
Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength	If you plan on using Balduran's Giantslayer, this elixir will maximize its combat potential and give a bonus of 8 damage for each hit.

Illithid Powers

This special mechanic in Baldur's Gate 3 allows you to consume tadpoles and unlock special Illithid Powers. These range from somewhat useful, to extremely deadly. I would like to leave a few recommendations:

Base Illithid Powers

Order	Illithid Power	Description
1	Favourable Beginnings​	Beneficial power to take as it does not have any costs, and provides only benefits on the first hits.
2	Luck of the Far Realms​	Amazing passive feature that grats a critical hit without any requirements once per long rest.
3	Concentrated Blast​	Taking only for progression, to unlock the next power.
4	Cull the Weak​	Passive feature that does not cost anything and automatically deals bonus psychic damage around the target, once it is close to death.
5	Psionic Backlash​	A decent use for reaction to deal some bonus psychic damage.
6	Psionic Overload​	Mainly taking for progression
7	Ability Drain​	Decrease foes abilities that you attack.
8	Transfuse Health​	Taking it for progression
9	Shield of Thralls​	Taking for progression, to unlock the next power, but it also provides a good bonus as temporary health, that can be cast before combat.
10	Charm​	It is a good feature to have as a frontliner to reduce the number of incoming attacks. This will also progress to some powerful elite powers.

Elite Illithid Powers

These become unlocked later in the game as you progress. They are extremely powerful additions to the build.

Order	Illithid Power	Description
0	Fly​	Automatically unlocked. You can use this to initiate attacks of opportunity without spending any movement.
2	Freecast​	Removes any cost of spell slots or consumable resources.
3	Mind Sanctuary​	Extremely valuable power that can also help other casters to use up their Bonus action effectively.
4	Psionic Dominance​	Great action, that can negate spell casting of some foes.
5	Black Hole​	A strong area of effect spell that pulls foes together. You can follow up with an area of effect damage spel after this.

Equipment Recommendations

Now I would like to go through some gear recommendations to maximize the Melee Warlock Build. Items are especially important as they take the build to the next level thanks to their unique effects.

Act 1

Before reaching level 3, use any Finesse weapon that you have proficiency with. After that, you can switch to two-handed weapons and use Bind Pact Weapon.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (Two-Handed)	Unseen Menace	Solid choice as it increases the critical chance and provides an advantage on attack rolls.
	Svartlebee's Woundseeker	One of the best greatswords that you can get in Act 1. The bonus to attack rolls is great for counteracting Great Weapon Master: All In​ effect.
	Sword of Justice	A solid greatsword, that gives bonus armour class with Shield of Faith​ action.
Ranged	Bow of Awareness	Gives bonus initiative, allowing one to go earlier in combat. I recommend this for the early games, as you will have low dexterity.
	Hand Crossbow +1	Equip two of these so that you can attack with your bonus action.
Head	Diadem of Arcane Synergy	This is the best helmet in terms of damage improvements. It requires you to inflict a condition.
	Haste Helm	I think the melee aspect of the build greatly benefits from this helmet, so I recommend it.
Cloak	-	Nothing really of note here.
Armor	Infernal Robe	The best robe is purely for Bladelock. It gives Fire Shield: Warm​ that is perfect for a frontliner. However, acquiring it, requires a very unpopular decision.
	Adamantine Scale Mail	The strongest medium armor for Act 1. Take it you have medium armor proficiency.
	The Protecty Sparkswall	I would only wear this robe if you do not have other casters in the group. They would benefit much more from it.
	Breastplate +1	Alternative to Githyanki Half Plate if it is used by Lae'zel.
	Githyanki Half Plate	The item is a solid one for early Act 1. You can remove it from Lae'zel. This requires medium armor proficiency.
Gloves	Gloves of Dexterity	These gloves can be useful after you obtain Unseen Menace. This way you can optimize your AC a bit. Moreover, you could do a respec to minimize dexterity to 8 and put those points into CON and WIS. However, these gloves will be used for a short time, so I don't think it is mandatory.
	Gloves of the Growling Underdog	Very strong gloves as they give Advantage. It is the best way to counteract the Great Weapon Master: All In​ -5 attack roll effect.
	Bracers of Defence	These are the best early-game gloves, giving you a +2 Armour class if you are not using a shield.
	Gloves of Missile Snaring	Defensive gloves to reduce the damage of incoming ranged attacks.
Boots	Disintegrating Night Walkers	One of the best boots, giving a total advantage for movement on difficult surfaces. It also gives Misty Step​ to increase that mobility.
	Boots of Genial Striding	Good boots that allow moving without slowing down on difficult terrain.
Amulet	Amulet of Branding	This is a good amulet that can double your damage with a cost of bonus action. For example, it would work perfectly against bosses where Great Weapon Master: Bonus Attack​ may not activate every time.
	Broodmother's Revenge	The only amulet in the game that gives direct damage increase, can be activated with a single health potion before combat.
	Amulet of Misty Step	Gives mobility improvement thanks to the Misty Step​ spell.
Rings	Ring of Arcane Synergy	Be sure to pick this up. You will use it later.
	Strange Conduit Ring	As you have some concentration spells, this ring can be easily activated for a little bonus damage.
	Ring of Protection	The best option for Act 1. The bonus Armour Class is a great boost for survivability.
	Caustic Band	A solid ring with a +2 acid damage bonus on your weapon attacks.
	Crusher's Ring	A good movement boost makes it easier to reach those targets.

