Rat King · Ability 2 · 24s cooldown
Rat Swarm
Updated ·Refreshed daily from public match data·Methodology
HeroRat King →What does Rat Swarm do in Deadlock?
Rat Swarm is Rat King's ability 2 on a 24-second cooldown with 6s duration, 1 charges, 8s charge delay. Call forth a swarm of rats that leap onto enemies, dealing spirit damage over time and reducing their bullet resist with every bite. The more rats are attached, the faster they will bite the target. Enemies can have multiple rats attached, but can shake off a rat early by performing a ground or air dash.
Upgrades: 1 AP — +1 Charges; 2 AP — Increased Swarm Size +4s Debuff Duration; 5 AP — +8 Damage and -1% Bullet Resist per Bite.
In the most played Rat King skill order (61.1% win rate over 29K games), Rat Swarm takes its first point at step 5 and gets 2 of the first 12 points, so it is not a max priority.
Full numbers below; for items and lane matchups see the Rat King build, or compare cooldowns on the all-abilities table.
Base values, before items
Rat Swarm stats
Cooldown
24s
Duration
6s
Charges
1
Charge Delay
8s
Damage per Bite
8
Bite Interval per Rat
1s
Rats Attached
2
Debuff Duration
4s
Max Attached Rats
5
Ability points
Rat Swarm upgrades
- 1 AP
+1 Charges
- 2 AP
Increased Swarm Size +4s Debuff Duration
+4s Debuff Duration
- 5 AP
+8 Damage and -1% Bullet Resist per Bite
-1% Bullet Resist per Bite · +8 Damage per Bite
Most played Rat King skill order
When to level Rat Swarm
In the most played Rat King skill order (61.1% win rate over 29K games), Rat Swarm takes its first point at step 5 and gets 2 of the first 12 points, so it is not a max priority.
Rat Swarm patch history
Minor Update - 10-05-2026 · October 5, 2026
- – Rat Swarm - Base Cooldown reduced from 28s to 24s
Other Rat King abilities
Mobility
Abilities like Rat Swarm
FAQ
What is the cooldown of Rat Swarm?＋
Rat Swarm has a 24-second base cooldown before cooldown items or upgrades.
What are the Rat Swarm upgrades?＋
1 AP: +1 Charges 2 AP: Increased Swarm Size +4s Debuff Duration 5 AP: +8 Damage and -1% Bullet Resist per Bite
When should you level Rat Swarm?＋
In the most played Rat King skill order (61.1% win rate over 29K games), Rat Swarm takes its first point at step 5 and gets 2 of the first 12 points, so it is not a max priority.
Which hero has Rat Swarm?＋
Rat Swarm is Rat King's ability 2. Rat King is a brawler whose other abilities are Scrap Grenade, Royal Pestments, Rule, Ratannia!.