Intro

Valve's Deadlock is an exhilarating fusion of MOBA and shooter elements, creating a unique experience that combines fast-paced combat with strategic depth. Whether you're just getting your feet wet or already familiar with FPS games like Valorant, this guide will provide beginner tips and tricks for playing Deadlock to help you master the game. From understanding your playstyle to securing objectives, we’ll cover the fundamentals you need to dominate this 6v6 battle across four distinct lanes.

Understanding Deadlock: A Fusion of MOBA and Shooter

Deadlock takes inspiration from MOBA games like Dota 2 while embracing the precision and movement of shooter games. Each match is a strategic 6v6 battle across four lanes, where you'll not only need sharp aiming but also deep knowledge of lane control, hero abilities, and resource management.

Unlike other FPS games like Valorant, in Deadlock, you'll juggle between farming minions, killing jungle camps, and securing major objectives like the Walker or the Guardian. Each lane features towers that serve as the initial defensive barriers, and your ultimate goal is to reach the final barrier before players can attack the enemy Patron.

Heroes like Abrams, Lash, and Grey Talon come equipped with four abilities, offering a wide range of playstyles. Whether you're into crowd control or high-damage output, there’s a hero for every playstyle in this soon-to-be expanding roster of 21.

Tips for Choosing the Best Hero for Your Playstyle

One of the greatest strengths of Deadlock is its wide variety of characters, allowing for flexible hero lane swapping based on the match's needs. Whether you're into dishing out heavy damage or crowd control, each hero fits a unique playstyle. Understanding which one suits you is key to excelling in Deadlock.

Hero Roles: Which One Suits You?

Damage Dealers (DPS)

Damage Dealers excel at high burst damage and eliminating key targets quickly. They are the backbone of any team’s offence.

Examples:

• Grey Talon is a sniper that thrives in long-range combat, using his Charged Shot and Rain of Arrows for powerful zone control.
• Mo & Krill offer great crowd control and damage output, perfect for taking out enemies and pushing objectives.

Tips:

• Keep your distance and avoid frontline engagements.
• Focus on high-value targets like enemy DPS or support heroes.
• Adapt your strategies based on the dynamic flow of battle.

Tanks

Tanks take the brunt of the damage and provide initiation in teamfights. They are your team’s shield and disrupt enemy formations.

Examples:

• Abrams is the ultimate close-range tank, using abilities like Seismic Impact to control the battlefield.
• Lash combines mobility with heavy damage and crowd control, making him an ideal hero for engaging enemies and absorbing damage.

Tips:

• Always engage first, drawing enemy fire and creating openings for your team.
• Use your crowd control abilities to disrupt key enemy heroes, making them easy targets for your DPS.
• Trick: When playing as a Tank, don't overcommit. While it’s your role to engage, keep an eye on your health bar and use your speed boost strategically to retreat when necessary, especially if your cooldown is up.

Supports

Supports provide essential healing, buffs, and protection to their team. Though they may not deal much damage, they are the unsung heroes in every fight.

Examples:

• Kelvin excels at healing and slowing his enemies with his Arctic Beam ability, creating massive teamfight advantages.
• Ivy brings excellent utility to the battlefield, healing teammates and setting up kills with her Air Drop.

Tips:

• Stay near your team’s DPS and Tanks, providing healing and shields to keep them alive during critical moments.
• Use your abilities to turn the tide of teamfights by denying kills and disabling enemies.
• Supports should always focus on farming as safely as possible in the early game, staying back from the frontlines. Keeping your carry alive is more important than securing kills yourself.

Assassins

Assassins focus on burst damage and eliminating key targets quickly. They thrive on flanking, sneaking, and high-risk/high-reward gameplay.

Examples:

• Shiv is a master of mobility and burst, with abilities like Serrated Knives and Killing Blow that let him quickly take down key enemies.
• Haze, the assassin, specialises in stealth and burst, perfect for roaming and eliminating isolated targets.

Tips:

• Avoid full-on teamfights and focus on taking out isolated enemies.
• Use active items and your mobility to outflank the enemy and escape danger.

Souls: The Currency of Power

Souls are your key to upgrading your hero throughout the game. Collecting Souls allows you to buy items from the in-game shop, upgrade abilities, and gain significant advantages over your opponents.

How to Collect Souls Efficiently

• Focus on farming: In the early game, farming as safely as possible is your top priority. Remember to last-hit Troopers' souls upon death to secure Souls—you can even last-hit your own Troopers' souls to deny them from your enemy.
• Neutral camp and collect: After clearing waves, dive into the jungle to defeat monsters that players encounter in neutral camps. Collect those Souls and use them to power up.
• Towers and objectives in Deadlock: Pushing your lane towards the enemy base and taking down towers will give you and your team massive rewards in Souls. The Shrine, Guardian, and Walker objectives are critical for gaining an advantage.
• Teamfights: In Deadlock, killing enemy heroes also grants Souls. The later the game goes, the more Souls each hero is worth.

