Apollo vs Venator

Do

• Plan for Majestic Leap Majestic Leap 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +45s Cooldown +5s Interrupt Cooldown +100% Air Control +50% Air Control +32% Move Speed +2.5s Slow Duration +8s Barrier Duration — know which tier it sits in so you are not improvising at the shop.
• Know what Hex-Lined Snap Trap looks like. It is the cooldown this lane revolves around.

Avoid

• Walking to lane on the same path every wave against a hero with Venator's engage range.

Do

• Below-average movement speed (6.4 m/s) means he cannot dodge-dance in lane or rotate away from a gank the way Vindicta or Yamato can
• No self-heal or barrier at all, so once an enemy anti-heals him back he has no answer
• The no-falloff-to-25m weapon means he wins medium-range trades against heroes whose damage is already degrading at that distance

Avoid

• Consecrating Grenade denies the enemy laner's Healing Rite and regen trades in a fixed 1v1 lane where the 4.5m burn is hard to fully avoid
• Hex-Lined Snap Trap placed behind the enemy's own guardian or on their retreat path punishes any greedy last-hit push

Do

• Their first real spike is laning 0-10min — respect it from that point, not before.
• Your spike is Flawless Advance Flawless Advance 8s Duration26s Cooldown Apollo performs a run of lunges in whatever direction he chooses, driving piercing stabs out in front of him. Damage 25 base hold damage, 40 at maximum hold, 65 on a perfect release… Mobility Directional lunges usable in any direction; Defensive Tier 2 grants 60% bullet resistance during the lunges, which makes it a… 1 hero hits restore 35 health (1.3 spirit scaling) 2 -12s cooldown (from a 26s base) and 60% bullet resistance during the lunges 5 +65 damage with improved spirit scaling, plus increased lunge speed and distance T2 (roughly 4-6k souls): -12s cooldown plus 60% bullet resistance during the lunges makes his primary damage tool repeatable and safe to use into gunfire

Avoid

• Taking an even fight against Venator on their spike timing when you could take the same fight ten minutes later on yours.

Do

• Watch for Gutshot Gutshot 10m Range23s Cooldown A point-blank shotgun burst within about 10m that shoves everyone hit backwards. Crowd Control knockback on everyone hit; Damage 60 base (about 0.7x weapon scaling) plus 30 bonus (about 0.8x scaling) when… Mobility none for Venator himself 1 +25 damage 2 -10s cooldown (23s base) and +0.4s stun duration 5 after a wall stun, Venator's next heavy melee becomes blessed . Fight Venator away from walls and railings — in open ground Gutshot is a 10m nudge with no Stun attached
• Bait the trap with a minion wave, a summon or a zipline arrival before you walk any choke he has been defending

Avoid

• Spending your own escape before Hex-Lined Snap Trap is on cooldown.

• Gutshot Ability 2

  Being moved is the damage here, because of what follows it: knockback on everyone hit; 0.6s Stun on targets driven into a wall (T2 adds +0.4s, so up to 1.0s).

  • Fight Venator away from walls and railings — in open ground Gutshot is a 10m nudge with no Stun attached
  • Divers with Unstoppable Unstoppable 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorInstantCast +60s Cooldown +5.5s Duration +125 Bonus Health +25% Debuff Resist Builds from Debuff Reducer (Abrams' Siege, Yamato's Shadow Transformation Shadow Transformation 5s Duration160s Cooldown Yamato transforms with an initial invincible window, refreshes her ability cooldowns, and for the duration casts them much faster while immune to negative status effects and heavily… Damage No direct damage; the power is in refreshed abilities cast 60% faster Mobility T2 adds +4 m/s move speed during the transformation, on top of her already… Defensive Initial invincibility during the 1.5s transformation channel, immunity to… 1 +7 weapon damage 2 +4 m/s move speed and -30s cooldown (160s base) 5 +3s duration (5s base up to 8s) and +30% bullet resist and +30% spirit resist status immunity) walk through the shove and the Stun
  • Do not back yourself into a corner while pressuring him; the shove has no value if there is nothing behind you
• Hex-Lined Snap Trap Ability 3

  A second source of hard control: 1.25s immobilize (T2 pushes it to 2.25s).

  • Push a minion wave, a Seven stormcloud drone, an Ivy ally or any summon down a choke first — the trap springs on the first thing through
  • Vary your rotation path; traps cover fixed geometry, so take the zipline or the roof instead of the same Haunt Haunts Neutral camps Lanes and Districts across the map Haunts replace the old neutral camps. They are not a reskin: each type behaves differently, and the health bar now shows a camp's soul value and how hard it is, so you can decide whether a camp is worth your time before you start shooting. Three eye colours mark the tier — teal for tier I, yellow for tier II, red for tier III. Souls 41/68/181 souls tier I / II / III a creep +0.44 / +0.73 / +1.95 a minute -camp door twice
  • On Graves, shoot the trap: since the 09-29-2026 patch her gun destroys it outright
• Ira Domini Ira Domini 15s Duration160s Cooldown For a limited window Venator loads three heavy stakes instead of normal bolts. Damage 120 per stake (about 1.5x weapon scaling); Mobility T1 grants +1.2 m/s move speed while active 1 +1.2 m/s move speed while Ira Domini is active 2 -15s cooldown (160s base) and +65 bonus damage 5 all three stakes become blessed Ultimate

  His kill-confirm. After a Root, a wall Stun or an anti-heal burn he loads up and converts, and the blessed final stake takes a target that thinks it has escaped at low HP.

