[Item Idea] Ambusher - Rewarding Information Asymmetry

[Cumatrul]

The Core Idea: Deadlock is a 3rd-person shooter where "corner peeking" is a fundamental skill. Ambusher weaponizes this asymmetry, turning patient scouting and positioning into a powerful initiation tool.

Core Stats​

• Tier: 3 Vitality (Green)
• Cost: 3,200 Souls
• Stats: +8% Bullet Resist, +8% Spirit Resist

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Passive: Patient Hunter​

While you have vision of an enemy hero within 20m, but they do not have vision of you, they gain hidden stacks (1 per second, max 12).

• The Linger: If the target moves beyond 20m, stacks linger for 2 seconds before decaying.

The Trigger: Strike from Shadows​

Dealing damage with your gun to a stacked hero within 20m consumes all stacks to Stun them for:

Stun Duration = No. Of. Stacks / 12 * 1.2 seconds

• True Vision Rule: Stacks only build if you are hidden by physical geometry (walls, ledges) or Veils. Character-based Invisibility does not count as being "unseen"; if an enemy looks in your direction through open space, you are considered "seen" by this item even if you are invisible.

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The Combat Swing​

The following effects are applied only after successfully stunning an enemy via Strike from Shadows:

• Debuff: Stunned enemies suffer -8% Bullet and Spirit Resist for 5s.
• Self Buff: You gain an additional +8% Bullet and Spirit Resist for 5s.
• Flight Constraint: Flying targets are only grounded (forced to fall) if the stun duration is 0.5s or greater.
• Area Synergy: Works with Ricochet and Split Shot. Secondary targets hit by these effects will be stunned and shredded for a duration corresponding to their own individual Patient Hunter stacks.

---

Constraints & Counter-play​

• Detection Lockout: If any enemy hero, trooper, or objective gains vision of you for 0.5s, all applied stacks are removed from every enemy and you cannot gain new stacks for 10 seconds.
• Target Immunity: Stunned enemies are immune to Ambusher stacks for 20s.
• Trigger Cooldown: You cannot build new stacks for 20s after a successful trigger.

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Design Intent​

• Active Awareness: This item punishes "autopilot" movement. To counter an Ambusher, enemies must actively look for potential stalkers by clearing corners and checking rooftops.
• Gun-Play Focused: By requiring damage with your gun to trigger, it prevents accidental triggers from abilities or items, ensuring the stun is a deliberate act of marksmanship from the shadows.
• Range Management: The 20m limit forces the hunter to stay in the danger zone. The 2s linger allows for slight repositioning but prevents triggering a stun from long range.
• Verticality Balance: The 0.5s grounding threshold prevents "cheap" interrupts on flying heroes, requiring the Ambusher to remain hidden for at least 5 seconds before they can drop a sniper from the sky.
• Corner & Veil Mechanics: Rewards mastery of LoS (Line of Sight) and map awareness rather than just pressing a stealth ability button.

(i used gemini to make my idea sound coherent)

 

[Cumatrul]

Later comment: Stacks are also lost if you lose camera sight of the target. This forces you to keep your eyes on the target, leaving your back vulnerable while stalking.

 

[jporter917]

The Core Idea: Deadlock is a 3rd-person shooter where "corner peeking" is a fundamental skill. Ambusher weaponizes this asymmetry, turning patient scouting and positioning into a powerful initiation tool.

Core Stats​

• Tier: 3 Vitality (Green)
• Cost: 3,200 Souls
• Stats: +8% Bullet Resist, +8% Spirit Resist

---

Passive: Patient Hunter​

While you have vision of an enemy hero within 20m, but they do not have vision of you, they gain hidden stacks (1 per second, max 12).

• The Linger: If the target moves beyond 20m, stacks linger for 2 seconds before decaying.

