Deadlock Graves Best Build Ascendant

How Graves Works

Graves is not a diver. She is an area controller and split-pusher who punishes overcommits and provides constant objective pressure. Her core mechanic is Essence Theft (skill 3), which steals weapon damage and spirit resist from up to 3-4 targets. The longer she survives in fights, the more stats she steals and the stronger she becomes.

Early Game: Laning (First 10-15 mins)

1. Sustain and Farm Setup

   • Start with Restorative Shot (or Extra Regen/Heal Rite) + basic spirit items for lane sustain
   • Pair with an aggressive laner (Abrams, Billy, Shiv, Yamato) who initiates so you can back them up safely
   • Use Jar of Dead (skill 1) for poke and harass, Grasping Hands (skill 2) for zoning and setups
   • Rebind alt-cast for skill 2 so you can rotate Grasping Hands to vertical lines for better walls

2. Skill Order

   • Max skill 1 (Jar) first for damage and sustain
   • Then skill 3 (Essence Theft) for stacking steals
   • Point ult early for split push pressure
   • Get recharging rush and stamina items for mobility and survivability

3. Farming Pattern

   • Drop ult near objectives or lanes, then leave to jungle or switch lanes
   • Use Split Shot (cheap early) plus deadheads to melt camps and waves fast
   • Abuse tombstone for low-commitment push: it forces enemies to respond while you farm elsewhere
   • Early game is her weakest phase. Focus on not dying and accelerating soul income

Mid Game: Core Power Spikes

• Heroic Aura - Build ASAP. Speeds up summons and skulls by double on minions. Huge for farming and push.
• Echo Shard - More deadheads and charges for sustained pressure
• Split Shot into Ricochet - Massive wave clear plus multi-debuff via Essence Theft
• Leech - Sustain in extended fights, scales with your stolen stats
• Toxic Bullets / Inhibitor / Silencer - Debuff stacking for teamfight value

Key Decision Points

Late Game Execution (Ascendant+)

• Stack Essence Theft aggressively in fights. Short range means you commit, but you steal massively from each target
• Position to apply Ricochet beams and debuffs to multiple targets simultaneously
• Summons and ult ghouls provide constant objective pressure while you fight
• Sustain via Leech plus stolen resists. Play for long fights where your stat-stealing wins out
• Do not overextend without escape plan. You are slow with short range

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcommitting early without sustain or mobility, leading to easy ganks. You are slow with short range.
• Ignoring split push and ult farming, causing you to fall behind in souls. Always be farming somewhere.
• Building full spirit without gun items, making you less consistent vs good players who clear skulls fast
• Poor alt-cast on skill 2. Rebind it so you can rotate Grasping Hands to vertical walls for better zoning
• Pushing too far from team without an escape plan. Always know your exit before you commit