VindictaThreat · Lane
Watch for
Flight and ranged gunfire can deny your close contact.
Do this
Cross through cover and pressure her landing position with help; avoid chasing directly beneath exposed flight.
How to play
How to play Abrams in Deadlock
How to play Abrams in Deadlock
DifficultyEasy
WeaponShotgun
RoleFrontline
Quick answer
- Your job
- Get close to a reachable enemy and hold their attention while your teammates attack. Your job can also be stopping someone who is chasing your team’s damage dealers.
- Positioning
- Play towards the front of your team, with a wall or corner you can use to approach.
- How to win fights
- Look for an enemy near a wall, stepping forward to collect souls, or already occupied by a teammate.
- When you’re in trouble
- Move back around cover towards your team.
Strong at
- Close-range damageShotgun and melee attacks reward reaching enemies safely.
- Recovery between exchangesCover gives his healing time to restore lost health.
- Disruptive catchesWall pins and group control create allied shooting opportunities.
Weak to
- Long approachesDistant enemies can damage him before he reaches useful range.
- Predictable punchesRepeated heavy melee gives enemies opportunities to parry.
- Reduced healingHealing reduction makes extended close fights harder to sustain.
How to play Abrams
The full version of the quick answer.
Your goal
Get close to a reachable enemy and hold their attention while your teammates attack. Your job can also be stopping someone who is chasing your team’s damage dealers.
Positioning
Play towards the front of your team, with a wall or corner you can use to approach. Keep allies close enough to shoot whoever you catch. Against enemies on rooftops or across open ground, change your route instead of running straight through their fire.
How to fight
- Look for an enemy near a wall, stepping forward to collect souls, or already occupied by a teammate. Shoulder Charge can pin them for a close exchange. Use Siphon Life while enemies remain nearby, and keep firing your shotgun between safe melee attacks.
- You do not need to keep punching until someone dies. If enemies back away or prepare a parry, shoot or break off the exchange. Seismic Impact can start a fight your allies can join, but it can also stop an enemy threatening a teammate.
When an enemy threatens you
Move back around cover towards your team. Give your recovery time to work instead of absorbing more free shots; being durable does not make a solo fight against several enemies safe.
Abrams Items & Ability Order
Popular Abrams Items
See which items Abrams players commonly purchase throughout a match, with a breakdown by game stage for his close-range, frontline playstyle.
0–9 min
Close Quarters79%
Melee Lifesteal67%
Melee Charge62%
Extra Regen53%
9–20 min
Bullet Resist Shredder51%
Hunter's Aura45%
Lifestrike33%
Warp Stone30%
20–30 min
Superior Duration36%
Crushing Fists28%
Phantom Strike28%
Spirit Resilience27%
30+ min
- Crushing Fists19%
- Spirit Resilience11%
- Phantom Strike11%
Colossus10%
Abrams Ability Order
Compare common Abrams upgrade sequences and how players develop his damage, sustain and initiation through their first 10 ability points.
| Ability point | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Infernal Resilience | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8 | – | – |
 Shoulder Charge | – | 2 | 3 | – | 5 | – | 7 | – | – | – |
 Siphon Life | – | – | – | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
 Seismic Impact | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | – | – | 9 | 10 |
| Ability point | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infernal Resilience | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Shoulder Charge | – | – | 3 | 4 | – | 6 | – | 8 | – | – |
| Siphon Life | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Seismic Impact | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7 | – | 9 | 10 |
| Ability point | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infernal Resilience | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Shoulder Charge | – | 2 | 3 | – | 5 | – | – | 8 | – | – |
| Siphon Life | – | – | – | 4 | – | 6 | – | – | 9 | 10 |
| Seismic Impact | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7 | – | – | – |
Abrams game plan
Timings are approximate. When teams start grouping and pushing objectives, use the next phase’s advice.
Early game
~0–10 minCollect trooper souls near cover. Look for a wall pin when your partner can help, and break off the exchange if the enemy backs away.
Mid game
~10–25 minMove with a damage-dealing teammate and catch someone they can shoot. Turn a kill or retreat into lane pressure instead of chasing the next enemy.
Late game
~25+ minStay close enough to protect your team. Use Seismic Impact for a supported catch or stop someone diving your damage dealer.
Tips
Good to know
- Siphon Life keeps working while you move, dash, shoot, and cast — you never need to stand still for it.
- Shoulder Charge pulls enemies along with you and travels farther when you collide with a hero, so aim to hit someone first.
- Seismic Impact can collide with flying enemies mid-crash and drag them down into the slam.
Avoid these mistakes
- Being shot while trying to reach distant enemies.
- Repeated heavy punches into someone waiting to parry; items reducing your healing.
If you’re struggling
Protect a teammate and collect nearby souls instead of forcing a charge you cannot survive.
One useful tip
A wall pin helps, but do not assume every heavy punch afterwards is safe from a parry.
Matchups to watch
Heroes that change how you play Abrams. Situational adjustments, not rankings.
WardenThreat · Lane
Watch for
Binding Word punishes a close commitment after your movement is spent.
Do this
Keep a retreat route and avoid spending every movement option to start the exchange while his catch is ready.
HazeOpportunity · Teamfights
Watch for
Haze wants uninterrupted shooting into your damage dealers.
Do this
Stay close enough to disrupt her commitment instead of chasing a different enemy while she shoots your teammate.
