How to counter Graves in Deadlock
Spirit 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
Necromancer. Grasping Hands roots you, Jar of Dead summons undead that chase you, and Borrowed Decree is her tombstone ult. Weak in lane, much stronger once her summons come online.
Key principle
Kill Graves early before her summons scale. Later, don't let Grasping Hands catch you in the open.
Lane phase items≈ 0-10 min
- Enchanter's Emblem mostly spirit damage.
- Healbane she sustains a lot mid game.
- Monster Rounds clears her summons faster.
- Slowing Hex her sprint got faster, this slows her and silences her movement.
Mid game items≈ 10-25 min
- Counterspell How to use: parry right as Grasping Hands comes up under you. You stay free and her summons have nothing to grab.
- Dispel Magic removes the Grasping Hands root.
- Toxic Bullets clears summons and cuts healing.
- Spirit Resilience core spirit armor.
- Warp Stone close the gap before she walls you off.
- Silence Wave stops her summoning for a few seconds.
- Decay strong anti heal for her mid game sustain.
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Late game items≈ 25 min +
- Indomitable cleanses Grasping Hands.
- Ricochet clears summons and hits her at the same time.
- Witchmail heavy spirit resist.
- Cursed Relic full lockdown.
Patch note
10-05-2026: Graves HP per boon up 33 to 35 (slightly tankier). Her gun is weak, so build Spirit Resilience early and don't fear her bullets. Grasping Hands still spawns a ghoul in the base ability, so Toxic Bullets/Ricochet for clear is valuable.
Tips for your hero against Graves
Abrams
- Bully her weak lane; Shoulder Charge her before Deadheads online, anti heal her Essence Theft.
Apollo
- Pressure lane; Riposte Grasping Hands and burst her before her summons come up.
Bebop
- Zone her early; Hook her past Grasping Hands, clear Deadheads with Uppercut.
Billy
- Bully lane; Bashdown her, silence her summon casts, clear Deadheads with gunfire.
Calico
- Pressure her early; Gloom Bombs her before Deadheads, don't get walled by Grasping Hands.
Celeste
- Bully lane; float over Grasping Hands, Radiant Daggers clear her summons.
Drifter
- Kill her early while isolated; Rend past Grasping Hands, anti heal Essence Theft.
Dynamo
- Pressure lane; Kinetic Pulse her summons, Singularity groups her Deadheads to clear.
Grey Talon
- Out range her; Charged Shot her before Deadheads, Rain of Arrows clears summons.
Haze
- Bully lane; Sleep Dagger her, Bullet Dance clears Deadheads fast with anti heal.
Holliday
- Pressure early; Powder Keg clears summons, Spirit Lasso her out of Grasping Hands range.
Infernus
- Afterburn out DoTs Essence Theft; Flame Dash clears Deadheads, bully her lane.
Ivy
- Kill her before Deadheads; Entangling Thorns clears summons, anti heal her sustain.
Kelvin
- Bully lane; anti heal Essence Theft, Frost Grenade slows her wall setup.
Lady Geist
- Pressure early; Essence Bomb her before summons, Life Drain punishes her low mobility.
Lash
- Kill her early; Death Slam her, Flog clears Deadheads (bring anti heal).
McGinnis
- Bully lane; turrets shred Deadheads, Wall her out of position.
Mina
- Pressure early; burst her before Deadheads, anti heal her Essence Theft.
Mirage
- Bully lane; Scarabs clear summons, Traveler her before she walls off.
Mo & Krill
- Kill her early; Burrow stun her, Combo ult drains through Essence Theft with anti heal.
Paige
- Pressure early; Bookwyrm out summons her, clear Deadheads and lock her casting.
Paradox
- Bully lane; Time Wall her wall setup, Kinetic Carbine her before Deadheads.
- Pressure early; Barrage clears summons, Affliction anti heals her sustain.
Rem
- Bully her lane; Naptime her summon casts, out heal her Essence Theft.
Seven
- Pressure early; Static Charge clears Deadheads, Lightning Ball her before summons.
Shiv
- Kill her early; anti heal Essence Theft, bleed her before Deadheads come up.
Silver
- Bully lane; wolf burst her before summons, clear Deadheads with fire.
The Doorman
- Pressure early; door her Grasping Hands angle, clear summons.
The Magnificent Sinclair
- Bully lane; illusions bait her summons, Rabbit Hex her before Deadheads.
Venator
- Pressure early; Snap Trap her wall angle, Ricochet split clears Deadheads.
Victor
- Walk through her summons with Aura on. Jumpstart helps you get out of Grasping Hands zones.
Vindicta
- Out range her; Assassinate her before Deadheads, Stake her out of Grasping Hands.
Viscous
- Pressure early; Splatter clears summons, Puddle Punch onto her before she walls.
Vyper
- Bully lane; ammo clear Deadheads, Petrifying Bola her before summons online.
Warden
- Her summons are spirit based; area clear (Toxic Bullets/Ricochet) shreds them.
- Binding Word on Graves with Deadheads in follow mode can kill all three, they dash to her when she's locked.
- Last Stand cancels her tombstone ult radius, she has no escape from the tether.
Wraith
- Pressure early; Card Trick clears Deadheads, Telekinesis lift her before she walls off.
Yamato
- Bully lane; Crimson Slash out sustains Essence Theft, Flying Slash past Grasping Hands.