Deadlock Paradox Guide: Best Tips and Tricks

In Valve’s latest venture, Deadlock, Paradox emerges as a formidable time-manipulating thief, perfect for players who excel in isolating and swiftly eliminating targets. This guide will delve into the intricacies of wielding Paradox’s Kinetic Carbine, strategically using Time Wall and Pulse Grenade for superior duels, and mastering the Paradoxical Swap to disrupt enemy lines by repositioning foes into the heart of your team. Although Paradox shines in early game one-on-one confrontations, its utility in disrupting enemy formations ensures its relevance throughout the match.

Deadlock combines the intense third-person shooter dynamics seen in games like Gears of War and Fortnite with the strategic depth of MOBAs such as DotA 2 and League of Legends. Currently in its formative stages, Deadlock is accessible only to a select few through direct invitations from existing playtesters. This article aims to equip you with pro-level strategies to dominate as Paradox, enhancing both your tactical and combat efficiency.

Deadlock Paradox Overview

Paradox stands out in Deadlock with their dynamic ability to target and control opponents using an arsenal of both offensive and defensive abilities, making them effective at various ranges and highly versatile in different tactical situations. Whether paired with a lane ally or navigating solo, Paradox’s skill set equips them to excel in diverse combat roles.

Here’s a breakdown of Paradox’s core abilities:

1. Pulse Grenade
Deploy this explosive device to inflict spirit damage across a moderate area. Each wave of the grenade not only slows enemies by 30% for two seconds but also amplifies the damage they receive from Paradox by 5% for eight seconds, with the effect stacking with each grenade hit. Upgrading this ability increases the wave count, reduces cooldowns, and boosts damage output.

2. Time Wall
This defensive ability projects a barrier that blocks incoming projectiles for a brief moment and damages and heavily slows any enemies that touch it. Levelling up Time Wall increases its dimensions, adds a second charge, and silences affected enemies for three seconds upon contact.

3. Kinetic Carbine
Charge up this powerful shot for up to 2.5 seconds, dealing significant spirit damage and applying a temporary stasis to the target upon impact. While charging, Paradox gains a speed boost and can hover by aiming mid-air, slowing their fall. This ability scales with weapon damage, encouraging a build that maximizes this stat. Advanced levels enhance the time stop effect, reduce cooldowns, extend charge holding time, and amplify damage.

4. Paradoxical Swap
Fire a swift projectile to swap positions with an enemy hero, dealing ongoing spirit damage during the swap. Throughout the exchange, Paradox enjoys a 100% spell lifesteal, recovering health equivalent to the damage inflicted. This tactical swap can turn the tide of team fights or secure key kills during clashes.

Paradox’s toolkit provides a robust blend of attack and utility, capable of swinging the momentum of battles while maintaining high survivability and crowd control. This guide lays the groundwork for mastering Paradox, setting you up for strategic advantage and success in the lanes of Deadlock.

Deadlock Paradox Build Guide

Paradox, the master of single-target elimination, excels when equipped to maximize the damage potential of Kinetic Carbine early on. Focusing on enhancing this ability allows Paradox to efficiently harass opponents and secure early kills. Investing in weapon damage is crucial, as Kinetic Carbine benefits from increased weapon damage amplification, making each hit significantly more lethal.

For an effective strategy, aim to aggressively build your offensive capabilities during the early to mid-game phases. This approach not only positions Paradox as a formidable foe in lane skirmishes but also secures a soul advantage crucial for maintaining influence as the game progresses into the later stages. In the chaos of late-game team fights, this advantage is key to sustaining Paradox’s impact, even when opportunities to isolate targets diminish.

Building around Paradox’s strengths in this manner ensures that you can capitalize on their unique abilities to control the flow of battle and remain a pivotal player throughout all phases of the game.

Paradox Ability Build

To maximize Paradox’s effectiveness in securing early kills and gaining an early advantage, it’s advisable to concentrate on enhancing Kinetic Carbine initially. The recommended ability upgrade sequence starts with prioritizing Kinetic Carbine due to its potent damage output and utility in engagements, using the sequence 3-1-3-2-3-4-4-4-4-2-2-2-3-1-1-1. This setup allows Paradox to leverage her damaging capabilities to control lane dominance and skirmishes effectively.

After establishing a solid foundation with Kinetic Carbine, the focus shifts to fully upgrading Paradoxical Swap and then Time Wall. The strategic delay in enhancing Time Wall until later stages is deliberate, as its primary utility—slowing and damaging enemies—remains effective even at lower levels. Completing upgrades on Paradoxical Swap enhances its damage and utility, making it more effective in team fights.

Towards the later phases of the game, fully upgrading Time Wall to capitalize on its silence effect becomes crucial. This can significantly disrupt enemy strategies during critical moments, giving Paradox and her team a tangible edge. This build strategy ensures that Paradox remains a formidable force throughout the game, adapting her capabilities to meet the evolving challenges of each match phase.

