Playing as Haze in Deadlock requires a stealthy approach, strategically revealing yourself at just the right moment to catch your enemies off guard. If this style of gameplay appeals to you, continue reading for tips on how to effectively construct her character.
While Deadlock may be a 6v6 MOBA centered around gunplay, it is important to approach fights with a strategy rather than blindly jumping in. Haze employs tactics such as invisibility, smoke bombs, and sleep daggers to render enemies powerless.
Haze can be a formidable force if you focus on building her for the late game, when even the weakest bullets become lethal. In the following paragraphs, we will explore the most effective abilities and items to ensure her unstoppable dominance.
Recommended abilities for playing as Haze
If you are not well-versed in Haze’s abilities and how they are utilized in Deadlock, here is a brief summary:
- Sleep Dagger
- Throw a dagger that damages and sleeps the target. Sleeping targets wake up shortly after being damaged. Throwing a Dagger does not break your invisibility. Sleep Dagger does not interrupt enemies’ channeling abilities.
- Level 1: Removes one stamina.
- Level 2: Reduces cooldown by 13 seconds.
- Level 3: Applies 12% Bullet Resist for six seconds on wake-up.
- Throw a dagger that damages and sleeps the target. Sleeping targets wake up shortly after being damaged. Throwing a Dagger does not break your invisibility. Sleep Dagger does not interrupt enemies’ channeling abilities.
- Smoke Bomb
- Fade out of sight, becoming invisible and gaining sprint speed. Attacking removes invisibility. Close enemies can see through your invisibility.
- Level 1: Reduces cooldown by 15 seconds.
- Level 2: Increases Invisibility Sprint Speed by six m/s.
- Level 3: After being invisible, gain +30% Bullet Lifesteal for eight seconds.
- Fade out of sight, becoming invisible and gaining sprint speed. Attacking removes invisibility. Close enemies can see through your invisibility.
- Fixation
- Shooting a target increases your bullet damage on that target. Gain one stack per bullet hit, two if the hit is a headshot.
- Level 1: Inflict 60 Spirit Damage and 15% slow for two seconds to target every 20 stacks.
- Level 2: Earn +40 Max Stacks and 5 duration.
- Level 3: Grants 0.2 weapon damage per stack.
- Shooting a target increases your bullet damage on that target. Gain one stack per bullet hit, two if the hit is a headshot.
- Bullet Dance
- Enter a flurry, firing your weapon at nearby enemies with perfect accuracy. During the flurry, Haze gains a fire rate bonus and will evade some of the bullets shot at her.
- Level 1: Boosts weapon damage by seven.
- Level 2: Reduces cooldown by 40 seconds.
- Level 3: Hits one extra target per shot.
- Enter a flurry, firing your weapon at nearby enemies with perfect accuracy. During the flurry, Haze gains a fire rate bonus and will evade some of the bullets shot at her.
The optimal Ability Point progression for Haze in Deadlock begins with the acquisition of Fixation, which provides a damage increase. Following this, obtain Sleep Dagger to obtain your initial active ability and incapacitate opponents. Afterward, focus on unlocking the remaining two abilities: Smoke Bomb and Bullet Dance.
Keep investing points in Fixation to boost your bullet damage and enhance your ability to deal burst damage to individual targets. Next, prioritize upgrading Sleep Dagger to keep weakening your foes and make the most of the reduced cooldown at level 2.
While the initial increase in movement speed from Smoke Bomb may seem tempting to acquire early on, it is best to prioritize maxing out your 3 and putting 2 points into your 1 before getting the level 2 speed boost. The final two levels of your 2 and 3 abilities primarily provide utility, so it is beneficial to fully upgrade Bullet Dance before focusing on these. This will allow you to smoothly navigate through teamfights.
Haze: Explaining the Best Build for Deadlock Items
Our items are divided into four categories: Early Game, Mid Game, Late Game/Luxury, and Situational.
The initial three items will provide guidance on what to acquire at each level, however, if you find yourself ahead, it is acceptable to indulge in the Late Game items sooner. Conditional items serve as your hidden weapons for tackling troublesome mechanics.
To increase your chances of victory and make it appear effortless with Haze in Deadlock, here’s a list of items you should purchase.
Early Game Items
In the beginning stages of the game, it is important to focus on acquiring items that increase Haze’s damage and speed. The addition of Extra Stamina will enable you to maintain your stealth abilities while dealing damage. Additionally, Ammo Scavenger guarantees that you will never be without the means to inflict damage.
