Solomon Build Guide: Best Items, Skill Order and How to Play Deadlock's Chess Hero
The best Solomon build in Deadlock is a spirit hybrid: rush Setup Bishop to tier 2 for the second bishop, take early gun items like Opening Rounds and Sharpshooter because his gun is strong, then build Improved Spirit, Greater Expansion, Superior Cooldown, Tankbuster and Boundless Spirit. Solomon released on October 9, 2026 and is the hardest of the six new heroes, currently around a 45 to 46% win rate while players learn him.
Win rates and item stats below come from public match trackers in late October 2026. Trackers disagree slightly, so we give ranges, and every Deadlock patch moves them.
Role | Strategist, spirit area control |
Released | October 9, 2026 (City Never Sleeps) |
Abilities | Setup Bishop, Kingside Knight, Rook Battery, Develop Queen (ultimate) |
Win rate | ~45 to 46%, below average |
Builds into | Spirit with early weapon items |
How Solomon Works
Solomon plays chess on the battlefield. Each ability is a piece you place first and move later, so he controls space before a fight even starts:
Setup Bishop stays where you place it with no time limit. Moving it slides it 12 metres, dealing 70 spirit damage and a 30% fading slow to everyone it passes through. Its tier 2 adds a second bishop.
Kingside Knight is defence and retreat.
Rook Battery stalls and slows enemies so your bishops connect.
Develop Queen, the ultimate, is area spirit damage that finishes off anyone limping.
Why His Win Rate Is Low (and Why That Is Fine)
Solomon's sub-50% win rate does not mean he is bad. It means most people playing him have a handful of games on a hero with a very high skill ceiling. Pieces placed in the wrong spot do nothing; pieces placed where the enemy has to walk win fights. If you like planning more than aiming, he rewards the practice.
Skill Order
Setup Bishop to tier 2 as early as possible. The second bishop roughly doubles your damage, and every serious Solomon build rushes it.
One point in Kingside Knight for its cooldown reduction and an escape.
Then Rook Battery for setup, and Develop Queen when available.
Item Build
Early: High-Velocity Rounds and Opening Rounds for farming and trades, Extra Spirit, and Mystic Expansion imbued into Setup Bishop. Many top builds also grab Long Range and Sharpshooter, because his base gun is genuinely strong in lane.
Mid: Improved Spirit, Compress Cooldown imbued into Develop Queen, Greater Expansion and Superior Cooldown. Cooldown is his best stat: more pieces, more often. Stamina Mastery helps him reposition.
Late: Tankbuster, Boundless Spirit and Echo Shard for the spirit path, or lean further into the hybrid with gun items if you are landing shots.
How to Play Him
Place bishops on routes, not on enemies. Bishops are permanent, so put them where fights will happen.
Slow first with Rook Battery, then slide bishops through the slowed targets.
Use your gun between pieces. His lane trades are strong.
Drop the Queen on grouped enemies or limping targets you cannot chase.
Taking Solomon Into Ranked
Ranked is where a hero this new pays off, because most of the lobby still does not know the matchup. If the 60-win gate is between you and the ladder, Deadlock ranked unlock clears it, and placement matches get your calibration played at a high standard. Already ranked? Rank boosting takes you to a target rank, win boosting adds wins when you are a few games short of a boundary, and Deadlock Fast Games put a verified strong player in your duo slot while you learn Solomon yourself. Our ranks guide and climbing math explain what each step is worth.
FAQ
What is the best Solomon build in Deadlock? A spirit hybrid: early gun items plus Mystic Expansion on Setup Bishop, then Improved Spirit, Greater Expansion, Superior Cooldown, Tankbuster and Boundless Spirit.
What is Solomon's skill order? Setup Bishop to tier 2 first for the second bishop, one point in Kingside Knight, then Rook Battery and Develop Queen.
Is Solomon good in Deadlock? His win rate is below average at around 45 to 46%, mostly because he is hard to learn. Skilled players get much more from him.
What does Setup Bishop do? It places a permanent bishop that slides 12 metres on command, dealing spirit damage and slowing everyone it passes.
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