Shiv Guide — Abilities, Builds & Strategy

Shiv Base Stats

• Role: Brawler
• Max Health: 830
• Max Move Speed: 6.5
• Stamina: 3
• Base Health Regen: 2
• Light Melee Damage: 50
• Heavy Melee Damage: 116

Shiv Weapon Stats

• DPS: 52.246
• Sustained DPS: 34.647
• Bullet Damage: 4.8
• Rounds Per Second: 1.8141
• Clip Size: 10
• Reload Time: 2.8s
• Bullet Speed: 609.6
• Can Crit: Yes

Shiv Abilities

• Ability 1: Serrated Knives
• Ability 2: Slice and Dice
• Ability 3: Bloodletting
• Ability 4: Killing Blow

Shiv Guide — Strategy & Tips

Quick Answer: Shiv is a hit-and-run assassin who bleeds enemies with Serrated Knives, dives in with Slice and Dice, and executes low-health targets with Killing Blow. Dealing damage fills his Rage meter, and at full Rage he gains bonus damage and upgraded abilities that turn him into a one-man army. Use Bloodletting to survive burst and keep brawling so your Rage never runs dry.

Shiv is a cutthroat monster hunter who plays as a hit-and-run assassin, flinging Serrated Knives to bleed enemies from range before dashing into close quarters on his own terms. He closes the gap with Slice and Dice, a forward dash that damages enemies along its path and stacks a spirit resist shred on everyone he clips. Constantly dealing damage fills his Rage meter, and at full Rage he becomes a one-man army with a damage bonus and upgraded versions of his abilities. Bloodletting lets him absorb a burst by deferring part of the incoming damage, then clear a portion of it when he activates the ability. He finishes weak targets with Killing Blow, a leap that executes anyone below the health threshold, and executing tops his Rage back up.

Early Game

Early on, farm souls while hunting short trades you can win with Serrated Knives. Start the bleed with a knife, then weave in shotgun shots between cooldowns to chip the enemy and build Rage. His shotgun's alt fire has a knockback recoil you can use to reposition, hop terrain, or escape, so lean on it for mobility. Knives can confirm soul orbs, so use them to secure last hits. Don't overcommit before Killing Blow is unlocked, since without the execute and Rage he lacks the burst to finish kills.

Mid Game

Mid game is where Shiv comes online: with Killing Blow unlocked, every skirmish is a chance to execute a weakened target and instantly refill Rage. Watch for low-health heroes — when one is within range and below the threshold, Shiv sees a red aura and a cracked heart symbol, so dive the moment it appears. Slice and Dice into the fight to shred spirit resist for your team and to reposition, then follow with knives and shotgun pressure. Bloodletting keeps him alive through burst so he can briefly frontline and still disengage. Rotate to pick off stragglers and keep your Rage topped up.

Late Game

Late game Shiv is a cleanup threat and a duelist who wins by executing priority targets before they can react. Full Rage supercharges his kit: Serrated Knives deal current-health damage on impact and slow bleeding enemies, while Slice and Dice leaves an echo that retraces the dash to hit again. Use that spike to burst down carries, then chain Killing Blow by recasting within its window after a kill to keep executing. Bloodletting lets him survive the opening volley of a teamfight and turn it around. Position on the edge of the fight, wait for cooldowns and low-health thresholds, then commit.

Combos

Open with Serrated Knives to start the bleed and force a reaction, then Slice and Dice through the target for the dash damage and spirit resist shred. Follow immediately with shotgun shots, using the alt-fire recoil to stay in range or reposition. Once the enemy drops under the Killing Blow threshold, leap in to execute, and the kill refills your Rage to keep the pressure going. Pop Bloodletting any time you're eating heavy burst, then activate it to clear a chunk of the deferred damage. Each extra knife refreshes the bleed and adds a stack, so keep landing them during the fight to ramp the damage.

Strong Against

Shiv thrives against squishy, low-health heroes who die to his burst and can't escape his dash. He excels at running down out-of-position targets, since Slice and Dice closes distance and Killing Blow executes anyone trying to disengage below the threshold. Bleed pressure from Serrated Knives punishes heroes who try to heal through fights, because the damage keeps ticking. He also shines in sustained brawls where he can keep building Rage into full-Rage bonuses. Against heroes without reliable crowd control, his dives are hard to stop.

