Drifter vs Deadman Danny

Do

• Plan for Slowing Hex Slowing Hex 1,600 souls Tier 2TechPress +29s Cooldown +3.5s Duration +0.1s Cast Delay +16% Move Speed -26% Dash Distance — know which tier it sits in so you are not improvising at the shop.
• Know what Chimera Mk1 Chimera Mk1 21s Cooldown Danny holds the jump key to fly on his jetpack, building heat as he goes. Crowd Control The landing launches nearby enemies into the air. Damage The landing explosion deals 70 spirit damage (+1.5 per Spirit) plus 70… Mobility Sustained flight for as long as his heat allows, and air dashes cost heat… 1 heat vents faster while grounded 2 on hero hit, heal and take no self-damage 5 on hero hit, -40% cooldown and +120 spirit damage looks like. It is the cooldown this lane revolves around.

Avoid

• Walking to lane on the same path every wave against a hero with Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. 's engage range.

Do

• 680 health, among the lowest in the game, and his own charged shots and crash landings cost him health
• Slow rockets are easy to dodge at range, and his 14-round clip reloads slowly
• 133 weapon DPS is the highest in this group by a wide margin — at point-blank range he simply out-damages almost anyone in a short trade

Avoid

• Strix Salvo Strix Salvo 35m Range30s Cooldown Danny fires a salvo of spirit missiles that stick in the ground along a line he aims by holding and dragging. Crowd Control A 40% slow that fades over 1.5s each time a charged shot consumes a mark. Damage 27 spirit damage per missile (+0.74 per Spirit) in a 3.5m blast. Defensive A line of missiles across a street or a doorway punishes anyone who chases… 1 -12s cooldown 2 +20 damage and +35 marked damage 5 +2 missiles, longer range, and better Spirit scaling zones the lane and marks a laner for extra damage from his charged shots
• Jettison Fuel Jettison Fuel 22m Range2s Duration22s Cooldown Danny sprays fuel in front of him for a couple of seconds, dealing weapon damage over time and stripping bullet resist. Crowd Control none on enemies. The backblast knocks Danny himself backwards. Damage 30 weapon damage per second (+0.8 per weapon damage) for 2s, then a 35… Mobility The backblast throws him backwards, which works as a short escape or a… 1 -8s cooldown 2 +60 backblast damage, and a backblast hit gives +18% fire rate for 7s 5 -10% more bullet resist shred, and a backblast hit applies a mark shreds Bullet Resist for an easy trade in close

Do

• Their first real spike is ult unlock — respect it from that point, not before.
• Your spike is Stalker's Mark Stalker's Mark 5s Duration26s Cooldown Drifter throws out a mark that latches onto the first enemy it touches, bleeding them for spirit damage over time. Crowd Control None directly, though Tier 3's -40% healing reduction functions as an… Damage 2.0% bleed damage per second scaling with Spirit Power over a 5s duration… Mobility The recast is an instant teleport to directly behind the marked target —… 1 -8% bullet resist on the target after the ambush 2 -10s cooldown (from a 26s base) and +3s duration 5 +1.5% bleed damage and -40% healing reduction T2 (roughly 4-6k souls): -10s cooldown and +3s bleed duration roughly double how often he gets an ambush window

Avoid

• Taking an even fight against Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. on their spike timing when you could take the same fight ten minutes later on yours.

Do

• Watch for Close The Deal Close The Deal 10m Range135s Cooldown Danny grabs a nearby enemy and flies them high into the air, then crashes back to the ground. Crowd Control The grab itself takes the target out of the fight, then a 0.5s stun on… Damage 70 spirit damage on impact (+1 per Spirit) plus 3 per metre fallen (+0.09… Mobility Flies Danny and the target high into the air and lands them nearby. 1 +50 damage 2 -35s cooldown 5 +0.5s stun and +8 damage per metre . Stay more than 10m from him when he's in the air near your backline — the grab is short range
• Move away from where he dives so the landing hits no one — he stuns himself for 1.3 seconds

Avoid

• Spending your own escape before Chimera Mk1 Chimera Mk1 21s Cooldown Danny holds the jump key to fly on his jetpack, building heat as he goes. Crowd Control The landing launches nearby enemies into the air. Damage The landing explosion deals 70 spirit damage (+1.5 per Spirit) plus 70… Mobility Sustained flight for as long as his heat allows, and air dashes cost heat… 1 heat vents faster while grounded 2 on hero hit, heal and take no self-damage 5 on hero hit, -40% cooldown and +120 spirit damage is on cooldown.

