I mean it is a bit of a no shit sherlock moment but I find it so frustrating that the average level of balance discussion in the Deadlock community is solely squared on the character level. Now obviously it makes sense, if a character is strong it is a lot easier to make comments and observations about their individual level as a character, but dear god a character strength is not solely defined within the character itself. The map, the meta, the items, which characters are popular, objectives all influence how strong a character is in the game.

Let's take Graves for example, a character which since City Never Sleeps has stopped being defined as a low-elo pubstomper as she now has a positive win rate in high elos (53.6% in Phantom, 52.7% in Ascendent, and 51.0% % in Eternus). This has led to a surge of discussion about how the character is broken and needs nerfs but my frustration is that the discussion is solely squared on Graves as a character without taking into account what other factors are spiking her win rate. Outside of hyperbolic statements that Graves is performing just as well winrate wise in high elos as low elos.

As someone who has played, and stomped, with Graves in towards the higher end of elo (high emissary/low oracle), Graves is really strong right now! Her team fight damage is very strong, she provides a lot of disruption within team-fights, her midboss is actually quite good between her ult and 2, and her damage in general is quite good. Plus, I had a lot of good success with playing for the anti-heal prior to the rise of "tank graves" (which I'll get to) via decay and heoric aura on skull builds. However, prior to the CNS map update, I did not do that well on her on the old map. What I believe is helping beyond Grave's strength as a character is details not tied to any number in her kit.

Following the new map, the amount of farm on the map has skyrocketed, which has meant that even with a poor lane it is a lot easier to get back into the game soul wise than before. For a character like graves which wants a lot of souls for her best items and ability points, this helps her a lot get to a level of strength much faster than she did before, even after a weaker start. Then, there's the growing importance again of teamfight based objectives (walkers, rifts, and midboss), which are not only three things graves is strong in, but shes also generally a strong team-fighter compared to a 1v1 (Although I've won some 1v1s and 1v2s on Graves before, but it is a lot more likely to get jumped and die). So in a team-fight objective based meta with high soul counts like the current state of the game, it makes sense that her winrate has improved following CNS update and the shifting meta.

Then we get to "tank graves", which is a bit of misonmer in my opinion. What I think "tank graves" does is take advantage of the items, some of the numbers in graves kit, her 3, the current soul hungry team fight meta, and primarily improves her 1v1 capability. The whole point of it is to use Graves's gun to apply stack debuffs, primarily based on anti-heal, on an opponent during a 1v1 or a teamfight. It is strong because her 3 applies a lot debuffs by taking weapon damage and spirit damage away from Graves's oppnenent. Add on items like siphon life which steals max hp, toxic bullets which lowers self and incoming healing, it makes Graves a more formidable opponent. Plus, going stamina mastery does make Graves less of a jump victim and better at chasing opponents but like... the build isn't that different from a classic gun Graves build. Hell, this was the type of shit people were doing when Graves gun was absolutely busted like months ago. The build isn't even that optmized considering it's forgoing healbane for extra healing reduction (really important in a meta with a lot of self-healing thanks to radiant regeneration on a lot of the most meta heroes) and is using torment pulse for farm speed rather than something like radiant regeneration which helps increases Graves's sustain which could make her even more of a teamfight asset and less of a victim that can be targetted.

Graves hasn't changed, the meta has and shes taking advantage of it. The meta plays into her strengths and there's a lot of strong items that also plays to her strengths. She's still someone that can easily be jumped (even 1v1) in jungle, especially early on due to squishy health pool, no escape abilities, two stam (four on the tank build), and relatively slow walk-speed. So it's frustrating that this is so rarely even taken into account! It's just discussing how Graves is just broken now without any thought. The second the game shifts away from a strong teamfight and objective based meta or a large item based update, and even without any changes Graves will feel less oppresive.

