Deadlock
Venator

Marksman · Medium to play · Crossbow

Venator build & counters

Venator is a marksman in Deadlock. Since the 10-14-2026 patch Venator has a 47.7% win rate over 144,238 games, which is B tier across all ranks and C tier in Phantom to Eternus games. The most-bought Venator items after the first shop are Battle Vest, Fortitude and Vampiric Burst. Most players max Ira Domini first. Venator's hardest matchup is Graves.

Tier
B
Win rate
47.7% +0.3
Pick rate
38.6%
KDA
2.63
Souls / game
41,546
Games
144,238

Tier by rank

Best Venator items

The items Venator 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

  • Restorative Shot78% buy · 48.1% win
  • Close Quarters58% buy · 48.1% win
  • Extra Health51% buy · 48.5% win
  • Rapid Rounds44% buy · 47.9% win

Tier 2 · 1,600 souls

  • Battle Vest68% buy · 48.3% win
  • Enduring Speed67% buy · 48.5% win
  • Swift Striker59% buy · 47.8% win
  • Bullet Lifesteal54% buy · 48.5% win

Tier 3 · 3,200 souls

  • Fortitude56% buy · 48.7% win
  • Hollow Point51% buy · 49.4% win
  • Spirit Resilience42% buy · 49.0% win
  • Cultist Sacrifice37% buy · 47.8% win

Tier 4 · 6,400 souls

  • Vampiric Burst43% buy · 51.5% win
  • Silencer35% buy · 54.3% win
  • Siphon Bullets34% buy · 53.2% win
  • Ricochet34% buy · 52.6% win

Venator abilities and skill order

Most common skill order

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

Numbers match the abilities above: each box is one ability point, left to right. This exact order wins 51.6% of 5,993 games. Almost every common order maxes Ira Domini first.

Venator counters and matchups

How to counter Venator

Enemies that lower Venator's win rate most

Good against

Enemies Venator beats most often

Best teammates

Allies that raise Venator's win rate

Percentage points against Venator's overall win rate of 47.7%, all ranks, pairs with at least 300 games.

Recent official changes

Minor Update - 09-16-2026 · Sep 16, 2026

  • Ira Domini now works with Ricochet, all the shots will bounce
  • Ira Domini can now split shot (releases 1 extra bolt on each side, 3 total)

Minor Update - 07-28-2026 · Jul 28, 2026

  • Sprint speed reduced from 1.5m to 1m
  • Bullet falloff range reduced from 20m-51m to 18m-47m
  • Ira Domini cooldown no longer starts after the conclusion of the ability, now starts immediately
  • Ira Domini blessed stakes damage increased from 100 to 115

FAQ

What is the best Venator build?

By purchase rate this patch: tier 1: Restorative Shot, Close Quarters; tier 2: Battle Vest, Enduring Speed; tier 3: Fortitude, Hollow Point; tier 4: Vampiric Burst, Silencer. Percentages above show how often Venator players buy each item and how often they win when they do.

How do you counter Venator?

Pick heroes Venator struggles against. Venator wins least often when the enemy team has Graves, Rat King and Paige. Win rates compare games with that enemy against Venator's overall 47.7%.

Updated Oct 19, 2026.