Deadlock Guide: How to Acquire Souls

Deadlock: How to Maximize Your Souls

Deadlock, developed by Valve, blends the strategic depth of MOBAs with the action-packed thrill of third-person hero shooters. In this team-based game, you’ll battle in two teams of six across four lanes, aiming to destroy the opposing base. Like other MOBAs such as Dota 2, earning and managing currency is crucial for strengthening your character. However, in Deadlock, the currency you’ll collect is known as Souls, rather than gold.

Souls are integral not only for purchasing items but also for unlocking and upgrading your hero’s abilities. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to accumulate Souls in Deadlock.

How to Accumulate Souls in Deadlock

For players experienced with MOBAs, one familiar method to earn Souls is by securing killing blows on creeps, also known as "last hitting." In Deadlock, you’ll need to last hit enemy creeps, referred to as Troopers, to collect Souls. However, there’s a twist: last hitting only grants half of the available Souls due to a mechanic called Soul Orbs.

When a Trooper is defeated, a Soul Orb rises from the corpse and remains visible for a few seconds before disappearing. To collect the full amount of Souls, you can either shoot or melee the Soul Orb before it vanishes. This adds a strategic layer similar to Dota 2: while the Soul Orb is in the air, enemy players can attack it to steal or deny the Souls, making the laning phase more competitive. Souls from enemies are displayed in green, while ally Souls are shown in orange.

Be aware that after 10 minutes of gameplay, Troopers no longer yield Souls upon last hits. Instead, all Souls are concentrated in Soul Orbs, emphasizing the importance of securing or denying them, especially in the presence of enemy players.

Securing Unsecured Souls

Another method to gather Souls is by eliminating enemy players or assisting in their demise. Alongside the Souls awarded for each kill, defeated players drop Unsecured Souls as Soul Orbs, which can be secured or denied by others. Similar to Unreliable Gold in Dota 2, these Souls are partially lost upon death. In Deadlock, Unsecured Souls come from:

Neutral Creeps: Spawn throughout the map at set intervals, providing Unsecured Souls when defeated:

 - Tier 1 Neutral Creeps: Spawn 2 minutes into the game, marked with a triangle on the map.

 - Tier 2 Neutral Creeps: Spawn 7 minutes into the game, with a triangle and one line underneath.

 - Tier 3 Neutral Creeps: Also appear at 7 minutes, requiring high-level heroes to defeat, marked by a triangle with two lines underneath.

- Soul Slot Machines: Scattered across the map, these machines provide Unsecured Souls when meleeed. Each melee hit grants Unsecured Souls but deals 50 damage to the player. After 10 hits or 5 heavy melee hits, the machine breaks and rewards additional Unsecured Souls.

- Wooden Crates: Found around the map, these can be broken open for a chance to obtain Unsecured Souls.

Unsecured Souls are displayed in the bottom left of the screen next to your current Soul count. Unlike Unreliable Gold, Unsecured Souls gradually convert into secured Souls over time, making death somewhat less punitive. However, be aware that Unsecured Souls are used last when purchasing items from the shop.

Map Objectives for Earning Souls

Map objectives are key to accumulating Souls and gaining strategic advantages. Each lane features towers that defend against enemy attacks and reward Souls upon destruction:

- Tier 1 Towers (Guardians): Reward 275 Souls per player.

- Tier 2 Towers (Walkers): Reward 750 Souls per player.

- Tier 3 Towers (Twin Guardians): Do not reward Souls.

- Base Shrines: Provide 500 Souls per Shrine to each player.

- First Phase of Patron: Grants 500 Souls to each player.

The Patron in Deadlock is analogous to the Ancient in Dota 2 or the Nexus in League of Legends.

At the 10-minute mark, two critical objectives appear on the map:

- Mid-Boss: Located in the center of the map, this boss is similar to Roshan in Dota 2. Defeating the Mid-Boss rewards Souls and a Rejuvenator, which grants reduced spawn time, health regeneration, buffed Troopers, and extra Souls from killing enemy Troopers. The Rejuvenator can be claimed by either team.

- Soul Urn: Spawns on one side of the map and takes about 30 seconds to fully materialize. A player must carry the Soul Urn to the opposite end of the map to earn a substantial amount of Souls for their team. Only one player can carry the urn at a time, and the carrier cannot use abilities or basic attacks. The urn can be dropped and picked up by another player if necessary. The player who personally delivers the Soul Urn earns an additional 25% Souls on top of the team-wide reward.

By mastering these methods and objectives, you can efficiently gather Souls and enhance your gameplay experience in Deadlock.