Deadlock is set in a world where Souls are the most valuable currency in existence. It is used as a fuel resource to power entire communities, as well as a currency for regular monetary exchanges. Hence, it is at the center of what is helping to power one of the most important events in the century, the summoning ritual.
So what I want to talk about today are the non-playable characters of the game. These are soul-powered mechanical constructs that have been brought to life in order to aid the participants on each side of the fray.
There is no direct backstory explaining the appearance of these animated units, other than their link to the patrons. But it is not hard to figure out that soul-powered animated constructs are a normal part of the Deadlock world.
Mechanical constructs are a regular part of life in Deadlock
In fact, one of the main playable characters in the game is a mechanical golem made out of scraps. Through Bebop’s lore, we can assume that mechanical constructs are used for various laborious duties in the Cursed Apple.
And from the lore behind Fairfax Industries, we can conclude that mechanical constructs are not only used as helping hands. Through their head of R&D, McGinnis, the corp is constantly trying to invent soul-powered military weapons.
So it’s a fair assumption that some of the weapons of mass destruction are also animated constructs. This can be further attested by some of the non-playable units in the game itself.
Each mechanical construct is divided between militaristic classes. At the bottom of the hierarchy, we start with the troopers, who are foot soldiers of the patrons. These units carry the task of capturing the lane alongside player characters.
Standing a class above them are the guardians, who don’t move around. Their main objective is to defend the lane against intruders, and they are much stronger than regular troopers. However, constant pressure from an army of troopers can actually be problematic for them.
The base guardians on each side are not completely man-made
If the first line of defense gets crushed, then what comes after is much harder to push against without a proper strategy. The walkers completely forgo the humanoid design of their younger automaton brothers for a more monstrous aesthetic.
These four-legged, massive constructs are powerful enemies with lots of tricks up their sleeves. Walkers can shoot high-damaging laser beams, rain down massive fireball chunks, and stomp on the ground near them, stunning enemies.
The last line of defense stands the base guardians. These are immovable constructs that defend the base in pairs, hitting invaders with powerful beams. But they are considerably easier to deal with as opposed to the walkers.
A fun detail about the base guardians is that they differ in design depending on the sides. The Arch Mother and the Hidden King sort of mirror the base guardian designs in their respective styles. This also implies that these mechanical constructs are not completely man-made.
