Hey there, it’s Librarian Husky, bringing you the latest updates on Deadlock! A few things have changed with this patch that you need to be aware of. Weapon damage has been nerfed across all characters. Additionally, last hitting has become easier, while securing denies has gotten harder. This change has significantly shifted the meta, making certain characters less effective as lane bullies since it’s now harder to deny and snowball.

Character Tier Overview: Abrams

Crushing opponents in the lane is key, so let’s dive into my thoughts and opinions on various characters based on my experience in high lobbies. First up, we have Abrams. Abrams used to be incredibly strong at denying enemies in lane. His shotgun allowed him to punish opponents severely, easily denying last hits and shoving them under their tower. This enabled him to deal massive damage repeatedly.

Recent Patch Effects on Abrams

With the recent patch changes affecting the ability to deny Souls, Abrams’ dominance in lane has decreased. Now, it’s much easier for other characters to sustain against Abrams by focusing on last hits and lane denies without being punished as hard. Despite this, Abrams remains relevant due to his ultimate, which excels at securing mid-boss objectives. His tankiness also fits well into the current meta, which favors tanky characters and spirit damage over weapon damage.

The Current Meta Shift

The meta has shifted towards spirit damage, especially since weapon damage was nerfed across the board. Spirit-based characters are dominating the higher tiers, with S-tier characters relying more on spirit abilities. While Abrams has lost some of his power in lane, his versatility, tankiness, and utility through his ultimate keep him a strong contender in the current meta.

Character Impact: Bop

I haven’t seen Bop have much of an impact in a long time, especially after his ultimate got nerfed. While Bop still has potential, particularly with ganking, his laning phase is now much weaker than before. In my opinion, Bop struggles to last hit and deny as effectively as he used to. His weapon, though hit scan, no longer snowballs in lane the way it once did.

Nerfs and Meta Changes Affecting Bop

If you’re playing against Bop as Invicta or another character, you can sit back closer to your tower, last hit, and worry less about being denied. The recent nerfs to Bop, particularly with the changes to denying Souls, have reduced his overall strength. He no longer dominates the lane or snowballs as easily, making it harder to control the game and one-shot enemies in the late game.

Dynamo’s Ultimate Power

Dynamo, on the other hand, remains incredibly strong due to his ultimate ability. With a refresher, his ability to lock down multiple enemies in a team fight is invaluable. While I hesitate to place him in S tier, his ultimate is certainly worthy of A tier, if not higher. It’s great for initiating team fights and turning the tide in critical moments. Though his laning phase is weaker and abusable with certain lane combos, Dynamo’s ultimate still makes him a strong pick in team engagements.

Pocket Character Overview

Pocket characters, especially those capable of bursting opponents, are quite powerful in the late game. They offer significant control in team fights and can gank effectively when using abilities like Majestic Leap. Their knockup utility and escape mechanism provide additional versatility. However, the nerf to weapon damage has made attack speed builds less effective in this patch. Despite this, the overall utility and power of these characters push them into the S tier.

Great Talon in the Current Meta

I would place Great Talon in the C tier. He’s better in lane now due to improved bullet travel time, which allows him to secure last hits more easily. However, the character still feels underwhelming. While I haven’t personally played Great Talon, from what I’ve seen, he doesn’t contribute much to the team. He does have a stun and his bird ability can engage if your team has good coordination, but overall, he lacks impact. If I saw Great Talon on my team, I wouldn’t be particularly excited.

Pocket and Viscus Lane Experience

I absolutely love this combination. If I had a pocket character or someone like Viscus in my lane, it would be amazing. For example, Hayes has been nerfed again, and weapon builds have also been weakened. Hayes’ ultimate, which used to let you shoot people around corners, got nerfed too. Despite these changes, the character still feels strong due to abilities like Unstoppable Ricochet and Lucky Shot.

Current Standing of Hayes

Hayes was definitely A or S tier before the nerfs, but now, when playing against opponents who understand the game well, it’s easier to avoid his ultimate and play around it in team fights. I would place Hayes in the E tier at this moment. He needs a lot of items, has a weak laning phase, and can be easily bullied by players who know what they’re doing. However, he still has good roam potential and decent catch potential with his ultimate.

Roaming and Ganking Potential of Haze

Like Bop and Abrams, Hayes has decent catch potential, especially if you build Warpsong on him. Great Talon, in comparison, doesn’t offer much in terms of catching enemies or ganking, while Hayes shines with abilities like Smoke Bomb and an ultimate that can turn team fights. He’s particularly effective around mid-boss objectives when your team is making smart plays.

