Bookwyrm
Ability 1 · summoned projectile with a persistent burning trail Paige conjures a dragon that materialises at a chosen spot and then flies forward, damaging enemies along the way and leaving a strip of fire burning behind it.
What it is for: Wave clear and space denial. The lingering trail is the real ability — it makes a corridor or a lane approach cost health to walk through, which is how she shapes where a fight happens.
- Damage
- 60 initial damage plus 30 damage per second from the trail (deadlock.one). T3 adds +100 damage and +30 DPS. 33s cooldown per deadlock.io.
- Defensive
- The trail is a soft wall; enemies routing around it are taking the path she wants them on.
How to play against it
- The trail is a fixed strip on the ground — walk around it rather than through it, since the DPS is only dangerous if you commit to crossing.
- The dragon flies a straight line from its spawn point; once you see where it materialises you know the whole path.
- It has no CC, so pushing through it at full health is often correct if the alternative is giving her time to set up Captivating Read.
Interactions
- urgametips.com recommends placing dragons along enemy routes before the fight starts rather than reactively.
- T2's extra charge lets her lay two trails and genuinely fence off an area.
- Combines with Captivating Read: the trail pushes enemies into the delayed detonation zone.
Upgrade tiers
- T1: -12s cooldown.
- T2: +1 charge, +2s trail duration, +1m radius.
- T3: +12m travel range, +100 damage, +30 DPS.
Plot Armor
Ability 2 · targeted ally barrier with a weapon damage buff Paige grants a chosen ally a barrier, and for as long as that barrier is still standing the ally's weapon damage is increased.
What it is for: Her core support action and the thing that makes her a top-tier duo partner. It is a save and a damage amp simultaneously, so shielding the right teammate at the right moment both prevents a death and wins the trade.
- Damage
- No damage. 125 barrier and +25% weapon damage at base (deadlock.one). T2 adds +100 barrier and +2s duration.
- Mobility
- None, though it is her main way of keeping a diving ally alive.
- Defensive
- Direct barrier on an ally at 35m range (urgametips.com), 28s cooldown.
How to play against it
- Burn through it rather than waiting it out — the damage buff lasts only while the barrier holds, so breaking it fast removes both effects at once.
- Barrier-piercing and spirit-damage sources bypass or chew through it faster than sustained bullet fire.
- Force her to spend it defensively on a poked teammate before the fight; the 28s cooldown means she rarely has it twice in one engagement.
Interactions
- Highest-win-rate opener pairs Plot Armor with Captivating Read (64.7% of tracked games per deadlocklabs.gg).
- T3 extends it to 2 additional allies, turning a single-target save into a team-wide damage buff.
- Explains her enormous duo deltas: Kelvin +6.1%, Dynamo +5.6%, Graves +5.3% (deadlocklabs.gg).
- urgametips.com notes a common mistake is shielding too early — the buff expires with the barrier.
Upgrade tiers
- T1: while barriered, +14% fire rate.
- T2: +100 barrier, +2s duration.
- T3: affects up to 2 additional allies with increased barrier scaling.
Captivating Read
Ability 3 · delayed-detonation ground zone with slow then immobilize 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.
What it is for: Her catch and her area denial. The slow-then-immobilize structure means it is not a reaction tool — it is placed where she expects people to be, most often a choke or a retreat path.
- Damage
- 90 spirit damage (deadlock.one). 30s cooldown per deadlock.io. The 09-16-2026 patch increased the T1 cooldown reduction and doubled its T3 range.
- Crowd control
- A slow on entry, then an immobilize (root) when the zone detonates.
- Defensive
- Immobilizing a diver is her only real self-peel, since she has no movement ability at all.
How to play against it
- The detonation is delayed and the zone is visible. Leave the marked area before the timer expires — this is fully avoidable with attention.
- Blink, teleport and dash effects used before the detonation get you out; used after the immobilize they do not.
- Bait it by walking a durable hero through a choke first, then move your carry through once the 30s cooldown is running.
- Debuff Remover clears the immobilize if you are caught.
Interactions
- The pairing with Plot Armor is her top opener (deadlocklabs.gg).
- Bookwyrm's burning trail funnels enemies into the zone, which is the intended combination.
- urgametips.com flags forcing it on open ground as a common error — it needs a choke to be reliable because of the delay.
Upgrade tiers
- T1: increased cooldown reduction (buffed 09-16-2026).
- T3: +2m radius, on hit reduce spirit resist by 18% for 6s, and doubled range (09-16-2026).
Rallying Charge
Ultimate · map-wide directional wave that heals allies and damages enemies Paige sends a line of spectral knights and mounts charging across the entire city. Allies they pass through are healed and enemies are damaged, and both effects grow stronger the further the charge has travelled.
What it is for: A global swing button. It can heal a team fighting on the far side of the map, finish a retreating group, or turn a lost objective fight at range — the distance-amplification means the biggest payoff comes from casting it from as far away as possible.
- Damage
- 125 damage and 125 heal at base, amplifying with distance travelled up to about 250m (deadlock.one, deadlock.io). T3 adds +160 damage, +0.5s stun and +70% max amplification. 210s base cooldown, reduced by 45s at T2. The 09-16-2026 patch reduced its cooldown further as part of a buff package.
- Crowd control
- None at base. T3 adds a 0.5s stun.
- Defensive
- The heal component is a genuine global save for a team losing a fight she is not in.
How to play against it
- It is a directional wave, not a targeted AoE. Step laterally out of the line once the knights are visible and it passes you entirely.
- Stand behind hard cover — the wave travels along the ground and geometry breaks it.
- Anti-heal on her allies blunts half the ability's value even if the damage lands.
Interactions
- Because it is directional across the whole map, she should cast from the far side rather than from inside the fight — the opposite instinct to most ultimates.
- T2's +4 steeds widens the wave, which matters a great deal for actually connecting with a spread team.
- urgametips.com lists holding it until a fight is already lost as a common mistake.
Upgrade tiers
- T2: +4 steeds (wider), -45s cooldown.
- T3: +160 damage, +0.5s stun duration, +70% max amplification.