HERO / GET TO KNOW THEM

Shadow Fiend

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 create space with damage in lane and while farming, then choose a magical or physical damage build.

Capturing souls from every kill he makes, Shadow Fiend is always gathering his power. Every assault, each carefully aimed raze that kills an enemy, brings him closer to unleashing his gathered souls in a deadly blast of scouring energy.

Abilities at hand

Shadowraze

Feast of Souls

Presence of the Dark Lord

Requiem of Souls

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.

Mid · position 2

Initial recommendation

Levels, lane control and joining the team at the right moment matter.

Carry · position 1

I need protected farm, my item window and damage on important targets.

MY VIEW OF THE HERO

Pick for a purpose. Play with a plan.

When I pick

I want this when I can win tempo through lane damage and get farm in time for my chosen physical or magical build.

What I watch out for

The hero is vulnerable to early attacks and disables. I do not plan for both attacks and a large Requiem immediately if my economy cannot support both jobs.

What I do in combat

In lane, I judge distance for the different Shadowraze ranges. Before a fight, I decide separately whether I am attacking from the back or preparing an entry for Requiem.

What I check first

An attack build and a Requiem build need different items: I do not mix them without a reason.

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.

Mid · position 2

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 stepPower Treads
Provide attack speed and switchable attributes for farming and managing my resources.
02 / FoundationDragon Lance
Increases a ranged hero’s attack range and provides useful attributes.
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 choiceShadow Blade
Helps change the angle of approach and start an engagement; I account for detection along the route.
05 / Next choiceDaedalus
Increases physical attack damage once access to the target and protection are already secured.

What I change for the situation 3 options

Eul's Scepter of Divinity ↗

Provides a separate tool for disabling an enemy or protecting yourself; I prepare the follow-up combo before landing.

Blink Dagger ↗

Changes the entry angle and lets me reach a target quickly. Damage taken can prevent its use.

Satanic ↗

Helps recover health through attacks during its active window; without access to a target, it is not a guaranteed save.

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

Shadowraze

Shadow Fiend razes the ground directly in front of him, dealing damage to enemy units in the area, dealing bonus damage based on his current Necromastery Soul amount. Adds a stacking damage amplifier on the target that causes the enemy to take bonus Shadowraze damage per stack.

↻ 9 sec.Mana 75

Details and upgrades

Aghanim’s Shard

Cooldown is reduced by 2 sec. for each enemy hero hit. Each stack slows victims’ movement by 12%.

Ability

Feast of Souls

The hero increases his movement and attack speed for 8 sec. During this time, he collects souls from 2 enemies within a radius of 600 every 0.5 sec.

↻ 21 sec.Mana 60 / 65 / 70 / 75

Details

The hero increases his movement and attack speed for 8 sec. During this time, he collects souls from 2 enemies within a radius of 600 every 0.5 sec. When the effect ends, surviving units’ souls return to them, while the others remain with the hero for another 8 sec. After that, he loses all souls above the Necromastery maximum. Souls can only be collected once from each enemy.

Ability

Presence of the Dark Lord

Shadow Fiend's presence reduces the armor of nearby enemies.

Ability

Requiem of Souls

The hero releases up to 20 collected souls in waves of demonic energy. Units near him can take damage from several waves. Each wave that hits applies 0.6 sec.

↻ 120 / 110 / 100 sec.Mana 150 / 175 / 200

Details and upgrades

Shadow Fiend gathers up to 20 of his captured souls to release them as lines of demonic energy. Units near Shadow Fiend when the souls are released can be damaged by several lines of energy. Any unit damaged by Requiem of Souls will be feared and have its movement speed and magic resistance reduced for 0.6 seconds for each line hit up to a maximum of 2.15. Lines of energy are created for every soul captured through Necromastery. Requiem of Souls is automatically cast whenever Shadow Fiend dies, regardless of its cooldown.

Aghanim’s Scepter

Reduces cooldown and causes Requiem of Souls to return back to Shadow Fiend. The wave back to Shadow Fiend heals him for all the damage it dealt.

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

Necromastery

Shadow Fiend steals the soul from units he kills, gaining 1 bonus damage per soul. Hero kills grant 4 souls. On death, he releases 30% of them from bondage.

Full description and upgrades

Shadow Fiend steals the soul from units he kills, gaining 1 bonus damage per soul. Hero kills grant 4 souls. On death, he releases 30% of them from bondage.

Aghanim’s Scepter

Increases max souls.

Valve base stats +

Health · base: 538
Mana · base: 267
Damage · Valve field: 41–47
Armour · Valve field: 4.17
Movement speed: 305
Attack range: 525
Strength · base / gain: 19 / 2.7
Agility · base / gain: 25 / 3.6
Intelligence · base / gain: 16 / 2.2

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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