Paradox Item Progression

Paradox’s item progression in Deadlock should be approached with adaptability, focusing on enhancing her unique skill set to maximize her effectiveness in various stages of the game. Here’s a detailed guide to optimal item selection for Paradox:

Early Game:
Start by equipping basic weapon damage items to bolster Paradox’s lane presence and soul securing capabilities. A Basic Magazine will extend her engagement potential by reducing reload times, crucial for maintaining pressure and contesting souls. High-Velocity Mag improves aim, crucial for landing Kinetic Carbine shots. For adding a flat damage boost, Mystic Shot and Mystic Burst are excellent choices to capitalize on early game engagements where base damages aren’t yet high. Consider a utility item like Slowing Hex or Cold Front to enhance kill security by slowing down escaping enemies. For defense, Extra Health and Sprint Boots offer survivability and mobility, essential for dodging enemy attacks and repositioning.

Mid-Game:
As the game progresses, items that synergize with Paradox’s Paradoxical Swap become pivotal. Warp Stone is excellent for escaping post-swap engagements, and Pristine Emblem enhances initiation against robust targets. Upgrade Sprint Boots to Enduring Speed for enhanced roaming capabilities, or Extra Stamina to Superior Stamina for extended chase and escape potential. Improved Cooldown is crucial for reducing ability cooldowns, ensuring Paradox’s key skills are readily available. Depending on match dynamics, consider Return Fire for extra damage during focused attacks, Decay or Healbane against high-heal compositions, or Debuff Reducer for minimizing crowd control impacts.

Late Game:
In the game’s later stages, defensive investments become necessary. Siphon Bullets offer a significant survival boost by converting part of your damage output into health, crucial for sustaining through late-game skirmishes. If debuffs are a consistent issue, upgrading Debuff Reducer to Debuff Remover provides comprehensive protection. For offensive sustainability, Fortitude offers increased damage and movement speed when Paradox is at high health, complemented by a health regeneration effect to keep her in the fight longer.

Throughout the game, adjusting your item choices based on the enemy composition and match progression is essential. This flexible approach ensures that Paradox can maintain her efficacy as a formidable single-target threat across all game phases, adapting to the evolving challenges of each match.

How to Play Paradox

In the early stages of gameplay, Paradox should leverage the Kinetic Carbine’s charged shot to deal substantial damage while using the bonus movement speed to strategically reposition and engage enemies. This ability is crucial for initiating or escaping confrontations, providing Paradox with versatile combat options. During lane phases, utilize the Pulse Grenade to harass and control the lane, ensuring to secure souls from fallen creeps to avoid leaving them open for enemy denial.

With the acquisition of Time Wall, Paradox’s gameplay shifts towards a more aggressive stance. Skillful placement of Time Wall can drastically alter the dynamics of a skirmish, enabling Paradox to manipulate enemy movements and block incoming attacks. This ability allows Paradox to create advantageous duels, where they can oscillate around the wall to dodge attacks and control the fight’s tempo.

As you traverse the map, whether for flanking maneuvers or returning from base, charge the Kinetic Carbine to enhance your mobility. This tactic allows for rapid repositioning and the ability to deliver a potent charged shot upon arrival, catching enemies off-guard. Employ the Pulse Grenade to swiftly clear creep camps or secure additional souls in transit, maximizing efficiency and resource accumulation.

Upon unlocking Paradoxical Swap, Paradox reaches a critical power spike, gaining the ability to dictate enemy positioning drastically. This ability can be strategically combined with Time Wall to force enemies into compromising positions, effectively using the environment to Paradox’s advantage. The projectile nature of Paradoxical Swap requires precise aiming, but syncing it with a well-timed Kinetic Carbine shot can immobilize the target, ensuring the swap connects.

In later game stages, as team formations tighten and solo targets become scarce, Paradox must adapt to the increased group tactics. Initiating with Paradoxical Swap in these scenarios involves higher risk; therefore, ensure that vital cooldowns and escape mechanisms are ready to mitigate potential counterattacks. Utilize your arsenal wisely to disrupt enemy lines and create openings for your team.

Adopting this dynamic playstyle allows Paradox players to exploit their full range of abilities, from aggressive engagements to tactical retreats, making them a formidable presence in any match phase.

Conclusion

Mastering Paradox in Deadlock requires a deep understanding of her abilities and strategic use of her skill set to control the battlefield. By leveraging her Kinetic Carbine for high mobility and damage, employing Pulse Grenade and Time Wall for tactical advantages, and using Paradoxical Swap to disrupt enemy formations, players can dominate one-on-one encounters and significantly impact team fights. This guide offers a foundation on which to build your gameplay, encouraging both new and veteran players to experiment and refine their strategies with Paradox. As you continue to play and adapt to the evolving dynamics of each match, keep these tips in mind to enhance your effectiveness and enjoy the unique challenges that playing Paradox brings to Deadlock.