In Deadlock, while many characters are straightforward to play and accommodate a variety of styles, a few, like Paradox, stand out as particularly intricate and challenging to master. Her abilities, which manipulate time and space, require a strategic approach to fully utilize.
Paradox’s playstyle shines when her abilities are executed in rapid succession. As the match progresses, her effectiveness increases, making it important to pay close attention to which upgrades and items you choose. Interestingly, the time you invest in mastering her skills pays off significantly in the long run.
Keep in mind that Deadlock is still in alpha, so information in this guide may change in the future.
Overview of Paradox
Paradox’s unique trait is that her playstyle evolves throughout a match. At the start, she can efficiently push lanes and handle one-on-one encounters. However, as the game advances, her focus shifts to using her abilities to potentially wipe out enemy teams.
Despite her formidable abilities, her basic weapon is rather weak at first, delivering only 57 damage per second (DPS), and her max health of 550 doesn’t offer much tankiness. Fortunately, her Pulse Grenade ability can be quite effective early on for gathering souls.
Paradox’s Abilities
Understanding Paradox’s abilities is crucial, as combining them effectively is the best way to play her. The Pulse Grenade is likely to be your go-to ability, as it allows you to clear minions swiftly with its impressive area-of-effect (AOE) damage.
Meanwhile, the Time Wall creates a solid barrier that serves a dual purpose, distracting foes and slowing them down if they pass through it, giving you an opening to regroup or catch your breath.
|
Name |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Pulse Grenade |
You throw a grenade that releases pulses, dealing damage and slowing enemies within range, while amplifying damage against them for Paradox. |
|
Time Wall |
A clear wall that stops time for any projectiles that touch it. Enemies that collide with it take damage and experience a slowdown. |
|
Kinetic Carbine |
This ability allows you to charge your weapon for increased movement speed and deals spirit damage that freezes the enemy momentarily, boosting weapon damage. |
|
Paradoxical Swap |
Launch a projectile that swaps your position with an enemy hero. Upon successful hit, you gain spirit lifesteal and the enemy suffers damage over time. |
Over time, the Kinetic Carbine will feel almost like a distinct weapon due to its transformative charging capability. The damage it deals far surpasses your initial weapon and grants bonus movement speed that’s advantageous in various situations.
Paradox’s Paradoxical Swap ability emphasizes her role as a time and space manipulator, giving her an edge over adversaries. However, it’s one of the more challenging abilities to master, requiring strategic use to create openings or distractions.
When using Kinetic Carbine, press the right mouse button (RMB) to slow time for yourself once the shot is charged.
Upgrades and Builds for Paradox
Given that Paradox’s weapon damage is relatively low initially, it’s essential to consider items like Basic Magazine and High-Velocity Mag to enhance her early weapon damage. Additionally, consider equipping Extra Health and Extra Regeneration to boost her survivability.
As the game progresses into mid-game, taking control of lanes becomes vital. To facilitate this, invest souls in items like Mystic Shot, Improved Cooldown, and Bullet Resist Shredder to accelerate ability usage and maintain health.
|
Stage |
Items |
|---|---|
|
Early Game: Focus on enhancing base weapon damage and health. |
Extra Health, Extra Regen, Basic Magazine, High-Velocity Mag, Sprint Boots, Mystic Burst, and Mystic Reach. |
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Mid-Game: Aim to secure and push lanes while increasing spirit damage and health. |
Warp Stone, Bullet Resist Shredder, Mystic Shot, Bullet Armor, Improved Cooldown, Healbane, and Slowing Hex. |
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Late Game: Focus on maximizing survival and spirit damage output. |
Improved Bullet Armor, Improved Burst, Superior Cooldown, and Fortitude. |
In the late game, prioritize items like Improved Burst, Superior Cooldown, and Fortitude to ensure your damage remains consistently high, along with reliable health. Additionally, consider some situational items for added advantages.
- Diviner’s Kevlar: Grants temporary Spirit Shield, Bullet Shield, and Spirit Power after using an ultimate ability.
- Debuff Remover: Removes negative status effects, providing a speed boost once any effect is dispelled. This item does not function if you are Stunned or Asleep.
Best Strategy for Playing Paradox
Reviewing Paradox’s abilities reveals their uniqueness and situational nature, indicating she requires a tailored strategy. To effectively play her, combine her abilities rather than deploy them one at a time based on the scenario.
Utilize all of Paradox’s abilities together to displace enemies and target them simultaneously instead of engaging them one by one.
Use Pulse Grenade for Area Damage
The Pulse Grenade is a remarkable ability that enables quick clearing of minion groups. Once upgraded, it can harm multiple enemies at once, making it effective for gathering souls early in the game.
Use Time Wall During Combat
While it’s tempting to use the Time Wall for defense beforehand, it’s more strategic to position it while engaged in a fight. Draw enemies through the wall during combat. Then, use Paradoxical Swap to switch places with them, forcing them to encounter the wall’s effects.
Use Kinetic Carbine for Close Encounter Battles
Before clashing with an enemy hero, consider charging Kinetic Carbine. Mastering your aim is crucial in Deadlock, and if you can land a supercharged shot at a distance, you can intimidate an opponent effectively before they can strategize.
Use Paradoxical Swap for Displacement
When fully upgraded, Paradoxical Swap gives a significant advantage in combat. You can use it to lure enemies closer to your teammates or create confusion by catching them off guard. Remember, while it enhances your combat effectiveness, it’s one part of a greater strategy using her other abilities.