Act 2 - mid-game

For Act 2, you will be dropping that heavy armor for some great medium ones. Some of the items will still be the best ones even if they are from Act 1.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (Two-Handed)	Shar's Spear of Evening	One of the best weapons in the game - comes with +3 enchantment, blindness immunity, and additional actions that help inflict some serious damage.
	Selûne's Spear of Night	A good alternative to Shar's Spear of Evening. It's not as powerful, without an additional damage rider, but has useful actions - that buff allies and hit multiple enemies.
	Charge-Bound Warhammer	A really strong weapon, that is good for most of Act 2. It would be one of the best weapons in the game, if not for just +1 Enchantment.
	Drakethroat Glaive	You can imbue a weapon with any element 1d4 damage and gain a +1 to attack rolls. You can get the bonus elemental damage on any weapon. For example, drop another weapon on the ground, cast the spell with this glaive, and equip the said weapon. This is a very powerful combo, although it may be a bug.
Ranged	Darkfire Shortbow	It is an amazing bow that allows to precast Haste​ before combat. This may not seem as big as you can use Potion of Speed, but sometimes its short duration is insufficient. Otherwise, stay with bows from the previous act.
Head	Helmet of Arcane Acuity	Probably the best option for Act 2 once you obtain Ring of Arcane Synergy as melee hits will empower your spell success chance.
	Diadem of Arcane Synergy	This is great headwear that you can use to enable bonus damage. However, this requires you to inflict a condition on the enemy. This is an alternative to Ring of Arcane Synergy before obtaining it. So use only one.
	Flawed Helldusk Helmet	Alternative helmet option, especially if you have something like a Paladin in the group which may use Diadem of Arcane Synergy.
Cloak	Cloak of Protection	Improves survivability and Saving Throw success. You want to equip this cloak to maintain that good Armour Class.
Armor	Potent Robe	This is the best robe, for Bladelock build. It will improve Eldritch Blast​ damage and make it easy to sustain good damage between this and melee attacks.
	Yuan-ti Scale Mail	Best Medium armour in Act 2, if you have proficiency.
Gloves	Flawed Helldusk Gloves	Gives a bonus of 1d4 damage, which is a good boost to melee damage.
	Gloves of the Growling Underdog	These gloves can be used until you get Risky Ring.
Boots	Disintegrating Night Walkers	The boots are still the best ones you can equip.
	Evasive Shoes	Optional boots if you need a little bit more Armour Class.
Amulet	Amulet of the Harpers	Allows casting a Shield​ spell, and can be a lifesaver if attacked heavily for one turn.
Rings	Risky Ring	I would say this is the best Ring, that you can get, to eliminate the effect of Great Weapon Master: All In.
	Ring of Arcane Synergy	You can start using this ring once you obtain Potent Robe. Use Eldritch Blast​ to enable Arcane Synergy, for bonus damage with your melee hits. Be sure not to use this with Diadem of Arcane Synergy as the effects overlap.
	Caustic Band	Still a good ring to use, for easy +2 damage.
	Strange Conduit Ring	If you are using Concentration spells, this would give 0.5 more damage than Caustic Band.

