At its core, Deadlock is a MOBA, which are notorious for long matches and complicated strategy. So, it’s important to have a plan of action for every stage. Here are some tips for each match stage in Deadlock.
Tips for Every Match Stage in Deadlock
Early Game (0-10 Minutes)
The first ten minutes of a Deadlock match are usually considered the early game. At this stage, your sole focus should be to farm souls and get an early lead on the enemy.
Farm as Many Troopers as You Can
In the early game, try to kill as many Troopers as you can. The more Troopers you kill, the more souls you get, which results in gaining a soul lead over the opponent. Souls control how fast you get to level up your hero, and if the enemy heroes get strong first, you are put at a massive disadvantage. In short, killing Troopers is the best tip for the early game stage in Deadlock.
Don’t Duel Other Heroes
It’s a very common mistake made by beginners and especially players from hero shooters to go for hero kills. In the early game, your hero is extremely weak, so dueling another hero is a massive gamble. That’s because, if you die, you will ensure that your enemy gets a soul lead over you.
Also, make sure to deny as many enemy souls as possible. You do this by breaking the soul orb that spawns when a Trooper dies.
Break Crates and Gold Idols
The early game is a race to upgrade heroes. Crates and Gold Idols can help you achieve that. Both of these spawn all around the map, and breaking them grants buffs and souls. Crates solely drop souls, and Gold Idols can give you permanent buffs like health, more damage, or more stamina. So, whenever you see one, smash them.
Farm Creepers for Some Extra Souls
At about 2 minutes into the early game, Tier 1 Creeper Camps will spawn. These are basically monster camps with 2-4 monsters that you can kill for souls. Tier 1 camps are relatively weak, and you can easily solo them.
Keep in mind that Killing Creepers gives you “unsecured” souls, which are gradually added to your soul amount. Unsecured souls will drop if you die, so be careful.
Mid Game (10-20 Minutes)
The mid game match stage starts in Deadlock around the ten-minute mark and continues until 20 minutes. Generally, speaking mid-game is usually when some of the Guardians are taken down and the heroes are significantly more powerful.
Start Working Toward a Build
At this stage, you should have a pretty decent amount of souls. It’s recommended that you start making progress on making a build. It’s completely up to you what build you want, and it also depends on your hero. The only tip here is to start planning out what items you plan to buy. Plus, start managing your economy.
Time to Get Aggressive
If your hero has become stronger, this might be a good time to push the objective and enemy heroes. Of course, don’t rush in blindly; be patient and try to progress slowly. Check the minimap to see other lanes and find opportunities to flank.
Tier 2 Creeper Camps
Although Tier 2 camps spawn at 7 minutes, which is early game, they should be farmed when your hero is stronger. Tier 2 camps are generally the best value creeper camps because of their abundance in the map and easy difficulty. Farm these whenever you get the chance. Another good tactic is to dedicate this job to a player, whose sole job is to farm Creepers.
Related: All Abilities & Ultimates in Deadlock, Explained
Challenge the Mid Boss
Mid Boss also spawns in the mid-game time and is one you should work toward defeating. But make sure that the blue and orange lanes are secured and that you have teammates to help you take the boss down. The boss drops a lot of souls and grants the Rejuvenator buff. Of course, you don’t need to defeat it now; you can do this in late-game as well. However, prevent the enemy team from taking it down.
Complete the Spirit Urn Objective
The Spirit Urn objective spawns at the 10, 15, and 20-minute marks of the game. It’s a simple pick-and-drop objective. All you need to do is transport the Soul Urn to the location marked on the map. Doing so grants a lot of souls.
The soul amount is divided equally among the team; the player who completed the objective gains 25% bonus souls and 1 ability point. Keep in mind that the player carrying the Spirit Urn cannot use his primary fire and abilities.
Late Game (20-30 Minutes)
The late game match stage starts in Deadlock around the 20-minute mark and goes until the match concludes. This is where all the preparation from early and mid game pays off. Builds should start to come along, and heroes will get very strong.
Look for Openings
Try to find weaknesses in enemy lanes; always check the minimap to see if a lane is weak or unguarded. Find opportunities to attack whenever possible. Keep an eye on your teammates and support them. In short, be more aware than before and look for opportunities.
Counter Builds
Enemy heroes should be very strong and have solid builds. Try to observe them and counter their builds. Also, buy items that work against their strategy.
Tier 3 Camps
This is where you should start going for Tier 3 camps, as they award a ton of souls. You can take them solo if your hero is strong enough. If you are not sure about going in alone, ask a teammate to help take the camp down.
Take Risks
You are basically in the endgame now, so taking risks is a good idea. Go for aggressive plays, try to flank, and use your abilities and ultimates amply. This is the time to make plays.
And that’s pretty much all you need to know about the stages in a Deadlock match. It will take time to completely understand the phases of the game if you are new to Deadlock. Plus, every match is different, so strategies and counters will change. It’s just a matter of putting hours into the game and improving.
Deadlock‘s playtest is available now.
Published: Sep 23, 2024 07:40 am