Deadlock Calico build guide

Coming up with a Deadlock Calico build could be a challenge for players as the character is relatively new, having arrived in the game only recently on October 24, 2024, along with five others. As confirmed by Valve themselves, Calico was initially inspired by Broodmother from their other popular competitive game, DOTA 2. She features an in-hand gun similar to Infernus and has some interesting abilities to play around with.

According to Deadlock lore, Calico is an influential figure and is infamous as an occult arms dealer who sells her supplies to anyone for the right price. She was named the "Most dangerous woman on the planet" by Time Magazine and is a cold and strategic person that even her allies also fear. Her cat, Ava, accompanies her everywhere on her shoulder.

Here's the best possible Deadlock Calico build to help you dominate the lanes.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.

How to play Calico in Deadlock: Brief overview

Calico's weapon has a moderate fire rate paired with high damage, however, its range is not very impressive. She is meant to deal high Spirit Damage and strategically try to take over a Lane. While playing as her, do not push carelessly as she cannot stack a ton of health even with the best Vitality Items.

The best thing about Calico is that her gun and abilities are straightforward to use. Any player can easily figure them out within a few matches.

Calico's strength & weakness in Deadlock

Strengths:

High damage with a good fire rate.
Easy-to-understand abilities.
One of the best Ultimate abilities for 1v1 fights.

Weaknesses:

Abilities except the Ultimate are very weak.
Cannot take multiple enemies during the end-game phase.

Also read: How to rank up quickly in Deadlock

Deadlock Calico build: Abilities explained

Calico is all about strategic gameplay and smart usage of abilities. Here are the four abilities she has:

Sekhmet's Spirit: Send a Spirit Cat forward that grabs targets in its way. Grabbing a Hero will cause an explosion soon after. (26s cooldown duration)
Pounce: Leap at a target to inflict Light Melee damage and slow on nearby enemies. (26s cooldown duration)
Nekomata Ward: Deploy a Statue to track enemies in an area. The Ward will also attack enemies recently damaged by Calico. Targeted enemies have reduced healing and heal Calico when damaged. (30s cooldown duration)
Queen of Shadows: Mark your enemies and bathe yourself in shadow to strengthen your attacks and make yourself Invisible. Attacking will only temporarily reveal you. Hitting enemies with Melee damage will reduce their Bullet Resist. (100s cooldown duration)

Deadlock Calico build: Best items

Here are the best items you can buy from The Curiosity Shop to make an effective Deadlock Calico build:

1) Best early-game items

Close Quarters: +85 Bullet Shield Health. +25% Weapon Damage within a 15m range.
Headshot Booster: +5% Fire Rate, +40 Bullet Shield Health.
Monster Rounds: +35% Weapon Damage vs. NPCs, +35% Bullet Resist vs. NPCs, +50 Bonus Health, +1 Health Regen.
Extra Charge: +1 Bonus Ability Charge, +10% Cooldown Reduction for Charged Abilities, +6% Weapon Damage.
Extra Spirit: +9 Spirit Power, +1 Health Regen, +35 Bonus Health.
Enduring Spirit: +75 Bonus Health, +10% Spirit Lifesteal, +4 Spirit Power.
Mystic Reach: +18% Ability Range, +6% Spirit Resist.
Extra Stamina: +1 Stamina, +14% Stamina Recovery, +7% Fire Rate.
Spirit Lifesteal: +23% Spirit Lifesteal, +75 Bonus Health.

2) Best mid-game items

Soul Shredder Bullets: +7% Weapon Damage. Your Bullets apply a debuff for 6s that grants you +20% Spirit Lifesteal against them.
Rapid Recharge: +2 Bonus Ability Charges, +65% Faster Time Between Charges, +30% Charged Ability Cooldown Reduction, +12% Weapon Damage.
Improved Reach: +35% Imbued Ability Range, +25% Non-Imbued Ability Range, +12% Bullet Resist, +8 Spirit Power.
Improved Cooldown: +16% Cooldown Reduction, +1.5 Health Regen.
Duration Extender: +16% Ability Duration, +100 Bonus Health, +1.5 Health Regen.
Mystic Vulnerability: +6% Spirit Resist. When the enemy tackles Spirit Damage, their Spirit Resist decreases by 12%.
Suppressor: +50 Bonus Health, +2.5 Health Regen, +4 Spirit Power. The enemy gets -12% Fire Rate when you deal Spirit Damage.
Superior Stamina: +3 Stamina, +20% Stamina Recovery, +30% Air Jump/Dash Distance, +7% Fire Rate, +8 Spirit Power.
Improved Bullet Armor: +50% Bullet Resist, +10% Weapon Damage.
Healbane: +75 Bonus Health, 350 Heal instantly on each kill.

3) Best end-game items

Leech: +35% Spirit Lifesteal, +35% Bullet Lifesteal, +175 Bonus Health, +12 Spirit Power, +15% Weapon Damage.
Superior Cooldown: +32% Imbued Ability Cooldown Reduction, +24% Non-Imbued Ability Cooldown Reduction, +4 Health Regen.
Superior Duration: +32% Imbued Ability Duration, +26% Non-Imbued Ability Duration, +175 Bonus Health, +15% Weapon Damage, +4 Health Regen.
Mystic Slow: +100 Bonus health, +3 Health regen, +6 Spirit Power. If an enemy takes Spirit Damage their Movement Speed drops by 30% and Fire Rate by 40% (2s duration).
Refresher (Active): +8% Spirit Resist, +16% Bullet Resist. Upon activation, Reset the cooldown of all your abilities and restore all your charges.
Boundless Spirit: +60 Spirit Power, +25% Weapon Damage, +300 bonus health, +15 Health Regen, +2m/s Sprint Speed.

Best tips to remember while playing Calico in Deadlock

Here are some tips while making the Deadlock Calico build or playing the character:

If some items don't seem effective, experiment with others to see what fits your playstyle.
You can sell your early-game items to save more Souls for late-game items.
Prioritize upgrading Spirit Damage over Bullet Damage when using this character.
There are many hidden perks and extra Souls that you can get by breaking indoor crates, Gold Urns, and eliminating NPCs.

Also read: Deadlock MMR tracker: How to find your MMR using third-party options?

FAQs about Deadlock Calico

Q1) Can we currently play Calico in Deadlock?

A) Currently, Calico is only available as an "Experimental Hero" and can only be played in the Sandbox and Hero Testing modes. Once Valve gets enough feedback and refines the character, it will be available to use in all game modes.

Q2) Is Calico good for beginners?

A) Yes, Calico is one of the easiest Deadlock characters to learn and master. If you are just starting, you should give it a try.

Q3) Is Calico more focused on offense or defense?

A) The answer to this question can not be answered directly. Calico is quite a strategic character that can be played in either playstyle depending on the situation and game phase.

More Deadlock build guides:

Deadlock Seven Build Guide
Deadlock Mo & Krill build guide
Deadlock Abrams build guide