Baba vs Venator
Written for the Baba player. Playing Venator? See Venator vs Baba →
Baba is favoured. Baba wins 53.9% of 86,106 games against Venator (+2.0 points vs Baba’s usual 51.9%).
How to win as Baba
- RuleDo not commit before
Hex-Lined Snap Trap
Hex-Lined Snap Trap Kicks out a trap that arms after a short delay and then sits on the ground for up to 30 seconds. Crowd Control 1.25s immobilize (T2 pushes it to 2.25s) Damage 80 spirit (about 2.2x spirit scaling); Defensive Acts as a tripwire behind Venator so flankers cannot reach him unpunished 1 -11s cooldown (28s base) 2 +1s immobilize duration 5 +1 charge and +30% damage dealt to revealed targets is gone.
Hex-Lined Snap Trap
Hex-Lined Snap Trap Kicks out a trap that arms after a short delay and then sits on the ground for up to 30 seconds. Crowd Control 1.25s immobilize (T2 pushes it to 2.25s) Damage 80 spirit (about 2.2x spirit scaling); Defensive Acts as a tripwire behind Venator so flankers cannot reach him unpunished 1 -11s cooldown (28s base) 2 +1s immobilize duration 5 +1 charge and +30% damage dealt to revealed targets 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 - Watch out
Consecrating Grenade
Consecrating Grenade Lobs a grenade that bounces once or twice before detonating in a roughly 4.5m area. Damage 35 impact (about 1.0x weapon scaling) plus roughly 10 burn DPS (about 1.6x… 1 -5s cooldown (25s base) 2 +1.5m radius and +1s burn duration 5 an additional 20% healing reduction on top of the base 30%, and grants extra charges applies 30-50% healing reduction before his team commits, so your
Restorative Shot
Restorative Shot +6s Cooldown +100% Proc Chance +50 Healing From Heroes +20 Healing From NPCs / Orbs +6% Weapon Damage ,
Healing Rite
Healing Rite +70s Cooldown +0.2s Cast Delay +20s Regen Duration and Lifesteal all stop mattering for 3.5-4.5 seconds - Your edgeYou choose the terms of engagement (Baba Baba Released 6 October Released 6 October. A spirit controller: Threadsap steals enemy Spirit and powers up her bullets, her bench grows legs for speed and a knockback kick, Baba’s Brew cycles between a barrier, a silence and a burn, and Feed The Birds hexes everyone in her cone into pigeons. 2/3 against Venator 1/3).
- Buy
Majestic Leap
Majestic Leap +45s Cooldown +5s Interrupt Cooldown +100% Air Control +50% Air Control +32% Move Speed +2.5s Slow Duration +8s Barrier Duration — Venator's
Ira Domini
Ira Domini 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 — that is the zoning and area denial this answers. Buy to escape ground-based lockdown and to rotate across the map quickly.
The numbers: lane, whole match and Oracle and above
| Games | Baba wins | vs Baba's usual | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole match | 53.9% | +2.0 pts (51.9% overall) | 86,106 games |
| Sharing a lane | 53.7% | +1.8 pts (51.9% overall) | 28,150 games |
| Oracle and above | 52.3% | +1.6 pts (50.7% at Oracle+) | 5,884 games |
"Sharing a lane" counts only games where both were assigned the same lane — the laning matchup itself. "Oracle and above" counts only matches whose average rank was Oracle and above. Source: deadlock-api.com, refreshed daily.
Data-supported Measured: you win 53.9% of these, which is 2.0 points above your overall win rate (86,106 matches). The kit-based model agrees. Ranked against this hero's own baseline win rate, not raw win rate. Source: deadlock-api.com.
What should I do right now?
