Deadlock: Best Yamato build

Deadlock is a rare phenomenon, a genre-bender already enjoying a vast player base despite not being out of alpha. Yamato, the Katana-wielding Yokai from Valve’s new third-person MOBA shooter, is a tricky one to get right, and here is the best build to do so.

Best Yamato Ability point order

1. Power Slash: Channels a long-ranged (82 feet, 25 meters) slash over 1.5 seconds. You can release it at any time, but max damage (170) is only attained if you wait for the full charge. Eight-second cooldown.

Upgrades:
1 AP: +60 bullet resist while channeling

2 AP: applies 40% move slow for 3 seconds

5 AP: +200 damage to the fully-channeled attack

2. Crimson Slash: 42-foot Ranged slash that deals 60 damage, slows the fire rate of enemies by 30% for 4 seconds, and heals Yamato for 70 HP for each enemy hit. Eleven-second cooldown.

Upgrades:

1 AP: +30% Fire Rate Slowdown,

2 AP: heal for 10% of the max health when it hits an enemy

5 AP: -6 Seconds cooldown

3. Flying Strike: launches hook ( 65 feet, 20 meters) and reels Yamato into an opponent. Reduces enemy’s move speed by 30% for 2.5 seconds and deals 70 damage to the target.

Upgrades:

1AP: +25% slow

2AP: +65 feet range

5AP: 6+ Weapon damage for 10 seconds after hit

4. Shadow Transformation:

For a five-second period, Yamato becomes invincible, gains infinite ammo, damage resists, and immunity to status ailments. 100s cooldown.

Upgrades:

1 AP: -30 second cooldown

2 AP: +move speed

5AP:1.5 second duration increase

Given its range, it’s recommended that you begin by investing in Power Slash.

Best Yamato Build Order

Now, with the insight gained from “ADC Yamato,” which is by far the most popular build right now, let’s look into how we can turn this squishy glass cannon into the most lethal character in the game.

Yamato: What to buy first

Though we’ll make some use of spirit, this version of Yamato is much more weapon and vitality-oriented. We’ll begin by getting Extra Regen, Extra Stamina, and Sprint Boots in any order. Then, Close Quarters and High-Velocity Mag sit at the core of Yamato’s early weapon build. Rapid Rounds is a good option for snowballing effects.

Yamato: What to buy midgame

Kinetic Dash, Point Blank and Monster Rounds are the most important first part of Yamato’s weapon midgame. At this point, you’ll have to get rid of one of the cheaper weapon abilities you’ve previously purchased. You should then get Quicksilver Reload and then Bullet Lifesteal. These will make your bullet game much more efficient and useful for your survivability.

Yamato: What to buy late

Glass Cannon and Siphon Bullets make for a great combo. One item will greatly increase your overall damage, and the other deals damage based on an enemy’s max health — there’s no tanking this Yamato. Leech and Healing Booster are another excellent combo to increase your life steal and survivability even further. Burst Fire, Berserker, and Headhunter will likely grant you the most cost-effective DPS power in the game for Yamato right now.

Yamato: Optional

As already stated, the early game can prove tricky for Yamato players, and not catching up in time will cause the team to sorely miss its greatest damage dealer. To avoid falling behind, consider buying Escalating Resilience or Toxic Bullets to deal with tanks. Unstoppable and Metal Skin are also great at giving you more survivability options.

And, if you can take Yamato’s game, which is getting even more complex mechanics-wise, Warp Stone is very useful. It grants you a Wraith-like blink that you can use to get in or out of tough situations.

How to play Yamato in a Deadlock

Yamato is an Assassin with a slew of devastating skill-based slashes. She is one of the most complex characters to master in the game, but if used well, she’s also one of the toughest to deal with. She doesn’t have much base survivability but excels at closing in on opponents and getting a kill — if you plan accordingly.

If she falls behind, she’ll be in trouble. If she snowballs, you might be looking at a very easy victory. Yamato players need to be patient and wait for the right opportunity to strike. Great Yamato players need to make the right opportunity to strike. The build above gives you many options to help if you feel like you might be falling behind or to greatly hone in on your advantage.

---