Calico · Assassin
Calico guide
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This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.
Overview
Calico is a assassin in Deadlock: wreaks havoc from the sidelines. Over the last two weeks it is A tier: 51.6% win rate in 154,992 games, picked in 27.0% of matches. Calico uses the shadows to her advantage, weaving in and out of combat to hunt down her enemies one by one.
Strengths
- One of the strongest guns in the game: 78.86 base weapon DPS, #3 of 38 heroes.
- Long-range gun: damage only starts to drop at 20 m and bottoms out at 58 m.
- Where it wins most: Mystic games (54.4%).
- Wins the lane against Viscous: 57.2% of 5,463 games with both in the same lane.
Weaknesses
- Where it wins least: Eternus games (49.7%).
- Struggles against Victor in lane: only 44.9% of 7,783 games.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Calico: most played buildBalancedRecommendedThe items Calico players buy most in each phase of the game over the last two weeks (154,992 games measured), with how many buy them and how they do. Skill points in the most played order (28,080 games, 54.3% win rate).
- Calico: “I love cat[girl]s! Skelly's Spirit Assassin Build” (in-game build)UtilityAdvancedThe most favorited Calico build published in the game this patch: saved 37,577 times, last updated on 2026-09-19. Find it in-game in the Hero Builds browser by its ID: 266497. Its own categories are kept as notes on each item.
- Calico: highest win rate itemsOffensiveSituationalItems with the highest win rate when bought on Calico, among those bought in a meaningful share of games, placed by when they are bought on average. Win rate on items bought late is inflated by games that were already going well: read it as “what winning Calicos end up buying”.
- Calico: vitality buildDefensiveSituationalThe vitality items Calico players buy most, for games where you get focused or need to survive fights longer. Cheapest first.
Builds
Calico: most played build
When to use it
The items Calico players buy most in each phase of the game over the last two weeks (154,992 games measured), with how many buy them and how they do. Skill points in the most played order (28,080 games, 54.3% win rate).
Laning phase
Mid game
- 1Spirit SnatchBought by 78.8% of players in this phase · 52.2% win rate
- 2Hunter's AuraBought by 29.3% of players in this phase · 55.5% win rate
- 3Enduring SpeedBought by 24.2% of players in this phase · 52.0% win rate
- 4Arctic BlastBought by 22.4% of players in this phase · 60.6% win rate
- 5Torment PulseBought by 18.8% of players in this phase · 56.9% win rate
- 6Improved SpiritBought by 17.7% of players in this phase · 53.8% win rate
Late game
Skill order
Max order:1›3›2
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1 | · | 1 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 1 | 1 | 1 | · | · | · |
 2 | 2 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 2 | 2 |
 3 | · | · | 3 | 3 | 3 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 3 | · | · |
 4 | · | · | · | · | · | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Calico: “I love cat[girl]s! Skelly's Spirit Assassin Build” (in-game build)
When to use it
The most favorited Calico build published in the game this patch: saved 37,577 times, last updated on 2026-09-19. Find it in-game in the Hero Builds browser by its ID: 266497. Its own categories are kept as notes on each item.
This build is published in the game: copy its ID and search it in the Hero Builds browser to load it.
266497Laning phase
Mid game
- 1Dispel MagicMid Core
- 2Hunter's AuraMid Core
- 3Torment PulseMid Core
- 4Arctic BlastMid Core
Late game
Situational
Skill order
Max order:1›3›2
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | · | 1 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 1 | 1 | 1 | · | · | · | · |
| 2 | 2 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | · | · | 3 | · | 3 | 3 | · | · | · | · | · | · | 3 | · | · | · |
| 4 | · | · | · | 4 | · | · | 4 | 4 | 4 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Calico: highest win rate items
When to use it
Items with the highest win rate when bought on Calico, among those bought in a meaningful share of games, placed by when they are bought on average. Win rate on items bought late is inflated by games that were already going well: read it as “what winning Calicos end up buying”.
