McGinnis build guide
by Professional Space CreatorVersion 184Updated Oct 4, 2026Guide #258863
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Full Guide: youtube.com/watch?v=YGkB3pHe088 (made half a year ago so some parts outdated but info is still relevant). (There is a Heroic Aura version of this build use search). Twitch.tv/Elendilli rare streams If you have questions, ask me @Elendilli in the Official Deadlock Discord in the #McGinnis channel. This build focuses on maxing ultimate which deals infinity damage (Midboss/Enemy base is our best place to use it). Turrets are secondary to ult but turrets still scale really well into mid/late game
1Early Mid
Author's category · 8 items · Buy Left to Right. Buy compress when Ult is on cooldown (it lowers ult cd even while on cd)
Intensifying Magazine
Buy if you think that you can get away with gun in the lane. Your goal when you buy this is you will shoot the enemy a lot with your gun + take guardian faster after 5 min.
Extra Charge
In lane use them to shove wave. YOu can now spawn turrets to push the wave unlike before because we have so many charges from the T2 upgrade. Spam turrets if you are near max charges for info on map.
Extra Stamina
Game changer of an item in lane. Extra stamina alone can let you play like a 3 stamina Hero. Builds into Arcane Surge.
2Situational Laneoptional
Author's category · 2 items
Extra Regen
Monster Rounds
PUSH WAVE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
3Mid Late
Author's category · 11 items · Buy LIGHTNING SCROLL ONLY if they have channelled abilities, if not SKIP it for ESCALATING EXPOSURE
Compress Cooldown
Buy this to lower ULT CD. Make sure you buy it BEFORE you ult because it won't lower CDR if ULT is on cooldown anymore (it used to).
Mystic Vulnerability
Buy early to apply your third debuff when spirit damage is applied via mainly ultimate, but turrets and wall can too. Your teammates also benefit from this reduction on enemies.
4Lightning Scroll / Heroic Aura / Utility (Not required, optional items)optional
Author's category · 11 items
Lightning Scroll
Built from Mystic Slow
Buy ONLY if enemies have channeled spells like Dynamo Ult, Haze ult, Mo&K Ult, Seven Ult (before he ults) etc.. This item becomes less worth it the higher rank you get (I don't buy it at all in Eter5)
Heroic Aura
Fire rate for turrets. Indespensible for wall max 1st or turrets during MIDBOSS or BASE DEFENSE. Remember to spread turrets the AoE for Heroic is decently big.
5Situationaloptional
Author's category · 22 items · Cultist for 4800 gun (optional). Healbane for cheap anti-heal for turrets, Metal Skin for bullet-heavy enemies.
Close Quarters
Buy first in lane sometimes over Monster Rounds for more direct HERO damage so less damage to troopers and guardian overall, but more Hero poke/kill power/melee resist for wall + burger boxing.
Fleetfoot
1) Hit 4800, 2) Move around the map really fast + no speed loss for box/statue maxxing. 3) Remember to activate Fleetfoot before using ULT (you can't use it during ult cuz bad QoL).
Categories appear in the author's order. Only the editor's default Early, Mid and Late sections are marked as game stages; the author's own categories keep their names. “Built from” links come from the game's item recipes.
| Mini Turret: Ability unlocked, step 4 | Mini Turret: 1 AP upgrade, step 5 | Mini Turret: 2 AP upgrade, step 7 | Mini Turret: 5 AP upgrade, step 12 |
Arcane Surge
Built from Extra Stamina
Arcane Surge before using Ult and Heal (if maxed, otherwise don't bother) and late game for turrets, especially effective during base defense or base sieges.
Mystic Slow
Slows down enemies hit by wall and turrets even more allowing your ally or your ultimate to deal more consistent damage. Builds into Lightning scroll later.
Mystic Expansion
Imbued on ultimate by default to make the AoE gigantic. Remember to buy Compress CDR on ult if it's on cooldown before this.
Enchanter's Emblem
S tier item this patch because spirit damage is META. This provides offensive and defensive bonuses the best of both worlds + CDR.
Enduring Speed
Our best item for mobility during ultimate. A must buy item if doing ult build. Remember, you can climb stuff then mantle boost during ult which bypasses the ult self slow.
Escalating Exposure
Built from Mystic Vulnerability
Escalating is better than Boundless after exactly 4.23s of gaining stacks (6 stacks) without any time lag inbetween. Boundless for this test had Mystic Vuln while Escalating had Improved Spirit.
Stamina Mastery
Built from Extra Stamina
Allows you to air dash move across the map & scale buildings or maneuver your ult against close range enemies with more air dashes, jumps etc... BEST ITEM EVER.
Greater Expansion
Built from Mystic Expansion
Buy when you want ULT SPLASH AOE BIGGER (THEY CANT JUMP) + turrets to have very high ability range to attack from very far distances. Also applies to heal and ult AoE.
Duration Extender
Extremely efficient duration for its cost on Ult. Allows you to have significant Ult uptime. Remember to pair it with Unstoppable and/or Indomitable so you are guaranteed to keep the ult going.
Superior Duration
Built from Duration Extender
Buy this generally to make items like Unstoppable last longer so that you have more ult uptime.
Unstoppable
Buy when enemies keep stunning you out of your ult. ALWAYS use unstoppable before ulting. Sometimes use METAL SKIN before ulting too. Pairs well w/ sup duration.
