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Rat KingNew hero

BruiserSupportInitiator Close Range Bullet Damage Mid Game

57.8% win rate (#1 of 42), 6.2% pick rate on patch 09-29-2026 across 784,095 matches; 55.9% at Oracle and above.

Playing Rat King yourself? Build · Hardest matchups · Best teammates · Combos

How to counter Rat King

Best picks against Rat King

  • Paige Paige SupportControllerMid rangeSpirit damage Currently among the strongest heroes in the game: deadlocklabs.gg records 54.1% win rate at 2.8% pick, S tier, after a recent buff package worth about +2.2 points. Durability low (1/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility none (0/3) Healing high (2/3) — Rat King wins 51.0% matchup →

    Spirit damage ignores Royal Pestments. Why

  • Graves Graves ControllerSummonerClose rangeHybrid damage Best-in-class unattended map pressure via Borrowed Decree Ghouls marching at objectives Durability low (1/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility none (0/3) Healing low (1/3) — Rat King wins 52.1% matchup →

    Essence Theft drains his weapon damage. Why

  • Victor Victor BruiserInitiatorClose rangeSpirit damage Highest win rate in this group (around 56% on deadlock.one's current-patch sample) — currently a strong pick Durability very high (3/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing very high (3/3) — Rat King wins 52.5% matchup →

    Aura of Suffering melts a slow brawler. Why

How to play against Rat King

  • 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
  • Step out of the 8m grenade circle after the first detonation, or melee the grenade away from you
  • 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

Full counterplay · Every counter, ranked · Plan a game against Rat King

How Rat King plays
  • Makes his whole team's guns better: stacking bullet-resist shred from 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
  • Team-wide engage with slow immunity and speed, then a damage-reduction zone
  • Strong wave clear and a slow in one cooldown
  • Can rotate unseen through the map's tunnels when not in a fight
  • No dash, leap or blink — once his barrier is gone he is easy to catch and kite
  • Slow projectile spreadshot with falloff from 20m; long-range heroes can stay out of his damage
  • Most of his kit is Bullet Damage, so one bullet-resist item answers most of it
  • Lifesteal on him is only 75% effective
  • 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
  • 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 reaches 50m, so he can chip and shred a laner who is out of his gun range
  • 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
  • His tunnels only work out of combat, so they help him rotate, not escape a fight
  • 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 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
  • 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 T2 — 140 damage per detonation turns the grenade from wave clear into a real trade — three hits for 420 before weapon scaling
  • 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 T2 — The barrier comes back every 14 seconds with a 30% reflect chance, so gun trades into him stop being free
  • 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 T3 (late game) — The 250-per-hit cap makes him very hard to burst while the armour holds

Weapon

Rapid-Fire Spreadshot

Rapid FireSpreadshot

60 DPS

Falloff Range 20m 50m

Sovereign's Decree fires two pellets of 6 damage per shot at 5 shots a second for 60 DPS (about 38 sustained once reloads are counted), from a 24-round clip with a 2.8s reload. The pellets are slow projectiles at roughly 203 m/s and fall off from 20m to 50m, so he wants to be inside 20m and you can strafe his shots at range. Game data, 2 October 2026.

  • 6 Bullet Damage
  • 2 Pellets per Shot
  • 5 Bullets per sec
  • 24 Ammo
  • 2.80s Reload Time
  • 203m/s Bullet Velocity
  • 50Light Melee
  • 116Heavy Melee
Vitality and movement
  • 800 Health
  • 2 Health Regen
  • 6.80m/s Move Speed
  • 1.60m/s Sprint Speed
  • 3 Stamina
  • 3.80s Stamina Cooldown

Base values on patch data. Items and boons change all of these.

Abilities

Scrap Grenade

Ability 1 Bouncing Grenade, Three Area Detonations with a Slow

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. throws a bouncing lump of scrap that goes off three times where it lands. Every detonation hits everything within 8m for Bullet Damage and slows them. An enemy can melee the grenade to knock it somewhere else.

Purpose: His wave clear, his lane trade and his only way to stop someone walking away. Because it is three hits rather than one, it rewards enemies who stay put and punishes anyone who tries to trade through it.

