Strategy: Difference between revisions

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'''Strategy''' in ''[[Deadlock]]~~'' is based on~~ the ~~game~~'s ~~unique~~ [[~~mechanics~~]], ~~focused~~ on ~~a combination~~ of ~~both third-person-shooter mechanics and MOBA gameplay~~. ~~In the game's current state, many aspects~~ of ~~the game's strategy have been derived from high MMR play, tournaments~~, and ~~knowledge from similar titles~~.

'''Strategy''' in [[Deadlock]], at a very basic level, involves leading your army into enemy territory down 4 lanes, destroying objectives and eventually killing the enemy team's [[Patron]]. However, the methods for doing this are where the depth and the complexity come in. [[The Cursed Apple]] is separated into four lanes: [[The Cursed Apple#Solo Lanes|York]], [[The Cursed Apple#Duo Lanes|Greenwich]], [[The Cursed Apple#Duo Lanes|Broadway]], and [[The Cursed Apple#Solo Lanes|Park]] (color coded based on the first letter of their name). An army of [[Troopers]] will be deployed marching down each lane. 1 player will be sent to York and Park, while 2 players will be sent to Greenwich and Broadway.

== Laning ==

[[File:~~Deadlock~~ Map.~~jpg~~|thumb|The mini-map ~~present~~ in the bottom-right corner of ''[[Deadlock|Deadlock's]]'' HUD.]]

[[File:Map.png|thumb|The mini-map in the bottom-right corner of ''[[Deadlock|Deadlock's]]'' HUD.]]

At the start of each round, players are assigned to 1 ~~of 4 lanes randomly~~. ~~Two lanes will be duo lanes~~ and ~~two will be~~ solo lanes. ~~The specific lane colors that~~ are ~~solo and~~ duo are ~~also randomly decided at~~ the ~~beginning of the match~~. ~~Players are randomly placed~~, ~~but duo parties are more likely to be queued into~~ the ~~same lane~~.

Laning is the process of managing the troopers on a lane, and destroying objectives along it. At the start of each round, players are assigned to the four lanes according to a 1-2-2-1 setup. York and Park are solo lanes, containing one player each. And Greenwich and Broadway are duo lanes containing 2 players each. Support-centric characters like {{HeroIcon|Ivy}} or {{HeroIcon|Dynamo}} typically perform best in duo lanes with a high-DPS counterpart. Self-reliant characters with sustain or poke abilities, like {{HeroIcon|Shiv}}, are typically suited for the solo lanes. The random placement seems to account for this, though the exact mechanism is unclear.

Support-centric characters like [[Ivy]] or [[Dynamo]] perform best in duo lanes with a high-DPS counterpart. Self-reliant characters with sustain or poke abilities, like [[Shiv]], are better suited for the solo lanes. The random placement seems to account for this, though the exact mechanism is ~~unclear.~~

'''Laning''' is strategically divided into three phases:

Laning is ~~strategically divided into three phases:~~

* '''Laning Phase (Early game)''': Players focus on winning their lane by managing troops, [[Jungling]], looking for easy kills, and gaining a [[souls|Soul]] advantage.

* '''Midgame''': Sidelaners who have won their lane start roaming to assist midlaners, while all players continue farming objectives to strengthen their team’s position.

* '''Endgame''': Players work to solidify their team's [[souls|Soul]] advantage, engage in most of the teamfights, and push to attack the enemy [[Patron]].

== Team Composition ==

A '''Team Composition''' is the 6 heroes a team employs in battle. Strategically employing heroes whose abilities complement each other, or who work best with a certain playstyle is significant for team strategy. For example a {{HeroIcon|Dynamo}} can use Singularity to trap a number of enemies, while a friendly {{HeroIcon|Infernus}} charges up his Concussive Combustion, guaranteeing that the explosion blasts every target in the vicinity.

