Deadlock: Best Ivy Build Guide

In the hero roster of Deadlock, several characters offer healing abilities, yet Ivy stands out as a premier savior, especially in dire situations. Often, just as an enemy hero is on the brink of defeat, Ivy can dramatically intervene, rescuing an ally in an instant with her swift rescue capabilities.

However, Ivy’s potential extends far beyond just emergency healing. With the optimal build and skill sequencing, Ivy can transform into a formidable DPS force in the later stages of the game, capable of turning the tide in team fights by overpowering other heroes. If you’re intrigued by the prospect of mastering such a versatile hero, our comprehensive guide on the Ivy build is designed to equip you with the knowledge to maximize her abilities effectively. In this article, we delve into the best strategies for building Ivy into a powerhouse in Deadlock.

Deadlock Ivy Overview & Ability Details

Ivy is a standout hero in Deadlock, specializing in both support and crowd control with her robust healing abilities and utility skills. Unique among the heroes, she starts with four stamina bars and her abilities primarily scale with Spirit Power, making her a versatile pick in team compositions.

Her primary weapon is a crossbow that fires quickly but deals relatively low damage per shot, necessitating a focus on itemization to bolster her offensive capabilities if she is to be played in a core role. Like most heroes in Deadlock, Ivy has three active abilities and an ultimate that becomes available after collecting 3,000 Souls.

Here’s a detailed overview of Ivy’s abilities:

Kudzu Bomb

• Function: Summons a patch of choking vines, dealing damage and slowing enemies within its range.
• Base Stats: 60 DPS (increases with 0.6x Spirit), 35% movement slow, 6m radius, lasts 4 seconds.
• Upgrades: Additional charges and duration, increased DPS.

Watcher’s Covenant

• Function: Links Ivy to an ally, sharing enhanced fire rates, bullet lifesteal, and replicated healing.
• Base Stats: 10% increased fire rate, 15% bullet lifesteal, 30% healing replication, 16m tether range, lasts 12 seconds.
• Upgrades: Enhanced fire rate and movement speed, increased tether count.

Stone Form

• Function: Transforms Ivy into stone to deliver a ground-smashing stun and heal based on her maximum health.
• Base Stats: 80 damage (increases with 1x Spirit), stuns for 0.75 seconds, heals 10% of max health, 6m stun radius.
• Upgrades: Reduced cooldown, enhanced damage and stun duration, increased health recovery.

Air Drop

• Function: Ivy takes to the air, carrying an ally or a bomb, then drops them to create an explosive area effect that slows enemies. Provides a bullet shield upon ending.
• Base Stats: 150 damage (increases with 2.5x Spirit), 200 bullet shield, 35% slow for 4 seconds, 14m explosion radius, 17 seconds duration.
• Upgrades: Decreased enemy bullet resist, increased bullet shield and explosion radius, applies silence on impact.

Ivy’s toolkit allows her to adapt to various game situations, whether it’s rescuing allies with her quick mobility or disrupting enemy formations with her crowd control abilities. Building her with the right items and upgrades can turn her into a formidable force in both support and offensive roles during late-game team fights.

Ivy Build Guide (Ability Order & Item Progression) in Deadlock

Ivy’s versatility in Deadlock allows her to be effectively played in various roles, though she initially seems suited for support due to her healing capabilities. However, in this guide, we’re focusing on a DPS-centric build that leverages her potential to not only provide substantial healing but also take a more aggressive, game-carrying role. Here’s a breakdown of how this DPS build operates:

Ivy Ability Order

In the laning phase of Deadlock, Ivy’s optimal ability progression begins with unlocking Kudzu Bomb. This ability not only provides valuable crowd control but also allows for effective harassment against lane opponents. Following that, prioritize Stone Form to enhance survivability, then add Watcher’s Covenant for its supportive benefits. Activate your ultimate, Air Drop, as soon as you accumulate enough Souls to do so.

For this DPS-focused build, prioritize fully leveling up Stone Form first. At its highest level, Stone Form restores 50% of Ivy’s total health, offering a significant survival boost that allows for more aggressive play. This powerful self-heal acts like a safety net, enabling riskier maneuvers while the ability is available.

Once Stone Form is maximized, allocate 3 Ability Points (AP) into Watcher’s Covenant to gain the movement speed bonus, enhancing Ivy’s mobility. Next, focus on fully upgrading Air Drop to maximize its impact in engagements. After securing the top upgrades for Air Drop, complete the enhancements for Watcher’s Covenant.

Conclude your ability upgrades by maxing out Kudzu Bomb, increasing its damage output and crowd control efficacy, making it a formidable tool in your arsenal. This strategic ordering of ability enhancements strengthens Ivy’s role as a DPS while retaining her supportive capabilities, making her a dual-threat on the battlefield.