Tips:

Don't forget that melee kills will automatically collect Souls. Use melee finishing moves to instantly collect Soul orbs, preventing enemies from stealing them. This is especially useful during intense laning phases when quick decisions matter.

By farming as safely as possible early, controlling objectives, and working with your team, you can keep a steady flow of Souls and get ahead of your opponent.

Early Game Tips and Tricks: Laning and Jungle Control

In Deadlock, your early game actions take place in the lanes and jungle. This phase is all about farming as safely as possible, gaining Souls, and setting up for a strong mid-game.

Lane Control and Farming

Controlling your lane before your opponent is the key to early-game success. Farm Souls by killing minions and don’t let your opponent out-farm you.

Farming Tips:

• Focus on farming: Aim to last-hit Troopers and collect those Souls. Missing the last hit can set you behind quickly.
• Positioning: Stay close to your Guardian, as the lane pushes towards the enemy.
• Smart opponents: Beware, as some smart opponents will save their abilities to steal your last hits by walling you off or doing splash damage, so be ready to respond.
• Use the terrain to your advantage when farming. Position yourself near obstacles to break line-of-sight and avoid skill shots, especially when low on health.
• If you’re about to be overwhelmed in lane, use your speed boost to retreat to safety rather than overextending and giving away a free kill.
• Don't use your dodge points at spawn to get to your zip line faster.

Jungle Control and Objectives

The jungle is filled with camps and Souls. These camps, and collecting those Souls, are vital to staying ahead of your opponent.

Jungle Tips:

• Always take jungle camps between waves.
• If the enemy team over-commits to a lane, sneak into their jungle and steal their camps.
• Control major jungle objectives like the Mid-Boss for huge rewards.

Mid Game: Teamfights and Securing Objectives

As the game progresses into the mid-game, focus shifts to teamfights and securing objectives. Winning these engagements is key to setting up a late-game victory.

Winning Teamfights

In teamfights, positioning and timing are critical. Keep your DPS and Supports safe while Tanks engage the enemy.

Teamfight Tips:

• Stick together and avoid getting picked off before the fight begins.
• Focus fire on priority targets, especially squishy DPS or Supports.
• Use your abilities to engage, disengage, or control the battlefield.

Use crowd control abilities wisely. Abilities like Wraith’s Telekinesis can completely shut down key enemies during a fight, giving you a huge advantage.

Objective Control

Objectives like the Guardian, Walker, and Shrine are critical for pushing towards victory. Always prioritise objectives over kills.

Tip:

After winning a teamfight, immediately go for an objective like a Walker or Shrine. Taking down these objectives grants your team a significant boost in Souls and momentum.

Late Game: The Final Push for Victory

By the time the late game rolls around, every player will be fully kitted with items, and one teamfight can decide the outcome of the match.

Coordinating the Final Push

The final barrier before players can attack the enemy’s Patron lies in destroying Shrines and objectives. Make sure you and your team are grouped up and ready for the final assault.

Tips for the Final Push:

• Push with your team; never go in alone.
• Secure the Shrine and Walker objectives before attempting the Patron.
• Use your crowd control abilities to prevent the enemy from mounting a comeback.

During the final push, use vision blockers like cosmic veils to set up ambushes or retreat safely when things go south. Always ensure the enemy’s cooldowns are spent before committing to the final push.

Turtling and Comeback Plays

When you're on the defensive in Deadlock, turtling can help you survive long enough to stage a comeback. Here’s how to make the most of it:

Key Turtling Tips:

1. Defend Key Structures: Stay near your Guardian and Shrines to prevent the enemy from pushing too far. Use crowd control abilities to delay their advances and buy time for your team.
2. Clear Minion Waves Safely: Focus on farming as safely as possible, using ranged abilities to clear waves while staying near your Guardian for protection.
3. Don’t Overextend: Stay disciplined. The enemy may try to bait you into chasing them—don’t fall for it. Defend your base and avoid risky plays.
4. Use Your Towers: Fight near your towers, which can deal extra damage to enemies. Let them overcommit before fully engaging.

Key Comeback Tips:

1. Look for Overextensions: The enemy might push too far. Seize opportunities to pick off isolated targets, especially squishy heroes like DPS or Supports.
2. Secure Objectives: Sneak objectives like the Walker or Shrine when the enemy is distracted. These can give your team the advantage needed to mount a comeback.
3. Win a Critical Teamfight: The right fight can turn the game. Use vision and timing to engage when the enemy overcommits, and strike when they least expect it.

These key strategies will help you stay in the game when things look tough and create windows for a game-changing comeback.

Itemisation: Maximising Your Hero’s Power in Deadlock

Choosing the right items at the right time is crucial in Deadlock, as items can significantly boost your hero’s vitality, damage, and utility. Whether you’re playing as a damage-dealer, tank, or support, proper itemisation can make or break your performance.

