The Doorman 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
• 24 damage per shot is heavy per-bullet value, so he last-hits and denies comfortably despite low overall DPS

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 2 AP into Luggage Cart Luggage Cart 20m Range6s Duration30s Cooldown The Doorman sends out a luggage cart that deals spirit damage and pulls enemy heroes along with it as it travels. Crowd Control Forced displacement along the cart's path. Damage 60-80 spirit damage (deadlock.one lists 60, mobalytics lists 80); Mobility The friendly alt-cast is a mobility tool for allies (and a way to bring a… 1 1 AP: +80 damage 2 2 AP: +25m cast range (20m to 45m) 5 5 AP: +1.25s stun when the target is slammed into a wall, and -15s cooldown : +25m cast range (20m to 45m) converts it from a close-range tool into a long-range initiation that he can use without exposing himself

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 can disengage well, so fights between you tend to go to completion. That makes the decision to start one much more important than anything you do inside it — commit only when you already have the advantage, because backing out is not available to either side. Strategic

• 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

• 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

• 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. 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
• You get value from moving around the map 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. 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 Rat King or on the Guardian, not by the breakables you pick up on the way. Documented

• 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
• Your kit is built around lockdown and that is worth less on the Mid Boss than on 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. — 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 Rat King 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

• Riding a zipline in 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 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
• 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 specific error is walking into 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 area denial after it is already down, because your team is in there and you feel late. You are slow enough that entering a committed zone is a one-way decision — you will be inside it for its full duration, not for the two seconds you intended. Arrive before the zone or arrive from the other side of it; arriving into it is how this matchup is lost even when your team wins the fight. Strategic
• 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