Ivy Item Progression

Ivy excels in duo-lane settings in Deadlock, leveraging her robust healing abilities for an aggressive playstyle that focuses on close combat and rapid healing with her Stone Form. Here’s a tailored item progression guide that enhances her damage output and survivability, ideal for players looking to maximize her DPS potential:

Early Game Item Build:

• Basic Magazine: Boosts weapon damage for effective poking and harassing.
• Close Quarters: Complements your Basic Magazine by enhancing your damage output, crucial for early game engagements.
• Extra Health: Provides additional survivability.
• Sprint Boots: Increases mobility, allowing for quick repositioning.
• Active Reload: Improves reload speed, keeping you ready for sustained fights.
• Ammo Scavenger: Ensures you maintain ample ammunition.
• Optional Items: Depending on your play style, consider Healing Rite for enhanced healing, Monster Rounds for increased lane pressure, or Health Nova to boost your second ability’s effectiveness.

Mid Game Item Build:

• Heroic Aura: An active item that boosts fire rate and mobility for you and nearby allies.
• Enduring Speed: Upgrade from Sprint Boots for enhanced movement speed.
• Intensifying Magazine: If further damage enhancement is needed.
• Healing Booster: Essential for maximizing the effectiveness of Watcher’s Covenant.
• Vampiric Burst: Enhances team healing capabilities.
• Bullet Resist Shredder and Escalating Resilience: Improve solo damage output and resilience.
• Quicksilver Reload: Further enhances reload speed.
• Situational Items: Choose from Decay, Cold Front, Slowing Hex, Withering Whip, Knockdown, Bullet Armor, or Spirit Armor based on enemy composition and in-game situations.

Late Game Item Build:

• Point Blank and Titanic Magazine: Key upgrades that significantly boost weapon damage and magazine capacity.
• Inhibitor: Effective for controlling enemy movements.
• Slowing Bullets and Crippling Headshot: Great for hindering opponents and increasing your combat efficacy.
• Echo Shard: Essential for doubling up on Stone Form in critical moments.
• Upgrade Armor Items: Depending on enemy tactics, consider upgrading to Improved Bullet Armor or Improved Spirit Armor.
• Situational Items: Unstoppable, Curse, Silencer, Debuff Remover, and Metal Skin can be selected to counter specific threats or enhance Ivy’s capabilities in prolonged fights.

This strategic build guide focuses on amplifying Ivy’s inherent strengths while addressing her weaknesses, ensuring that she can both support her team and take an active role in securing victories through aggressive DPS play.

How to Play Ivy in Deadlock

Ivy shines as a standout hero in the early stages of Deadlock, particularly effective in the duo lane due to her versatile abilities. Her Watcher’s Covenant not only heals but also boosts the firing rate of both Ivy and her lane ally, making them formidable in lane engagements. Stone Form offers a critical tactical advantage, allowing Ivy to swiftly disengage from precarious situations.

In the initial phases of the game, after acquiring your first damage-enhancing items, your strategy should involve aggressively denying enemy Troopers while using your abilities and crossbow to chip away at enemy heroes. With items like Close Quarters, Ivy can inflict substantial damage in close-range encounters.

Upon unlocking her ultimate, Air Drop, Ivy’s role expands to include impactful ganks in other lanes. The long duration of Air Drop, even without upgrades, allows for versatile use—either to extract allies from danger or initiate strategic attacks. For instance, pairing Air Drop with a teammate like Dynamo can lead to game-changing plays in team fights, particularly near critical objectives like the Mid Boss.

In the later stages of the game, Ivy continues to be a significant contributor with her disruptive and healing capabilities. Kudzu Bomb not only inflicts damage but its slowing effect can be pivotal in skirmishes. Utilizing Stone Form judiciously allows Ivy to recover health and stun opponents, providing her team with crucial advantages during clashes.

Overall, while Ivy requires some finesse to master due to her unique abilities, becoming proficient with her can dramatically elevate your effectiveness in Deadlock, allowing you to influence the outcome of games significantly with well-timed heals, damage, and strategic ultimate use.

Conclusion

Ivy is a highly versatile and impactful hero in Deadlock, capable of adapting to various roles within the game due to her unique set of abilities. Whether serving as a formidable duo lane partner with healing and attack speed enhancements or acting as a game-changer in team fights with her disruptive skills, Ivy’s potential to influence the game is immense. By following the build and strategy guidelines outlined, players can maximize Ivy’s effectiveness, mastering her to not only support teammates but also carry games. Her balance of healing, crowd control, and damage makes Ivy a formidable presence on any team, ensuring that with the right approach, you can dominate the battlefield and lead your team to victory in Deadlock.