==Micro Strategies==

=== Uptime ===

'''Uptime''' is the amount of time you spend actively contributing to something in a match, usually by creating pressure against the enemy team or collecting Souls for your team. Time spent farming Denizens, harassing enemies, pushing troopers towards enemy Guardians, and Walkers contributes to '''uptime''', as opposed to "downtime" which can include time spent respawning, idly waiting for objectives to spawn, and rotating aimlessly around the map.

=== Positioning ===

Managing your '''positioning''' will allow you to control more space on the map, be effective in teamfights, deny enemy pushes, and utilize your Hero's abilities most effectively. Controlling more area of the map increases the viable farming area for both Denizens and enemy Troopers for your team. '''Positioning''' in teamfights or in smaller skirmishes is critical; staying safe but active in the fight will allow you to apply pressure to the enemy while removing the opportunity for them to gain an advantage by killing you.

=== Cover Usage ===

Like any shooter, using corners and walls allows you to be covered against almost all skills and items, since most of them require Line of Sight to be activated or cause damage. Heroes will lean around cover when close to the cover's horizontal edge, exposing their head hitbox.

At present, the third person camera is locked to each Hero's right shoulder, which means that peeking on the right side of cover will always expose you less than the left side. Using this to your advantage in the laning phase will give you a significant advantage when trading weapon damage.

=== Aiming ===

Some Heroes require more accuracy and skill expression regarding '''aiming''', such as {{HeroIcon|Vindicta}} but overall '''aiming''' is a crucial part of ''[[Deadlock]]''.

=== Map Knowledge ===

Knowledge of the [[Map|Map's]] layout. This includes, but is not limited to, [[Cosmic Veil]] locations, Rune locations, and [[Teleporter]] locations.

=== Rotations ===

The process of traversing one part of the map to enter another. '''Rotation''' can be related to concepts such as ganking or roaming. Terminology from DOTA 2 calls ganking in the art of appearing from a fog of the jungle to surprise - and potentially kill - enemies, but '''rotations''' are more broad and are be related to creating space in different lanes and related concepts.

* '''~~Laning Phase (Early game)~~'''~~: Players focus on winning their lane by managing troops, jungling, looking for easy kills, and gaining a~~ [[~~souls|soul~~]] ~~advantage~~.

=== Movement ===

* '''~~Midgame~~'''~~: Sidelaners who have won their~~ lane ~~start roaming~~ to ~~assist midlaners~~, ~~while all players continue~~ farming ~~objectives to strengthen their team’s position~~.

* The process of moving and positioning your Hero.

* '''Endgame''': Players work to solidify their team's [[~~souls~~|~~soul~~]] advantage, ~~engage~~ in ~~most of~~ the ~~teamfights~~, and ~~push~~ to ~~attack~~ the ~~enemy [[Patron]]~~.

* Involves [[Ziplines]] and [[Stamina]] usage in addition to sliding.

=== Troop Management ===

* The process of killing enemy [[Trooper]]s and '''denying''' the enemy from getting [[Souls]] from their Trooper kills.

* Can also be referred to as Creep Management.

'''Creep/Troop denial''' is a crucial part of the game's laning phase and involves shooting the Souls of one's own trooper when they are killed. This prevents enemy laners from obtaining Soul Orbs by killing Troopers. Denying Souls is still effective after the laning phase, as Souls increase in value as the game continues. Denying Souls after the lane phase grants all Souls to the denier, which can be an effective way to individually gain more Souls if you are farming for an important item.

Pushing up lanes by killing enemy Troopers spreads your team's area of control and removes farmable space from the enemy. If your team is able to control more of the map by pushing up Troopers, friendly Ziplines will extend and allow Trooper reinforcements to help push [[Guardian|Guardians]] and [[Walker|Walkers]], further pressing your advantage.

=== Freezing a Lane ===

By carefully damaging enemy troopers to equalize the number of troopers on each team within a lane, it is possible to "freeze" a lane in place so that the troops neither advance nor fall back. By only last-hitting troopers during their death animation, it is possible to deal no additional damage to the lane and effectively keep it "frozen" indefinitely.

This tactic is useful to keep troops close to your Guardian or Walker for your own safety. By preventing your troops from pushing forward, you can stay within the safe zones of your defenses.

