Rat King vs Pocket

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 Enchanter's Satchel Enchanter's Satchel 17s Cooldown Pocket vanishes into his suitcase, becoming unreachable for a duration. Crowd Control None at base. T3's exit applies a -40% movement speed and fire rate slow for… Damage 65 damage on exit (deadlock.one). Mobility None directly, but it buys time for other cooldowns to come back. 1 +1.5s duration, +4m radius, and -40% movement speed and fire rate for 4s on exit. looks like. It is the cooldown this lane revolves around.

Avoid

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

Do

• -15% Spirit Resist is a real, unusual vulnerability — spirit-damage laners hurt him significantly more than the 780 HP number suggests.
• An 11-round spreadshot clip means his gun contributes almost nothing at lane distance.
• Scrap Grenade Scrap Grenade 26s Cooldown Rat King throws a bouncing lump of scrap that goes off three times where it lands. Crowd Control 20% movement slow for 4s (scales slightly with Spirit). Damage 70 bullet damage per detonation (+0.6 weapon-damage scaling), three… Defensive The slow is his peel: thrown at his own feet it stops a diver from following… 1 -8s cooldown (26s to 18s) 2 +70 damage per detonation 5 one extra, bigger final detonation — 300 damage, 14m radius, 40% slow clears a trooper wave in three hits and slows anyone farming in it, so he wins wave tempo early

Avoid

• Barrage Barrage 32s Cooldown Pocket channels, launching a stream of projectiles that deal spirit damage and apply a slow around wherever they land. Crowd Control A slow around each impact point, which compounds in a small area. Damage 32 damage per projectile (deadlock.one). Mobility Casting while airborne makes him float, extending his air time; 1 +4% amplification per stack, +3m radius. clears troopers quickly and can be channelled from above the lane where a ground-level laner cannot answer it.
• Two escapes means he can contest orbs and take aggressive last hits that other close-range laners cannot.

Do

• Their first real spike is Flying Cloak Flying Cloak 26s Cooldown Pocket sends a living cloak flying forward, damaging enemies it passes. Damage 60 damage (deadlock.one). Mobility Teleport to the cloak's live position, so the distance is chosen after the… Defensive Can be thrown backward as an escape route rather than forward as an engage. 1 +5 weapon damage for 6s. 2 +1.6s cloak lifetime, -10s cooldown. + Enchanter's Satchel Enchanter's Satchel 17s Cooldown Pocket vanishes into his suitcase, becoming unreachable for a duration. Crowd Control None at base. T3's exit applies a -40% movement speed and fire rate slow for… Damage 65 damage on exit (deadlock.one). Mobility None directly, but it buys time for other cooldowns to come back. 1 +1.5s duration, +4m radius, and -40% movement speed and fire rate for 4s on exit. online (laning 0-10min) — respect it from that point, not before.
• Your spike is ult unlock: Rule, Ratannia! Rule, Ratannia! 10s Duration160s Cooldown Rat King raises the banner of Ratannia. Crowd Control Knockup and a 40% slow on the slam, plus Rat Swarm from the rats it… Damage 200 bullet damage on the slam (+1.2 weapon-damage scaling), 20m radius (cut… Mobility +3 m/s movement speed for him and nearby allies for up to 10s while the… 1 +2 m/s movement speed (no cooldown reduction since 5 October) 2 +5s banner duration and +8m radius 5 +150 slam damage and +10% damage reduction turns him into the team's fight-starter: slow immunity and speed on the way in, a 20m Knockup on arrival

Avoid

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

Do

• Watch for Barrage Barrage 32s Cooldown Pocket channels, launching a stream of projectiles that deal spirit damage and apply a slow around wherever they land. Crowd Control A slow around each impact point, which compounds in a small area. Damage 32 damage per projectile (deadlock.one). Mobility Casting while airborne makes him float, extending his air time; 1 +4% amplification per stack, +3m radius. . It is a channel with a visible origin. Look up — if he is floating and barraging, he is committed to that position and is a free target for any hitscan hero.
• Stack Spirit Damage. His -15% Spirit Resist on 780 HP means spirit burst kills him faster than the health bar suggests, and it is the cleanest structural answer to him.

Avoid

• Spending your own escape before Enchanter's Satchel Enchanter's Satchel 17s Cooldown Pocket vanishes into his suitcase, becoming unreachable for a duration. Crowd Control None at base. T3's exit applies a -40% movement speed and fire rate slow for… Damage 65 damage on exit (deadlock.one). Mobility None directly, but it buys time for other cooldowns to come back. 1 +1.5s duration, +4m radius, and -40% movement speed and fire rate for 4s on exit. is on cooldown.

