Complete Guide to Yamato in Deadlock – Skills, Builds, and Strategies
Yamato is a versatile hero in Deadlock, capable of both Spirit and Weapon-based builds. This guide focuses on a hybrid playstyle that maximizes both burst damage and sustained output, allowing you to deal massive damage in both duels and teamfights. Whether you're chasing down enemies or holding your ground in skirmishes, Yamato's unique abilities, when used correctly, make her a formidable force. In this guide, we'll break down the best build and strategies to take full advantage of her potential.
Yamato
Yamato is a high-impact character with the potential to go into "god mode" thanks to her ultimate, which grants invincibility and resets all of her ability cooldowns. While she requires dedication to master, once you’ve perfected her playstyle, her outplay potential is unmatched, allowing her to dominate the battlefield.
Weapon Stats
| DPS | 70 |
| Bullet Damage | 5.65 |
| Ammo | 12 |
| Bullets per Second | 2.5 |
| Light Melee | 69 |
| Heavy Melee | 128 |
Vitality Stats
| Max Health | 500 |
| Health Regen | 2 |
| Bullet Resist | 0% |
| Spirit Resist | 0% |
| Move Speed | 8 m/s |
| Sprint Speed | 0 m/s |
| Stamina | 3 |
Yamato Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
- High skill ceiling, requiring mastery to unlock full potential.
- Exceptional mobility, making her one of the best at chasing down enemies.
- Strong in 1v1 combat, skirmishes, and can pressure lanes effectively as a split pusher.
Weaknesses:
- Starts off fragile and weak in the early stages.
- Needs time and scaling to reach her peak power.
- Engaging without her ultimate is risky, as she lacks the necessary tankiness.
Power Slash (1)
Channel to increase damage over 1.5 seconds, then release a fully-charged sword strike. Press [1] or [left-click] to trigger the strike early, dealing partial damage.
- 10.5s Cooldown
- 160 Full Charge Damage
- 25m Slash Length
Power Slash Upgrades
| 1 AP | +60 Bullet Resist while channeling |
| 2 AP | Apply +40% movement slow for 3s, -2s Cooldown |
| 5 AP | +200 Full Charge Damage |
Maxing Power Slash provides utility with Bullet Resist while channeling, a movement slow effect, and a damage boost upon fully charging.
Tips for Power Slash
Power Slash has a wide projectile, making it capable of clipping enemies behind thin or shallow cover.
Flying Strike (2)
Throw a grappling hook to reel yourself towards an enemy, damaging and slowing the target when you arrive.
- 20m Range
- 21s Cooldown
- 70 Damage
- 30% Movement Slow
- 2.5s Slow Duration
Flying Strike Upgrades
| 1 AP | +25% Movement Slow |
| 2 AP | +20m Cast Range |
| 3 AP | +6 Weapon Damage for 10s after striking the target |
Maxing Flying Strike grants additional movement slow, increased casting range, and a Weapon Damage boost for 10 seconds after hitting the target.
Tips for Flying Strike
In addition to being a great engage tool, Flying Strike can also help you escape in a pinch since you can use it on neutral camps and enemy Troopers.
Crimson Slash (3)
Slash enemies in front of you, damaging them and slowing their fire rate. If any enemy heroes are hit, you heal.
- 13m Range
- 11.5s Cooldown
- 60 Damage
- 70 Heal on hero hit
- 20% Fire Rate Slow
- 4s Debuff Duration
Crimson Slash Upgrades
| 1 AP | +30% Fire Rate Slow |
| 2 AP | +10% of Max Health Heal on hero hit |
| 3 AP | -6s Cooldown |
Maximizing Crimson Slash provides Yamato with increased survivability through extra healing, additional Fire Rate Slow, and significantly reduces the cooldown.
Tips for Crimson Slash
Unlike Power Slash, which slows your momentum, Crimson Slash maintains your current speed. Use it in combination with movement techniques like Dash Jump to maximize your positioning for AoE healing procs during fights.
Shadow Transformation (4)
Become infused with Yamato's shadow soul. After an initial invincible transformation, your abilities are refreshed and are 60% faster, and you gain immunity to negative status effects. You are unable to die in this mode.
