How to Read a Deadlock Tier List (So You Don’t Get Tricked)

A tier list isn’t a promise that “pick S-tier and you win.” It’s a shortcut for answering: which heroes are giving players the most consistent results right now. In a game like Deadlock — where patches land often, objectives decide midgame, and solo queue is unpredictable — the strongest heroes usually share these traits:

• They don’t need perfect teamwork to do their job.
• They stabilize lanes (or punish lanes) without relying on a babysitter.
• They create or deny picks around objectives (Urn routes, Mid Boss entrances, Walker sieges).
• They convert: when they win a fight, they can immediately turn it into objective damage.

A healthy way to use tiers is:

Tier list → choose a small hero pool → master their game plan → climb.

A bad way to use tiers is:

Tier list → switch heroes every match → never learn matchups → stay stuck.

What Makes a Hero “Best for Climbing” (Not Just Strong on Paper)

A “climbing hero” is a hero that produces wins even when:

• teammates split and fight randomly,
• comms are minimal,
• lanes aren’t perfectly covered,
• the enemy team has one fed player.

To do that, climbing heroes typically have at least two of these win tools:

• Wave control: can clear and push without dying.
• Pick threat: can punish an enemy overstep with a kill or forced reset.
• Objective power: can safely hit Walkers/Shrines after fights.
• Survivability: can survive first contact and keep contributing.
• Flex builds: can pivot between damage, durability, and utility based on the match.

That’s why some “mechanically insane” heroes can be top-tier in theory but poor for climbing if they require perfect execution or perfect team setup.

Meta Snapshot for Late February 2026

As of late February 2026, public stat trackers and major community resources show a meta where:

• Objective fights matter more than split pushing (Urn and Mid Boss fights heavily shape the midgame).
• High-tempo brawling is common, which rewards heroes that can fight often and still scale.
• The roster includes several newer heroes introduced during major content updates, which affects pick rates and learning curves.

This matters for tier lists because new heroes often have high pick rates (lots of experimentation) and sometimes unstable balance. For climbing, you generally want heroes that:

• stay strong across multiple patches,
• don’t collapse if the match gets messy,
• and can function with simple builds.

Deadlock Tier List (2026): Best Heroes for Climbing

This tier list is designed for climbing in standard play. It combines the most consistent performers with the reality of solo queue: reliability beats “perfect comp” strength.

S+ Tier: The Best Climbing Picks

These heroes are extremely strong right now and tend to win even when games are chaotic.

• Seven
• Haze

Why these are S+ for climbing

• They consistently impact fights and still scale well with Souls.
• They punish mistakes hard (the most common currency in solo queue).
• They remain relevant in every phase: lane skirmishes, midgame objective fights, late-game closes.

How to climb with S+ picks

• Don’t treat them like “fight-only” heroes. Use their power to win the midgame: win fight → take Walker → reset → repeat.
• Keep your builds simple: one damage identity + one survivability layer + one anti-CC/utility answer if needed.

S Tier: Meta-Defining and Highly Reliable

These heroes are strong in most matchups and give you multiple win paths.

• Victor
• Drifter
• Graves
• Abrams

Why these are S for climbing

• They tend to have strong lane presence or strong midgame conversion (or both).
• They can play through imperfect teams because they either create pressure or absorb pressure reliably.
• They’re excellent “hero pool anchors” — the kind of heroes you can spam for 50 games and improve steadily.

Who should pick which

• If you like consistent weapon pressure and lane control: Victor, Graves.
• If you like tempo and map impact: Drifter.
• If you like frontline stability and space-making: Abrams.

A Tier: Strong Picks That Win Often

A-tier heroes are very good climbing choices — especially if their playstyle fits you.

• Mo & Krill
• Paige
• Ivy
• Warden
• Lash
• Silver
• Rem

Why A-tier heroes climb well

• They tend to excel at one or two jobs (engage, peel, pick, sustain, utility) and remain useful without perfect economy.
• They often punish the most common solo queue errors: overextending, rotating late, and fighting without objectives.

How to use A-tier picks correctly

• Don’t force them into being “the carry” if they’re not built for it.
• Learn their best fight role: peel, engage, or cleanup — and build items that make that role automatic.

B Tier: Solid, Playable, and Often Underrated

B-tier heroes can absolutely climb — especially if you stick with them and master matchups. They may require better decision-making or better execution than S/A picks, but they aren’t “bad.”

