Ultimate Deadlock Paradox Build Guide for Optimal Gameplay

This Deadlock Paradox build guide is tailored for intermediate and advanced players in Valve’s latest shooter. Paradox is a challenging Hero to master in Deadlock, but with familiarity with her unique abilities, you can effortlessly outmaneuver your opponents.

Paradox is a character steeped in mystery, which is aptly reflected in her name. Possibly originating from a scientific background, this Hero carries an hourglass on her back, with tubes extending from it, allegedly powering her gun and abilities. She also has a glass head and wields a charged burst-fire carbine as her primary weapon.

Although Paradox’s kit is not the easiest to grasp, her support and fragging capabilities are unparalleled once you get accustomed to them. Thus, utilizing the right Deadlock Paradox build will enable you to dominate in high MMR matches.

How to Play Paradox in Deadlock

Deadlock Paradox gameplay (Image via Valve)

Paradox’s toolkit revolves around manipulating space and time. With her abilities like Pulse Grenade, Time Wall, and Kinetic Carbine, she can slow, stop, and inflict damage simultaneously, making her a formidable opponent. Additionally, her Paradoxical Swap allows her to deal damage while swapping locations with an enemy Hero. Before diving into the Deadlock Paradox build guide, let’s examine her abilities in detail.

Deadlock Paradox Build: Abilities Explained

Pulse Grenade – Paradox throws a pulsing grenade that inflicts damage, slows enemy movement, and amplifies damage for herself. (Cooldown time: 28s)
Time Wall – She creates a wall that damages enemies touching it based on their maximum health and briefly slows them. (Cooldown time: 37s)
Kinetic Carbine – Paradox charges her weapon, gaining increased movement speed when fully charged. The next shot deals Spirit damage and can halt the target’s movement in time. (Cooldown time: 30s)
Paradoxical Swap – She fires a projectile that exchanges her position with a target enemy Hero, dealing damage over time to the enemy and granting her Spirit lifesteal during the swap. (Cooldown time: 48s)

Deadlock Paradox Build: Items Explained

Items for Deadlock Paradox build (Image via Valve)

You can upgrade your Hero by acquiring a variety of items from The Curiosity Shop throughout the match, ultimately crafting your ideal build. These items are categorized into early, mid, and late game purchases based on their cost. Efficiently manage your Spirits to maximize the effectiveness of your Deadlock Paradox build.

1) Early Game

Essential items for the Deadlock Paradox build during the early game include:

Mystic Shot: +12% Weapon Damage, +4 Spirit Power, Passive – next bullet deals bonus Spirit damage (67) (Cooldown: 5.2s)
Warp Stone (Active): +20% Weapon Damage, +8 Spirit Power. Teleport within 11m upon activation, +30% Bullet Resist (for 5s, cooldown of 16s)
Bullet Armor: +20% Weapon Resist, +6% Weapon Damage
Divine Barrier (Active): +8% Ability Range, +75 Bonus Health, +1m/s Sprint Speed. Grants Bullet shield (260), Spirit shield (260), and increased movement speed (+2m/s) when activated for 5s, with a cast range of 38m and cooldown time of 30s.
Slowing Hex (Active): +1m/s Sprint Speed, +5 Spirit Power. Grants 70 + (0.59 * Spirit Power) Spirit damage, causes 30% movement slow, and has a 25m cast range (lasts 3s). Cooldown time is 26s.

2) Mid Game

Essential items for the Deadlock Paradox build during mid-game include:

Headhunter: +50% Bullet Velocity, +15% Weapon Damage, +150 Bullet Shield Health. Grants +140 Bonus Headshot Damage with 8% Heal per Headshot, and +2m/s Move Speed for 3s with a 6s cooldown (Passive)
Fortitude: +275 Bonus Health. Passive 1 – gain 4% Max Health regen after 11s without taking damage. Passive 2 – boosts Weapon Damage (+25%) and Movement Speed (+2m/s) when above 75% health.
Spirit Armor: +20% Spirit Resist, +5 Spirit Power
Enduring Speed: +1.4m/s Move Speed, +2m/s Sprint Speed, +75 Bonus Health, +1.5 Health Regen, and reduces enemy Movement Slow effect by 40% (Passive)
Improved Burst: +100 Spirit Shield Health, +8% Weapon Damage, with abilities dealing bonus Spirit damage (9% max health bonus) if damage exceeds 125 in a single hit (Cooldown: 5s)
Improved Cooldown: +16% Cooldown Reduction, +1.5 Health Regen
Curse (Active): +20% Weapon Damage, +8 Spirit Power. Curses an enemy to interrupt, silence, disarm, and prevent item usage for 3.25s from a 20m cast range.

3) Late Game

Essential items for the Deadlock Paradox build during the late game include:

Siphon Bullets: +28% Weapon Damage. Steal 45 Max HP from enemies per bullet (Passive) – lasts 20s with a maximum frequency of 0.8s. Enemies regain stolen health once the debuff expires, but you permanently steal 1 stack of health if a siphoned target dies and lose 2 stacks if you die.
Improved Bullet Armor: +45% Bullet Resist, +10% Weapon Damage
Improved Spirit Armor: +45% Spirit Resist, +8 Spirit Power
Soul Rebirth: +15% Cooldown Reduction, +12 Spirit Power. If killed, respawn at death location after 4s with 50% health.
Superior Cooldown: +32% Imbued ability cooldown reduction, +24% Non-Imbued ability cooldown reduction, +4 Health Regen.
Diviner’s Kevlar: +20% Spirit Lifesteal, +12% Cooldown Reduction. Grants temporary Bullet shield (700), Spirit shield (700), and Spirit Power (+40) for 15s after casting an ultimate ability (Cooldown: 56s).
Mystic Reverb: +15% Spirit Lifesteal, +15% Spirit Resist, +15% Ability Range. Passive – imbues an ability to apply a 50% Movement Slow in an 18.4m radius around the target, dealing additional damage (40%) to enemies nearby after a short delay (3s) (Cooldown: 6.2s).

Paradox is a fantastic choice for players who thrive on outsmarting their opponents. Efficiently manage your Spirits throughout the match and progressively upgrade your items through early, mid, and late games to discover your ideal Deadlock Paradox build.

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