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Solomon is a space-control Deadlock hero built around chess pieces. Place bishops to create recurring damaging squares, use the charging Knight and reflecting Rooks to interrupt or protect, then position the Queen to punish grouped or weakened enemies. The practical starting build emphasizes Spirit power, Bishop-square item procs and cooldown reduction, while leaving room for defensive choices.
Who Solomon is and what his game plan is
Solomon was described as available in Deadlock’s October 9, 2026 update. The update archive calls him a chess-themed hero whose kit includes bishops, a knight barrier, paired rooks and a queen that can execute low-health heroes. A separate October 11 PC Gamer feature described him as an older, chess-loving character introduced with the City Never Sleeps update.
The available hero reference is an unofficial community project, not a Valve guide, and the update archive is an unofficial fan-made site. The ability names, item recommendations and progression below therefore describe the published community reference as of October 13, 2026, rather than permanent or official balance rules. Deadlock is actively updated, so check the in-game tooltips before committing to exact values or point costs.
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Solomon’s documented kit suggests a simple combat rhythm: establish Bishop squares before an exchange, force movement with Knight and Rook effects, and use Queen when opponents are clustered or already low. That is an interpretation of the listed abilities and build notes, not a report of a controlled or personally tested build.
Solomon’s abilities at a glance
| Ability | Chess piece | What the current reference says | Primary job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup Bishop | Bishop | Sets bishops on the battlefield. They fire damaging squares that provide recurring area pressure and opportunities to trigger item effects. | Zone control, wave pressure and repeated Spirit/proc damage. |
| Kingside Knight | Knight | Summons a knight barrier that charges forward. Hitting an enemy immobilizes them; upgrades add a fire-rate reduction and damage based on current health. | Protect an approach, interrupt a retreat or start a pick. |
| Rook Battery | Rooks | Deploys reflecting walls. The current page lists a fire-rate reduction on hit and an upgrade that adds current-health-based damage. | Shape lanes, deny firing angles and split a fight. |
| Develop Queen | Queen | Calls a queen down for area Spirit damage. After a delay it releases damaging squares and stuns; the queen can move to a target location and be recalled early. A two-point upgrade enables checkmate executions below 200 health on the listed reference. | Team-fight damage, delayed crowd control and finishing. |
All listed effects are patch-sensitive. Treat the table as a role map, not a substitute for the current in-game descriptions.
How to use each ability
Setup Bishop: start the board before the fight
Setup Bishop places bishops that fire damaging squares. Because the squares persist as recurring area pressure and are repeatedly mentioned in the community build notes as a source of item procs, this is the foundation of Solomon’s ability-synergy plan. Place the bishops where enemies must walk: around a lane entrance, beside cover, near an objective approach or behind the line where your team expects a retreat.
Do not treat the ability as a single burst spell. Its value increases when opponents remain in the area or repeatedly cross it. Squares can make a safe-looking route expensive, soften a wave while you conserve weapon ammunition and give Spirit-proc items more chances to trigger. The exact number of bishops, square pattern and timing depend on the live tooltip.
Kingside Knight: barrier, engage and interruption
Kingside Knight summons a barrier that charges forward. The reference lists an immobilize when it hits an enemy, making the ability useful for stopping a target long enough for Bishop squares or a delayed Queen effect to connect. It can also provide a protected line while you cross an exposed gap.
The listed upgrades add an enemy fire-rate reduction and damage calculated from current health. Use the base ability for positioning and control first; do not wait for an upgrade before using it to interrupt a channel, protect a wounded teammate or close a short distance. Since the damage formula and duration are patch-sensitive, read the current tooltip rather than relying on an old number.
Rook Battery: convert open space into bad angles
Rook Battery deploys reflecting walls. The walls are a geometry tool: put them across a firing lane, at the edge of a doorway or between an enemy and the route they need to use. The current reference lists a fire-rate reduction on hit and a later upgrade that adds current-health-based damage.
Rooks are most useful when they change the shape of a fight rather than when they are dropped directly on a target. A wall can buy time for Bishop squares, force a detour into a prepared zone or separate a damage dealer from their support. Avoid blocking your own team’s only escape route; place the barrier so your side retains at least one clear exit.
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Develop Queen: delayed area damage and the finisher
Develop Queen summons a queen that crashes down for area Spirit damage. After a delay, it releases damaging squares and stuns. The reference also says the queen can move to a target location and can be recalled early, so you can threaten one area, reposition the effect or cancel before an enemy turns the cast against you.
Use the Queen where opponents are constrained by Rook walls, Knight immobilization or a narrow objective route. Casting on a fully spread team gives enemies more time to leave the delayed effect. The listed two-point upgrade enables checkmate executions against heroes below 200 health; that threshold is specifically from the community page and may change. Think of the execution as a confirmation tool, not a reason to cast the ultimate blindly at full-health targets.
A practical Solomon combat sequence
- Choose the exit and entry lanes. Before placing anything, identify where enemies will approach and where your team can retreat. Solomon is strongest when his pieces make movement predictable.