Damage
70 Bullet Damage per detonation (+0.6 weapon-damage scaling), three detonations, 8m radius. Tier 2 doubles each detonation to 140. Raised from 65 in Valve's 5 October update.
Crowd control
20% movement slow for 4s (scales slightly with Spirit). The Tier 3 final blast slows 40%. Reduced by debuff resist, removable by a dispel, ignored while Unstoppable Unstoppable 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorInstantCast +60s Cooldown +5.5s Duration +125 Bonus Health +25% Debuff Resist Builds from Debuff Reducer .
Defensive
The slow is his peel: thrown at his own feet it stops a diver from following him.

How to play against it

  • 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

Interactions

  • It is a physical object until it goes off — a light or heavy melee knocks it away from you
  • The damage is Bullet Damage and scales with weapon damage, not Spirit, so Bullet Resist cuts every detonation
  • 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 's bullet-resist shred makes each later detonation hit harder on a target the rats are already biting
  • Tier 3 adds a final, bigger detonation: 300 Bullet Damage (+1.0 weapon scaling) across 14m with a 40% slow
Upgrade tiers
  • T1: -8s cooldown (26s to 18s)
  • T2: +70 damage per detonation
  • T3: one extra, bigger final detonation — 300 damage, 14m radius, 40% slow

Rat Swarm

Ability 2 Ranged Swarm That Latches onto Enemies, Spirit Damage over Time Plus Bullet-Resist Shred

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. calls a swarm of rats to a spot up to 50m away. They leap onto enemies inside 10m and keep biting: every bite deals Spirit Damage and strips 1% Bullet Resist. The more rats on one target, the faster it gets bitten. Each ground or air dash shakes one rat off.

Purpose: A damage amplifier for his whole team. On its own it is chip damage; under focus fire it is a bullet-resist shred that makes every gun on his side hit harder.

Damage
8 Spirit Damage per bite (+0.08 Spirit scaling), one bite per attached rat each second, up to 5 rats on one target. The swarm lasts 6s and the debuff lingers for 4s. Game data, 2 October 2026.

How to play against it

  • Dash as soon as rats land on you — one dash per rat, and the shred falls off 4s after the last bite
  • Do not take a long gunfight while you are covered in rats; reset, shake them, then re-engage
  • Debuff Reducer Debuff Reducer 1,600 souls Tier 2ArmorPassive +25% Debuff Resist +90 Bonus Health and Dispel Magic Dispel Magic 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +45s Cooldown +10% Spirit Resist +3s Buff Duration +250 HP Healed On Activate both cut the shred short

Interactions

  • Dashing is the counter Valve built in: every ground or air dash throws off one rat, so a target who dashes twice early loses most of the shred
  • The bites are Spirit Damage, the only Spirit Damage in his kit — Spirit Resist does nothing against the rest of it
  • The shred applies to every source of Bullet Damage, so it pairs with any gun carry on his team, not only 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.
  • His ultimate's banner slam also releases rats that apply this debuff
  • Reduced by debuff resist and removable by a dispel
Upgrade tiers
  • T1: +1 charge (8s between charges)
  • T2: a larger swarm and +4s debuff duration
  • T3: +8 damage and an extra -1% Bullet Resist per bite

Royal Pestments

Ability 3 Self Barrier with a Chance to Reflect Bullets

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 on scrap armour that gives him a barrier worth a share of his maximum health. While the barrier holds, each bullet that hits him has a chance to be sent back at whoever fired it.

Purpose: 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.

Damage
Reflected bullets return their full damage to the shooter. Base reflect chance 15% (scales with Spirit).
Defensive
Barrier equal to 15% of his max health for 6s on a 22s cooldown. The barrier is not boosted by his resists. Tier 3 raises it to 25% and, while it holds, no single hit can deal more than 250.

How to play against it

  • 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

Interactions

  • Only bullets are reflected — Spirit Damage strips the barrier with no reflect risk
  • Tier 3's 250-per-hit cap blunts one-shot burst (big headshots, single-hit ultimates) for as long as the barrier lasts
  • His bullet and spirit Lifesteal are only 75% effective (game data), so his sustain outside this barrier is modest
Upgrade tiers
  • T1: +4s duration
  • T2: -8s cooldown and +15% bullet return chance
  • T3: +10% max health as barrier, and no single hit deals more than 250 while it holds

Rule, Ratannia!

