New Deadlock hero Graves isn't quite the summoner class I was hoping for, but she might still be my new favorite

I’ve been wondering when the Deadlock hero pool would get its first true summoner, and newcomer Graves (no, not that one, League of Legends fans) seemed at first glance like she might fill the role. However, the stylish necromancer isn’t quite what I was expecting, feeling a lot closer to Dota 2’s Undying than Chen or Lycan, and more of a more of a Malzahar than a Yorick or Naafiri. With that said, her kit still feels very good to use, and I can see myself putting quite a few hours into figuring out how to get the most from it.

“The dead have been making a whole lot of demands lately, and only Graves has the courage to oblige.” The Deadlock newcomer struts into the MOBA wielding a severed lich hand that grasps onto enemies with a lightly tracking beam that feels like a less magnetic version of Overwatch’s Moira. It’s also relatively short-range, and Graves doesn’t come with much in the way of mobility, so you’ll need to position yourself carefully. The good news is that it has innate lifesteal, helping to counteract any poke damage you take.

Amplifying that is Essence Theft, which causes her beam to also steal weapon damage and spirit resistance over time from her target, reaching a maximum of 25% (scaling up with your spirit) and 10% respectively after four seconds. By default, this can affect up to three targets at once, so grabbing items like Split Shot should allow you to maximize Graves’ ability to drain her foes and buff herself. Max it out and you get an additional target, another 20% weapon damage, and 5% more spirit resistance, making her a real powerhouse the longer she stays locked on.

Jar of Dead is where the more summon-style abilities come in. Graves gathers ‘death’ from anything that dies nearby (it lingers on the ground as visible soul-like objects, but you’ll need to get close to suck it up). This can be used to summon a group of four ‘Deadheads,’ little floating skulls that repeatedly slam into their target, dealing spirit damage. Upgrading this gives Graves healing per death pickup, adds a slow effect to the Deadheads, and throws two more in for good measure. These little guys will absolutely tear up your health if left to their own devices; if you’re up against her, make sure to destroy them as soon as you can.

Grasping Hands is simple but effective, dropping a wall that immobilizes and damages any enemies that pass through it. It’s long enough to cut off the narrow streets or a stair set, so you can quickly trap a fleeing foe. Given that Graves wants to stay up close and personal while she siphons all your strength away, this is the perfect option to stop your victim from running away when they realize all of their damage has been sucked out.

Finishing things off is Borrowed Decree, Graves’ ultimate and something that’ll immediately feel at home to Undying players. It places a large tombstone that gradually summons Ghouls, which shamble forward dealing melee attacks to small targets. When they reach an enemy hero or objective, they detonate for 150 damage (with 1.5x spirit scaling on top), which also slows their target by 80% briefly. If you’re facing her, keep in mind that two heavy melee attacks will break the gravestone, although that’s tougher at max level when it’ll instantly spawn three Ghouls when cast.

Not the ‘permanent pals’ summoner that I had initially anticipated, then; if anything, previous newcomer Rem fits that bill slightly more closely. With that said, I do really love a hero that swings the balance of power in your favor the longer a fight draws out. It’s a big reason I enjoy Undying so much – by the time the zombies start pouring in and the opponent notices that they aren’t hitting you anywhere near as hard as they were at first thanks to his Decay effect, it’s too late to escape.

Graves has that same tempo-shifting vibe, and also throws in a handy way to snag anyone who tries to make a break for it when they clock that the tide has turned. Pick her up now while players aren’t used to her, and you might find yourself racking up some easy wins before they realize her Deadheads and tombstone can be destroyed. I’ve also got a sneaking suspicion she could be a real killer in Street Brawl with the rapid pace of the action. Regardless, her design is already a winner in my book; now we just wait to see who’s next (my money’s on “hot mess” werewolf, Silver, who’s already building up a rabid fanbase).