Silver vs Rat King

Do

• Plan for Alchemical Fire Alchemical Fire 3,200 souls Tier 3WeaponPress +30s Cooldown +5s Duration +0.2s Cast Delay +10 Spirit Power — know which tier it sits in so you are not improvising at the shop.
• Know what Royal Pestments Royal Pestments 6s Duration22s Cooldown Rat King puts on scrap armour that gives him a barrier worth a share of his maximum health. Damage Reflected bullets return their full damage to the shooter. Defensive Barrier equal to 15% of his max health for 6s on a 22s cooldown. 1 +4s duration 2 -8s cooldown and +15% bullet return chance 5 +10% max health as barrier, and no single hit deals more than 250 while it holds looks like. It is the cooldown this lane revolves around.

Avoid

• Walking to lane on the same path every wave against a hero with Rat King Rat King New hero Released 2 October Released 2 October. A gun-scaling brawler and team buffer: a three-blast slowing grenade, rats that strip bullet resist with every bite, a reflecting barrier, and a banner that makes his team slow-immune. 's engage range.

Do

• No movement ability: once Royal Pestments Royal Pestments 6s Duration22s Cooldown Rat King puts on scrap armour that gives him a barrier worth a share of his maximum health. Damage Reflected bullets return their full damage to the shooter. Defensive Barrier equal to 15% of his max health for 6s on a 22s cooldown. 1 +4s duration 2 -8s cooldown and +15% bullet return chance 5 +10% max health as barrier, and no single hit deals more than 250 while it holds is down he cannot escape a gank except on foot
• His slow projectiles fall off from 20m, so a laner who stays at range and strafes out-trades his gun
• 813 m/s bullet velocity with falloff only starting at 17m lets her win the early poke war against any close-range laner

Avoid

• 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
• Royal Pestments Royal Pestments 6s Duration22s Cooldown Rat King puts on scrap armour that gives him a barrier worth a share of his maximum health. Damage Reflected bullets return their full damage to the shooter. Defensive Barrier equal to 15% of his max health for 6s on a 22s cooldown. 1 +4s duration 2 -8s cooldown and +15% bullet return chance 5 +10% max health as barrier, and no single hit deals more than 250 while it holds lets him take a trade or tower shots that other brawlers cannot, and reflects part of a long poke trade

Do

• Their first real spike is ult unlock — respect it from that point, not before.
• Your spike is ult unlock: Lycan Curse Lycan Curse 15s Duration60s Cooldown Damaging enemies passively fills a bloodlust meter, filling faster at low health. Crowd Control No CC on the cast itself. Damage Sources disagree on the exact bonuses. Mobility Bonus move speed while transformed, plus Mauling Leap replacing Boot Kick as… 1 Upgrade tiers scale the transformation's bonuses (health, fire rate, move speed and… adds a second kit with sustain, a leap and a 2.5s AoE Disarm, and the bloodlust passive starts building from the first damage she deals

Avoid

• Taking an even fight against Rat King Rat King New hero Released 2 October Released 2 October. A gun-scaling brawler and team buffer: a three-blast slowing grenade, rats that strip bullet resist with every bite, a reflecting barrier, and a banner that makes his team slow-immune. on their spike timing when you could take the same fight ten minutes later on yours.

Do

• Watch for 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 . Back out of the 20m circle when the banner is planted and re-engage when it falls, 12 seconds later
• Dash as soon as the rats land — every ground or air dash shakes one off, and the bullet-resist shred falls off 4 seconds after the last bite

Avoid

• Spending your own escape before Royal Pestments Royal Pestments 6s Duration22s Cooldown Rat King puts on scrap armour that gives him a barrier worth a share of his maximum health. Damage Reflected bullets return their full damage to the shooter. Defensive Barrier equal to 15% of his max health for 6s on a 22s cooldown. 1 +4s duration 2 -8s cooldown and +15% bullet return chance 5 +10% max health as barrier, and no single hit deals more than 250 while it holds is on cooldown.

