My Guide to Shadow Fiend

About Me

Hi guys my name is Felix. I have been playing Dota2 for 2.7 years (If I'm not wrong) and you can find me on Instagram or Twitter (@felix_denz).

This is my sixth guide here, so i expect my elders to give me comments and help me fix my mistakes. If there is a sameness with other's guide, it is a pure coincidental and don't sue me for it.

About Shadow Fiend

Lore
It is said that Shadow Fiend has the soul of a poet, and in fact he has thousands of them. Over the ages he has claimed the souls of poets, priests, emperors, beggars, slaves, philosophers, criminals and (naturally) heroes; no sort of soul escapes him. What he does with them is unknown. No one has ever peered into the Abysm whence Shadow Fiend reaches out like an eel from among astral rocks. Does he devour them one after another? Does he mount them along the halls of an eldritch temple, or pickle the souls in necromantic brine? Is he merely a puppet, pushed through the dimensional rift by a demonic puppeteer? Such is his evil, so intense his aura of darkness, that no rational mind may penetrate it. Of course, if you really want to know where the stolen souls go, there's one sure way to find out: Add your soul to his collection. Or just wait for Nevermore.

Nevermore, the Shadow Fiend is a ghost who haunts others, clinging onto them, and finally, steal their soul. What a sneaky bastard. He excels in mid to late game, and he is very depending on his souls. Mostly the target in a teamfight, since he's very squishy, and got the title as a Glass Cannon.

Although it looks easy to use him, it's actually not that simple. Shadowraze-ing needs practice, and he's not your simple right-clicking hero. If he's placed in the wrong place, or where he is easily targeted, he will most likely die. Real focus, placement, and patient is needed.

In this guide I will explain about:
(*)Pros and Cons
(*)When and When Not To
(*)Skill
(*)Items
(*)Skill Build
(*)Friends and Foes

Pros and Cons

Pros:
- High AGI gain
- Strong right-click potential
- Synergize well with minus armor items Presence of the Dark Lord
- Never falls in every time (early, mid, late game)

Cons:
- Very squishy without some items
- Need souls to maximize potential from Requiem of Souls
- Shadowraze requires extreme focus
- Presence of the Dark Lord is the longest skill name in the game
- Only fit in mid lane, sometimes side lane depending on the supports
- Pudge collects meats, and he collects souls, and they are not human, which is annoying me

When and When Not To

Pick Shadow Fiend when:
- You need a mid hero
- Your team has a initiator hero [A.K.A Earthshaker, Tidehunter, Magnus, Enigma, you name it]
- Your team lacks right clickers
- Your enemy mid lane is most likely will not threatens you
- You have enough supports
- You need a position #1 or #2 hero

Don't pick Shadow Fiend when:
- Your focus is **** ( Shadowraze)
- You can't use both Shadow Blade and Blink Dagger
- Your team need supports
- Your team has enough right clickers
- You suck at starting a teamfight ( Requiem of Souls)

Skill

SHADOWRAZE

Range : 200
Radius : 250
Damage : 100 / 175 / 250 / 325
Mana Cost : 75
Cooldown : 10
Skill type : Active

- When learned, you will have 3 Shadowraze, each has a different range and cooldown.
- One Shadowraze will not trigger the other, so you can use it max 3 times.

Your first skill, 3 set of Shadowraze, each one is independent. It means you can use it 3 times, with different range. 1 Shadowraze deals full damage, so the total damage you can deal is 325 * 3 = 975. So much for 1st skill. Need high focus to use this skill, as it's an instant cast - focus skill, not an AOE nor point-skill. Can be used to secure farms and flash farms (like clearing a wave of creeps extremely fast)

Some tips to Shadowraze:
- Right click your enemy before Shadowraze-ing. If you right click him, you will face him, thus making razing easier.
- Never blind-razing. You waste 75 mana to "maybe" hit your enemy. In early game, mana is important. Don't spam it until you got your Bottle.
- Most heroes have an average of 345 MS, so when they are running away, use your raze 2 and 3 simultaneously (but raze 2 must hit). Doing this will most likely hit the enemy with both razes.
- Raze 1 is 0 range, while raze 2 is roughly a little beyond melee range, and raze 3 is like maybe the distance between Radiant and Dire's range creep. This is just a rough guess, just go play and try it!!