Ultimate Team Aura Banner, Then an Area Slam with Knockup, Slow and Rats

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. raises the banner of Ratannia. While he carries it, allies within 20m move faster and cannot be slowed. When he slams it into the ground the sewers erupt: enemies in the area take Bullet Damage, are knocked up and slowed, and rats pour out onto them. The planted banner stays up and allies near it take less damage.

Purpose: A fight-starting ultimate for the whole team: a speed-and-slow-immunity push, a big area Knockup on arrival, then a zone where his side is harder to kill.

Damage
200 Bullet Damage on the slam (+1.2 weapon-damage scaling), 20m radius (cut from 24m on 5 October). Tier 3 adds +150. Game data and Valve's 5 October notes.
Crowd control
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. Reduced by debuff resist; Unstoppable Unstoppable 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorInstantCast +60s Cooldown +5.5s Duration +125 Bonus Health +25% Debuff Resist Builds from Debuff Reducer ignores it.
Mobility
+3 m/s movement speed for him and nearby allies for up to 10s while the banner is carried (no longer scales with Spirit since 5 October), and immunity to slows. He cannot crouch or slide while carrying it.
Defensive
Allies near the planted banner take 15% less damage for 12s (25% at Tier 3). Both figures were cut on 5 October, from 20% and 35%.

How to play against it

  • 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

Interactions

  • 160s cooldown (raised from 130s on 5 October, and Tier 1 no longer shortens it) and a 2s wind-up before the banner is raised — you see it coming
  • Slows do nothing to his team while the banner is up, so slow-based peel ( Cold Front Cold Front 1,600 souls Tier 2TechInstantCast +25s Cooldown +4s Duration +0.6s Spread Duration: +48% Move Speed +6% Spirit Resist , Slowing Hex Slowing Hex 1,600 souls Tier 2TechPress +29s Cooldown +3.5s Duration +0.1s Cast Delay +16% Move Speed -26% Dash Distance ) is wasted in that window
  • The slam is Bullet Damage, so Bullet Resist reduces it
  • Tier 2 adds +5s to how long the planted banner stands and +8m radius; since 5 October it no longer lets him carry the banner longer, so the run-in is capped at 10s
  • Since 5 October he drops faster while carrying the banner, so a jump with it raised lands sooner than it used to
Upgrade tiers
  • T1: +2 m/s movement speed (no cooldown reduction since 5 October)
  • T2: +5s banner duration and +8m radius
  • T3: +150 slam damage and +10% damage reduction

Playing against Rat King
  • 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
  • Step out of the 8m grenade circle after the first detonation, or melee the grenade away from you
  • 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
  • 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
  • Buy Bullet Resist: his gun, the grenade and the banner slam are all Bullet Damage — only the rat bites are spirit
  • Fight him from range; his pellets are slow and fall off from 20m, and he has no ability to close distance

Bait these first

  • 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 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
  • 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 second — once it is on cooldown (24s since 5 October) your dashes are free for positioning instead of shaking rats
  • 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 last — it is the easiest to sidestep or melee away, and it is his only slow outside the ultimate

What Rat King does to you
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • He can come out of a vent: the tunnels let him rotate between lanes without being seen

Punish windows

  • 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
  • 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
  • While he is carrying the banner he cannot slide or crouch, which makes him an easier target for skillshots
  • In a fight he cannot reach the tunnels — keep him in combat and he has to walk out

Rat King's hardest and easiest matchups

Ranked by how far each pairing lands from Rat King's own baseline win rate — not by raw win rate, which mostly measures how strong the other hero is in general.

Who counters Rat King?

