Authored starter plans for Abrams, Infernus, Seven, Wraith, Dynamo, Haze, Bebop, Mo & Krill. Each plan explains early purchases, core investments and situational changes. The interactive page also lists community builds and item statistics for the selected hero.
SoulLock starter plans, authored from each hero's current kit and the current shop. Ability names, upgrade effects and item availability were checked against the installed game files on October 7, 2026. These are starting points for normal six-versus-six matches, not ranked build win-rate results or a fixed shopping script. Buy the defense or utility that solves your present fight before a damage luxury.
Close-range initiator. Abrams wants a fight that stays within arm's reach. His sustain makes short trades recoverable, but it does not make an exposed walk into six enemies safe. Build around reaching a useful wall angle, surviving the first response and keeping one target close enough for follow-up. A missed charge is a reason to back out, not to force a heavy melee.
Reviewed 2026-10-07; balance patch 2026-10-05; game build 6759.
Start with inexpensive close-range sustain and damage, then spend on a purchase that helps you stay connected. Lifestrike is a natural continuation of a melee plan, while Enduring Speed helps when enemies win by spacing. Do not buy every melee upgrade simply because you are Abrams: a defense purchase that lets you complete one charge can be worth more than another damage multiplier.
| When | Item | Souls | Reason and tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Melee Lifesteal | 800 | Recover health from safe melee opportunities. It is a sustain purchase, not permission to attempt a heavy melee into an opponent waiting to parry. |
| Opening | Close Quarters | 800 | Supports shotgun follow-up at the range where your kit works. Skip an early damage buy if you cannot stay in lane long enough to use it. |
| Core | Lifestrike | 3,200 | Adds healing and a slow to melee contact, helping extend a successful engage. Its value drops when the enemy denies melee contact or heavily cuts healing. |
| Core | Enduring Speed | 1,600 | Movement speed and slow resistance address the approach and the exit. Buy it ahead of more melee damage when kiting is stopping your trades. |
| Situational | Bullet Resilience | 3,200 | Choose this against weapon damage that kills you before you can sustain. It will not solve a fight dominated by spirit burst. |
| Situational | Spirit Resilience | 3,200 | Choose this when spells are the main threat during your entry. Identify the damage source rather than buying both resistance items automatically. |
When enemies group tightly, enter beside your team and create space rather than chasing the lowest-health hero through the entire formation. When they spread out and kite, use cover to shorten the charge approach and protect an ally from a diver. Abrams can contribute by controlling the fight's edge even when an all-in melee build is no longer practical.
References: Abrams ability reference · Current game data · October 5 balance patch
Sustained burn skirmisher. Infernus turns repeated weapon contact into Afterburn spirit damage. His build therefore needs both enough firing time to ignite a target and enough durability to remain in the fight. This is a sustained-pressure plan, not a dash-first burst combo. A target already burning can still be a better use of your next shots than an untouched target you cannot keep in range.
Reviewed 2026-10-07; balance patch 2026-10-05; game build 6759.
Use modest weapon support to establish Afterburn, then improve the spirit damage and sustain it creates. Toxic Bullets is a response to enemies who heal through long trades; it is not a compulsory first expensive purchase. Escalating Exposure belongs later, when you can apply repeated spirit damage without dying before the stacks matter.
| When | Item | Souls | Reason and tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Rapid Rounds | 800 | More firing speed supports repeated weapon contact for Afterburn. It does not fix poor range or a lane where you must spend first on recovery. |
| Opening | Healing Rite | 800 | Recover behind cover after a trade so you can keep collecting souls. Enemy hero or objective damage ends the effect, so activate it after disengaging. |
| Core | Spirit Lifesteal | 1,600 | Supports sustain while burn and abilities damage heroes. Healing reduction or a quick burst kill can make resistance a more urgent purchase. |
| Core | Mystic Vulnerability | 1,600 | Spirit resistance reduction helps your burn plan after you start landing reliable hits. Prioritize staying in range over amplification you cannot apply. |
| Situational | Toxic Bullets | 3,200 | Adds healing reduction to repeated shots against sustain-heavy targets. Buy it because healing is winning the enemy's trades, not just for another damage icon. |
| Situational | Escalating Exposure | 6,400 | Rewards repeated spirit damage with growing amplification. It is an expensive continuation for long fights; buy the needed survival item first. |
If an enemy can interrupt your approach, shoot from the edge of the fight until that control is used. If healing reduction is already widespread, more lifesteal may fail to change the outcome: buy resistance and improve your route through cover. If your team needs a start, coordinate the delayed explosion with an ally's control instead of dashing in alone.