It is also useful for denying your opponent's access to farm due to the distance from their defenses. Since your guardian or walker is the point furthest from their guardian or walker, freezing a lane on your side of the map can make retreat difficult for your opponent.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Strategy''' in ''[[Deadlock]]'' is based on the game's unique [[mechanics]], focused on a combination of both third-person-shooter mechanics and MOBA gameplay. In the game's current state, many aspects of the game's strategy have been derived from high MMR play, tournaments, and knowledge from similar titles.
+'''Strategy''' in [[Deadlock]], at a very basic level, involves leading your army into enemy territory down 4 lanes, destroying objectives and eventually killing the enemy team's [[Patron]]. However, the methods for doing this are where the depth and the complexity come in. [[The Cursed Apple]] is separated into four lanes: [[The Cursed Apple#Solo Lanes|York]], [[The Cursed Apple#Duo Lanes|Greenwich]], [[The Cursed Apple#Duo Lanes|Broadway]], and [[The Cursed Apple#Solo Lanes|Park]] (color coded based on the first letter of their name). An army of [[Troopers]] will be deployed marching down each lane. 1 player will be sent to York and Park, while 2 players will be sent to Greenwich and Broadway.
 == Laning ==
-[[File:Deadlock Map.jpg|thumb|The mini-map present in the bottom-right corner of ''[[Deadlock|Deadlock's]]'' HUD.]]
+[[File:Map.png|thumb|The mini-map in the bottom-right corner of ''[[Deadlock|Deadlock's]]'' HUD.]]
-At the start of each round, players are assigned to 1 of 4 lanes randomly.  Two lanes will be duo lanes and two will be solo lanes.  The specific lane colors that are solo and duo are also randomly decided at the beginning of the match. Players are randomly placed, but duo parties are more likely to be queued into the same lane.
+Laning is the process of managing the troopers on a lane, and destroying objectives along it. At the start of each round, players are assigned to the four lanes according to a 1-2-2-1 setup. York and Park are solo lanes, containing one player each. And Greenwich and Broadway are duo lanes containing 2 players each. Support-centric characters like {{HeroIcon|Ivy}} or {{HeroIcon|Dynamo}} typically perform best in duo lanes with a high-DPS counterpart. Self-reliant characters with sustain or poke abilities, like {{HeroIcon|Shiv}}, are typically suited for the solo lanes. The random placement seems to account for this, though the exact mechanism is unclear.
-Support-centric characters like [[Ivy]] or [[Dynamo]] perform best in duo lanes with a high-DPS counterpart. Self-reliant characters with sustain or poke abilities, like [[Shiv]], are better suited for the solo lanes. The random placement seems to account for this, though the exact mechanism is unclear.
+'''Laning''' is strategically divided into three phases:
-Laning is strategically divided into three phases:
+* '''Laning Phase (Early game)''': Players focus on winning their lane by managing troops, [[Jungling]], looking for easy kills, and gaining a [[souls|Soul]] advantage.
+* '''Midgame''': Sidelaners who have won their lane start roaming to assist midlaners, while all players continue farming objectives to strengthen their team’s position.
+* '''Endgame''': Players work to solidify their team's [[souls|Soul]] advantage, engage in most of the teamfights, and push to attack the enemy [[Patron]].
+== Team Composition ==
+A '''Team Composition''' is the 6 heroes a team employs in battle. Strategically employing heroes whose abilities complement each other, or who work best with a certain playstyle is significant for team strategy. For example a {{HeroIcon|Dynamo}} can use Singularity to trap a number of enemies, while a friendly {{HeroIcon|Infernus}} charges up his Concussive Combustion, guaranteeing that the explosion blasts every target in the vicinity.
+==Micro Strategies==
+=== Uptime ===
+'''Uptime''' is the amount of time you spend actively contributing to something in a match, usually by creating pressure against the enemy team or collecting Souls for your team. Time spent farming Denizens, harassing enemies, pushing troopers towards enemy Guardians, and Walkers contributes to '''uptime''', as opposed to "downtime" which can include time spent respawning, idly waiting for objectives to spawn, and rotating aimlessly around the map.