  • Ira Domini is a loud, visible transformation — the moment you see him load stakes, break line of sight for the 15s window instead of trading
  • Bullet Resist items (Enduring Speed Enduring Speed 1,600 souls Tier 2ArmorPassive +25% Slow Resist +2 Out of Combat Regen Builds from Sprint Boots line, Metal Skin Metal Skin 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +24s Cooldown +5s Duration +12% Bullet Resist -20% Dash Distance +20% Gravity Scale , Bullet Armor) cut the 120-per-stake body damage, though not the blessed pure-damage portion
  • At low HP, the 8% execute means a Restorative Shot or Colossus Colossus 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorInstantCast +37s Cooldown +7s Duration +25% Base Health +15% Weapon Damage +35% Bullet Resist +35% Spirit Resist +24% Move Speed -22% Dash Distance +20% Model Scale +30% Melee Damage Builds from Extra Health that puts you over the threshold is worth more than a damage item

1. 1 Hex-Lined Snap Trap

   Hex-Lined Snap Trap first — it is his only reliable hard lock and it has 2 charges on an 8s recharge, so trip both with a wave before rotating

2. 2 Gutshot

   Gutshot second — it is his self-peel; once it is on a 13-23s cooldown a melee diver can sit on him with impunity

3. 3 Consecrating Grenade

   Consecrating Grenade third — force it out on a frontliner so your support can heal freely for the next 20-25s

• Zero sustain, zero barrier and no escape ability — the entire kit is offense and control Strong evidence
• 6.4 m/s base speed makes him the slowest of this group and an easy gank target Strong evidence
• Gutshot's Stun is conditional on terrain, so his Hard CC evaporates in open-field fights Strong evidence

• Consecrating Grenade applies 30-50% healing reduction before his team commits, so your Restorative Shot, Healing Rite and Lifesteal all stop mattering for 3.5-4.5 seconds Strong evidence
• Hex-Lined Snap Trap sitting invisible-until-triggered on your flank route roots you for 1.25-2.25s and reveals you for 6s Strong evidence
• Gutshot into a wall is a 0.6-1.0s Stun plus 90 damage, and in corridors or around the Patron that is a free chain into his whole kit Strong evidence
• Ira Domini stakes hit for 120 each with a blessed stake adding 95 pure damage and executing anyone under 8% max health — running away at low HP does not work Strong evidence
• Since the 09-16-2026 patch his stakes Ricochet Ricochet 6,400 souls Tier 4WeaponPassive +65% Ricochet Damage +18% Fire Rate and split, so standing in a line behind a focused ally now shares the ultimate damage across your team Strong evidence

• Bait the trap with a minion wave, a summon or a zipline arrival before you walk any choke he has been defending Strong evidence
• Fight him in open ground — away from walls, Gutshot is only a knockback and he has no Hard CC left Strong evidence
• Punish his 6.4 m/s speed: he cannot disengage, so gap-closers (Yamato's Flying Slash Flying Slash 23m Range36s Cooldown Throws a grappling hook at an enemy and pulls herself to them, landing a light melee hit and leaving them significantly slowed on arrival. Crowd Control -40% movement slow for 2.5s on the target Damage 66 melee damage Mobility Pulls her to the target from 23m base (T3 adds +8m, up to 31m) 1 -18s cooldown (36s base down to 18s) 2 gain +35 Spirit Power for 6s 5 alt-cast to grapple allies, +8m cast range, and +1 charge , Abrams' Shoulder Charge Shoulder Charge 1.4s Duration33s Cooldown Abrams barrels forward, scooping up any hero he contacts and carrying them along. Crowd Control Stun on wall impact only. Damage 30 base impact damage (deadlock.one). Mobility Forward charge with a speed bonus after connecting with a hero. 1 applies a 32% move-speed slow for 3s, giving the ability value even when no wall is… 2 +0.8s wall-slam stun duration 5 roughly -18s cooldown and +1.5 weapon damage for 6s after hitting a hero , Wraith's Project Mind Project Mind 25m Range50s Cooldown After a brief channel, Wraith teleports to a chosen location at range. Mobility Teleport up to 25m (T1 adds +15m, so up to 40m) after a 1s interruptible… Defensive T2 grants a 300 barrier for 5s on arrival, scaling with Spirit Power 1 +15m cast range (25m base up to 40m) 2 300 barrier for 5s on arrival, scaling with Spirit Power 5 -32s cooldown (50s base down to 18s) ) reach him and he cannot leave Strong evidence
• Delay big heals until his grenade burn expires rather than healing into 30-50% reduction Strong evidence
• Bullet-resist items blunt his weapon-scaling kit far more than Spirit Resist does, since Consecrating Grenade, Gutshot and Ira Domini all scale off weapon damage Strong evidence
• You have an immunity window and Venator has a burst combo, which makes this a timing matchup rather than a damage one. Their combo has a commit point; your window has to cover that point rather than open before it. Using it early is the same as not having it. Strategic

