The first question in Set 18 Warwick reroll is when to sacrifice Murkwolf. Start by building both units as combat threats, then use Murkwolf as the Blackthorn sacrifice to concentrate power on Warwick. This plays differently from keeping Murkwolf as a secondary carry: your items, frontline, and gold have different jobs.
Judge the route by what it takes to reach its finished board, not one impressive fight after everything hits. You need enough core copies, tanks that buy Warwick attack time, and a sacrifice bonus worth losing a fighting unit. Being a 2-cost reroll comp does not automatically make it cheap or easy.
What Actually Happens When Warwick ‘Eats’ Murkwolf?
This does not mean Warwick permanently absorbs Murkwolf through his ability. You place Murkwolf on Blackthorn’s sacrifice hex to sacrifice it at the start of combat. The bonus depends on the sacrificed unit’s role, cost, and star level, so the unit you choose matters.
Using Murkwolf here is intended to reinforce Warwick’s attack damage and attack speed. An upgraded wolf can either deal damage itself or provide a stronger sacrifice bonus. This is an investment in Warwick’s combat power, not a disposal slot for an unwanted unit.
There is a real cost: Murkwolf no longer deals damage or absorbs attacks in that fight. Giving Warwick more stats does not guarantee a stronger team. If he is underbuilt or the frontline collapses, fighting with both wolves may be more reliable.
As a starting plan, let Warwick and Murkwolf fight together while you build toward Murkwolf 3, then consider the sacrifice. Before switching, check Warwick’s star level, items, and tanks. Hitting Murkwolf 3 is only part of the setup; the Warwick receiving that bonus must be ready too.
When the Opener Supports This Comp
Consider it when you naturally find multiple Warwick and Murkwolf copies, have physical carry components, and are not getting crushed early. Locking in because you found one Warwick can become expensive if the shops do not cooperate. Rolling costs gold, and buying the hits costs more.
Scout beyond Warwick. Riftbeast players may hold Murkwolf, and other boards may temporarily use Elise as frontline. Different comp names can still mean shared units. Distinguish someone holding a temporary 2-star from a player committed to the same 3-star target.
Apply the same logic to Augments. Economy and reroll support help you afford the upgrades; combat Augments improve the finished board. Fill your current gap rather than treating either category as automatically best. A rich but weak board needs something different from a stable board still far from its core hits.
The sacrifice route makes more sense when you can support both Warwick’s damage and survival. Concentrating power on him also increases the cost of his early death. An offensive Augment does not replace defensive items or a real frontline.
Level 6 Reroll: Board Strength Comes Before Protecting 50 Gold
The main plan is to collect Warwick and Murkwolf at level 6. You will usually reach 6 during Stage 3, then spend surplus gold on upgrades. Treat that as a framework, not a rule requiring an exact spend on a fixed round.
If the board holds, slow rolling above 50 gold is efficient. If your carry is ready but a 1-star tank causes heavy losses, spending below an interest breakpoint to upgrade the frontline can buy more rolling time. You are spending gold to preserve HP and reach future income rounds.
Set a concrete stopping point: Warwick 2 or your main tank 2, for example, rather than rolling until everything looks perfect. Once that upgrade stabilizes the board, pause and judge the next fights before spending again.
Bench management matters too. Holding every Diana and Krug gives you options but can leave too little gold to buy Warwick and Murkwolf. If a secondary 3-star is distant, be willing to drop it for your core targets. A board that wins now matters more than a perfectly upgraded bench.
After the key wolf upgrades, look at leveling for another active unit. Extra slots matter when sacrifice reduces your fighting numbers. Be cautious about staying down to chase every secondary 3-star while low on HP and still missing many copies.
Why Shojin Warwick and Damage-Focused Warwick Build Differently
A commonly discussed setup when both wolves fight is Spear of Shojin, Titan’s Resolve, and Sterak’s Gage. Riot’s 18.3 notes also point to Shojin and Titan’s on Warwick: mana regeneration helps him cast repeatedly and ramp attack speed. The idea is to survive while cycling his ability.