If you are struggling in lane, Healing Rite is a highly recommended choice. However, all the other items included in this build focus on increasing your mobility and DPS. It is advisable to avoid purchasing tank items if possible. Additionally, prioritize acquiring Rapid Rounds early in order to quickly stack your 3.
Mid Game Items
Tesla Bullets are essential for mid-game farming and can make it easier to clear camps. However, if you’re looking to quickly move between lanes and gain an advantage, Slowing Bullets may be a better option. Additionally, the Swift Striker upgrade can further increase your fire rate at a low cost. Pairing this with the bonus damage and healing from Headhunter’s makes it difficult for enemies to trade with Haze.
By possessing Enduring Speed and Bullet Lifesteal, you can sustain yourself in battle for a longer period of time. As a result, you will not have to retreat as frequently since your health and stamina will replenish at a faster rate.
Having a Suppressor is essential once you start experiencing spirit damage on your 3 ability. With the recent nerf to Active Reload on the August 29 patch, Quicksilver Reload is now the preferred option.
Late Game/Luxury
During the late game, Haze transforms into a legitimate, high risk/high reward glass cannon, capable of quickly eliminating almost any hero. This remains true as long as she is not significantly behind.
Both Lucky Shot and Ricochet can be used in a similar way, but Lucky Shot is more effective for dealing damage to a single target and has more potential for carrying the game. On the other hand, Ricochet is better for clearing camps and waves, allowing you to bounce back if you fall behind. Both are powerful abilities, so choose the one that suits your current needs first.
It is essential to have a Silencer when facing heroes who attempt to engage you and interrupt your Bullet Dance, such as Mo & Krill. Remember to activate it before using your ultimate ability.
On the other hand, if your opponent is clever enough to acquire abilities such as Knockdown and Curse, you will face difficulties. Choose Unstoppable to become immune to crowd control and Leech to maintain your health during battles. Additionally, keep in mind your stamina if you intend to remain agile, and ensure that you have obtained Superior Stamina by this stage of the game.
Enhanced Coverage is ideal for Bullet Dance, while Extended Duration can be applied to either her ultimate or Sleep Dagger depending on individual preference.
Situational items
The following items are highly recommended for maximizing Haze’s performance in Deadlock:
- Active Reload: While Quicksilver Reload may now be the more popular choice due to nerfs and the abundance of powerful Weapon items, Active Reload remains a perfect fit for Haze. Swiftly reloading, increasing Fire Rate and Bullet Lifesteal, and allowing for continuous attacks, it can still be a valuable purchase in certain situations.
- Toxic Bullets are designed to steadily chip away at enemies’ health with Bleed damage and prevent them from recovering with Healing Reduction. This makes it an ideal choice for a sneaky attacker looking to wear down their foes.
- Crippling Headshot: By decreasing a target’s Bullet and Spirit Resist, Haze is able to inflict significant damage with her fast and sneaky strikes. It used to be a crucial part of her arsenal, but it has been overshadowed by the effectiveness and value of Headhunter.
- Siphon Bullets: Haze’s bullets temporarily steal Max HP from enemies, and if an enemy dies while siphoned, she permanently gains health. However, she will lose her stacks if she is defeated. This ability is particularly effective against tanks, making it great for shredding through their defenses.
- Haze’s sturdiness is enhanced by the Improved Bullet Armor, Improved Spirit Armor, and Diviner’s Kevlar. Although she is a stealthy character, unexpected errors may occur, making it beneficial to have a strong defense. These options should be considered if you are having difficulty staying alive.
- Debuff Remover: Haze’s entire strategy is centered around speed and avoiding detection by the enemy. In the event that she is debuffed, it is crucial to act swiftly and neutralize the effects.
- The Veil Walker provides Haze with Stealth, increases her Movement Speed, replenishes her Bullet and Spirit Shields, and grants her a higher Fire Rate for her next magazine.
- Ethereal Shift: Activating this ability renders her untargetable and invincible, but she is unable to move or take any actions. Once the effect ends, she immediately reloads and receives a boost in Spirit Power, making it an ideal tactic for a swift recovery.
- Slowing Hex or Knockdown items are ideal for hindering or immobilizing enemies, allowing you to focus on dealing damage, or for escaping when someone is pursuing you.
With Haze in Deadlock, all you need to do is keep practicing and familiarize yourself with the game’s core mechanics, such as Runes and Souls. Don’t be discouraged if you lose a few matches initially, as you will eventually get the hang of it and start winning.
If you don’t prefer Haze, that’s okay. You can still view our Deadlock character tier list to explore other options.
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