Best McGinnis Build (Abilities, Items, & Leveling Guide)

McGinnis is an underrated hero in Deadlock, and the right build can bring out her best. Able to quite literally wall opponents in with Spectral Wall, her Mini Turret and Medicinal Specter can be used in combination to keep herself and allies up to the task while trapping foes within range and taking them out one by one. With this in mind, a balanced itemization approach can work exceptionally well here.

Similar to Kelvin’s mixed build in Deadlock, McGinnis is well-equipped to disrupt her enemies, aid allies, and deal high DPS all the while. She has a few major cons, like low speed and stamina to work around in the early stages of the game, but the turret-toting hero is decidedly beginner-friendly with the potential for growth. To play her properly, you’ll need to strategically level McGinnis’ abilities and equip items that complement both her strengths and weaknesses.

Best Abilities & Items To Build McGinnis In Deadlock

Leveling For Every Game Phase

McGinnis may not be the hero that comes to mind when you think of DPS characters, but she boasts the highest base stat of all Deadlock heroes, outranking even Seven and Warden. The issue lies in her spread, which comes with abysmally low Movement Speed, Sprint Speed, and Stamina at base. This means you’ll need to grab helpful items to make her high DPS stat viable in practice. Luckily, you’ll have more than enough options to choose from, so we’ve broken down her best ability leveling and itemization as you move through each game phase.

Best Ability Leveling For McGinnis In Deadlock

McGinnis’ abilities include Mini Turret, Medicinal Specter, Spectral Wall, and Heavy Barrage. UchooGaming on YouTube demonstrates how the hero’s skills differ vastly in utility from one to the next, which makes leveling her abilities especially important in any working McGinnis build. You can invest Ability Points (AP) in upgrades for each, at 1 AP, 2 AP, and 5 AP. Here’s a breakdown of all four, including effects and upgrade bonuses:

Mini Turret is a necessary first pick when it comes to building McGinnis, as this will give you damage to rely on apart from your primary weapon. Go for the remaining abilities in order: Medicinal Specter, Spectral Wall, and Heavy Barrage, respectively. From there, you can get to work on leveling with AP.

Spectral Wall will act as the backbone of our build here, so you’ll want to grab at least the first two upgrades for a damage increase and reduced cooldown. From there, max out Mini Turret for DPS, Fire Rate, and range buffs, plus a handy movement slow effect on enemies hit. It’s a good idea to get Medicinal Specter’s first upgrade for the Fire Rate boost here, but you could just as well finish it off before grabbing Spectral Wall’s final bonus. Complete Heavy Barrage to top it off.

Best Items For McGinnis In Deadlock

The best items for McGinnis will help to improve mobility, accuracy, and sustain, with increases to Weapon Damage whenever possible. We’ll be using several of the same items incorporated in Warden’s best build, as she requires similar improvements to her base stats and benefits greatly from any extra ammo she can get. Here’s a closer look at which items to work with throughout each phase of Deadlock:

To start your early-game McGinnis build, you should get Basic Magazine and Active Reload to reduce reload time, supply yourself with extra ammo, and deal a bit more Weapon Damage. Extra Charge, Extra Stamina, and Extra Health will help with cooldown, stamina recovery, and Bonus Health, while Sprint Boots will give you a much-needed speed boost and top off Weapon Damage. Mystic Reach isn’t a totally necessary purchase here, but it’s highly recommended for improved range.

Nearing the mid-game, you’ll want to move up to Intensifying Magazine and Rapid Recharge for even greater Weapon Damage, ammo, and reload bonuses. McGinnis will benefit a lot from items like Slowing Bullets and Suppressors, which will make up for what you’re still lacking in mobility. Improved Reach, Superior Stamina, and Enduring Speed will help with this issue as well, securing bonuses to range, stamina, and speed. If you haven’t grabbed Fleetfoot yet, you’ll want to get it here for max mobility and ammo, to boot.

Finally, the Titanic Magazine is an obvious choice for McGinnis’ late-game Deadlock build for boosts to Weapon Damage, ammo, and Bullet Resist. Inhibitor is another essential here, which will apply Movement Slow effects to every shot that lands. Heroic Aura and Siphon Bullets will also play well, boosting Fire Rate and stealing Max Health from your opponents simultaneously. Top it off with Improved Spirit Armor and Improved Bullet Armor for better sustain and damage output.

Video Credit: UchooGaming/YouTube