Yamato is a formidable hero in Deadlock, capable of excelling as a spellcasting mage or a formidable damage dealer depending on your preferred playstyle. However, she can be quite vulnerable at the start of the game, so it’s essential to have the right build in order to fully utilize her potential.
Upon her arrival, Yamato immediately attracted a huge following among Deadlock fans. Her enigmatic fusion of samurai and mage techniques captivated players, not to mention her poignant backstory entirely in Japanese.
Despite her backstory, Yamato possesses the potential to become a god on the battlefield. With the right build, she can easily annihilate enemies and protect herself without even flinching.
Yamato’s optimal build in Deadlock consists of the recommended abilities to upgrade, essential items to purchase, and tips for maximizing her kit’s potential.
Yamato’s Best Abilities
If you have yet to play as Yamato or are curious about her abilities, we have provided a comprehensive list of her skills below:
- 1. Power Slash
- Charge up and attack, dealing high damage on a full charge.
- Channel to increase damage over 1.4 seconds, then release a fully-charged sword strike.
- Press [1] or [LMB] to trigger the strike early, dealing partial damage.
- Level 1: Gain +60 Bullet Resist while channeling
- Level 2: Apply 40% movement slow for 3 seconds
- Level 3: +200 Fully Charge Damage
- 2. Flying Strike
- Fly towards an enemy target.
- Throw a grappling hood to reel yourself towards an enemy, damaging and slowing the target when you arrive.
- Level 1: +25% Movement Slow
- Level 2: +20m Cast Range
- Level 3: +6 Weapon Damage for 10 seconds after striking the target
- 3. Crimson Slash
- Damage enemies nearby, healing on hit.
- Slash enemies in front of you, damaging them and slowing their fire rate. If any enemy heroes are hit, you heal.
- Level 1: +30% Fire Rate Slow
- +10% of Max Health. Heal on hero hit
- -6s Cooldown
- 4. Shadow Transformation
- Become invincible and more powerful.
- Become infused with Yamato’s shadow soul. After an initial invincible transformation, your abilities are refreshed and are 60% faster, your weapon has infinite ammo, and you gain damage resists and immunity to negative status effects. You are unable to die in this mode.
- -30 second cooldown
- +4 move speed
- +1.5 second duration
To fully utilize the potential of this hero, we suggest prioritizing the unlocking of Crimson Slash. By inflicting damage on your enemies, you will also restore your health, which can prove to be crucial in the initial stages of the game.
Next, acquire Power Slash to utilize a strong long-range attack that will completely destroy your enemies. This skill will be crucial in your arsenal, especially in the early stages.
After that, access the ability Flying Strike. Even though you already possess some strong offensive moves, it is essential to enhance your mobility. Flying Strike will greatly improve this aspect, allowing you to swiftly approach an opponent and defeat them before they have a chance to react.
Finally, don’t forget to unlock the Ultimate ability, known as Shadow Transformation. This powerful skill provides invincibility and can greatly impact gameplay for Yamato players. It is an important aspect that should not be overlooked.
With all your abilities unlocked, we suggest first leveling up Crimson Slash to the second level for increased healing. Then, focus on upgrading your first ability, Power Slash, to its maximum level for additional damage when fully charged. Once that is complete, allocate a point to your ultimate ability before maxing out your third ability, Crimson Slash. Afterward, increase Flying Strike to level two and fully upgrade your ultimate ability. Finally, finish off your set by maxing out Flying Strike after maxing out the ultimate.
Optimal Loadout for the Yamato in Deadlock
The most effective way to construct Yamato, as well as any other hero in Deadlock, is by dividing it into four categories: early game, mid-game, late game/luxury purchases, and situational items.
The initial three sections will provide guidance on what items to purchase during each phase. However, if you are already well-equipped, prioritize purchasing late-game items.
The initial stages of the game revolve around collecting Souls and engaging in combat with enemies. As the game progresses, items geared towards enhancing Yamato’s capabilities on the battlefield become more prevalent. Situational items, on the other hand, are designed for specific scenarios and are useful for countering other heroes.
Therefore, keeping this in consideration, the following are the essentials to grab when playing as Yamato.