• Barrage Barrage 32s Cooldown Pocket channels, launching a stream of projectiles that deal spirit damage and apply a slow around wherever they land. Crowd Control A slow around each impact point, which compounds in a small area. Damage 32 damage per projectile (deadlock.one). Mobility Casting while airborne makes him float, extending his air time; 1 +4% amplification per stack, +3m radius. Ability 1

  This will not kill you on its own — it makes sure you cannot leave while the rest of Pocket's kit does. A slow around each impact point, which compounds in a small area.

  • It is a channel with a visible origin. Look up — if he is floating and barraging, he is committed to that position and is a free target for any hitscan hero.
  • Break out of the impact area rather than trading through it; the stacking amp punishes standing still more than anything else in his kit.
  • Hard CC on him while he channels ends both the damage and his float, dropping him into the fight.
• Enchanter's Satchel Enchanter's Satchel 17s Cooldown Pocket vanishes into his suitcase, becoming unreachable for a duration. Crowd Control None at base. T3's exit applies a -40% movement speed and fire rate slow for… Damage 65 damage on exit (deadlock.one). Mobility None directly, but it buys time for other cooldowns to come back. 1 +1.5s duration, +4m radius, and -40% movement speed and fire rate for 4s on exit. Ability 3

  No control at base; the upgrade is what changes that — T3's exit applies a -40% movement speed and fire rate slow for 4s.

  • He does not move. Drop a persistent zone on the suitcase — McGinnis' Heavy Barrage Heavy Barrage 36m Range8s Duration200s Cooldown McGinnis unloads a continuous stream of rockets that home toward a designated location for a duration. Crowd Control T1 applies a 24% movement and dash slow for 1s to targets hit, which… Damage 21 damage per rocket (deadlock.one). Mobility She keeps moving and can use stamina during the channel, but is slowed. 1 24% movement and dash slow for 1s on hit. 2 -45s cooldown, +6s duration. 5 +2m radius, +15 damage per rocket with increased spirit scaling. , Paradox's Pulse Grenade Pulse Grenade 3.2s Duration32s Cooldown A grenade that sticks where it lands and then pulses repeatedly. Crowd Control Time slow on each pulse — a movement slow that compounds while you remain… Damage 35 base pulse damage (deadlock.one). Defensive Thrown at her own feet it is a real anti-dive tool, slowing anyone who… 1 +20 pulse damage with increased spirit scaling. 2 +4% damage amp, +1.6s duration. , Paige's Captivating Read Captivating Read 30m Range30s Cooldown Paige marks an area with latent magic that slows anyone standing in it, then after a short delay the magic goes off, dealing spirit damage and locking enemies caught in it in place. Crowd Control A slow on entry, then an immobilize (root) when the zone detonates. Damage 90 spirit damage (deadlock.one). Defensive Immobilizing a diver is her only real self-peel, since she has no movement… 1 increased cooldown reduction. 2 +2m radius, on hit reduce spirit resist by 18% for 6s, and doubled range. — and he emerges into it.
  • Do not waste your burst while he is in it; hold your combo for the exit, which is at a known point and a known moment.
  • Reposition your team away from the satchel while he waits; the exit explosion needs bodies nearby to matter.
• Flying Cloak Flying Cloak 26s Cooldown Pocket sends a living cloak flying forward, damaging enemies it passes. Damage 60 damage (deadlock.one). Mobility Teleport to the cloak's live position, so the distance is chosen after the… Defensive Can be thrown backward as an escape route rather than forward as an engage. 1 +5 weapon damage for 6s. 2 +1.6s cloak lifetime, -10s cooldown. Ability 2

  His gap-closer and his repositioning tool, and crucially it is a deferred choice — he can throw the cloak, see how the fight develops, and then decide whether to follow it in.

