Graves Build Guide: Best Items & Ability Order
Graves is a playable Deadlock hero. Over the last 14 days Graves sits in S+ tier with a 57.4% win rate across 1M matches, ranked 1 of 44 heroes. In Oracle+ lobbies the win rate is 54.1%. The most common mid-game purchases are Improved Spirit, Stamina Mastery and Torment Pulse.
Tier
S+
Win rate
57.4%
Change
+0.1%
Pick rate
44.3%
K/D/A
6.8 / 6.9 / 11.7
Avg. souls
42.2K
Graves item build
The items players buy most in each phase. The percentage is how often the item is bought in that phase; the number below is the win rate when bought.
Early game (0–10 min)
Mid game (10–20 min)
Late game (20+ min)
Graves abilities
Ability 1
Jar of Dead
Passive: Collect death when anything dies nearby and store it in your Jar of Dead.
Active: Throw a jar to summon Deadheads that repeatedly deal spirit damage to enemies.
Deadheads follow you instead if there's no nearby enemies, and prioritize the target of your weapon.
Deadheads: 4Damage: 16Search Range: 7mDash Range: 15mCharges: 4
- I
Collecting death heals 5 health per pickup
- II
On Hit: Apply 24% Slow for 1s
- III
+2 Deadheads +4s Deadhead Lifetime
Ability 2
Grasping Hands
Unearth a line of grasping hands, summoning a Ghoul and leaving behind a rift. Enemies who pass through take spirit damage and receive immobilize.
Alt-Cast rotates the orientation of the wall.
Ghouls Raised: 1Damage: 90Cooldown: 34sDuration: 5sCast Range: 24m
- I
Duration +2s
- II
+90 Damage and +10m Wall Length
- III
+1 Ghouls Raised -14s Cooldown +0.75s Immobilize Duration
Ability 3
Essence Theft
Your weapon steals weapon damage and spirit resist over time, up to a maximum amount per target.
Max Weapon Damage Stolen: 25%Max Spirit Resist Stolen: 10%Max Steal Targets: 3Time for Max Damage: 4sDuration: 4s
- I
Max Spirit Resist Stolen +5%
- II
Max Weapon Damage Stolen +20%
- III
+1 Max Steal Targets All Summons now apply Essence Theft
Ultimate
Borrowed Decree
Damage: 115Move Speed: -64%Summon Health: 180Melee Damage: 40Summon Lifetime: 20sSlow Duration: 1.25sExplosion Radius: 6.5mTime to Summon: 4sCooldown: 140sDuration: 16sCast Range: 20m
- I
+25% Ghoul Speed -15s Cooldown
- II
+10s Duration
- III
On Death: Deal +5% Current Health as Damage -0.3s Time To Spawn
Graves ability order
The most common way to spend the first 12 ability points (54% of tracked players). The first point unlocks an ability, the next three upgrade it.
 Jar of Dead | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Grasping Hands | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
 Essence Theft | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
 Borrowed Decree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Upgrade priority: Grasping Hands → Essence Theft → Jar of Dead → Borrowed Decree
Graves matchups and counters
Graves's win rate when the listed hero is on the enemy team (minimum 200 matches).
Frequently asked questions
Is Graves good in Deadlock?
Graves is currently S+ tier with a 57.4% win rate and 44.3% pick rate over the last 14 days. That is up 0.1% compared with the 14 days before.
What are the best items for Graves?
Early game: Restorative Shot, Extra Spirit and Extra Stamina. Mid game: Improved Spirit, Stamina Mastery and Torment Pulse. Late game: Toxic Bullets, Escalating Exposure and Boundless Spirit. These are the items players buy most often in each phase.
What is the best ability order for Graves?
The most common upgrade priority is Grasping Hands → Essence Theft → Jar of Dead → Borrowed Decree.
Who counters Graves?
Graves has the lowest win rate against Paige, Rat King and Seven and the highest against Pocket, Mirage and Mina.
Stats are calculated from matches played in the last 14 days and refreshed twice a day. Hero, ability and item details come from the game's own text. Data source: deadlock-api.com. Last updated: 2 November 2026 at 21:22. Oyunpedia is not affiliated with Valve.