• 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 Ultimate

  Rat King Rat King New hero Released 2 October Released 2 October. A gun-scaling brawler and team buffer: a three-blast slowing grenade, rats that strip bullet resist with every bite, a reflecting barrier, and a banner that makes his team slow-immune. 's fight-ender: Knockup and a 40% slow on the slam, plus Rat Swarm Rat Swarm 50m Range6s Duration24s Cooldown Rat King calls a swarm of rats to a spot up to 50m away. Damage 8 spirit damage per bite (+0.08 Spirit scaling), one bite per attached rat… 1 +1 charge (8s between charges) 2 a larger swarm and +4s debuff duration 5 +8 damage and an extra -1% bullet resist per bite from the rats it releases.

  • Back out of the 20m circle when the banner is planted and re-engage when it falls, 12 seconds later
  • Spread out as he approaches with the banner raised — the slam hits everyone in 20m
  • Save your slows for after the banner; use knockdowns, stuns or disarms against his team while it is up
• 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 Ability 1

  This will not kill you on its own — it makes sure you cannot leave while the rest of Rat King Rat King New hero Released 2 October Released 2 October. A gun-scaling brawler and team buffer: a three-blast slowing grenade, rats that strip bullet resist with every bite, a reflecting barrier, and a banner that makes his team slow-immune. 's kit does. 20% movement slow for 4s (scales slightly with Spirit).

  • Walk out of the 8m circle after the first detonation instead of trading inside it — staying costs you all three hits
  • Melee the grenade away when it lands next to you
  • Debuff Reducer Debuff Reducer 1,600 souls Tier 2ArmorPassive +25% Debuff Resist +90 Bonus Health or a dispel shortens the slow, which is what turns the grenade into a kill
• Royal Pestments Royal Pestments 6s Duration22s Cooldown Rat King puts on scrap armour that gives him a barrier worth a share of his maximum health. Damage Reflected bullets return their full damage to the shooter. Defensive Barrier equal to 15% of his max health for 6s on a 22s cooldown. 1 +4s duration 2 -8s cooldown and +15% bullet return chance 5 +10% max health as barrier, and no single hit deals more than 250 while it holds Ability 3

  His survival button and the reason he can walk into a fight first. It also makes gun trades into him expensive for as long as it is up.

  • Pop the barrier with Spirit Damage, or stop shooting and wait out the 6 seconds before you commit your gun
  • Bait it with poke first; with it down he is an 800-health brawler with no movement ability
  • Against Tier 3, spread your damage over several hits — one huge hit gets capped at 250

1. 1 Royal Pestments Royal Pestments 6s Duration22s Cooldown Rat King puts on scrap armour that gives him a barrier worth a share of his maximum health. Damage Reflected bullets return their full damage to the shooter. Defensive Barrier equal to 15% of his max health for 6s on a 22s cooldown. 1 +4s duration 2 -8s cooldown and +15% bullet return chance 5 +10% max health as barrier, and no single hit deals more than 250 while it holds

   Royal Pestments first — poke him until he armours up, then hold your gun until the 6 seconds are over; without it he has no defensive button left

2. 2 Rat Swarm Rat Swarm 50m Range6s Duration24s Cooldown Rat King calls a swarm of rats to a spot up to 50m away. Damage 8 spirit damage per bite (+0.08 Spirit scaling), one bite per attached rat… 1 +1 charge (8s between charges) 2 a larger swarm and +4s debuff duration 5 +8 damage and an extra -1% bullet resist per bite

   Rat Swarm second — once it is on cooldown (24s since 5 October) your dashes are free for positioning instead of shaking rats

3. 3 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

   Scrap Grenade last — it is the easiest to sidestep or melee away, and it is his only slow outside the ultimate

• No dash, leap or blink — once his barrier is gone he is easy to catch and kite Strategic
• Slow projectile spreadshot with falloff from 20m; long-range heroes can stay out of his damage Strategic
• Most of his kit is Bullet Damage, so one bullet-resist item answers most of it Strategic
• Neither of you deletes the other, so this matchup is decided by multipliers rather than damage. Resists stack multiplicatively, which means your fourth resist item buys much less percentage than your first; shred is subtracted from the total afterward, which means it is worth more the tankier they get; and healing reduction stacks multiplicatively too, so a second anti-heal source on top of a first is worth far less than the first. The efficient build against Rat King Rat King New hero Released 2 October Released 2 October. A gun-scaling brawler and team buffer: a three-blast slowing grenade, rats that strip bullet resist with every bite, a reflecting barrier, and a banner that makes his team slow-immune. is one anti-heal, one shred, and damage after that. Strong evidence

