Deadlock Shiv Guide
Shiv is a brawler with 840 health and a spreadshot / close range kit. What each ability does and when to request Shiv on a boost.
Shiv is a Brawler built around pressure that keeps paying out after the trade ends: Serrated Knives stack a bleed that ticks while he repositions, Bloodletting defers part of the damage he takes so he survives fights he should lose, and Killing Blow executes low-health heroes outright. The booster is leveraging a hero who out-sustains opponents in extended fights and then closes with an execute once a target drops low enough.
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Ability kit
Shiv snapshot
Deadlock Wiki lists Shiv as a brawler with 840 base health, 6.5 move speed, 3 stamina, and a spreadshot / close range weapon profile.
The ability set is Serrated Knives, Slice and Dice, Bloodletting, Killing Blow.
Shiv is a Brawler built around pressure that keeps paying out after the trade ends: Serrated Knives stack a bleed that ticks while he repositions, Bloodletting defers part of the damage he takes so he survives fights he should lose, and Killing Blow executes low-health heroes outright. The booster is leveraging a hero who out-sustains opponents in extended fights and then closes with an execute once a target drops low enough.
Solo boost fit
In a solo boost the booster is on your account playing Shiv as a lane bully: Serrated Knives go out on cooldown to stack bleed on the opponent, and Slice and Dice chases and strips spirit resist before the rest of the damage lands. The booster manages the rage meter and times Bloodletting so deferred damage gets cleared before it catches up, holding Killing Blow for the execute rather than as a gap closer. It is a stable request because his survival is built into the kit; the only real risk is a missed Killing Blow, which lengthens the cooldown and leaves the booster committed.
Duo boost notes
In a duo you keep playing on your own account, and the split is simple: whoever is on Shiv opens with Slice and Dice to lower the target's spirit resist, and the other player commits damage into that window. Coordinate around Killing Blow: the Shiv player calls when a target is low enough to execute, and the partner stops chasing and turns to the next enemy while the recast is live. Bloodletting means the Shiv player can absorb the first engage, so the other account plays the follow-up rather than the front line.
When to request this hero
Request Shiv by name when you want your climb played through close-range fights where Bloodletting and Serrated Knives let one hero out-trade a lane and snowball into executes. Let the booster pick if your match history shows lobbies full of long-range poke or heavy crowd control, since Shiv does his best work inside dash range and those games suit a different hero.
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FAST ANSWERS
Should I request Shiv for a Deadlock boost?
Yes if you want a hero whose kit carries fights on its own: Serrated Knives stack bleed that keeps damaging after the trade, and Killing Blow turns an enemy hero below the kill threshold into a confirmed kill. If your account already has Shiv games on it, requesting him also keeps your match history consistent.
Is Shiv better for solo or duo boosting?
Shiv works in both, but he is strongest solo, where the booster controls the rage meter and every Bloodletting activation without a partner to time around. In a duo he still fits because Slice and Dice sets up damage for the second account, but the execute on Killing Blow rewards a single decisive player more than two.
What makes Shiv different to boost with?
Most Brawlers take damage as it comes; Shiv takes part of it now and the rest later through Bloodletting, so fights that look lost often are not. Add the rage passive that unlocks with Killing Blow, which makes Serrated Knives ricochet and slow bleeding targets at full rage, and the hero rewards staying in the fight far longer than most.