Deadlock
Kelvin

Brawler · Medium to play · Heavy Hitter

Kelvin build & counters

Kelvin is a brawler in Deadlock (“Freezes enemies in their tracks”). Since the 10-14-2026 patch Kelvin has a 55.3% win rate over 51,917 games, which is S tier across all ranks and S tier in Phantom to Eternus games. The most-bought Kelvin items after the first shop are Improved Spirit, Rapid Recharge and Boundless Spirit. Most players max Arctic Beam first. Kelvin's hardest matchup is Graves.

Tier
S
Win rate
55.3% +1.5
Pick rate
13.9%
KDA
3.54
Souls / game
41,361
Games
51,917

Tier by rank

Best Kelvin items

The items Kelvin players buy most at each shop tier this patch, with the win rate of the players who bought them. Late items show higher win rates because winning players can afford them, so compare items within a tier.

Tier 1 · 800 souls

  • Extra Charge83% buy · 55.7% win
  • Extra Spirit80% buy · 55.7% win
  • Extra Regen70% buy · 55.3% win
  • Mystic Expansion65% buy · 56.8% win

Tier 2 · 1,600 souls

  • Improved Spirit82% buy · 55.7% win
  • Mystic Vulnerability69% buy · 57.3% win
  • Healing Booster62% buy · 55.5% win
  • Compress Cooldown52% buy · 57.9% win

Tier 3 · 3,200 souls

  • Rapid Recharge70% buy · 56.9% win
  • Superior Cooldown62% buy · 58.7% win
  • Greater Expansion55% buy · 58.4% win
  • Superior Duration50% buy · 59.5% win

Tier 4 · 6,400 souls

  • Boundless Spirit66% buy · 59.7% win
  • Escalating Exposure61% buy · 59.9% win
  • Spirit Burn36% buy · 63.7% win
  • Transcendent Cooldown27% buy · 59.6% win

Kelvin abilities and skill order

Most common skill order

  1. 1
  2. 1
  3. 3
  4. 2
  5. 1
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 3
  9. 3
  10. 2
  11. 2
  12. 4
  13. 1
  14. 2
  15. 4

Numbers match the abilities above: each box is one ability point, left to right. This exact order wins 57.3% of 2,127 games. Arctic Beam is maxed first in 51% of common orders.

Kelvin counters and matchups

How to counter Kelvin

Enemies that lower Kelvin's win rate most

Good against

Enemies Kelvin beats most often

Best teammates

Allies that raise Kelvin's win rate

Percentage points against Kelvin's overall win rate of 55.3%, all ranks, pairs with at least 300 games.

Recent official changes

How to play Kelvin

Timely heals and splitting a teamfight properly is the difference between an easy victory or a ruinous defeat. Gliding around slowing enemies gives Kelvin's team the maneuvering advantage to make this happen.

From the hero description in the game files.

FAQ

What is the best Kelvin build?

By purchase rate this patch: tier 1: Extra Charge, Extra Spirit; tier 2: Improved Spirit, Mystic Vulnerability; tier 3: Rapid Recharge, Superior Cooldown; tier 4: Boundless Spirit, Escalating Exposure. Percentages above show how often Kelvin players buy each item and how often they win when they do.

How do you counter Kelvin?

Pick heroes Kelvin struggles against. Kelvin wins least often when the enemy team has Graves, Paige and Rat King. Win rates compare games with that enemy against Kelvin's overall 55.3%.

Updated Oct 19, 2026.