HeroRat King winsvs usual
Paige Paige SupportControllerMid rangeSpirit damage Measured 56.9% win rate on this patch. Currently among the strongest heroes in the game: deadlocklabs.gg records 54.1% win rate at 2.8% pick, S tier, after a recent buff package worth about +2.2 points. Durability low (1/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility none (0/3) Healing high (2/3) 51.0% -6.8 pts
Graves Graves ControllerSummonerClose rangeHybrid damage Measured 56.3% win rate on this patch. Best-in-class unattended map pressure via Borrowed Decree Ghouls marching at objectives Durability low (1/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility none (0/3) Healing low (1/3) 52.1% -5.7 pts
Victor Victor BruiserInitiatorClose rangeSpirit damage Measured 53.3% win rate on this patch. Highest win rate in this group (around 56% on deadlock.one's current-patch sample) — currently a strong pick Durability very high (3/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing very high (3/3) 52.5% -5.3 pts
Seven Seven MageControllerMid rangeSpirit damage Measured 55.3% win rate on this patch. Best-in-class wave and jungle clear, so he reaches item breakpoints ahead of most mid-laners Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility none (0/3) Healing none (0/3) 52.8% -5.0 pts
Haze Haze AssassinCarryClose rangeBullet damage Measured 54.9% win rate on this patch. Highest single-target sustained DPS in the roster once Fixation is stacked Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing high (2/3) 53.2% -4.6 pts
Kelvin Kelvin SupportControllerMid rangeHybrid damage Measured 53.7% win rate on this patch. Frozen Shelter is a hard physical barrier that stops ranged damage and ultimates outright Durability high (2/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing very high (3/3) 53.6% -4.2 pts
Baba Baba ControllerMageMid rangeSpirit damage Measured 51.9% win rate on this patch. Three kinds of control in one kit: silence, a hex and several slows Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing low (1/3) 54.7% -3.1 pts
Ivy Ivy SupportInitiatorMid rangeHybrid damage Measured 53.1% win rate on this patch. True flight — she can go places no other hero in this group can reach, with an ally in tow Durability high (2/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility very high (3/3) Healing high (2/3) 54.8% -3.0 pts

Who does Rat King counter?

HeroRat King winsvs usual
Deadman Danny Deadman Danny SkirmisherInitiatorMid rangeHybrid damage Measured 36.3% win rate on this patch. Free flight: he picks his angles and reaches heroes others can't Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility very high (3/3) Healing low (1/3) 69.8% +12.0 pts
Mirage Mirage CarrySkirmisherMid rangeHybrid damage Measured 44.7% win rate on this patch. Best-in-class split pressure: a global teleport means he is never out of position on the macro map. Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing very high (3/3) 63.7% +5.9 pts
Pocket Pocket AssassinSkirmisherClose rangeSpirit damage Measured 44.8% win rate on this patch. Two independent escapes (Flying Cloak teleport and an untargetable satchel) make him extremely hard to actually kill. Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility very high (3/3) Healing none (0/3) 62.7% +4.9 pts
The Doorman The Doorman ControllerSupportMid rangeSpirit damage Measured 45.9% win rate on this patch. Hotel Guest is the cleanest anti-carry tool in this group — it does not reduce a hero's output, it removes the hero Durability low (1/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility low (1/3) Healing none (0/3) 62.7% +4.9 pts
Solomon Solomon ControllerMageMid rangeSpirit damage Measured 44.6% win rate on this patch. Layered control: slows, a root and a stun, all aimed in predictable shapes Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility low (1/3) Healing none (0/3) 62.6% +4.8 pts
Mina Mina SkirmisherAssassinMid rangeHybrid damage Measured 47.0% win rate on this patch. Elite disengage and evasion — two untargetable hops with recasts make committing to kill her genuinely risky. Durability none (0/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility very high (3/3) Healing low (1/3) 62.3% +4.5 pts
Paradox Paradox ControllerInitiatorMid rangeHybrid damage Measured 45.9% win rate on this patch. Defines displacement: Paradoxical Swap is the only ability of its kind and it decides fights outright when used correctly. Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility low (1/3) Healing none (0/3) 62.0% +4.2 pts
Warden Warden BruiserInitiatorClose rangeHybrid damage Measured 45.5% win rate on this patch. The best anti-mobility ability in this group: Binding Word forces a 20m-in-2.8s escape check and silences you through it at T3 Durability high (2/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility low (1/3) Healing high (2/3) 61.8% +4.0 pts

Only matches whose average rank was Oracle and above. Ranked against Rat King's 55.9% win rate at that rank.