Dynamo and Furnace Tier Ranking

Furnace, on the other hand, is extremely strong right now. With Dynamo’s ultimate, which can control team fights, I would confidently place Furnace in the S tier for his powerful abilities and team fight dominance.

Overpowered Spirit Damage Character

If there was a tier beyond S, this character would be in it. He’s completely unaffected by the weapon damage nerf that impacted most others. He deals insane spirit damage, heals massive amounts from that damage, and is incredibly tanky with the current popular builds. In lane, he’s nearly unstoppable, can’t be denied, and doesn’t get punished easily for falling behind. His ultimate can even stun opponents out of abilities like Dynamo’s, offering a ton of utility, survivability, and damage. Whenever I see this character on the enemy team, I immediately want to quit and play something else—like Valorant. That’s how frustrating it is.

Ivy’s Decline After Nerfs

Ivy is probably the weakest laner in the game right now. She has no real kill potential early on and performs better in a 2v2 lane alongside other characters. Ivy’s Kudu Bomb and ultimate were both nerfed, making her a shadow of her former self. Previously, she was a mega troll, oppressive, and powerful, with great wave clear that made it difficult to push down towers. But after several nerfs, I would place Ivy in the C tier. She no longer feels oppressive, and her overall impact on the game has significantly diminished.

Kelvin’s Utility and Current Standing

I don’t feel completely hopeless anymore with Kelvin, despite the nerfs to his gun and overall weapon damage. His utility remains incredible, particularly with his Dome ability. It can counter a wide range of enemy ultimates, such as Lashel, Mo Krill, and Seven, making him highly versatile. Skilled players have also started using Rescue Beam on him, adding even more utility by saving teammates from dangerous situations. He excels in supporting team fights, with good catch and ganking potential. Overall, I’d place him in A tier due to his power and utility in the right hands.

Gist’s Strengths and Weaknesses

When played by a skilled player, Gist can be quite effective, earning a solid B tier ranking. However, in the hands of less experienced players, she could drop down to D tier. Gist has no mobility, which makes her feel like a “95-year-old grandmother” — she’s extremely slow. Her laning phase is also weak due to having the lowest base regeneration in the game, making her vulnerable to trades. On top of that, she damages herself frequently when using abilities, adding to her weaknesses in prolonged engagements.

Gist’s Scaling and Limitations

While Gist suffers from low regeneration and lack of sustain in trades, her scaling is incredible, especially with abilities like Mystic Reverb on Gist 3. Once she reaches that point, she constantly throws out Malice, dealing insane damage to the entire enemy team. However, Gist’s lack of mobility and objective control makes her vulnerable. Though she has good wave clear, she can easily be caught out if overextended while attempting objectives. Her ultimate, which allows for life-swapping, isn’t particularly impressive and can be countered easily with silence or curses.

Skill-Based Characters: Lash

Lash, on the other hand, is a highly skill-based character with exceptional utility. She excels in ganking and has a powerful role in team fights. A common strategy with Lash is to position on top of mid-boss structures and perform high-vertical ground slams with her first ability. Many players build three activatable items and play Lash as a primary character, showcasing her flexibility and impact in skilled hands. Lash remains strong and versatile, especially in high-level lobbies.

Majestic Leap and Ground Slam Strategy

When using Majestic Leap, you want to maximize the height, as the damage of your ground slam scales with the distance traveled. Players often chain three activatable items in quick succession after landing the slam, dealing massive burst damage. This strategy also works well for securing mid-boss objectives. You can stand above and ult enemies trying to contest the objective from below, effectively zoning them out.

Character Utility and Tier Placement

Dynamo, Abrams, and Ivy all excel at securing mid-boss objectives, with Ivy using her stone form to contest them. Despite this, Ivy still belongs in C tier due to her overall performance. McGinnis, on the other hand, shows potential at higher MMR. In professional games, I’ve seen players utilize McGinnis effectively, especially with his wall ability in lane, catching opponents off guard at level one. He can apply constant pressure, pushing waves and keeping turrets alive, which gives his team a strong advantage. The heal from his abilities scales with spirit and provides significant sustain late in the game.

McGinnis’ Potential in High-Level Play

While not many players know how to use McGinnis well, those who do can dominate with map pressure and aggressive plays. His ability to catch opponents, even in 2v2 lanes, is particularly valuable, making him a solid B tier pick. The healing potential and spirit-scaling abilities further contribute to his strength, especially in late-game scenarios where survival is key. Some players have also experimented with rescue beam builds, adding more support to his already versatile kit.