• Close The Deal Close The Deal 10m Range135s Cooldown Danny grabs a nearby enemy and flies them high into the air, then crashes back to the ground. Crowd Control The grab itself takes the target out of the fight, then a 0.5s stun on… Damage 70 spirit damage on impact (+1 per Spirit) plus 3 per metre fallen (+0.09… Mobility Flies Danny and the target high into the air and lands them nearby. 1 +50 damage 2 -35s cooldown 5 +0.5s stun and +8 damage per metre Ultimate

  The cooldown that decides the fight. The grab itself takes the target out of the fight, then a 0.5s Stun on landing (1s at Tier 3).

  • Stay more than 10m from him when he's in the air near your backline — the grab is short range
  • Unstoppable Unstoppable 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorInstantCast +60s Cooldown +5.5s Duration +125 Bonus Health +25% Debuff Resist Builds from Debuff Reducer stops the grab outright; keep your health above half so the bonus damage doesn't apply
  • After the crash he is stunned for a moment and hurt by his own ultimate, so turn on him when you land
• Chimera Mk1 Chimera Mk1 21s Cooldown Danny holds the jump key to fly on his jetpack, building heat as he goes. Crowd Control The landing launches nearby enemies into the air. Damage The landing explosion deals 70 spirit damage (+1.5 per Spirit) plus 70… Mobility Sustained flight for as long as his heat allows, and air dashes cost heat… 1 heat vents faster while grounded 2 on hero hit, heal and take no self-damage 5 on hero hit, -40% cooldown and +120 spirit damage Ability 2

  Closing the distance and taking your options in the same press: the landing launches nearby enemies into the air.

  • Step away from where he is diving and let the landing hit nothing — he stuns himself for 1.3 seconds
  • Slow him while he flies; slows work on him in the air, and Slowing Hex Slowing Hex 1,600 souls Tier 2TechPress +29s Cooldown +3.5s Duration +0.1s Cast Delay +16% Move Speed -26% Dash Distance shuts the jetpack off
  • Once he has overheated he can't fly for a while — that is when to commit to him
• Strix Salvo Strix Salvo 35m Range30s Cooldown Danny fires a salvo of spirit missiles that stick in the ground along a line he aims by holding and dragging. Crowd Control A 40% slow that fades over 1.5s each time a charged shot consumes a mark. Damage 27 spirit damage per missile (+0.74 per Spirit) in a 3.5m blast. Defensive A line of missiles across a street or a doorway punishes anyone who chases… 1 -12s cooldown 2 +20 damage and +35 marked damage 5 +2 missiles, longer range, and better Spirit scaling Ability 1

  The tool that keeps you inside everything else Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. throws — a 40% slow that fades over 1.5s each time a charged shot consumes a mark.

  • Don't walk down the line of missiles — they go off when you get close, so walk around them or wait them out
  • Once marked, break line of sight or close the distance before he can land a charged shot
  • Spirit Resist cuts both the missiles and the bonus damage from his marks
• Jettison Fuel Jettison Fuel 22m Range2s Duration22s Cooldown Danny sprays fuel in front of him for a couple of seconds, dealing weapon damage over time and stripping bullet resist. Crowd Control none on enemies. The backblast knocks Danny himself backwards. Damage 30 weapon damage per second (+0.8 per weapon damage) for 2s, then a 35… Mobility The backblast throws him backwards, which works as a short escape or a… 1 -8s cooldown 2 +60 backblast damage, and a backblast hit gives +18% fire rate for 7s 5 -10% more bullet resist shred, and a backblast hit applies a mark Ability 3

  His close-range trade and his way to keep flying. It softens a target for his rockets and cools the jetpack so he can stay in the air longer.