Who counters Rat King?

HeroRat King winsvs usual
Ivy Ivy SupportInitiatorMid rangeHybrid damage Measured 53.1% win rate on this patch. True flight — she can go places no other hero in this group can reach, with an ally in tow Durability high (2/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility very high (3/3) Healing high (2/3) 51.9% -4.0 pts
Kelvin Kelvin SupportControllerMid rangeHybrid damage Measured 53.7% win rate on this patch. Frozen Shelter is a hard physical barrier that stops ranged damage and ultimates outright Durability high (2/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing very high (3/3) 51.9% -4.0 pts
Paige Paige SupportControllerMid rangeSpirit damage Measured 56.9% win rate on this patch. Currently among the strongest heroes in the game: deadlocklabs.gg records 54.1% win rate at 2.8% pick, S tier, after a recent buff package worth about +2.2 points. Durability low (1/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility none (0/3) Healing high (2/3) 51.9% -4.0 pts
Dynamo Dynamo SupportControllerMid rangeSpirit damage Measured 52.5% win rate on this patch. Singularity is a multi-target hard CC long enough to decide a teamfight outright Durability high (2/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing very high (3/3) 52.2% -3.7 pts
Victor Victor BruiserInitiatorClose rangeSpirit damage Measured 53.3% win rate on this patch. Highest win rate in this group (around 56% on deadlock.one's current-patch sample) — currently a strong pick Durability very high (3/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing very high (3/3) 52.4% -3.5 pts
Sinclair Sinclair MageControllerLong rangeSpirit damage Measured 47.1% win rate on this patch. One of the longest effective weapon ranges in this group (60m falloff end) combined with a steerable skillshot Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing none (0/3) 52.5% -3.4 pts
Wraith Wraith CarryAssassinMid rangeHybrid damage Measured 51.2% win rate on this patch. Best single-target lockdown in this group outside of Warden: Telekinesis disables for over two seconds and then blocks Stamina and movement abilities afterwards Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing low (1/3) 52.6% -3.3 pts
Haze Haze AssassinCarryClose rangeBullet damage Measured 54.9% win rate on this patch. Highest single-target sustained DPS in the roster once Fixation is stacked Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing high (2/3) 52.8% -3.1 pts

Who does Rat King counter?

HeroRat King winsvs usual
Deadman Danny Deadman Danny SkirmisherInitiatorMid rangeHybrid damage Measured 36.3% win rate on this patch. Free flight: he picks his angles and reaches heroes others can't Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility very high (3/3) Healing low (1/3) 74.6% +18.7 pts
Solomon Solomon ControllerMageMid rangeSpirit damage Measured 44.6% win rate on this patch. Layered control: slows, a root and a stun, all aimed in predictable shapes Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility low (1/3) Healing none (0/3) 63.2% +7.3 pts
Mirage Mirage CarrySkirmisherMid rangeHybrid damage Measured 44.7% win rate on this patch. Best-in-class split pressure: a global teleport means he is never out of position on the macro map. Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing very high (3/3) 63.0% +7.1 pts
Warden Warden BruiserInitiatorClose rangeHybrid damage Measured 45.5% win rate on this patch. The best anti-mobility ability in this group: Binding Word forces a 20m-in-2.8s escape check and silences you through it at T3 Durability high (2/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility low (1/3) Healing high (2/3) 62.8% +6.9 pts
Paradox Paradox ControllerInitiatorMid rangeHybrid damage Measured 45.9% win rate on this patch. Defines displacement: Paradoxical Swap is the only ability of its kind and it decides fights outright when used correctly. Durability low (1/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility low (1/3) Healing none (0/3) 60.3% +4.4 pts
The Doorman The Doorman ControllerSupportMid rangeSpirit damage Measured 45.9% win rate on this patch. Hotel Guest is the cleanest anti-carry tool in this group — it does not reduce a hero's output, it removes the hero Durability low (1/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility low (1/3) Healing none (0/3) 60.3% +4.4 pts
Grey Talon Grey Talon SniperCarryLong rangeHybrid damage Measured 47.0% win rate on this patch. Longest effective engagement range in the roster — he dictates whether a fight even starts Durability none (0/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing low (1/3) 59.9% +4.0 pts
McGinnis McGinnis ControllerSupportMid rangeHybrid damage Measured 47.4% win rate on this patch. Defines zone control: Spectral Wall plus Heavy Barrage can make an entire lane or objective unenterable. Durability high (2/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility none (0/3) Healing high (2/3) 59.5% +3.6 pts

