How to counter Billy in Deadlock
Gun hero. Counter items for lane, mid and late game, and tips for the hero you play.
Updated for patch 10-05-2026. Counter profile from 2026-10-06.
Threat profile
Melee bruiser. Bashdown slams you into the ground, Blasted adds burst, and his ult Chain Gang chains nearby enemies to him. Tanky with melee lifesteal, but weak to silence.
Key principle
Billy's fights start with Bashdown or Chain Gang. Deny those and he's a slow gun hero you can kite. Bring anti heal for his lifesteal.
Lane phase items≈ 0-10 min
- Battle Vest gun and melee damage.
- Rebuttal parry his melee to heal and punish him.
- Healbane cuts his lifesteal if you deal spirit damage.
- Return Fire he brawls at close range and eats the return fire.
- Reactive Barrier gives you a barrier the moment Bashdown or Chain Gang hits you, and later upgrades into Indomitable.
- Weakening Headshot headshots lower his bullet resist by 13%, he builds a lot of it.
Mid game items≈ 10-25 min
- Counterspell How to use: parry as the Chain Gang chains reach you, or right before Bashdown pulls you down. Either way he loses his engage. Don't use it on his gun.
- Silence Wave silence him before he can start Chain Gang. Hit it early, it won't stop a cast that's already going.
- Toxic Bullets gun anti heal against his lifesteal.
- Decay strong anti heal.
- Knockdown stun him as he comes in.
- Bullet Resilience core bullet armor.
- Metal Skin only stops bullets. Bashdown and his melee still land, but his gun damage stops.
- Disarming Hex shuts off his gun for 4 seconds.
- Alchemical Fire a fire zone that lowers his bullet resist while your team shoots him.
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Late game items≈ 25 min +
- Cursed Relic the big one. Interrupts, silences, disarms and blocks his items, a cursed Billy can do nothing.
- Indomitable cleanses Chain Gang or Bashdown automatically.
- Unstoppable ignore his chains and stuns while you fight.
- Juggernaut melee resist and slows his fire rate.
- Inhibitor cuts his damage and his lifesteal.
- Crippling Headshot headshots lower his resists and cut his lifesteal healing.
Patch note
10-05-2026: no direct Billy change. Global: dashes/light melees no longer pause gun cycle time, so his gun uptime is slightly better, respect it. Silence remains his hard counter.
Tips for your hero against Billy
Abrams
- Tank the Bashdown, bait Rising Ram, then Shoulder Charge him during its long cooldown; anti heal his lifesteal.
Apollo
- Riposte his Rising Ram or Bashdown; punish the ~32s window with Sigil poke and burst.
Bebop
- Hook him after Rising Ram whiffs; Sticky Bomb burst in his gap closer downtime.
Calico
- Kite until Rising Ram is spent, then Leaping Slash burst him; don't sit in Bashdown range.
Celeste
- Float above Bashdown; Light Eater burst him during his Rising Ram cooldown.
Drifter
- Stalker's Mark him after Rising Ram is down; Rend plus anti heal beats his lifesteal.
Dynamo
- Kinetic Pulse him out of Rising Ram; Singularity punishes his committed dive.
Graves
- Grasping Hands him after Rising Ram whiffs; Deadheads chip through his downtime.
Grey Talon
- Charged Shot him before he closes; trap his Rising Ram lane and burst the window.
Haze
- Sleep Dagger his dive; Bullet Dance him in his gap closer downtime with anti heal up.
Holliday
- Bounce Pad away from Rising Ram; Spirit Lasso him and poke the downtime.
Infernus
- Afterburn out DoTs his lifesteal; Concussive Combustion his ult windup.
Ivy
- Kite; Air Drop your carry onto him once Rising Ram is spent.
Kelvin
- Frost Grenade slows his dive; deny him your Frozen Shelter heals, his lifesteal abuses them.
Lady Geist
- Essence Bomb him in his Rising Ram downtime; anti heal his lifesteal.
Lash
- Death Slam him from height where Rising Ram can't reach; Ground Strike his landing.
McGinnis
- Wall him off after Rising Ram; turrets punish his ~32s window.
Mina
- Burst and retreat during his gap closer cooldown; anti heal his lifesteal.
Mirage
- Traveler onto him after Rising Ram whiffs; Tornado his approach.
Mo & Krill
- Burrow stun his dive; Combo ult drains through his lifesteal with anti heal.
Paige
- Bookwyrm chips his downtime; Captivating Read locks his Rising Ram.
Paradox
- Time Wall his Rising Ram lane; Kinetic Carbine stun and Swap him in.
- Kite with Flying Cloak; Affliction anti heals his lifesteal snowball.
Rat King
- Scrap Grenade slows him before Rising Ram lands. Plant the banner when he Chain Gangs your team.
Rem
- Naptime his dive; keep the team spread from his chain pull ult.
Seven
- Lightning Ball his Rising Ram; Storm Cloud punishes his committed dive.
Shiv
- Bleed him through lifesteal with anti heal; Slice and Dice out of Bashdown.
Silver
- Wolf burst him in his Rising Ram window; Entangling Bola grounds a dive.
The Doorman
- Door his dive path; Luggage Cart him during his gap closer downtime.
The Magnificent Sinclair
- Illusions bait Rising Ram; Rabbit Hex him in the window.
Venator
- Snap Trap his Rising Ram lane; Gutshot poke the downtime.
Victor
- Take his trade, fill Pain Battery, and shoot it back. Keep Jumpstart for after Chain Gang.
Vindicta
- Assassinate him from max range before he closes; Stake Hook his dive.
Viscous
- Cube the pulled ally out of his ult; Puddle Punch out of Bashdown.
Vyper
- Ammo kite until Rising Ram is spent; Petrifying Bola his dive.
Warden
- Binding Word during his ult windup breaks line of sight on the chains, full ult cancel.
- Once Rising Ram is down, Last Stand him, he has nothing to leave with. Flask in his face after the charge to deny repositioning (you have to be closer post nerf).
- Willpower still helps you eat the Bashdown knockup and keep DPSing, but Dispel is the reliable answer if he chains CC.
Wraith
- Telekinesis lift him mid Rising Ram; Full Auto him in the downtime.
Yamato
- Crimson Slash out sustains his lifesteal; Flying Slash out of Bashdown, then burst the window.