Yamato, a fierce warrior from Valve, brings her agile sword strike and swift combat skills to Deadlock. Known for her incredible mobility and devastating damage, Yamato thrives in intense, fast-paced fights. Her playstyle is ideal for players who enjoy engaging with high mechanical gameplay and precision-based abilities. When you play Yamato, mastering her kit rewards you with swift, calculated kills and effective team contributions. In this deadlock Yamato guide, we’ll explore every aspect of her character and abilities, offering tips and insights to enhance your skill with Yamato in Deadlock.
This deadlock Yamato build guide will cover everything you need to know, from her abilities to her best build options and item recommendations. Let’s dive into how to maximise Yamato’s potential and rise to the top of the ranks.
Yamato’s Power Slash is one of her core abilities, and it plays a pivotal role in her burst damage. It’s a channel to increase damage over 1.5 seconds, delivering a heavy sword strike when fully charged. You can release it early to deal partial damage, but a fully charged Power Slash will punish enemies the most. This ability is highly effective when used in combination with crowd control from your team, allowing you to land the perfect hit without interruption.
Tip: Use Power Slash right after your team’s crowd control abilities to guarantee a full charge. Don't hesitate to use it at half charge when you're being pressured—any damage can make a difference, especially when you're dealing with a lower health enemy.
Yamato’s Flying Strike is her primary mobility tool. It allows her to quickly dash toward an enemy by throwing out a grappling hook. Once she closes the gap, she deals damage and slows the target. Flying Strike is perfect for both engaging and escaping, and mastering this ability is key to effectively playing Yamato in Deadlock.
Tip: Use Flying Strike to avoid high-damage abilities by dashing out of range or to surprise an enemy by rapidly closing in on them. It’s also an excellent tool for picking off low-health targets trying to retreat.
Crimson Slash is Yamato’s bread and butter for sustained damage and sustain. It hits all enemies in front of her, reduces their fire rate, and heals her when she hits enemy heroes. This makes Crimson Slash crucial during prolonged fights, keeping Yamato alive while her opponents weaken.
Tip: Use Crimson Slash in large teamfights to maximise your heal. Try to position yourself so that you hit multiple enemy heroes, increasing both your damage and healing potential. It’s especially useful in 1v1 duels where the heal could give you the edge.
Yamato’s ultimate, Shadow Transformation, is her game-changing ability. This initial invincible transformation makes her immune to damage for a short time while abilities are refreshed and significantly increasing her damage output. During this transformation, her abilities become faster, her weapon gains infinite ammo, and she becomes unable to die.
Tip: Use Shadow Transformation after you’ve expended all your abilities to reset them and dive back into the fight fully empowered. This can be a pro move in clutch situations where you can’t afford to be caught off guard.
If you want to maximise your potential in Deadlock, the right upgrade order is essential. Here’s the best approach to building Yamato to her full strength:
Yamato’s abilities work best when chained together effectively. A classic combo involves using Flying Strike to engage, then following up with Crimson Slash to deal AOE damage and gain some heal. Once you’ve weakened your opponents, use Power Slash to finish them off. If things go awry or you need to re-engage, use Shadow Transformation to refresh your abilities and go for a second round.
Tip: For an optimal burst, engage with Flying Strike, then immediately use Crimson Slash to slow and heal, followed by a charged Power Slash for the killing blow. Always save your Shadow Transformation for those moments when you need a clutch reset in intense teamfights.
To effectively play Yamato, you’ll want to build items that enhance her damage and survivability while ensuring she has enough mobility to engage and disengage. Here’s a breakdown of the best items for Yamato:
To play Yamato effectively, you must have solid map awareness and roam intelligently. Move between lane and jungle camps to farm souls and set up ganks. Use Flying Strike to engage squishy heroes and take them down with your burst combo. In teamfights, focus on hitting multiple targets with Crimson Slash to maximise your healing and damage output. Remember to always prioritise squishy targets before using Shadow Transformation for a second wave of attacks.
Yamato is one of the most dynamic and rewarding heroes in Deadlock. Her combination of mobility, sword strike abilities, and invulnerability make her a force to be reckoned with. If you want to dominate with her, follow this deadlock yamato build guide, and you’ll find yourself controlling the battlefield with ease. Watch video guides and study transcripts of pro players to hone your skills further. There’s no doubt that Yamato’s playstyle is perfect for players looking for high risk, high reward gameplay.
Want to learn more about the Deadlock heroes? Check out our other articles at SaveGame or our Deadlock lore article.
Disclaimer: This guide is based on the current patch and may change with future updates. For the most up-to-date strategies, be sure to check the latest guides and gameplay videos.
