Dota 2 Slardar Guide

Embark on a deep-sea journey and control the pace of the battlefield with our in-depth Dota 2 Slardar Guide 

Slardar was born beneath the great pressure of the deep, always ready to discover and destroy his enemies. He slithers and sprints into battle with one powerful tail, pursuing down foes with surprising speed. Combining a lethal mix of stuns, slows, and armor reduction, he excels in initiating fights and making quick work of his enemies.

Slardar, the Slithereen Guard, is a Melee Strength Hero known for his high physical damage and powerful crowd control abilities. With a solid base HP of 582 and a Mana pool of 255, he is a front-line warrior capable of soaking up damage. He has a solid base attack damage of 51-59 and an average movement speed of 3000. The Slithereen Guard’s base armor stands at 5.8, which, combined with his skill set, makes him a formidable presence in the early game.

However, playing Slardar effectively requires a keen understanding of positioning, map awareness, and timing. With a range of skills that enhance mobility, stun opponents, and decrease armor, he can be a terror in the right hands.

Abilities

The key to the Slithereen Guard’s power lies in the strategic use of his abilities. Let’s take a closer look at his abilities to understand what makes the Hero so strong.

• Guardian Sprint – Slardar rushes forward, increasing his movement speed significantly and passing through units. When in the river, this ability gives him bonus movement speed, Health regeneration and armor. Guardian Sprint increases his speed by 25% at level 1, up to 40% at max level. It lasts for 10 seconds and while in river, the Slithereen Guard gets 8 HP regen, 4 armor, 40% status resistance and 18% increased movement speed at max level.

• • Aghanim’s Scepter Upgrade – While in a puddle or river, provides extra HP Regen, armor, and status resistance.

• Slithereen Crush – Slardar slams the ground, damaging and stunning nearby enemy units. The affected units are slowed after the stun. This Area of Effect (AoE) ability is crucial for initiating team fights and controlling enemies. Slithereen Crush deals up to 300 damage and stuns for 0.8 seconds at its level 4. It has a radius of 350 and slows the enemy for 6 seconds at max level. 

• • Aghanim’s Shard Upgrade – After consuming an Aghanim’s Shard Slithereen Crush radius increases and briefly applies Corrosive Haze to all affected units. 

• Bash of the Deep – After 3.0 attacks, your next attack will bash the target. Deals double damage against creeps. This is a great tool for disrupting enemy Heroes during fights and picking off solo enemies. The bash lasts for 1.1 seconds and deals 50 damage at level 1, increasing to 200 damage at max level.

• Corrosive Haze – the Slithereen Guard marks an enemy to reduce its armor and provide true sight of the target, making it a highly valuable ability against invisible units. The enemy unit leaves a trail of water behind it for 8 seconds. It reduces up to 20 armor at its max level and lasts for 18 seconds. Corrosive Haze has a cast range of 900.

Talents

• Level 10 – +0.2s Slithereen Crush Stun Duration or -3s Guardian Sprint Cooldown
• Level 15 – +50 Bash of the Deep Damage or +325 Health
• Level 20 – -3 Corrosive Haze Armor or +150 Slithereen Crush Damage
• Level 25 – Corrosive Haze Undispellable or -4s Slithereen Crush Cooldown

Dota 2 Slardar Guide – Tips

Understanding Slardar’s abilities and how to use them effectively can significantly influence how the battle turns out. Guardian Sprint can help you initiate fights or escape dangerous situations. The Slithereen Crush, when combined with Guardian Sprint, makes you an efficient initiator. Bash of the Deep provides extra crowd control, while Corrosive Haze is a formidable tool against Heroes with high armor or evasion.

Like many melee Strength Hero, Slardar is often played in the offlane, aiming to disrupt enemy farming and make space for his team. He can also be played as a carry because of his high damage output. He excels at being a nuisance to the enemy’s safe lane, disrupting farm and setting up kills.

It’s important to be involved in as many fights as possible, using your high-impact spells to tip the balance in your team’s favor. But remember to farm in between these fights, clearing neutral camps and waves to maintain your gold and experience income. Farm and experience are both crucial for you. Your item build should focus on improving your initiation capabilities, durability, and Mana management. Also, map awareness is essential, as your abilities allow you to respond quickly to enemy movements. 