References: Infernus ability reference · Current game data · October 5 balance patch
Spirit wave-clear and area pressure. Seven can convert safe farming time into strong repeated spirit damage, but the farm only matters if he reaches useful fights. This plan emphasizes Lightning Ball and Power Surge for consistent pressure, with Static Charge creating an opening. Storm Cloud is a position-dependent option rather than the answer to every engagement.
Reviewed 2026-10-07; balance patch 2026-10-05; game build 6759.
Begin with spirit power and enough weapon speed to make Power Surge useful. Range and cooldown purchases increase how often you can affect a fight, while Spirit Lifesteal is an alternative when sustained ability damage lets you recover safely. Avoid sinking all your souls into an ultimate plan when every channel is being interrupted or blocked by cover.
| When | Item | Souls | Reason and tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Extra Spirit | 800 | A modest spirit purchase supports the damage-focused plan without delaying several cheap lane items. Recovery remains more urgent if poke is forcing you out. |
| Opening | Rapid Rounds | 800 | Helps you use the weapon during Power Surge. This is useful only while you have an actual firing window, so do not substitute it for cover. |
| Core | Mystic Expansion | 800 | Imbue Lightning Ball for its area coverage, or Static Charge when reaching the target is the problem. The range and radius increase applies to the one selected ability. |
| Core | Superior Cooldown | 3,200 | More frequent abilities support the repeated-pressure plan. Its current effect reduces ability cooldowns; this purchase does not require an imbued ability choice. |
| Situational | Spirit Lifesteal | 1,600 | Adds recovery when your abilities are already damaging heroes for long enough. It is weaker protection against an interrupt followed by burst. |
| Situational | Unstoppable | 6,400 | Consider it when hostile control is consistently stopping your key fight contribution. Activate before a stun or sleep; it cannot be pressed while already affected by either. |
If opponents hide from Storm Cloud, use Lightning Ball and your weapon to pressure the route they must take next. If they save a stun for the channel, contribute through normal abilities until that threat is used or buy a control answer. A Seven who arrives with the team and repeatedly uses his basic kit is more useful than one who farms for a perfect ultimate that never happens.
References: Seven ability reference · Current game data · October 5 balance patch
Weapon pressure and target displacement. Wraith needs a sustained firing window, then a clear route out. Weapon damage supplies Card Trick charges, Full Auto improves the window and the current Telekinesis throws a target toward a chosen location. Build for dependable shooting and control rather than treating the ultimate as an old homing projectile that solves the fight on its own.
Reviewed 2026-10-07; balance patch 2026-10-05; game build 6759.
Start with practical weapon sustain and magazine support, then decide whether the game rewards clearing grouped enemies or concentrating on one target. Quicksilver Reload offers an ability-linked reload between firing windows. Ricochet is a costly grouped-target option; buying it before you can survive a normal fight can delay the part of the build you actually need.
| When | Item | Souls | Reason and tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Extended Magazine | 800 | Provides a longer firing window before reloading. It helps only if you can keep a useful target in sight and does not replace accurate soul collection. |
| Opening | Restorative Shot | 800 | Adds weapon-based lane recovery while you continue trading. Choose recovery before another damage purchase when chip damage is costing you farm. |
| Core | Quicksilver Reload | 1,600 | Imbue an ability you can use during a firing sequence, such as Card Trick, to reload on use when charged. Keep its recharge in mind rather than expecting every card to refill the gun. |
| Core | Bullet Lifesteal | 1,600 | Supports recovery while weapon damage is landing on heroes. Resistance or control protection can be more valuable if you are killed before you can shoot. |
| Situational | Ricochet | 6,400 | Adds nearby-target pressure when enemies group and helps the weapon plan affect a larger fight. The high cost makes it a poor automatic rush in a losing lane. |
| Situational | Unstoppable | 6,400 | Consider it against control that repeatedly prevents your firing sequence. Use it before incoming stun or sleep instead of expecting an escape after either lands. |
If enemy movement keeps breaking your weapon window, fight beside an ally who can hold a target and use Telekinesis to improve the angle. If a diver is waiting for Project Mind, keep the teleport defensive and buy the damage-type resistance that makes the first hit survivable. When your team lacks objective pressure, a safe wave push and sustained shooting can matter more than searching for a solo kill.
References: Wraith ability reference · Current game data · October 5 balance patch
Team control and recovery. Dynamo's best contribution is often the fight he lets a teammate finish. Kinetic Pulse creates a shooting opportunity, Quantum Entanglement can reposition nearby allies and Rejuvenating Aurora restores the group after a trade. A control-and-recovery build should buy reliable positioning before expensive damage that does not help him reach the right target.
Reviewed 2026-10-07; balance patch 2026-10-05; game build 6759.