- Set the bishops. Put Setup Bishop squares on the route that matters, not in empty ground that opponents can ignore. This begins the recurring pressure and creates opportunities for proc items.
- Force a response. Use Rook Battery to remove a firing angle or split the opposing formation. If a key target crosses the remaining gap, Kingside Knight can immobilize them and provide a protected line.
- Layer the Queen. Once movement is limited, place Develop Queen on the cluster or the retreat path. The delayed squares and stun are easier to land when Rooks and Knight have already reduced escape options.
- Recall or finish. Recall the Queen early if the area is no longer favorable. If the two-point checkmate upgrade is active and a target is below the listed health threshold, use the Queen’s execution to close the fight.
This sequence is a planning model derived from the documented interactions. It is not a guaranteed combo: enemy mobility, line-of-sight, cooldowns and the live patch can change the result.
Ability progression: what to unlock first
The displayed default progression on the current community page unlocks Solomon’s abilities in this order:
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The page then distributes later points across the abilities at different stages. Those costs and timings are presentation data from a third-party build reference, not proof of an optimal route. Copy the unlock order only as a starting point, and verify the available upgrade costs in the live client.
Prioritize an upgrade that solves the problem in front of you. If opponents are grouped and cannot leave your zones, improving Bishop or Queen pressure can be more useful than taking a defensive effect. If a weapon-heavy opponent is winning every open exchange, an earlier Knight or Rook control upgrade may create more value than greedily maximizing damage. The right point is the one that changes the next fight, not an unchanging sequence copied from a static page.
Starter Solomon build: Spirit, Bishop procs and uptime
The current community advice leans toward Spirit power and repeated Bishop-square interactions. The following is a starting framework assembled from those notes; it is not a claim that the build has been personally tested or that it is universally best.
| Stage | Community-listed options | Why they fit | When to change course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early | Mystic Expansion; alternatively Mystic Burst, Extra Regen, Extra Spirit and Extra Stamina from the displayed default build | Mystic Expansion is specifically suggested for early purchase and to be imbued into Setup Bishop. The other early items provide a mixture of burst, lane sustain, Spirit and mobility resources. | Take sustain when the lane constantly chips you, or stamina when dodging and repositioning are the immediate constraint. |
| Transition | Spirit Shredder, or Mystic Vulnerability when shots are unreliable | Spirit Shredder is described as offering shred and sustain. Mystic Vulnerability is presented as an alternative for players who cannot consistently land weapon shots. | Choose according to execution: reliable shots favor the option that amplifies your follow-up, while inconsistent aim favors a more ability-centered plan. |
| Cooldown core | Compress Cooldown imbued into Develop Queen, followed by Superior Cooldown | The community build uses cooldown reduction to make the Queen available more often and to keep Solomon’s control cycle active. | Delay the second cooldown purchase if surviving the lane or dealing with a specific damage type is more urgent. |
| Later scaling | Greater Expansion, Boundless Spirit, Spiritual Overflow and the page’s listed proc options, including Mystic Reverb | These choices extend range, increase Spirit investment or support repeated ability/proc patterns according to the community notes. | Replace damage greed with a defensive response when the enemy’s burst, bullets, crowd control or melee pressure prevents you from casting. |
A separate copy of the displayed default Solomon build lists Improved Spirit, Enchanter’s Emblem, Mystic Vulnerability, Compress Cooldown, Healbane, Greater Expansion and Stamina Mastery through the middle stages, followed by several cooldown, Spirit and damage choices. Another community build opens differently. That variation is useful evidence that Solomon’s build should be treated as a flexible starting point rather than a fixed shopping script.
How to choose between Solomon’s item paths
Choose the Bishop-proc path when zones are being respected
Start with Mystic Expansion and its Setup Bishop imbue when opponents must repeatedly cross your squares or when your team can hold a chokepoint. Add range and proc-oriented options later, including the community-listed Mystic Reverb interactions, if the extra triggers are producing real pressure. This path rewards fights that last long enough for several square effects to occur.
Choose cooldown when every fight is decided by the next cast
Compress Cooldown on Develop Queen, then Superior Cooldown, is the clearest uptime route in the current notes. It is valuable when your team can disengage and re-engage around your timers, or when Queen’s delayed stun is the difference between an objective hold and a wipe. Cooldown does not solve a positioning mistake; keep enough range, stamina or defense to survive until the next cast.
Choose Spirit and proc amplification over gun investment when aim is inconsistent
The reference explicitly presents Spirit Shredder and Mystic Vulnerability as alternatives tied to execution. If shots are reliable, a shred-oriented option can improve the damage your team deals after your control lands. If shots frequently miss, Mystic Vulnerability is the stated alternative, allowing the build to rely less on weapon follow-up. This is a practical decision rule, not a measured comparison.
Buy for the opposing damage profile
The community reference lists defensive choices for Spirit damage, bullet pressure, crowd control and melee threats, as well as optional gun-focused and utility items. It does not establish one defensive purchase as correct in every match. Identify the effect that is actually killing you:
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- Bullet pressure: use the reference’s bullet-defense options and fight from Rook-created cover instead of trading in open ground.
