How to counter Venator 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
Trapper. Gutshot hits hard and disables, Consecrating Grenade covers an area, Hex Lined Snap Trap locks you in place, and his ult fires a large bolt.
Key principle
Venator controls choke points with traps. Take other paths and don't run into his trap spots.
Venator counter item meta is still developing.
Lane phase items≈ 0-10 min
- Battle Vest mostly gun damage.
- Rusted Barrel cuts his fire rate.
- Weapon Shielding barrier against his burst.
- Return Fire punishes his gun burst.
- Reactive Barrier gives you a barrier the moment Snap Trap or Gutshot hits you, and later upgrades into Indomitable.
Mid game items≈ 10-25 min
- Counterspell How to use: parry as Gutshot hits you, or when you step into a Snap Trap. It's worth saving for his ult bolt in team fights.
- Dispel Magic removes the trap immobilize.
- Metal Skin ignore his gun burst.
- Disarming Hex disarm him when he starts shooting.
- Bullet Resilience core bullet armor.
- Knockdown interrupts his setups.
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Late game items≈ 25 min +
- Indomitable cleanses Gutshot and Snap Trap.
- Plated Armor deflects part of his bullets.
- Juggernaut slows his fire rate.
- Phantom Strike reach him and disarm him.
Patch note
10-05-2026: Venator BUFFED, Ira Domini (ult) now works with Ricochet (all shots bounce) and can Split Shot (releases an extra bolt on each side, 3 total). His ult is a much bigger AoE/multi target threat now. He's also tankier from earlier health buffs, so build Healbane earlier if he runs Active Reload + Bullet Lifesteal.
Tips for your hero against Venator
Abrams
- Don't dive through his Snap Trap zones; Shoulder Charge him off his stakes, anti heal if he's lifesteal stacking.
Apollo
- Riposte his stake or Ira Domini bolt; avoid his trap chokepoints.
Bebop
- Hook him off his trap zone; Sticky burst him, don't path through traps.
Billy
- Rising Ram past his stakes; silence him, avoid Snap Trap chokes.
Calico
- Gloom Bombs him; Leaping Slash around his trap zones, don't path through them.
Celeste
- Float over his Snap Traps; Light Eater burst him, dodge Ira Domini.
Drifter
- Stalker's Mark him off his stakes; avoid his trap chokepoints.
Dynamo
- Kinetic Pulse him off his stakes; Singularity him, spread vs his multi bolt ult.
Graves
- Grasping Hands him; Deadheads eat traps, avoid trap chokes.
Grey Talon
- Out range trade his stakes; trap his kite path, don't walk his Snap Traps.
Haze
- Sleep Dagger him; out DPS him but avoid his trap zones, anti heal his lifesteal.
Holliday
- Bounce Pad over his traps; Spirit Lasso him, dodge Ira Domini.
Infernus
- Afterburn him; Flame Dash past traps, anti heal his lifesteal.
Ivy
- Fly over his Snap Traps; Air Drop your carry onto him, avoid trap chokes.
Kelvin
- Frost Grenade him; Frozen Shelter eats Ira Domini, avoid trap chokes.
Lady Geist
- Essence Bomb him; avoid his trap zones, don't self chunk in his kill zone.
Lash
- Death Slam him over his traps; avoid his stake chokepoints.
McGinnis
- Wall his stake lines; turrets zone his traps, out position him.
Mina
- Burst him and Retreat; avoid his Snap Trap chokepoints, anti heal his lifesteal.
Mirage
- Traveler onto him; Tornado his trap zone, dodge Ira Domini.
Mo & Krill
- Burrow past his traps; Combo ult him, anti heal his lifesteal.
Paige
- Bookwyrm pressures him; Captivating Read locks him, clear traps.
Paradox
- Time Wall his stake lanes; Swap him out of his trap zone.
- Kite around his traps; Affliction anti heals his lifesteal, dodge Ira Domini.
Rat King
- Avoid his Snap Traps, you're slow. Use the tunnels to flank him.
Rem
- Naptime him off his stakes; out heal his poke, avoid trap chokes.
Seven
- Lightning Ball him; Storm Cloud his trap zone, spread vs his multi bolt ult.
Shiv
- Slice past his traps; bleed him, anti heal his lifesteal.
Silver
- Wolf charge past his stakes; burst him, anti heal his lifesteal.
The Doorman
- Door his stake lines; Luggage Cart him off his trap zone.
The Magnificent Sinclair
- Illusions trip his traps; Rabbit Hex him, out position him.
Open The Magnificent Sinclair against Venator in the web app
Victor
- Avoid his trap spots. Use Jumpstart to close the gap when he's shooting you.
Vindicta
- Out snipe him; Stake Hook him off his zone, dodge Ira Domini.
Viscous
- Cube your ally vs Ira Domini; Puddle Punch him off his stakes.
Vyper
- Out ammo him at range; Petrifying Bola him, avoid his trap chokes.
Warden
- Don't path through obvious chokepoints, that's where Snap Traps land. Binding Word him at range; he kites with stakes otherwise.
- Last Stand strips his zoning entirely, traps don't matter inside the tether.
- Willpower cleanses stake debuffs, but Dispel is the reliable answer to the trap immobilize.
Wraith
- Telekinesis lift him off his stakes; Full Auto him, avoid traps.
Yamato
- Flying Slash past his traps; Crimson Slash out sustains his stake poke.