  • Kill the tempo by tracking the cloak, not Pocket. The cloak's position is where he will be; pre-aim there rather than at his current body.
  • The teleport has to happen within the cloak's lifetime — deny the angle for those seconds and he either commits badly or loses the option.
  • With Flying Cloak on cooldown he is a 780 HP shotgun hero with one escape left; that is the window to commit.
• Affliction Affliction 170s Cooldown An aura around Pocket that continuously damages nearby enemies. Crowd Control None at base. Damage 32 damage per second (deadlock.one). Defensive None directly, though the T3 heal prevention is effectively defensive… 1 +3s duration, +4m radius. 2 prevents all healing on affected enemies, +13 DPS with spirit scaling. Ultimate

  Teamfight pressure rather than a kill button. Because it cannot kill on its own it is about softening an entire group so his shotgun and Barrage Barrage 32s Cooldown Pocket channels, launching a stream of projectiles that deal spirit damage and apply a slow around wherever they land. Crowd Control A slow around each impact point, which compounds in a small area. Damage 32 damage per projectile (deadlock.one). Mobility Casting while airborne makes him float, extending his air time; 1 +4% amplification per stack, +3m radius. finish them, and at T3 it becomes a full healing shutdown.

  • Simply leave the aura. It is centred on a 780 HP hero with -15% Spirit Resist — walking out is usually safer than trying to out-trade inside it.
  • The damage cannot kill you on its own, so do not panic-retreat from a winning fight because of the ticking bar; check whether anything else is actually hitting you.
  • At T3 it stops your healing, so pre-heal and pre-shield before the fight rather than relying on in-combat sustain.

1. 1 Enchanter's Satchel Enchanter's Satchel 17s Cooldown Pocket vanishes into his suitcase, becoming unreachable for a duration. Crowd Control None at base. T3's exit applies a -40% movement speed and fire rate slow for… Damage 65 damage on exit (deadlock.one). Mobility None directly, but it buys time for other cooldowns to come back. 1 +1.5s duration, +4m radius, and -40% movement speed and fire rate for 4s on exit.

   Enchanter's Satchel first. It is the escape he uses reactively — threaten him with a cheap ability to force it, then drop a persistent zone on the suitcase and commit on the exit.

2. 2 Flying Cloak Flying Cloak 26s Cooldown Pocket sends a living cloak flying forward, damaging enemies it passes. Damage 60 damage (deadlock.one). Mobility Teleport to the cloak's live position, so the distance is chosen after the… Defensive Can be thrown backward as an escape route rather than forward as an engage. 1 +5 weapon damage for 6s. 2 +1.6s cloak lifetime, -10s cooldown.

   Flying Cloak second. Once both escapes are down he is a 780 HP, -15% Spirit Resist hero with an 11-round shotgun and no sustain.

3. 3 Barrage Barrage 32s Cooldown Pocket channels, launching a stream of projectiles that deal spirit damage and apply a slow around wherever they land. Crowd Control A slow around each impact point, which compounds in a small area. Damage 32 damage per projectile (deadlock.one). Mobility Casting while airborne makes him float, extending his air time; 1 +4% amplification per stack, +3m radius.

   Barrage third: force him to channel it on a wave or a tank rather than holding it for the fight, since the stacking amp only pays out on sustained hero contact.

• Currently the weakest of this group by measured results alongside Mina: deadlocklabs.gg records 45.7% win rate at 2.3% pick, C tier across 377,553 matches. Note deadlock.io reports a much higher figure (~52.3%), which does not match the two larger-sample sources and should be treated as unreliable. Strong evidence
• -15% Spirit Resist on a 780 HP frame makes him exceptionally fragile to spirit burst. Strong evidence
• No self-healing at all; he wins by not being hit rather than by recovering. Strong evidence