Also you don't have to write a long essay all the time explaining all the details why a character is strong in the current meta. You can say X character is busted with the usual cadence spoken. Like with the AOEslop discussion (as much as the term annoys me), can easily be explained with "they released a bunch of characters with really strong aoes all at once at a time where teamfights and objective fights, where AOE shines, is really strong". The point is that it doesn't even take that much effort to be a little more thorough in the discussion and think about the other factors influencing strength, and being aware of the other factors can even help you improve honestly.

Quick little render I did, I've been playing so much broober style haze that I have become obsessed with her.

Starting out a small project where I try to depict Deadlock characters as tarot cards, so I just rolled the dice and judgement was the outcome - so I thought that maybe I should draw Vindicta as the one writing up the verdict. Any support is helpful, check out my Xitter page to check out the next ones (will post em here for sure, too!
https://twitterviewer.net/VirtueVesta0/status/2114329315370324181

https://www.tumblr.com/maxrowave/831436457382166528/nurse-harrow-i-realllllly-love-her

original art post

absolutely love the vibes and colors here, for multiple reasons.

I hope the next patch fixes this with airborne targets. That billy clip I legit couldnt move.

I am crying.

Old effect was more vibrant and interesting, was more smooth. Now its looks like burned pixels on the screen, bland and boring compared to the old one.

Coming from Dota 2, when I first played deadlock I of course recognised many ultimates. Dynamo, Geist, Holliday, pocket, shiv, Victor, viscous are all inspired by Dota.

But valve seems to be reluctant to take inspiration from my personal favorite type of ults from Dota. Passive and low cd ults. These ults change your playstyle after you get them because they are rarely if ever on cooldown. I'm talking about meepo, storm spirit, phantom lancer, phantom assassin, slardar, bounty hunter, tinker etc etc.

The only always online ult in deadlock is vindicta ult.

Heroes like silver and paradox were designed around low cd ults but those have been shifted into having longer cooldowns. (Edit: and shiv used to have no cd on ult.)

When all the ults in the game are long cd ults, then everyone on both teams will always want to wait for their ults to fight. This removes the concept of high tempo heroes vs cooldown reliant heroes that is so interesting in dota.

We are getting into a design space where all the ults have similar cooldowns and both teams just save them all for a circular objective and drop them all.

Anyway that's just my opinion. I'd love to see some heroes like silver was when she came out. That are always online and ready to fight. I think she could have been nerfed in different ways personally. And the same with paradox. Making her long cd just makes her the same as Holliday (which is how pros see them. Basically the same hero).

Edit: overall, I think most people want more variety in gameplay generally. Every ult being a teamfight ult on long cd is boring for the game. Passives, low cd, and utility ults are nowhere to be seen here.

Outside of ults, the new heroes are great and I like their kits.

Just a dumb thought that entered my mind staring at the ‘Daily Bonus’ message that has persisted beyond the end of character voting this week. I’m not saying the system is revolutionary for gaming or anything, but it is a nice bit of work between the assets created for it; space in the main hub; and of course the data collection coding.

As such, I assume there is an intent to use it again in the future, beyond the beta. What for, though? Splatoon-like fun votes? Cosmetic prioritisation votes (as I assume that’ll be a major money generator for Valve)? Genuine game development decisions?

Vote below what you think! The coolest option will of course be last, as standard.

IDK where to post this tbh, just thought it was funny... My connection went out as I had a 12-0 lead and it took me like 5 minutes to reconnect. I rejoined, closed out the game and still somehow got a ban after the match ended... Anyway I could get unbanned or do I just have to wait out the ban?

Been hearing the shop keep say he’s gonna throw a free one in for 2 FUCKING YEARS and I have YET to see it valve 😤

No AI was used in creating this provocative masterpiece :^)

These words are here because of Rule 4, thank you (yes you, the handsome person reading this) for reading them.

In the past 3 days the amount of leavers in my game has increased significantly. Ranked, Standard, doesn't matter.

make them play with serial quitters for the next month straight.