- Crowd control: consider the listed anti-control utility so a stun or slow does not prevent you from recalling Queen or escaping.
- Melee dive: value stamina, spacing and the defensive choices recommended for close-range threats.
These are matchup adaptations from a community build, not guarantees of survival.
Laning with Solomon
Place squares where the opponent wants to stand
Use Setup Bishop to contest the side of the wave that gives the enemy the safest last hits or the shortest path to cover. A square in an unavoidable route has more value than one placed for visual coverage alone. Keep a retreat route open so your own pressure does not trap you.
Spend Knight and Rook for control, not decoration
Kingside Knight can stop an opponent who oversteps, while Rook Battery can deny a clean angle for a ranged trade. If both are used without a clear target or escape plan, the lane becomes vulnerable during their recovery periods. Hold one control tool when the enemy jungler or roaming threat is missing.
Use sustain choices to remain on the map
Extra Regen appears among the displayed early options, and Spirit Shredder’s notes mention sustain. Select a sustain option when repeated chip damage forces you to leave before your next Bishop cycle. A slightly slower offensive build that keeps Solomon present can be better than damage that never reaches a fight.
Mid-game rotations and objective fights
Solomon prefers prepared ground. Arrive before an objective contest when possible, place bishops on the approach and reserve Rooks for the first enemy angle that must be closed. Your team does not need to chase every target through open space; it can let the squares and walls make the next step uncomfortable.
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During a rotation, avoid dropping all pieces while moving between lanes. Keep a control ability available for the first contact, especially if the opposing team has a fast engager. When an ally starts a fight, Knight can immobilize the priority target while Rooks divide reinforcements. Queen then covers the area where the enemy is forced to regroup.
Recall the Queen if the opposing team disengages before the delayed effect lands. Preserving the ability for the next choke is more useful than leaving it in empty ground, particularly on a cooldown-focused build.
Late-game team fights and target selection
Against a grouped team
Use Rook walls to reduce the number of safe directions, then place Queen where the remaining space overlaps Bishop squares. The aim is not to hit every hero with every effect; it is to make the safest path pass through at least one damaging zone. Knight can hold the most important target in that zone if the charge connects.
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Do not force Queen onto a single full-health hero unless the cast protects an objective or denies a critical route. Place bishops to claim the space your team actually needs, and use Rooks to make the opponent choose between separating further and giving up ground. Solomon’s value comes from controlling decisions as much as from raw damage.
When an enemy is nearly dead
With the listed two-point Queen upgrade, the community page says heroes below 200 health can be checkmated. Confirm the current threshold in the live tooltip, then reserve Queen for a reliable finish rather than announcing the cast early. Without that upgrade, use the delayed squares and stun to secure the kill for an ally instead of assuming an execution exists.
Common mistakes and fixes
- Placing bishops in empty space: move the setup to a route, cover edge or objective entrance where enemies must make a choice.
- Using Knight only for damage: its immobilize and barrier are often the reason a target cannot escape the next square effect.
- Blocking teammates with Rooks: leave a retreat lane and communicate which angle the wall is meant to deny.
- Casting Queen before control: layer it after Knight or Rook has limited movement unless the enemy is already trapped by terrain.
- Buying a rigid item script: switch between proc, cooldown, sustain and defense according to the lane and the damage type killing you.
- Trusting old numbers: verify damage, durations, upgrade costs and the checkmate threshold in the current client because the community page and patch archive can change.
- Reading one win-rate snapshot as a promise: population, mode, rank mix and dates determine what the number means.
What the available win-rate statistic does—and does not—show
Deadlock.io lists Solomon at a 44.2% win rate across 190,647 matches for October 6–12, 2026. The snapshot covers normal mode, combines ranked and unranked games, includes all ranks and credits the Deadlock API.
That figure is useful context, not a prediction of your result. It is limited to one seven-day window and a mixed population; it does not isolate player experience, team composition, build, party size or later balance changes. Do not describe it as Solomon’s permanent strength or as evidence that any particular item path is optimal.
Quick Solomon checklist
- Read the current tooltips before copying values or upgrade costs.
- Unlock Bishop, Knight, Rook and Queen in the displayed default order unless the match demands an exception.
- Place Bishop squares on routes enemies must use.
- Use Knight to immobilize or protect, and Rooks to remove firing angles.
- Layer Queen after movement is constrained; recall it when the fight moves.
- Begin with Spirit, Bishop-proc and cooldown ideas, then adapt for aim, sustain, Spirit damage, bullets, crowd control or melee pressure.
- Interpret the 44.2% statistic only with its dates, mode, ranks, sample and API source attached.
Keeping this guide current
The Solomon reference was accessed October 13, 2026 and identifies itself as unofficial. The update archive records the October 9 availability note and is also fan-made. The build database says its displayed default builds are drawn from Valve game files, but it remains a third-party presentation. Because Deadlock receives active updates, recheck ability behavior, item names, statistics and progression in the live game whenever a patch changes the hero.
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