• Flying Cloak Flying Cloak 26s Cooldown Pocket sends a living cloak flying forward, damaging enemies it passes. Damage 60 damage (deadlock.one). Mobility Teleport to the cloak's live position, so the distance is chosen after the… Defensive Can be thrown backward as an escape route rather than forward as an engage. 1 +5 weapon damage for 6s. 2 +1.6s cloak lifetime, -10s cooldown. lets him teleport straight past your frontline, your Spectral Wall Spectral Wall 50m Range6s Duration50s Cooldown Projects a barrier of spirit panels that slows enemies who pass through it, and can be detonated early to split the terrain and damage anything nearby. Crowd Control Slow on anyone passing through, increased by +24% at T3. Damage 60 damage on eruption (deadlock.one). Defensive Blocks line of sight and physical pathing; 1 +20% damage amp for McGinnis on hit enemies for 7s. 2 -20s cooldown, +2s duration. 5 deploys 2 Mini Turrets near the wall for 8s, +24% slow. or your Time Wall Time Wall 5.1m Range5.5s Duration25s Cooldown Paradox raises a wall of warped time that halts every enemy bullet and projectile that touches it, while speeding up and empowering friendly bullets passing through. Crowd Control Brief slow plus a silence on contact (2.3s silence at T2). Damage No direct damage. T2 grants +35% weapon damage to friendly bullets passing… Defensive Stops enemy bullets and projectiles outright — against a projectile-heavy… 1 +3.5s duration, +3m width, +1m height. 2 2.3s silence duration, +35% weapon damage for friendly bullets. 5 +2 ability charges. into your backline, with the decision to commit made after the cloak is already in flight. Strong evidence
• Barrage Barrage 32s Cooldown Pocket channels, launching a stream of projectiles that deal spirit damage and apply a slow around wherever they land. Crowd Control A slow around each impact point, which compounds in a small area. Damage 32 damage per projectile (deadlock.one). Mobility Casting while airborne makes him float, extending his air time; 1 +4% amplification per stack, +3m radius. channelled from the air puts stacking-amp Spirit Damage and a slow on your position from a spot most of your team cannot shoot back at. Strong evidence
• Enchanter's Satchel Enchanter's Satchel 17s Cooldown Pocket vanishes into his suitcase, becoming unreachable for a duration. Crowd Control None at base. T3's exit applies a -40% movement speed and fire rate slow for… Damage 65 damage on exit (deadlock.one). Mobility None directly, but it buys time for other cooldowns to come back. 1 +1.5s duration, +4m radius, and -40% movement speed and fire rate for 4s on exit. makes him untargetable on demand, so the burst combo you fired to kill him is spent on nothing and he cancels out the instant it is safe. Strong evidence
• At Affliction Affliction 170s Cooldown An aura around Pocket that continuously damages nearby enemies. Crowd Control None at base. Damage 32 damage per second (deadlock.one). Defensive None directly, though the T3 heal prevention is effectively defensive… 1 +3s duration, +4m radius. 2 prevents all healing on affected enemies, +13 DPS with spirit scaling. T3 all of your healing stops — Flog Flog 20m Range26s Cooldown A whip lash across the arc in front of Lash that returns a share of the damage dealt to him as health. Crowd Control None at base. T1 adds a 28% movement slow for 3s; T2 adds a 30% fire rate… Damage 65 base (deadlock.one). Defensive The heal is his only self-sustain; 1 28% movement slow for 3s. 2 30% fire rate reduction on hit, -16s cooldown. 5 +80 damage, wider angle (+25), +15% heal. , Fire Scarabs Fire Scarabs 35s Cooldown Mirage infests an enemy with scarabs that siphon life from them back to him and reduce the damage they deal. Crowd Control No CC, but the damage reduction on the infested target is a meaningful soft… Damage Drains 8 health per second at base rank (deadlock.one). Defensive The life steal plus the enemy damage reduction is a double-sided defensive… 1 Upgrade tiers raise the drain and duration; , Scorn Scorn 13s Cooldown A burst of damage to everything close by that converts a portion of the damage dealt into healing, with a substantially larger return when the damage lands on enemy heroes. Crowd Control None at base. T3 adds a stacking 15% damage debuff on enemies hit, lasting… Damage Damage scales with spirit at 0.75 per deadlock.io, with a 13s base cooldown. Defensive The heal is the main defensive layer and it is the primary reason they can… 1 -5s cooldown, +1m radius. 2 applies a stacking 15% damage debuff to enemies hit for 16s. , Medicinal Specter Medicinal Specter 15m Range6.5s Duration50s Cooldown Summons a spirit at a location that heals McGinnis and nearby allies for a duration. Damage No damage. Heals +25/sec (deadlock.one). Mobility None, though T2 grants +100% stamina recovery inside it. Defensive Primary defensive tool; 1 +1.5s duration. 2 -20s cooldown, +100% stamina recovery. 5 +2% max HP regen, +3m heal radius, +40% spirit resist. and every Lifesteal item go offline while you are in his aura. Strong evidence
• Enchanter's Satchel Enchanter's Satchel 17s Cooldown Pocket vanishes into his suitcase, becoming unreachable for a duration. Crowd Control None at base. T3's exit applies a -40% movement speed and fire rate slow for… Damage 65 damage on exit (deadlock.one). Mobility None directly, but it buys time for other cooldowns to come back. 1 +1.5s duration, +4m radius, and -40% movement speed and fire rate for 4s on exit. at T3 exits with a -40% movement speed and fire rate debuff for 4s, so escaping him after he re-emerges is much harder than it looks. Strong evidence

