Deadlock Yamato Guide to Her Abilities, Playstyle and Tactics

Yamato in Deadlock is no ordinary hero. She’s a deadly combination of precision, power, and agility. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, if you’ve decided to take on the challenge of mastering Yamato, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Yamato, from her explosive abilities to essential gameplay tips. You’ll also discover how to leverage her high skill ceiling to outplay opponents, dominate the battlefield, and carry your team to victory.

Understanding Yamato’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Yamato’s Strengths

Yamato is a powerhouse when played correctly. What makes her special? Let’s break it down.

1. High Skill Ceiling: Yamato is one of the most challenging heroes to master in Deadlock. Her abilities require precision and careful timing, making her rewarding for skilled players.
2. Impressive Mobility: Thanks to her grappling hook ability, Flying Strike, Yamato can chase down enemies or escape sticky situations, making her incredibly versatile in combat.
3. Exceptional Duelist: When it comes to 1v1 battles, Yamato thrives. Her combination of abilities allows her to take down isolated enemies with ease.
4. Strong Skirmisher and Split Pusher: Yamato’s ability to engage quickly and deal high damage makes her a menace in small fights and when pushing lanes.

Yamato’s Weaknesses

Despite her powerful abilities, Yamato has her share of challenges that players need to keep in mind:

1. Fragile Early Game: Yamato can be incredibly vulnerable at the start of a match, especially before she begins scaling. A well-timed attack from an enemy could spell disaster.
2. Needs Time to Scale: Yamato’s power increases significantly as the game progresses. Early on, she’s not as dangerous and needs to accumulate resources and souls to unleash her full potential.
3. Dependent on Ultimate: Engaging without her ultimate, Shadow Transformation, can be risky. This ability is her trump card, and without it, she can easily be outmatched.

Yamato’s Abilities: Unleashing Deadly Combos

Yamato’s abilities make her a lethal force, but using them effectively requires skill. Let’s dive deep into each ability, so you can understand when and how to use them for maximum impact.

1. Power Slash (Ability 1)

Description:
Power Slash is a channeled sword strike that increases in damage over 1.5 seconds. You can release it early to deal partial damage, but the real power lies in charging it fully.

• Cooldown: 10.5 seconds
• Full Charge Damage: 160
• Slash Length: 25 meters

Upgrades:

• Gain +60 Bullet Resist while channelling.
• Apply a 40% movement slow for 3 seconds and reduce cooldown by 2 seconds.
• Increase Full Charge Damage by 200.

Tips:

• Power Slash is great for poking enemies from a distance, thanks to its long-range and thick projectile. It can even clip enemies behind thin or shallow cover, which is perfect for surprising opponents.

2. Flying Strike (Ability 2)

Description:
Flying Strike is a grappling hook that reels Yamato toward an enemy, dealing damage and applying a slow. It’s versatile as both an engage tool and an escape mechanism.

• Range: 20 meters
• Cooldown: 21 seconds
• Damage: 70
• Movement Slow: 30% for 2.5 seconds

Upgrades:

• Increase movement slow by 25%.
• Extend range by 20 meters.
• Gain +6 Weapon Damage for 10 seconds after hitting the target.

Tips:

• Use Flying Strike to quickly close gaps on enemies or escape by targeting neutral camps and enemy Troopers. The ability to engage or retreat with this skill adds an extra layer of flexibility to Yamato’s playstyle.

3. Crimson Slash (Ability 3)

Description:
Crimson Slash is a frontal attack that damages enemies and slows their fire rate. If you hit enemy heroes, you heal, making this ability great for sustaining in combat.

• Range: 13 meters
• Cooldown: 11.5 seconds
• Damage: 60
• Heal on Hero Hit: 70
• Fire Rate Slow: 20% for 4 seconds

Upgrades:

• Increase fire rate slow by 30%.
• Heal for 10% of max health on hero hits.
• Reduce cooldown by 6 seconds.

Tips:

• Unlike Power Slash, Crimson Slash doesn’t slow your momentum, so you can continue moving while attacking. Use it with movement abilities like Dash Jump to position yourself better in fights and maximize your AoE healing.