Do
- Plan for
Majestic Leap
Majestic Leap +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
Hex-Lined Snap Trap Kicks out a trap that arms after a short delay and then sits on the ground for up to 30 seconds. Crowd Control 1.25s immobilize (T2 pushes it to 2.25s) Damage 80 spirit (about 2.2x spirit scaling); Defensive Acts as a tripwire behind Venator so flankers cannot reach him unpunished 1 -11s cooldown (28s base) 2 +1s immobilize duration 5 +1 charge and +30% damage dealt to revealed targets 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
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Threadsap
Threadsap Baba throws a spool of thread that follows her crosshair as it flies, then bursts along the whole line it drew. Crowd Control none at base. Tier 3 makes each hit pull the enemy 7m along the thread. Damage 50 spirit damage on the burst. Defensive Taking Spirit away from a caster lowers the damage of their next abilities… 1 +8 spirit damage per bullet while she holds stolen Spirit 2 -12s cooldown and +8s on the steal 5 +1 charge, and every hit pulls the enemy 7m reaches 35m and steals Spirit from both laners at once if they stand in line, so she wins spirit trades early
Avoid
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Consecrating Grenade
Consecrating Grenade Lobs a grenade that bounces once or twice before detonating in a roughly 4.5m area. Damage 35 impact (about 1.0x weapon scaling) plus roughly 10 burn DPS (about 1.6x… 1 -5s cooldown (25s base) 2 +1.5m radius and +1s burn duration 5 an additional 20% healing reduction on top of the base 30%, and grants extra charges denies the enemy laner's
Healing Rite
Healing Rite +70s Cooldown +0.2s Cast Delay +20s Regen Duration and regen trades in a fixed 1v1 lane where the 4.5m burn is hard to fully avoid -
Hex-Lined Snap Trap
Hex-Lined Snap Trap Kicks out a trap that arms after a short delay and then sits on the ground for up to 30 seconds. Crowd Control 1.25s immobilize (T2 pushes it to 2.25s) Damage 80 spirit (about 2.2x spirit scaling); Defensive Acts as a tripwire behind Venator so flankers cannot reach him unpunished 1 -11s cooldown (28s base) 2 +1s immobilize duration 5 +1 charge and +30% damage dealt to revealed targets 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 ult unlock:
Feed The Birds
Feed The Birds Baba channels for up to 6.5 seconds, covering enemies in front of her with bread. Crowd Control A stacking slow up to 32% during the channel (64% at Tier 1), then a pigeon… Damage Up to 450 spirit damage per target at full stacks (+1.6 per Spirit), reached… Mobility She can keep moving while she channels. 1 +4m cast range and +32% max slow 2 -55s cooldown 5 +125 max damage, +1.5 Spirit scaling and +0.5s on the hex lets her slow and hex a whole team that walks into her cone
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 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
Gutshot 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 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
Hex-Lined Snap Trap Kicks out a trap that arms after a short delay and then sits on the ground for up to 30 seconds. Crowd Control 1.25s immobilize (T2 pushes it to 2.25s) Damage 80 spirit (about 2.2x spirit scaling); Defensive Acts as a tripwire behind Venator so flankers cannot reach him unpunished 1 -11s cooldown (28s base) 2 +1s immobilize duration 5 +1 charge and +30% damage dealt to revealed targets is on cooldown.
Venator’s abilities
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Gutshot
Gutshot 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 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 +60s Cooldown +5.5s Duration +125 Bonus Health +25% Debuff Resist Builds from Debuff Reducer (Warden's T3
Last Stand
Last Stand After a two-second charge-up, Warden pulses damage in a wide radius around himself twice a second, healing for a large share of the damage he deals. Crowd Control none directly — its power comes from being paired with Binding Word Damage 70 DPS base (about 1.3x spirit scaling) over 6s in a 12m radius; Mobility none, and he is channelling 1 +4m radius (12m base up to 16m) 2 +40.5 DPS and -30s cooldown (180s base) 5 +4s duration and Unstoppable plus +30% resists while channelling , Abrams' Siege, Yamato's
Shadow Transformation
Shadow Transformation 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 -20s cooldown (150s 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
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Hex-Lined Snap Trap
