Use anti-heal when recovery keeps an enemy alive, and apply it before your team commits damage. Against barriers or saves, bait protection or switch targets; healing reduction alone does not answer those effects.
Best counter items against sustain teams
HealbaneChoose it when your build can repeatedly hit the relevant target with spirit damage.
Apply before focused damage and maintain access to the target. Reliable application matters more than simply owning the item.
Toxic BulletsChoose it when sustained weapon contact fits your normal job in the fight.
Build the effect on the target your team intends to finish; do not spread all damage while the healer recovers each trade.
DecayChoose it when direct application gives your team a clearer finish opportunity.
Coordinate the damage during that window. The target still needs to be reachable and vulnerable.
Silence WaveChoose it when a castable save or escape repeatedly defeats your team’s commitment.
Time it before the defensive cast; it does not remove a barrier that is already protecting the target.
Tank BusterChoose it when a large health pool is the remaining problem after healing or saves are addressed.
Do not confuse health damage with healing reduction. It complements the finish plan instead of replacing anti-heal.
Choose the item that answers the recurring threat and fits your hero. These are situational options, not a five-item shopping list.
Separate healing from barriers and saves.
Apply anti-heal or force a defensive cooldown.
Focus during the window you created.
How to recognise this team style
Healing and recovery let enemies erase small damage commitments. Teamwide saves or barriers can produce a similar-looking problem, but they need a different response. Look at what restores health and what prevents the damage from landing.
An enemy with sustain is not automatically the best target. If a durable frontline cannot be finished, hitting it repeatedly may only use your cooldowns while a protected damage dealer wins the fight.
Positioning and approach
Avoid a long exchange inside the area where the enemy team has its strongest recovery or protection. Change the angle or move the fight so the save hero must expose themselves to keep helping.
Use short pressure to force a defensive response, then choose whether to wait it out or change targets. Do not stand in the same unfavourable space spending every spell into protection.
Teamfight decisions
Apply healing reduction before the damage you need to convert into a kill. Coordinate the target so enough damage arrives during the same window. If a save is still available, account for it before treating the low health bar as a guaranteed finish.
Pressure an exposed healer when your team can reach them, but avoid a solo chase through the frontline. If you cannot reach the healer, force a save, switch to a vulnerable target or disengage until a better commitment is available.
Heroes that can contribute to this style
Nurse Harrow adds targeted healing and leech sustain. Put healing reduction on the hero she is healing rather than only on Harrow, and avoid chasing a target through Wretched Vapours: its damage is delayed, not erased.
These are examples of the threat, not a fixed draft recipe. Builds and team decisions change the way these heroes contribute. For split-push especially, look at the map behaviour rather than treating the tag as a permanent hero role.
Infernus
Ivy
Kelvin
Paige
Rat King
Rem
Shiv
Victor
Nurse Harrow
Abrams
Billy
Dynamo
Lady Geist
McGinnis
Mo & Krill
Silver
Viscous
Warden
YamatoCommon mistakes
- Applying anti-heal after the enemy has already recovered.
- Treating barriers as healing and expecting anti-heal to remove them.
- Spreading chip damage across several targets instead of coordinating a finish.
Related guides
How to Counter Dive Comps in Deadlock
Enemies close the distance to overwhelm a carry or support before your team can respond.
Items & game plan Poke teamsHow to Counter Poke Comps in Deadlock
Enemies wear you down from range and control the open approaches.
Items & game plan Heavy CC teamsHow to Counter CC-Heavy Teams in Deadlock
Enemies chain stuns, roots, silence or displacement to deny your response.
Items & game plan 
Burst teamsHow to Counter Burst Comps in Deadlock
Enemies pack their damage into a short combo or a catch-and-finish window.
Items & game plan Split-Push teamsHow to Counter Split-Push Teams in Deadlock
Enemies pressure side lanes while your team is busy elsewhere.
Items & game plan Frequently asked questions
What items counter healing teams in Deadlock?
Does anti-heal counter barriers?
Should you always focus the healer first?
Have their hero picks?
Compare counter buys against the actual enemy heroes.