• Stack Spirit Damage. His -15% Spirit Resist on 780 HP means spirit burst kills him faster than the health bar suggests, and it is the cleanest structural answer to him. Strong evidence
• Drop persistent ground zones on the satchel. He does not move inside it, so Heavy Barrage Heavy Barrage 36m Range8s Duration200s Cooldown McGinnis unloads a continuous stream of rockets that home toward a designated location for a duration. Crowd Control T1 applies a 24% movement and dash slow for 1s to targets hit, which… Damage 21 damage per rocket (deadlock.one). Mobility She keeps moving and can use stamina during the channel, but is slowed. 1 24% movement and dash slow for 1s on hit. 2 -45s cooldown, +6s duration. 5 +2m radius, +15 damage per rocket with increased spirit scaling. , Pulse Grenade Pulse Grenade 3.2s Duration32s Cooldown A grenade that sticks where it lands and then pulses repeatedly. Crowd Control Time slow on each pulse — a movement slow that compounds while you remain… Damage 35 base pulse damage (deadlock.one). Defensive Thrown at her own feet it is a real anti-dive tool, slowing anyone who… 1 +20 pulse damage with increased spirit scaling. 2 +4% damage amp, +1.6s duration. or Captivating Read Captivating Read 30m Range30s Cooldown Paige marks an area with latent magic that slows anyone standing in it, then after a short delay the magic goes off, dealing spirit damage and locking enemies caught in it in place. Crowd Control A slow on entry, then an immobilize (root) when the zone detonates. Damage 90 spirit damage (deadlock.one). Defensive Immobilizing a diver is her only real self-peel, since she has no movement… 1 increased cooldown reduction. 2 +2m radius, on hit reduce spirit resist by 18% for 6s, and doubled range. placed on the suitcase catch him on exit. Strong evidence
• Do not fire your combo while he is untargetable. Hold it for the satchel exit, which happens at a known place and a predictable moment. Strong evidence
• Bring lockdown over burst. Mo & Krill's Sand Blast Disarm into Combo beats both of his escapes, which is why deadlocklabs.gg records that as his worst matchup at -1.9%. Strong evidence
• Track the cloak's position, not Pocket's, and pre-aim where it is — that is where he will appear. Strong evidence
• Do not retreat from a winning fight just because Affliction Affliction 170s Cooldown An aura around Pocket that continuously damages nearby enemies. Crowd Control None at base. Damage 32 damage per second (deadlock.one). Defensive None directly, though the T3 heal prevention is effectively defensive… 1 +3s duration, +4m radius. 2 prevents all healing on affected enemies, +13 DPS with spirit scaling. is ticking; the damage is non-lethal and procs nothing, so the bar dropping is not the same as dying. Strong evidence
• Pocket leaves fights on stamina, not on a single button, which is why slows underperform here and Arctic Blast Arctic Blast 6,400 souls Tier 4TechInstantCast +24s Cooldown +0.6s Spread Duration: +48% Move Speed +4s Slow Duration +10% Spirit Resist +1s Freeze Duration Builds from Cold Front over-performs: it freezes stamina regeneration, so they cannot dash out of the sequence rather than merely dashing out slower. Layer it with the fact that wall jumping already costs them 25% stamina regeneration for 5 seconds — if you can force a wall-jump exit first, the freeze lands on someone already short of charges. Strong evidence
• You want the five-person fight and Pocket only takes it on their terms, which makes 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 the item that closes the argument. It is a 12m vacuum plus a full Slowing Hex Slowing Hex 1,600 souls Tier 2TechPress +29s Cooldown +3.5s Duration +0.1s Cast Delay +16% Move Speed -26% Dash Distance effect, so it both drags them into your fight and silences the movement abilities they would use to leave it. That is a team-fight tool, not a duel tool — buy it if your win condition is the grouped fight, and skip it if your win condition is picking them off alone. Strong evidence