Hex-Lined Snap Trap Kicks out a trap that arms after a short delay and then sits on the ground for up to 30 seconds. Crowd Control 1.25s immobilize (T2 pushes it to 2.25s) Damage 80 spirit (about 2.2x spirit scaling); Defensive Acts as a tripwire behind Venator so flankers cannot reach him unpunished 1 -11s cooldown (28s base) 2 +1s immobilize duration 5 +1 charge and +30% damage dealt to revealed targets 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 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 4168181 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
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Ira Domini
Ira Domini 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 +25% Slow Resist +2 Out of Combat Regen Builds from Sprint Boots line,
Metal Skin
Metal Skin +24s Cooldown +5s Duration +12% Bullet Resist -20% Dash Distance , 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
Restorative Shot +6s Cooldown +100% Proc Chance +50 Healing From Heroes +20 Healing From NPCs / Orbs +6% Weapon Damage or
Colossus
Colossus +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
Hex-Lined Snap Trap
Hex-Lined Snap Trap Kicks out a trap that arms after a short delay and then sits on the ground for up to 30 seconds. Crowd Control 1.25s immobilize (T2 pushes it to 2.25s) Damage 80 spirit (about 2.2x spirit scaling); Defensive Acts as a tripwire behind Venator so flankers cannot reach him unpunished 1 -11s cooldown (28s base) 2 +1s immobilize duration 5 +1 charge and +30% damage dealt to revealed targets 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
Gutshot
Gutshot 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 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
Consecrating Grenade
Consecrating Grenade Lobs a grenade that bounces once or twice before detonating in a roughly 4.5m area. Damage 35 impact (about 1.0x weapon scaling) plus roughly 10 burn DPS (about 1.6x… 1 -5s cooldown (25s base) 2 +1.5m radius and +1s burn duration 5 an additional 20% healing reduction on top of the base 30%, and grants extra charges Consecrating Grenade third — force it out on a frontliner so your support can heal freely for the next 20-25s
The matchup in detail
- Currently the weakest hero in this group by win rate (roughly 45% as of the 09-09 to 09-20 2026 sample on deadlock.io) Strong evidence
- 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
-
Consecrating Grenade
Consecrating Grenade Lobs a grenade that bounces once or twice before detonating in a roughly 4.5m area. Damage 35 impact (about 1.0x weapon scaling) plus roughly 10 burn DPS (about 1.6x… 1 -5s cooldown (25s base) 2 +1.5m radius and +1s burn duration 5 an additional 20% healing reduction on top of the base 30%, and grants extra charges applies 30-50% healing reduction before his team commits, so your
Restorative Shot
Restorative Shot +6s Cooldown +100% Proc Chance +50 Healing From Heroes +20 Healing From NPCs / Orbs +6% Weapon Damage ,
Healing Rite
Healing Rite +70s Cooldown +0.2s Cast Delay +20s Regen Duration and Lifesteal all stop mattering for 3.5-4.5 seconds Strong evidence -
Hex-Lined Snap Trap
Hex-Lined Snap Trap Kicks out a trap that arms after a short delay and then sits on the ground for up to 30 seconds. Crowd Control 1.25s immobilize (T2 pushes it to 2.25s) Damage 80 spirit (about 2.2x spirit scaling); Defensive Acts as a tripwire behind Venator so flankers cannot reach him unpunished 1 -11s cooldown (28s base) 2 +1s immobilize duration 5 +1 charge and +30% damage dealt to revealed targets sitting invisible-until-triggered on your flank route roots you for 1.25-2.25s and reveals you for 6s, which is almost always a 5-on-4 for his team Strong evidence -
Gutshot
Gutshot 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 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
Ira Domini 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 stakes hit for 120 each with a blessed stake adding 115 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 +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
Gutshot 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 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 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 26m base (T3 adds +15m, up to 41m) 1 -18s cooldown (36s base down to 18s) 2 gain +35 Spirit Power for 6s 5 alt-cast to grapple allies, +15m cast range, and +1 charge , Abrams'
Shoulder Charge
Shoulder Charge 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 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 0.75-0.8s… Defensive T2 grants a 300 barrier for 5s on arrival, scaling with Spirit Power, which… 1 +15m cast range (25m base up to 40m) 2 300 barrier for 5s on arrival, scaling with Spirit Power 5 -32s cooldown (46s base down to 14s) ) 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
