How counter-buying works#
Counter-buying means spending part of your souls on items that weaken what a specific enemy relies on. It works best when you answer two questions first:
- What kind of damage is killing you? Bullets (Weapon) or abilities (Spirit)? The answer decides which resistance is worth buying.
- What is the enemy’s win condition? Healing through fights, locking you down with crowd control, vanishing and reappearing, or bursting you before you can react?
Then buy one or two items that answer that threat. Six reactive purchases leave you without the damage or durability your own hero needs.
Counter items by threat type#
Item names change between patches, so this table lists the kind of item to look for in the shop. Named items are added only after we verify them on the current patch.
| Threat | Look for | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Healing and lifesteal | Anti-heal effects | Cuts how much the enemy recovers, so your damage sticks between fights. |
| Debuffs and crowd control | Debuff removal or temporary immunity | Lets you escape or keep fighting through stuns, slows and silences. |
| Ability burst | Spirit resistance | Reduces the damage of the combo that would otherwise kill you. |
| Gun carries | Bullet resistance or evasion | Lowers sustained damage from heroes built around their weapon. |
| Ability-reliant heroes | Silence effects | Stops a hero from using the abilities their whole plan depends on. |
| Mobility and invisibility | Reveal and slow effects | Makes slippery or hidden heroes visible and catchable. |
How each item category works is explained in Deadlock items explained.
44-hero counter cheat sheet#
Rows are filled as each hero is verified
Every row is checked in game before it’s published, and stamped with the patch it was checked on. Rows marked Pending haven’t been verified yet — we’d rather leave a cell empty than copy a cheat sheet that may be out of date.
44 of 44 shown
No hero matches that name
Check the spelling, or clear the search to see all 44 heroes.
Common counter-buying mistakes#
- Buying too late. A counter bought after the enemy has already snowballed helps much less than one bought when the threat first appears.
- Buying too early. Countering a hero who isn’t yet a problem delays your own core items.
- Over-countering. Pick the one or two biggest threats; you can’t answer everything.
- Countering the wrong damage type. Check whether you’re dying to bullets or abilities before buying resistance.
Printable version#
A printable version of the cheat sheet will be offered once the table is fully verified. Until then, your browser’s print option prints this page without the site menus.
FAQ#
What items counter healing?
Items with anti-heal effects, which reduce how much the enemy recovers. Specific item names are listed once verified on the current patch.
What counters crowd control?
Debuff removal and temporary immunity effects let you break out of or ignore stuns, slows and silences.
What should I buy against spirit damage heroes?
Spirit resistance, plus silence effects if the hero depends on a few key abilities.
How do I counter invisible heroes?
Look for reveal and slow effects so you can see and catch them.
What are the best counter items for each hero?
See the cheat sheet above. Each hero’s row is filled in after in-game verification and links to a full counter guide.