- 2s Cast Time
- 85s Cooldown
- 4s Duration
- +60% Ability Speed
- +40% Spirit Resist
- +40% Bullet Resist
Shadow Transformation Upgrades
| 1 AP | +20% Fire Rate |
| 2 AP | +4 m/s Move Speed |
| 3 AP | +2s Duration |
Maxing Shadow Transformation gives a significant reduction in cooldown (by 30s), boosts move speed, and extends its duration.
Tips for Shadow Transformation
Combine Shadow Transformation with items like Refresher and Duration Extender to make her invincible for an absurdly long time. You can truly dominate in a 1v11, especially if you're well-fed (which is likely if you can afford Refresher).
Ability Point Order
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How to Counter Yamato
During the early game, Power Slash can deal a significant amount of burst damage. Save your Stamina for dodging it, and then look to trade once it's on cooldown—this is where most of her laning power comes from.
Yamato is one of the best duelists in the game, so think carefully before engaging her if she's ahead, especially if you don't have backup nearby.
Take advantage of her Shadow Transformation (ultimate) wind-up time to create space. Try to lose line of sight so she can't use Flying Strike to close the gap.
| Item | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
 |
Superior Stamina | 3,500 |
 |
Silence Glyph | 3,000 |
 |
Curse | 6,200 |
Deadlock Yamato Build
Yamato is an assassin who can be played either Spirit-based or Weapon-based. This build is a hybrid between the two, focusing on delivering strong burst damage while maintaining consistent damage output throughout the game.
Early Game
Start by purchasing an early Hollow Point Ward to boost your weapon strength.
Pick up Mystic Burst to improve your trading potential.
Extra Health and Enduring Spirit will help you survive against enemy burst damage and all-ins.
Extra Spirit is a solid pick, enhancing your damage while providing some health regen.
Mystic Shot and Slowing Hex serve as your primary damage sources aside from Power Slash.
| Item | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
 |
Headshot Booster | 500 |
 |
Hollow Point Ward | 500 |
 |
Mystic Burst | 500 |
 |
Extra Health | 500 |
 |
Enduring Spirit | 500 |
 |
Extra Spirit | 500 |
 |
Mystic Shot | 1,250 |
 |
Slowing Hex | 1,250 |
Mid Game
After purchasing your early game items, start saving up to 3000 souls to buy Torment Pulse as your first T3 item.
Fill out the rest of your weapon slots with Slowing Bullets and Soul Shredder Bullets.
With a focus on burst damage, you should prioritize Improved Burst. It's okay to buy this later, as it deals percentage-based max HP damage, which becomes more effective as health pools grow.
Next, purchase Spirit Lifesteal and Healbane to allow you to participate in fights that go beyond dueling.
Sell Extra Health and Enduring Spirit for armor items.
| Item | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
 |
Torment Pulse | 3,000 |
 |
Slowing Bullets | 1,250 |
 |
Headhunter | 3,500 |
 |
Improved Burst | 3,500 |
 |
Spirit Lifesteal | 1,250 |
 |
Healbane | 1,250 |
 |
Bullet Armor | 1,250 |
 |
Spirit Armor | 1,250 |
Late Game
Your first flex slot purchase should be Mystic Vulnerability, as this is your highest damage upgrade at T2.
Next, save up for Mystic Reverb as you unlock your second flex slot, and imbue Power Slash.
If you’re tight on slots, you can upgrade Extra Spirit into Improved Spirit and Boundless Spirit.
If you have excess money and another flex slot available, consider buying Refresher.
You can always upgrade armor if you're having trouble with flex slots.
| Item | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
 |
Mystic Vulnerability | 1,250 |
 |
Surge of Power | 3,000 |
 |
Mystic Reverb | 6,200 |
 |
Improved Bullet Armor | 4,250 |
 |
Improved Spirit Armor | 4,250 |
Situational Items
Warp Stone gives you an extra bit of mobility.
Ethereal Shift is your best answer to enemies’ Silence Glyph.
| Предмет | Стоимость | |
|---|---|---|
 |
Warp Stone | 3,000 |
 |
Ethereal Shift | 3,000 |
 |
Refresher | 6,200 |
 |
Improved Spirit | 3,500 |
 |
Boundless Spirit | 9,800 |