Getting attack speed through a Murkwolf sacrifice changes what the item slots need to provide. Infinity Edge adds damage, Quicksilver reduces time lost to crowd control, and Giant Slayer helps against frontline targets. In this approach, the trait supplies speed while items improve damage and uptime.
| Game Plan | Example Items | Check First |
|---|---|---|
| Warwick and Murkwolf both fight | Spear of Shojin, Titan’s Resolve, Sterak’s Gage | Can Warwick survive and cast repeatedly? |
| Sacrifice Murkwolf to empower Warwick | Infinity Edge, Quicksilver, Giant Slayer | Are the sacrifice bonus and frontline ready? |
Do not memorize the two rows as one universal build. Ask where attack speed comes from and what stops Warwick from attacking. Against frequent crowd control, actual uptime can matter more than target-dummy damage. If he survives the control but cannot break tanks, look at damage and armor-reduction support.
Do not leave usable components idle forever waiting for perfect items. Use what you have to protect midgame HP, and consider whether a secondary carry can use those items later. Surviving the fights before three finished items can be the more urgent problem.
Elise and the Supporting Cast Must Buy Warwick Time
An example progression connects Warwick and Murkwolf with Rek’Sai, Elise, Krug, and Diana, then adds Brambleback later. This is a roster example, not a fixed six-unit positioning chart or mandatory purchase order. Your intermediate board depends on which tanks upgrade and which traits you need.
If Elise is your main tank, her star level and defensive items matter as much as Warwick’s offense. His concentrated stats need time to work. Until Elise upgrades, a different 2-star frontline unit can help bridge the gap.
Once the core is finished, add team support such as anti-heal and armor reduction. Three items on Warwick do not answer every matchup. Check whether healing or high armor is stopping him, then give supporting items to units that can apply their effects reliably.
Reposition After Moving Murkwolf onto the Sacrifice Hex
Check the units left on the board after sacrificing Murkwolf. Attacks he previously absorbed now go elsewhere, and Warwick may become the next target as soon as one tank dies. Looking only at the bonus can hide that change.
Warwick is a melee carry who moves on after finishing a nearby target. Getting stuck on the toughest tank gives the enemy backline free time. Look for access through the weaker side, make sure your main tank takes initial aggro, and check where enemy crowd control will land.
After a loss, identify the failure. If Warwick attacked freely but could not kill a tank, review damage and support effects. If he drew focus before securing a kill, review positioning and frontline first. Similar results can require different fixes.
Patch 18.5 Context and the Final Decision
The 18.4 mid-patch update buffs Warwick’s ability damage and healing, plus Murkwolf’s empowered attack damage. The published 18.5 notes do not directly change either unit’s numbers, but they do adjust surrounding systems, including Blackthorn 6 and the AP sacrifice bonus. Separate the breakpoint and sacrifice role your board actually uses before assuming every Blackthorn nerf affects this route equally.
No direct nerf does not automatically make it a top-tier comp. Changing enemy boards and frontlines changes Warwick’s fights too. There is not enough verified current-patch performance data here to call this sacrifice variant a must-play S-tier choice.
The appeal is converting your upgraded wolf into Warwick’s ability to break through fights. Choose it when you have the copies, items, and frontline to support that conversion. If the essentials are missing, take the closest useful board upgrade instead of rolling indefinitely for the comp name.
Regional and version notes
This is a Set 18 Warwick sacrifice variant, not a guaranteed live-patch tier ranking. The 18.4 mid-patch changes and 18.5 context are distinguished in the text. Check the Blackthorn breakpoint and sacrifice role actually used by your board. Some illustrations are retained from the Korean edition and may include Korean labels. Use the English article text for instructions.
Localization sources checked October 22, 2026 (Korea time):