How to counter Yamato in Deadlock
Hybrid 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
Samurai duelist. Power Slash is a charged cone hit, Flying Slash grapples her in, Crimson Slash heals her, and Shadow Transformation makes her hard to kill for several seconds.
Key principle
Yamato heals a lot and duels well. Anti heal is required, and wait out her ult instead of fighting into it.
Lane phase items≈ 0-10 min
- Enchanter's Emblem Power Slash is spirit.
- Healbane Crimson Slash heals her a lot.
- Slowing Hex silences Flying Slash.
Mid game items≈ 10-25 min
- Counterspell How to use: Power Slash charges up before it hits. Parry right as the slash lands and you skip the whole hit. Also works on Flying Slash as she arrives.
- Decay strong anti heal.
- Knockdown stop her before she transforms.
- Toxic Bullets gun anti heal.
- Spirit Resilience core spirit armor.
- Dispel Magic removes the Power Slash slow.
- Spirit Snatch your melee hits steal her spirit resist and spirit power in duels.
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Late game items≈ 25 min +
- Spellbreaker cuts the Power Slash burst.
- Cursed Relic strips her buffs and locks her out.
- Witchmail heavy spirit resist.
- Inhibitor cuts her damage and healing.
- Spirit Burn for spirit heroes, a big spirit burst cuts her Crimson Slash healing by 70%.
Patch note
10-05-2026: Yamato BUFFED, Crimson Slash T3 now also increases the heal's spirit scaling by +0.4 (she heals even more), and Flying Slash light melee scaling up 1.0 to 1.2. Healbane is even more mandatory; build it and Knockdown sooner than you used to.
Tips for your hero against Yamato
Abrams
- Anti heal her Crimson Slash; Shoulder Charge her after Shadow Transformation drops, don't waste CC during the ult.
Apollo
- Riposte her Flying Slash or Power Slash; anti heal her Crimson Slash, wait out her ult.
Bebop
- Hook her out of Flying Slash; anti heal her Crimson Slash, burst her post ult.
Billy
- Bashdown her Flying Slash; silence her post ult, anti heal her Crimson Slash.
Calico
- Gloom Bombs her; anti heal her Crimson Slash, don't fight her during Shadow Transformation.
Celeste
- Float burst her; anti heal her Crimson Slash, wait out her ult immunity.
Drifter
- Stalker's Mark her post ult; anti heal her Crimson Slash.
Dynamo
- Kinetic Pulse her Flying Slash; Singularity her, wait out the ult immunity.
Graves
- Grasping Hands her Flying Slash; Deadheads pressure her, anti heal.
Grey Talon
- Charged Shot her before Flying Slash; anti heal her Crimson Slash.
Haze
- Sleep Dagger her Flying Slash; out DPS her post ult with anti heal.
Holliday
- Spirit Lasso her out of Flying Slash; anti heal, wait out her ult.
Infernus
- Afterburn her; anti heal her Crimson Slash, Concussive her post ult.
Ivy
- Anti heal her Crimson Slash; Air Drop your carry onto her post ult.
Kelvin
- Frost Grenade her Flying Slash; anti heal, wait out her ult immunity.
Lady Geist
- Essence Bomb her post ult; anti heal her Crimson Slash.
Lash
- Death Slam her; anti heal her Crimson Slash, wait out her ult.
McGinnis
- Wall her Flying Slash; turrets pressure her, anti heal her Crimson Slash.
Mina
- Burst her post ult and Retreat; anti heal her Crimson Slash.
Mirage
- Traveler her post ult; Tornado her, anti heal her Crimson Slash.
Mo & Krill
- Burrow stun her Flying Slash; anti heal, Combo ult her post ult.
Paige
- Bookwyrm chips her; Captivating Read locks her Flying Slash, anti heal.
Paradox
- Time Wall her Flying Slash lane; anti heal, Kinetic Carbine her post ult.
- Kite her; anti heal her Crimson Slash, don't fight during her ult immunity.
Rat King
- T3 Royal Pestments caps Power Slash. Wait out Shadow Transformation before planting your banner.
Rem
- Naptime her post ult; out heal her poke, anti heal her Crimson Slash.
Seven
- Lightning Ball her Flying Slash; anti heal, Storm Cloud her post ult.
Shiv
- Bleed her with anti heal so Crimson Slash can't out heal; Slice her post ult.
Silver
- Wolf burst her post ult; anti heal her Crimson Slash.
The Doorman
- Door her Flying Slash lane; Luggage Cart her post ult, anti heal.
The Magnificent Sinclair
- Illusions bait her Power Slash; Rabbit Hex her post ult, anti heal.
Venator
- Snap Trap her Flying Slash landing; Gutshot her, anti heal her Crimson Slash.
Victor
- Wait out Shadow Transformation. Anti heal her Crimson Slash and fight in your Aura.
Vindicta
- Assassinate her post ult; Crow stun her Flying Slash, anti heal.
Viscous
- Cube your ally vs Power Slash; anti heal her Crimson Slash, punish post ult.
Vyper
- Ammo burst her post ult; anti heal her Crimson Slash, don't fight her ult.
Warden
- Don't waste Binding Word (or silence) during her Shadow Transformation, it grants ability immunity. Wait for it to drop, then lock her on the cooldown window.
- Knockdown can interrupt the ult ANIMATION before the transformation completes, that's the window, not during the transformed state.
- Last Stand traps her, she can't Flying Slash out of the tether. Willpower eats Power Slash bursts and trims its slow (weaker now); Dispel is the reliable purge.
Wraith
- Telekinesis lift her out of Flying Slash; anti heal, Full Auto her post ult.