Rat King’s main threat#
Rat King is a brawler: starts and survives close-range fights, soaking damage while dealing plenty back.
The kit is hybrid-leaning, so a mix of bullet and spirit defence do the most to blunt it.
Abilities to play around#
Ability 1
Scrap Grenade
Throws a scrap grenade that detonates several times, dealing bullet damage and slowing enemies. It can be meleed away.
Play around it Slows — Enduring Speed and Debuff Reducer help you walk out of it.
Ability 2
Rat Swarm
Calls rats that leap onto enemies, dealing spirit damage over time and lowering bullet resist with each bite. Dashing shakes them off.
Play around it Mobility — it’s also the escape. Don’t chase it into their team; force it out first, then commit. Slowing Hex shuts down many movement abilities.
Ability 3
Royal Pestments
Scrappy armour that grants a barrier based on max health; bullets may be deflected back at attackers while it holds.
Play around it Healing or sustain — buy healing reduction (Healbane, Toxic Bullets or Decay) so it’s worth less, and focus burst damage rather than chip damage.
Play around it Defensive window — stop shooting into it, reposition, and burst when it ends.
Ultimate
Rule, Ratannia!
Plants a banner that speeds up nearby allies, grants slow immunity and reduces incoming damage. Slamming it damages, knocks up and slows enemies and summons rats.
Play around it Disable or displacement — this is what starts kills. Track its cooldown and punish the window after it’s used; Debuff Reducer shortens it, and Unstoppable or Indomitable answer the biggest ones.
Play around it Slows — Enduring Speed and Debuff Reducer help you walk out of it.
Counter items, with reasons#
General answers
General answers are our editorial reading of the kit. Counter items only help if you’re the one being hit — buy for the threat you actually face.
How to beat Rat King#
- Dash to shake off Rat Swarm rats early.
- Melee the Scrap Grenade to knock it away.
- Break line of sight before the banner slams — only enemies in view get hit.
- Fight away from the banner's area.
Mistakes to avoid
- Fighting them head-on in a narrow space.
- Spending all your burst while their defensive ability is up.
Want to see the hero from the other side? Read the Rat King guide, or open the counter-pick helper to plan against a whole enemy team.