  • Get out of the spray's line quickly — the shred lasts 7 seconds once it lands
  • Watch for the backblast at the end; he is thrown backwards and can be out of position afterwards
  • Debuff Reducer Debuff Reducer 1,600 souls Tier 2ArmorPassive +25% Debuff Resist +90 Bonus Health or a dispel clears the bullet-resist shred

1. 1 Chimera Mk1 Chimera Mk1 21s Cooldown Danny holds the jump key to fly on his jetpack, building heat as he goes. Crowd Control The landing launches nearby enemies into the air. Damage The landing explosion deals 70 spirit damage (+1.5 per Spirit) plus 70… Mobility Sustained flight for as long as his heat allows, and air dashes cost heat… 1 heat vents faster while grounded 2 on hero hit, heal and take no self-damage 5 on hero hit, -40% cooldown and +120 spirit damage

   Chimera Mk1 first — look like an easy dive target, then step out of the landing so he stuns himself

2. 2 Strix Salvo Strix Salvo 35m Range30s Cooldown Danny fires a salvo of spirit missiles that stick in the ground along a line he aims by holding and dragging. Crowd Control A 40% slow that fades over 1.5s each time a charged shot consumes a mark. Damage 27 spirit damage per missile (+0.74 per Spirit) in a 3.5m blast. Defensive A line of missiles across a street or a doorway punishes anyone who chases… 1 -12s cooldown 2 +20 damage and +35 marked damage 5 +2 missiles, longer range, and better Spirit scaling

   Strix Salvo second — make him spend the missiles on an empty street

3. 3 Close The Deal Close The Deal 10m Range135s Cooldown Danny grabs a nearby enemy and flies them high into the air, then crashes back to the ground. Crowd Control The grab itself takes the target out of the fight, then a 0.5s stun on… Damage 70 spirit damage on impact (+1 per Spirit) plus 3 per metre fallen (+0.09… Mobility Flies Danny and the target high into the air and lands them nearby. 1 +50 damage 2 -35s cooldown 5 +0.5s stun and +8 damage per metre

   Close The Deal last — stay grouped with Unstoppable Unstoppable 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorInstantCast +60s Cooldown +5.5s Duration +125 Bonus Health +25% Debuff Resist Builds from Debuff Reducer or a dispel nearby so the grab buys him nothing

• Very low health (680) and his own kit hurts him Strategic
• A missed dive stuns him for 1.3 seconds Strategic
• Slows work on him in the air, and Slowing Hex Slowing Hex 1,600 souls Tier 2TechPress +29s Cooldown +3.5s Duration +0.1s Cast Delay +16% Move Speed -26% Dash Distance shuts his jetpack off Strategic
• You both win by jumping on someone, which means the loser is whoever jumps first. An entry spends mobility, and a hero who has spent their mobility is the ideal target for a hero who has not — so the fight between you is decided before contact, by who can wait longer. The way out of the stalemate is to force it with someone else's engage and arrive second onto a target they have already committed to. Strategic

• He flies above the fight and dives onto you, exploding for about 140 damage and launching everyone near the landing Strategic
• Strix Salvo Strix Salvo 35m Range30s Cooldown Danny fires a salvo of spirit missiles that stick in the ground along a line he aims by holding and dragging. Crowd Control A 40% slow that fades over 1.5s each time a charged shot consumes a mark. Damage 27 spirit damage per missile (+0.74 per Spirit) in a 3.5m blast. Defensive A line of missiles across a street or a doorway punishes anyone who chases… 1 -12s cooldown 2 +20 damage and +35 marked damage 5 +2 missiles, longer range, and better Spirit scaling marks you, and every charged rocket that follows deals bonus damage and slows you Strategic
• Jettison Fuel Jettison Fuel 22m Range2s Duration22s Cooldown Danny sprays fuel in front of him for a couple of seconds, dealing weapon damage over time and stripping bullet resist. Crowd Control none on enemies. The backblast knocks Danny himself backwards. Damage 30 weapon damage per second (+0.8 per weapon damage) for 2s, then a 35… Mobility The backblast throws him backwards, which works as a short escape or a… 1 -8s cooldown 2 +60 backblast damage, and a backblast hit gives +18% fire rate for 7s 5 -10% more bullet resist shred, and a backblast hit applies a mark strips your Bullet Resist for 7 seconds, so everyone's guns hit you harder Strategic
• Close The Deal Close The Deal 10m Range135s Cooldown Danny grabs a nearby enemy and flies them high into the air, then crashes back to the ground. Crowd Control The grab itself takes the target out of the fight, then a 0.5s stun on… Damage 70 spirit damage on impact (+1 per Spirit) plus 3 per metre fallen (+0.09… Mobility Flies Danny and the target high into the air and lands them nearby. 1 +50 damage 2 -35s cooldown 5 +0.5s stun and +8 damage per metre grabs you, flies you away from your team and drops you stunned, with extra damage if you're under half health Strategic
• You are exactly the target Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. is looking for — low durability, no exit. Expect them to ignore your frontline entirely and open on you, and to do it at the moment your team's attention is elsewhere. Your positioning has to assume they are already past your tank. Strong evidence