• The moment Gutshot and both Snap Trap charges are on cooldown, he has no CC and no escape — that is the all-in window Strong evidence
• During the 2.8s weapon reload (33-round magazine at nearly 8 shots/sec empties fast) Strong evidence
• The arming delay on a freshly kicked trap: the trap does nothing for that brief period, so pushing through immediately after you watch him kick it is safe Strong evidence
• After all three Ira Domini stakes are spent, his damage collapses back to a 63.5 DPS bolt gun for the next ~145 seconds Strong evidence
• Any moment he is in open ground away from walls: his Hard CC is trap-only and traps must be pre-placed Strong evidence
• Being stunned by Venator now pauses your reload rather than restarting it, as of 09-16-2026. That quietly changes when it is safe to reload in this matchup: a reload caught by their Stun resumes where it left off instead of costing you the whole cycle, so the old rule of never reloading inside their engagement range is too conservative now. The compensating change is that parrying also pauses your reload, so a defensive parry no longer buys you free reload time. Documented

• Confirming and denying a soul orb is a hit-check, not a damage-check — one bullet or one pellet takes it regardless of how much damage it does. That is good news for you in the abstract and bad news against Venator specifically, because their bullets fly more than twice as fast as yours. On the contested floating orb you have to pre-fire: start the shot before the trooper dies and lead the orb's spawn point, because if you both react at the same instant their bullet arrives first. Strong evidence
• You get value from moving around the map and Venator does not, but the 09-16-2026 patch made that harder to convert early: tunnel breakables Crates Breakable Streets, rooftops and tunnels — about 500 of them Ordinary breakables. Each has a 60% chance to drop souls; a Tough Crate always drops, for double. Souls 23 souls a crate, 60% of the time +2 a minute now spawn and respawn on 5 minutes rather than 3. The off-lane income that used to make a rotation pay for itself is roughly 40% less frequent, so before 6:00 a rotation has to be justified by pressure on Venator or on the Guardian, not by the breakables you pick up on the way. Documented

• Urn spawns at 10, 15, 20 and 25 minutes, and you are the correct carrier in this matchup. Two changes make that stronger than old guides suggest: the runner is no longer revealed, and is no longer disarmed or silenced — you keep your whole kit while carrying. Venator cannot match your speed, so the only way they take it off you is melee, a Stun, or a kill. Route around their Stun range, not around their vision, and remember the bounty starts decaying after 45 seconds of carry. Documented

• You have a window where you cannot be hit and Venator does damage that does not need to target you. Untargetability of the Ethereal Shift Ethereal Shift 6,400 souls Tier 4TechInstantCast +37s Cooldown +4s Duration +5s Buff Duration +30% Spirit Resist +20 Spirit Power kind explicitly does not stop aura-type effects, and the same logic applies to persistent fields: going untargetable inside their zone means you emerge on the other side at the same health, having spent the cooldown for nothing. The window has to be used to leave the area, not to survive standing in it. Strong evidence

• Your habit of taking the fight vertical to reset spacing against Venator is weaker on 09-16-2026 than it was. Slows now apply to air drag at 35% of their value, so the air is no longer a slow-free zone, and 2026 has been a steady closing of exactly these loopholes — wall jumping costs 25% stamina regeneration for 5 seconds, and knockups came under debuff reduction in May. Going up is still correct against their ground CC; it is no longer a way to ignore their slows. Documented
• Venator decides where you stand, not you. The practical rule is to never hold a position whose failure case is being moved — stand so that being yanked or knocked puts you somewhere survivable rather than inside their whole team. Cover at your back is worth more than cover in front. Strong evidence
• Venator wins by choosing where the fight happens. Take your position before the zoning goes down, not after — once the area is committed you are fighting on their terms, and walking in to contest it is exactly the mistake the kit is built to farm. Strategic

• Majestic Leap (vitality T3) — Venator's Hex-Lined Snap Trap — that is the zoning and area denial this answers. Buy to escape ground-based lockdown and to rotate across the map quickly. Documented
• Stamina Mastery Stamina Mastery 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorPassive +2 Stamina +18% Stamina Recovery +23% Air Jump/Dash Distance Builds from Extra Stamina (vitality T3) — Venator's Gutshot — that is the stuns and Hard CC this answers. Buy when dodging telegraphed abilities and disengaging is how you survive. Strong evidence
• Warp Stone Warp Stone 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +16s Cooldown +30% Bullet Resist +6s Buff Duration (vitality T3) — Venator's Gutshot is what you are buying against here. Buy when you are repeatedly getting caught and killed out of position, or to close a gap onto a fleeing target. Documented

• The usual error against Venator is treating Gutshot as something to react to rather than something to pre-empt. By the time it is on you, the decision has already been made. Strategic