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Shiv is a hero with a penchant for making his own opportunities inDeadlock. His kit revolves around bleeding enemies out before swooping in for the kill. This character is fairly flexible with many potential build paths that focus on his different strengths and weaknesses.
The following is a build that capitalizes on the pressure Shiv can apply in-lane with his Bleed DoT, which can keep the enemy’s HP just low enough for Shiv to pounce on them. This is what makes him one ofthe best heroes inDeadlock, and this build should serve as a good starting point for players who have just started trying him out.
Best Items For Shiv In Deadlock
Shiv’s playstyle is all aboutweakening the enemy before diving in hard for the kill. He does this by pelting his opponents with hisSerrated Knivesand dashing into their faces withSlice and Dicebefore blasting them with his shotgun. If that isn’t enough, he canfinish off any survivors with his Ultimate, Killing Blow, to secure the kill. The following focuses more onstacking Spirit Power and cooldown reductionso Shiv can spam his knives all game.
Spirit
GetExtra Chargeas your first item for the extra throwing knife, then follow up withMystic Vulnerability,so your knives deal more damage. GetMystic Burstas your third item to make Slice and Dice hit harder.
Close Quartersimproves your all-in potential by granting more damage while at close range, and it’s great if you’re fighting another close-rangedDeadlockcharacter like Pocket. Meanwhile, the Vitality items provide you with the means to stay alive during the laning phase.
This is what your item build is expected to look like come mid-game. Sell any of the laning items if you need additional slots, or upgrade them if possible. The order in which you buy these items mainly depends on how the game is going:
Healbaneis a great item on Shiv even if the enemy team doesn’t have heroes with strong healing. Since Shiv tends to take a lot of damage, the heal-on-kill portion of Healbane can come in handy in clutch situations, especially since his third skill, Bloodletting, defers a portion of the damage Shiv takes. Healbane and lifesteal can keep Bloodletting from killing you.
Luxury Items and Flex Slots
In the late game, a fed Shiv should be able to quickly burst down priorityDeadlockheroes like Infernusor anyone else who has low health. Many of the items players should buy at this stage of the game are upgraded versions of Core items or ones that improve Shiv’s survivability.
Since this build mainlyfocuses on Spirit Power, players should get the Spirit items on this list first if they’re winning the game. If not, save up for Leech and Armor items.
Shiv Skill Priorities
Unlock Serrated Knife first, then put one upgrade point into it for an extra knife charge. After that, get Slice and Dice and upgrade it twice for the extra burst damage. Put your next two points into Bloodletting and Killing Blow, then save the rest for either Serrated Knife or Slice and Dice.
Shiv’s skill priorities are pretty versatile, but if you want to establish early-mid-game dominance, max out Serrated Knife after getting the second Slice and Dice upgrade. This increases both the impact damage and DoT of your knives, softening enemies up quicker for Slice and Dice and Killing Blow.
