
How to play SinclairHow to play
45.8% win rate · #38 of 44 · Trickster · Copycat · Versatile
Updated 2026-10-29 19:16 UTC · n = 3,791,908 matches
How to play Sinclair
1Audience Participation
2Rabbit HexYour combo: Copy their best ultimate with Audience Participation, turn everyone within 6m into rabbits (they can barely act and take extra damage) with Rabbit Hex, then cast their own ult on them.
Don’t waste: Spectral Assistant can swap you to safety when you’re dived (730 health); Slowing Hex blocks that swap.
Edge: Rabbit Hex catches more of them when they’re grouped.
From community hero guides, Oct 2026 patches, checked against deadlock.wiki. The same combo from the other side is on how to counter Sinclair.
Your kit

Fire a bolt of magic that deals Damage, increasing as it travels. If you have an Assistant, they also cast Vexing Bolt at reduced damage. Press Ability 1 to redirect the bolt towards your crosshairs.

Summon an Assistant at the targeted location. The Assistant attacks whenever you fire your weapon, dealing Damage. While the Assistant is out, you can press Ability 2 to swap positions with your Assistant. Casting Spectral Assistant also reloads your weapon.

Hex a target area and transform all enemies into a Rabbit for a limited duration. Rabbits are small and move faster, but take increased Damage and are unable to perform most actions.Hex does not interrupt abilities.

Copy the Ultimate of an enemy hero for a limited time. Reactivating the ability will use the Copied Ultimate instead.Copies will inherit this ability's upgrade points.Audience Participation will also copy the cooldown.
Skill order
Max first:
Audience Participation›
Rabbit Hex›
Spectral Assistant›
Vexing Bolt
From the most common upgrade order (16k matches): the order abilities reach their last tier.
| 10m | 21m | 32m | 43m | 54m | 66m | 77m | 88m | 912m | 1014m | 1115m | 1220m | 1327m | 1428m | 1532m | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vexing BoltAbility 1 | I | II | |||||||||||||
Spectral AssistantAbility 2 | I | II | III | ||||||||||||
Rabbit HexAbility 3 | I | II | III | ||||||||||||
Audience ParticipationUltimate | I | II | III |
unlock I II III upgrade tiers · column labels are the average minute of each step
Build path with timings
High-Velocity Rounds~2:33 · 54%
→ Opening Rounds
Extra Charge~4:51 · 82%
→ Rapid Recharge
Opening Rounds~5:21 · 55%
Extra Spirit~5:50 · 75%
→ Improved Spirit
Improved Spirit~9:31 · 82%
→ Boundless Spirit
Rapid Recharge~13:10 · 77%
Mystic Expansion~13:40 · 80%
→ Greater Expansion
Greater Expansion~22:45 · 79%
Superior Duration~24:50 · 69%
Boundless Spirit~25:43 · 64%
Items that win most on Sinclair
+10.9 pp · 15% buy it
+10.5 pp · 3% buy it
+10.0 pp · 20% buy it
+9.3 pp · 23% buy it
+8.8 pp · 2% buy it
+8.7 pp · 13% buy it
Lanes you win
Pocket+5.5 pp
Mina+5.0 pp
Shiv+4.8 pp
The Doorman+4.8 pp
Mirage+4.7 pp
Lanes to play safe
When they counter you
−6.5 ppGravesBuy against Graves:
Armor Piercer+2.8 pp
Plated Armor+2.7 pp
Cursed Relic+2.2 pp
−5.4 ppRat KingBuy against Rat King:
Ethereal Shift+3.3 pp
Juggernaut+2.9 pp
Refresher+2.8 pp
−4.5 ppPaigeBuy against Paige:
Magic Carpet+1.7 pp
Spellbreaker+1.6 pp
Cheat Death+1.6 pp
Best teammates
53.5% together
52.8% together
51.8% together
50.6% together
50.0% together
50.0% together
Notes from the best builds
This build focuses damage on the Vexing Bolt. Use rabbit when you can, and always use the assistant before shooting the bolts. Pick whatever abilities to max after the bolt is maxed and the other 3 have 2 points each.
48.8% over 1.6k games · open build →All items explained. ONLY GOOD IF THEY HAVE GOOD ULTS!!!!!! Build might look weird but it works. Also imbuing stuff on ult doesnt work :)
#Citadel_HeroBuilds_EarlyGame: Play mega aggro with 2
Misc lane: Buy if you need
OPTIONS LATE: Not in order
NOTES: MAX ULT = 14 BOONS - MAX RABBIT = 22 BOONS
47.6% over 6.3k games · open build →