Refresher
Buy when you have placed all your turrets/heal and YOU are about to end the game. Place another batch of turrets and another ultimate. Good for base defense or sieges after using up all cooldowns
Boundless Spirit
This is the 2nd best power increase you can buy in the game while Escalating Exposure is the 1st for 6400 items. Remember that you will get 15% spirit power so make sure you do your SINNERS/STATUE-MAX
Superior Cooldown
Built from Compress Cooldown
1) Hits the last breakpoint for spirit power investment (with all listed items AND rapid recharge), 2) Buy when doing midboss or defending. The CDR is for turret spam with Sup duration.
Healbane
Buy this when nobody on your team has Healbane and you desperately need anti-heal. Turrets and ult even wall can apply this.
Rapid Recharge
Built from Extra Charge
We have 2 charges on T2 turrets now so this isn't exactly required all the time now. It will take a long time to place x5 turrets while it coolsdown and you get another so x6 etc..
Alchemical Fire
OUR WAVE/LANE/TROOPER CLEAR IS SOOOO BAD that this item is OKAY for big waves but it works for ur team. And we can use it before ulting for our teammates + high burn damage.
Indomitable
This will basically make you immortal during your ult vs stuns (if no unstop). It is hard to justify buying both this and Unstop. If Lash ults ults/Haze sleeps or Abrams ult, it activates before stun.
Metal Skin
Buy this against Heroes like Vyper or Haze ult. With Transcendent Cooldown, Metal Skin is 14 cd which is very low. Superior Duration increases makes this go from 5s to 6.4s (HUGE DIFF).
Healing Nova
If you have Healing Tempo you can give your allies AND TURRETS the TEMPO buff without using Healing Specter.
Healing Booster
Built from Extra Regen
Good. From 2% heal to 2.4% heal.
Healing Tempo
Built from Healing Booster
Buy this to ultra buff turret fire rate especially in areas like Midboss or other areas where you have setup turrets. Healing Nova can also apply Tempo to turrets instead of your Specter.
Transcendent Cooldown
Built from Superior Cooldown
Superior Cooldown does the job just fine. The only time you consider TransCD is when you need item cooldowns.
Active Reload
Reload with lifesteal. Buy this sometimes along with Intensifying Mag to play gun in lane to have more lane presence (and objective damage).
Cultist Sacrifice
Built from Monster Rounds
Buy this for wave clear and not for the Ablity Range. Very good item I buy it cuz I often heavy melee + shoot the waves often and still takes forever to kill. This solves clear1 better than Alch Fire.
Trophy Collector
If you think you can get away with it. this item becomes worse in higher level games unfortunately.
Reactive Barrier
This was an item you could buy late game if you had 1600 and an open slot for the next fight, but now it also has an upgrade that is REALLY GOOD.
Spirit Lifesteal
If you think that you need spirit lifesteal during ult to leech more because you are tanking hits from enemies, buy this.
Debuff Reducer
You are buying this for unstoppable anyway, but if you buy it earlier, know that you can do things like once lash slams you with ult, you can spawn wall since u have debuff resist b4 he slams and wall
Spirit Resilience
We usually don't need this item unless the enemy team has 5 or more spirit Heroes.
Veil Walker
its a secret
Counterspell
Sometimes you need counterspell for Lash ult (he can hold his ult sometimes to bypass Counterspell) or just in general against other forms of stun/cc.
Warp Stone
Warp stone is very good for scaling buildings or getting out of bad situations. Can go further depending on ability range items as well.
Cheat Death
Buy when you need to cast all your spells before dying. Cheat death duration can also be increased with duration items to ensure you cast ALL your spells before dying (or escape!).
Juggernaut
Built from Enduring Speed
Good if you have too much money and no slots.
Golden Goose Egg
Buy after shoving the wave (dont always buy 1st think ok). Basically USE/HATCH AFter min 10:01 for MAXIMUM value (buffs upgrade at 10:00). Generally you pop this around ~10-20 for your next 6400 item.
Suppressor
Sometimes you want less firerate via turret but I wouldn't recommend this for ult-maxxing most of the time b/c slots are already limited. If you decide to do more gun or turret consider it.
Slowing Hex
Buy against enemies like Wraith or Dynamo or Stamina abusers like Celeste to prevent them from escaping which essentially forces them to make Magic Dispel.
Decay
Sometimes the game is about to end whether you win / lose or a critical fight and you just so happen to have 3200 + need anti heal. Decay someone. The range is NUTS w/ Greater exp.
Spirit Burn
Buy when you need severe anti-heal and they have no sign of debuff remover. You can't reliaby target whoever you want with spirit burn unless you ult.
Vortex Web
Built from Slowing Hex
Vortex enemies, press unstoppable if you grabbed a few, ult them.
Scourge
Pretty strong item these past few patches. Use on ally or yourself. Inside heal ur basically taking zero from spirit
Cursed Relic
Hatecrime someone.
| Medicinal Specter: Ability unlocked, step 2 | Medicinal Specter: 1 AP upgrade, step 3 | Medicinal Specter: 2 AP upgrade, step 15 | Medicinal Specter: 5 AP upgrade, step 16 |
| Spectral Wall: Ability unlocked, step 1 | Spectral Wall: 1 AP upgrade, step 11 | Spectral Wall: 2 AP upgrade, step 13 | Spectral Wall: 5 AP upgrade, step 14 |
| Heavy Barrage: Ability unlocked, step 6 | Heavy Barrage: 1 AP upgrade, step 8 | Heavy Barrage: 2 AP upgrade, step 9 | Heavy Barrage: 5 AP upgrade, step 10 |
Unlock1 / 2 / 5 AP upgrade costOrder only; no timings
Not shown: 6 entries after the order starts again. The published data contains them; how the game treats them isn't verified.
Current patch: the Oct 5, 2026 update, Oct 5, 2026, 11:05 PM UTC to today · ranked and unranked · all match average ranks
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