Deadlock Baba Guide – Abilities and Playstyle

Deadlock’s latest update introduced Baba, one of the most unusual heroes in the game. Her mix of supernatural Spirit damage and bird-themed abilities make her a standout in the current roster.

Let me fill you in on Baba from Deadlock real quick: She is one of the six new heroes that dropped with the City Never Sleeps update and she’s easily the weirdest of the bunch.

She is now playable and she is much more than just another mysterious hero teased by Valve. Her kit combines Spirit damage, mobility, crowd control and a strange bird-themed ultimate that makes her stand out from the rest of the roster.

This guide covers everything you need to know about Baba, including her abilities, weapon and how to use her kit effectively in matches.

Baba stands out as an aggressive new hero who excels in both pressure and mobility. Drawing inspiration from the folklore of Baba Yaga, Valve has crafted a character who blends spectral powers with unique combat mechanics. Rather than brute weapon force alone, Baba wields Spirit-based tools to poke enemies from afar and control fights, making her a versatile addition to any team.

Baba is one of Deadlock’s newer heroes, built around a mix of supernatural abilities and aggressive mobility. Her design takes inspiration from the classic Baba Yaga folklore figure, but Valve gives her a much stranger twist with her own personality, visual style and unusual abilities.

Unlike heroes who rely only on raw weapon damage, Baba uses Spirit-based abilities to pressure enemies and control fights. Her kit allows her to poke from a distance, move into fights quickly and create openings for her team.

Baba’s weapon is the Bunko-Night Special , a rapid-fire tea-cup gun that fires three pellets per shot. It deals 8.8 bullet damage per pellet, holds 15 rounds per clip, and fires at a rate of 3.23 shots per second with a reload time of 2.5 seconds. When Baba steals Spirit using her Threadsap ability, her weapon gains an additional Spirit damage component on every bullet, making her firepower significantly deadlier during fights.

Baba’s weapon is the Bunko-Night Special (a rapid-fire tea-cup gun).

• Bullet Damage: 8.8 (3 pellets)
• Clip Size: 15
• Fire Rate: 3.23 shots/sec
• Falloff Range: 15m to 42m
• Reload: 2.5s

Her gun much more stronger after she steals Spirit with Threadsap. While holding stolen Spirit, every bullet deals bonus Spirit damage.

What are Her Abilities?

Threadsap is a core ability that lets Baba siphon Spirit from enemies, inflicting pressure and setting them up for follow-up damage with her gun. It rewards staying aggressive and involved rather than hit-and-run tactics.

Timing this ability before committing fully to combat ensures that opponents are weakened and easier to finish off.

The ability rewards aggressive play because it becomes more valuable when Baba can stay involved in fights instead of using it once and immediately backing away.

Use Threadsap before committing to longer fights, especially against enemies who cannot easily escape its pressure.

Granny Long Legs is Baba’s signature mobility skill, extending her bench’s legs for 10 seconds and granting higher movement speed, enhanced jumps, and resistances to debuffs and melee attacks. It allows Baba to close gaps or escape swiftly. Her melee attacks alter during this mode: Light Melee transforms into a kick that knocks back foes. Heavy Melee becomes a ground pound dealing Spirit damage, knock-up, and slow effects. She can charge a high jump while crouching to reach elevated positions. This ability currently has a base cooldown of 32 seconds, making it a tool to be used thoughtfully.

Granny Long Legs gives Baba the mobility she needs to enter and leave fights. The ability allows her to close distance quickly, reposition, catch enemies who are trying to escape.

Baba’s bench extends its legs for 10 seconds. She gains bonus move speed, higher jumps, Debuff Resistance and Melee Resistance.

While active:

• Light Melee becomes a strong kick that knocks enemies back,
• Heavy Melee becomes a ground pound that deals Spirit damage, knocks up and slows,
• She can charge a high jump by holding Crouch,
• Current base cooldown: 32s (increased in the October 14 patch). 

This is her main mobility and melee tool.

Baba’s Brew is a versatile ability offering three cycling effects as Baba brews a pot of tea: a protective shield for allies, a silence effect to disrupt enemies, or a scalding burn that deals Spirit damage over time while reducing Spirit resistance. Baba can pause and resume brewing to lock in the desired effect before throwing the pot into battle, offering significant flexibility in both offense and defense.

Baba’s Brew is a flexible ability that changes depending on what the situation needs. It can help Baba survive, disrupt enemies, or increase her damage pressure.

Baba starts brewing a pot of tea that cycles between three effects:

1. Soothing Barrier (shield for allies, currently 90 base)
2. Silence
3. Scalding Burn (Spirit damage over time and Spirit Resist reduction)

She can pause and resume the brew to lock in the effect she wants, then throw the pot into an area.

Feed The Birds is as unique as it sounds. Baba channels bread onto enemies, stacking slow effects, then releases a flock of pigeons that bombards them with Spirit damage and transforms the targets into pigeons temporarily. This ability excels when enemies are clustered or already controlled, amplifying team crowd control effects and swinging the momentum of engagements. Use it in sync with your team’s crowd control for maximum impact.

Feed The Birds is one of the strangest abilities currently available in Deadlock and I love it!

Baba channels and covers enemies in front of her with bread, applying a stacking slow. When the channel ends, a flock of pigeons bombards the targets, dealing Spirit damage and hexing them into pigeons. More bread means more damage and longer hex duration.

Best used when enemies are grouped or already controlled by your team.

A tip: The ability is strongest when combined with your team’s crowd control rather than used randomly.

How to Play Baba in Deadlock

Baba’s playstyle revolves around aggressive Spirit damage and battlefield mobility. Opening fights with Threadsap to soften enemies, then using Granny Long Legs to dive in or reposition, lets you maximize her threat.

Her Brew sustains longer fights, while Feed The Birds can decisively tilt close team battles. She isn’t just about raw damage; mastering her mix of disruption and mobility is key.

A typical fight starts with applying pressure using Threadsap, then using Granny Long Legs to reposition or commit when an enemy becomes vulnerable. Baba’s Brew helps her survive longer engagements, while Feed The Birds can turn a close team fight in your favor.

The biggest mistake new Baba players make is treating her like a pure damage dealer. Her strength comes from combining mobility, disruption and Spirit damage together.

Baba Role and Playstyle Explained

Functionally, Baba blends a Spirit damage dealer’s traits with a disruptive fighter’s tactics. She differs from classic ranged heroes by focusing on positioning and timing over consistent ranged damage output.

Players who thrive on active, opportunistic gameplay will find Baba a rewarding hero to use effectively.

She is especially effective for players who enjoy active gameplay and creating pressure from unexpected angles.

Is she based on Baba Yaga?

Baba’s design nods to the Slavic Baba Yaga myth, known for her magical and eerie presence. However, Valve’s version reinvents the character, molding her to fit Deadlock’s supernatural-meets-modern combat world with fresh abilities and a distinct style.

Deadlock

Release Date

August 23, 2024

Developer(s)

Valve

Publisher(s)

Valve

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