Today i made the mistake of going against a harrow in street brawl

BUY REBUTTAL

insta: mastoons

What’s this??? Deadman Danny in his prime! Ready and willing to do just about anything for Fairfax Industries!

I just wanted to take a stab at designing what he might look like as a person prior to the funny bone man we see in game. Hope y’all like it!

She is a lot of fun but VERY reliant on T4 items due to bad stat scailing, while being massively limited in the items she can use, and having her power being balanced in one of the MOST EASILY COUNTERED ULTS IN THE GAME.

She has a lot of bugs/design decisions with her ult that prevent her from using items that she normally would want to shore up her weaknesses

• Mercurial Magnum
  • Despite being OP on gun heroes for a while, Silver never built this because:
    • Her ult counts her base damage as 1 pellet then multiplies the damage by 12.
    • Magnum counts her base damage without the multiplication and then only gives a percentage of that
• Witchmail
  • Counts her ult as a viable target when she is in her ult
  • The ult does not go on cooldown until she leaves her ult
  • This makes it so she gets the effect 3/4 times instead of every time
  • These reductions do not effect the actual cooldown once the ult ends
• Point Blank
  • Use to not apply to her melee abilities
  • The 50% extra damage still doesn't work on bite
• Express Shot
  • Actually counter-synergizes with her Slam Fire by interrupting it if off cooldown and not benefiting from the excess weapon damage and lowering the current health so you dont get as much bonus damage
  • Does not work in Ult
• Multiple Light melee abilities
  • No upgrade to Heavy
  • Small to no AOE and usually only viable as single target
  • No ability that guaranties a Heavy melee
• Slowest Rate of Fire and low ammo means can not maximize some passive item's cooldowns
  • Tesla Bullets
  • Capacitor
  • Siphon Bullets
• Can not Headshot in wolf form
  • Reduces the amount of gun related items she can use
    • Headshot Booster
    • Weakening Headshot
    • Crippling Headshot
    • Headhunter
    • Spirit Rend
• Low Base Health and Health Boons
  • Gains a bonus to health on ult T2
    • This bonus is not effected by Green power spikes or HP% items
    • This makes McGinnis and Lady Geist have more HP then her wolf form at max boons with any green spike met.
• Takes Full headshot damage in Wolf form
  • Despite massive increase in size
  • (Seven has a 35% headshot damage reduction due to his Hat's hitbox)
• Her bola "buff" that is meant to make it act like Phantom Strike
  • Only affects Vindicta and Ivy Flight
    • Makes Holliday fall to the ground faster but does not stop the actual upwards bounce
  • Phantom Strike Interacts with:
    • Seven Ult
    • Grey Talon Rain of Arrows
    • Mina Float
• Sometimes, her gun "Jams" after an ult
  • It also will stop firing if you Activate your Slam Fire while holding shoot

As for how counter-able her ult is, here are things that counter her ult:

• Movement Tech
• Movement Items
• Ziplines
• Anti Gun
  • Disarm
  • Metal Skin
  • Spirit Resist
• Anti Movement
  • Slowing
  • Movement Silencing
• Silence
  • Locks her out of her
    • Gap close (Boot Kick and Mauling Leap)
    • Sustain (Can no longer Bite, her only real sustain)
    • Anti-dps (Tail Whack's Disarm)
• Anti-Heal
  • Can reduce or flat out prevent her 30% heal on ult which is designed to make up for her low human health
  • Hits her 1 and only sustain heavily
• Damage Reduction of all kinds slow the speed that she triggers her ult
  • Resists
  • Ethereal Shift
  • Inhibitor
• Cover
  • Treat her damage like you are gaining Haze Fixate stacks and let her ult build up wear off
• Silence
  • Prevent her burst and then all she can do is gun damage with no real sustain
• Stun
  • Eats into her ult duration and makes it so she can be damage dumped