HERO / GET TO KNOW THEM

Enigma

Abilities, roles and builds with an explanation for every purchase.

VALVE · 7.41fChecked 06.10.2026Game data source ↗

HERO GAME PLAN

Ruslan Ukrainskyi· OOPS DOTA

What I want to do in the game

I pressure the map with summons and save Black Hole for an opening where it is hard to interrupt.

Widely feared for his ultimate ability, Enigma can summon a black hole capable of entrapping enemy forces, so that allies can then destroy them. An ever-present contingent of eidolons at his side, he pummels foes with ranged attacks.

Abilities at hand

01 / ROLE IN THE TEAM

A pick is not a plan yet.

My recommendation is a starting point. We choose another position together with the team and for its needs.

Offlane · position 3

Initial recommendation

My resource is the team's space: I hold the lane and build for initiation or team protection.

Support · position 4

I contribute through laning, control and movement. I adapt the expensive core route to my budget.

MY VIEW OF THE HERO

Pick for a purpose. Play with a plan.

When I pick

I pick this when the team can play around Black Hole's major window and help pressure territory with units.

What I watch out for

Interrupts that can stop my channel through my defensive tools matter more than the number of heroes caught. I pay particular attention to the enemy backline that is still free to act.

What I do in combat

I do not have to catch five. I find the target the fight depends on first and check who will remain outside to stop me.

What I check first

Not every enemy needs to be caught in Black Hole: catching the one who decides the fight matters more.

02 / ITEMS FOR A PURPOSE

What I buy and why.

This is an editorial starting plan based on hero mechanics. It is not presented as a match I have already tested or a popularity ranking.

Offlane · position 3

My starting plan

Here is my initial plan: I do my role's job first, then choose the items the team needs. I adapt the order and expensive purchases to the opponent.

01 / First stepArcane Boots
Provide mana for laning and regular ability use.
02 / FoundationBlink Dagger
Changes the entry angle and lets me reach a target quickly. Damage taken can prevent its use.
03 / FoundationBlack King Bar
Provides a window for my actions against eligible magical damage and disables. I check effects that pierce the protection.
04 / Next choiceRefresher Orb
Lets you repeat your main power window. Before buying, I consider whether I will have enough mana for both casts.
05 / Next choiceAghanim's Scepter
Unlocks or upgrades Black Hole. The exact effects are shown below in the abilities section.

What I change for the situation 3 options

Pipe of Insight ↗

Provides team protection against substantial magical damage.

Guardian Greaves ↗

Combine mana and health sustain for the team; useful in prolonged fights together.

Aeon Disk ↗

Protects against sudden focus fire. I account for the cooldown and the fact that my damage is limited while it triggers.

I see the minute on the clock. And the situation too.

I do not assign one ‘correct’ minute to every purchase. I look at my gold, the next fight and the problem: am I missing mana, target access, control or protection? If an expensive slot will arrive too late, I get a useful answer earlier.

03 / HERO ABILITIES

Abilities. As in the game.

Original Valve icons and descriptions. Cooldowns and mana are shown by level from the data snapshot; talents and upgrades can change the values.

Ability

Malefice

Focuses Enigma's power on a target, causing it to take damage and become repeatedly stunned for multiple instances. An instance strikes every 2 seconds.

↻ 20 / 18 / 16 / 14 sec.Mana 100 / 110 / 120 / 130

Details and upgrades

Focuses Enigma's power on a target, causing it to take damage and become repeatedly stunned for multiple instances. An instance strikes every 2 seconds.

Aghanim’s Shard

Increases the stun duration by 0.3 sec. and spawns an eidolon near the target on each trigger. These eidolons cannot split.

Ability

Demonic Summoning

Summons three fragments of Enigma himself at the cost of health. The eidolons health is increased by 3% of Enigma's current health. These eidolons are all under Enigma's control, and repeated successful attacks cause them to multiply. When this happens, the eidolons have their health restored.

↻ 45 / 40 / 35 / 30 sec.Mana 70 / 80 / 90 / 100

Ability

Midnight Pulse

Fills an area with dark resonance, dealing 5/10/15/20 damage plus a percentage of enemies’ current health.

↻ 40 / 35 / 30 / 25 sec.Mana 65 / 90 / 115 / 140

Ability

Black Hole

CHANNELED - Summons a vortex that sucks in nearby enemy units. Enemies affected by Black Hole cannot move, attack, or cast spells.

↻ 180 / 170 / 160 sec.Mana 300 / 400 / 500

Details and upgrades

CHANNELED - Summons a vortex that sucks in nearby enemy units. Enemies affected by Black Hole cannot move, attack, or cast spells.

Aghanim’s Scepter

The ability deals additional damage every second equal to 4% of its victims’ maximum health. Pulls enemies within a radius of 1000 toward the center of the black hole without interrupting their actions.

Innates, upgrades and other forms1 ability +

These abilities are not necessarily available at the same time. I check the condition beside the name: innate ability, another form or an Aghanim purchase.

Innate

Event Horizon

Units in a 600 radius moving away from Enigma have a movespeed penalty.

Full description

Units in a 600 radius moving away from Enigma have a movespeed penalty.

Valve base stats +

Health · base: 582
Mana · base: 303
Damage · Valve field: 19–25
Armour · Valve field: 3.33
Movement speed: 280
Attack range: 500
Strength · base / gain: 21 / 2.5
Agility · base / gain: 14 / 1
Intelligence · base / gain: 19 / 3.6

These are fields from the official source. The hero's final values in the client account for attributes and other active mechanics.

KEEP EXPLORING

One hero. Many decisions.

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