Late game
Skill order
Max order:1›3›2
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | · | 1 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 1 | 1 | 1 | · | · | · | · |
| 2 | 2 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | · | · | 3 | 3 | 3 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 3 | · | · | · |
| 4 | · | · | · | · | · | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Calico: vitality build
When to use it
The vitality items Calico players buy most, for games where you get focused or need to survive fights longer. Cheapest first.
Laning phase
Mid game
- 1Dispel MagicBought by 20.2% of players in this phase · 50.3% win rate
- 2LifestrikeBought by 16.6% of players in this phase · 50.0% win rate
- 3Spirit ResilienceBought by 6.9% of players in this phase · 47.7% win rate
- 4CounterspellBought by 6.7% of players in this phase · 50.1% win rate
Late game
Skill order
Max order:1›3›2
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | · | 1 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 1 | 1 | 1 | · | · | · |
| 2 | 2 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | · | · | 3 | 3 | 3 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 3 | · | · |
| 4 | · | · | · | · | · | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Abilities
- 1Gloom Bombs14sThrow a cluster of bombs that detonate after a delay, dealing spirit damage. Enemies hit by multiple bombs take 65% damage.
- Bomb Count
- 4
- Damage
- 45
- 2Leaping Slash13sDash forward before slashing all enemies in a circle, dealing melee damage. If the ability hits at least one hero, heal a small amount of health.
- Impact Damage
- 10
- Heal Amount
- 40
- 3Ava30sTurn to shadows and possess Ava. You gain bonus move speed that increases over time, and become hidden on the minimap. Taking damage from an enemy hero resets your bonus move speed and puts Ava on a brief cooldown.
- Min Move Speed
- 30%
- Max Move Speed
- 65%
- Buff Duration
- 15s
- Time for Max Bonus
- 4s
- Interrupt Cooldown
- 6s
- 4Return to ShadowsUltimate115sInstantly turn to shadows, becoming untargetable, gaining bonus move speed, and dealing spirit damage. After a delay, return from the shadows, dealing spirit damage again.
- Damage
- 150
- Move Speed
- +20%
- Explosion Delay
- 3s
Most played skill order
The most played order in the last 28080 professional matches with this hero. Highlighted levels are the points spent on talents.
Max order:1›3›2
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | · | 1 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 1 | 1 | 1 | · | · | · |
| 2 | 2 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | · | · | 3 | 3 | 3 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 3 | · | · |
| 4 | · | · | · | · | · | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | · | · | · | · | · | · |
Strategy
1Abilities
What each of Calico's abilities does, as the game describes it:
- 1 · Gloom Bombs — 14s cooldown: Throw a cluster of bombs that detonate after a delay, dealing spirit damage. Enemies hit by multiple bombs take 65% damage.
- 2 · Leaping Slash — 13s cooldown: Dash forward before slashing all enemies in a circle, dealing melee damage. If the ability hits at least one hero, heal a small amount of health.
- 3 · Ava — 30s cooldown: Turn to shadows and possess Ava. You gain bonus move speed that increases over time, and become hidden on the minimap. Taking damage from an enemy hero resets your bonus move speed and puts Ava on a brief cooldown.
- 4 · Return to Shadows (ultimate) — 115s cooldown: Instantly turn to shadows, becoming untargetable, gaining bonus move speed, and dealing spirit damage. After a delay, return from the shadows, dealing spirit damage again.
2Skill order
The most played skill order (28,080 games, 54.3% win rate) goes 2 · 1 · 3 · 3 · 3 · 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 · 1 · 1 · 1 · 3 · 2 · 2. The one that wins most among the common ones (20,810 games) reaches 66.8%: 2 · 1 · 3 · 3 · 3 · 4 · 4 · 4 · 4 · 1 · 1 · 1 · 3 · 2 · 2 · 2.
