Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Start with Infernus. The current Deadlock.io hero reference labels him Easy and New Player Recommended, and his basic plan is unusually direct: keep a reachable target under sustained weapon fire so the burn stays active. That makes him the clearest first choice for a player who wants straightforward rapid-fire handling and few ability decisions while learning movement, souls and positioning.
Haze is the other Easy, New Player Recommended rapid-fire option, but her stealth approach creates more positioning decisions. Abrams is the best alternative if “simple” means a shotgun and close-range durability rather than a rapid-fire weapon. No official Deadlock ranking measures reload simplicity; these recommendations interpret your preference as uncomplicated base-weapon handling combined with low hero complexity.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Deadlock Eye | Gamer T-Shirt | $18.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Deadlock: Planetary Conquest | $3.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Gravely Silent: House of Deadlock Collector's Edition (PC DVD) | $25.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Deadlock Board Game | $39.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Deadlock 2 the Shrine Wars | $39.90 | Buy on Amazon |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What “simple reloads” means in Deadlock
Deadlock’s hero references describe weapon archetypes, roles and complexity labels, not a dedicated reload-comfort score. A weapon can be easy to understand yet still require you to watch its magazine, choose safe reload windows and manage the distance at which it is effective. Conversely, an item can change how reloading works without changing the hero’s underlying weapon pattern.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
For this guide, a simple reload means that the ordinary weapon loop is easy to read while you are still learning the game: hold a sensible firing rhythm, recognize when to disengage, and reload from cover without adding a special timing test or ability-management requirement. It does not mean the hero wins automatically, has the fastest reload, or is objectively the easiest character in every situation.
#1 Best Overall
- Simple and clean
- Biege design
- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
The labels and values below come from community-maintained references rather than an official Valve classification. Deadlock.io says it is unofficial and not affiliated with Valve. Its Infernus, Haze, Abrams, Seven and item pages showed current data accessed on October 13, 2026, with underlying updates around October 11. Patches can change labels, weapons and item effects, so check the live client if a value matters for a purchase or build.
Quick comparison of the three best fits
| Hero | Reference labels | Weapon pattern | Typical distance | Basic loop | Main beginner burden | Try this hero if… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infernus | Easy; New Player Recommended | Rapid Fire | Mid-range sustained contact | Keep landing weapon hits on a reachable target so burn remains active | Knowing when to stop chasing and reload safely | You want to keep shooting and build pressure without a complicated opening sequence |
| Haze | Easy; New Player Recommended | Rapid Fire | Mid-range, with stealth approaches | Sustain hits on one target, then use stealth and positioning to choose an approach | Invisibility does not make every approach safe; route and timing still matter | You like a marksman/assassin feel and are willing to make more positioning decisions |
| Abrams | Easy | Shotgun | Close range | Commit to short-range fights with a tank/brawler profile | Choosing routes, walls and exits before charging | You find a shotgun easier to understand than a continuous-fire weapon |
Both Infernus and Haze are explicitly marked Easy and New Player Recommended in the current reference. Abrams is marked Easy, but his shotgun changes the meaning of “simple”: every missed commitment costs more because you must enter close range. The table is a handling comparison, not a promise of equal results or a ranking based on historical win rate.
1. Infernus: the clearest first pick for uncomplicated rapid fire
Why he fits the request
Infernus combines the two signals a new player should value most here: the reference labels him Easy and New Player Recommended, and his weapon is Rapid Fire. His practical plan has one prominent instruction rather than several competing jobs: maintain hits on a target you can actually reach so the burn remains active. That gives you a visible feedback loop while you learn crosshair placement, cover and retreat timing.
Core loop
- Choose a reachable target. Start with the opponent nearest your safe firing angle, not the farthest hero on the screen. You are trying to maintain contact, not begin a long chase.
- Fire in a controlled lane. Keep your movement connected to cover or the wave. Sustained hits matter only while you remain in a position from which you can leave.
- Watch the fight state. If the target ducks behind cover, gains help or pulls you beyond your escape route, stop pursuing. The burn objective does not justify walking into an isolated position.
- Reload during a safe pause. Break line of sight, reload, then return to the same pressure pattern. Treat the reload as part of your positioning cycle, not as an emergency action in the open.
What can still feel difficult
Rapid fire is forgiving when you can keep contact, but it can tempt beginners to hold the trigger while moving too far forward. Infernus therefore rewards discipline more than reflex tricks. Your main question is always, “Can I keep hitting this target and still get out?” If the answer changes, reset instead of chasing.