• Move away from where he dives so the landing hits no one — he stuns himself for 1.3 seconds Strategic
• Slow him while he flies; slows work on him in the air, and Slowing Hex Slowing Hex 1,600 souls Tier 2TechPress +29s Cooldown +3.5s Duration +0.1s Cast Delay +16% Move Speed -26% Dash Distance disables the jetpack Strategic
• Punish him right after an overheat, when he can't fly until the jetpack cools Strategic
• Hitscan and fast-firing guns trade well with his slow rockets and 680 health Strategic
• Buy Unstoppable Unstoppable 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorInstantCast +60s Cooldown +5.5s Duration +125 Bonus Health +25% Debuff Resist Builds from Debuff Reducer or keep a dispel ready against Close The Deal Close The Deal 10m Range135s Cooldown Danny grabs a nearby enemy and flies them high into the air, then crashes back to the ground. Crowd Control The grab itself takes the target out of the fight, then a 0.5s stun on… Damage 70 spirit damage on impact (+1 per Spirit) plus 3 per metre fallen (+0.09… Mobility Flies Danny and the target high into the air and lands them nearby. 1 +50 damage 2 -35s cooldown 5 +0.5s stun and +8 damage per metre , and stay above half health Strategic
• Walk around Strix Salvo Strix Salvo 35m Range30s Cooldown Danny fires a salvo of spirit missiles that stick in the ground along a line he aims by holding and dragging. Crowd Control A 40% slow that fades over 1.5s each time a charged shot consumes a mark. Damage 27 spirit damage per missile (+0.74 per Spirit) in a 3.5m blast. Defensive A line of missiles across a street or a doorway punishes anyone who chases… 1 -12s cooldown 2 +20 damage and +35 marked damage 5 +2 missiles, longer range, and better Spirit scaling 's line of missiles instead of through it Strategic
• Against Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. the item that changes the matchup is Slowing Hex Slowing Hex 1,600 souls Tier 2TechPress +29s Cooldown +3.5s Duration +0.1s Cast Delay +16% Move Speed -26% Dash Distance , and not for the slow. It silences movement abilities and movement items — that is their dash, their blink, their Warp Stone Warp Stone 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +16s Cooldown +30% Bullet Resist +6s Buff Duration and their Phantom Strike Phantom Strike 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorPress +35s Cooldown +0.35s Cast Delay +8 Spirit Power +15% Weapon Damage +40% Move Speed +3s Slow Duration all turned off at once — and raises their gravity to 120% on top. At Tier II Spirit for 1,600 it is the cheapest way to convert a mobility advantage into a stationary target, and you deal the Spirit Damage needed to apply the follow-up. Strong evidence
• Close The Deal Close The Deal 10m Range135s Cooldown Danny grabs a nearby enemy and flies them high into the air, then crashes back to the ground. Crowd Control The grab itself takes the target out of the fight, then a 0.5s stun on… Damage 70 spirit damage on impact (+1 per Spirit) plus 3 per metre fallen (+0.09… Mobility Flies Danny and the target high into the air and lands them nearby. 1 +50 damage 2 -35s cooldown 5 +0.5s stun and +8 damage per metre is one cast aimed at one person and that person is likely you, which changes the shape of the answer. Effective health is the wrong axis — a hero who can pick you out of a fight will simply wait until the number is beatable. Counterspell Counterspell 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorPassive +23s Cooldown +20 Spirit Power +6s Buff Duration +0.8s Spell Parry Duration +50 Bonus Health +5 Spirit Power negates a single ability outright, which against a one-cast threat is a hundred percent mitigation for 3,200, and the read is easier than it sounds because a single-target ultimate has to be aimed at you to work. Strategic

