Abilities, roles and builds with an explanation for every purchase.
HERO GAME PLANI save Global Silence for a dangerous enemy initiation; in mid, I add attack damage and farm.
Silencer changes the dynamic of every battle when he shuts down the enemy's ability to cast their spells. As he cuts his foes to ribbons with his glaive, he steals their intelligence to add to his own, ensuring his foes are always at a disadvantage.
My recommendation is a starting point. We choose another position together with the team and for its needs.
Help the lane, provide vision and keep the ally alive first; expensive upgrades follow the necessary team purchases.
Levels, lane control and joining the team at the right moment matter.
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.
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.
Provide mana for laning and regular ability use.
Moves me or an ally out of danger; direction depends on the target's facing.
Adds a protective tool and hides the chosen ally; invisibility does not replace escaping detection.
Lets you use targeted abilities and items from a safer distance.
Unlocks or upgrades Glaives of Wisdom, Suffer In Silence. The exact effects are shown below in the abilities section.
Black King Bar ↗Provides a window for my actions against eligible magical damage and disables. I check effects that pierce the protection.
Dragon Lance ↗Increases a ranged hero’s attack range and provides useful attributes.
Aghanim's Scepter ↗Unlocks or upgrades Global Silence. The exact effects are shown below in the abilities section.
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.
Original Valve icons and descriptions. Cooldowns and mana are shown by level from the data snapshot; talents and upgrades can change the values.
Curses enemies in the selected area, dealing initial damage and damage over time and slowing their movement.
Curses the target area, dealing damage and causing enemies to take damage over time and slowing their movement speed. Anytime affected enemies cast a spell, the duration is increased. The duration is paused as long as the target is silenced.
Silencer enchants his glaives with his wisdom, stealing his target's Intelligence with each hit and dealing additional damage based on his Intelligence.
Silencer enchants his glaives with his wisdom, stealing his target's Intelligence with each hit and dealing additional damage based on his Intelligence.
Glaives bounce 1 time to a random enemy within a radius of 450. Increases intelligence steal.
Enchants the target, causing it to take damage and be silenced after a delay. Also provides vision of the target. The enchantment triggers early if the victim casts an ability.
Enchants a target, providing vision of them and causing them to be damaged and silenced if they cast a spell or if the enchantment timer expires. Deals extra damage based on the difference in intelligence between Silencer and the target.
Silencer stops all sound, preventing enemy heroes and units on the map from casting spells.
Silencer stops all sound, preventing enemy heroes and units on the map from casting spells.
Global Silence applies Arcane Curse to heroes for the duration of Global Silence.
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.
The hero takes less damage from silenced units and deals more damage to them.
Silencer takes less damage from and deals more damage to silenced targets. If an enemy Hero dies within 925 range of Silencer or was debuffed by Silencer at the time of death, Silencer permanently steals 1 Intelligence from them. If the victim was silenced, steal an extra 1 Intelligence.
Increases the Intelligence stolen per kill.
These are fields from the official source. The hero's final values in the client account for attributes and other active mechanics.
Items, slang and real episodes help connect abilities with what happens in a match.
