How to counter McGinnis 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
Engineer. Mini Turrets shoot you, Medicinal Specter heals her team, Spectral Wall traps you, and Heavy Barrage rains rockets down.
Key principle
McGinnis is only strong inside her turret nest. Fight her away from it or clear the turrets first.
Lane phase items≈ 0-10 min
- Monster Rounds kills turrets fast.
- Battle Vest gun and turret damage.
- Healbane Medicinal Specter heals her team.
- Rusted Barrel cuts her fire rate.
Mid game items≈ 10-25 min
- Knockdown stun her out of Heavy Barrage.
- Counterspell How to use: parry as Spectral Wall goes up on you to avoid getting trapped. Low priority unless she's fed.
- Decay strong anti heal.
- Toxic Bullets gun anti heal.
- Bullet Resilience core bullet armor.
- Dispel Magic removes the Spectral Wall slow.
- Disarming Hex shuts off her gun for 4 seconds.
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Late game items≈ 25 min +
- Cursed Relic interrupts Heavy Barrage and locks her out.
- Ricochet clears turrets and hits her too.
- Inhibitor cuts her damage and healing.
- Plated Armor deflects part of the turret fire.
Patch note
10-05-2026: no direct McGinnis change. Her team heal aura and gun pressure are strong from recent buffs, so build Healbane on the earlier side. Monster Rounds is still the key to popping her turret nest.
Tips for your hero against McGinnis
Abrams
- Monster Rounds her turrets; Shoulder Charge her out of the nest, anti heal her Specter.
Apollo
- Riposte her Spectral Wall; kill turrets and burst her out of the nest.
Bebop
- Hook her out of the nest; anti heal her Specter, clear turrets with Uppercut.
Billy
- Bashdown her Heavy Barrage; silence her, clear turrets, don't nest fight.
Calico
- Gloom Bombs her from outside the nest; anti heal her Specter, clear turrets.
Celeste
- Float over her Wall; Radiant Daggers clear turrets, anti heal her Specter.
Drifter
- Stalker's Mark her out of the nest; anti heal her Specter, clear turrets.
Dynamo
- Kinetic Pulse her Heavy Barrage; Singularity the nest, anti heal her Specter.
Graves
- Grasping Hands her out of the nest; Deadheads soak turrets, anti heal Specter.
Grey Talon
- Charged Shot her off the nest; Rain of Arrows clears turrets, anti heal.
Haze
- Sleep Dagger her; out DPS her turrets with anti heal, don't fight in the nest.
Holliday
- Spirit Lasso her out of the nest; Powder Keg clears turrets, anti heal.
Infernus
- Afterburn out DoTs her Specter; Flame Dash to her, clear turrets.
Ivy
- Anti heal her Specter; Air Drop your carry onto her out of the nest.
Kelvin
- Frost Grenade her nest; anti heal her Specter, Frozen Shelter eats Heavy Barrage.
Lady Geist
- Essence Bomb her out of the nest; anti heal her Specter, avoid the Wall stun.
Lash
- Death Slam her out of the nest; Ground Strike her Wall setup, anti heal.
Mina
- Burst her out of the nest; anti heal her Specter, Retreat from turret fire.
Mirage
- Traveler her out of the nest; Scarabs clear turrets, anti heal.
Mo & Krill
- Burrow stun her Wall; Combo ult her, anti heal her Specter.
Paige
- Bookwyrm out summons her turrets; Captivating Read locks her Wall.
Paradox
- Time Wall her turret lines; Swap her out of the nest, anti heal.
- Affliction anti heals her Specter; Barrage clears turrets, pull her out.
Rat King
- Scrap Grenade clears turrets in her nest. Swarm her before you walk in.
Rem
- Naptime her Heavy Barrage; out heal her Specter war, clear turrets.
Seven
- Static Charge clears turrets; Storm Cloud the nest, anti heal her Specter.
Shiv
- Bleed her out of the nest; anti heal her Specter, Slice her Wall setup.
Silver
- Wolf burst her out of the nest; clear turrets, anti heal her Specter.
The Doorman
- Door her Wall angle; Luggage Cart her out of the nest, anti heal her Specter.
The Magnificent Sinclair
- Illusions soak turrets; Rabbit Hex her out of the nest, anti heal.
Open The Magnificent Sinclair against McGinnis in the web app
Venator
- Snap Trap her nest exits; Ricochet clears turrets, anti heal her Specter.
Victor
- Walk into her nest with Aura on to clear turrets, but don't stay inside Spectral Wall.
Vindicta
- Assassinate her off the nest; Crow stun her Wall, anti heal her Specter.
Viscous
- Cube your ally vs Heavy Barrage; Puddle Punch onto her, clear turrets.
Vyper
- Out ammo her turrets; Petrifying Bola her out of the nest, anti heal.
Warden
- Don't fight inside her turret nest, pull her out with Binding Word. Wait for her to wall; she's stuck behind it and very killable.
- Last Stand on a fed McGinnis is a fight ender, she has no escape.
- Flask disrupts her turret deployment zone (place it closer now).
Wraith
- Telekinesis lift her out of the nest; Card Trick clears turrets, anti heal.
Yamato
- Flying Slash her out of the nest; Crimson Slash out sustains her Specter poke.