Trade
What is a trade? According to Merriam-Webster, to trade is to give one thing in exchange for another. It's a simple concept an its basis but flowers out with the added layers of a MOBA.
Ways to trade.
- Damage
- Cooldowns
- Ammo
- Space
- Souls
Damage
The simplest way to trade positively against your opponent in Deadlock is to shoot them and not take damage in return.
In this situation you're trading ammo for the enemy health.
This can be difficult to do however due to the nature of the lanes. There's cover everywhere so you're forced to leverage the space provided to find an angle that allows you to deal damage to your opponent while maintaining safety.
There are game mechanics that leverage these types of trades which I will list here.
- Range
- Falloff range
- Damage
- Fire-rate
- Ammo
- Bullet Velocity
How do we hit the opponent without taking damage
Well how do we take damage in lane?
We take damage from
- Bullets
- Abilities
- Melee
- Troopers
These are threats but they aren't always active threats in the lane.
Bullets aren't a factor when the enemy is standing behind cover and cant be shot
Bullets aren't a factor when the enemy is outside of their weapons range
Bullets aren't a factor when the enemy is reloading
Bullets aren't a factor when the enemy is disarmed
Abilities create more clear rotations in lane as they're cooldown based, there is an exact time when they can threaten you with damage vs not.
Abilities aren't a factor when the enemy is outside of the abilities range
Abilities aren't a factor when the enemy has stamina to dodge the ability
Abilities aren't a factor when the enemy is silenced or unable to cast it.
Abilities aren't a factor when the ability is on cooldown
These aspects aren't the end all be all. Certain characters have inherent passive abilities that are always active and must be played around.
Abrams Infernal Resilience
- Enhanced regeneration
Billy Blasted - Ammo refresh on successful melee
Drifter Bloodscent - Increased damage on Isolated targets
Graves Essence Theft - Resistance shred on M1 targets
Haze Fixation - Increased bullet damage on focused target
- Burst spirit damage every 20 stacks
- 15% slow every 20 stacks
Holliday Crackshot - Zero falloff damage on headshots
- Bonus damage on headshot
- Burst of movespeed
Infernus Afterburn - Apply a spirit DOT once build up has been achieved
- Reduce spirit damage done by enemy at later ranks
Mina Love Bites - Turns Bullet damage hybrid
- Burst damage on build up
- Slow on build up
- Increase firerate on build up
Mirage Djinns Mark - Burst damage on mark consume
- Slow on mark consume
- Stun at max marks
- Reveal target on mark consume
Shiv Bloodletting and Rage abilities - Takes % of damage taken over time
- With ultimate unlock, rage buffs abilities
Vyper Slither - increased slide distance and capability
- 2 more stamina
- gain a 180 barrier for 5 seconds after sliding