• Rat Swarm Rat Swarm 50m Range6s Duration24s Cooldown Rat King calls a swarm of rats to a spot up to 50m away. Damage 8 spirit damage per bite (+0.08 Spirit scaling), one bite per attached rat… 1 +1 charge (8s between charges) 2 a larger swarm and +4s debuff duration 5 +8 damage and an extra -1% bullet resist per bite strips 1% Bullet Resist per bite and keeps biting faster as more rats land, so the longer you fight covered in rats, the harder every gun on his team hits you Strategic
• 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 goes off three times in an 8m circle with a slow on each hit — standing in it to trade costs you all three detonations Strategic
• Royal Pestments Royal Pestments 6s Duration22s Cooldown Rat King puts on scrap armour that gives him a barrier worth a share of his maximum health. Damage Reflected bullets return their full damage to the shooter. Defensive Barrier equal to 15% of his max health for 6s on a 22s cooldown. 1 +4s duration 2 -8s cooldown and +15% bullet return chance 5 +10% max health as barrier, and no single hit deals more than 250 while it holds sends a share of your bullets back at you, and at Tier 3 caps any single hit at 250 while it holds Strategic
• 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 makes his team immune to slows and faster on the way in, knocks up everyone in 20m, then gives his side 15–25% damage reduction near the banner Strategic
• He can come out of a vent: the tunnels let him rotate between lanes without being seen Strategic

• Dash as soon as the rats land — every ground or air dash shakes one off, and the bullet-resist shred falls off 4 seconds after the last bite Strategic
• Step out of the 8m grenade circle after the first detonation, or melee the grenade away from you Strategic
• Break Royal Pestments Royal Pestments 6s Duration22s Cooldown Rat King puts on scrap armour that gives him a barrier worth a share of his maximum health. Damage Reflected bullets return their full damage to the shooter. Defensive Barrier equal to 15% of his max health for 6s on a 22s cooldown. 1 +4s duration 2 -8s cooldown and +15% bullet return chance 5 +10% max health as barrier, and no single hit deals more than 250 while it holds with Spirit Damage, which is never reflected, or wait out its 6 seconds before you commit your gun Strategic
• When the banner is planted, leave the 20m circle and come back when it falls 12 seconds later rather than fighting into the damage reduction Strategic
• Buy Bullet Resist: his gun, the grenade and the banner slam are all Bullet Damage — only the rat bites are spirit Strategic
• Fight him from range; his pellets are slow and fall off from 20m, and he has no ability to close distance Strategic
• Rat King Rat King New hero Released 2 October Released 2 October. A gun-scaling brawler and team buffer: a three-blast slowing grenade, rats that strip bullet resist with every bite, a reflecting barrier, and a banner that makes his team slow-immune. adds barrier, not health, and barriers behave differently enough to change how you spend your combo. Resists apply before the barrier depletes, so a barrier multiplies with their resist rather than bypassing it — and it decays on its own. Overflow damage carries straight through to health, so one large hit does not stop at the barrier boundary. That argues for landing your whole burst in one window rather than chipping: chip is exactly what a decaying pool is designed to absorb. Strong evidence