Act 3 - Final Build setup

This is the last act of the game, where you will get access to the most powerful items. To get them as early as possible you will need some planning, but overall, it should not be a problem.

Overall, there are multiple setups for this build, so I would like to go through them. Choose the one that you like:

Eldritch Blast Combo setup

This is an improved version of the Act 2 setup and uses Eldritch Blast​ in its rotation. It is inferior in terms of damage to the below Bhaalist Armour setup. However, this one is perfect if you are doing a good playthrough.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (Two-Handed)	Silver Sword of the Astral Plane	If you went with the Githyanki race, this weapon is one of the best choices. It gives a specific race bonus and additional psychic damage.
	Nyrulna	An amazing weapon with two unique actions that Bladelock can utilize for a wider variety of attacks.
	Shar's Spear of Evening	One of the best contenders for the Bladelock build. It plays well with Devil's Sight​ and gives another source of Darkness.
	Hellfire Greataxe	I wanted to recommend something unique, and this weapon is amazing. One downside is that many of the stronger enemies will be resistant to its bonus fire damage.
Ranged	The Dead Shot	Improves critical range for attack rolls.
	Hellrider Longbow	I would pick this bow if you are using Heavy Armour. The bonus initiative would be a huge boost to do some damage early in the turn.
Head	Birthright	The best helmet if you plan on going with this setup where you use Eldritch Blast​ in rotations.
	Helm of Balduran	This helmet synergizes well with Broodmother's Revenge to activate the 1d6 poison bonus.
	Sarevok's Horned Helmet	Increases critical range for attack rolls. Why it's not the best? Well, the Helm of Balduran + Broodmother's Revenge is a better combo, if you are too lazy to heal before each encounter. Otherwise, equip this.
Cloak	Cloak of Displacement	Great way to avoid attacks and reduce the chance of enemy attacks landing.
	Cloak of Protection	The bonus armor class is great for better survivability.
Armor	Potent Robe	Gives a solid boost to Eldritch Blast​ damage. This will be the core cantrip in activating Ring of Arcane Synergy.
	Armour of Agility	The best medium armor in the game. It also does not limit your Armour class bonus from dexterity. Of course, using this compared to the options above will be a damage hit, but you may not use them for any particular reason, so suggesting this here.
	Robe of Supreme Defences	A great robe that gives improved Saving Throws based on the spellcasting modifier. It is perfect if you like using a lot of concentration spells like Hunger of Hadar, Eyebite, etc.
Gloves	Helldusk Gloves	Very good gloves, but might be contested by other builds. Overall these would be a bit more powerful than Spellmight Gloves, as you could hit 4 times when hasted and inflict Bleed.
	Spellmight Gloves	These are great if you are using Eldritch Blast​ at least once per turn, the bonus damage stacks up well.
	Legacy of the Masters	Gives bonuses to attack and damage rolls. However, this requires medium armor proficiency, so that is why they are lower in the rankings.
	Daredevil Gloves	I did not use them in the build, but these could be excellent for casting Eldritch Blast​ in melee range.
Boots	Helldusk Boots	An alternative boot to Disintegrating Night Walkers. It's not better by any means just an alternative.
	Bonespike Boots	I would say this is an upgraded version of Evasive Shoes, just remember that the item does not work with armor.
Amulet	Broodmother's Revenge	The only amulet that gives a direct damage boost.
	Amulet of Greater Health	It could be used to improve the survivability of the build. If using it remember to set your constitution to 8 using respec.
Rings	Risky Ring	The best Ring, that you can get, to eliminate the effect of Great Weapon Master: All In.
	Ring of Arcane Synergy	You can use this together with Eldritch Blast, to empower your next melee attacks. Due to high Charisma, this will be 6-7 bonus damage per hit.