• The Enchanter's Satchel Enchanter's Satchel 17s Cooldown Pocket vanishes into his suitcase, becoming unreachable for a duration. Crowd Control None at base. T3's exit applies a -40% movement speed and fire rate slow for… Damage 65 damage on exit (deadlock.one). Mobility None directly, but it buys time for other cooldowns to come back. 1 +1.5s duration, +4m radius, and -40% movement speed and fire rate for 4s on exit. exit — a known position, a known moment, and he emerges with no untargetability left. Strong evidence
• Mid- Barrage Barrage 32s Cooldown Pocket channels, launching a stream of projectiles that deal spirit damage and apply a slow around wherever they land. Crowd Control A slow around each impact point, which compounds in a small area. Damage 32 damage per projectile (deadlock.one). Mobility Casting while airborne makes him float, extending his air time; 1 +4% amplification per stack, +3m radius. while he is floating: he is channel-committed at a fixed point in the air and any Hard CC drops him. Strong evidence
• With Flying Cloak Flying Cloak 26s Cooldown Pocket sends a living cloak flying forward, damaging enemies it passes. Damage 60 damage (deadlock.one). Mobility Teleport to the cloak's live position, so the distance is chosen after the… Defensive Can be thrown backward as an escape route rather than forward as an engage. 1 +5 weapon damage for 6s. 2 +1.6s cloak lifetime, -10s cooldown. on cooldown before T3's -10s: he has no gap-close and no fast reposition, only the satchel. Strong evidence
• His 11-round spreadshot reload at point-blank range — with no sustain, a caught reload against a bruiser is usually a kill. Strong evidence
• Any moment he is held by Hard CC. Both of his escapes are actions he must take, so a Disarm-plus-Stun chain (Mo & Krill) or a Root bypasses both. Strong evidence
• Your weapon has travel time and Pocket 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

• Pocket 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
• Pocket will shove the wave into your Guardian to push you off souls, and you are not fast enough to walk around it. The thing to protect is the floating orb — the ground orb drops and cannot be denied, so half your income is safe no matter what they do, and the contest is only ever over the other 50. Position on your Guardian's side of the wave so you are already in range of the floating orbs when they pop, and give up the forward orbs rather than crossing for them. Strategic

• Pocket will be their Urn runner and you are the one who can stop it. The Urn cannot be voluntarily dropped — it comes loose only on melee, a Stun, or death — so chip damage and slows do not deny a delivery, your Hard CC does. Hold it for the carry rather than spending it on the approach fight, and note the favoured team gets +50% Bullet and Spirit Resist in a 60m bubble while carrying and depositing, which is why trying to burst the runner down usually fails. 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 Pocket 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

• You have peel and Pocket is the dive threat, so your job in the fight is not damage — it is being in range of whoever they are jumping on. Position between their entry point and your squishiest teammate and hold your peel tool for the moment they commit, not for the moment they appear. Strategic

• Fight Pocket 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

• Pocket 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
• Pocket 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) — Pocket's Barrage Barrage 32s Cooldown Pocket channels, launching a stream of projectiles that deal spirit damage and apply a slow around wherever they land. Crowd Control A slow around each impact point, which compounds in a small area. Damage 32 damage per projectile (deadlock.one). Mobility Casting while airborne makes him float, extending his air time; 1 +4% amplification per stack, +3m radius. 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) — Pocket's Barrage Barrage 32s Cooldown Pocket channels, launching a stream of projectiles that deal spirit damage and apply a slow around wherever they land. Crowd Control A slow around each impact point, which compounds in a small area. Damage 32 damage per projectile (deadlock.one). Mobility Casting while airborne makes him float, extending his air time; 1 +4% amplification per stack, +3m radius. 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: Pocket's Barrage Barrage 32s Cooldown Pocket channels, launching a stream of projectiles that deal spirit damage and apply a slow around wherever they land. Crowd Control A slow around each impact point, which compounds in a small area. Damage 32 damage per projectile (deadlock.one). Mobility Casting while airborne makes him float, extending his air time; 1 +4% amplification per stack, +3m radius. . Documented

• The reflex buy against a hero who keeps deleting you is Metal Skin Metal Skin 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +24s Cooldown +5s Duration +12% Bullet Resist -20% Dash Distance , and against Pocket it does nothing. Metal Skin Metal Skin 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +24s Cooldown +5s Duration +12% Bullet Resist -20% Dash Distance is bullet-damage immunity only — Spirit Damage, abilities and every status effect pass straight through it, and you pay −1.5 m/s move speed and −20% dash distance for the privilege. The three big defensive actives are deliberately orthogonal: Metal Skin Metal Skin 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +24s Cooldown +5s Duration +12% Bullet Resist -20% Dash Distance stops bullets, Unstoppable Unstoppable 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorInstantCast +60s Cooldown +5.5s Duration +125 Bonus Health +25% Debuff Resist Builds from Debuff Reducer stops statuses, Ethereal Shift Ethereal Shift 6,400 souls Tier 4TechInstantCast +37s Cooldown +4s Duration +5s Buff Duration +30% Spirit Resist +20 Spirit Power stops everything but disables you. Pocket is a spirit threat, so it is the last two you are choosing between. Documented