Who should choose him first
Pick Infernus when you want a repeatable weapon rhythm, prefer mid-range fights and would rather learn one pressure pattern than coordinate a stealth entry. He is the strongest default recommendation for the exact preference in this title, based on the current labels and kit description—not a guarantee of easy wins.
Rank #2
2. Haze: simple firing pattern, more demanding positioning
Why she is the second rapid-fire option
Haze is also labeled Easy and New Player Recommended, and her weapon is Rapid Fire. Sustained hits on one target are central to her guide, so the weapon itself can feel familiar to anyone who likes continuous fire. The difference is that Haze asks you to think more about how you arrive at a fight and whether your escape remains available.
Core loop
- Identify one target. Haze’s sustained-hit plan is clearest when you commit your attention to a single opponent rather than scattering fire across several heroes.
- Use cover to set the angle. Approach from a position that gives you a fallback route. Do not treat stealth as a substitute for cover or map awareness.
- Start the engagement when the route is favorable. If the opponent’s teammates can immediately collapse on you, wait or reposition instead of forcing the opening.
- Maintain contact only while it is safe. Continue the weapon stream when you can keep the target in range; disengage when the fight moves beyond your planned exit.
The invisibility caveat
Haze’s guide specifically cautions that invisibility alone does not make an approach safe. Enemies can still cover likely paths, respond to missing information or punish you after the reveal. A beginner who wants the fewest positioning decisions may find Infernus more comfortable, even though both heroes carry the same Easy and New Player Recommended labels.
Who should choose her
Choose Haze if you want a marksman/assassin feel, enjoy selecting angles and are comfortable learning that a simple firing pattern can coexist with a more involved approach. Her reload is not presented as objectively easier than Infernus’s; the distinction is the additional stealth and positioning responsibility.
3. Abrams: the close-range answer for shotgun players
Why his simplicity is different
Abrams is labeled Easy and fills a tank/brawler role. His shotgun gives you a clear close-range objective: get near enough for your weapon and durability to matter, then commit to the fight. For some beginners, that is easier to understand than maintaining a rapid-fire stream at mid-range.
Core loop
- Plan the approach before charging. Check which walls, corners and pieces of cover can break line of sight on the way in.
- Confirm an exit. A close-range hero needs a route out after the first exchange. If the only path is deeper into enemy territory, wait for a better angle.
- Close the distance deliberately. Use terrain and timing rather than running straight through open space. Your shotgun’s simplicity does not remove the need to arrive alive.
- Commit while the trade is favorable. Once in range, use the tank/brawler profile to pressure the chosen target. Leave before surrounding enemies turn the engagement into an unwinnable pile-on.
Who should choose him
Pick Abrams if your idea of easy handling is a shotgun with a short, readable engagement range and extra durability. Do not pick him solely to avoid reload thought: entering and exiting close fights is his main skill test, and poor route selection is punished more heavily than a mistimed mid-range reload.
How to choose among them in 30 seconds
- Want the most direct rapid-fire plan? Choose Infernus. Your central job is keeping a reachable target under fire while staying connected to cover.
- Want rapid fire plus stealth? Choose Haze. Accept that invisibility does not remove the need to plan an approach and an exit.
- Want a shotgun and close combat? Choose Abrams. Measure simplicity by a clear range and durable brawling, while planning walls, routes and exits before each charge.
- Dislike timed inputs? Start with the base weapon on one of these heroes and postpone reload-modifying items. A special reload window adds a new reaction task rather than simplifying the ordinary pattern.
- Keep changing heroes? Stay with one primary and, at most, one backup until your movement and economy habits become automatic.
Reload upgrades are separate from hero choice
Active Reload and Quicksilver Reload are item effects. They should not be used as evidence that a hero’s ordinary reload is simple, and neither is a beginner trait attached to Infernus, Haze or Abrams.
Active Reload
Active Reload costs 1,600 souls. During a reload, you must react to the highlighted portion of the reload sequence; a successful input instantly completes the reload and grants a short window of increased fire rate, bullet lifesteal and movement speed. That can turn a well-timed reload into a tempo advantage, but it adds a timing test precisely when a player seeking uncomplicated reloads wants fewer extra decisions.
The Active Reload item page reported a 53.8% win rate and 307,130 purchases from the Deadlock API for Normal mode, ranked and unranked, all ranks, during October 6–12, 2026. Deadlock.io reported those figures on October 13, 2026. They are item-level statistics, not a measure of beginner suitability, hero simplicity or a recommendation to buy the item.
Quicksilver Reload
Quicksilver Reload also costs 1,600 souls, but it attaches to an ability. Activating that ability reloads bullets and grants damage and fire-rate effects. You must decide which ability carries the effect, then spend the charged reload at a useful point in your firing cycle. It reduces ordinary downtime only after you have learned the ability timing and the moments when preserving that charge is worthwhile.
