Billy excels in close combat situations, particularly within team battles of Deadlock. He relies on his sturdy bat and quick-firing SMG to overwhelm opponents. If necessary, he can even haul enemies back towards him using the chains from his Ultimate ability.
In the game Deadlock, there are several strategies for constructing Billy, yet to maximize his potential, a versatile configuration that boosts both his Melee and Ranged Damage, alongside providing necessary defenses to ensure his survival, is generally the best approach.
Hybrid Gun/Melee Billy Build in Deadlock
Even though Billy may not be the most powerful laner initially, he can turn into a formidable challenge when equipped with enough items. His opening ability, Bashdown, dishes out a massive burst of damage, while his SMG boasts one of the highest primary weapon DPS values in the game. This build strikes a perfect balance between the two, ensuring players enjoy the benefits of both aspects without compromising Billy’s overall strength.
Best Early Game Items for Billy in Deadlock
Spirit Strike | Light or Heavy Melee attacks against a hero deal bonus Spirit Damage and reduce the target’s Spirit Resist. |
Mystic Burst | Dealing enough Spirit Damage in one hit adds additional Spirit Damage to your attack. |
Extra Charge | Grants an extra ability charge and bonus Spirit Power for charged abilities. |
Melee Lifesteal | Melee attacks heal you. |
Most of these items serve to enhance Bashdown, a significant damage source for Billy at the start. As the game progresses, these items will be improved into more powerful versions.
Optional Early Game Items for Billy in Deadlock
Monster Rounds | Deal more Weapon Damage and gain bonus Bullet Resist against NPCs. |
Battle Vest | Gain Bullet Resist and Out-of-Combat Regen. When above 65% Health, gain bonus Fire Rate and Weapon Damage. |
Healing Rite | Heals you or a target ally. Healing is canceled after taking damage from a hero or objective. |
Rebuttal | Parrying a melee attack heals you, returns damage to the attacker. and grants you bonus Melee Damage. |
Extra Health | Gain bonus Health. |
Melee Charge | Gain Heavy Melee Distance, Melee Damage, and Bullet Resist. Your next Heavy Melee Attack deals increased damage. |
Purchase the suitable items based on your lane opponent and your performance. In case of farming minions and side camps, Monster Rounds could be beneficial. If you’re facing stronger opponents like Yamato or Mirage, consider going for it. For challenging oppressive laners, vitality items with regeneration properties are recommended.
Mid Game Core Items for Billy in Deadlock
Lifestrike | Gain bonus Melee Damage and Health. Melee attacks slow enemies and heal you. |
Rapid Recharge | Gain two bonus ability charges, faster cooldown time between charges, and more bonus Spirit Power for charged abilities. |
Spirit Snatch | Light or Heavy Melee attacks against heroes deal bonus Spirit Damage and steal Spirit Resist and Spirit Power. Also grants bonus Health and Melee Damage. |
Berserker | Gain bonus Weapon Damage as you take damage. Also grants bonus Bullet Resist. |
Cold Front | Activate to release an ice nova that damages and slows enemies. |
In an ideal scenario, it’s best to acquire all these essential items before the late game commences, and the sequence in which you obtain them can vary depending on how the game progresses. Life Strike is a good early choice due to its combination of damage, utility, and healing benefits. However, if you find yourself with a substantial advantage over a team consisting mainly of fragile opponents, prioritizing Spirit Snatch first could be more beneficial.
A Cold Front is an effective method for pursuing targets that have been initiated or are on the run. It works particularly well when combined with Billy’s Ultimate and his second ability, Rising Ram. Spirit Items in particular can enhance Billy’s burst damage potential, especially when they complement his abilities effectively.
Optional Mid Game Items for Billy in Deadlock
Fortitude | Grants Bonus Health. If you haven’t taken damage in the last 14 seconds, you regenerate a percentage of your max Health per second. |
Tankbuster | Dealing more than a set amount of Spirit Damage in one hit will cause that attack to deal bonus flat damage and a percentage of the enemy’s max Health as Spirit Damage. |
Warp Stone | Use to teleport straight ahead and gain Bullet Resist. |
Knockdown | Gain Bonus Health and Ability Range. Use to Stun enemies after 2 seconds; stun duration is doubled against airborne targets. |
Hunter’s Aura | Gain bonus Health and Sprint Speed. Reduce the Bullet Resist and Fire Rate of nearby enemies. This effect is tripled against lone heroes. |
During the game, these items could be beneficial for Billy as well. If you find yourself with extra inventory space, or if you believe you don’t require any of the core mid-game items mentioned earlier, consider picking up one of these alternatives instead.
