Souls, Last-Hitting, and Denying: Deadlock's Economy Explained
Master Deadlock last hitting and denying — learn how soul orbs work, how to secure and deny each one, and win the lane's per-orb economic duel.
The farm battle in Deadlock is won one orb at a time. Every trooper you drop coughs up a soul orb, and that orb is up for grabs — you can secure it, your lane opponent can deny it, and the gap over ten minutes is the difference between bullying your lane and getting bullied out of it. Mastering Deadlock last hitting and denying is the highest-leverage lane skill there is, and learning how souls work in Deadlock turns a chaotic firefight into a string of small, winnable bets.
How souls work in Deadlock
Souls are Deadlock's everything. They buy your items, they power up your abilities, and they decide whether your gun tickles or deletes. You earn them from a few places, but the lane is where the margins are widest. When a trooper dies it drops a glowing soul orb. Leave it alone and nobody banks the good part; shoot it and you collect. That extra shot is the whole game. A player who kills the trooper but never confirms the orb is leaving free souls on the ground every single wave — and against anyone paying attention, those souls become the enemy's instead.
Deadlock soul orbs: the secure and deny duel
- 1Bring the trooper into last-hit range
Chip it down with body shots, but don't overcommit. You want it low enough that one clean shot — or one melee — finishes it on your timing, not your opponent's. Over-damaging it early just hands them an easy secure.
- 2Land the killing blow
This is the last hit. Time your damage so you deal the final point yourself. Miss the window and the kill goes to your opponent, and now their orb spawns on their side of the ledger instead of yours.
- 3Secure your own orb
The instant the orb pops, put a round through it. That confirms the full souls to you. This is the step newer players skip — they kill the trooper, feel satisfied, and never fire the confirming shot. Make it automatic.
- 4Deny the enemy's orbs
When the enemy last-hits a trooper, their orb is fair game. Snap to it and shoot before they can secure. You rob most of the value from them and pocket a share yourself. One good deny does two jobs at once: your gain and their loss.
- Guarantees the full soul value from troopers you last-hit
- Low risk — the orb is already on your side of the lane
- Skipping it is the most common way new players quietly fall behind
- Strips the enemy of most of the souls they just earned
- Nets you a share on top — a double swing in the soul lead
- Higher risk — you're shooting near a live opponent who wants that orb too
VerdictSecure every orb you can as your baseline habit. Then reach for denies — a lane where you confirm yours and steal half of theirs snowballs far faster than one where you only farm your own side.
Winning Deadlock last hitting and denying with your gun and hero
Not every hero fights the orb duel the same way, so play to your kit. A long-range hero like Grey Talon can secure and deny from clear across the lane, sniping orbs your opponent assumed were safe — his reach turns the whole lane into confirm range and makes denying almost free. A burst-heavy hero like Wraith leans on her kit to force troopers low and punish anyone who steps up to contest the orb in person. If your weapon has a slow, high-damage shot, you'll pre-aim orbs and commit early; if it's a fast spray, you can react late and still snap the deny at the last moment.
Early items shape the duel too. Something like Headshot Booster rewards precise shots, which is exactly what confirming and denying orbs demands — the same aim that lands a headshot lands a clean deny. Cheap weapon items that nudge your damage or fire rate make last-hits more forgiving, so you're not fighting your own gun to hit the timing. Buy for the lane you're actually standing in, not the teamfight you're imagining.
| Source | How you earn it | Contested? |
|---|---|---|
| Lane troopers | Last-hit and secure the orb | Yes — the enemy can deny |
| Denying | Shoot the enemy's orb first | Yes — it's a race |
| Neutral camps | Clear the camps off the lane | Rarely, if you're safe |
| Guardians & objectives | Break lane structures | Team-contested |
- OpeningFirst waves
Focus purely on clean last-hits and securing. Don't force denies yet — learn the trooper health timings with your specific gun and get comfortable snapping to your own orbs the instant they pop.
- Mid-laneThe duel heats up
Now start to contest. Deny the orbs you can reach safely and watch how your opponent reacts. A soul lead built here decides who gets their first real item online first — and that item often wins the next few fights.
- Late lanePressure and roam
With a lead, you can zone the enemy off orbs entirely, or leave to clear camps and gank a neighbor. Convert the soul advantage into map pressure before the laning phase closes out.
- Confirm every orb from a trooper you last-hit — make the follow-up shot automatic
- Watch the enemy's last-hits and pre-aim their orbs so you can deny on reaction
- Use light melee for point-blank last-hits and cancel the recovery to secure faster
- Clear a neutral camp when the lane has no orbs waiting to be contested
- Buy a cheap weapon item so your gun isn't the reason you miss the timing
- Never chase a deny into a losing fight — a handful of souls isn't worth a death
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Guide FAQ
What does denying actually do in Deadlock?
When you shoot an enemy's soul orb before they secure it, you deny it — they lose most of the souls they'd have banked, and you collect a share instead. It's the most efficient way to open a lead, because a single shot both hurts their economy and helps yours. That double effect is the heart of Deadlock secure and deny play.
How do I get better at last hitting in Deadlock?
Drill the trooper health timings with your specific weapon until confirming an orb is muscle memory. Spend the first couple of minutes of every game focused only on clean secures, then layer denies on top once your last-hits are reliable. Reviewing your own laning replays teaches you more than any tier list ever will.
Is denying worth it, or should I just secure my own orbs?
Both, in that order. Securing your own orbs is the non-negotiable baseline — never skip it. Denying is the upgrade: it's riskier because you're shooting near a live enemy, but a lane where you confirm yours and steal half of theirs snowballs far faster than one where you only farm your own side.
How do Deadlock soul orbs work?
A trooper drops a soul orb when it dies, and that orb lingers for a few seconds. Whoever shoots it banks the bonus souls — the killer if they secure it, the enemy if they deny it first. If nobody shoots it in time, the best part of the value is simply lost. Understanding Deadlock soul orbs is understanding the lane.
Should I melee or shoot to last-hit?
Use whichever confirms the trooper on your timing. Light melee is excellent point-blank because it one-shots low troopers and costs no ammo, but the wind-up can be punished, so learn to cancel it. At range, shoot — and always keep a round ready to secure or deny the orb the instant the trooper dies.
Do neutral camps matter if I'm already winning lane?
Yes. Clearing the Monster Rounds around the map keeps your income high when there are no lane orbs to contest, and it's often safer than forcing a risky deny. Just don't wander off for a camp when a guaranteed lane orb is about to drop — take the sure souls, then go.