Ultimate Guide to the Best Deadlock Warden Build: Abilities and Items Explained

The rankings are subject to change with future patches, and we will update this guide to indicate any changes that affect Warden’s positioning in the meta, should he face any adjustments.

Warden’s Abilities: Leveling Priorities

When upgrading your abilities, focus on maxing out the first three until they reach Level 2. After that, prioritize enhancing Last Stand since it’s vital for winning late-game skirmishes.

Your next upgrades should target Willpower and Binding Word, as they will be most frequently used during this phase. Finally, you can maximize Alchemical Flask to impart that Attack Speed reduction. If you’re engaged in split-pushing early on, getting that last level in Flask promptly is a wise strategy.

Recommended upgrading sequence:

Optimal Items for Warden’s Build

The items are grouped into four categories: Early Game, Mid Game, Late Game/Luxury, and Situational Items.

The first three categories are crucial and will give you a strong sense of the items to prioritize during each game phase. The situational items are reserved for specific circumstances where they may counter unique enemy abilities.

Here’s a breakdown of the best items to equip for Warden throughout the game:

Items for Early Game

Weapon Items:

• High-Velocity Mag: Acquire High-Velocity Mag for a quicker, deadlier weapon.
• Monster Rounds: This versatile option enhances lane pressure and simplifies jungle camp eliminations to bolster your lead.

Vitality Items:

• Sprint Boots: Excellent for establishing an early advantage through lane rotations or jungle steals; can be switched for Extra Stamina if you face difficulties in your lane.
• Healing Rite: Works well with Sprint Boots for extra movement speed; grab this first if you’re trailing behind to benefit from bonus healing.
• Extra Regen: Vital for sustaining in the lane; especially beneficial if you’re struggling early. If you believe you can take risks against your opponent, consider saving this for items focused on mid-game.

Mystic Items:

• Slowing Hex: This will enhance Warden’s ability to catch fleeing enemies, making it a must-have alongside Binding Word.
• Mystic Burst: You’ll want to obtain this quickly along with Slowing Hex to control the lane effectively.

Items for Mid Game

Weapon Items:

• Fleetfoot: This will enhance Warden’s speed, allowing him to mitigate movement speed penalties when firing in mid-game.
• Active Reload: Warden’s weapon delivers strong damage output; maximizing efficiency with reloads will also grant lifesteal and a fire rate boost upon engaging the Active Reload window.
• Slowing Bullets: Critical for hitting agile heroes like Seven and Haze more consistently.

Vitality Items:

• Fortitude: Despite Warden’s inherent sturdiness, adding Fortitute in mid-game is crucial to deter enemy ganks.
• Bullet Armor & Spirit Armor: These provide additional defenses against Bullet and Spirit damage, respectively, and should be prioritized immediately after Fortitude for enhanced protection.

Mystic Items:

• Bullet Resist Shredder: This is effective in diminishing your target’s resistance to Bullet damage while they are immobilized.
• Knockdown: Utilize this on enemies diving towards you to immobilize them, or on foes constrained by Binding Word for additional CC.
• Quicksilver Reload: Essential for Alchemical Flask to minimize reload frequency.

Items for Late Game/Luxury

Weapon Items:

• Heroic Aura: If you aim to be a split-pushing threat, equip Heroic Aura to provide nearby allies and minions with increased movement speed and fire rate.
• Pristine Emblem: This item stands out as one of Deadlock’s premier choices; it enhances Weapon damage, Spirit power, resist, and Bullet Velocity while granting a passive bonus that boosts damage against enemies with over 50% max health.
• Point Blank: To optimize Warden’s close-combat style, Point Blank’s increased weapon damage based on proximity is a natural fit.

Vitality Items:

• Veil Walker: This grants an additional shield benefit along with stealth as you enter a lane.
• Inhibitor: This is essential for boosting your damage and debuffing foes in team engagements.
• Improved Bullet & Spirit Armor: These are upgrades to their mid-game counterparts and are essential for surviving longer in fights.

Mystic Items:

• Improved Reach: Enhance Binding Word’s effectiveness by enlarging its immobilizing radius.

Situational Items

While not strictly necessary for this build, these situational items can be beneficial in specific match circumstances:

Weapon Items:

• Alchemical Fire: This pairs with Alchemical Flask to inflict damage and debuffs on enemies; use it strategically on foes ensnared by Binding Word.
• Crippling Headshot: Reduces your opponent’s damage resistance, ideally suited for swiftly dismantling bulky enemies that you’ve immobilized.
• Silencer: Disables enemy abilities when they are Silenced, proving valuable against enemies with disruptive skills.

Vitality Items:

• Debuff Remover: This cleanses any debuffs and enhances your movement speed.
• Unstoppable: Ideal for times when you face excessive CC; using this grants immunity to all debuffs. Activate it before your ultimate if you’re anticipating crowd control.
• Phantom Strike: Close the gap between quick enemies by teleporting to a target and applying disarm and slow effects.

Mystic Items:

• Cold Front: A solid choice for applying Spirit damage while impeding enemy movement speed.
• Decay: Effective against healing heroes, reducing their healing intake while inflicting damage.
• Ethereal Shift: Utilize this to become untargetable for short durations, allowing you to ambush enemies or escape unfavorable situations.

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