Bhaalist Setup

This is the equipment that I recommend if you are going for no compromise high damage. I find it a bit tedious, but you cannot argue with huge damage numbers this does. This setup does forgo spellcasting, maybe an occasional Hunger of Hadar, but otherwise, you will do extremely high damage with normal hits.

Two-Handed

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (Two-Handed)	Shar's Spear of Evening	Plays well with Darkness​ as this weapon can activate it. It also gains bonus damage against the enemies in the shadows which doubles with Bhaalist Armour.
	Nyrulna	The piercing weapon is amazing as its damage will be doubled. Together with its unique actions, it makes it one of the best weapons for this setup.
	Duellist's Prerogative	Technically not a two-handed weapon, but you will keep your offhand free. This is one of the best rapiers in the game, giving a way to attack with a bonus action. It is weaker than the above weapons because Great Weapon Master: All In​ bonus damage will not work (so you can drop it). However, the rapier is beautiful and offers a unique playstyle.

Dual-Wielding

Remember to remove the Great Weapon Master: All In​ feat.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (Main-Hand)	Crimson Mischief	Together with Bhaalist Armour, this is one of the strongest combos, that will deal huge amounts of damage. After that pick the correct offhand weapon option.
Melee (Off-Hand)	Harmonic Dueller	The strongest setup for dual-wielding offhand, as it can get bonus damage from the charisma modifier. This does require some juggling with feats: Ability Improvement +2 Charisma Dual Wielder​ Actor​ - this ensures that you can easily activate the weapon's special ability, Mellow Harmony.
	Belm	An excellent weapon that has a special action to replicate the main weapon attack when it is worn in an offhand. This uses bonus action.
	Rhapsody	Amazing off-hand weapon that can give you bonus damage, attack rolls, and spell save DC. All in one!
	Infernal Rapier	If got your hands on this weapon it is an amazing one. However, it requires a Dual Wielder​ feat. You also get the spell Planar Ally: Cambion.

Remaining equipment

Slot	Item	Description
Ranged	Hellrider Longbow	Excellent bow for higher initiative, allowing to go earlier in combat.
	The Dead Shot	Improves critical range for attack rolls.
Head	Diadem of Arcane Synergy	Requires you to inflict a condition for it to be activated. With Bhaalist Armour this is very easy to do. This gives bonus damage to weapon attacks from the spellcasting modifier.
	Helm of Balduran	This helmet synergizes well with Broodmother's Revenge to activate the 1d6 poison bonus.
	Sarevok's Horned Helmet	The last option for Act 3 headwear. The crit range does give some bonus damage but it is very low.
Cloak	Cloak of Displacement	Great way to avoid attacks and reduce the chance of enemy attacks landing.
Armor	Bhaalist Armour	Best armor as it doubles damage with Piercing weapons. This includes weapons like Nyrulna or Shar's Spear of Evening. You should use this one for the most powerful setup.
Gloves	Helldusk Gloves	Very good gloves, but might be contested by other builds. Overall these would be a bit more powerful than Spellmight Gloves, as you could hit 4 times when hasted and inflict Bleed.
	Legacy of the Masters	Gives bonuses to attack and damage rolls. However, this requires medium armor proficiency, so that is why they are lower in the rankings.
Boots	Helldusk Boots	An alternative boot to Disintegrating Night Walkers. It's not better by any means just an alternative.
Amulet	Broodmother's Revenge	The only amulet that gives a direct damage boost.
	Amulet of Greater Health	It could be used to improve the survivability of the build. If using it remember to set your constitution to 8 using respec.
Rings	Risky Ring	The best Ring, that you can get, to eliminate the effect of Great Weapon Master: All In.
	Caustic Band	Gives a bonus of 2 acid damage on weapon attacks.
	Callous Glow Ring	Extra radiant damage rider.

