Deadlock players have finally figured out that Grey Talon is good, actually, only for Valve to dish out a little nerf

When I first got into Deadlock, the few heroes I started trying were Vindicta, Grey Talon, and Seven (yes, I'm that player), and from the beginning, I realised how much fun it was to play a supernatural archer. 

Now, mind you, I was nowhere near as good as the Grey Talons that I seemed to always go up against, but over time, I got pretty nifty with his ultimate, Guided Owl, which is basically a huge homing missile and immobilising trap ability that can hold enemy players still for 1.25 seconds. But even with all of his surprisingly powerful abilities, Grey Talon seemed like a less popular hero pick for most players. 

But Deadlock players are finally figuring out that Grey Talon shouldn't be ignored. "Fighting Talon is unbearable after the buffs, especially if he got fed," a player says. "You just can't get that guy even with improved armour, slowing hex, and knockdown."

Three months ago, his pick rate was just 43.88%, with a win rate of 46.45%, according to tracklock, which placed the hero all the way down in D tier, but recently, we've seen Grey Talon rise to a 64.43% pick rate which places him in B-tier right on the cusp of A. While the win rate is still less than 50%, it has risen slightly as players learn what items work best with this hero. 

Grey Talon is better at long-distance fights. Like Vindicta, his second ability, Rain of Arrows, launches him up into the air, which can create much-needed distance between you and enemy players. In this sense, it'll really benefit you and your team if you prioritise items that'll strengthen Grey Talon's long-distance fights either by increasing headshot damage or by boosting your ability to escape incoming attacks. 

Getting Extra Stamina straight away alongside Sprint Boots will help with this, and then further on in the match, you should try to buy items like Ethereal Shift which sees you enter a void state in which you are invincible and unforgettable, as well as Sharpshooter or Crippling Headshot, which increase damage dealt by headshots and reduce your targets bullet and spirit resistance. If you're feeling dangerous, something like Glass Cannon, which reduces your health in return for the ability to stack damage with each hero kill (up to a max of seven times). There are plenty of fantastic community builds that can help you if you're not sure where to start. 

Unfortunately, Valve is trying to keep the poor hero down., Earlier this week, developer Yoshi announced a small update that saw Grey Talon receive a slight nerf. His base bullet damage has been decreased from 30 to 27, and his movement speed scaling from Spirit Power is also slightly reduced. 

Although Grey Talon is certainly underrated, he still isn't the strongest hero in Deadlock. "All this talk about Grey Talon has people forgetting who is actually the most ridiculous hero in the game," one player says. "Wraith + Shadow Weave is the true raid boss. Ult + Silence + fire rate from 3 + fire rate from Shadow Weave + increased card damage = 100 to 0 for any hero in the game on equal souls." 

Sat above Grey Talon in the tracklock rankings are the likes of McGinnis, Abrams, and Mo & Krill up in S-tier. Players have managed to master these characters faster than others and combine that knowledge with their overpowered and annoying abilities, and it's a recipe for disaster. 

McGinnis' ability to heal herself and her teammates with Medicinal Specter; Abram's ability to regen using Infernal resistance; and Mo & Krill's ultimate, which lets you grab onto an enemy hero, beat the ever-loving shit out of them, and then regain full health if they die in your arms are all traits that can make my blood-curdle in anger when I play against them. 

Grey Talon may not be able to compete with these heroes in a one-on-one fight, but that doesn't mean he's not strong enough to be a serious thorn in the side of any enemy team if you have the right build and keep a healthy distance from any Abrams, Shiv, or Lash players.