Deadlock is an impressive mix of everything that makes hero shooters and MOBA so unique. 🐟Blend multiple mechanics and skilled characters together, and you have a roster of heroes that haveꦑ distinct personality traits and abilities they can use in battle.

The game is much larger than the sum of its parts. There are objectives to follow, upgrades to buy, and a gameplay 🔯loop to motivate you. Deadlock is a highly rewarding experience once you understand the basics. Whether you're someone who's used to fast-paced action in a competitive setting, or someone completely new, there are a few tips to keep in mind before heading into Deadlock.

Understand Enemy Types

The game focuses on two teams (six members each) going against each other in hopes of destroying the enemy Patron. However, before you're able to do this, your tea🧸m must first take out mini-b🐷osses and push through four different lanes.

Enemies like Guardians and Elder Guardians can be defeated, even if you play solo. Try staying at the back and letting your minions take lots of damage. When the opportunity is right, and the Guardian's laser beam isn't hitting you, proceed to do as much damage as you can.

However, with enemies like the Walker, Shrines, and Patrons, it's best to attack as a team. Keep an eye on the mini-map (top-right) and see which lanes need your help.

Sometimes it's better to let minions fight and distract the enemy rather tha🌌n act as a hero, especially when there's no other frien🏅dly player in your lane.

The Importance Of Movement

Unlike traditional MOBA games, Deadlock focuses a lot on third-person gameplay. This includes aiming, jumping, and sliding. Before diving into a match, make🐬 sure your m꧙ouse sensitivity isn't too high, and the key binds are comfortable enough for you to make use of anytime, anywhere.

You can dodge multiple times, as well as slide right after doing so. This gives you enough momentum to get in and out of fights quickly. Getting into the habit of jumping and dodging aroun♍d while attacking can also make you aಌn extremely tough opponent, as players will struggle to aim and hit you.

When spawning into the game, you can also use a "boost" on the zipline that leads to a lane. This allows you to get into the fight much quicker, and ensures that you land exactlyᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ where you want to.

There's a cooldown of 340 seconds between boosts. Hence, use it only when you need to get back into a fight, and not when y🅠ou're taking your time and slowly pushin𒆙g the lane.

Pick Your Lane And Stick To It

In Deadlock, there are four lanes marked by different colors: Yellow, Orange, Blue, and Purple. They are alsoꦫ marked with the initials of each color (Y, O, B, and P). When you spawn in the game for the first time, you can take any zipline that leads to one of these lanes. It's completely up to you which one you pick.

Once you choose which lane you wish to proceed with, make it a commitment to yourself to protect and push it. Of course, you can also switch lanes, but only do so in order to help out teammates ꦏin times of urgency and overwhelming response from the enemy team.

For instance, you could be doing well in the Purple lane, but you notice that the Orange lane is getting overwhelmed by enemy players. You can then make the switch and help your teammates until there's a better𒅌 sense of balance between the teams.

If you share a lane with someone, defeating minions will grant full soul value to all partners for the first ten minutes of a game.

Spend Your Souls Wisely

Souls are the central currency in Deadlock. The more souls you have, the better items you can obtain. These items give yo𝓡u different kinds of upgrades in the game. You buy th🌸em by opening the Curiosity Shop menu and spending souls.

However, you can only make purchases and apply upgrades at a certain time, usually when you're at the spawn point. While it's tempting to get all the smaller and cheaper items first, sometimes it's best to save your souls for later. Make note of the differe🅺nt types of items and how much souls they cost:

• Tier 1: 500.
• Tier 2: 1,250.
• Tier 3: 3,000 and above.
• Tier 4: 6,300 and above.

There are two kinds of items you can acquire. Passive items stay with your character throughout the game, giving you buffs without needing any input from you. Then, there are active items that are assigned to your slot (Z, X, C or V). You can activate these items while playing, although it's important to stay mi♌ndful of their respective cooldown timers.

As you progress through the match, you will acquire something called Flex shots. These are add🏅itional item slot🍃s acquired upon defeating special enemies like Walkers, Guardians, and Shrines.

Heroes And Abilities

Deadlock has an outstanding roster of 21 characters, and you get to pick up to three as preferred ones before a match begins. You can also set a "priority" on a hero, so the game knows which one you'd like to play the most. It's bes🃏t to practice and master more than two characters, so yo𝔍u always have a backup option in case your favorite gets picked.

Certain heroes like Seven, Infernus, and Abrams are great for beginners. Their abilities are easy to learn, and t🅺he gameplay loop is simple to understand. However, other complex characters like Yamato and Viscous have a more c🐷omplex skill ceiling, and will require a lot of practice before their skillset feels rewarding.

As you journey through a match, your hero will acquire points that help you level up. There are four abilities to choose from, and it's completely up to you which ones you level up first. You will only understand this by practicing a hero's gameplay loop often, and💫 forming your own unique playstyle.

Get used to meleeing by pressing Q, as this short-range attack can be deadly when ♔you're out of ammo in a fight against an enemy player or simply farming minions for souls.

Play Against Bots

I know, playing against bots in a competitive online shooter doesn't sound like the most fun experience. However, Deadlock has a wonderful game mode where you can play a match against bots, and 🅺it will feel like th🉐e real thing, thanks to the game's solid AI.

Of course, the difficulty won't feel as challenging when compared to a real match, but this mode is great for practicing, improving, and exploring your playstyle. You can also learn about farming strategies and the map's layout better as you practice again🍸st bots.

Additionally, you can practice a hero's abilities in Sandbox Mode. This gives you 🀅access to all the usual gameplay elemဣents without having to worry about objectives or enemies bothering you.

Even if you're a solo player, try and play with a friend or dedicated teammate every once in a while. Communication and shared experiences help you understand your mistakes bet🎶ter,🥂 and this will certainly improve your skillset in the long run.