I do want to mention one combo, that you might be interested in trying:

Slot	Item	Description
Head	Helmet of Arcane Acuity	So with this combo, you can pump up Spell Save DC and get very high spell success chances. However, this combo is somewhat limited on Bladelock as it doesn't have multi-hit weapon attacks.
Rings	Band of the Mystic Scoundrel

Build Mechanics

In this section, I would like to dive deep into how to play the Bladelock. This will help you utilize it to the fullest and correctly use various actions and spells throughout the game.

Important Mechanics and Combos

Let's go through key mechanics and tips on how to effectively use the build.

Using any melee Weapon - Bind Pact Weapon

The main mechanic of Bladelock that allows it to be effective in weapon combat is the Bind Pact Weapon. This allows you to be proficient with any melee weapon and use Charisma as the main modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity.

With the recent patch, you need to apply it only once time and it persists even after a long rest. Just be sure to activate it on a newly equipped weapon.

Managing Great Weapon Master

One of the more important feats of the build is Great Weapon Master: All In. It gives a flat damage boost at the cost of decreased attack rolls. Generally, it is best to take this later in the game at level 8+, when you have higher attack bonuses and better gear.

However, if you can effectively use it at level 4, you will be able to easily kill most of the enemies you encounter, especially as it is easy to die in Act 1. So if you are up for putting in additional effort the benefits are immense. Here are the main ways to increase your attack rolls:

• Bless​ from Cleric or Paladin, for a 1d4 bonus.
• Spells like Faerie Fire, and Blindness​ give an advantage to attackers.
• Oil of Accuracy or Diluted Oil of Sharpness, for 1 and 2 attack roll bonus.
• Gloves of the Growling Underdog - can be obtained in Goblin Camp, and gives an advantage for attack rolls.
• Svartlebee's Woundseeker - early game greatsword that you can get before engaging in any of the major battles of Act 1.

Now, if you want more in-depth information, I have a guide covering how to increase attack rolls, which lists a lot of options and combinations. You can then pick the bonuses based on your party setup.

When to attack with melee

This is the main dilemma with Bladelock. As Warlock, you have access to some good actions like Eldritch Blast, Fireball, etc. So why even go into melee range? There is a coolness factor of course.

But the main reason is that with the correct setup, your damage will skyrocket. Remember at level 5 you unlock Deepened Pact, which gives a second attack. Then you get various buffs from Great Weapon Master: All In, weapon modifiers, Lifedrinker, etc.

So the melee damage will deal substantially more at least for single targets. However, if you see a group of enemies. Don't risk yourself either use something like Hunger of Hadar, Confusion,​ or Fireball​ and use melee to finish them off.

Darkness with Devils Sight

Using Darkness​ spells with Warlock is one of the ways to guarantee success. You will of course need Devil's Sight​ Eldritch Invocation. Once you have it, you can stay inside and either attack with Eldritch Blast, cast spells, or wait for enemies to come and bash them with advantage, while they are blind.

This can also be empowered by items like Shar's Spear of Evening, which gets bonus damage and can create its darkness field.

Managing Armour Class

This is an important topic for Bladelock. As a caster, you may think that being on the frontlines will put you at high risk, and you are right. However, there are options to get a good Armour Class and feel safe when battling foes face to face.

First, if you can, early on use Medium Armour. This requires proficiency and is a decent protection without many worries. This is of course, not mandatory, and the robe can be as strong:

1. Cast Mage Armour​ with other characters or Armour of Shadows Eldritch Invocation.
2. Having 16 dexterity gives +3 Armour Class.
3. Bracers of Defence, early game +2 Armour Class.

So this is 18 Armour Class, which is better than any Heavy Armor for most of Act 1. As you progress, you will get some better robes, more items with Armour Class, and stronger spells to control your foes.

Eldritch Blast usage

This is one of the most iconic actions that Warlock can do. When playing, I recommend using Eldritch Blast​ in these situations:

• When you are not able to reach the enemy by running
• You are in the Darkness​ field and want to snipe your foes.
• You are playing Honour Mode, and are Hasted (have two action points).

