Although Valve's Deadlock is still in an early access playtest stage with many interested players yet to gain access, the new MOBA is still taking the world by storm.
A MOBA unlike any other, even Valve's other offering, DOTA 2, it combines the classic MOBA experience with shooter game play to create a very unique experience.
Because of this, Deadlock is attracting many new players to a genre they may never have experienced before, so we've put together this handy guide for Deadlock beginners to read before they ever even load up the game.
In case you live under a rock or even if you're just unaware as to what Deadlock actually is, we thought it best we first explain it to you.
Deadlock is a new MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) made by Valve, the creators of esports favourites such as Counter-Strike and DOTA 2.
Their second foray into the MOBA genre, Deadlock's unique selling point is that it employs shooter gameplay to create an entirely unique experience compared to other popular titles such as DOTA 2, League of Legends, and SMITE.
Deadlock also has larger team sizes than other MOBAs, with six players instead of five. To make room for the extra player, the map also has four lanes instead of the usual three.
The aim of the game is simple: earn souls, win your lane, buy items, and take out all of the enemy's towers so you can eventually storm their base and destroy their Patron... okay, maybe it's not that simple, but that's why we've put together this Deadlock tips and tricks guide for beginners.
So we understand we just dropped a lot of words on you that may be unfamiliar, so how about we start with some key terms and phrases in Deadlock.
Lane, souls, towers, and Patron may as well all be gobbledygook to the uninitiated, so let's go over those first.
Now that you understand all the key terms and phrases in Deadlock, we can really get into the top tips and tricks in our Deadlock beginner's guide.
Deadlock features multiple ways to help beginners learn how to play. Found in the "Learn to Play" section of the main menu, it contains three different modes for helping new players learn the basics of Deadlock.
You can never be too prepared for your first game of Deadlock.
Of course, you can head straight into a game and learn on the go, but we first recommend heading into the Hero Sandbox and trying out a few of the heroes to see who you might like to play as in actual games.
Deadlock requires you to select three heroes when entering a game, so we also recommend trying out at least three heroes within the Hero Sandbox to learn their abilities and how item builds can help them.
In Deadlock, there are tankier heroes, more supportive heroes, and sniper heroes as well as heroes that perform best when ganking to assassinate foes, so it may be best to find heroes with similar playstyles that suit your own.
If you still have no idea which you may like, or you're new to MOBAs and aren't sure on playstyles, just pick heroes that look cool or fun to play.
However, if you do have playstyles in mind, then these are a couple of hero combinations that could help you get started in Deadlock.
One of the key features of Deadlock is the map, and all Deadlock players should get accustomed to it.
The map is made up of four lanes with players being randomly assigned lanes at the beginning of the game. Two lanes will be assigned two players per team, while the remaining lanes will be given one player per team each.
The lanes are represented by four colours: purple, blue, orange, and yellow.
Elsewhere on the map there are various neutral camps, represented by green triangles, which will be key to farming souls when you are at an economic disadvantage or close to your next item.
Other key elements are the mid boss, teleporters, and the Spirit Urn. The Spirit Urn is particularly important as it can offer large amounts of souls to whichever team captures it.
There are also ziplines, which allow players to go backwards and forwards on lanes quicker than on foot.
Understanding the Deadlock map is a priority for all players, whether they are beginners or not. Quick rotations and easy traversals are important for all stages of play and can be essential both for getting out of a fight and into one.
Winning your lane is the key to a solid game in Deadlock. However, laning isn't as easy as it seems at first glance.
Many Deadlock beginners will make the mistake of trying to kill the enemy they are laning against, rather than focussing on the creeps around them. Sure, killing the enemy can give a nice early advantage, but it isn't worth dying for.
You should only kill the enemy in your lane if you are supported by a teammate from another lane or if the enemy makes a mistake. Focus on them too much and you might find yourself behind in souls, allowing your enemy to buy items to make themselves stronger than you earlier than you can.
That isn't to say that damaging your opponent is a bad thing. The reality is that delivering small bits of damage between creep waves can be hugely beneficial, limiting your opponent's desire to be more aggressive and catch you out, especially in favourable match ups.
Your main focus should be last-hitting creeps in order to build up souls. This will be important to buy items, which can help you win your lane by destroying the opposing team's Guardian.
If you get downtime, such as your opponent going back to their base to heal, you could also head to the nearest neutral camp as that will give a nice boost to your souls.
Soul orbs are a key part of winning your lane. A creep wave will arrive every 30 second and each wave is worth 300 souls.
However, you will not earn all 300 available souls if you do not confirm the souls by shooting soul orbs, a key thing that not all beginners in Deadlock understanding.
When last-hitting a creep, a soul orb will float above them, shoot that soul orb in order to collect the remaining souls. If you do not, they will be yours anyway, however, this can be prevented by an enemy shooting the orbs themselves and stealing that portion of the souls that could be earned.
Likewise, you can limit the soul collection of your foe by shooting the soul orbs that rise from your own creeps and denying them the economic gain. Most Deadlock beginners do not realise this, which is why it is perhaps our biggest tip for all new Deadlock players.
Soul orbs will also be dropped by the Spirit Urn, Guardians, Walkers, and killed players, so make sure you confirm or deny all of them in those situations too.
You can also automatically confirm souls by last-hitting creeps with a melee.
Items are one of the most important things in Deadlock so it's key that all beginners get to grips with them as fast as possible.
There are three types of items in the game, each bringing different upgrades to your hero. They are as follows:
Each type of item in Deadlock has four tiers to it, with the first tier being the cheapest and the fourth the most expensive. The more expensive they are, the more powerful they will be.
You have four slots available for each item type, so be careful to pick the right ones otherwise you may have to spend time selling them later on. Bare in mind some items are components of higher tier items though, so you won't always have to sell them.
Most items in Deadlock are passive, meaning that you will always feel their effects. However, some are active and will have to be activated by pressing one of the keys assigned to the active item slots. The default keys for this are Z, X, C, V.
Later on in your game you will be able to buy more items thanks to Flex Slots, you unlock Flex slots by doing the following:
One of the best tips and tricks we can give to new players in Deadlock is to use the 'browse builds' function.
Each Deadlock hero will be presented with a basic build when you enter a shop, but you'll get a lot more out of the hero you're playing by finding a stronger build made by someone in the Deadlock community.
To find a build, follow these steps:
Although you may be starting out in Deadlock, these builds have been made by experienced players who have had access to the game for a while and will give you a serious advantage in your games.
Our final tip for beginners in Deadlock is to always be fighting.
Whether the fight is creeps in your lane, the enemy team, the mid boss, or neutral camps, you should always be fighting something in Deadlock. If you are not, you can be sure you will be, and that will easily allow your enemies to gain the upper hand.
Throughout all phases of the game, securing souls is incredibly important and the team with the most souls will often win the game.
If there is no fighting across the map and your lane is secure, the best thing you can be doing is fighting neutral camps or attempting to transport the Spirit Urn.
Fighting for the Spirit Urn could also spawn a team fight, and, if you win that fight, there is potential to also grab great foothold in the game by continuing to fight.
Should you win a team fight, you have two options: Fight the mid boss, or continue to destroy the opponents' towers. Whichever is best is subjective, and will depend upon the stage of the game you are in.
If you are at a numerical disadvantage in terms of the amount of towers you have compared to the enemy team, it may be better to go for the towers instead of the mid boss.
However, if you have a similar amount of towers and the teams are still even, it might be better to go for the mid boss as securing the Rejuvenator could swing the game in your favour.
Want to check out your Deadlock stats or find the new hero meta? Check out our stats site here.
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