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As one of the most balanced heroes currently available in Valve’sDeadlock, Kelvin’s best build works with his ability to wall enemies and support allies. Equipped to forge ice paths to safety and regenerate health under shelter, the hero shines in a team, but he can hold his own just as easily. With the proper build, his support skills are balanced with max damage output.
LikeDeadlock’sPocket has a mixed bag of abilities, you can feasibly run Kelvin for offense or defense. To make the most out of this hero’s skill set, however, you’ll want to avoid a black-and-white approach. Leveling hard-hitting attacks and playing to disrupt the strategies of opposing players with mobility boosts and slowing effects is key. The right items will further solidify his build and provide extra staying power.
The Best Options To Build Kelvin
Abilities, Items, & Progression
Kelvin runs incredibly well with a tanky support build. He can certainly compete with the likes ofDeadlock’sDPS-focused fighter, Seven, but Kelvin’s setup is more comparable to Warden’s best build, balancing damage output with improvements to mobility and bulk. This way, the hero can hold his own and carry his team through tough situations.There are specific upgrades you’ll want to work toward when leveling, depending on your progress in the game. We’ve outlined the hero’s abilities and leveling details, along with his best items for each stage of the game.
Deadlockis currently in beta playtesting. Gameplay details and mechanics may change as Valve works toward releasing the finished game. We’ll provide build updates here as needed.
Kelvin’s Best Abilities & Leveling
You can level Kelvin’s abilities with Ability Points (AP) to gain access to helpful upgrades in any order. The cost scales with each upgrade you unlock, just as it does withallDeadlockcharacters. Leveling every ability in full will require1 AP, 2 AP, and 5 AP, respectively. Here’s a complete breakdown of effects and upgrades.
DESCRIPTION & LEVELING
Frost Grenade
Throw a grenade that explodes in a cloud of freezing ice, damaging and slowing enemies.
Ice Path
Kelvin creates a floating trail of ice and snow that gives movement bonuses to him and his allies. Kelvin gains 60% slow resistance for the duration. Enemies can also walk on the floating trail.
Arctic Beam
Shoot freezing cold energy out in front of you, damaging targets and building up movement, and the fire rate slows against them the longer you sustain the beam on them. You have reduced movement speed while using Arctic Beam. The beam may also claim Souls.
Frozen Shelter
Kelvin freezes the air around him, creating an impenetrable dome around himself. While in the dome, allies rapidly regenerate health, and enemies slow down.
It would be best if you considered your playstyle when choosing which of Kelvin’s abilities to unlock first. Frost Grenade deals damage and slows your enemies, making it a reliable early-game option when you’re lacking speed. However,Arctic Beam can prove just as helpfulin the long run by damaging targets and slowing their movement and fire rate. It also comes with the added perk of occasionally claiming Souls, soit’s the best option for most players.
Those just starting inDeadlockmay find Frost Grenade more beginner-friendly than Arctic Beam. Despite the latter’s perks, you’ll want to choose Frost Grenade if you’re having a tough time keeping up with other players in the game’s early stages, as it offers slowing effects.
In any case, whichever ability you don’t choose here should be your next option in line.Ice Path will come next, granting a much-needed speed boost and a method for ally support. Finally,Frozen Shelter will support teammates similarly once you’ve made a getaway, offering health regeneration and another way to slow enemies.
Deadlock: Best Lady Geist Build (Abilities & Leveling Guide)
Lady Geist is a great duelist in Deadlock. However, she uses health as her resource, making it likely she will fall in battle if not careful.
When it comes to leveling with AP, it’s a good idea tofunnel what you have into Frost Grenade if you choose it as Kelvin’s first ability because ofits massive damage increase. Even if you opt for Arctic Beam, this upgrade is still worth the investment. From there,your damage output will be solid enough to focus on speed and health improvements. Going for Ice Path’s first upgrade next can give you the speed you need, but you should work on leveling Frozen Shelter after that for a fail-safe.
Kelvin’s Best Items
With wiggle room for preferred Flex Items, here’s a look at the items that work best with Kelvin’s build:
Late Game
A truly balanced hero, Kelvin can benefit from a wide variety of items throughDeadlock’searly, mid, and late game. When you’re just starting out, you’ll want togo for items like Mystic Burst, Extra Charge, and Extra Spiritto back Kelvin’s Frost Grenade with another charge and boost Spirit Power.High-Velocity Mag helps similarly, allowing you to fire shots much faster with improved overall Weapon Damage. Top it off with Sprint Boots and Extra Regen for more speed and padding.
As you near the middle stages ofDeadlock, your beginning Kelvin build should still hold up rather well, but more can be added to improve its foundation.Improved Cooldown and Rapid Recharge are the biggest contenders here, cutting Cooldown and Charge times on the hero’s abilities.Point Blank, Alchemical Fire, and Improved Burst will boost Weapon Damage and Spirit Power.
you may go for Fleetfoot for an additional speed increase in the mid-game, but depending on available slots and playstyle, you can also opt for either Spirit Armor or Bullet Armor to cushion any weak spots.
Wrapping up Kelvin’s build inDeadlock’slate game,Torment Pulse is a great item to improve range and inflict additional Spirit Damage on nearby enemies. You’ll get an even greater increase alongside improvements to range, health regeneration, and Spirit Resist with Spiritual Overflow, Mystic Reverb, and Boundless Spirit. Round it out with Soul Rebirth and Warp Stone for an easy escape plan to heal and cut Cooldown times.
