Deadlock Atlas Guide
How to Prepare Before a Deadlock Teamfight
Turn the thirty seconds before a fight into information, positioning, and a clear job instead of a blind rush.
- Last reviewed:
- September 28, 2026
- Scope:
- Current live client; verify balance-sensitive details in the game client.
- Category:
- strategy-guide
Last reviewed: September 28, 2026. Applies to the current live client.
The Direct Answer
Before a fight, make three things clear: what your team is trying to take, which enemy can stop it, and where you can stand without being the first free target. Preparation is not waiting for a perfect setup. It is reducing the number of unknowns before committing resources.
When This Works
Use this before a planned objective, a lane collapse, or a defensive hold. It also helps when teams keep arriving one by one. The teamfight guide explains how to carry the same job through the fight.
When Not to Use
Do not spend so long preparing that your teammate is forced to fight alone or the enemy takes the objective uncontested. When a fight is already underway, choose a safe arrival angle and help the nearest useful target.
The Pre-Fight Checklist
- Name the objective in simple terms: defend, force a retreat, or take the nearby map value.
- Identify the enemy threat that changes your entry, such as a durable frontliner, a long-range angle, or a control ability you have already seen.
- Stand where you can see an approach without blocking your own escape.
- Keep one resource for the actual fight instead of spending everything to poke.
- Tell the team when you are ready to commit, then move together.
Positioning Table
| Your job | Starting position | First useful action |
|---|---|---|
| Frontline space | In front, with a retreat route | Draw attention without chasing alone |
| Damage from range | Behind cover and a teammate | Hit the target your frontline can keep visible |
| Flank or cleanup | Side angle with a late entry | Wait for defensive tools to be used |
| Area control | Near the route the enemy must cross | Make the approach expensive, then reset |
Common Mistakes
- Entering because one teammate was hit, without knowing whether the team can follow.
- Standing in the open while waiting for the enemy to appear.
- Using every cooldown on the first visible target and having no answer for the real threat.
- Chasing a low enemy past the objective your team came to secure.
Related Reading
See map objectives, movement and mobility, and how to play Seven in teamfights.