+=== Positioning ===
+Managing your '''positioning''' will allow you to control more space on the map, be effective in teamfights, deny enemy pushes, and utilize your Hero's abilities most effectively. Controlling more area of the map increases the viable farming area for both Denizens and enemy Troopers for your team. '''Positioning''' in teamfights or in smaller skirmishes is critical; staying safe but active in the fight will allow you to apply pressure to the enemy while removing the opportunity for them to gain an advantage by killing you.
+=== Cover Usage ===
+Like any shooter, using corners and walls allows you to be covered against almost all skills and items, since most of them require Line of Sight to be activated or cause damage. Heroes will lean around cover when close to the cover's horizontal edge, exposing their head hitbox.
+At present, the third person camera is locked to each Hero's right shoulder, which means that peeking on the right side of cover will always expose you less than the left side. Using this to your advantage in the laning phase will give you a significant advantage when trading weapon damage.
+=== Aiming ===
+Some Heroes require more accuracy and skill expression regarding '''aiming''', such as {{HeroIcon|Vindicta}} but overall '''aiming''' is a crucial part of ''[[Deadlock]]''.
+=== Map Knowledge ===
+Knowledge of the [[Map|Map's]] layout. This includes, but is not limited to, [[Cosmic Veil]] locations, Rune locations, and [[Teleporter]] locations.
+=== Rotations ===
+The process of traversing one part of the map to enter another. '''Rotation''' can be related to concepts such as ganking or roaming. Terminology from DOTA 2 calls ganking in the art of appearing from a fog of the jungle to surprise - and potentially kill - enemies, but '''rotations''' are more broad and are be related to creating space in different lanes and related concepts.
-* '''Laning Phase (Early game)''': Players focus on winning their lane by managing troops, jungling, looking for easy kills, and gaining a [[souls|soul]] advantage.
+=== Movement ===
-* '''Midgame''': Sidelaners who have won their lane start roaming to assist midlaners, while all players continue farming objectives to strengthen their team’s position.
+* The process of moving and positioning your Hero.
-* '''Endgame''': Players work to solidify their team's [[souls|soul]] advantage, engage in most of the teamfights, and push to attack the enemy [[Patron]].
+* Involves [[Ziplines]] and [[Stamina]] usage in addition to sliding.
+=== Troop Management ===
+* The process of killing enemy [[Trooper]]s and '''denying''' the enemy from getting [[Souls]] from their Trooper kills.
+* Can also be referred to as Creep Management.
+'''Creep/Troop denial''' is a crucial part of the game's laning phase and involves shooting the Souls of one's own trooper when they are killed. This prevents enemy laners from obtaining Soul Orbs by killing Troopers. Denying Souls is still effective after the laning phase, as Souls increase in value as the game continues. Denying Souls after the lane phase grants all Souls to the denier, which can be an effective way to individually gain more Souls if you are farming for an important item.
+Pushing up lanes by killing enemy Troopers spreads your team's area of control and removes farmable space from the enemy. If your team is able to control more of the map by pushing up Troopers, friendly Ziplines will extend and allow Trooper reinforcements to help push [[Guardian|Guardians]] and [[Walker|Walkers]], further pressing your advantage.
+=== Freezing a Lane ===
+By carefully damaging enemy troopers to equalize the number of troopers on each team within a lane, it is possible to "freeze" a lane in place so that the troops neither advance nor fall back. By only last-hitting troopers during their death animation, it is possible to deal no additional damage to the lane and effectively keep it "frozen" indefinitely.
+This tactic is useful to keep troops close to your Guardian or Walker for your own safety. By preventing your troops from pushing forward, you can stay within the safe zones of your defenses.
+It is also useful for denying your opponent's access to farm due to the distance from their defenses. Since your guardian or walker is the point furthest from their guardian or walker, freezing a lane on your side of the map can make retreat difficult for your opponent.
+{{Gameplay Navbox}}