Best teammates for Rat King

The heroes Rat King wins most with on the same team, measured against what the two win rates predict.

  • Victor Victor BruiserInitiatorClose rangeSpirit damage Highest win rate in this group (around 56% on deadlock.one's current-patch sample) — currently a strong pick Durability very high (3/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing very high (3/3) — 65.2% duo win, +9.6 above expected why it works →

    Aura inside the slam: The banner slam knocks up and slows everyone in twenty meters, and Aura of Suffering Aura of Suffering 8s Duration2s Cooldown A toggle that radiates escalating spirit damage in roughly an 8m sphere around Victor, hurting enemies and Victor himself. Crowd Control T1 applies a 20% move and dash slow to enemies inside the aura Damage 13 DPS minimum ramping to 58 DPS maximum over roughly 8s of channel; Defensive none — it damages Victor as well 1 +20% move and dash slow on enemies in the aura 2 +6 minimum DPS and +34 maximum DPS 5 +1m radius and enemies inside take +15% damage from all sources slows and burns enemies near Victor. Victor is slow, so the banner's speed boost gets him into range.

  • Graves Graves ControllerSummonerClose rangeHybrid damage Best-in-class unattended map pressure via Borrowed Decree Ghouls marching at objectives Durability low (1/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility none (0/3) Healing low (1/3) — 64.4% duo win, +7.3 above expected why it works →

    Root inside the grenade: Grasping Hands Grasping Hands 24m Range5s Duration34s Cooldown Raises a line of undead hands out of the ground that damages and immobilizes anyone passing through, spawns a Ghoul, and leaves a lingering rift behind. Crowd Control immobilize (root) on enemies who pass through; Damage roughly 90 spirit at base, +90 more at tier 2 (metabot.gg, deadlock.one) Mobility none for Graves 1 +90 damage and +10m wall length 2 +1 Ghoul, about -14s cooldown and +0.75s immobilize roots enemies who pass through, holding them inside 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 's circle for all three detonations.

  • Kelvin Kelvin SupportControllerMid rangeHybrid damage Frozen Shelter is a hard physical barrier that stops ranged damage and ultimates outright Durability high (2/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing very high (3/3) — 63.0% duo win, +7.2 above expected why it works →

    Two layers of slow: 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 slows everything in its circle and Arctic Beam Arctic Beam 5s Duration28s Cooldown Channels a beam of freezing energy in front of him that damages targets and progressively cuts their movement speed and fire rate the longer it stays on them. Crowd Control ramping movement speed and fire rate reduction; Damage about 45 damage per second at base; Mobility none — it constrains his own movement while he holds it 1 about -20% fire rate and move speed on targets 2 about +20 DPS with improved spirit scaling 5 about -13s cooldown and fires 2 additional beams at targets within 10m keeps slowing whoever it touches. 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. has no dash to chase, so Kelvin's slows keep targets inside his short range.

  • Abrams Abrams BruiserTankClose rangeHybrid damage Best-in-class self-sustain through Siphon Life plus Infernal Resilience regeneration Durability very high (3/3) Burst low (1/3) Mobility low (1/3) Healing very high (3/3) — 61.2% duo win, +7.0 above expected why it works →

    Two engages, back to back: Seismic Impact Seismic Impact 215s Cooldown Abrams launches high into the air and then crashes down at a chosen point, damaging and stunning everyone in the impact zone. Crowd Control AoE stun on landing; Tier 2 adds about +0.8s. Damage 100 spirit damage base (deadlock.one). Mobility A long airborne jump to a chosen ground location; 1 roughly -30s cooldown 2 +0.8s stun duration 5 +6m impact radius and 5s Unstoppable on cast stuns everyone in the landing zone, then the 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 slam knocks the same group up and slows them. Enemies who dodge one engage still have to deal with the other.