4. Shadow Transformation (Ultimate Ability)

Description:
Yamato’s ultimate transforms her into an invincible shadow form, refreshing all her abilities and increasing their speed. She gains immunity to negative status effects, making her an unstoppable force for a short period.

• Cast Time: 2 seconds
• Cooldown: 106 seconds
• Duration: 4 seconds
• Ability Speed: +60%
• Spirit Resist: +40%
• Bullet Resist: +40%

Upgrades:

• Reduce cooldown by 30 seconds.
• Increase movement speed by 4 meters per second.
• Extend duration by 2 seconds.

Tips:

• Combine Shadow Transformation with items like Refresher and Duration Extender to make Yamato invincible for an extended period. This ability is your ticket to turning the tide in any fight, especially when you’re up against multiple enemies.

Mastering Yamato’s Playstyle: How to Win Every Fight

Yamato’s playstyle is all about precision and timing. Her abilities are built for aggressive, high-risk plays that can wipe out enemies in seconds if used correctly. Here’s a breakdown of how to master her gameplay.

Early Game: Focus on Surviving and Scaling

Yamato is vulnerable early on, so your primary goal should be to survive and scale. Focus on farming souls and building up your items. Use Power Slash to poke enemies from a distance and avoid unnecessary engagements.

Mid Game: Begin to Dominate Skirmishes

Once you’ve collected a few items and levelled up your abilities, Yamato becomes a formidable skirmisher. Use Flying Strike to engage enemies and capitalize on their weaknesses. Don’t be afraid to dive into the backline, but remember to keep your ultimate available for a quick escape or reset.

Late Game: Go God Mode

By late game, Yamato’s true potential shines. With Shadow Transformation at the ready, she can dive into the heart of the enemy team, dealing massive damage while remaining invincible. Use her ultimate to refresh her abilities and dominate the battlefield.

Yamato’s Best Builds: Maximizing Damage and Survivability

Building Yamato correctly is key to unlocking her full potential. Since she scales heavily on Spirit, a Spirit-focused build is ideal. However, you’ll also need a few Weapon and Vitality items to ensure you can survive early game fights.

Early Game Items

• High-Velocity Mag: Boosts bullet velocity and weapon damage, perfect for getting last hits on minions.
• Hollow Point Ward: Enhances Yamato’s weapon damage, making her more dangerous in close-range fights.
• Extra Regen & Healing Rite: Improves Yamato’s survivability in the lane.

Mid Game Items

• Kinetic Dash & Mystic Shot: Boost your movement speed and Spirit damage, helping you engage enemies more effectively.
• Refresher: A must-have item for resetting ability cooldowns, allowing Yamato to unleash multiple attacks in a short time.

Late Game Items

• Duration Extender & Superior Cooldown: These items are essential for maximizing Yamato’s Shadow Transformation, allowing her to remain in her ultimate form longer.
• Soul Shredder Bullets: Amplifies Spirit damage, making Yamato’s Power Slash and Crimson Slash hit even harder.

General Tips for Playing Yamato

1. Positioning is Everything: Yamato is fragile, so always be aware of your positioning. Don’t overextend without your ultimate.
2. Maximize AoE Healing: Use Crimson Slash strategically to hit as many enemies as possible, maximizing your healing during fights.
3. Flying Strike for Escapes: Don’t just use Flying Strike to engage keep it in your back pocket for quick escapes when needed.
4. Chain Abilities Effectively: Always chain Power Slash and Crimson Slash together for maximum burst damage. Follow up with Flying Strike to chase down fleeing enemies.
5. Ultimate Timing is Key: Use Shadow Transformation after you’ve exhausted your other abilities to maximize the reset potential.

FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About Yamato in Deadlock

Q: What makes Yamato one of the toughest heroes to master?
A: Yamato’s kit revolves around skill shots, precise timing, and strategic engagements. Mastering her takes dedication, but once you do, her outplay potential is unmatched.

Q: How do I build Yamato for maximum damage?
A: Focus on a Spirit build that amplifies her ability damage. Items like Refresher and Duration Extender will allow you to reset cooldowns and extend your ultimate duration, letting you deal more damage over time.

Q: What’s the best strategy for using Yamato’s ultimate?
A: Wait until you’ve used most of your abilities before activating Shadow Transformation. The refresh allows you to cast all your abilities again, giving you incredible burst potential in fights.