Build file · 28 Oct to 4 Nov
Paradox build and item order
What Paradox players buy, what a long game ends with, what changes against each enemy, and the in-game builds they pick.
The Paradox build in brief
Most Paradox players open with High-Velocity Rounds, then pick up Sharpshooter (around 14 minutes, 68% of games) and Tankbuster (around 20 minutes, 74% of games).
The build splits in the mid game: the most common big buys from 9 to 20 minutes are Tankbuster (45%), Sharpshooter (44%) and Express Shot (39%).
In games past 35 minutes, a finished Paradox carries about 11 items, 42.2k souls, 46% of them spirit; most end with Tankbuster (83%), Express Shot (77%) and Mystic Reverb (75%).
Beyond the core items, the commonest big buy from 20 to 30 minutes is Superior Cooldown (30% of games); the late-game duel sets it against Fortitude (8% of games).
In long games, players pick Mystic Shot or Battle Vest: of those who buy either, 8% buy both.
The clearest change by opponent: against Haze, Paradox players buy Metal Skin at about ×5.30 the usual rate (9,455 buyers; adjusted, with small samples pulled towards ×1).
The most used in-game build is "Paradox - Hybrid-Burst [56% WR] [tracklock.gg]" by Tracklock, picked in 28,322 games (45% won).
The finished build 7 days · games over 35 min (57%)
What Paradox games of 35 minutes or more end with, slot by slot: the share of those games still holding each item at the end, and when it's bought. Pick an item for its upgrade chain and numbers.
- usually empty
- usually empty
- usually empty
- usually empty
- usually empty
Each segment is an item's hold × its cost; the hatched end of each slot is held in items off the board.
Games over 35 minutes end with about 11 items, so 5 sockets read “usually empty”. Solid frames: held at the end of at least half of those games; dashed: fewer. Flex slots take any slot type, and each flex item keeps its own slot colour. From 179,419 long games (57% of Paradox games).
Show as table
| Slot | Item | Held | Bought | Sold or upgraded | Buy time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Express Shot | 77% | 78% | 1% | ~20:11 | 3,200 |
| Weapon | Sharpshooter | 74% | 75% | 1% | ~14:13 | 3,200 |
| Weapon | Hollow Point | 59% | 60% | 2% | ~25:09 | 3,200 |
| Weapon | Headhunter | 41% | 43% | 4% | ~16:30 | 3,200 |
| Vitality | Stamina Mastery | 60% | 61% | 2% | ~23:47 | 3,200 |
| Spirit | Tankbuster | 83% | 83% | 1% | ~20:04 | 3,200 |
| Spirit | Mystic Reverb | 75% | 75% | 0% | ~29:42 | 6,400 |
| Spirit | Spirit Burn | 56% | 57% | 1% | ~34:49 | 6,400 |
| Spirit | Transcendent Cooldown | 40% | 40% | 1% | ~36:00 | 6,400 |
| Flex (weapon) | Opening Rounds | 41% | 51% | 21% | ~7:42 | 1,600 |
| Flex (weapon) | Glass Cannon | 37% | 37% | 1% | ~34:39 | 6,400 |
| Weapon, alternate | Mystic Shot | 33% | 42% | 21% | ~9:40 | 1,600 |
| Weapon, alternate | Crippling Headshot | 29% | 29% | 1% | ~36:19 | 6,400 |
| Weapon, alternate | Restorative Shot | 21% | 50% | 58% | ~3:01 | 800 |
| Vitality, alternate | Fortitude | 32% | 34% | 6% | ~19:52 | 3,200 |
| Vitality, alternate | Trophy Collector | 29% | 39% | 26% | ~11:33 | 1,600 |
| Vitality, alternate | Battle Vest | 19% | 24% | 22% | ~13:28 | 1,600 |
| Spirit, alternate | Superior Duration | 17% | 18% | 2% | ~25:59 | 3,200 |
Against other heroes 21 days
What players change, not proof it works. ★ marks an item whose buyers win at least 1 point more against that enemy than buyers of other items of its tier, after checking for chance, over 21 days: ★ all pools every hero's buyers, ★ Paradox is Paradox players only.
The 8 clearest changes in what Paradox players buy, across every enemy. Pick enemies above the board to see one lineup.
Lifts compare how often Paradox players buy an item in games against a hero with how often they buy it otherwise, over 21 days, with the build's usual items set to ×1 and small samples pulled towards ×1. Cells need 200 buyers. Several enemies are combined from separate match-ups (a weighted average of their lifts), not games against that exact team.
Show as table
| Enemy | Item | Buy rate change | Buyers | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haze | Metal Skin | ×5.30 | 9.5k | — |
| Lash | Counterspell | ×2.29 | 18k | — |
| Infernus | Dispel Magic | ×2.11 | 12k | — |
| Vindicta | Knockdown | ×1.98 | 13k | — |
| Abrams | Rebuttal | ×2.09 | 6.2k | — |
| Haze | Plated Armor | ×2.20 | 4.2k | — |
| Haze | Disarming Hex | ×1.69 | 5.2k | — |
| Deadman Danny | Opening Rounds | ×0.91 | 103k | — |
What you hold, minute by minute 7 days
Each band is one item: the share of Paradox games still going at that minute that hold it. The bands stack, so the top edge is the whole inventory. Press play, or drag the slider, to watch a game fill up. Hover a band for its numbers.
