17 Pro Strategies in Deadlock You Should Start Using Today
The recent Deadlock pro tournament featuring four elite teams battling for $10,000 offered an incredible insight into high-level play. By studying the tournament, we can identify the top strategies that pros use to dominate the competition. These 17 tips highlight what pros do that most players overlook, helping you elevate your game.
1. Kelvin’s Utility is Unmatched
Kelvin’s support capabilities make him a top-tier hero, which is evident in his 100% pick/ban rate. His ultimate can seal off objectives like the Guardian mid-boss or a weakened Patron, giving his team full control. Additionally, Kelvin’s ice path enables fast map traversal for both him and his teammates, amplifying his role in objective control and map dominance.
2. Punching is Key for Objectives
Melee attacks, often underused by casual players, are crucial for high DPS, especially when targeting objectives like Guardians and the mid-boss. Pros frequently use punches because they deal more damage per second than ranged attacks, and melee attacks also provide area-of-effect (AoE) damage. Calculate whether punching is more efficient by checking your melee DPS in the stats menu.
3. Parry Guardians for Stuns
Guardians can be parried just like players, temporarily stunning them. This tactic not only prevents Guardians from damaging you but also stops them from hurting your Troopers, increasing your lane-pushing potential.
4. Deny Souls with Precise Timing
When an enemy dies or an objective is captured, pros quickly shoot or punch the soul orbs to deny them from the enemy team. This prevents the opposition from gaining resources, giving your team a significant advantage. Melee attacks on soul orbs are safer and more reliable than relying on skill shots.
5. Optimize Jungle Clears with Punching
Pros punch jungle mobs as much as possible to conserve ammo and cooldowns. Punching deals high damage without wasting precious resources, and certain lineups even allow for multiple jungle mobs to be hit with a single melee attack, speeding up the clear time.
6. Ban Key Heroes Strategically
In the pro tournament, heroes like Kelvin, Dynamo, Warden, and Mo & Krill were frequently banned due to their high impact. Kelvin excels at support and objective control, Dynamo is a versatile all-rounder, Warden deals overwhelming damage, and Mo & Krill offer incredible gank potential and fast jungle clears. If you’re drafting, prioritize these heroes or ban them to deny your opponents.
7. Lane Setup for Maximum Map Control
The optimal lane setup seen in the tournament is a 1-1-2-1 configuration, with two heroes focusing on the central lanes and single heroes on the sides. This arrangement maximizes map presence and keeps the team’s focus on key objectives.
8. Prioritize Objective Damage Over Fights
In pro play, winning isn’t just about kills—it’s about applying consistent pressure on objectives. If the enemy is out of position, use that opportunity to deal damage to Guardians or Walkers rather than initiating unnecessary fights.
9. Unlock Flex Slots for Strategic Dominance
Flex slots are a game-changer. Each slot unlocked allows you to stay ahead in terms of build progression. Destroying Guardians and Walkers quickly is crucial to unlocking these slots, which in turn gives you more map control and build options.
10. Slide for Infinite Ammo
Sliding while shooting from elevated positions, like steps or ledges, allows you to shoot continuously without consuming ammo. This technique is especially useful when fighting Guardians from a safe distance.
11. Secure the Mid-Boss Early
The mid-boss is a top priority for pro players. Taking down the mid-boss early provides a powerful buff for your team, increasing your pushing power across all lanes. The pros relied on the element of surprise to secure the mid-boss quickly, using melee attacks for higher DPS.
12. Master Soul Urn Delivery
Delivering the Soul Urn is a key strategic objective. Pros made use of heroes like Ivy to fly carriers safely across the map, rescue beams to pull carriers out of danger, or Kelvin’s ice path to create fast escape routes, ensuring successful deliveries.
13. Counter Vindicta with Knockdowns
Vindicta’s airborne sniping can be devastating, but pros counter her effectively with knockdown abilities. Knockdowns take her out of the air, leaving her vulnerable on the ground, where her stun doesn’t even begin until she lands, giving you ample time to eliminate her.
14. Simultaneously Collect Power-Ups
On certain map spots, power-ups can be collected by multiple players if they stand on top of the grates where they spawn. This allows the entire team to benefit from a single power-up, giving your team a collective advantage.
15. Dash and Slide for Quick Movements
Small, precise movements can make all the difference. Pros often dash onto bridges and then slide down steps to maintain momentum, extending their movement range and making them harder to predict.
16. Utilize Items Like Rapid Recharge for Burst Power
Buying an item like Rapid Recharge not only gives you an extra ability charge but also refreshes all of your current ability charges. This allows you to surprise enemies with a sudden burst of abilities in critical moments.
17. Leverage the Magic Carpet for Surprise Attacks
Although often underrated, the Magic Carpet item saw strategic use at high levels of play. It allows heroes with AoE abilities, like Seven, to reposition unexpectedly and pull off devastating ultimates from unseen angles.
By incorporating these 17 strategies used by pro players in Deadlock, you can significantly improve your gameplay and elevate your team’s performance. Whether it’s punching objectives, optimizing your jungle clears, or strategically denying souls, these tips will help you gain the upper hand in your matches. Happy gaming!