Dota 2 Slardar – Pros and Cons

Here are some key strengths and weaknesses of this Slithereen Guard.

Pros

• Good initiation and escape mechanisms
• High-impact spells throughout the game
• Effective against high armor Heroes
• Provides true sight

Cons

• Weak against illusion Heroes
• Reliant on a good early game
• Depends very much on item timing

How to play Slardar

Now, let’s learn how to maximize Slardar’s strengths from the early to the late game stages.

Starting Items

It’s crucial to start with the right items to withstand the initial stages of the game. A set of tangoes or a Healing Salve is essential to quickly regain lost Health. Additionally, a Quelling Blade is a wise purchase to improve last-hitting and ensure steady gold income. Grab a couple of Iron Branches, as they’re a cheap way to boost your overall stats. Finally, buy a Gauntlet Of Strength to increase your tankiness early on.

Early Game

Your early game focus should be on disrupting the enemy’s safe lane and creating space for your carry to farm. Utilize your Slithereen Crush and Bash of the Deep to pressure enemies and secure kills. Be vocal and coordinate with your team. Early aggression can often set the tone for the rest of the match. 

The first major items to work towards are Power Treads for the added attack speed and stats and a Blink Dagger. Blink Dagger is a crucial item for you, significantly improving your initiation potential and movement on the map. As a carry, you can also buy Mask Of Madness for fast farming and HP regen.

Mid Game

The mid-game phase is where you become very powerful. Use your Blink Dagger and Guardian Sprint to initiate team fights or pick off isolated Heroes. Positioning is key; you want to be the one starting the fights, not getting caught out. 

Next, prioritize building a Black King Bar (BKB). This will ensure you won’t be locked down by enemy spells in crucial moments, letting you deliver your stuns and debuffs effectively. If the enemy team has a heavy physical damage dealer, a Heavens Halberd can also be a good choice. An early Aghanim’s Scepter purchase is also viable. Remember to tell your team to break the Tormentor so that you may get a free Aghanim’s Shard.

Late Game 

In the late game, you’ll serve as the initiator and controller of key enemy Heroes. Remember, Corrosive Haze’s armor reduction remains a significant threat to enemy Heroes, even more so in the late game when your team has more damage output. This ability can allow your team to quickly burst down high-priority targets.

When considering late-game items, keep an eye on Assault Cuirass. The extra armor and attack speed are excellent for both you and your team. A Heart of Tarrasque can make you incredibly tanky, enhancing your survivability in late-game engagements. An Abyssal Blade can provide yet another stun to your arsenal while significantly boosting your damage output. And finally, upgrade your Blink Dagger to Overwhelming Blink and buy a Refresher Orb if you have the money. Always remember to keep Buyback at this stage!

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Dota 2 Slardar Counters

Like every Hero in Dota 2, Slardar also has Heroes who counter him. Here are some Heroes that can give him a tough time.

• Phantom Lancer – Phantom Lancer can be a problem for Slardar due to his ability to create multiple illusions with Juxtapose, making it difficult for the Slithereen Guard to find the real Hero. Also, his Doppelganger ability is a quick escape mechanism that can also purge off the Corrosive Haze debuff, further minimizing Slardar’s effectiveness against him.

• Oracle – Oracle’s Fate’s Edict ability disarms the Slithereen Guard, taking away his ability to bash enemies. More critically, his ultimate, False Promise, can remove Corrosive Haze from an ally while also delaying any damage or healing. This can turn a losing battle into a victorious one.

• Abaddon – Abaddon can easily remove Slardar’s Corrosive Haze debuff from himself or an ally using his Aphotic Shield. Furthermore, his ultimate, Borrowed Time, can quickly turn fights around if the Slithereen Guard initiates on him.

• Ursa – Ursa can out-damage Slardar in one-on-one situations, especially in the early stages of the game, due to his Overpower and Fury Swipes. Also, Enrage can greatly reduce the damage from the Slithereen Guard’s attacks.

Conclusion

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