Consecrating Grenade Lobs a grenade that bounces once or twice before detonating in a roughly 4.5m area. Damage 35 impact (about 1.0x weapon scaling) plus roughly 10 burn DPS (about 1.6x… 1 -5s cooldown (25s base) 2 +1.5m radius and +1s burn duration 5 an additional 20% healing reduction on top of the base 30%, and grants extra charges ,
Gutshot
Gutshot 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 and
Ira Domini
Ira Domini 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 all scale off weapon damage Strong evidence
- The moment
Gutshot
Gutshot 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 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
Ira Domini 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 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
- Your escape route is vertical and the 09-16-2026 patch aimed at exactly that: slows now affect air drag at 35% of their value, where previously they mostly did not bite in the air. Going airborne to break Venator's slow no longer restores your full movement — you carry a fraction of it into the air with you, at the moment you are also a stationary silhouette. The slow cut of ~20% partly offsets it, but the net is that air-escaping a slow is worse this patch than last. Documented
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Consecrating Grenade
Consecrating Grenade Lobs a grenade that bounces once or twice before detonating in a roughly 4.5m area. Damage 35 impact (about 1.0x weapon scaling) plus roughly 10 burn DPS (about 1.6x… 1 -5s cooldown (25s base) 2 +1.5m radius and +1s burn duration 5 an additional 20% healing reduction on top of the base 30%, and grants extra charges denies the enemy laner's
Healing Rite
Healing Rite +70s Cooldown +0.2s Cast Delay +20s Regen Duration and regen trades in a fixed 1v1 lane where the 4.5m burn is hard to fully avoid Strong evidence -
Hex-Lined Snap Trap
Hex-Lined Snap Trap Kicks out a trap that arms after a short delay and then sits on the ground for up to 30 seconds. Crowd Control 1.25s immobilize (T2 pushes it to 2.25s) Damage 80 spirit (about 2.2x spirit scaling); Defensive Acts as a tripwire behind Venator so flankers cannot reach him unpunished 1 -11s cooldown (28s base) 2 +1s immobilize duration 5 +1 charge and +30% damage dealt to revealed targets placed behind the enemy's own guardian or on their retreat path punishes any greedy last-hit push Strong evidence - 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 Strong evidence
- No self-heal or barrier at all, so once an enemy anti-heals him back he has no answer Strong evidence
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Threadsap
Threadsap Baba throws a spool of thread that follows her crosshair as it flies, then bursts along the whole line it drew. Crowd Control none at base. Tier 3 makes each hit pull the enemy 7m along the thread. Damage 50 spirit damage on the burst. Defensive Taking Spirit away from a caster lowers the damage of their next abilities… 1 +8 spirit damage per bullet while she holds stolen Spirit 2 -12s cooldown and +8s on the steal 5 +1 charge, and every hit pulls the enemy 7m reaches 35m and steals Spirit from both laners at once if they stand in line, so she wins spirit trades early Strategic
- Your kit is built around lockdown and that is worth less on the Mid Boss than on Venator — it carries 35% Debuff Resist as of 03-06-2026, so your disables run roughly two-thirds as long on it. Plan the take around damage and positioning rather than a CC chain, and spend the chain on Venator if they contest. The payoff is worth the trip: 3,000 souls + 50 per minute, two permanent buffs each, and a Rejuvenator crystal giving up to three single-use revives that return a player at full health after 3 seconds, for 3 minutes. Documented
- Laning 0-10min —
Consecrating Grenade
Consecrating Grenade Lobs a grenade that bounces once or twice before detonating in a roughly 4.5m area. Damage 35 impact (about 1.0x weapon scaling) plus roughly 10 burn DPS (about 1.6x… 1 -5s cooldown (25s base) 2 +1.5m radius and +1s burn duration 5 an additional 20% healing reduction on top of the base 30%, and grants extra charges 's 30% healing reduction makes him a strong counter-laner against any regen-based opponent Strong evidence -
Hex-Lined Snap Trap
Hex-Lined Snap Trap Kicks out a trap that arms after a short delay and then sits on the ground for up to 30 seconds. Crowd Control 1.25s immobilize (T2 pushes it to 2.25s) Damage 80 spirit (about 2.2x spirit scaling); Defensive Acts as a tripwire behind Venator so flankers cannot reach him unpunished 1 -11s cooldown (28s base) 2 +1s immobilize duration 5 +1 charge and +30% damage dealt to revealed targets T2 (+1s immobilize) — A 2.25s Root is long enough to chain a full
