Farming Souls is the name of the game in Valve’s Deadlock. A MOBA at its core, Souls are your key to powerful items and upgrades. Here are the best methods to help pile up Souls as quickly as possible in every match.
After months shrouded in mystery, Deadlock is finally real, well, sort of. Valve’s new shooter-heavy MOBA is still in its limited early access period, with no real promotion to speak of from the legendary publisher.
Nonetheless, with the floodgates opening up, tens of thousands are finding their way in and pumping dozens of hours into the game in short order. As a complex blend, part third-person hero shooter and part MOBA, there’s plenty to wrap your head around.
Chief among it all, however, are Souls, the game’s unique currency. They’re vital to absolutely everything you do in the moment-to-moment of Deadlock, so here’s the full rundown on how they function and how you can start piling them up immediately.
What are Souls in Deadlock? Game’s currency explained
Souls are the unique currency in Deadlock. Almost everything you do in a match earns you some amount of Souls. They’re used in a number of ways to help your team evolve as the game goes on.
From slaying the most basic minions (Lane Troopers) to taking down enemy heroes, your impact will have Souls amassing in no time. The more you earn, the higher your hero level will rise. Each milestone improves character stats in distinct ways, though most come with standard buffs like increased bullet and melee damage as well as overall health improvements.
All 12 players in the lobby are going to be pushing to collect the most Souls possible. Progress can be seen at a glance at the top of your HUD, directly under each hero icon. It’s crucial to keep an eye on these trackers to gauge where your enemies are in their own Soul-gathering efforts.
Not only do Souls help you level up, but as you collect them, they also pile up in your personal bank. Souls can then be spent at The Curiosity Shop for further boons to help your hero excel.
It’s here where you can fine-tune your optimal build to suit the situation at hand. Perhaps your hero needs more health, look under the Vitality tab for items to help you there. Maybe your character needs more mobility or weapon effects, rest assured, there are items for those too.
The cheapest items in each tier cost just 500 Souls while the most expensive run for 6,300 Souls.
While you can check the store anywhere on the map, you can only make purchases at the physical Curiosity Shops scattered around the map. Each team has four shops spread across the four lanes, with a secret store dead center that can be accessed by both squads, so be careful heading here.
So that’s the long and short of it. The more Souls you acquire, the quicker you’ll level up to improve core stats while also being able to grab extra goodies in the store. It’s the most important aspect of the game so continue reading to brush up on the best methods of gathering Souls fast.
Best ways to farm Souls in Deadlock
Being efficient with Lane Troopers
First on the list for farming Souls is to take care of Troopers in your lane. Much like most other MOBAs, Deadlock features AI ‘minions’ that mindlessly advance through their respective lanes.
Each new wave spawns roughly every 30 seconds, sending out three Ranged Troopers and one Healer Trooper at a time. While they’re solely focused on pushing forward at any cost, it’s your job to wipe out the enemy’s forces and do so in an efficient manner.
By dealing damage to Lane Troopers, you’ll quickly kill them. Each Trooper provides 75 Souls when a match starts out. However, killing them is just half the job. For the first ten minutes of a game, killing a Trooper only nets you 50% of their Souls.
Upon dying, Troopers send out an orb above their bodies. You then need to damage this orb as quickly as possible to collect the remaining 50% of their Souls.
As matches progress, not only do Troopers provide more Souls, but the percentage split also changes. After 10 minutes, you no longer gain any Souls just from killing Troopers. Instead, you need to damage their orbs to secure the full 100% in one swift action.
While this may sound straightforward enough, especially to experienced MOBA players, there’s far more to it than just the basics.
After killing any given Trooper, their floating orb can be stolen by players on the other team. Therefore, it’s crucial you get the final hit to not just prevent an enemy steamroll in your lane, but also to take the lead.
On the other hand, you should always be keeping an eye on enemies in your lane. Anytime they’re slow to final tap their Troopers, a few quick shots can steal Souls and push you ahead.
As a final tip, it’s worth bearing in mind that melee attacks can bypass the process. By meleeing the last hit on any Trooper, you’ll instantly secure 100% of its Souls. Not only is this a quicker method than shooting, but it completely mitigates the risk of having enemies take any of your hard-earned currency away.
Help your team tackle Jungle Camps
Next are the all-important Jungle Camps. Much like other MOBAs, there are side objectives to tackle outside of the regular lanes. In Deadlock, you’ve got three Tiers of Jungle Camps to tackle.
Each Jungle Camp houses a unique enemy or group of enemies. By wiping them out, you’ll gather a set amount of Souls. In this case, however, it’s worth noting the Souls you gather are unsecured.
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Unsecured Souls take time to convert into regular Souls that you can then use as currency. After killing enemies at a Jungle Camp, this means you have to wait a while before you can use all the Souls.
