Deadlock - Best Kelvin Build for Beginners
We will go over the best items and skill path for new players wanting to main Kelvin in Deadlock.
Deadlock is possibly the most anticipated MOBA as it combines elements from beloved games like League of Legends and Dota 2 with Counter-Strike 2 and Overwatch to form quite a fun and addictive title.
With casual and pro players flocking to give Deadlock a try, you might find yourself wanting to main Kelvin as the extensive roster of heroes can be quite overwhelming, but if you have your sights set on this gliding frost-loving scientist, then we've got you covered with this beginner guide.
Table of Contents
Kelvin Abilities and Overview
Kelvin is a very mobile hero who offers decent CC as well as healing to his allies. There are several playstyles ranging from a support-heavy build that focuses on your ultimate healing, a brawler-type bully, and a high DPS build. We will focus on a DPS-tailored build that allows you to roam the map in style so you can have a blast freezing enemies to death.
Abilities
Frost Grenade
- Description: Throws a grenade that explodes in a cloud of freezing ice, damaging and slowing enemies.
- Radius: 6.5m
- Duration: 4s
- Cooldown: 22s
- Charges: 1
- Charge Cooldown: 7s
- T1: +1 Charges
- T2: Frost Grenade now heals 145 HP to friendly targets. Scales with Spirit (Spirit Power Scaling x 2.0)
- T5: +175 Damage
Ice Path
- Description: Kelvin creates a floating trail of ice and snow that gives movement bonuses to him and his allies. Kelvin gains 60% slow resistance for the duration. Enemies can also walk on the floating trail. Press [Roll] / [Crouch] to travel up or down while in Ice Path.
- Range: 25m
- Duration: 8s
- Cooldown: 38s
- Move Speed: +2m/s
- Sprint Speed: +2m/s
- Ice Trail Duration: 18s
- T1: +4m/s Sprint Speed
- T2: -15s Cooldown
- T5: While active, gain +1 Spirit Power per meter of Ice Path trail created. Max of 55 Spirit Power
Arctic Beam
- Description: Shoot freezing cold energy out in front of you, damaging targets and building up movement and fire rate slow against them the longer you sustain the beam on them. You have reduced movement speed while using Arctic Beam.
- Duration: 5s
- Cooldown: 24s
- DPS: 60 (Spirit Power Scaling x 0.9)
- Movement Slow: 70%
- Fire Rate Slow: 40%
- Max Slow Build Time: 2s
- Slow Linger Duration: 2s
- Beam Length: 25m
- T1: -7.5s Cooldown
- T2: +40 DPS
- T5: Fires 2 additional Arctic Beams toward enemies with 13m of the last target hit
Frozen Shelter
- Description: Kelvin freezes the air around him, creating an impenetrable dome around himself. While in the dome, allies rapidly regenerate health and enemies are slowed.
- Radius: 10m
- Duration: 5.5s
- Cooldown: 127s
- Health Regen: +120
- Movement Slow: 35%
- T1: +40% Fire Rate Slow
- T2: -38s Cooldown
- T5: +70 Health Regen and now scales with Spirit Power (Spirit Power Scaling x 1.6)
Ability Order
Frost Grenade
- Unlock Second
- Max Out First
Ice Path
- Unlock Third
- Max Out Last
Arctic Beam
- Unlock First
- Max Out Third
Frozen Shelter
- Unlock Last
- Max Out Second
Best Kelvin Early-Game Items
High-Velocity Mag
- +30% Bullet Velocity
- +12% Weapon Damage
- +50 Bullet Shield Health
Close Quarters
- +85 Bullet Shield Health
- Passive: Deal additional Weapon Damage when in close range to your target.
- +25% Weapon Damage Conditional: Close Range
- Condition: 15m Close Range
Extra Regen
- +2.8 Health Regen
- +8% Ammo
- +25 Bonus Health
Extra Charge
- +1 Bonus Ability Charges
- +10% Cooldown Reduction for Charged Abilities
- +6% Weapon Damage
- Component of Rapid Recharge
Mystic Burst
- +40 Spirit Shield Health
- +6% Weapon Damage
- Passive: Abilities deal bonus Spirit Damage if they deal 80 damage or more in a single hit.
