Deadlock Graves Guide: Best Build, Abilities & Strategy

If you want to command an army of the undead and dictate the flow of battle, mastering deadlock graves is your ticket to victory. As a premier summoner and area-denial specialist, this hero leverages morbid magic to control space, pressure lanes, and drain her enemies' strength. This comprehensive deadlock graves guide will walk you through her kit, item builds, and macro strategies to help you dominate your matches.

Whether you are struggling with her weak early game or looking to maximize her late-game split-pushing potential, understanding her unique mechanics is essential. Graves is not a traditional run-and-gun carry; she is an attrition-based control mage who excels at turning the battlefield into a graveyard.

Quick Answer Graves is a Tier-C utility summoner who shines in the mid-game through superior zone denial and split-pushing. To succeed, players must survive a punishing laning phase, rush utility items like Mystic Shot and Heroic Aura, and master the placement of her ultimate, Borrowed Decree.

Graves Hero Profile and Core Statistics

To build a strong foundation for deadlock graves, players must first understand her base statistics and core identity. Classified under the tags Morbid, Area Denial, and Necromancer, Graves relies heavily on positioning and spirit-scaling abilities rather than raw weapon DPS.

In the early game, Graves suffers from low base mobility and a short weapon range of just 10 meters. This makes her highly vulnerable to long-range harassers. However, her scaling stats and ability to siphon resistances allow her to transition into a surprisingly durable midline or backline threat as the match progresses.

Comprehensive Ability Breakdown and Upgrades

To unlock the full potential of deadlock graves, you must understand how her abilities interact. Her kit is a delicate balance of active summons, passive stat siphoning, and hard crowd control. Below is a detailed look at her four core abilities, their AP (Ability Point) upgrade paths, and community-sourced tactical tips.

1. Jar of Dead (1)

• Passive: Graves collects "death" (often referred to by the community as gloop) whenever anything dies nearby. Minions grant 1 charge, neutral denizens grant 3, and enemy heroes or the Mid-Boss grant 5. You need 12 charges to store a jar.
• Active: Throw a jar to unleash multiple Deadheads (skulls) at the target location. These skulls deal spirit damage. If thrown directly at an enemy, they prioritize that target; otherwise, they follow Graves or attack whoever she targets with her primary weapon.
• Community Note: The community has affectionately named her six potential skulls Ed, Fred, Jed, Ned, Ted, and Zed.

2. Grasping Hands (2)

• Active: Unearth a line of grasping hands that deals spirit damage and immobilizes any enemy hero or minion passing through it.
• Mechanic: You can rotate the orientation of the wall using your alternate fire (right-click) before casting.
• Summon Detail: This ability summons two specific ghouls named Craig and Julia (a popular community reference) to guard the area and harass trapped targets.

3. Essence Theft (3)

• Passive: Your primary weapon attacks soft-lock onto targets near your reticle within a short 10-meter range. Dealing damage steals weapon damage and spirit resistance from the target, transferring those stats directly to Graves. This effect decays over time or ends when the target dies.

4. Borrowed Decree (4) - Ultimate

• Active: Summon a stationary gravestone/tombstone that spawns a continuous stream of ghouls over a set duration. These ghouls shamble down the nearest lane, exploding upon reaching an enemy hero or objective to deal massive AoE spirit damage and apply a heavy slow.
• Vulnerability: The tombstone can be destroyed by the enemy team with exactly two heavy melee attacks.

Ability Upgrade Priority: Grasping Hands (Max First) -> Jar of Dead -> Essence Theft -> Borrowed Decree (Max Last)

Warning

Avoid Skull Spamming in the Early Lane Do not throw your Jar of Dead mindlessly during the laning phase. Skulls can be killed by enemy players, and doing so awards them valuable Souls. Misusing this ability can easily feed your lane opponents a massive net worth advantage.

Step-by-Step Itemization Guide for Graves

Building the correct items on deadlock graves is what separates average players from high-tier summoners. Because Graves relies on a hybrid playstyle of spirit utility and close-range gun combat, your build must focus on survivability, debuff application, and summon buffs.

Early Game: Survival and Sustain

Your primary goal in the early game is to survive. Graves is a notoriously weak laner due to her short range. Buy Restorative Shot immediately to keep your health topped off. If you are facing heavy gun-based harassers, pick up Rusted Barrel or Grit. For spirit-heavy lanes, invest in extra health regeneration.

Mid Game: The Power Spikes

The mid-game is where Graves truly shines. Your absolute core item is Mystic Shot. Since her skills can be avoided or cleared, Mystic Shot ensures you can reliably apply on-hit debuffs with your primary weapon.