---

NECROMASTERY

Maximum souls : 15 / 22 / 29 / 36
Bonus damage per soul : 2
Skill type : Passive

- Bonus damage applied after the soul reaches Shadow Fiend not directly.
- Synchronized with Requiem of Souls, more souls more damage
- Killing enemy creeps, neutrals, sieges, and own creeps will give souls
- Killing Roshan will not give soul (correct me if I'm wrong)

Accumulated bonus damage is why Shadow Fiend seems so strong. Max +72 DMG is very terrifying. Always collect souls whenever you can, and start a teamfight with full souls. When you die, half of the soul accumulated will be released and deal damage.

---

PRESENCE OF THE DARK LORD

Radius : 900
Armor minus : 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

- Stacks with other minus armors [A.K.A Desolator, Gush, amplify damage, Medallion of Courage, you name it]

This skill is your second passive. Helps you deal more damage with that minus armor. Stacks with other minus armor items

---

REQUIEM OF SOULS

Damage Radius : 1375 / 1425 / 1475
Damage Per Line : 80 / 120 / 160
Slow Radius : 700
Slow Duration : 5
Slow : 25%
Damage Reduction : 50%
Damage Reduction Duration : 5
Mana Cost : 150 / 175 / 200
Cooldown Time : 120 / 110 / 100

- Damage depends on your souls
- Will remain invisible when casting with Shadow Blade
- Will not remain invisible when casting with Rune of Invisibility

Your ultimate skill. This skill is great for initiation, and could possibly bring down most of your enemy heroes to half health, if not dead. Good positioning is needed here, as you don't want to use this skill when your enemy isn't close to you. Try use it right in the middle of enemy's team, where it will deal the most damage to your enemy. Setups are recommended here, such as letting Tidehunter to Ravage then you follow him with your ult.

Play Video

Items

Your main survivability item. Buy this, or try to ask your supports for some Tango (Shared).

Provides some stats. These are your first items, since you are keeping your gold for that Bottle.
This is a must for all mid laners, especially since Shadow Fiend has low health and mana pool. You don't have to worry much about spamming Shadowraze once you have this item. Provides 135 health and 70 mana heal over 3 sec.
Stats item, to help you survive in lane.
Upgraded from Wraith Band. Increase stats and RoB's aura.
Your obvious boots of choice. You need some stats, since you are squishy. And they provide it! Also with an attack speed increase. Some people buy Phase Boots, which is not so much, I think. Nevertheless, I will divide these 2 boots into a table.

Power Treads +50 Movement Speed +30 Attack Speed +8 Stats Stat switching (video will be provided later) - Stats are useful for Shadow Fiend since he is pretty squishy. - Attack speed - Lower movement speed compared to Phase Boots

Phase Boots +50 Movement Speed +24 Damage Active : Phase - +24 damage isn't that much compared to the accumulated damage from Necromastery. - No stats gained, means no health and mana gain. - Phase isn't that needed, since you have Blink Dagger or Shadow Blade for chasing.

That's that! See now? So stop buying Phase Boots for him!

A video about tread switching. Creds to DotaCinema Play Video



One word to define Shadow Fiend. SQUISHY. He is so squishy, even in level one 1-1 he will lose. See how squishy he is? This item makes you a little bit tankier, and provides that immunity to spells. Never neglect this item, ever.
What is better than Shadow Fiend? 3 Shadow Fiends! Provides stats for the squishy demon, attack and movement speed, and 2 illusions. Note that Manta Style can be used to evade some spells if timed correctly. Play Video


More damage, more right click potential. Imagine how much damage you can dish out in 1 hit with that Desolator and Necromastery.
Even the newest Dota 2 player know what this does.
The AGI heroes' ultimate item, I would say. Counterable by Monkey King Bar
Increasing MS and split push potential.
Well, that auras is definitely great, and the minus armor stacks with your Presence of the Dark Lord. But this item is rarely purchased on Shadow Fiend. 5250 gold is better spent at direct Butterfly or maybe Daedalus. Just leave this item to others, especially when you have a Lycan, where he will absolutely buy that AC.
Another way to increase Shadow Fiend's damage. Stacks with Presence of the Dark Lord.
Stats and slows, this item is hailed as the ultimate Eye of Skadi. Really good on Shadow Fiend, that slow is also good to chase down enemies so they can't escape fast.
Your first step to Satanic. I like this item because of the Dominate. You can just take 1 Neutral and stack the jungle with it. Or you can just take Alpha Wolf around you for that damage aura.
Another alternative from BKB. Stops some skills that pierce BKB.
High damage output, with true strike which counters evasion and ministun which cancels channeling spells.
Not a so popular item on him, seeing that a Desolator is better for him than a full Mjollnir. Well, still viable.

