Bebop →Bebop Sticky Bomb is attached and about to detonate
Use Dispel Magic before detonation.
Sticky Bomb is a non-ultimate debuff and can be purged, dropping the bomb instead of eating the full burst.
Dispel MagicDispel Magic Counter Guide
Dispel Magic resets a fight weighed down by removable non-ultimate debuffs. Use it to clear effects such as Bebop's Sticky Bomb before detonation, then reposition or recommit with the debuff gone. Its activation restrictions are part of the decision.
How to Use Dispel Magic
Who should buy Dispel Magic?
Players whose fights are being lost to removable non-ultimate debuffs, especially several effects at once.
When to activate or apply it
Use it after the important removable effects are applied and before recommitting. A clean reset can keep the next exchange from starting with accumulated pressure.
Against Bebop: Use Dispel Magic before detonation. Sticky Bomb is a non-ultimate debuff and can be purged, dropping the bomb instead of eating the full burst.
Watch out for
It cannot be activated while Stunned or Slept and does not remove ultimate negative effects. Do not buy it as a universal hard-control escape.
When to Buy Dispel Magic in Deadlock
Buy it as soon as a removable debuff repeatedly costs you a trade or a death. Do not wait for a typical purchase minute when a cleanse would let you survive the next bomb or damage-over-time sequence.
Average purchase: 20.7 minutes
Game-stage ranges are approximate, and average purchase times are a guide rather than a deadline. Buy sooner when this item would change your next fight.
Purchase timing data & context
| Stage | Average purchase |
|---|---|
| Early game · 0–10 min | Not available |
| Mid game · 10–20 min | 17.5 min |
| Late game · 20+ min | 23 min |
Best Against
Removable marks, burns, roots, slows, and item debuffs.
Bebop →
Billy →The Wrecked debuff is making his follow-up hit too hard
Purge Wrecked with Dispel Magic.
Removing the debuff cuts the damage amplification that makes his next sequence so punishing.
Celeste →Light Eater stacks are enabling too much follow-up damage
Purge the Light Eater debuff with Dispel Magic.
Removing the setup debuff cuts a large portion of the damage her next sequence is built around.
Drifter →Stalker's Mark and other debuffs keep setting up his kills
Purge the mark as soon as the engage is committed.
Drifter relies heavily on debuff-driven pressure, and Dispel Magic removes the tracking/setup that lets him convert the all-in.
Graves →Her wall or debuffs keep trapping you in bad fights
Use Dispel Magic when the non-ultimate control/debuff is applied.
Purging the effect restores your ability to move and prevents the follow-up from being guaranteed.
Grey Talon →Grey Talon traps keep rooting you for free charged shots
Use Dispel Magic on removable trap/root pressure.
Cleansing the setup denies the stationary target Grey Talon needs for an easy charged shot or follow-up burst.
All 21 recommended hero matchups
These hero guides recommend Dispel Magic. Check the individual matchup for the build, situation, and timing.
BebopPriority situation answerBillyPriority situation answerCelestePriority situation answerDrifterPriority situation answerGravesPriority situation answerGrey TalonPriority situation answer
HazePriority situation answer
InfernusPriority situation answer
IvyPriority situation answer
Lady GeistPriority situation answer
MinaSituational counter option
MiragePriority situation answer
PaigePriority situation answer
ParadoxPriority situation answer
Rat KingPriority situation answer
SevenPriority situation answer
ShivPriority situation answer
VindictaPriority situation answer
VyperPriority situation answer
WardenPriority situation answer
YamatoPriority situation answerNew matchup: How to counter Baba — see when Dispel Magic fits her threats.
Alternatives & Comparisons
Debuff Reducer
Debuff Reducer helps you spend less of each fight under status effects. It is a passive answer to repeated disruption, useful when shorter debuffs give you room to move or trade without relying on another active button.
Compare this option →
Divine Barrier
Divine Barrier turns a defensive purchase into a teammate save. Its shield and debuff purge can protect an ally during a dangerous sequence, including removable bomb pressure, when you keep a clear view and a usable save angle.
Compare this option →
Unstoppable
Unstoppable protects a planned commitment from crowd control. Activate it before the dangerous control sequence begins, especially when repeated disables would stop you from completing an engage or dealing damage. You still need a position that survives the incoming damage.
Compare this option →Enemy items to watch
These items apply non-ultimate debuffs that a self-cleanse can answer. Use it during an available action window; a stun or sleep can prevent activation.