  • Mo & Krill Mo & Krill BruiserInitiatorClose rangeSpirit damage The most complete single-target lockdown package in the game: Sand Blast disarm into Burrow knockup into a multi-second Combo stun. Durability very high (3/3) Burst high (2/3) Mobility high (2/3) Healing very high (3/3) — 60.6% duo win, +7.0 above expected why it works →

    Knockups stack the setup: Burrow Burrow 40s Cooldown Mo & Krill dive underground, moving faster and gaining both spirit and bullet armour while submerged. Crowd Control Slow plus a knockup on everyone near the emergence point. Damage Spirit damage on emergence; Mobility Increased move speed while burrowed (+4 m/s at T3) on a base 8 m/s frame… 1 +50 spin DPS while burrowed. 2 +4s burrow time, +2 radius. 5 -20s cooldown, +4 m/s move speed. surfaces with a Knockup and 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 slams with its own Knockup and slow. Either one leaves a target airborne for Combo Combo 4m Range150s Cooldown Mo & Krill grab a single enemy, hold them in place stunned while chewing through them for the duration of the channel. Crowd Control Full stun for the channel duration (roughly 3s per dramalock.org, +0.7s at… Damage Continuous damage over the channel; Mobility None — both parties are locked in place, which is the risk. 1 +100% lifesteal. 2 -30s cooldown, +50% bullet resist. 5 +0.7s duration, +40 damage per second with increased scaling. , so the channel lands on someone who cannot dash away.

  • Yamato Yamato AssassinSkirmisherClose rangeSpirit damage Highest base movement speed in this group (8.2 m/s) plus a 26-41m grapple gives her unmatched engagement control Durability high (2/3) Burst very high (3/3) Mobility very high (3/3) Healing high (2/3) — 59.0% duo win, +6.4 above expected why it works →

    Slows hold the dive: 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 slows targets and Flying Slash Flying Slash 26m Range36s Cooldown Throws a grappling hook at an enemy and pulls herself to them, landing a light melee hit and leaving them significantly slowed on arrival. Crowd Control -40% movement slow for 2.5s on the target Damage 66 melee damage Mobility Pulls her to the target from 26m base (T3 adds +15m, up to 41m) 1 -18s cooldown (36s base down to 18s) 2 gain +35 Spirit Power for 6s 5 alt-cast to grapple allies, +15m cast range, and +1 charge slows them again on arrival, so the enemy cannot walk away from either short range hero.

Every Deadlock duo

Every Rat King matchup

Rat King combos

Rat King's named sequences have not been researched and sourced yet, but the combo builder reads the game's own cooldown, cast-delay and item data for every hero, and the universal movement and melee tech is on the page too.

Open Rat King combos

Analyse a full enemy team

Matchup pages cover one enemy. The tool reads all six together.

Open the tool as Rat King

Rat King: quick answers
How do you counter Rat King in Deadlock?
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. Step out of the 8m grenade circle after the first detonation, or melee the grenade away from you. Heroes that do well against Rat King: Paige, Graves, Victor.
Who counters Rat King?
On patch 09-29-2026, Rat King does worst against Paige (Rat King wins 51.0%), Graves (Rat King wins 52.1%), Victor (Rat King wins 52.5%) — measured against Rat King's own 57.8% baseline.
What items counter Rat King?
For zoning and area denial: Enduring Speed, Fleetfoot, Restorative Locket; for slows: Debuff Reducer, Enduring Speed, Dispel Magic; for pulls and knockbacks: Unstoppable.
What is Rat King's win rate?
57.8% on patch 09-29-2026 across 784,095 matches, the highest of 42 heroes. Refreshed daily.
What are Rat King's abilities?
Scrap Grenade, Rat Swarm, Royal Pestments, and the ultimate Rule, Ratannia!.
Sources and confidence for this record

Record confidence: Strategic. Compiled for patch 09-29-2026, researched 2026-10-13.