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Deadlock

How to Counter Rat King in Deadlock: Ability Tips and Matchups

Melee away Scrap Grenade, dash to clear Rat Swarm, and avoid fighting into Rat King’s banner buffs. Current matchup data favors Sinclair, Haze, and Vindicta, but remains provisional.

By VGSources Team 3 min read
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Counter Rat King by clearing his abilities instead of standing in them: melee his Scrap Grenade away, dash to shake off Rat Swarm, and reposition when he plants his team-buffing banner. For draft choices, current Deadlock Labs data points to Sinclair, Haze, and Vindicta as unfavorable matchups for Rat King, but that signal is early and patch-sensitive.

How to counter Rat King’s abilities

Rat King only became playable in the Oct. 3, 2026 patch record, so treat this advice as an early read of his kit. The record is an unofficial patch-data mirror, not firsthand testing; check the in-game ability descriptions after updates because mechanics and numbers can change. (Oct. 3, 2026 patch record)

Scrap Grenade: knock it away

Scrap Grenade detonates repeatedly, dealing bullet damage and slowing nearby enemies. The Oct. 3 patch notes say, “The grenade can be meleed to knock it away.” If you can do so safely, melee it away rather than waiting beside it for the sequence to finish. At its highest listed upgrade tier, it gains a larger final detonation, so leave the area instead of lingering near the last blast.

Rat Swarm: dash to clear the rats

Rat Swarm sends rats leaping onto enemies. Their bites deal spirit damage over time and reduce bullet resistance. A ground or air dash can shake them off early, so use one as soon as practical rather than continuing a trade while the debuff is active.

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Royal Pestments: account for the barrier

Royal Pestments creates a barrier based on Rat King’s maximum health, and bullets can be deflected while it holds. The patch record says the barrier does not benefit from resists; its top upgrade also caps damage taken per hit. Don’t assume that concentrating ordinary bullet damage will be efficient while the protection is active.

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Rule, Ratannia!: don’t fight into the banner

Rat King’s banner attack can damage, knock up, and slow enemies. While the banner is active, nearby allies gain movement speed, slow immunity, and reduced incoming damage. If the enemy team is benefiting from that area, reposition or take a better angle rather than forcing a clustered fight on unfavorable terms.

Which heroes currently match up well against Rat King?

Deadlock Labs currently lists Sinclair, Haze, and Vindicta among Rat King’s worst matchups. Its live page reports at least 50 head-to-head samples for the listed matchup claims. The reported deltas are percentage-point differences, not guaranteed results for every lane, rank, or team composition.

Hero Reported matchup delta for Rat King
Sinclair -8.1 percentage points
Haze -3.6 percentage points
Vindicta -2.3 percentage points

These are figures from Deadlock Labs’ live matchup page, accessed in 2026; the site describes its matchup deltas as based on ranked matches with at least 50 head-to-head samples. They are a useful draft signal, not proof that any of these heroes counters Rat King in every situation. (Deadlock Labs Rat King statistics and matchups)

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How to deny him room to recover

One early community discussion suggests pressuring Rat King in lane and grouping to catch him before a large team fight. The thread’s original poster explicitly presents the idea as a hypothesis, not a proven strategy. Treat coordinated pressure as an option when your team can create an opening, rather than a universal rule. (Reddit discussion: “Countering Rat King”)

Quick counterplay checklist

  1. Grenade lands: melee Scrap Grenade away if it is safe; don’t remain beside it for the final upgraded blast.
  2. Rats attach: use a ground or air dash to shake them off early.
  3. Barrier is active: account for bullet deflection and the barrier before committing damage.
  4. Banner is down: avoid forcing a group fight in the area while his allies benefit from its buffs.
  5. Drafting: consider Sinclair, Haze, or Vindicta as provisional matchup options, not guaranteed answers.
  6. He is isolated: coordinate pressure if the opportunity is there, while recognizing this tactic is based on early player discussion.
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How much should you trust the current stats?

Deadlock Labs’ live page reported a 59.4% win rate, 0.2% pick rate, and 27,656 tracked matches for Rat King in its 2026 snapshot. Because these are live third-party analytics for a newly playable hero, the numbers can shift as more matches accumulate. They do not establish that Rat King is permanently overpowered or weak, and they do not replace the ability-specific responses above. (Deadlock Labs Rat King statistics and matchups)

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