At 45:00 you'd typically hold
Estimated from when players buy and sell; assumes what they buy doesn't depend on how long the game will last. Hatched minutes rest on fewer than a quarter of games. The 12-item line is where the base slots are full and flex slots start.
Show as table
| Item | 5:00 | 10:00 | 15:00 | 20:00 | 25:00 | 30:00 | 35:00 | 40:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restorative Shot | 45% | 49% | 50% | 50% | 50% | 48% | 36% | 31% |
| Headshot Booster | 36% | 41% | 26% | 8% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Headhunter | 0% | 12% | 27% | 32% | 36% | 38% | 40% | 42% |
| High-Velocity Rounds | 48% | 23% | 2% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Opening Rounds | 20% | 42% | 47% | 48% | 50% | 51% | 51% | 48% |
| Sharpshooter | 0% | 27% | 51% | 60% | 66% | 70% | 72% | 73% |
| Express Shot | 0% | 1% | 12% | 40% | 66% | 73% | 75% | 76% |
| Mystic Shot | 9% | 29% | 35% | 37% | 38% | 39% | 40% | 38% |
| Long Range | 6% | 39% | 15% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Hollow Point | 0% | 0% | 3% | 11% | 32% | 49% | 55% | 58% |
| Glass Cannon | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 3% | 8% | 19% | 32% |
| Other weapon items | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| Trophy Collector | 1% | 14% | 34% | 36% | 37% | 38% | 38% | 35% |
| Stamina Mastery | 0% | 0% | 7% | 21% | 36% | 48% | 55% | 58% |
| Other vitality items | 0.2 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Mystic Burst | 11% | 39% | 50% | 26% | 5% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Tankbuster | 0% | 1% | 19% | 45% | 67% | 76% | 80% | 82% |
| Compress Cooldown | 0% | 3% | 12% | 34% | 50% | 32% | 22% | 22% |
| Superior Cooldown | 0% | 0% | 2% | 8% | 21% | 39% | 43% | 40% |
| Transcendent Cooldown | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 3% | 8% | 17% | 31% |
| Mystic Reverb | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3% | 14% | 41% | 62% | 71% |
| Spirit Burn | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 10% | 29% | 51% |
| Other spirit items | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| Items held, in all | 2.2 | 4.3 | 5.9 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 9.3 | 10.3 | 11.2 |
Items show the share holding them; other items show the average number held.
Buy windows: clock against souls 7 days
When Paradox players buy each big item, and how its buyers did. Bars are buyers; the line is the share of them who won, with its 95% band. Switch to souls at purchase to see how much of the early-buyer edge is just being ahead.
Spirit Burn by the clock: 61% → 46%. By souls at purchase: 49–58%.
Sharpshooter
216,399 buyers · 46.8% won overall
most buy it 9–16 min
46.8% of all its buyers won.
Show as table
Headhunter
123,456 buyers · 46.5% won overall
most buy it 10–18 min
46.5% of all its buyers won.
Show as table
Tankbuster
236,566 buyers · 47.0% won overall
most buy it 15–23 min
47.0% of all its buyers won.
Show as table
Express Shot
223,030 buyers · 47.2% won overall
most buy it 16–23 min
47.2% of all its buyers won.
Show as table
Stamina Mastery
162,462 buyers · 48.0% won overall
most buy it 18–27 min
48.0% of all its buyers won.
Show as table
Hollow Point
161,401 buyers · 48.2% won overall
most buy it 21–27 min
48.2% of all its buyers won.
Show as table
Mystic Reverb
180,718 buyers · 51.9% won overall
most buy it 25–32 min
51.9% of all its buyers won.
Show as table
Spirit Burn
117,038 buyers · 54.6% won overall
most buy it 30–37 min
By the clock: 61% → 46%. By souls at purchase: 49–58%.
Show as table
For Spirit Burn, buying early wins more mostly because early buyers are already ahead: by souls at purchase the line is much flatter. Win rates describe; they don't say an item wins games.
Two late games, side by side 7 days
What Paradox players buy after 30 minutes, split by the big item they took at 20–30 minutes. Bars are the share of each side's games reaching 30 minutes that bought the item. Pick the two sides to compare.
Superior Cooldown at 20–30 min
93,296 games · 48.7% won · 75% reach 30 min
Fortitude at 20–30 min
24,594 games · 43.8% won · 76% reach 30 min
Either way, 7 of the top 8 late items are the same.
| A won | A buys | Late item | B buys | B won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47.6% | 8% | under 6% | ||
| 49.5% | 37% | 29% | 45.7% | |
| 53.7% | 42% | 41% | 50.7% | |
| 52.2% | 22% | 24% | 48.8% | |
| 49.9% | 9% | 15% | 48.2% | |
| 50.9% | 9% | 16% | 50.6% | |
| 51.9% | 33% | 41% | 48.8% | |
| 53.8% | 20% | 30% | 51.1% | |
| under 6% | 24% | 46.5% |
Shares are of each side's games reaching 30 minutes; an item a side doesn't list was bought by fewer than its smallest listed share. ⇄: both sides buy it in 15% or more of games. Win dots run from 40% to 60%, with a tick at 50%, adjusted for souls at purchase where upstream gives it, with 95% whiskers, hollow under 2,000 buyers. They describe; they don't prove.