Common B-tier examples in the current meta include heroes like:

• Dynamo
• Wraith
• Calico
• Grey Talon
• McGinnis
• Viscous
• Bebop
• Yamato
• Billy
• Venator
• Celeste
• Infernus

Why B-tier can still climb

• B-tier often means “more matchup-dependent” or “more execution-dependent,” not “unusable.”
• If you enjoy a B-tier hero, mastering it can beat “first-timing” S-tier every time.

When B-tier becomes the best choice

• When you have a comfort hero you can play confidently.
• When your playstyle matches the hero’s win condition (for example, objective setups, pick play, or zone control).

C Tier: Viable, But Less Consistent

C-tier heroes often struggle because they either:

• require higher execution for average reward,
• get punished harder by the current brawl-heavy tempo,
• or don’t convert fights into objectives as cleanly.

Examples commonly seen around C-tier include heroes like:

• Pocket
• Lady Geist
• Mirage
• Vindicta
• Sinclair
• Mina
• The Doorman
• Vyper

How to climb anyway if you love a C-tier hero

• Treat climbing as a discipline project: wave control, safe farm, objective timing, and strict fight selection.
• Build more survivability and utility earlier, because “glass cannon” play gets punished more when your hero is already less consistent.

D Tier: Hard Mode for Climbing

D-tier heroes can still win — but they require either:

• exceptional mastery,
• very specific matchups,
• or more teamwork than solo queue reliably provides.

Examples that frequently appear in the lower tiers include heroes like:

• Kelvin
• Paradox
• Holliday
• Shiv

If you’re focused on climbing quickly, D-tier heroes are usually not the best investment unless they are truly your main and you’re willing to specialize.

Best Heroes for Climbing by Role and Playstyle

Most players climb faster when they pick a hero that matches how they naturally play. Here are high-value role recommendations based on the current tier landscape.

Best Gun Carry Picks

If you want to win by consistent damage, objective melt, and clean positioning:

• Seven (top-tier impact, high conversion power)
• Victor (strong lane pressure and reliable damage identity)
• Haze (punishes mistakes and thrives in messy fights)
• Graves (high presence and strong solo queue reliability)

Climbing rule for gun carries:

Your job is not to chase forever — your job is win fight → hit Walker.

Best Frontline / Tank Picks

If you want to win by space-making, surviving first contact, and enabling your team:

• Abrams (one of the most stable frontline climbing choices)
• Warden (strong brawler identity and pressure)
• Mo & Krill (durable value and consistent fight impact)

Climbing rule for tanks:

If your carry dies first every fight, your build isn’t done yet. Buy survivability/utility that keeps them alive.

Best Initiator / Engage Picks

If you want to start fights on your terms and win objective zones:

• Lash (high impact when you arrive first and force chaos)
• Drifter (tempo control and fight-start influence)
• Warden (reliable brawl pressure)

Climbing rule for initiators:

Don’t engage because you can — engage because your team is in range and the fight converts into an objective.

Best Support / Utility Picks

If you want to win by enabling and controlling fights:

• Ivy (strong duo synergy and teamfight value)
• Dynamo (teamfight control and big swing potential)
• Rem (high presence in the current meta environment)

Climbing rule for supports:

If your team keeps “almost winning” fights, add one fight-saving tool (barrier/cleanse/anti-heal) and the match flips.

Best Roamer / Pick Picks

If you want to win by punishing overextensions and creating 6v5 moments:

• Haze (punishes isolated targets, thrives in chaos)
• Drifter (strong tempo and map influence)
• Calico (if you commit to learning pick timing and exits)

Climbing rule for roamers:

Roam only on wave crash windows. If you roam and miss waves, you become poor — and a poor roamer is not a threat.

Beginner-Friendly Climbing Picks (Fastest Improvement)

If you want the easiest path to climbing, choose heroes with:

• straightforward win conditions,
• forgiving kits,
• strong contribution even in messy fights.

Strong beginner-friendly climbing choices right now:

• Abrams (frontline learning is simple: hold space, don’t die first, enable objectives)
• Haze (clear goal: punish mistakes and confirm fights)
• Seven (clear goal: scale and dominate objective fights)
• Warden (brawler identity is consistent and teaches tempo)
• Ivy (teaches teamwork value even in solo queue)

The fastest learning approach is not “play everything.” It’s pick 2–3 heroes and repeat until you can win with them even in bad games.

How to Build a Climbing Hero Pool (2–3 Heroes)

A small hero pool is the most underrated climb tool in Deadlock. Here’s the simplest structure:

• Hero 1: Your main carry/impact hero (the one you spam)
• Hero 2: A frontline stabilizer (for matches where your team needs a tank/space)
• Hero 3: A utility/control option (for matches where fights feel unwinnable without control)

Example pool ideas (use the tier list above as options):

• Carry + Tank + Utility
• Gun carry + Initiator + Support
• Roamer + Tank + Gun carry

Why 2–3 heroes is ideal

• You learn matchups faster.
• Your itemization becomes automatic.
• Your mechanics stabilize.
• Your decision-making improves because you see the same situations repeatedly.