Early Game Items

In the early game, focus on items that help you survive and farm efficiently. Here are some key early game items:

• Basic Magazine: Great for DPS heroes, offering a 24% ammo boost and 15% weapon damage, making it easier to harass enemies and secure last hits.
• Close Quarters: Ideal for tanks, giving you 85 Bullet Shield Health to help survive in lane and absorb damage in teamfights.

Early items should prioritise sustain and defensive capabilities, allowing you to safely farm Souls and avoid early deaths.

Mid to Late Game Items

As you transition into the mid to late game, items should focus on enhancing your hero’s strengths and helping you win teamfights:

• Titan Magazine: Perfect for DPS heroes in the late game, providing a 100% ammo boost, 18% weapon damage, and 15% bullet resistance, allowing you to deal sustained damage.
• Heroic Aura: Excellent for tanks and supports, this item grants bullet lifesteal, bonus health, and a movement speed boost, making you tougher in prolonged engagements.

Flex Slots

Once you’ve secured objectives like the Walker or Guardian, flex slots open up. These slots allow you to buy items tailored to the current game situation. For example, if the enemy team is heavy on crowd control, buy items that increase your survivability or grant defensive buffs. Flexibility is key to adapting to the dynamic flow of the game.

Key Itemisation Tips:

• Adapt to the Enemy: If the enemy team is stacking burst damage, buy defensive items like Cosmic Guardian to absorb hits. If you need more damage, focus on items that amplify your attack power.
• Sell Early Items: Once the game reaches its late stages, don’t be afraid to sell early, cheaper items to make room for high-impact items that provide better stats and utility.

By focusing on the right items for your hero’s playstyle and adapting to the enemy team’s strategy, you’ll maximise your hero’s potential and give your team a significant edge.

Mastering the Map and Mobility Mechanics in Deadlock

In Deadlock, the map is more than just a battleground—it’s a strategic tool that, when mastered, gives you the upper hand. The game features various mobility mechanics like zip lines, teleporters, jump pads, and cosmic veils that help you outmanoeuvre your opponents. Let’s look at how these mechanics can be used to dominate the battlefield.

Zip Lines

Zip lines allow for quick travel between lanes and across the map, offering fast rotations or escapes when things get heated.

• Use for Rotations: Zip lines help you quickly move between lanes to assist teammates or contest objectives. If you see a teamfight or an enemy push, zipping in can turn the tide.
• Ambush Opportunities: Use zip lines to set up surprise attacks, especially when the enemy isn’t expecting reinforcements.
• Escape Routes: When things go wrong, zip lines provide a fast exit. However, be mindful of where you’re heading, as enemies might anticipate and block your landing point.

Teleporters and Jump Pads

Teleporters and jump pads help you move across the map with speed and verticality, giving you access to critical areas quickly.

• Teleporters: Instantly travel to another part of the map, perfect for defending objectives or creating quick ambushes.
• Jump Pads: These allow you to gain high ground or traverse the map with added mobility. Use them to surprise enemies or escape tricky situations by reaching areas they can’t access easily.

Tip: Jump at the end of a jump pad to cover extra ground, making it easier to land in safer spots or reach high-value positions.

Cosmic Veils

Cosmic veils block vision, making them perfect for ambushes or retreating when needed.

• Ambush Setup: Hide behind a cosmic veil to set up a sneak attack. The enemy can’t see through the veil, allowing you to choose the perfect moment to strike.
• Safe Retreats: Use a veil to break line of sight and disengage from a fight. This is particularly useful when you need to heal or reposition.

Map Awareness and Objectives

In addition to mastering the mobility mechanics, understanding the layout and key objectives of the map is crucial. Controlling objectives like the Walker, Shrine, and Guardian gives your team the upper hand and secures valuable resources.

• Objective Control: Prioritise objectives over chasing kills. Securing a Walker or Shrine can shift the game in your favour and make your pushes stronger.

Conclusion: Mastering Deadlock for Victory

Deadlock by Valve is an intense, strategic game that combines the best elements of MOBA and shooter genres. To truly dominate, you need to master not just your hero, but also the game’s core mechanics—from efficient farming and itemisation to controlling objectives and using map mobility effectively.

By focusing on itemisation, you’ll ensure your hero is always optimised for the current game, whether that’s dealing damage, absorbing hits, or supporting your team. Turtling and comeback plays will give you a chance to turn the game around even when your base is under siege, and finally, mastering the mobility mechanics and map layout ensures that you can outmanoeuvre the enemy and stay one step ahead.

The key to success in Deadlock lies in adapting your strategies, understanding your playstyle, and working with your team to control the game’s flow. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, these tips will help you unlock your full potential and secure victory after victory. Now get out there, collect those Souls, and show your opponents what you’re made of!