The Trigger: Strike from Shadows​

Dealing damage with your gun to a stacked hero within 20m consumes all stacks to Stun them for:

• True Vision Rule: Stacks only build if you are hidden by physical geometry (walls, ledges) or Veils. Character-based Invisibility does not count as being "unseen"; if an enemy looks in your direction through open space, you are considered "seen" by this item even if you are invisible.

---

The Combat Swing​

The following effects are applied only after successfully stunning an enemy via Strike from Shadows:

• Debuff: Stunned enemies suffer -8% Bullet and Spirit Resist for 5s.
• Self Buff: You gain an additional +8% Bullet and Spirit Resist for 5s.
• Flight Constraint: Flying targets are only grounded (forced to fall) if the stun duration is 0.5s or greater.
• Area Synergy: Works with Ricochet and Split Shot. Secondary targets hit by these effects will be stunned and shredded for a duration corresponding to their own individual Patient Hunter stacks.

---

Constraints & Counter-play​

• Detection Lockout: If any enemy hero, trooper, or objective gains vision of you for 0.5s, all applied stacks are removed from every enemy and you cannot gain new stacks for 10 seconds.
• Target Immunity: Stunned enemies are immune to Ambusher stacks for 20s.
• Trigger Cooldown: You cannot build new stacks for 20s after a successful trigger.

---

Design Intent​

• Active Awareness: This item punishes "autopilot" movement. To counter an Ambusher, enemies must actively look for potential stalkers by clearing corners and checking rooftops.
• Gun-Play Focused: By requiring damage with your gun to trigger, it prevents accidental triggers from abilities or items, ensuring the stun is a deliberate act of marksmanship from the shadows.
• Range Management: The 20m limit forces the hunter to stay in the danger zone. The 2s linger allows for slight repositioning but prevents triggering a stun from long range.
• Verticality Balance: The 0.5s grounding threshold prevents "cheap" interrupts on flying heroes, requiring the Ambusher to remain hidden for at least 5 seconds before they can drop a sniper from the sky.
• Corner & Veil Mechanics: Rewards mastery of LoS (Line of Sight) and map awareness rather than just pressing a stealth ability button.

(i used gemini to make my idea sound coherent)

I normally don't make comments on these types of item ideas, but this sounds vastly over complicated and horrible. Most "jungler" heroes or assassins already can CC and one-shot any target, but frontline melee/tank heroes. This would basically make all assassin characters able to drop anyone they spy and most of those type of heroes are nearly impossible to catch after the fact because they are so fast.

 

[Cumatrul]

I normally don't make comments on these types of item ideas, but this sounds vastly over complicated and horrible. Most "jungler" heroes or assassins already can CC and one-shot any target, but frontline melee/tank heroes. This would basically make all assassin characters able to drop anyone they spy and most of those type of heroes are nearly impossible to catch after the fact because they are so fast.

Hmm, then let make it a sleep darts similar to Haze's, but applied when you do damage with your gun, and the effect be sleep with wakeup on taking damage instead of stun? I want it to be more useful as a counter gank support tool and have a lower impact as a ganking tool.

 

[jporter917]

Hmm, then let make it a sleep darts similar to Haze's, and the effect be sleep with wakeup on taking damage instead of stun? I want it to be more useful as a counter gank support tool and have a lower impact as a ganking tool.

NOW. I see what you are trying to do. That makes a bit more sense. I thought you just wanted ganking to be even worse than it already is.

I think making an active item that is usable while stunned would cover for this. Something similar to counterspell or even maybe an upgrade version of counterspell that can be activated to end stuns. Like an alternative investment compared to Divine Barrier. Where divine barrier can remove all non-stuns, your item is able to do the opposite remove all non-effect stuns or something. This would also aloud full support hero builds to invest in both and really help in team fights and allow them to try to escape ganks a bit more.

 

[steventheeven3]

Stun Duration = No. Of. Stacks / 12 * 1.2 seconds

is equivalent to

Stun Duration = No. Of. Stacks / 10 seconds

or

Stun Duration = 0.1s per stack

any of the 2 would be simpler to say