Its page reported a 49.6% win rate and 1,063,709 purchases from the Deadlock API for Normal mode, ranked and unranked, all ranks, during October 6–12, 2026, as reported by Deadlock.io on October 13, 2026. Those are aggregate item statistics and do not establish that Quicksilver Reload is easier for new players.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #4
- Vintage Board Game
- Game of Skill and Strategy for two players
- Vintage game from the '70's
When to consider either item
Learn the hero’s unmodified weapon first. Add Active Reload only when a highlighted timing window feels manageable, or add Quicksilver Reload when you can reliably identify an ability and firing moment that should carry the effect. Treat both as optional tools for managing downtime, not as substitutes for choosing a comfortable hero.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why Seven is not included as a recommendation
Seven illustrates why weapon information must be checked hero by hero. The current reference lists his weapon as Burst Fire, with a 29-round magazine and a 2.4-second reload. Those concrete numbers do not make him a better answer for this title: burst fire is a different rhythm from the sustained Rapid Fire pattern recommended for Infernus and Haze, and the page does not label him as the simple-reload pick discussed here. He is included as a comparison example, not a recommendation.
A beginner practice routine that makes any choice easier
Deadlock.io’s getting-started guidance emphasizes a small set of habits: learn a short ability sequence, move between cover and the wave, track soul pickups, buy with a clear purpose, and decide why you are leaving lane before you move. Apply those habits to one primary hero rather than trying to memorize the entire roster.
Before the match
- Choose Infernus, Haze or Abrams according to the distance and weapon pattern you actually want to play.
- Write down a short ability sequence you can execute without opening a menu. The goal is familiarity, not a complete combo catalogue.
- Decide what a safe reload looks like for your hero: cover for Infernus and Haze, or a protected reset after an Abrams trade.
During lane
- Stay connected to the wave and nearby cover instead of drifting into open ground for one extra magazine.
- Collect souls deliberately and notice when your attention is being pulled away from the lane.
- Before leaving, name the reason: helping a fight, securing a resource, avoiding danger or buying. If you cannot name the reason, hold your position.
After each engagement
- Ask whether your death or retreat came from weapon handling, distance, or a route with no exit.
- For Infernus, check whether you chased beyond a reachable target. For Haze, check whether stealth replaced an actual escape plan. For Abrams, check whether you committed before identifying walls and exits.
- Change one habit at a time. A small familiar hero pool leaves more attention for movement, map awareness and economy.
Common mistakes and fixes
Chasing to preserve burn or sustained hits
Infernus and Haze both reward maintaining contact, but neither asks you to follow an unreachable target through enemy territory. Fix the mistake by setting a stopping point before you fire: when the target reaches cover, help arrives or your exit disappears, break off and reload safely.
Assuming invisibility guarantees a safe reload
Haze’s invisibility can help create an angle, but it does not erase enemy awareness or likely routes. Use cover and a planned retreat so the reload happens because the position is safe, not merely because you activated stealth.
Best Value
- Deadlock II the Shrine Wars
- Windows 95, NT
Charging with Abrams before checking terrain
Abrams is easy to understand but not forgiving of a blind commitment. Identify at least one wall, corner or exit before entering close range. If none exists, wait for a better route or let the opponent move into your range.
Buying a reload item to solve a positioning problem
Active Reload and Quicksilver Reload can change downtime, but neither fixes standing in the open, entering too deep or choosing the wrong target. Correct the route and cover problem first; buy a timing-based item only after the base weapon feels familiar.
Using win rate as a beginner ranking
Aggregate win rate reflects many variables, including player skill, team composition, mode and item timing. The separate DeadlockHeroes.org quiz explains that its difficulty labels are editorial and that recommendation order is based on preferences and editorial difficulty rather than win rate. Use those labels as guidance, not as an official competitive tier list.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteHow current and reliable these labels are
The hero and item references used here are unofficial, community-maintained pages. Their labels, descriptions and values were current as checked on October 13, 2026, with data updates shown around October 11, but Deadlock patches can make them stale quickly. If the client changes a magazine, reload timing, ability or weapon archetype, trust the live game and the latest page over this dated snapshot.
The practical recommendation remains narrow: Infernus is the clearest first experiment for straightforward rapid-fire play; Haze serves players who also want stealth and can handle extra positioning choices; Abrams serves players who find a shotgun and close-range durability more intuitive. None of those statements is an official Valve endorsement or a promise that the hero will be easy in every match.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