Either/or, and sets 7 days · games over 35 min (57%)
Items Paradox players choose between in games over 35 minutes, and items they buy as a package. Every number is printed under its cards; click a card to outline the item in every chart.
Either/or
Mystic Shot or Battle Vest: only 8% buy both.
Only Mystic Shot47.8% won · 65,916 games
Both8%
Only Battle Vest48.3% won · 33,931 games
Players who bought only one won about the same either way. Out of 108,497 long games with either.
Trophy Collector or Battle Vest: only 3% buy both.
Only Trophy Collector48.7% won · 66,977 games
Both3%
Only Battle Vest48.3% won · 39,175 games
Players who bought only one won about the same either way. Out of 109,558 long games with either.
Sets
4.5× as likely together
10% of long games · 18,689 games
4.7× as likely together
10% of long games · 18,542 games
5.4× as likely together
10% of long games · 17,823 games
Descriptive: players who pick one may play differently from those who pick the other. Pairs that are one item's upgrade path are left out.
How players get there, 0–30 min 7 days
The items most bought in each phase of the game, and what their buyers bought next. Pick a mid-game item to follow only the players who bought it. Hover an item for its numbers.
- Weapon
- Vitality
- Spirit
Show as table
| Phase | Item | Bought in | Won (souls-adjusted) | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–9 min | High-Velocity Rounds | 68% | 46.7% | 210,810 |
| 0–9 min | Restorative Shot | 49% | 46.1% | 151,383 |
| 0–9 min | Headshot Booster | 42% | 46.0% | 130,332 |
| 0–9 min | Long Range | 41% | 47.8% | 126,768 |
| 0–9 min | Opening Rounds | 40% | 46.9% | 125,219 |
| 0–9 min | Mystic Burst | 36% | 46.8% | 111,855 |
| 9–20 min | Tankbuster | 45% | 47.5% | 139,375 |
| 9–20 min | Sharpshooter | 44% | 46.6% | 136,060 |
| 9–20 min | Express Shot | 39% | 47.8% | 122,798 |
| 9–20 min | Compress Cooldown | 32% | 46.8% | 99,500 |
| 9–20 min | Extra Stamina | 31% | 47.1% | 95,896 |
| 9–20 min | Mystic Burst | 28% | 46.9% | 88,138 |
| 20–30 min | Hollow Point | 36% | 48.2% | 111,798 |
| 20–30 min | Mystic Reverb | 35% | 52.2% | 109,222 |
| 20–30 min | Compress Cooldown | 32% | 47.8% | 100,713 |
| 20–30 min | Express Shot | 32% | 48.1% | 98,794 |
| 20–30 min | Superior Cooldown | 30% | 47.5% | 93,296 |
| 20–30 min | Tankbuster | 29% | 47.1% | 91,915 |
| 30 min + | Spirit Burn | 30% | 52.0% | 92,863 |
| 30 min + | Mystic Reverb | 22% | 50.7% | 69,794 |
| 30 min + | Transcendent Cooldown | 20% | 48.0% | 63,767 |
| 30 min + | Superior Cooldown | 19% | 49.2% | 59,723 |
| 30 min + | Glass Cannon | 18% | 52.0% | 57,324 |
| 30 min + | Crippling Headshot | 15% | 51.5% | 47,159 |
Bar heights compare how often items are bought within a phase; fewer items are bought late, and the row underneath shows how many games last that long. Win rates are adjusted for the buyer's souls at purchase, so players who are already ahead don't make an item look better than it is; they still describe, not prove.
Ability order
Pulse Grenade121415
Time Wall589
Kinetic Carbine34612
Paradoxical Swap7101113The most played full upgrade path (4% of matches, 52.7% won). Kinetic Carbine is maxed first in 79% of matches.
In-game builds players pick 7 days
- Paradox - Hybrid-Burst [56% WR] [tracklock.gg]by Tracklock · 16,529 players10 of 11 board items28,322 games45.3% won
Core Build
Early
Late
Defensives
Counter Picks
Actives
- Sniper Mommy [Fully annotated]by Axiom · 9,838 players9 of 11 board items19,921 games47.4% won
- Tangerine Paradoxby Tangerine · 7,243 players10 of 11 board items13,624 games46.8% won
- thick thighs swap mommyby wrvth · 5,232 players11 of 11 board items8,989 games47.1% won
- SECRET CHINESE PARADOX BUILDby IJY · 4,790 players9 of 11 board items8,316 games47.1% won
The build each player had selected when the match started; known for 42% of Paradox games, mostly at higher ranks. The tag counts how many of the finished build's items each one includes.