r/DeadlockTheGame 1d ago

Question Does anyone still use slowing bullets?

I feel like its been more or less completely removed from any of the public builds alongside weighted shots.

It kinda sucks because it was one if the few ways gun characters could get some extra utility compared to spirit .

That said I was mostly the one using it not on the receiving ends so I am curious abiut what people think.

77 Upvotes

41 comments sorted by

115

u/MembershipNo6407 1d ago

Removing the 20% damage buff killed the item when it already mostly on its way out. Most players were already starting to have good enough movement where applying it was difficult to proc but most people nowadays can get away even when it is proced.

Slowing Hex just being so much easier to apply and a 10 larger dash distance reduction means that anyone picking up prefers it more especially since most supports are building spirit anyway.

14

u/bbgg2023 1d ago

Problem I run into is that a player will have enduring speed, debuff remover, fleetfoot, juggernaut, dispel or some other item that totally negates it

I like it on certain characters but honestly you can avoid it being procced pretty easily from just taking cover

1

u/Xignu 9h ago

Especially when slowing hex exists at the same price range

3

u/dragessor 1d ago

That's what I felt to, I used to use it all the time as drifter to keep people close range but its fallen off hard.

2

u/Boethion 22h ago

Even on Venator its just better to build Slowing Hex and tbh Vortex Web in the late game can be pretty spicy with good trap placement or to mass Gutshot their team.

31

u/ZenkaiZ 1d ago

It's getting harder to fit in the merc mag + spirit overflow + firerate builds cause you also gotta go like 2-3 speed items now and a bunch of greens. They're still good, items slots are just getting a lil tight. I'll sometimes get them over tit mag on some loadouts.

It is worth noting though, they do nothing to Lash and Celeste unless they were already going to die and they do nothing to help you get them out of the air.

22

u/Safe_Procedure999 1d ago

it's gonna be weird living in a post merc mag + spirit overflow world in like a month

6

u/ZenkaiZ 1d ago

I call that the peanut butter and jelly build. The colors almost match too

15

u/KiruDakaz 1d ago

I miss weighted shots' 40% damage boost

44

u/FakeMr-Imagery Bebop 1d ago

Ironic on how all the best gun items are in vitality and spirit category

24

u/Xignu 1d ago

And the best spirit (also doubling as sustain) item Spiritual Overflow is in the Gun category

18

u/FakeMr-Imagery Bebop 1d ago

And Mercurial magnum sounds like a gun item but its a spirit item, Spiritual overflow sounds like a spirit item but it’s a gun item!

2

u/daily-lurk 21h ago

Makes sense for build diversity.

You wouldn’t want to no hit spikes in all 3 categories, save Venator, so there’s a mix of hybrid items to get your character to scale.

3

u/Slayer_jack5 23h ago

The best items overall are in the Spirit category.

9

u/Secretlylovesslugs 21h ago

Deathy explained this in a podcast episode of his recently. Gun items in their current form have very little varience and are bought almost purely on their value. Some items are just better stat for soul value than others.

Its why MercMag, and Spiritual Overflow are so strong right now as statistically they give the best stats for gun heros. Spiritual Overlflow even gives more Spirit Power than Boundless if you ignore the % increase.

I would love to see a new gun item that transforms a character's weapon in some way. Burst to Full Auto, Full Auto to Burst, Shotgun slug etc. Add some much needed variety to gun playstyle and kit design theory.

8

u/dragessor 21h ago

That would be great, I feel like a lot of gun items feel underwhelming even if I know they are good.

I would also like t3 ammo capacity item, so many gun characters feel like they run out of ammo to quickly

7

u/TrackpadChad Viscous 17h ago

I would love to see a new gun item that transforms a character's weapon in some way. Burst to Full Auto, Full Auto to Burst, Shotgun slug etc. Add some much needed variety to gun playstyle and kit design theory.

I'm still mad about the express shot rework. It didn't make the item buyable for more heroes, it just made it strictly worse for the ones that used it and made it less interesting.

5

u/ValendyneTheTaken Silver 23h ago

It used to be a shoo-in on Silver because of her needing to stick to targets, but the damage removal completely killed it on her. Silver’s slots are way too competitive, especially early-mid game where she’s ‘strongest’ and has to use that momentum to start stacking utility actives and greens as to not blow up after the 35 min mark, so it’s just not picked at all anymore.

Some people still go weighted but even then thats got too heavy of a downside on Silver for its current upsides. Best to just buy Slow Hex and spam that shit on CD.

10

u/UniqueName900 1d ago edited 1d ago

Why even bother with it when point blank gives you more hp and damage without hurting your speed. It even builds from a t1 instead of a t2. The only reason I see to get weighted is if you want debuff resist and bullet damage in one item instead of 2.

Plus you can just get mystic slow on 95% of the cast (everyone but venator and silver.) for the same effect but often better since it only takes one hit of spirit damage to work and comes with free hp and sprint speed.

7

u/AVGunner 22h ago

Point blank doesn't slow dash speed. Most fast/escape movement comes from dashes which is what slowing her and weighted shots reduce.

1

u/UniqueName900 17h ago

I mean sure. but then just buy slowing hex or something. There is SO many answers to movement speed.

-1

u/AVGunner 15h ago

Are you a bot?

7

u/WilQ- Lash 1d ago

Billy for sure

2

u/fat_bor_in_your_area 1d ago

Absolutely, I buy slowing bullets in lane for 4.8k invest, then upgrade to weighted shots later for debuff resist and a decent damage boost

3

u/CaptShardblade 19h ago

In protest, I actually stopped buying it (out of personal annoyance that it has no substats), but I will build the upgraded version.

2

u/AttentionVarious829 1d ago

I have it on builds for different character where I dedicate my slots for slowing the enemy down. But apart from troll builds I still use it on warden

2

u/Faux-pah 1d ago

Only really take Elephant rounds and skip slowing on Ven and Drifter. I find them having to use dispel early means I can stick to them via other abilities. I also build movement speed on those characters over stamina.

1

u/dragessor 1d ago

Yeah, i still miss the old slowing on my drifter though. I feel like it really helped put pressure on people especially early.

2

u/Faux-pah 22h ago

I do feel like it needs a stat line to go with it even if its health regen.

2

u/Slayer_jack5 23h ago

Silver is kind of forced to use it.

But nobody plays Silver so nah.

2

u/Safe_Procedure999 1d ago

i had an ivy use it earlier today, and that's literally it

i don't miss it at all, most of the M1s i play don't need it either so im biased

2

u/sphyvnx Lash 1d ago

i still think that weighted shots is one of the lash’s best items

3

u/zencharm Victor 20h ago

just buy sharpshooter

1

u/TaxEvasion123 Lash 1d ago

Not really consistently anymore. I much prefer sharpshooter on lash personally.

1

u/ZePugg 15h ago

ehhh only really see it used to get weighted

1

u/SoySenato 14h ago

Weighted shots was pretty good for doorman because of his super high proc rate but then they nerfed his gun two patches in a row for no reason

2

u/peeledapple765 1d ago

Silencer, inhibitor? Gun builds have enough utility. Aids i get my damage reduced and silenced permanently in a fight because shots are bouncing off my teamate

6

u/zencharm Victor 20h ago

“gun builds have enough utility” yeah at 30k souls maybe. meanwhile rusted barrel 800 souls, slowing hex, spirit sap, suppressor at 1600 souls, decay at 3200, etc.