Deadlock Late Game Guide: Closing Out Matches and Defending Your Base

By the late game, most players have their core items, respawn timers are long, and one fight can decide the match. The team that wins is usually the one that plays these fights carefully, then turns them into base damage straight away.

Respawns change everything

Match time	Respawn time
20 minutes	38 seconds
30 minutes	70 seconds
40 minutes	85 seconds

Respawns never go above 90 seconds. At 30 minutes, one death takes you out for over a minute, and a team down two players can’t defend. See health, regen and respawns.

So late in the game:

• Don’t get caught alone. Move with your team.
• Win a fight, then push. The best time to hit the enemy base is right after a kill or two.
• Don’t farm the far side of the map when the enemy is grouped.

The road to the Patron

Base Guardians → Shrines → Patron.

Base Guardians

Two guard each lane’s entrance to the base. Destroying one pair is enough to make the Shrines vulnerable. A destroyed pair also turns that lane’s zipline into an express line, so you can reinforce faster.

Shrines

• Two per base, and both must fall before the Patron can be damaged.
• The Patron defends them with a blast that damages and curses players on the Shrine platform. Watch for it and step off.
• Destroying a Shrine turns your troopers in that lane into Super Troopers: +60% damage and +40% health.

The Patron

• It’s invulnerable until both Shrines are down.
• It has two phases. After losing half its health, it becomes a floating orb that can only be damaged from inside its pit.
• When its first phase falls, the defenders respawn faster, so the second phase is a race.

For the full mechanics, see the Patron and objectives.

How to close out a game

1. Win a fight first. Kill two or three enemies, then go. Their long respawns are your window.
2. Take the Mid Boss first if you can. Revive credits last 3 minutes and let teammates get back up during the push. See the Mid Boss.
3. Push with troopers, ideally Super Troopers. Backdoor protection makes base objectives far tougher without them.
4. Stay together. A push with four players beats two separate pushes with two.
5. Know when to leave. If the fight turns, or your revive credits run out, back off and keep your lead instead of throwing it.

Defending your base

When the enemy is at your base:

1. Defend as a group. Five players defending together beat five arriving one by one.
2. Fight near your Shrines and Patron. The Patron attacks enemies on its platforms.
3. Kill their troopers. Without troopers, the enemy loses the backdoor protection bypass and their push stalls.
4. Contest the Mid Boss crystal if they take the boss. Stealing their revive credits can stop the push.
5. Look for a counter-push. If two enemies die, push another lane straight away.

Don’t throw a lead

The team that’s behind gets bigger bounties, more souls and bigger Urns. See comeback mechanics.

• Every death gives them a boosted bounty if you’re richer than their team.
• Players ahead in net worth respawn slower after 10 minutes.
• Turn your lead into objectives. Destroyed Walkers and Shrines can’t be taken back; a soul lead can.

Next: Team fighting →