Deathloop invasion tips and how to win as Julianna

Deathloop
(Image credit: Arkane Studios)

One of the most exciting parts about playing Deathloop is the thrill of knowing you could be invaded by Julianna at any time. Out of all of the Visionaries that Colt has to kill to break the dreaded time loop he’s stuck in, she’s by far the most annoying to deal with. 

Depending on whether you’re in single-player or online mode, an AI Julianna or a real player masquerading as her can leap into your game as you’re trying to complete tasks in certain districts, locking the doors to the tunnels and forcing you to hack a terminal to escape. It’s a very scary situation to be in as Colt, but how can you make the most of it when you’re playing as Julianna?

In this guide, we’re going to offer some tips to help you get better at invading other players as Julianna. If you want to make the most of your time protecting the loop, here are some pointers to help you whittle down all of Colt’s three lives and climb those Hunter Ranks.

Conserve your ammo and pick the right tools 

When you’re airdropped in to ruin another player’s day, you will have already picked the weapons, powers, and trinkets that will form Julianna’s arsenal. First off, try and take a selection of guns that use different ammo types so you aren’t relying on one type of ammunition out in the field. And also bring long-range, short-range and rapid-fire weapons so you can stay versatile. 

Regardless of what you bring though, don’t just spray and pray at Colt when you see him. Because of how scarce the ammo situation can get when you’re invading, you want to maintain your ammo as much as possible. 

Try to outwit the other player before you unleash a salvo of bullets, and consider other methods like powers and melee to kill Colt, especially if you can sneak up on him and get a stealth kill. There are some deadly trinkets that can stop the other player from healing when hit or deal damage over time. If you can stack these debuffs on Colt they will no doubt panic and make a mistake you can capitalize on. 

Julianna trying to stab Colt in Deathloop

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Locate the health stations 

The first thing I do when I’m invading as Julianna is locate the Health Stations in the district. These are the giant red and white pills with neon signage and a green ring around the middle, and they offer unlimited health for when you get attacked. You can activate them as long as you can get your cursor on the device, so I’ll usually find a sneaky way to activate them without being in the line of sight of a praying Colt. 

If you know where they are you can always just dart away with powers or acrobatics when you’ve been damaged, and as long as you’re quick enough the enemy Colt may be put off the chase. 

Patience is key 

Taking your time when you’re invading can sometimes be the best way to outwit a good Colt player. As long as you camp the terminal and lay mines and traps to stop a quick escape, you can force the other player out into the open for easy kills, especially if they’re impatient. 

Remember that they are the ones who have to act in an invasion if they want to beat you and get to the tunnels. If you’re getting impatient yourself, keep in mind that you will complete challenges for surviving in an invasion for 10+ minutes, so just write it off as a win if they’re hiding — they’re only helping you climb the Hunter Ranks.

Jordan Oloman

Jordan Oloman is a journalist and documentarian with experience across the pop culture/tech spectrum writing reported features, reviews. news, guides, op-eds and more for a wide variety of outlets. He is also an affiliate streamer on Twitch and have previous experience in scriptwriting, podcasting, game consultation and creating video content.