Gutshot
Gutshot 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 plus weapon burst without help Strong evidence -
Ira Domini
Ira Domini 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 unlock — Gives him an execute for the first time, converting his CC chain into confirmed kills Strong evidence - Late 35min+ with
Ricochet
Ricochet +65% Ricochet Damage +18% Fire Rate — Post 09-16-2026
Ira Domini
Ira Domini 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 bounces and splits, turning the ultimate from a single-target execute into a teamfight nuke Strong evidence
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Feed The Birds
Feed The Birds Baba channels for up to 6.5 seconds, covering enemies in front of her with bread. Crowd Control A stacking slow up to 32% during the channel (64% at Tier 1), then a pigeon… Damage Up to 450 spirit damage per target at full stacks (+1.6 per Spirit), reached… Mobility She can keep moving while she channels. 1 +4m cast range and +32% max slow 2 -55s cooldown 5 +125 max damage, +1.5 Spirit scaling and +0.5s on the hex unlock — Lets her slow and hex a whole team that walks into her cone Strategic -
Threadsap
Threadsap Baba throws a spool of thread that follows her crosshair as it flies, then bursts along the whole line it drew. Crowd Control none at base. Tier 3 makes each hit pull the enemy 7m along the thread. Damage 50 spirit damage on the burst. Defensive Taking Spirit away from a caster lowers the damage of their next abilities… 1 +8 spirit damage per bullet while she holds stolen Spirit 2 -12s cooldown and +8s on the steal 5 +1 charge, and every hit pulls the enemy 7m T1 — +8 more Spirit Damage on every bullet while she holds stolen Spirit doubles the payoff of a hit Strategic
- Your Silence may be worth more in a chain than a teammate's Stun. The 03-06-2026 diminishing-returns system reduces subsequent CC by 10% then 30% inside an 8-second window, and community reporting holds it applies to stuns only — not to silences, slows, hexes or disarms. If that is right, sequencing your Silence after an ally's Stun costs you nothing, while a second Stun in the chain is already 10% shorter. Treat it as community-reported rather than confirmed, but order your chain accordingly against Venator. Uncertain
- 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
- Riding a zipline in Venator's line of sight is worse than walking. Enemy hero damage while you are riding knocks you off for 15% of your max health, a 2.5-second Stun and a fall — for a hero with your health pool that is most of a death handed over for free. You gain knockoff immunity only after 3 consecutive seconds of riding, signalled by a blue particle effect, so the dangerous part is the first three seconds. Mount out of their sight line, not near it. Documented
- 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
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Majestic Leap
Majestic Leap +45s Cooldown +5s Interrupt Cooldown +100% Air Control +50% Air Control +32% Move Speed +2.5s Slow Duration +8s Barrier Duration (vitality T3) — Venator's
Ira Domini
Ira Domini 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 — 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 +2 Stamina +18% Stamina Recovery +23% Air Jump/Dash Distance Builds from Extra Stamina (vitality T3) — Venator's
Gutshot
Gutshot 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 — 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 +16s Cooldown +30% Bullet Resist +6s Buff Duration (vitality T3) — Venator's
Gutshot
Gutshot 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 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
Gutshot 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 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
Next
Baba’s other hard matchups
- vs Paige -6.9 pts
- vs Rat King -6.6 pts
- vs Haze -6.1 pts
- vs Graves -5.4 pts
All of Venator
Who beats Venator, the items that shut Venator down, and every ability.
Facing more than Venator?
Add the other five enemies: who to focus first and what to buy against the whole team.
Sources and method for this page
Everything on this page is generated for Deadlock patch 09-29-2026 from Venator's current kit, measured match results and a mechanics rule base. Each line carries its own confidence label.
Venator's kit and counterplay were compiled from 6 sources, cross-checked for patch 09-29-2026. Threat ratings compare this pairing against Baba's own baseline win rate rather than a flat 50%, because ranking by raw win rate produces the wrong answer for heroes whose overall win rate is not 50%.