Ability
Ether Shock
Creates a cone of ethereal energy that strikes multiple enemy units.
↻ 14 / 12 / 10 / 8 sec.Mana 90 / 105 / 120 / 135
Shadow Shaman
Abilities, roles and builds with an explanation for every purchase.
HERO GAME PLANWhat I want to do in the game
I control a target and turn a won fight into tower damage with the wards.
Shadow Shaman quickly clears the way for his team's forces to march on the enemy base. Blasting enemies with shocking spells and interrupting attackers with hexes, his powerful serpent wards destroy enemy defenses with ease.
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.
05
Hard support · position 5
Initial recommendationHelp the lane, provide vision and keep the ally alive first; expensive upgrades follow the necessary team purchases.
04
Support · position 4
I contribute through laning, control and movement. I adapt the expensive core route to my budget.
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.
Hard support · position 5
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 BootsProvide mana for laning and regular ability use.
02 / FoundationAether LensLets you use targeted abilities and items from a safer distance.
03 / FoundationBlink DaggerChanges the entry angle and lets me reach a target quickly. Damage taken can prevent its use.
04 / Next choiceGlimmer CapeAdds a protective tool and hides the chosen ally; invisibility does not replace escaping detection.
05 / Next choiceAghanim's ScepterUnlocks or upgrades Shackles. The exact effects are shown below in the abilities section.
What I change for the situation 3 options
Force Staff ↗Moves me or an ally out of danger; direction depends on the target's facing.
Aeon Disk ↗Protects against sudden focus fire. I account for the cooldown and the fact that my damage is limited while it triggers.
Black King Bar ↗Provides a window for my actions against eligible magical damage and disables. I check effects that pierce the protection.
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
Hex
Transforms an enemy unit into a harmless creature, disabling their attacks and abilities.
↻ 24 / 20 / 16 / 12 sec.Mana 130 / 150 / 170 / 190
Ability
Shackles
CHANNELED - Magically binds an enemy unit so that it cannot move or attack, absorbing their life energy over time.
↻ 14 / 13 / 12 / 11 sec.Mana 125 / 140 / 155 / 170
Details and upgrades
CHANNELED - Magically binds an enemy unit so that it cannot move or attack, absorbing their life energy over time.
Aghanim’s Scepter
Increases cast range. Every 0.9 sec., all enemies within a radius of 600 around the shackled target are struck by Ether Shock lightning, dealing 100% of its normal damage. Also allows this ability to be cast on serpent wards and allies. The link does not immobilize allies, but breaks if the distance to the target exceeds 2000 units.
Ability
Mass Serpent Ward
Summons 10 Serpent Wards to attack enemy units and structures. The Wards are immune to magic. Creeps deal half damage to the Serpent Ward.
↻ 110 / 105 / 100 sec.Mana 200 / 350 / 550
Details and upgrades
Summons 10 Serpent Wards to attack enemy units and structures. The Wards are immune to magic. Creeps deal half damage to the Serpent Ward.
Aghanim’s Shard
Allows to create a Mega Ward using the Urnaconda ability.
Innates, upgrades and other forms2 abilities +
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
Fowl Play
On taking lethal damage, the hero survives with one health, turns into a chicken with increased movement speed, and briefly stops taking damage. Receives a strong dispel and creates several decoy chickens nearby.
Full description and upgrades
On taking lethal damage, the hero survives with one health, turns into a chicken with increased movement speed, and briefly stops taking damage. Receives a strong dispel and creates several decoy chickens nearby. Cooldown resets when the owner respawns. DISPEL TYPE: Strong
Aghanim’s Shard
Mechanics note: some upgrade numbers are missing from the source; I check the exact values in the client.Extends protection from damage and allows items to be used in chicken form. On triggering, grants brief invulnerability and creates additional uncontrollable chickens.
From Aghanim’s Shard
Urnaconda
Throws a pot containing a snake at the selected point, damaging all enemies in the area and creating a giant serpent ward that lasts 15 sec. and has 4 times the damage and health of normal Mass Serpent Ward wards.
Full description
Throws a pot containing a snake at the selected point, damaging all enemies in the area and creating a giant serpent ward that lasts 15 sec. and has 4 times the damage and health of normal Mass Serpent Ward wards.
Valve base stats +
- Health · base
- 560
- Mana · base
- 351
- Damage · Valve field
- 63–70
- Armour · Valve field
- 4.67
- Movement speed
- 285
- Attack range
- 400
- Strength · base / gain
- 20 / 2.3
- Agility · base / gain
- 16 / 1.6
- Intelligence · base / gain
- 23 / 3.3
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.
Items, slang and real episodes help connect abilities with what happens in a match.