McGinnis: High Skill Potential

McGinnis is similar to Lady Gist in the sense that, when played by someone who truly understands the character, he can be much stronger. However, such players are rare at the moment. Overall, I don’t see McGinnis being particularly impactful, but in the hands of a skilled player, he could be ranked even higher.

Viscus’ Strengths and Playstyle

I would place Viscus in A tier. He has excellent roaming and split-push potential, thanks to his goal ability and strong escape mechanisms. Unlike Lady Gist, Viscus can easily disengage when split pushing. Vegas, a prominent streamer, has been playing Viscus a lot, running a build centered around staying in ultimate and using stun locks to kill opponents. This build is highly effective and annoying to play against, offering tons of control and utility.

Viscus’ Utility and Counters

Viscus brings a lot to the table with his Cube ability, which counters a wide range of abilities in the game, including debuffs from characters like Pocket. It can also counter Dem Mo and other threats, making Viscus incredibly versatile. His laning phase is strong, offering good harass without much worry. Overall, Viscus is a very solid pick.

Uncertainty About Shiv

When it comes to Shiv, I’m not entirely sure where to place this character. Shiv has some unique strengths, but I remain uncertain about their overall impact in the current meta.

Shiv’s Build Challenges and Playstyle

I play a good amount of Shiv, but the problem with this character lies in the build options. If you run a spirit build and focus on extra recharge, you get more knives. The key to playing Shiv is managing your rage; you need to have your rage bars built up. However, the issue arises when you enter a fight with five knives. You use the K ability to build rage, but by the time your rage bar is full, you’ve used all your knives and are left with only your Slice and Dice dash for damage.

Build Path and Current Meta Impact

Shiv feels like he’s in a weird spot right now. You can either go with a spirit build or a weapon damage build, but the weapon damage nerf has made the latter less effective. The current patch benefits tankier builds, and many players are building more spirit armor as it’s necessary for survival. Shiv’s third ability allows him to become quite tanky, which is an advantage in the current meta filled with spirit damage characters.

Shiv’s Tier Placement

Despite these challenges, I would still place Shiv in B tier. He’s a solid laner and can take down turrets relatively quickly. He also has good catch potential if you run the slowing hex, though most players are currently running the K ability. Shiv’s versatility and ability to adapt to the meta keep him competitive, even with the build limitations.

Yam’s Strengths and Current Status

Yam has a great ultimate and strong execution in team fights, preventing enemies from escaping or being rescued. In my opinion, Yam belongs in A tier. Despite the recent weapon damage nerf, Yam remains unaffected as most players are building spirit damage now. This character is incredibly annoying to play against, and while some bugs with Yam’s rope ability were fixed, it still remains a powerful tool for mobility and ganking.

Yam’s Late Game Power

Yam truly shines in the late game, especially when you get items like Refresher and Soul Rebirth. She’s excellent at clearing the jungle and farming quickly. The ability to chain her ultimate, refresher, and Soul Rebirth makes her incredibly hard to kill, buying time for her team to make plays elsewhere. Yam’s map presence can completely stall ganks on one side while allowing her team to push objectives on the opposite side. Overall, Yam is a very strong character, especially in the late game.

Wraith’s Tier and Recent Nerf

Wraith would have been an easy S-tier character before the recent nerf to her card ability. The spirit scaling on this ability was reduced from 1.5 to 1.2, slightly lowering her overall damage output. Despite this, I’m still tempted to place Wraith in S tier due to her ability to roam the map invisibly, apply curses, and secure free kills. Wraith’s global pressure is immense, and she remains one of the best laners with an outstanding last-hit animation. Even with the nerf, Wraith’s cards still deal significant damage, making her a formidable presence.

Wraith’s Spirit Scaling and Value

I need to test how much Wraith’s damage changes with the nerf to her spirit scaling, which is now 1.2 instead of the previous 1.5 on her cards. However, I still believe Wraith is incredibly valuable. She has a great escape mechanism, her ultimate is excellent for catching enemies, and she offers a fast, mobile playstyle. Wraith has everything you could want from a character, though I hope she gets nerfed soon.

Warden’s Struggles in the Current Meta

I have to place Warden in D tier. This character struggles significantly in the current meta, especially after the weapon damage nerf. In team fights, Warden often charges his Z ability for 2.2 seconds, only to accomplish very little. Some players have been using Majestic Leap and Slowing Hex to make him more viable as a ganker, but overall, Warden needs a lot of help to be effective.

Mo Krill’s Utility and Laning Phase

I would place Mo Krill in B tier. His laning phase is solid, and I value his ultimate highly—it’s excellent for shutting down key characters and offers strong utility by disarming opponents. He performs well in lane, and his last-hitting capabilities are reliable. Mo Krill used to be a lane bully due to his strong weapon and ability to push towers, but after the recent changes, that’s no longer as effective as it once was.

