Valve Deadlock: ULTIMATE Beginner Guide

Valve’s new game Deadlock has been making hype in the community. This latest new multiplayer game hero is like a MOBA but with guns! This game offers a unique blend of strategy and action. But don’t worry, we’ll break down the basics and explain about everything you need to know in this ultimate beginner guide. So, let’s get started. 

How to Play Deadlock

Before jumping to Valve’s Deadlock, we need to remember that to get access is through an invitation only. Basically, you need to be invited by your friends or someone who is already in the game to let you in. 

But be careful, in case your friends get banned for cheating, you might get banned too. But for now, Deadlock is available on Steam for PC. 

The only objective to play Deadlock is to destroy the enemy’s Patron in their base before they destroy yours. If you are already familiar with playing MOBA’s game like League of Legends, Dota or Overwatch, the only difference is that you start as a weak player and become strong as you gain resources and complete the match. 

Additionally, when you kill your enemies you get Souls, which is the main currency. You can use Souls to purchase the items that will make you stronger. 

Gameplay

Deadlock is a 6v6 game with four lines. Players are randomly assigned to 2v2 lanes and 1v1 lanes. Between these lanes, players can battle with their opponent in the jungle for Souls and a mid-game boss for an advantage. 

The map is symmetrical with four lanes running from base to base. The towers are the first line of defense, and each lane has towers and troopers to destroy before reaching the base. You must destroy all turrets in a lane to reach the base. 

The second line is the Walkers, which are the strongest turrets, dealing and taking the most damage. Base Guardians are the final line of defense that guards the base. If you kill the Base Guardians, and have access to the enemy’s base, you can attack the Shrine and Patron. 

Shrines are like Inhibitors in LoL. You must destroy both Shrine in a base before attacking the Patron. The Patron is the large floating entity, and once you destroy it, the Patron will transform into a weakened form. After you take it down, you’ll win. Otherwise, if the enemy does this to you, you’ll lose. 

Heroes

Before you start playing the matches, try playing for a few rounds in practice mode. You need to master your heroes abilities and weapons. 

I suggest you start trying with Seven, Infernus, McGinnis or Haze. But don’t forget to try all other heroes in the practice mode for you to learn their abilities, not only your desired main hero. 

Right now, there are 21 heroes to choose from to play Deadlock. Unlike other games, there are no specific roles for each hero, so you can use any hero in any lane. Each hero has four abilities, sometimes one of them is a passive ability that’s always active. 

However, if you don’t care about winning and just want some challenges, you are free to choose your desired hero. After all, there’s nothing wrong whether you win or lose, it is all about having fun. 

Items

Just like the other MOBA’s game, Deadlock also has a shop where you can buy items to make your hero stronger. Different items will give you different rewards, such as health and damage. While, some other items also have special abilities that you can use. 

When you check out the item shop, there are three types of items you can buy: 

• Weapon: this item will boost your weapon damage, fire rate, reload time or magazine size. 

• Vitality: this item will boost your health regen, lifesteal, resistance, and bullet shields. 
• Spirit: this item will boost your spirit damage. You can think of it as a combination of Vitality and Weapon. It reduces your cooldowns, adds debuffs, and allows you to slow enemies, and decrease their resistance and more. 

Remember that not all items are good for every hero in every situation. Some heroes are better at dealing damage, while others are better at healing. Active items are like abilities you can use, while non-active items give you rewards automatically. 

For beginners, the shop can show recommended items for your hero. You can also search for build items that other players like. These builds are ranked by popularity, but don’t be afraid to try different things, sometimes a different build might be suited for your situation unexpectedly. 

Tips and Tricks

Beyond its gameplay, Deadlock offers various mechanics for you to master, and these are: 

• Keep your team informed by pinging enemies and objectives. 
• Utilize the hidden Secret Shop for faster item purchases. 
• Be mindful of unsecured souls that drop upon death. 
• Camping on high structures or ziplines makes you vulnerable.
• Embrace slide mechanics for faster movement and unlimited ammo during execution. 
• Utilize the auto-spirit by avoiding damage. Keep it with punches instead of shooting. 
• Switching teammate perspectives by pressing F1-F5 to gain situational awareness. 
• Use P for pause.
• Use one-way veils to your advantage. 

Conclusion

Overall, Deadlock offers a unique blend of MOBA game and shooter elements that gives an exciting and thrilling experience for players. While the game can be complex at first but understanding the basic at core elements of the game will surely improve your gameplay.

Just follow these guides and you’ll be on your way to become a skilled Deadlock player. Just remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t be afraid to explore, conquer and make the most out of your play to have fun.