Complete Guide to Warden in Deadlock – Skills, Builds, and Strategies

Warden

Warden is a versatile hero in Deadlock, excelling as both a tank and a damage-dealing assassin. With his ability to control the battlefield, slow enemies, and disrupt team fights, Warden is a powerful presence on the frontlines. In this guide, we will dive into Warden’s strengths, abilities, optimal build paths, and key strategies to help you dominate the game. Learn how to maximize his potential in every stage of the match and become an unstoppable force.

Warden is a formidable bruiser and duelist, known for his exceptional speed that allows him to quickly chase down enemies. He is also a strong presence on the frontline, capable of holding his ground.

In teamfights, Warden plays a pivotal role by reducing the Stamina of his enemies and effectively locking down critical threats

Weapon Stats

Vitality Stats

Deadlock Warden Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• Tanky frontliner, especially effective against Spirit-based builds.

• Excellent at chasing down fleeing enemies.

• Great for clearing jungle and roaming.

Weaknesses

• Can be poked down from a distance, lacks a long-range ability.

• Needs space to use his ultimate effectively due to its windup.

• Snare is not the best engage tool, as it's relatively easy to escape with Stamina.

Deadlock Warden Abilities

Alchemical Flask (1)

Throw a flask that damages, slows, and reduces the weapon damage and stamina of enemies it hits.

• 7m Radius

• 12s Cooldown

• 65 Damage

• 20% Move Speed Slow

• -30% Weapon Damage for 7s

• 3s Slow Duration

Alchemical Flask Upgrades

Maxing Alchemical Flask improves its burst damage, increases its Stamina Reduction, decreases its cooldown, and adds a Fire Rate slow. Taking this path helps you debuff enemies more often and gives you more AoE punch.

Tips for Alchemical Flask

This ability has a very low cooldown, so spam it often. Use it to farm waves and neutral camps faster, to harass your enemies, and to set up a target for a Binding Word since it reduces their Stamina.

Willpower (2)

Gain a spirit shield and bonus movement speed.

• 7s Duration

• 42s Cooldown

• 150 Spirit Shield Health

• 15% Move speed bonus

Willpower Upgrades

Maxing Willpower improves your speed steroid, halves its cooldown, and gives you an even stronger Spirit Shield.

Tips for Willpower

If you’re new, Spirit refers to the damage and scaling of abilities. So Warden’s Willpower Spirit Shield makes him tankier against enemy abilities but doesn’t provide protection against Weapon damage. Keep that in mind when taking fights.

Use this with items like Fleetfoot to make you turbo fast.

Binding Word (3)

Curse an enemy hero. If they don't move away from their initial position within the escape time, they will be damaged and immobilized.

• 20m Range

• 37s Cooldown

• 120 Damage

• 1.75s Immobilize Duration

• 2.8s Escape Time

• 19m Escape Range

Binding Word Upgrades

Maxing Binding Word optimizes Warden’s lockdown potential, with a longer Immobilize duration, decreased cooldown, and additional Bullet Damage against snared targets.

Tips for Binding Word

As we mentioned earlier in Weaknesses, Binding Word's snare can be tough to use against smart opponents who save their Stamina. Instead, look to snare them after landing an Alchemical Flask, or as a follow-up to another crowd control effect from your team.

Last Stand (4)

After charging for 2s (Unstoppable), releases pulses that damage enemies and heal you based on the damage done. While channeling Last Stand, you have greatly increased bullet resist.

• 13m Radius

• 6s Duration

• 138s Cooldown

• 100 DPS

• 0.5s Pulse Interval

• 100% Hero Lifesteal

• 50% Non-hero Lifesteal

Last Stand Upgrades

Maxing Last Stand increases its AoE pulse radius, improves its damage, and lets you cast it more often.

Tips for Last Stand

Be aware of which enemy heroes can interrupt your casting time for Last Stand as it has a decent windup time. If there are a lot of interrupters, try to find cover to cast it before rejoining the fight.

Ability Point Order

How to Counter Warden

Keep calm against Warden because he excels against opponents that squander their Stamina. Try to always save some to escape his snare's range, Binding Word.

If he misses his Alchemical Flask during the laning phase, you should almost always look to fight while it's down.

During team fights, Wardens will often duck out of battle to find time to ult Last Stand. If you're healthy and strong enough, stay on top of him to interrupt or kill him before he gets it off.

	Item	Cost
	Warp Stone	3,000
	Superior Stamina	3,500
	Debuff Remover	4,250
	Slowing Hex	1,250
	Ethereal Shift	3,000

Deadlock Warden Build

At first glance, Warden may seem like a tank, but in reality, he is a bullet damage assassin that also serves as a tank. Warden is one of the weakest lane heroes, but as soon as he starts picking up the necessary items, he becomes an absolute speed demon that cannot be kited.

Early Game

First, buy High-Velocity Mag to help you secure and deny souls during lane.

Pick up Headshot Booster, Close Quarters, Mystic Burst, and Mystic Reach, then begin trading after throwing out your Alchemical Flask.

Get Sprint Boots before saving up for your mid-game core.

Extra Regen is a great pickup if you are struggling in lane.

Quicksilver Reload imbued on your Alchemical Flask lets you win every trade. Combine that with Slowing Hex, and you will be able to secure kills going into the mid game.

	Item	Cost
	High-Velocity Mag	500
	Headshot Booster	500
	Close Quarters	500
	Mystic Burst	500
	Mystic Reach	500
	Extra Regen	500
	Sprint Boots	500
	Quicksilver Reload	1,250
	Slowing Hex	1,250

Mid Game

Mid game is where Warden truly shines. After you acquire the mid-game core of Slowing Hex, Divine Barrier, Fleetfoot, and Enduring Speed, no one will be able to run away from you.

Return Fire combined with your ult will let you pull out crazy 1v2 and 1v3 clutches.

Your first T3 item should be Headhunter, followed by Pristine Emblem and Point Blank.

You will want to buy both armors at some point, prioritize Spirit Armor in this build.

	Item	Cost
	Fleetfoot	1,250
	Divine Barrier	1,250
	Enduring Speed	1,750
	Return Fire	1,250
	Headhunter	3,500
	Pristine Emblem	3,500
	Point Blank	3,500
	Bullet Armor	1,250
	Spirit Armor	1,250

Late Game

Next, you want to pick up Bullet Lifesteal if you have the slot for it. This, combined with Return Fire, will make you unkillable during Last Stand.

Upgrade armors whenever possible.

Have another flex slot? Buy Fortitude.

Imbue Last Stand with Improved Reach.

	Item	Cost
	Bullet Lifesteal	1,250
	Improved Bullet Armor	4,250
	Improved Spirit Armor	4,250
	Fortitude	3,000
	Improved Reach	3,500

Situational Items

Generally, you want to prioritize T3 items over T4 in this build, but if the game goes long enough, don’t be afraid to buy some T4 items.

Inhibitor is great if you plan on looking for picks in sidelines.

Siphon Bullets is another great option if you need more tankiness.

Frenzy is the best option vs heavy weapon damage teams.

Crippling Headshot will be the highest value overall if your teammates don’t have it.

	Item	Cost
	Inhibitor	6,200
	Siphon Bullets	6,200
	Frenzy	6,200
	Crippling Headshot	6,200