Mo Krill’s Utility and Shadow Strike Impact

I still greatly value Mo Krill’s utility and think he is a very powerful character, though he requires a lot of farm. When playing against high ELO opponents using characters like Haze, Wraith, or Furnace, Shadow Strike from Mo Krill is something you constantly have to deal with. It forces you to adapt your build path, often needing to prioritize tankiness over damage. Despite these adjustments, Mo Krill remains a highly valued character.

Vindicta’s Power and Build Path

Vindicta is another strong character, with many players building max spirit damage on her. I watched a streamer named Aid Spooky play Vindicta in a 50-minute game where he dealt around 70,000 damage. The enemy team struggled so much that they had to run debuff removers just to counter the build. Vindicta excels in ganks with her snare, has good mobility across the map, and can execute effectively. Her ability to farm safely has been improved with recent changes, as it is now much harder to punish her in lane due to the difficulties in denying last hits.

Seven’s Struggles in the Current Meta

Seven, on the other hand, is currently in C tier. This character struggles to perform well in the current meta. The stun no longer goes through walls, and Seven requires an immense amount of farm to become viable—upwards of 30,000 farm just to come online. This heavy reliance on farm makes Seven a weak pick, especially in faster-paced games where he can’t accumulate the resources he needs to be effective.

Seven’s Weaknesses and Farm Issues

I’ve noticed in many games that Seven tends to take up a lot of farm from the jungle, often leaving teammates starved for resources. Despite hoarding farm, Seven doesn’t carry nearly as well as other characters like Yam, Inferus, or Wraith. He lacks mobility, gank potential, and performs poorly in lane. While Seven does have a stun and decent wave clear, these aren’t enough to make him a strong pick in the current meta. Overall, Seven is weak, especially compared to other lane-dominant characters.

Pocket’s Strengths and Utility

I would definitely place Pocket in A tier. The recent weapon nerfs don’t affect him much, as his gun is still excellent for securing denies and applying pressure in lane. Pocket has great mobility with Majestic Leap, and if you run Warpstone, his ganking potential increases significantly. His ultimate applies a 60% healing debuff, which remains valuable throughout the game. Pocket excels at clearing creep waves, pushing towers, and securing early kills. Although he struggles in some matchups due to his -15% spirit resistance, particularly against characters like Viscus, Yam, or Inferus, Pocket’s overall utility, survivability, and gank potential make him a very strong pick.

Nerfs and Current Placement: Glazing Character

I may be biased because I’ve played this character a lot, but despite my fondness, it has been nerfed significantly in the past two patches. Due to these nerfs, I’ll place this character in E tier for now. While still playable, it no longer holds the same strength it once did.

Paradox’s Ganking Potential

I’m not a fan of playing Paradox due to its clunky weapon animation, but I have to admit it deserves A tier for its immense catch and gank potential. A good player can easily use the kinetic carbine, throw up a wall, and secure a free ultimate. This results in an easy kill by swapping enemies into your team. However, Paradox struggles in 1v1 lanes, offering little tower pressure or presence. Its wave clear is decent but not exceptional, though its ganking ability more than makes up for these shortcomings.

Mirage’s Recent Nerfs and Tier Placement

Mirage isn’t on many tier lists, but I would place him in B tier. Despite receiving multiple nerfs recently, Mirage remains a solid character with a strong laning phase. However, his gun doesn’t scale well, making his build paths a bit awkward. The best build for him is a mix of Surge of Power and weapon damage, allowing him to maintain viability. Mirage’s flexibility in lane and overall kit still keep him relevant, even after the recent balance changes.

Kelvin’s Downgrade to B Tier

Upon further reflection, I’d place Kelvin in B tier instead of A. His gun has been nerfed significantly, and the character overall has seen many nerfs. While still a decent pick with a powerful ultimate, Kelvin has lost some of his impact. Mirage, on the other hand, offers good ganks and split-pushing potential. His ultimate, while predictable against skilled players, still allows for effective team coordination. Mirage can quickly return to fights with rejuvenator and rejoin his team, which keeps him in B tier.

Mirage’s Team Play and Split-Pushing

Mirage excels at split-pushing while still being able to group with his team. His ability to dive into fights, use rejuvenator, and return to action quickly makes him valuable in a variety of situations. Although his ultimate can be countered by experienced players, Mirage’s utility in creating pressure on the map and supporting his team solidifies his position in B tier.

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