1. Shadow Demon Overview
2. Skill Order
3. Items
4. Final Notes
This guide for Shadow Demon has public games in mind, where you cannot count on your teammates to do well even if you do well.
1. – The DOTA 2 Shadow Demon Overview
Shadow Demon is a very strong disabling hero who can mid or support. As a support, he times his abilities to interrupt enemy last hits and denies. As a mid, he can push most other heroes completely out of lane with a combination of Shadow Poison and Disruption. He is quite effective in either role.
At mid he can easily defeat Outworld Destroyer, Invoker or Queen of Pain by properly landing Shadow Poison. His immense range allows you to wreck pretty much anyone.
2. The Shadow Demon Skill Order
At mid, you should max shadow poison first, taking a point in each of your skills and taking 2 points in shadow poison at levels 2 and 3. Many people tell you to take Soul Catcher and Disruption over Shadow Poison. This is a mistake with most opponents, as many of them will leave the lane completely due to the high damage from this, and you won’t get the kill. For early kills, Shadow Poison is a must max. Remember that even over 4 stacks the damage piles on, it just stops multiplying. Once you get your ultimate, you become a serious ganking force and should go to other lanes to kill them. You should ult one opponent, and disrupt the other which will give your teammates a chance to finish it up, along with your own damage.
As a support you should max Disruption first but still put points in Shadow Poison. You don’t need to max poison either, as Disruption and Soul Catcher are great support skills for your teammate. Disruption can also be used to defend yourself or your teammate from abilities such as Gyrocopter’s Homing Missile. Remember that your ult can also purge negative buffs from opponents, so be careful with it. Demonic Purge is incredibly powerful but must be used effectively.
With either skill order, you should always take your ultimate on Shadow Demon at every level. This is one of the best ultimates in the game, and can even stop the powerful buffs of Dazzle and Omniknight.
3. The Shadow Demon Items
Going mid, you can start out two different ways. If you know your opponent is going to try to harass you back, you should build a wand early on. I get branches and tangos. Arcane Boots are essential on mid or side, but inform your team that you are building them so that your teammates don’t build multiples.
If you think you are not going to get harassed back mid lane, pick up two mantles early on. It will allow you to bully whoever is mid very easily. Bloodseeker is someone who gets bullied in lane very easily by Shadow Demon, as is Shadow Fiend since neither of these mids can harass you back. You can continue throwing down poisons and disruptions for the early first blood. You do still want to build into a wand and arcane boots no matter what lane you are in.
A Force Staff is also essential no matter what lane you are in, although as a support you need to spend your gold on the courier and wards. As far as endgame, you have a ton of good choices. A Sheepstick, or Scythe of Vice, is good. But Eul’s Scepter and even Necronomicon are also great choices for him, although you wouldn’t buy them first over a Scythe unless you are really stomping the enemy.
4. Final Notes on Shadow Demon
Remember that in a teamfight, you can disable 2 different enemies. This allows you to disrupt the two enemies who are the most farmed. Save your ultimate if there is a support such as Omniknight. You can shut him down cold by purging his buff then killing him. Demonic Purge also allows you to slow and damage those who are using a Black King Bar, and even works on Juggernaut’s spin.
This is the first of several guides we have. If you would like to play with us sometime, send us a contact here. You can also ask us for future guides in this form.