Unsecured Souls also come with an added risk. If you’re killed while waiting for them to convert, any remaining Unsecured Souls will drop on the ground. Anyone can then pick these up, including enemies. So not only is it worth playing a bit cautious after taking care of Jungle Camps, especially higher-tier camps, but it’s crucial to look at enemy bodies as they’re slain. Running over and stealing unsecured souls from your foes is an essential way to gain a leg up.
Tier 1 Jungle Camps are relatively small fry, meaning you can tackle these by yourself without too much risk. These provide 45 Souls to start, increasing as the game progresses. There are six Tier 1 Jungle Camps spread out across the map.
Tier 2 Jungle Camps are a bit harder to tackle, but you should still be able to solo these by the time they spawn seven minutes into a match. These provide 95 Souls to start, again increasing over time. There are 25 Tier 2 camps around the map in total.
Lastly, Tier 3 Jungle Camps are the most difficult and definitely require cooperation with your team. Spawning seven minutes into the game, Tier 3 Jungle Camps provide 240 Souls to start, with their value increasing over time. There are eight Tier 3 camps on the map.
All up, you have plenty of options when it comes to bonus objectives in Deadlock. You should constantly be farming not only Troopers in your lane but Jungle Camps nearby as well. Essentially, the more you clear, the more Souls you’ll earn over time.
Below is a quick breakdown of Jungle Camps and their key details:
| Tier | Spawn time | Symbol on map | Souls provided (base level) | Number of Jungle Camps on map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 2 minutes into the game | Triangle | 45 | 6 |
| Tier 2 | 7 minutes into the game | Triangle with a single line underneath | 95 | 25 |
| Tier 3 | 7 minutes into the game | Triangle with two lines underneath | 240 | 8 |
Taking care of Lane & Map Objectives
Next we have objectives found in your individual lanes as well as overall map objectives for your team. These are the big boons, some of the most valuable aspects of the match, and the quickest way to get a surplus of Souls.
They can’t be streamlined early on, however, the game’s main objectives require a concerted effort from multiple players and in some cases, your entire team.
Each lane has three distinct objectives. Much like Jungle Camps, these come in three distinct tiers.
At Tier 1 you have Guardians. These smaller bosses provide 275 Souls to all players on your team when they’re slain. Along with the Souls, they also give an Ability Point.
At Tier 2, there’s a Walker to take care of, giving 750 Souls to everyone on your team as well as another Ability Point.
At Tier 3 are the Dual Guardians, bosses that don’t actually give out Souls when killed. However, they do allow you to push further on and attack a pair of Shrines. Each Shrine provides 500 Souls when toppled, for a 1,000 Souls payment to everyone on your team.
Beyond these regular objectives, you’ve also got a few extras to focus on. First are the Urns. Urns begin spawning 10 minutes into any given match in either the Yellow or Purple lane. It’s your job to locate them and then transport them across the map to the opposite side. Upon depositing them into the right location, highlighted on your map in Green, every player on your team is awarded a set amount of Souls.
While carrying an Urn, you’re able to move quicker around the map, but you’re unable to use any attacks or abilities. Thus, it’s vital at least one other player helps defend whoever is carrying the Urn. Lastly, the player depositing the Urn also nabs a 25% bonus to the Souls provided, as thanks for their risky endeavor.
Rounding it all out is the Mid Boss. Spawning in at the 10-minute mark, this hulking behemoth is no small feat to take down, so you should try to wrangle most if not all players on your team for this fight. All up, each player can walk away with 1,750 Souls making this the single most valuable target in the game today.
Killing enemies is always a plus
Of course, what would a MOBA be without some proper hero-on-hero action? Deadlock certainly falls in line, rewarding you for taking out enemies directly. Each elimination is a great way to pile up Souls in short order, so always be on the lookout for enemies out of position.
Don’t forget about destructibles
As a final tip, don’t look past the destructible elements scattered around the map. Boxes are everywhere just waiting to be shot or meleed. While they don’t guarantee Souls every time, there’s always a chance you can get a few extra Souls just by quickly checking what’s inside. It’s always worth smashing your way through the map any chance you get.
Always be productive in your lane
Now you know the essentials, it’s worth stressing how to best manage your time. While learning the ropes, you’re obviously not expected to be min-maxing, making the most of every passing second. But as you advance, that should be your biggest focus.
Every moment in-game is valuable. Rather than wasting a few precious minutes per match looking over items to buy, know your optimal build going in. Rather than dillydallying with no objective, keep busy.
There should rarely be any time just spent standing around. There are always more Troopers to take care of, always more Jungle Camps to clear, always bigger objectives to help your team with, and always more boxes to break. It’s by constantly being on the move and tracking your next batch of Souls that you’ll get well ahead of your opposition.
Use all the advice above to get the most out of every moment and before you know it, you’ll be one step ahead of the enemy team on your way to a dominant win.