Use cheap lane recovery and movement, then add an entry tool and cooldown support. Warp Stone gives another positioning option so Quantum Entanglement does not have to solve every approach and escape. Healing Booster is a useful alternative when the team's repeated skirmishes make Aurora the main contribution. Refresher is a late coordinated-fight option, not a first shopping destination.
| When | Item | Souls | Reason and tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Restorative Shot | 800 | Lets normal lane shooting contribute to your own recovery. It is useful before expensive team-fight purchases when staying in lane is the current problem. |
| Opening | Sprint Boots | 800 | Supports joining a rotation in time to use your control. It is an out-of-combat routing purchase, not a way to walk through enemy fire safely. |
| Core | Warp Stone | 3,200 | Provides a direct positioning option for an entry or exit. Pick the endpoint before casting; landing too far from the team still leaves a poor Singularity. |
| Core | Superior Cooldown | 3,200 | Supports repeated pulse, repositioning and recovery between fights. More frequent basic abilities can be more useful than saving every soul for a second ultimate. |
| Situational | Healing Booster | 1,600 | Improve recovery when allies stay near Aurora and healing is deciding repeated exchanges. Enemy healing reduction can make a defense or positioning purchase more urgent. |
| Situational | Refresher | 6,400 | Consider a second ability cycle after you can survive and the team reliably follows control. Refreshing a missed or isolated channel does not fix the original engage. |
Against an enemy holding an interrupt for Singularity, look for a shorter pulse-and-weapon exchange or let another teammate start. Against divers, stay near the teammate they want rather than taking the longest flank. When the team is behind, prioritize a safe retreat and a heal reset; spending the ultimate to protect collected souls can be better than fishing for a dramatic multi-hero catch.
References: Dynamo ability reference · Current game data · October 5 balance patch
Weapon carry and flank pressure. Haze's weapon rewards staying on a target long enough for Fixation to matter. Smoke Bomb helps choose the approach, and Sleep Dagger buys a setup or escape window. A useful Haze plan can still contribute with normal shooting when Bullet Dance is unsafe; the whole build should not depend on enemies forgetting their interrupt or defense items.
Reviewed 2026-10-07; balance patch 2026-10-05; game build 6759.
Start with weapon speed and recovery, then support sustained firing with reload management and lifesteal. A grouped-enemy game can justify Ricochet, while a control-heavy game can require Unstoppable first. Neither expensive item removes the need to identify an enemy interrupt, and a full damage inventory is poor value if you die before landing enough shots.
| When | Item | Souls | Reason and tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Rapid Rounds | 800 | Supports building Fixation during normal shooting. Faster fire will also empty the magazine sooner, so preserve a safe reload position. |
| Opening | Restorative Shot | 800 | Adds recovery to lane weapon contact so you can keep farming after chip damage. Buy it for lane stability rather than expecting it to sustain an exposed all-in. |
| Core | Quicksilver Reload | 1,600 | Sleep Dagger is a practical imbue for an ability-linked reload when the item is charged. Match the cast to a useful firing sequence instead of wasting the setup just to refill. |
| Core | Bullet Lifesteal | 1,600 | Supports weapon-based recovery while you can stay on a target. It does not protect you from control that prevents shooting or from heavy healing reduction. |
| Situational | Ricochet | 6,400 | Lets ordinary bullets pressure nearby targets when the enemy groups. Delay this costly purchase when the immediate problem is surviving or maintaining a firing window. |
| Situational | Unstoppable | 6,400 | Buy against control that repeatedly cancels your contribution, and activate before stun or sleep. It does not remove weapon immunity, resistance or the need for a good entry. |
If enemies prepare specifically for Bullet Dance, take a short shooting angle and let the team force out their answers first. If a single diver keeps finding you, buy survival and keep Smoke Bomb available for a useful reposition. If everyone scatters when you arrive, pressure a reachable target or objective rather than chasing into unfamiliar ground while the team fights elsewhere.
References: Haze ability reference · Current game data · October 5 balance patch
Pick setup and spirit burst. Bebop turns a useful Grapple Arm connection into a short-range opportunity for Sticky Bomb and team damage. The best target is one your team can punish, not necessarily the nearest hero you can pull. This spirit-focused starter plan keeps bomb pressure reliable without assuming every game allows a long Hyper Beam channel or an expensive double-bomb sequence.
Reviewed 2026-10-07; balance patch 2026-10-05; game build 6759.