Weak Against

Shiv struggles against reliable crowd control and displacement, because his kit is built around dashing in and staying on top of a target. Movement silence is especially punishing — Slowing Hex removes his shotgun's knockback and disables Slice and Dice and Killing Blow. Heroes who burst him down before he fills Rage deny his full-Rage spike entirely. Anyone who can safely kite beyond his short dash range neuters his dive and forces him to waste cooldowns. Because Rage starts decaying after 12 seconds without dealing damage, opponents who disengage and stall him drain his momentum.

Synergies

Shiv pairs best with teammates who can lock a target down so he can land his dive and execute. Setup and crowd control from allies let him commit safely with Slice and Dice and follow up with Killing Blow on a helpless target. Teammates who help him keep dealing damage keep his Rage online through longer fights. Healing support offsets the damage he takes while brawling and pairs well with Bloodletting's deferred-damage mechanic. Items that add conditional weapon or spirit damage — Close Quarters, Point Blank, Long Range, Sharpshooter, Opening Rounds, Extra Charge, Rapid Recharge, Arcane Surge, and Surge of Power — improve his Rage generation per shot or cast.

Common Mistakes

• Letting Rage decay — the bonuses only apply at a full meter, and it starts draining after 12 seconds without dealing damage.
• Diving without an execute ready — Killing Blow is meant to finish a target below the health threshold, not to open the fight.
• Ignoring Bloodletting — activating it clears a portion of the deferred damage and is what lets him survive burst and stay in the fight.

Matchup Notes

• vs Pocket — Affliction is a real threat to Bloodletting: if Shiv takes any damage at 1HP during the deferred window, he can die to his own Bloodletting, so don't lean on it to survive that fight.
• vs Vindicta — Vindicta pokes from outside Shiv's dash range, so don't waste Slice and Dice closing the gap; dive when Vindicta is forced out of position or low enough to execute.
• vs Grey Talon — Long-range arrows chip Shiv before he can engage, so use terrain and the shotgun alt-fire recoil to close distance, then finish the low-health target with Killing Blow.
• vs Wraith — Wraith's sustained fire can burst Shiv before his Rage fills, so trigger Bloodletting to defer the damage, Slice and Dice in, and execute before the fight drags out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Shiv in Deadlock?

Shiv is a cutthroat monster hunter and a member of The Baxter Society, seeking atonement for his criminal past by hunting monsters. In-game he's a hit-and-run assassin who bleeds enemies with Serrated Knives, closes distance with Slice and Dice, and executes low-health targets with Killing Blow. He was released on August 15, 2024.

What does Shiv's Rage meter do?

Shiv's Rage is unlocked when he gets his Killing Blow ultimate, and he builds it by dealing damage to players, including damage to barriers. At a full meter he becomes Enraged, gaining a damage bonus and unlocking special properties on Serrated Knives, Slice and Dice, and Bloodletting. The meter holds a max of 10 points and only grants bonuses at full — partial Rage does nothing.

How do I build Rage as Shiv?

Any damage you deal to players builds Rage, and executing an enemy with Killing Blow completely fills the meter. Headshots build Rage faster than bodyshots thanks to the crit multiplier, while damage falloff builds less. Conditional damage items like Close Quarters, Point Blank, Sharpshooter, Extra Charge, and Arcane Surge raise Rage per shot or cast, but raising your base bullet damage or spirit power doesn't change it.

How does Killing Blow's execute work?

Killing Blow leaps forward and deals spirit damage to the first enemy hero it hits; if that hero is below the health threshold, it executes them instead. The base threshold is 18% of the target's health, and the execute deals pure damage. Finishing an enemy lets Shiv recast Killing Blow for 16 seconds, and it also completely fills his Rage meter.

How does Bloodletting work?

Bloodletting defers a portion of incoming damage, taking only 25% immediately and spreading the rest over a 6-second window. Activating the ability clears 30% of that deferred damage, and it's affected by healing modifiers, including anti-heal. While at full Rage, the amount of damage deferred increases.

What weapon does Shiv use?

Shiv uses a shotgun called Busted Flush, which fires six bullets in a tight spread pattern. Its alternate fire sprays 12 pellets in a diamond shape and has a knockback recoil that Shiv can use for movement. That knockback is removed by movement silence, such as Slowing Hex.