Best build for The Magnificent Sinclair in Deadlock

The Magnificent Sinclair is one of the four newest heroes added to Deadlock and the second developed by former Risk of Rain lead Hopoo.

Revolving around magnificent trickery, illusions, and spell-stealing, The Magnificent Sinclair is one of the most unique heroes in the game. But achieving the Prestige might not be as easy as it seems, so here’s our best build for this illustrious magician.

The Magnificent Sinclair’s abilities in Deadlock

Like every other Deadlock hero, The Magnificent Sinclair sports four abilities in total: three regular ones and, in their case (The Magnificent Sinclair is actually two characters morphed into one), a unique Ultimate that copies enemies. Here are all of their spells:

• Vexing Bolt: The Magnificent Sinclair fires a magic missile, dealing spirit damage and slowing enemies. If the assistant, Henry or Savannah, is also present, he will cast another Vexing Bolt, dealing reduced damage.
• Spectral Assistant: Summons Henry or Savannah, the magic Assistant, at a targeted location. He fires whenever you fire, dealing spirit damage. Re-activating the ability lets you swap places with him.
• Rabbit Hex: The Magnificent Sinclair applies a hex on a target and turns them into a rabbit. While hexed, the afflicted enemy is faster and smaller but takes more damage and cannot use most actions.
• Audience Participation: The Magnificent Sinclair copies the Ultimate ability of a targeted enemy. Re-using the spell uses the copied Ultimate.

As we can see, Hopoo’s second hero (or heroes) is a mixture of fast-paced and unique gameplay, prioritizing high damage from a distance and using the enemies’ tools against them. With their abilities doing primarily spirit damage over anything else, Sinclair should focus on bumping their spirit damage output from the get-go, taking some weapon-oriented items along the way as shooting is an important part of any hero’s build, though the specific items are bound to rely on the Ultimates you’re going to be copying the most, so it’s quite flexible.

The best build for The Magnificent Sinclair in Deadlock

Early game

In the opening moments of the game, it is best to grab some good old bullet damage and weapon upgrades for The Magnificent Sinclair, as the hero generally lacks on that front, carrying a clunky burst-fire weapon that doesn’t always prove the most effective in lane. High Velocity Mag, Rapid Rounds, and Hollow Point Ward are all great opening options for this hero. After that, you can safely move to spirit damage options, especially Extra Charge, which will make your first ability much more useful. Mystic Burst, Extra Spirit, and Mystic Reach are fantastic spirit damage starters and will tremendously help your range and damage output.

Of course, if you need defenses, grabbing Extra Health, Extra Stamina, or Enduring Spirit might be the way to go, especially if you’re up against some aggressive and unrelenting enemies.

In terms of abilities, you should first level up Vexing Bolt, then Hex, and lastly the Spectral Assistant, first focusing on upgrading the Vexing Bolt to max level to remove its limitations with the Assistant. If you really wish to do so, you can also spend one ability upgrade point each to lower the Hex’s and the Assistant’s cooldowns by 10 seconds each, and then move on to finishing off the Vexing Bolt.

Mid game

Once the mid-game rolls around and you’re not as bound to your lane as before, you should focus on getting your damage sources up to speed. Mystic Vulnerability and Soul Shredder Bullets are important, especially if you’re facing tanker opponents like Bebop while upgrading to Rapid Recharge and Improved Spirit should also be your priority. Grabbing the Pristine Emblem might also prove helpful as it amplifies your weapon significantly, whereas the Bullet and Spirit Armors are catch-all defensive options you should always consider.

Of course, yet another defensive and proactive option would be Cold Front, which I advise on most heroes, and this would be particularly useful if you copy the Ultimate of a hero that loves going up close and personal with enemies, such as Calico.

As for the spells, once you round off the upgrade path of the Vexing Bolt, move on to leveling up the Hex to max to turn it into a powerful AOE CC ability, and then you can move on to maxing the Spectral Assistant.

Late game

Now, for the late game, the floor is basically ours, and you should focus primarily on working into your build the Ultimate ability you’ll be copying the most. However, there are some general options that I would like you to consider to boost your overall strengths and not just that of the stolen ability. Boundless Spirit and Superior Cooldown are must-haves to make your output frequent and heavy-hitting, and so is Escalating Exposure. Superior Stamina is great to help you get out of tight situations more easily, while Unstoppable and the Improved Armors will help keep you secure and well-defended.

Other than these options, anything focusing on improving your character’s overall output while also adding to the Ultimate you stole and working with it in unison should be considered, though that largely depends on the situation you find yourself in.

As for your own spells, after finishing off the Spectral Assistant, you should round off your spell leveling with a maxed-out Ultimate, which will turn any copied spell into a true powerhouse, especially so if you have the right build (like the one above) to help it become truly amazing.