Pocket Build & Ability Order
A crafty assassin who thrives on fast target access, short lethal bursts, and slipping back out before the fight stabilizes.
Pocket is a playful AoE mage who uses delayed explosions and bouncing area damage to force enemies to keep moving and spreading out.
Pocket AI Quick Summary
Pocket is a Assassin hero in Deadlock (Difficulty 2/5). Pocket is a playful AoE mage who uses delayed explosions and bouncing area damage to force enemies to keep moving and spreading out. In live patch 07-01-2026: There is no dedicated patch note for this hero right now, but the lower execution cost makes it a steady current-patch learner.
Pocket quick answer
Start with the three answers most hero searches need: whether to practice this hero, what the guide covers, and which build section to read first.
Quick answer
Best for validating patch rhythm, learning fundamentals, and building a stable match routine.
Guide focus
Frog Bomb AoE Mage Build is a Assassin setup for Pocket. The main spike runs through Escalating Exposure and Mystic Reverb. Late slots close the build with Spirit Burn and Cursed Relic. Read Pocket first through its pick threat identity, then use the rest of the page to refine the execution details.
Build first
Start with the opening buys item phase, then continue into ability order and counter routes.
Decision Summary
Read these four judgments first, then decide whether to go deeper into builds, matchups, or patch context.
Who Should Pick This Now
Best for validating patch rhythm, learning fundamentals, and building a stable match routine.
Read This First
There is no dedicated patch note for this hero right now, but the lower execution cost makes it a steady current-patch learner.
How To Read The Build
The page has a structured route already, so you can read it phase by phase and convert it directly into live builds.
Best Next Click
Begin with the combat snapshot and recommended items, then use the patch page to complete the live-environment picture.
Current Environment Status
Read this hero inside the current patch and recent community conversation before deciding why it deserves practice now or why it belongs on watch.
Environment read
Pocket is best read right now as a pick threat sample first, then as a hero-specific execution problem.
Recent discussion heat
The usual discussion here is whether the ceiling on entry pressure is worth the higher variance.
Suggested action
Confirm entry success rate and exit routes first, then decide whether this hero deserves more current practice time.
Pocket builds, items, and counters
These routes connect the hero guide to builds, counter items, and the wider tool set.
Pocket Deadlock builds
Compare phase routes, core items, and nearby hero build paths in the full build library.
Pocket build planner
Open this hero in Build Planner to tune around burst, survival, chase, or team utility.
Pocket counter builds
Narrow counter items against burst, frontline pressure, catch, or utility-heavy enemies.
Core item index
Review recommended items, same-category swaps, and patch context before locking the route.
Battle Profile
Read Pocket first through its pick threat identity, then use the rest of the page to refine the execution details.
Primary win condition
Pocket wins most naturally through pick threat, turning its Assassin role into real contact advantage.
Best fight shape
This hero wants to enter from a flank or gap, secure one key target, and reset. Mobility supports proactive angle hunting, so you can usually arrive first, reposition first, and pressure first. The body is lighter, so positioning and timing matter more than trying to stand in front and absorb everything.
Main risk
The most common failure mode is simply fighting in the wrong distance band for the hero.
Quick Read
- Mobility is above average, so this hero can proactively hunt angles and chase.
- Base durability is lighter, so the hero depends more on timing, angle, or reset tools.
- Ammo is tighter, so the hero benefits more from selective, high-value windows.
Stats
- Health
- 580
- Move Speed
- 7
- Ammo
- 10
- Dps
- 57
Abilities
1 The Black Sheep
Mark out a vulnerable target with a quick opener that lets Pocket start a burst window on favorable terms.
2 Barrage
Unload concentrated follow-up damage once you've reached a target, punishing anyone who cannot disengage immediately.
3 Flying Cloak
Reposition with a fast mobility burst that helps Pocket enter from strange angles or escape before the punish lands.
4 Pocket Dimension
Slip out of normal danger and reset the exchange, giving Pocket one more chance to finish the kill or survive the dive.
Frog Bomb AoE Mage Build
Frog Bomb AoE Mage Build is a Assassin setup for Pocket. The main spike runs through Escalating Exposure and Mystic Reverb. Late slots close the build with Spirit Burn and Cursed Relic.
Opening buys
Open with Extra Spirit and Torment Pulse to establish lane tempo and your first reliable contact pattern.
Core spike
Escalating Exposure and Mystic Reverb define the first real power spike and should shape how Pocket wants to fight.
Late upgrades
Round the build out with Spirit Burn and Cursed Relic once the game shifts into full fights and finishing power matters more.
Flex slots
Swap toward Debuff Reducer or Colossus when the matchup demands extra protection, utility, or situational answers.
Tactical Guide
Lane Plan
- Best in mid or support. Pocket wants to harass through bouncing area pressure, farm safely, and gradually force enemies into awkward movement patterns. The lane is less about one clean burst combo and more about making the ground feel unsafe.
Midgame Plan
- Escalating Exposure plus Mystic Reverb is where Pocket's area damage starts to matter in real skirmishes. Bouncing shots and delayed detonations force spacing errors, letting your team take better positions while the enemy keeps reacting to your zones.
Teamfight Role
- In teamfights, Pocket's job is to make formation discipline difficult. Blanket clustered enemies with bouncing pressure, split them with delayed explosions, and stay in a safe casting pocket because the hero has limited self-peel if hard-dived.
Common Mistakes
- Pocket's damage falls off if enemies are never forced to remain in the danger area.
- The hero is fragile and does not have hard self-peel when divers finally commit.
- Highly mobile teams can sidestep too much of the threat if you cast predictably.
Patch Note For This Version
There is no hero-specific note for the current patch yet, but the latest patch still explains the overall rhythm.
Where This Hero Excels
- Large area coverage makes him strong in crowded fights.
- Delayed explosions keep enemies under constant movement pressure.
- Creates confusion and chain damage more easily in teamfights.
What To Practice This Patch
- The current anchor is still patch 07-01-2026, so use the broader patch rhythm to place this hero in context.
- The hero already has a structured build path, which makes phase-by-phase practice more straightforward.
- Execution cost is lower, so it is a practical pick for quickly testing current lane and teamfight rhythms.
Overview
Pocket is a playable hero in Deadlock.
Strong Against
Weak Against
Key Watchouts
- If enemies keep moving, it can be hard to land full damage.
- He is fragile and does not have much self-peel.
- High-mobility enemy comps can blunt his impact significantly.
Recommended Pairings
Kelvin
Kelvin provides the exact movement denial Pocket needs for full area damage value.
Lash
Lash throws enemies into the kind of disrupted formation Pocket can punish immediately.
Mirage
Mirage slows and extends fights, giving Pocket more time to layer area pressure.
Skill order
Prioritize The Black Sheep first, Flying Cloak second, and Barrage third, taking Pocket Dimension whenever it becomes available. The opener row shows a practical first-allocation path: The Black Sheep -> The Black Sheep -> Flying Cloak -> The Black Sheep -> Barrage -> Pocket Dimension.
Priority
Combo order
Pocket 1-20 Skill Order Planner
Click level steps below to inspect skill unlock progression or switch build variants.
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Black Sheep | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 20 | ||||||||||||||
| 2 Barrage | 2 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 17 | |||||||||||||||
| 3 Flying Cloak | 4 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 18 | |||||||||||||||
| 4 Pocket Dimension | 6 | 11 | 15 | 19 |
Patch Context
This page is the site's freshness anchor for the current version.
