Here’s how to slide with the best of them in Deadlock.
Sliding may seem like a simple mechanic in Deadlock, but it's actually one of the most complicated parts of mastering mobility and movement in the game. And, with the release of Viper, who relies heavily on sliding, it's more important than ever to understand just how to slide in Deadlock.
How to slide in Deadlock: The basics
The default input for sliding in Deadlock is the "control" key. However, if you are simply walking along normally and hit control, you will notice that your hero doesn't slide. This is where sliding almost immediately becomes a bit complicated.
In order to actually slide when you tell your character to in Deadlock, you need momentum already moving you forward. You can get this from items like Sprint Boots or by performing a slide right after a dash. Alternatively, you can just find a set of stairs to slide down. The only exception to this rule is Viper who, thanks to their passive ability Slither, can slide uphill, longer distances, and turn faster while doing so.
Before you try out Viper's slithery movement, it's best to ensure you first have a good understanding of when and where to slide.
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Advanced sliding mechanics and infinite ammo
Sliding not only gives you a burst of movement, but you also don't consume ammo while sliding. So, if you can string a long slide together thanks to some mobility-focused Vitality items like Enduring Speed, you can get a lot more out of a single clip than you otherwise would have. This used to be a way to burst down Guardians in the early/mid game, but it has since been patched out.
Watching high-ranked players is one of the best ways to see just how complicated and valuable sliding can be more mastering movement in Deadlock. We'd recommend watching things like Deadlock Fight Night to see this in action. In general, you'll see that sliding is likely used much more in these games than in lobbies you may find yourself in. Sliding is also an extremely valuable tool for quick escapes and maneuvering the map.
We hope this guide helps you to better understand sliding in Deadlock. For more guides like this one, stay tuned on esports.gg!