Infernus has a sharp sense of fashion with a toolkit that’s hotter than a wildfire, letting him burst into lanes and deal combustive damage. Here’s how to play the hero with our best Deadlock Infernus build.
If you’re impressed by Infernus’ bullet toothpick, fiery derby, and tatted arms, wait till you see him in action in the field.
Deadlock Infernus build
Recommended as a newbie-friendly hero, Infernus packs a punch in his fingers and is actually quite easy to get the hang of. Some areas of his toolkit need heavy upgrading, but overall, he’s a good pick to breeze through the Deadlock matchmaking.
Deadlock hero Infernus comes with a unique fire-spitting finger gun, which has a small magazine compared with other DPS heroes. However, his passive allows him to deal extra damage, boosting the overall impact of his finger gun.
Deadlock hero Infernus abilities explained
Suave and sleek, Infernus is a menace on the battlefield, thanks to his vertical mobility and a burning passion to tenderize enemies and finish them off with his DoT effect.
While this DPS hero has a lot of ground control, he lacks vertical mobility, so players may want to focus on his Flame Dash and buy ample healing upgrades to keep him safe.
Catalyst
Catalyst is a molotov-style ability that also amplifies Infernus’ damage to the enemy within its AoE. It also deals 50 damage and 40% movement slow within a 20-meter range.
When upgraded, Catalyst gains a boost in damage amplification, slow, and grants an extra charge. Maxed-out Catalyst also provides him with a 20% Lifesteal and decreased healing/regen on enemies.
- Level 1: +1 Charge
- Level 2: +20% Lifesteal against victims
- Level 3: +10% damage amp and -40% heal/regen
Catalyst is an ability that’s pretty powerful on its own. When activated, it deals extra damage to affected enemies, which is already boosted by Infernus’ passive. Players will get by just fine if they upgrade it second or third, preferably after maxing out Flame Dash.
Flame Dash
Flame Dash is a combined tool that allows Infernus to enter an ongoing battle or escape one when things get dicey. Since he doesn’t have an active healing ability, Flame Dash can be his ticket to live another day. When activated, he gains high speed while burning enemies for 40 health in his way.
Flame Dash is easily one of the top abilities in Deadlock, as it allows Infernus to burst into tanky targets and then finish them off. For this reason, we recommend maxing it out from the get-go.
- Level 1: +30% fire rate slow for 7 seconds
- Level 2: +45 DPS
- Level 3: -20 second cooldown
As soon as you have enough ability points, upgrade all three levels to boost damage and reduce cooldown. At a base level, Flame Dash has a 38-second cooldown that can be reduced to 18.
You may use this right after activating his ultimate to get closer to ranged enemies in a beat and deal heavy damage. When the cooldown runs out in 18 seconds, use it again to escape the enemy’s backup.
Afterburn
Afterburn is the ability that runs in the background but is the core of Infernus’ toolkit. When Catalyst is applied, Afterburn boosts damage even more when you keep targeting the same enemy.
Due to the DoT effect, we recommend singling out targets and focusing on one instead of spraying down on multiple.
Afterburn passively helps take down bigger targets quicker when paired with ultimate and Flame Dash. When upgraded, it turns Infernus into an absolute powerhouse.
- Level 1: -30% spirit damage against enemies.
- Level 2: +1 second burn duration
- Level 3: +30 DPS
We recommend upgrading at least one level of Afterburn after maxing out Flame Dash and upgrading Catalyst to level 1. The other two levels can be upgraded after the entire kit has been maxed out and before you start upgrading Concussive Combustion.
Concussive Combustion
Concussive Combustion is another zone ability that loads up for a few seconds before turning Infernus into a time bomb that explodes near enemies. It’s best used when paired with Flame Dash, as it makes you a difficult target to hit, providing a sort of speed shield. It deals 160 base damage in a 12-meter radius while stunning enemies for 1.25 seconds.
When upgraded, Concussive Combustion gains a massive cut down on the cooldown timer.
- Level 1: -40 second cooldown
- Level 2: +0.5 second stun duration and +4 meter radius
- Level 3: +115 damage and 100% lifesteal from enemy hit
Level 1 should be unlocked as soon as you start needing this ability mid-round, as it has a lengthy cooldown of 120 seconds. However, upgrading it before maxing out Flame Dash is not recommended. It’s best upgraded at the very end when Infernus’ complete toolkit is maxed out.
Deadlock best Infernus build
Infernus is a well-rounded hero with one notable weakness: his lack of healing capabilities. To compensate, prioritizing his health is vital throughout the game’s three stages.
Either that or focus on speed boosters to help him escape fights unscathed. Conversely, his greatest asset is his devastating finger gun, which can be amplified to transform him into a formidable DPS with significant damage output.
- Early Game: Basic Magazine, Rapid Rounds, Sprint Boots, Extra Spirit, Enduring Spirit
A combination of Basic Magazine and Rapid Rounds will allow players to build a tanky Infernus early game to chip away at enemy health bars and push into their lanes.
He’s pretty mobile, but Sprint Boots will be required for that extra speed boost and health regen to make up for the lack of vertical mobility. Extra Spirit and Enduring Spirit will amp up base damage while bringing his base health to 804 from 625, which is pretty decent for early game.
- Mid Game: Soul Shredder Bullets, Berserker, Spirit Lifesteal, Healing Booster, Mystic Vulnerability
In mid-game, you’d want to build up his weapon damage to the max in order to squeeze full juice out of his passive. Soul Shredder and Berserker can grant that weapon damage that could help Infernus fully take advantage of the DoT.
The Spirit upgrade will further bulk up Infernus, giving him a confidence boost to dash into enemies. To amplify this effect, pair it with Mystic Vulnerability, which weakens the enemy’s Spirit Resist, making them more susceptible to Infernus’ attacks. Healing Booster is a situational defensive purchase, but it doesn’t hurt to stack up on it.
- Late Game: Spiritual Overflow, Heroic Aura, Leech, Improved Spirit Armor, Superior Cooldown, Improved Reach
Heroic Aura is a good purchase for both mid and late rounds as it allows Infernus to carry teammates into the battle with a boosted fire rate. Paired with Spiritual Overflow, Infernus’ passive can truly break the enemy’s spirits. Leech is an overall excellent item that players should rush to purchase late-game to crank up stats across their entire toolkit.
Bind Superior Cooldown to his ultimate after maxing out Flame Dash to replicate the combination repeatedly against bruisers. With Improved Reach, Infernus’ ultimate can wreak havoc on larger areas with minimal support from nearby teammates.