The last one is important, as it will make it so that your Eldritch Blast​ uses the "Hasted" action, and the primary one which results in two attacks is left. For the difficulties below, you will want to concentrate on Melee attacks most of the time.

Better Resource Management with Bard

One of the unique aspects of Warlock is that their Spell slots get reset each short rest. On one hand, this can be a disadvantage as you are pretty limited. However, looking at this from a different perspective at level 5, you can have something like Fireball​ cast 6 times per long rest. No other caster can do this.

But for even better improvements I do recommend using Bard Build with Song of Rest​ to give another short rest to the party, to extend the offensive capabilities of this build. So now if we take the previous example you will be able to cast 8 Fireball​ which is nuts.

Early Game Combat

Let's cover how you should progress combat levels 1-6.

• Hex​ is a great way to get use of your bonus action until you unlock Great Weapon Master: All In​.
• Try to maintain a 75%+ hit chance with two-handed weapons once you get Great Weapon Master: All In. This can be done by getting an advantage. This is when your weapon damage will surpass other damage options for now.
• Use Eldritch Blast​ when you cannot reach your foe.
• Cast area-of-effect spells like Cloud of Daggers​ or Fireball​ when enemies are stuck together.
• Use Darkness​ + Devil's Sight​ for some difficult combat encounters like Githyanki's, or Orc Camp.

Late Game Combat

This is where things get interesting, especially in Act 3. I will cover here the Eldritch Blast combo mainly, as this requires some precise steps.

1. Be sure to get Haste​ from the caster, Darkfire Shortbow, Gontr Mael, or just Potion of Speed before combat or before your turn. This will be a big damage boost not only in terms of the number of attacks but also from the Arcane Synergy buff.
2. Cast Eldritch Blast​ to activate the Ring of Arcane Synergy and enable Arcane Synergy buff. This will give bonus weapon damage based on the Charisma modifier.
3. After this, you can follow up with 2 Attacks from the Action point and 1 from the Great Weapon Master: Bonus Attack.
4. If using Elixir of Bloodlust, the new action point can be used for another Eldritch Blast​, which would yield more damage than one weapon hit (on Honour Mode)

Here are some other tips:

• Bhaalist Armour enables a simpler playstyle where you first engage in melee hits and improve your Spell Save DC while wearing Helmet of Arcane Acuity. Now, you can use bonus action for attacks with Duellist's Prerogative or land a spell using Band of the Mystic Scoundrel which can disable multiple targets.
• Now, this is not the best option always. Sometimes, you could do a preparation round, for example, cast Hunger of Hadar, consume a potion of speed, and get ready for the next round to unleash full fury.
• If you see 4-5 enemies stack together, just cast Fireball, Wall of Fire,​ and see them burn. There is nothing more satisfying than these spells.

Build Variations

There are a few variations that the build could be changed about. I think it is more for advanced players who are likely doing some deeper optimizations.

Setup	Description
10 Lv Warlock 2 Lv Fighter	People love Fighter Lv 2. It's hard to argue with Action Surge​. I would not go with this option, as this removes the third spell slot, and it is a huge improvement for fights that take two or more turns.
Lockadin Build (Tactician and Balanced difficulties): 5 Lv Warlock 7 Lv Paladin	This is the strongest Paladin multiclass in difficulties below Honour Mode. The three attacks per action using Extra Attack​ and Deepened Pact​ is just too good to pass up.
Bardlock (Tactician and Balanced difficulties) 6 Lv Bard 6 LV Warlock	This setup also exploits the stacking of extra attacks from both classes. This is a good setup and a perfect party face with access to various spells and excellent combat prowess.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading the best Bladelock Warlock build for Baldur's Gate 3. I have great enjoyment writing this build, as Warlock is one of the most popular classes. Making it work with a melee setup was somewhat of a challenge, but I am extremely happy with the results.

I hope you will find all you need to make Melee Warlock effective in combat and how to progress through the game.

Cheers!