• The 22 seconds after Royal Pestments Royal Pestments 6s Duration22s Cooldown Rat King puts on scrap armour that gives him a barrier worth a share of his maximum health. Damage Reflected bullets return their full damage to the shooter. Defensive Barrier equal to 15% of his max health for 6s on a 22s cooldown. 1 +4s duration 2 -8s cooldown and +15% bullet return chance 5 +10% max health as barrier, and no single hit deals more than 250 while it holds ends (14 at Tier 2): an 800-health brawler with no escape ability Strategic
• Right after he throws 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 : his only slow is spent, so you can walk away from him or kite him Strategic
• While he is carrying the banner he cannot slide or crouch, which makes him an easier target for skillshots Strategic
• In a fight he cannot reach the tunnels — keep him in combat and he has to walk out Strategic
• When Rat King Rat King New hero Released 2 October Released 2 October. A gun-scaling brawler and team buffer: a three-blast slowing grenade, rats that strip bullet resist with every bite, a reflecting barrier, and a banner that makes his team slow-immune. puts up a barrier, do not reset the trade and wait for it to drop. Overflow damage carries through to health, so a single large hit spends the barrier and keeps going in one action — there is no wasted remainder. What does get wasted is chip, because barriers decay on their own and small hits are exactly what a temporary pool absorbs for free. Either commit your burst through it or disengage entirely; the middle option gives them a free absorb. Strong evidence

• The first Unstable Rift lands around 11:00 and then every 7 minutes, and Rat King Rat King New hero Released 2 October Released 2 October. A gun-scaling brawler and team buffer: a three-blast slowing grenade, rats that strip bullet resist with every bite, a reflecting barrier, and a banner that makes his team slow-immune. beats you in exactly the fight it creates. Use the telegraph: a world-only visual appears on a random side-lane bridge roughly 60 seconds before the global announcement and map marker, which is the single biggest piece of free information in the mid game. Spend those 60 seconds either grouping or deliberately taking something elsewhere — the one thing you cannot afford is arriving at a Rift bridge late and alone. Strong evidence

• Against Rat King Rat King New hero Released 2 October Released 2 October. A gun-scaling brawler and team buffer: a three-blast slowing grenade, rats that strip bullet resist with every bite, a reflecting barrier, and a banner that makes his team slow-immune. '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

• Rat King Rat King New hero Released 2 October Released 2 October. A gun-scaling brawler and team buffer: a three-blast slowing grenade, rats that strip bullet resist with every bite, a reflecting barrier, and a banner that makes his team slow-immune. 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

• Alchemical Fire Alchemical Fire 3,200 souls Tier 3WeaponPress +30s Cooldown +5s Duration +0.2s Cast Delay +10 Spirit Power (weapon T3) — Buy for zone denial and faster objective damage, or to punish enemies who must hold a choke. Aimed at Rat King Rat King New hero Released 2 October Released 2 October. A gun-scaling brawler and team buffer: a three-blast slowing grenade, rats that strip bullet resist with every bite, a reflecting barrier, and a banner that makes his team slow-immune. 's 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 in this lineup. Strong evidence
• Scourge Scourge 6,400 souls Tier 4TechPress +35s Cooldown +10s Duration +0.25s Cast Delay +40% Spirit Resist +100 Bonus Health +20% Debuff Resist (spirit T4) — This lineup gets its unkillable frontline from Rat King Rat King New hero Released 2 October Released 2 October. A gun-scaling brawler and team buffer: a three-blast slowing grenade, rats that strip bullet resist with every bite, a reflecting barrier, and a banner that makes his team slow-immune. . Buy on supports to harden a focused ally against a caster team while adding pressure damage. Documented
• Enduring Speed Enduring Speed 1,600 souls Tier 2ArmorPassive +25% Slow Resist +2 Out of Combat Regen Builds from Sprint Boots (vitality T2) — Rat King Rat King New hero Released 2 October Released 2 October. A gun-scaling brawler and team buffer: a three-blast slowing grenade, rats that strip bullet resist with every bite, a reflecting barrier, and a banner that makes his team slow-immune. 's 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 is what you are buying against here. Buy when enemy slows are what is killing you — it is the dedicated answer, separate from generic debuff resist. Documented

• The Unstable Rift capture point is a 20m circle on a bridge, capture only progresses when no enemy is inside it, and everyone standing in it is revealed on the minimap. That is a purpose-built trap for Rat King Rat King New hero Released 2 October Released 2 October. A gun-scaling brawler and team buffer: a three-blast slowing grenade, rats that strip bullet resist with every bite, a reflecting barrier, and a banner that makes his team slow-immune. . The mistake is treating the circle as the objective: you do not need to stand in it, you need them not to. Contest from outside the radius, deny with a single body at the edge, and let their Area Damage land on empty bridge. Strategic