In this guide, the creator delves into the fundamentals of the item shop in the game Deadlock. The video provides insights into when and how to purchase certain items to improve in-game performance. While it is geared toward beginners, there are also valuable insights for intermediate players. Let’s break it down into key points with a structured guide for navigating the item shop.
Item Categories and Subcategories
There are three main categories of items available in Deadlock, each focusing on a different aspect of gameplay:
- Weapon Items: Enhance weapon and melee damage.
- Vitality Items: Boost survivability (health and defensive stats).
- Spirit Items: Improve ability effectiveness and spirit power.
Each category is further divided into four tiers based on price and effectiveness:
- Tier 1: 500 Souls
- Tier 2: 1,250 Souls
- Tier 3: 3,000 Souls
- Tier 4: 6,300 Souls or more
Importance of Early-Game Items
One common mistake new players make is skipping cheaper Tier 1 items in favor of saving up for high-cost Tier 4 items. However, Tier 1 items are often the most cost-efficient, giving players a much higher “bang for their buck.”
Examples:
- Extra Spirit (Tier 1): Costs 500 Souls but provides much more value per Soul compared to higher-tier items.
- Boundless Spirit (Tier 4): Though it offers greater total stats, it’s less efficient in terms of cost per Soul.
It’s usually a better strategy to purchase early-game items to gain an advantage in the lane, even if they are later sold for a fraction of their cost.
Active vs. Passive Items
Items in Deadlock are categorized as either active or passive:
- Passive Items: Provide stat boosts automatically.
- Active Items: Require the player to manually activate them during gameplay.
Active items are displayed in a brighter color in the shop and can be assigned to hotkeys.
Key Tips for Item Purchases
- Don’t Skip Tier 1 Items: Cheap items are often the most powerful early in the game. Even though they might seem less exciting than high-tier items, they can provide essential early-game advantages.
- Adapt to the Situation: Choosing the right items depends on the matchup and gameplay situation. For example, against heroes with strong poke damage, healing and defensive items like Extra Health or Regeneration might be essential.
- Build with Flexibility: The game provides four flex slots, unlocked by meeting objectives like destroying the opponent’s Guardians. Use these to diversify your build as the game progresses.
General Strategies for Buying Items
Weapon Category: Items like Basic Mag and High Velocity Mag are great for heroes with high rate-of-fire weapons. Items like Close Quarters excel for heroes fighting within a 15m range.
Vitality Category: Health-boosting items like Extra Health and Stamina are crucial for squishy characters who need to survive in long team fights. Items like Melee Lifesteal are situationally strong for melee-heavy heroes.
Spirit Category: Items like Extra Spirit and Mystic Burst are good for heroes whose abilities scale well with spirit power.
Best Practices for Builds
Once you understand how the item system works, you can create builds tailored to specific heroes and scenarios. After mastering Tier 1 and 2 items, players can adapt this knowledge to the higher tiers.
List of Essential Items for Beginners
- Basic Mag: Extra ammo and weapon damage boost.
- Extra Health: Provides substantial early-game survivability.
- Mystic Burst: Boosts damage on abilities with more than 80 base damage.
- Rapid Rounds: Useful for quickly applying effects like burn or poison.
The video provides an in-depth look into Deadlock’s item shop, giving players the knowledge needed to optimize their builds and in-game performance. The key takeaway is to focus on early-game efficiency and understand the dynamics of each item category to succeed in both lane and team fights.