• The 1.3-second self-Stun after a dive that hits no hero Strategic
• After an overheat, until his jetpack has cooled and he can fly again Strategic
• The reload: 3.2 seconds after 14 rockets Strategic
• The moment after Close The Deal Close The Deal 10m Range135s Cooldown Danny grabs a nearby enemy and flies them high into the air, then crashes back to the ground. Crowd Control The grab itself takes the target out of the fight, then a 0.5s stun on… Damage 70 spirit damage on impact (+1 per Spirit) plus 3 per metre fallen (+0.09… Mobility Flies Danny and the target high into the air and lands them nearby. 1 +50 damage 2 -35s cooldown 5 +0.5s stun and +8 damage per metre lands: he is stunned briefly and hurt by his own crash Strategic
• Your trades against Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. changed on 09-16-2026: dashes and light melees no longer pause gun cycle time. Your damage output and your repositioning are no longer competing for the same seconds, which is the single biggest gain for a long-cycle weapon in this patch. Practically, that means you can now dodge the opening of their burst and keep your cycle running, so the correct trade against a burst hero is no longer stand-and-shoot — it is move-and-shoot, and it costs you nothing to do it. Documented
• Being stunned by Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. 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
• Parry is your best tool against Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. 's arrival and it is now a commitment rather than a hedge. Since 09-16-2026, parrying during a dash cancels the dash and its momentum, so you cannot both reposition and hold F. The cooldown maths makes the decision for you: a successful parry costs 0.5 seconds and stuns them for 3 with no Debuff Resist reduction possible, while a whiff costs 4.5 seconds — against a hero who arrives on a cooldown, that whiff is the entire window they needed. Documented
• Your weapon has travel time and Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. is fast enough to make that matter. Lead into where their movement is constrained rather than where they are — the closer the fight, the less your projectile speed costs you. Strategic

• Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. closes distance on a cooldown and you have no exit, so in the 0-6 minute window your Guardian is your escape item. Fight with it behind you and inside its range, not beside you: their gap-close has to end somewhere, and ending it inside 116 DPS of Guardian fire is the only punish you own before you have items. The moment the Guardian falls at around 6:00, that safety disappears and the matchup gets materially worse — plan your first defensive purchase for that timing. Strategic
• You get value from moving around the map and Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. 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 Deadman Danny or on the Guardian, not by the breakables you pick up on the way. Documented

• There is a hard behavioural change at 20:00 in this matchup: respawn goes from 35 to 38 seconds as of 09-16-2026, and you are the hero Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. can pick off without a fight starting. Three seconds does not sound like much until you price it against the Rift's 7-minute cadence and the Urn at 20 and 25 — a single death now reliably costs you presence at the next objective. Past 20:00, stop taking the solo camp that is one rotation from their side of the map. Documented

• Against Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. 's knockups, Debuff Reducer Debuff Reducer 1,600 souls Tier 2ArmorPassive +25% Debuff Resist +90 Bonus Health is a live answer where it used to be a dead one: Knockup durations were brought under debuff reduction on 05-22-2026, so the +25% from a 1,600 Tier II item genuinely shortens the airborne time. That matters more for you than for most, because you have no exit and the airborne window is when their follow-up lands. Worth pairing with the fact that Knockdown Knockdown 3,200 souls Tier 3TechPress +35s Cooldown +0.1s Cast Delay +2s Stun Delay +0.5s Stun Duration +75 Bonus Health +5% Ability Range +5% Radius -style effects going the other way still cannot be shortened at all. Documented

• Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. 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
• Fight Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. under cover — indoors, under walkways, inside stairwells. Taking away the vertical axis removes most of their kit's value before you spend a single item slot on it. Strategic
• Riding a zipline in Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. '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
• Being knocked up against Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. is worse than being slowed because it removes your inputs and, since 09-16-2026, slows now bite in the air at 35% value so even the landing is compromised. Your mobility is your defence, so position with the airborne failure case in mind: stand where being launched leaves you above your own team rather than above theirs, and keep a dash in reserve for the landing rather than spending both on the approach. Strategic

• Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. fights from the air, which is exactly what Knockdown Knockdown 3,200 souls Tier 3TechPress +35s Cooldown +0.1s Cast Delay +2s Stun Delay +0.5s Stun Duration +75 Bonus Health +5% Ability Range +5% Radius exists for: it applies +100% gravity to an airborne target (raised from +50% in March 2026) and its Stun scales with altitude, up to about +1.5s at 30m. The higher they commit, the harder the punish — and Debuff Resist will not shorten that Stun for them. Documented
• Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. dives, and you do not have an exit in your kit. This is the clearest item priority in the matchup: buy a movement or escape active before you buy your next damage item. A damage item does not help you if the fight starts with you already dead. Strong evidence
• Slowing Hex Slowing Hex 1,600 souls Tier 2TechPress +29s Cooldown +3.5s Duration +0.1s Cast Delay +16% Move Speed -26% Dash Distance (spirit T2) — Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. 's Chimera Mk1 Chimera Mk1 21s Cooldown Danny holds the jump key to fly on his jetpack, building heat as he goes. Crowd Control The landing launches nearby enemies into the air. Damage The landing explosion deals 70 spirit damage (+1.5 per Spirit) plus 70… Mobility Sustained flight for as long as his heat allows, and air dashes cost heat… 1 heat vents faster while grounded 2 on hero hit, heal and take no self-damage 5 on hero hit, -40% cooldown and +120 spirit damage is what you are buying against here. The community-standard answer to escape artists: buy it when an enemy repeatedly dashes, blinks or flies out of your kill window. Documented
• Vortex Web Vortex Web 6,400 souls Tier 4TechPress +42s Cooldown +4s Duration +0.2s Cast Delay +0.5s Tether Duration +28% Move Speed -36% Dash Distance +8% Ability Range +8% Radius Builds from Slowing Hex (spirit T4) — Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. 's Chimera Mk1 Chimera Mk1 21s Cooldown Danny holds the jump key to fly on his jetpack, building heat as he goes. Crowd Control The landing launches nearby enemies into the air. Damage The landing explosion deals 70 spirit damage (+1.5 per Spirit) plus 70… Mobility Sustained flight for as long as his heat allows, and air dashes cost heat… 1 heat vents faster while grounded 2 on hero hit, heal and take no self-damage 5 on hero hit, -40% cooldown and +120 spirit damage is what you are buying against here. Buy to set up team wipes against scattered, mobile enemies — it groups them and takes away their escapes at once. Documented
• Knockdown Knockdown 3,200 souls Tier 3TechPress +35s Cooldown +0.1s Cast Delay +2s Stun Delay +0.5s Stun Duration +75 Bonus Health +5% Ability Range +5% Radius (spirit T3) — The consensus answer to flying and airborne heroes and to channelled aerial ultimates — buy it whenever an enemy fights from the sky. What you are answering here: Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. 's Close The Deal Close The Deal 10m Range135s Cooldown Danny grabs a nearby enemy and flies them high into the air, then crashes back to the ground. Crowd Control The grab itself takes the target out of the fight, then a 0.5s stun on… Damage 70 spirit damage on impact (+1 per Spirit) plus 3 per metre fallen (+0.09… Mobility Flies Danny and the target high into the air and lands them nearby. 1 +50 damage 2 -35s cooldown 5 +0.5s stun and +8 damage per metre . Documented

• The instinct here is to buy Dispel Magic Dispel Magic 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +45s Cooldown +10% Spirit Resist +3s Buff Duration +250 HP Healed On Activate as your answer to Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. and then find it greyed out at the exact moment you need it. Dispel Magic Dispel Magic 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +45s Cooldown +10% Spirit Resist +3s Buff Duration +250 HP Healed On Activate cannot be cast while you are stunned or asleep, and it cannot remove a Stun at all — it purges what comes with the Stun, not the Stun itself. Against Deadman Danny the item you actually want is the pre-cast kind ( Unstoppable Unstoppable 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorInstantCast +60s Cooldown +5.5s Duration +125 Bonus Health +25% Debuff Resist Builds from Debuff Reducer , which also cannot be activated once you are already stunned) or the automatic kind ( Indomitable Indomitable 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorPassive +55s Cooldown +10s Duration +10% Bullet Resist +10% Spirit Resist +20s Cooldown On Apply +2 Out of Combat Regen Builds from Reactive Barrier , which cleanses the next Hard CC with no input from you). Documented
• If you learned to play this matchup before 09-16-2026 you probably dash away from Deadman Danny Deadman Danny New hero Released 13 October Released 13 October. A jetpack-flying rocketeer: Strix Salvo plants missiles that mark enemies for his charged rockets, Chimera Mk1 lets him fly until it overheats into a crash-landing explosion, Jettison Fuel sprays fire that strips bullet resist, and Close The Deal grabs an enemy, flies them up and drops them. and parry on the way out. That no longer works: parrying during a regular dash now cancels the dash and its momentum, so you parry standing still exactly where they wanted you. Parry first and dash second, or accept that the parry is a commitment to hold ground. Note also that a whiffed parry is a 4.5-second cooldown against a hero who only needs one window. Documented