Souls, lanes and objectives: how a Deadlock game is won

01Souls are gold and experience at once

Deadlock has a single currency. Every soul you collect is spent in the shop and, at the same time, pushes your level up: new levels give you ability unlocks and ability points. Falling behind in souls therefore costs you twice, in items and in abilities. In an average game of the last weeks each player ends with a little over 30,000 souls, and the game lasts about 38 minutes.

• Lane troopers: about 36% of a player's souls.
• Hero kills: about 27%.
• Neutral camps: about 18%.
• Objectives: about 11%.
• Breakable crates and statues: about 7%.
• Denies: around 1%.

02The laning phase

The map has three lanes, and troopers walk down each of them in waves. The last hit on a trooper releases a soul orb: shoot it before the enemy does to secure it, and shoot the enemy's orbs to deny them. A third of your souls come from this, so a lane you lose on last hits is a lane you lose on levels too. Before the game, check who you are laning against: our hero guides list the lane matchups measured with both heroes starting in the same lane.

• Last-hit troopers and shoot the orb that pops out.
• Deny the enemy's orbs when you are not in danger.
• Spend your souls in the shop before walking back into lane.

03The objectives, in order

Each lane is defended by a Guardian (5,500 health) and, further back, a Walker (6,000). Behind them the base has its Base Guardians (4,000) and the two Shrines (5,000), and at the end the Patron (12,000), which you have to destroy to win. Objectives also pay souls to the heroes nearby and to the whole team: taking a Guardian is income, not just map.

• Guardian → Walker → Base Guardian and Shrines → Patron.
• The first Mid Boss falls around minute 26 in an average game: be ready before then.
• Push a lane when its enemy laner is dead or far away: that is when objectives are free.

04Neutral camps and the rest of the map

Between the lanes there are 51 neutral camps: small, medium and large camps and 11 vaults. They are the souls you take when your lane is pushed and it is not safe to follow the wave. Crates and statues scattered around the city break for souls and temporary buffs, and three ziplines carry you along the lanes to rotate quickly.