How to Get Souls in Deadlock

Deadlock, Valve’s innovative fusion of MOBA elements and third-person hero shooter mechanics, challenges players to engage in strategic team battles across multiple lanes with the ultimate goal of destroying the opponent’s base. Drawing parallels with games like Dota 2, Deadlock introduces a unique twist by using Souls as the primary currency, which players must earn and spend to enhance their characters’ abilities and strength throughout the game.

In Deadlock, Souls are pivotal not only as a means to purchase items but also as a way to gain experience, which is crucial for unlocking and upgrading hero abilities. This article will explore the various methods to accumulate Souls in Deadlock, offering both traditional MOBA strategies and innovative techniques unique to the game’s dynamic environment. Whether you’re a seasoned MOBA player or new to the genre, understanding how to efficiently gather Souls will be key to your success on the battlefield.

How to Get Souls

In Deadlock, a game that marries MOBA tactics with third-person shooter dynamics, accumulating Souls is essential for enhancing your hero’s powers and purchasing critical items. Those familiar with MOBAs will recognize the importance of last hitting—securing the final blow on minions, known here as Troopers, to earn currency. In Deadlock, this concept takes a unique twist with the introduction of Soul Orbs.

When you last hit a Trooper, you initially receive only half the usual amount of Souls. The remainder is encapsulated within a Soul Orb that emerges from the fallen Trooper and hovers briefly before vanishing. To claim these remaining Souls, players must either shoot or melee these orbs, adding a proactive element to gathering resources. Moreover, these orbs present an opportunity for enemy players to intervene; they can steal the orbs by attacking them during their brief existence, implementing a deny mechanic that adds strategic depth to lane control.

It’s important to note a pivotal change in gameplay dynamics as matches progress: 10 minutes into the game, Troopers cease to drop Souls directly from last hits. Instead, all Souls are transferred into Soul Orbs, amplifying the importance of actively engaging with and securing these orbs, especially when opposing players are nearby. This shift underscores the necessity of vigilance and precision in securing your economic advantage on the battlefield.

Unsecured Souls

In Deadlock, alongside traditional methods of gathering Souls through combat with enemy players, the game introduces the concept of Unsecured Souls. When players are killed, they drop all their Unsecured Souls as collectible Soul Orbs, adding a layer of strategic depth as these can be secured by allies or denied by enemies. This system is reminiscent of Dota 2’s Unreliable Gold, where players risk losing a portion of their currency upon death.

Unsecured Souls in Deadlock originate from several sources: neutral creeps, Soul Slot Machines, and destructible wooden crates:

• Neutral Creeps: These creatures populate the jungle areas of the map, offering Souls upon defeat. They are categorized into tiers based on their strength and spawn time:
• Tier 1 Creeps spawn two minutes into the game and are indicated by single triangles on the map.
• Tier 2 Creeps, appearing seven minutes into the game, are stronger and denoted by a triangle with one line beneath.
• Tier 3 Creeps also begin to appear at the seven-minute mark, requiring powerful heroes to defeat, and are marked by a triangle with two lines.
• Soul Slot Machines: Positioned around the map, these machines dispense Unsecured Souls when attacked. Each melee hit garners Souls but inflicts 50 damage to the player. After enduring 10 melee hits or 5 heavy strikes, the machine breaks, releasing a larger sum of Souls.
• Wooden Crates: Scattered across the map, these crates can be smashed to potentially release Unsecured Souls.

Players can monitor their Unsecured Souls alongside their total Soul count on the bottom left of their screen. Unlike the system in Dota 2, Deadlock’s Unsecured Souls gradually convert into secured ones over time, mitigating the impact of death slightly. It’s important to note, however, that when purchasing items, Unsecured Souls are used last, emphasizing strategic financial management within the game.

Map Objectives

In Deadlock, mastering map objectives is key to amassing Souls and securing game advantages. Like in traditional MOBAs, the battlefield features a series of defensive towers which, when destroyed, reward players with Souls, contributing significantly to the team’s strength and capabilities.

• Tower Rewards:
• Tier 1 Towers (Guardians): Each player gains 275 Souls upon destruction.
• Tier 2 Towers (Walkers): Each player gains 750 Souls upon destruction.
• Tier 3 Towers (Twin Guardians): These towers do not reward Souls but are strategic for advancing on the enemy base.
• Shrines: Each of the two shrines within the base rewards 500 Souls per Shrine to each player.
• First phase of Patron: Conquering this objective grants 500 Souls to each participating player.

At the 10-minute mark, the game introduces pivotal map objectives that resemble those found in classic MOBAs but with unique Deadlock twists:

• Mid-Boss: Located centrally on the map, this powerful enemy rewards the team that defeats it with Souls and a Rejuvenator—similar to Dota 2’s Aegis of the Immortal. The team that secures the Rejuvenator enjoys benefits such as reduced spawn times, enhanced health regeneration, stronger Troopers, and increased Souls from defeating enemy Troopers.
• Soul Urn: This objective spawns on one side of the map and takes 30 seconds to fully materialize. Players must transport the Soul Urn to the opposite end of the map to earn a substantial Soul reward for their team. The carrying player is restricted from using abilities or basic attacks, requiring teamwork to ensure the urn’s safe delivery. If the carrier is defeated, the urn can be picked up by another player or the opposition. The player who successfully delivers the urn receives an additional 25% Souls, making it a highly contested objective.

These objectives not only offer strategic depth but also pivotal moments of team coordination and competition, essential for turning the tide of battle in Deadlock.

Conclusion

Effectively gathering Souls in Deadlock is vital for enhancing your character’s abilities and overall team strength. From mastering the art of last hitting and capturing Soul Orbs to strategically defeating neutral creeps and engaging with unique map objectives like the Mid-Boss and Soul Urn, each method offers distinct advantages and challenges. Understanding and utilizing these various avenues for Soul acquisition can significantly impact your gameplay, allowing you to upgrade your hero’s capabilities and gain crucial advantages over your opponents. Whether you’re defending towers, navigating the jungle, or coordinating with your team to secure major objectives, a well-rounded approach to collecting Souls will be key to dominating the battlefield in Deadlock.