A Complete McGinnis Guide

McGinnis excels in tethering to objectives and peeling for teamfights
Use her abilities to stall out pushes, stabilize map state and empower team fights
McGinnis cannot typical excel without her teammates drawing enemy attention away from her
Because of this, her ability to break objectives or escape relies on her being highly reactive to map pressure.

McGinnis typically does not want to be the first person enemies look at; This principle applies to both split-pushing and team fighting
She must watch minimap, or her teammates, and look for windows of distraction to act within
In teamfights, she should hover from the outskirts and provide suppressive fire or support
In a split-push, she must be decisive and never linger for long (She should clear wave, shoot an objective, and then run away before defenders arrive, or sacrifice her life to break objectives.)

Each ability in McGin's kit is a tool
Turrets can force an enemy to waste a clip, or apply slow during a chase
Med Spec can be used to dig her heels into a zone, or empower a push forward
Spec Wall can be used to trap enemies in, or lock enemies out
She can build items into many different tempos, but generally, she is strongest when stalling out map pressure using her abilities.

Rocket Barrage, like her other abilities, is a tool, and it doesn't necessarily need to kill to be useful
Barrage can scare off would-be aggressors, or it can provide suppressive fire to a fleeing teammate
In some places, it is a great follow-up option to spectral wall for pelting trapped enemies
With the right build, Barrage can have decent kill potential
But above all, you should view it as another tool for peeling and stalling
Don't forget: you can slide, jump, dash, zipline, ropeclimb, wallbounce, and even more during Rocket Barrage!

(Scroll Down For Alternatives)

McGinnis operates well as a support peel, But she can pivot into gun shred or spirit AOE when needed.

Explained: After 10-15 minutes, McGinnis' position should depend entirely on the tempo of her team
If her team is passive, she too must be passive
If her team is aggressive, she too must be aggressive
She cannot do these things independently, or she risks being targeted.

Late Game McGinnis should help her team break all objectives and collapse onto nearby teamfights.

McGinnis is strongest in a defensive position
Her abilities allow her to dig her heels into any valuable space across the map, and force opponents to burn resources dislodging her from it
During the early lane phase, her heals and large ammo let her outlast most opponents and stabilize easily.

McGinnis greatest weakness is her lack of a "get out of jail" ability
If enemies commit hard, and she fails to fend them off or run away, she often becomes free pickings for a kill
Because of this, it is important McGinnis position cautiously and always have a plan of escape if things go south.

McGinnis has two primary niches
(1) is Babysitting a singular lane and constantly wasting enemy's time by forcing them to come deny her split-pushes
(2) is acting as the backline of a teamfight, providing constant peel, splash and heal to her aggressive teammates
Ideal McGinnis play involves fluidly switching between these niches across match time.

Learn the movement system! McGinnis players will need solid footwork to escape chase and death.

During the Lane Phase, your item choices will sometimes depend on what heroes are in the lane, and how your teammate is performing
Always be open to buying items outside your pre-made build if the situation calls for it.

Many items in deadlock require experience to use effectively
Once you learn the basics of McGinnis, start testing out active items, conditional items and mobility items.

Never push forward for no reason
Watch the mini-map, and track all enemy locations if possible.

(Beginner)

(Intermediate)

(Advanced)

(Expert)