Honor Among Thieves, a narrative that already has the fan base excited as it appears to be sticking far more closely to the source material than past adaptations. While the classes the characters fall into haven't been revealed yet, it's natural to assume that a Warlock will be among the party.
D&D players have been perfecting the art of playing as a Warlock for some time, and it has some of the best subclasses in the tabletop experience. Some of them are more powerful than others though, despite the fact that they are all useful in a campaign.
9 Fathomless
Some of the powers of Warlock subclasses are dependent on the elemental factors. The Fathomless are thus water-based. If the party is involved in a campaign that takes place across the great oceans of these Planes of Existence then they are in for some luck.
However, land-based campaigns don't have a lot of uses for the Fathomless. An expanded spell list is useful and enchantments such as Tentacles of the Deep and Oceanic Soul come with natural benefits. At the very least the Fathomless are well-balanced in their abilities once they are able to make an impact.
8 Undying
The Undying's basic purpose is to help the party survive. A healer in some respects, the issue is that often the Undying's powers just aren't enough to deal with the threats that are being faced. The Undying is usually one step behind and thus of less use to the party.
The Undying are relatively good at keeping themselves alive and are quite defensive in that sense. Undying Nature and Defy Death are particularly useful ways to stay in the game for a little longer, but other classes boast similar abilities and there are plenty of underrated magical D&D items that could fulfill the same purpose.
7 Archfey
The basic setup of the Archfey is quite imaginative. The character class allows the players to use all kind of illusionary spells, casting in a way to confuse and trick the monsters and antagonists of a campaign. But that comes with its own kinds of risks.
Those kinds of spells can go wrong, be resisted, and ultimately are not exactly offensive. While they are great team players with the likes of Misty Escape helping the party remove themselves from a situation, there are a lot of limits to what they can achieve and require further balancing when building the basics.
6 Celestial
The Celestial is a bit of an all-rounder. While they don't do anything in particular that is stand out, they are balanced in a powerful way that gives them an edge. From healing spells to some fiery offensive enchantments, the Celestial is a brilliant ally for a party.
The spells that the Celestial casts are certainly not as effective as some of the specialist subclasses for the Warlocks, but Healing Light, Radiant Soul, and Celestial Resilience are all great options to have; the latter of which boosts the party as a whole, increasing the time on the battlefield.
5 Great Old One
What's intriguing about the Great Old One is that the basic imagery is a Warlock fits exactly into this subclass. Plenty of character player creations, no matter how weird they may be, rely on this setup as a way of entering the story in a familiar way.
From the Thought Shield, which is especially useful in battle, to the telepathic Awakened Mind, the Great Old One ticks so many boxes, many of which are useful outside of the realms of conflict. It's the adaptability of the Great Old One that makes them truly critical.
4 Undead
Necromancy magic is a difficult thing to wield and the subclass of Warlock known as the Undead is one of the most powerful entities in the game to do so. They are well-balanced in other areas, but can defensively and offensively use their skills in a variety of ways, making them well-equipped for a campaign.
Form of the Dead, Grave Touch, Sprit Projection, and Necrotic Husk are just a few of the abilities that this subclass boasts, plus there are a variety of exclusive magical items that a Warlock can gain the edge with, when they are in the hands of a powerful Undead. Resurrection for the party will come from this player.
3 Fiend
When looking at elemental abilities, this useful combat build will give a party a significant edge in the field. That's because the Fiend relies on fire magic and thus is a brilliant blaster, hitting back enemies and using their fiery abilities to the advantage of the group.
They are a fighter through and through, with the Warlock subclass using spells like Hurl Through Hell, Dark One's Blessing, and Fiendish Resilience for a combination of attacks and defensive maneuvers. However, most of that power is very much channeled into battle and is less useful throughout other areas of a campaign.
2 Hexblade
From the charisma, the defensive opportunities, the attack maneuvers, and the spell-casting options, the Hexblade Warlock Dungeons & Dragons subclass is one of the most powerful because of its sheer versatility and ability to be vital both in battle and throughout a campaign.
Another all-rounder that can also make the most of the opportunities a magical item gives them, the Hexblade has abilities like Master of Hexes, Armor of Hexes, Hex Warrior, and Hexblade's Curse, which are all some of the most effective magical skills in the tabletop experience.
1 Genie
The Genie is the most powerful entity in the Warlock subclasses and a major character build in Dungeons & Dragons in general. The Warlock subclass is incredible in its range of imaginative abilities, with the player creatively coming up with all sorts of solutions with the opportunities given.
The genie is a great blend of both skill in battle and versatility throughout the rest of a campaign with Djinni and Efreeti spells on the casting list and the likes of Limited Wish and Genie's Wrath opening up the game further to step into powerful new territory.