- 35 Bonus Damage
- Component of Improved Burst
Extra Spirit
- +9 Spirit Power
- +1 Health Regen
- +35 Bonus Health
- Component of Improved Spirit
Best Kelvin Mid-Game Items
Mystic Shot
- +12% Weapon Damage
- +4 Spirit Power
- Passive: Your next bullet deals bonus Spirit Damage.
- +65 Spirit Damage
- 5s Cooldown
Soul Shredder Bullets
- +7% Weapon Damage
- Passive: Your Bullets apply a debuff that amplifies your Spirit Damage against the target and grants you Spirit Lifesteal against them.
- 10% Spirit Amp
- +20% Lifesteal
- 6s Debuff Duration
Point Blank
- +15% Bullet Resist
- +1 Stamina
- Passive: When in close range to your target, gain Weapon Damage and your bullets apply a Movement Slow.
- Conditional: +45% Weapon Damage
- Conditional: 25% Movement Slow
- 2s Slow Duration
- 15m Close Range
Alchemical Fire (Active)
- +225 Bullet Shield Health
- +14% Weapon Damage
- +11 Spirit Power
- Active: Throw a flask that explodes on contact, creating an area that does increasing Spirit Damage per second and causes enemies to receive additional Weapon Damage from your team. Deals 40% less DPS vs non-heroes.
- 46 DPS
- Conditional: +50% Weapon Damage
- 97 Max DPS
- 10m Radius
- 5s Duration
- 26s Cooldown
Bullet Armor
- +20% Bullet Resist
- +6% Weapon Damage
- Component of Improved Bullet Armor
Return Fire (Active)
- +125 Bonus Health
- +7 Spirit Power
- +7% Fire Rate
- Active: Automatically fire a bullet towards any attacker who damages you with their abilities or weapon.
- 70% Bullet Damage Returned
- 30% Spirit Damage Returned
- 7s Duration
- 24s Cooldown
Spirit Armor
- +20% Spirit Resist
- +5 Spirit Power
- Component of Improved Spirit Armor
Improved Cooldown
- +16% Cooldown Reduction
- +1.5 Health Regen
- Component of Superior Cooldown
Rapid Recharge
- +2 Bonus Ability Charges
- +55% Faster Time Between Charges
- +25% Charged Ability Cooldown Reduction
- +12% Weapon Damage
Improved Burst
- +100 Spirit Shield Health
- +8% Weapon Damage
- Passive: Abilities deal bonus Spirit Damage if they deal 125 damage or more in a single hit. Targets are immune to the effects of Improved Burst for 5s after taking damage from it.
- +9% Max Health Bonus Damage (Conditional)
Improved Spirit
- +21 Spirit Power
- +2 Health Regen
- +1m/s Sprint Speed
- +75 Bonus Health
- Component of Boundless Spirit
Best Kelvin Late-Game Items
Spiritual Overflow
- +20% Fire Rate
- +15% Cooldown Reduction
- +10% Spirit Lifesteal
- Passive: Gain bonus Spirit Power by charging up with your bullets on enemy heroes.
- +45 Spirit Power (Conditional)
- 0.8% Buildup Per Shot
- 18s Duration
Crippling Headshot
- +20% Weapon Damage
- +10% Bullet Lifesteal
- +10% Spirit Lifesteal
- Passive: Headshots reduce target's Bullet and Spirit Resist.
- 24% Bullet Resist Reduction
- 24% Spirit Resist Reduction
- 4s Debuff Duration
Improved Bullet Armor
- +45% Bullet Resist
- +10% Weapon Damage
Improved Spirit Armor
- +45% Spirit Resist
- +8 Spirit Power
Boundless Spirit
- +60 Spirit Power
- +25% Weapon Damage
- +300 Bonus Health
- +15 Health Regen
- +3m/s Sprint Speed
Torment Pulse
- +140 Bonus Health
- +6 Spirit Power
Superior Cooldown
- +32% Imbued Ability Cooldown Reduction
- +24% Non-Imbued Ability Cooldown Reduction
- +4 Health Regen
Kelvin Beginner Guide
Kelvin is a very easy hero to pick up as his kit is very intuitive. You should be able to carry your team with this build as your Frost Grenade coupled with your incredible mobility and ganking capabilities due to your Ice Path make you quite the mid-game threat.
Your enemy lockup potential is almost rivaled by none, making you an important asset to your team to ensure that both damage and CC are provided in your game. Best of luck in your Deadlock games!