3Items by phase
What Calico players buy most in the laning phase, mid game and late game:
- Melee Lifesteal — 92.8% buy it · 51.6% win rate
- Stalker — 77.6% buy it · 52.4% win rate
- Spirit Strike — 75.7% buy it · 52.0% win rate
- Spirit Snatch — 78.8% buy it · 52.2% win rate
- Cold Front — 67.8% buy it · 51.0% win rate
- Trophy Collector — 35.7% buy it · 50.3% win rate
- Boundless Spirit — 55.8% buy it · 55.8% win rate
- Arctic Blast — 55.7% buy it · 50.9% win rate
- Improved Spirit — 41.1% buy it · 52.5% win rate
4A typical game
An average Calico game over the last two weeks: 8.8 kills, 6.8 deaths and 14.7 assists, 37,211 hero damage, 6,203 objective damage and 46,156 souls.
5Win rate by rank
By the average badge of the game:
- Initiate: 52.0% (2,376 games)
- Seeker: 53.9% (5,473 games)
- Acolyte: 52.2% (5,625 games)
- Sentinel: 52.2% (5,207 games)
- Mystic: 54.4% (5,230 games)
- Ritualist: 54.0% (5,762 games)
- Emissary: 53.6% (6,830 games)
- Oracle: 51.8% (8,748 games)
- Phantom: 51.4% (8,392 games)
- Ascendant: 50.2% (3,460 games)
- Eternus: 49.7% (725 games)
Tips
- Unlock order most players use: Leaping Slash (2) → Gloom Bombs (1) → Ava (3) → Return to Shadows (4).
- Upgrade Gloom Bombs first, then Ava; put points in the ultimate when you can.
- First buys: Melee Lifesteal, Stalker and Spirit Strike.
- Your gun hits hardest within 20 m; past 58 m it deals minimum damage.
- Last-hit troopers and shoot the soul orbs they drop: souls are your gold and your level.
- Deny the enemy's orbs when you can: every denied orb is souls they don't get.
Matchups
Strong against
- Mirage57.6%win rate in the matchup
Calico wins 57.6% of the 11,409 games measured against Mirage in the last two weeks.
11.4K matches
- Sinclair56.8%win rate in the matchup
Calico wins 56.8% of the 14,820 games measured against Sinclair in the last two weeks.
14.8K matches
- Viscous55.6%win rate in the matchup
Calico wins 55.6% of the 15,978 games measured against Viscous in the last two weeks.
16K matches
- Paradox55.5%win rate in the matchup
Calico wins 55.5% of the 27,255 games measured against Paradox in the last two weeks.
27.3K matches
- Shiv55.5%win rate in the matchup
Calico wins 55.5% of the 38,086 games measured against Shiv in the last two weeks.
38.1K matches
Weak against
- Victor45.2%win rate in the matchup
Calico only wins 45.2% of the 22,835 games measured against Victor in the last two weeks.
22.8K matches
- Graves45.2%win rate in the matchup
Calico only wins 45.2% of the 31,455 games measured against Graves in the last two weeks.
31.5K matches
- Paige46.2%win rate in the matchup
Calico only wins 46.2% of the 27,167 games measured against Paige in the last two weeks.
27.2K matches
- Seven46.8%win rate in the matchup
Calico only wins 46.8% of the 23,234 games measured against Seven in the last two weeks.
23.2K matches
- Kelvin47.1%win rate in the matchup
Calico only wins 47.1% of the 15,279 games measured against Kelvin in the last two weeks.
15.3K matches
Works well with
- Graves57.8%win rate in the matchup
Calico and Graves on the same team win 57.8% of 4,324 games measured in the last two weeks.
4.3K matches
- Victor57.1%win rate in the matchup
Calico and Victor on the same team win 57.1% of 4,379 games measured in the last two weeks.
4.4K matches
- Kelvin56.9%win rate in the matchup
Calico and Kelvin on the same team win 56.9% of 2,840 games measured in the last two weeks.
2.8K matches
- Paige56.2%win rate in the matchup
Calico and Paige on the same team win 56.2% of 5,836 games measured in the last two weeks.
5.8K matches
- Seven56.1%win rate in the matchup
Calico and Seven on the same team win 56.1% of 5,534 games measured in the last two weeks.
5.5K matches
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 2026-09-16.
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