Next, purchase Heroic Aura. This item is a game-changer for Graves: its active ability grants a massive attack speed and movement speed boost to all nearby allies, including your summoned skulls and ghouls. This allows your slow-moving zombies to rapidly close the gap and explode on fleeing targets.

Late Game: Maximizing Utility and Cooldowns

In the late game, transition into a utility powerhouse. Items like Refresher and Echo Shard allow you to double-cast Grasping Hands and Borrowed Decree, completely locking down entire lanes or objectives.

Playstyle & Tactical Map Control: The Art of Split-Pushing

A common mistake when playing deadlock graves is treating her like a traditional frontliner. Instead, you should focus on macro map pressure. Graves is one of the best split-pushers in the game because her summons can push lanes independently while she joins her team for objectives.

According to community reports and high-level player analysis, split-pushing on Graves can be categorized into three distinct tiers:

1. Minor Split-Pushing

This is a passive method used during the mid-game transition phases. When rotating between lanes or moving toward the Urn, simply drop your Grasping Hands (2) in a minion wave and walk away. The summoned ghouls (Craig and Julia) will clear the wave and pressure the lane on their own without requiring your physical presence.

2. Moderate Split-Pushing

Use this method when your team is preparing for an objective fight (such as the Mid-Boss) and you need to force an enemy response on the opposite side of the map. Drop your ultimate, Borrowed Decree, along with Grasping Hands directly on an incoming minion wave. Activate your Heroic Aura to buff the ghouls, then immediately run or teleport to join your team. The massive wave of fast-moving ghouls will easily take down an enemy Walker if left uncontested.

3. Major Split-Pushing

This is an all-in strategy used when a teamfight is happening too far away for you to join. Instead of wasting time traveling, commit entirely to pushing the enemy base. Drop your entire kit—Tombstone, multiple walls via Refresher, and all your skulls—directly under the enemy Shrine or Patron.

Tip

Objective Damage Mechanic To deal damage to objectives (like Walkers or Base Guardians) with the initial cast of Grasping Hands, Graves must personally be standing within the objective's targeting range. However, her ghouls will still walk up and explode on the objective independently, regardless of where Graves is standing.

Matchups, Counters, and Team Synergies

Because Deadlock functions as a complex tactical shooter, itemizing against your specific lane opponents is crucial. You can keep track of player net worth and active builds by visiting the official Steam App Page or checking the in-game scoreboard frequently.

Who Graves Counters

Graves excels against heroes who rely on channeled ultimates or lack mobility to clear summons. Her skulls are incredibly effective against heroes like Seven or Bebop during their ultimates, as they cannot easily shoot the flying skulls while channeling their abilities. Additionally, her Essence Theft passive heavily punishes tanky, low-mobility frontliners like Abrams by siphoning their resistances during prolonged engagements.

Who Counters Graves

High-mobility aerial heroes are a nightmare for Graves. Vindicta and Lash can easily hover above her Grasping Hands wall and snipe her from outside her 10-meter weapon range. To counter these matchups, Graves players must invest in utility items like Slowing Hex, Knockdown, or Phantom Strike to force these flying pests back down to earth.

Frequently Asked Questions about Deadlock Graves

What is the best build path for deadlock graves in the current meta?

The most successful builds for deadlock graves rely heavily on a hybrid Spirit and Utility path. Rushing Mystic Shot in the mid-game is essential for applying debuffs, while Heroic Aura provides your summons with the necessary speed to catch enemies. Late-game luxury items like Refresher and Cursed Relic will solidify your utility in teamfights.

How do you protect your Tombstone from being destroyed?

Since the tombstone summoned by Borrowed Decree can be destroyed with just two heavy melee attacks, placement is everything. Never drop it directly at your feet in the open. Instead, place it behind high-ground ledges, inside Veils, or on rooftops. You can also place your Grasping Hands wall directly in front of the tombstone to root any enemy trying to run up and melee it.

Why is Graves considered a weak laner, and how do you overcome this?

Graves suffers in the laning phase due to her incredibly short 10-meter weapon range and lack of early-game burst. To overcome this, play defensively and focus on securing last hits. Purchase Restorative Shot as your very first item for health sustain, and avoid spamming your skulls, as enemies can kill them to gain extra Souls.

Can Graves' summons trigger on-hit item effects?

Yes! Once you fully upgrade your Jar of Dead (1) with 5 AP, your Deadheads will begin to trigger Essence Theft. This allows you to siphon weapon damage and spirit resistance from multiple targets simultaneously without even shooting them, drastically increasing your tankiness in chaotic teamfights.