Late Game Items for Billy in Deadlock
Crushing Fists | Gain Heavy Melee Distance, Melee Damage, and Bullet Resist, and every 7 seconds, your next Heavy Melee Attack deals more damage. Melee damage restores ammo and applies a stacking Bullet Resist debuff. If a target reaches max stacks, they are Stunned. |
Leech | Gain bonus Spirit and Bullet Lifesteal, bonus Health, Weapon Damage, and Spirit Power. |
Colossus | Gain bonus Health and Weapon Damage. Activate to gain extra Bullet and Spirit Resist, and slow the movement and dash speed of nearby enemies. Your model size grows by 20%. |
Bullet Resilience | Gain Bullet Resist. When your Health drops below 30%, gain even more Bullet Resist. |
Escalating Resilience | Gain Max Ammo, bonus Health, and Weapon Damage. Each time your bullets hit, gain a stacking Bullet Resist buff. |
Counterspell | You can now parry incoming abilities and items. A successful spell parry heals you and grants bonus Movement Speed and Spirit Power. |
Switch out any low-level optional items for these superior ones once the late-game phase begins. Leech is typically a superb choice in almost every scenario due to its beneficial stats, but if you don’t require additional survivability, opt for Crushing Fists instead. Remember that Bashdown is classified as a Melee attack, and when fully upgraded, items that amplify Heavy Melee Attacks will also impact Bashdown, though at a slightly lower rate.
The remaining options serve to aid you in tight battles. Colossus is an excellent all-round choice, but for those preferring to focus on Billy’s submachine gun, consider choosing Escalating Resilience instead.
Gun Items for Billy
Close Quarters | Gain Melee Resist. Deal additional Weapon Damage to nearby enemies (15 meters or closer). |
Rapid Rounds | Gain bonus Fire Rate. |
Backstabber | Gain reduced footstep noise and bonus Health. Hitting enemies from behind with your weapon or melee inflicts Spirit Damage over time and reduces the Bullet Resist of enemies. You and your teammates will be able to see enemies through walls and gain bonus movement speed while targets are debuffed. |
Fleetfoot | Increases your sliding distance and Bullet Resist, and you no longer get a movement penalty while shooting. Activate to increase your Movement Speed and Slow Resistance. |
Regarding Billy’s Submachine Gun (SMG), these items will aid him in swiftly eliminating opponents when Bashdown is on cool-down. Billy’s weapon has a high rate of fire, but it delivers relatively low damage per bullet and has a limited effective range. It’s best to be close to or right next to your target for more accurate shooting.
Feel free to acquire any of these items whenever it suits you best. Rapid Rounds works well if you purchase Monster Rounds at an early stage in the game. Close Quarters is also beneficial if you’re certain that you can prevail in lengthy skirmishes during the initial phase of the game.
Gun Item Upgrades
Burst Fire | Gain bonus Slide Distance and Fire Rate. When one of your bullets hit an enemy hero, briefly gain bonus Fire Rate and Movement Speed. |
Point Blank | Increases your health and Melee Resist. When you are close to a target, gain bonus Weapon Damage and your bullets slow enemies. |
Weighted Shots | Gain increased Weapon Damage, Spirit Resist, and Debuff Resist. However, your Bullet Velocity and Stamina Recovery are reduced. |
Intensifying Magazine | Increases your Max Ammo. Your Weapon Damage increases as you continuously fire your weapon. |
Headhunter | Gain bonus Health and Weapon Damage. Your next headshot against a hero heals you, grants a brief Movement Speed buff, and deals bonus damage. |
If you’ve got the funds and available space, consider purchasing these items. Acquire one or two during the middle or late phases of the game to strengthen your setup and address any possible gaps in your construction.
Whenever you have spare time between minion wave attacks in Deadlock, aim to clean up camps or boxes instead.
Skill Priority and How to Play Billy in Deadlock

Billy shines most in a physical confrontation. His third skill, Blasted, enhances his weapon damage and allows his melee attacks to automatically load ammunition into his weapon. This implies that if you can successfully land melee attacks, you won’t have to reload during combat. The skill Blasted is what makes firearm equipment effective on Billy, despite his frequent use of melee attacks to quickly eliminate enemies.
In other words, players have the option to tackle either Max Blast or Bashdown initially. When making this decision, consider the following points.
- Melee hits while Blasted is active give you bonus max and current health. You’ll be healing every time you hit a melee attack, and the skill’s third upgrade increases the amount of health you gain, giving you more staying power on top of your lifesteal effects.
- Bashdown’s power increases significantly when paired with items that increase Heavy Melee Attack damage, but only when you unlock its third upgrade.
- Rising Ram’s first upgrade is great for cutting its cooldown in half. Always get it early.
- Chain Gang’s second upgrade significantly increases your Bullet and Spirit Resist while the ability is active. Consider getting it early to survive big teamfights more often.
Here are some more tips on how to play Billy:
- Laning with Billy can be rough if you don’t have a teammate with high lane pressure. Good partners include Bebop, Kelvin, Mirage, Vindicta, and Paradox (once she gets her ultimate).
- Always stay in melee range, and weave light or heavy melees between SMG bursts.
- You can shoot, melee, and use abilities while Chain Gang is active.
- When you knock enemies up with Rising Ram, either hit them with a melee attack or shoot them. Mix things up so you don’t get parried.
- Level 2 Blasted will refresh Bashdown’s cooldown when used.
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2025-08-23 13:06