Early Game Items
At the start of Deadlock, it is important to focus on improving the strongest qualities of Yamato. This can be achieved by equipping a High-Velocity Mag, which will enhance her weapon and increase its speed.
In addition, Headshot Booster and Close Quarters will be your greatest allies. Given that you will mostly engage in close combat with Yamato, the 45 bonus damage from even just one pellet hitting the head will prove extremely valuable, along with the additional damage provided by Close Quarters.
If Crimson Slash isn’t sufficient, we suggest also obtaining Melee Lifesteal for additional healing. Since you’ll be using melee attacks frequently, why not take advantage of the added benefit? If you’re having trouble with your health, consider picking up Healing Rite for an extra boost. Additionally, Sprint Boots are a great addition to any early game build.
Spirit Strike is mainly based on individual choice, but its added benefits of a shield, regeneration, melee damage, and spirit penetration make it difficult to ignore. Mystic Burst is essential for Yamato and its increased Spirit Damage will greatly impact your early game fights.
Mid Game Items
Having Kinetic Dash, Enduring Speed, and Superior Stamina during the midgame of Deadlock is highly beneficial as they boost your mobility, fire rate, and are perfect for quickly maneuvering through the battlefield.
To further enhance this, acquire Soul Shredder Bullets. This will not only increase your damage output, but also apply a debuff, provide healing, and boost your Spirit Damage.
As she is a fighter with a shorter attack range, it would be beneficial to select both Melee Charge and Lifestrike for additional healing, debuffs to hinder enemy movement, and increased damage.
Despite its cost, Torment Pulse is a valuable tool for Yamato as it allows for AoE damage and can greatly enhance your mid-game strategy. Pairing it with Mystic Vulnerability and Improved Burst can be particularly effective.
Late Game/Luxury Items
Obtaining late-game items is crucial in order to ensure your hero remains effective and victorious in battles, especially as you gain more experience and face opponents of similar strength. Considering this, it is highly recommended to acquire the Crippling Headshot for its valuable additional damage.
Additionally, Spiritual Overflow provides players with a significant increase in spirit damage after landing a few strikes on an unsuspecting enemy.
The stage also requires crucial protection. Bullet Armor and Spirit Armor with improvements are excellent options, and Leech can be extremely useful if you constantly face anti-healing, which is a common occurrence during late-game fights.
It is essential to have Refresher, Superior Duration, and Superior Cooldowns in your arsenal. By this point, all of your abilities should be at their maximum level, and these items will further enhance their strength. Remember to activate Refresher immediately after your ultimate ability to double its duration.
Situational Items
Because all of these items have specific purposes, it is most beneficial to review them individually:
- The Warp Stone is a great item to consider if you want to enhance your mobility. While it may not be essential, it can provide the perfect boost for Yamato.
- The Debuff Remover is a great solution for eliminating unwanted negative effects. Not only does it remove them, but it also boosts your movement. This makes it a highly desirable tool for any situation.
- Metal Skin: When facing enemies with powerful bullet damage, Metal Skin can provide crucial extra protection. This ability is particularly effective against a fed Haze or Wraith.
- Healbane: Inflicting spirit damage and applying healing reduction to your opponent is extremely useful, particularly when facing numerous healers. Additionally, the passive heal makes it a valuable tool for gaining momentum in battle.
- The Reactive Barrier is not just useful for mitigating damage. If you find yourself facing a high number of DPS and tanks, the protection provided by this item is invaluable, especially if you are prone to being CC locked.
- Slowing Hex: Although it may not be as effective as Knockdown, Slowing Hex is a more cost-effective option, making it ideal for early-game battles when Knockdown is not within your budget.
- Debuff Remover and Cold Front: Enhance your mobility and hinder the enemy’s speed by using Debuff Remover alongside Cold Front. In addition, this combination will also increase your Spirit damage.
- Knockdown: Although it may be costly, Knockdown is an excellent option when facing Seven ults or airborne enemies.
- Ethereal Shift: This item is ideal for creating a buffer between cooldowns or providing defense against persistent attacks.
If Yamato’s comparison to other characters piques your interest, you can view our tier list.
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