Apollo →Apollo mobility and Flawless Advance keep letting him escape
Use Slowing Hex before he starts the movement sequence.
It shuts off a large portion of Apollo's mobility and makes his commit much easier to punish.
Slowing HexSlowing Hex Counter Guide
Slowing Hex is a targeted answer to movement-dependent escapes. Use the slow and movement-skill silence before the relevant escape begins, with allies already in range to punish; a catch has little value if no one can finish the target.
How to Use Slowing Hex
Who should buy Slowing Hex?
Players whose team can finish a target once a specific movement option is denied.
When to activate or apply it
Use it before the relevant movement skill and while allies can follow up. Against Kelvin, apply it before Ice Path; against Mina or Mirage, be ready to follow up after a cleanse.
Against Apollo: Use Slowing Hex before he starts the movement sequence. It shuts off a large portion of Apollo's mobility and makes his commit much easier to punish.
Watch out for
It does not disable every movement tool, including The Doorman's Doorway. Movement that has already started may require a different response.
When to Buy Slowing Hex in Deadlock
Buy it when a particular movement ability repeatedly lets an enemy dive and leave safely. Check that the ability is affected and prioritize the purchase before another uncontested escape.
Average purchase: 15.2 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 | 15 min |
| Late game · 20+ min | 21.6 min |
Best Against
Mobile targets whose escape depends on a movement skill affected by Slowing Hex.
Apollo →
Billy →Billy keeps using Rising Ram to disengage after every trade
Apply Slowing Hex before or as Billy commits.
Denying the movement ability turns his normal hit-and-run pattern into a much riskier all-in and gives your team time to punish him.
Calico →She keeps diving and escaping before your team can finish her
Apply Slowing Hex before the mobility chain.
Calico loses most of the movement tools that let her commit and leave safely.
Holliday →She keeps chaining jump pads to escape or find barrel angles
Apply Slowing Hex before she uses the jump pad.
It prevents the movement ability and removes the mobility that makes her so difficult to pin down.
Kelvin →Kelvin keeps starting Ice Path before your team can stop him
Apply Slowing Hex before Ice Path is active.
The timing matters—using the anti-mobility item before he establishes the path is much more effective than trying to shut it down after he is already airborne.
Lash →He keeps escaping after starting fights
Apply Slowing Hex after he commits.
Removing his movement options turns the dive from a safe hit-and-run into a punishable overextension.
All 17 recommended hero matchups
These hero guides recommend Slowing Hex. Check the individual matchup for the build, situation, and timing.
ApolloPriority situation answerBillyPriority situation answerCalicoPriority situation answer
CelesteSituational counter option
Grey TalonSituational counter optionHollidayPriority situation answerKelvinPriority situation answerLashPriority situation answer
MinaPriority situation answer
MiragePriority situation answer
PocketPriority situation answer
RemPriority situation answer
ShivSituational counter option
SilverSituational counter option
SinclairPriority situation answer
VictorPriority situation answer
VindictaSituational counter optionAlternatives & Comparisons
Knockdown
Knockdown gives your team a delayed stun to punish airborne targets and interrupt vulnerable channels. The delay is the key detail: cast while there is still time for the stun to land, and have damage ready when the target is controlled.
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Capacitor
Capacitor combines weapon-build value with a targeted catch. Its projectile slows an enemy, prevents stamina usage, and restricts movement abilities and items, giving your team a window to punish a target that normally escapes.
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Silence Wave
Silence Wave creates a cast-denial window before an enemy uses an important ability. Land the projectile as your team is ready to commit, then punish while escape or defensive casts are restricted. A silence is not a universal answer to an already-running channel.
Compare this option →