Begin with affordable spirit damage and lane recovery, then reduce downtime and improve ability reach. Echo Shard can create a second bomb opportunity later, but it costs enough to delay several useful survival and utility purchases. If the enemy repeatedly removes or escapes bombs, invest in a safer beam position or team setup instead of doubling down on one sequence.
| When | Item | Souls | Reason and tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Extra Spirit | 800 | Supports the spirit damage plan with a small opening purchase. It will not turn a grapple without allied follow-up into a guaranteed kill. |
| Opening | Restorative Shot | 800 | Helps recover during normal weapon contact in lane. Staying available to threaten the next grapple is often worth more than an extra early damage item. |
| Core | Superior Cooldown | 3,200 | Supports repeated grapple, bomb and Uppercut opportunities. Its value comes from useful casts, so do not spend every available ability on low-impact poke. |
| Core | Mystic Expansion | 800 | Imbue Grapple Arm for more reach or Sticky Bomb for a larger blast. Select the effect your fights need; the item expands one chosen ability rather than the whole kit. |
| Situational | Echo Shard | 6,400 | Imbue Sticky Bomb to reset it for a second bomb. The item's cooldown also includes the imbued ability's cooldown, so account for that downtime. It cannot refresh Hyper Beam. |
| Situational | Warp Stone | 3,200 | Adds an escape or a new casting angle when your position is being punished. A safe endpoint matters more than spending the teleport purely to shorten the next grapple. |
If the enemy front line deliberately offers a grapple, hold it for a more useful target or use it to peel a teammate. If a cleanse answer is ready for the bomb, threaten with weapon and beam pressure until it is used. If your team cannot follow a long pull, shorten the angle and fight from beside them rather than seeking a highlight at maximum range.
References: Bebop ability reference · Current game data · October 5 balance patch
Close-range control and target isolation. Mo & Krill want to reach a valuable target without giving the rest of the enemy team a free shooting gallery. Burrow helps approach and emerge into control, Scorn supports close recovery and Sand Blast reduces weapon retaliation. Combo is strongest when an ally can damage the held target while another threat is kept away from the channel.
Reviewed 2026-10-07; balance patch 2026-10-05; game build 6759.
Begin with enough health to approach and modest spirit support, then spend on mobility and reliable nearby damage. Torment Pulse only affects nearby enemies, so it is poor value if you spend the entire fight unable to close. Buy resistance to the actual threat before treating the hero's healing or Burrow as a complete defensive build.
| When | Item | Souls | Reason and tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Extra Health | 800 | Makes the early approach more forgiving when the opposing lane can burst you. It buys room for a controlled trade, not enough durability for an unsupported dive. |
| Opening | Extra Spirit | 800 | Supports a damage-and-recovery kit without immediately saving for a large luxury. Prioritize health or recovery first when you cannot safely get within ability range. |
| Core | Enduring Speed | 1,600 | Helps reach the fight and resist slows that spoil the approach. Use cover as well; movement speed alone does not make a visible entry safe. |
| Core | Torment Pulse | 3,200 | Adds repeated spirit damage to the closest nearby enemies while you remain in range. Its current effect is not a full-wave area pulse, so do not assume it hits every surrounding target. |
| Situational | Spirit Resilience | 3,200 | Useful when spirit damage punishes you during an approach or Combo. The ultimate's bullet-resistance upgrade does not answer this damage type. |
| Situational | Unstoppable | 6,400 | Consider it when hostile control repeatedly ruins the planned entry or hold. Activate before stun or sleep, and keep teammates close enough to use the protected window. |
When the enemy's weapon carry is the main danger, save Sand Blast and Combo for that hero instead of spending both on the first front-line target. When a support keeps interrupting you, change the approach or wait for that ability to be used. If your team is retreating, protect their exit with short control rather than channeling a target in a position nobody can follow.
References: Mo & Krill ability reference · Current game data · October 5 balance patch
Deadlock has no fixed item slots per hero. Every item belongs to one of three categories, Weapon, Vitality or Spirit, and sits in one of four cost tiers, and each category has a limited number of slots, with extra flex slots that unlock as your team takes objectives. So a build is really two decisions: which category you invest in, and which specific items you buy in what order. Owning items in a category also grants that category's passive bonus, which is why a build usually leans into one or two categories rather than spreading evenly across all three.
Use an opening purchase to solve the lane you are actually playing. Core items support the plan's main damage or control pattern; situational items answer what is stopping you in the present match. The authored hero guides explain ability investment and fight decisions alongside these choices. Other hero pages retain ability, base-stat and in-game reference text. Hero-stat summaries combine tracked matches across patches, while the interactive guide and tier list default to the current patch.
Item balance changes at least as often as hero balance. The July 28 update alone touched more than twenty items, several of them by removing or replacing an innate bonus outright, which turned a few standard purchases into wasted souls overnight. A build copied from a video that is a month old can be built around an item that no longer does what it did. Check the patch date on anything you copy, and when a hero moves sharply on the tier list after an item pass, assume the build moved with it.