That’s how climbing actually happens: repetition with purpose.

How to Use This Tier List in Draft and Match Start

Even without a formal draft system, you can use tier thinking from the first minute:

• If your team lacks a frontline, picking Abrams/Warden/Mo & Krill makes the entire match easier.
• If your team lacks consistent damage, picking Seven/Victor/Graves/Haze gives you a clear win condition.
• If your team lacks teamfight control, picking a utility-heavy hero (or building utility) increases your win rate immediately.

A simple match-start plan:

• Early: stabilize lane and Soul income.
• Mid: fight only when you can convert into Walkers/Urn/Mid Boss.
• Late: stop brawling and end through Shrines → Patron.

Why “Best Hero” Changes by Rank (And How to Exploit That)

A hero can be top-tier overall and still feel hard in some ranks because players:

• rotate late,
• don’t protect their carries,
• don’t convert fights into objectives,
• chase kills instead of hitting Walkers.

That’s why climbing heroes are often:

• durable,
• simple,
• and conversion-focused.

If you’re in lower ranks, you can exploit common patterns:

• People overextend constantly → pick heroes that punish that.
• People ignore objectives → pick heroes that can take objectives fast after a win.
• People fight mid forever → pick heroes that scale and win repeated brawls.

If you’re in higher ranks, the meta becomes more about:

• objective timing,
• early rotations,
• punish windows,
• and efficient item spikes.

Patch-Proof Climbing: How to Win Even When the Meta Shifts

Deadlock changes quickly. The best way to stay climbing even when a patch hits is to prioritize heroes and habits that are “patch-proof”:

• Wave discipline: catching waves and securing Souls is always good.
• Objective conversion: Walkers and Shrines are always the win path.
• Survivability timing: one defensive layer midgame always increases win rate.
• Hero pool discipline: 2–3 heroes always improves consistency.

Tier lists are a snapshot. Fundamentals are forever.

Practical Rules for Climbing With Any Hero

• Play for Souls per minute, not for kills.
• Rotate only after you push or stabilize your wave.
• Treat every won fight as a contract: you must take an objective.
• If you die first twice, your next buy is survivability or utility — no ego.
• If your team is chaotic, simplify: front-to-back fights, protect your carry, hit Walkers.
• Don’t “defend everything.” If a defense is late and impossible, trade cross-map.

BoostRoom

If you want to climb faster than “trial and error,” BoostRoom focuses on the exact things that make tier lists matter: picking a hero pool you’ll actually improve with, learning the most effective builds for your playstyle, and converting fights into objectives instead of random brawls.

What BoostRoom-style help typically improves fastest:

• Building a 2–3 hero pool that matches your mechanics and preferred role
• Creating a simple match plan for each hero (lane → midgame → end)
• Fixing the most common climbing mistakes (late rotations, missed Walkers, bad resets)
• Turning “good fights” into clean objective chains that end games
• Itemization support so you stop losing to the same debuffs, slows, and dives

If you’re serious about climbing, the biggest advantage isn’t one “OP hero.” It’s a repeatable system — and that’s what BoostRoom is designed to build.

FAQ

What is the best Deadlock hero for climbing in 2026?

For most players right now, Seven and Haze are among the strongest overall climbing picks because they consistently impact fights and scale well.

Should I always pick S-tier heroes?

Not always. Your best climbing pick is usually the strongest hero you can play confidently. A mastered A-tier hero often beats a first-time S-tier hero.

How many heroes should I main to climb faster?

Two to three. One main, one backup, and one utility/frontline option is a great structure for consistent improvement.

Why do I win lane but still lose?

Most often: you don’t convert fights into objectives. After winning a fight, take Walkers or other permanent map progress and reset to spend your Souls.

Are lower-tier heroes unplayable?

No. Any hero can win, especially with mastery. Lower tiers usually mean less consistency and more dependency on matchups, execution, or team setup.

How often does the tier list change?

Frequently. Deadlock balance shifts fast, and many trackers update on short cycles. Use the tier list as a snapshot, but rely on fundamentals to stay patch-proof.

What’s the fastest way to improve on a new hero?

Play 10–20 matches focusing on one job: lane stability, midgame rotations, and objective conversion. Don’t switch heroes every loss.