Skill Build

The most popular build (according to dotabuff.com) is 2-1-1-2-1-2-1-2, where you max your Shadowraze and Necromastery first for the nuking potential. This is good, but you have to be good at landing Shadowraze, otherwise you will be wasting mana. My build is practically for newbies who can't land Shadowraze (like me huhuhu T.T)

First off take that Necromastery for souls. Always max that skill first. At level 2 you will take Presence of the Dark Lord, so you can easily deal high amount of damage to your opponent, as well as easy last hitting. At level 6 you will have 0-3-2-1 build. This build is focused for hard last hitting, feel free to change it into 1-3-1-1, as sometimes you need that Shadowraze to harrass long range heroes like Viper or Sniper.

You can start your roam when you hit level 7 or 8, where you will have a 0-4-3-1 or 1-4-2-1 build. Roam after you have max level on Necromastery and have max souls, to ensure you will deal the most damage to your enemy heroes. After that, it's your choice to either max Shadowraze first or Presence of the Dark Lord. It's entirely up to you. I go for the Presence of the Dark Lord for the hard hitting. You will be shocked yourself when you have that Desolator with your passives maxed.

Always take that ultimate, and don't waste it. Save it until you have either Blink Dagger or Shadow Blade, to ensure that you can initiate well. Some pub players just walk into the mess and pops the ult. There's no way your enemy will let you do that. They will either lock you up or scatter to lower your Requiem of Souls' potential. Use it only when you are sure it will deal the most damage, like when Ravage or Black Hole hits everyone.

Don't be afraid to use it even on 1 hero, if it's worth it. For example, when you want to gank a super tanky hero, even you 5 can't finish him of without ults, or to direct-kill invis hero.

Friends and Foes

HE HAS NO FRIENDS! HE IS THE ULTIMATE DEMON AND HE COLLECTS SOULS! WHO WANNA BE HIS FRIEND HUH? YOU? YOU?? YOUUU???!!!!

Naw just kidding. He's not that scary.

Most of Shadow Fiend's friends are the one who can set a good place for him to use his ult. Here are the list:

• Axe -> Berserker's Call
• Disruptor -> Kinetic Field
• Earthshaker -> Echo Slam
• Enigma -> Black Hole
• Magnus -> Reverse Polarity
• Medusa -> Stone Gaze
• Naga Siren -> Song of the Siren
• Puck -> Dream Coil
• Sand King -> Epicenter
• Tidehunter -> Ravage
• Treant Protector -> Overgrowth
• Warlock -> Chaotic Offering

And here are a few heroes who can follow after Requiem of Souls:

• Crystal Maiden -> Freezing Field
• Death Prophet -> Exorcism
• Gyrocopter -> Call Down
• Kunkka -> ghost ship
• Luna -> Eclipse
• outworld devourer -> Sanity's Eclipse
• Spectre -> Haunt
• Zeus -> Thundergod's Wrath

Also some heroes that can lower the enemy's armor is good, since they all stacks with Presence of the Dark Lord:

• Dazzle -> Weave
• Slardar -> amplify damage
• Alchemist -> Acid Spray
• Bristleback -> Viscous Nasal Goo

Shadow Fiend's absolute foes is his own brethen, heroes who can also dish out high damage in 1 hit, rendering Shadow Fiend useless even with that Black King Bar:

• Bounty Hunter -> Jinada
• Clinkz -> Searing Arrows
• Drow Ranger -> Marksmanship
• Juggernaut -> Omnislash [damage ignores Black King Bar]
• Nyx Assassin -> Vendetta
• Phantom Assassin -> Coup de Grace OUCH!
• Sven -> God's Strength
• Ursa -> Fury Swipes + Enrage

And heroes that can endure those hard damage from Shadow Fiend:

• Abaddon -> Aphotic Shield + Borrowed Time
• bristle back -> Bristleback
• Centaur Warrunner -> Return
• Ember Spirit -> Flame Guard
• Medusa -> Mana Shield
• Omniknight -> Guardian Angel
• Oracle -> False Promise
• Slark -> Shadow Dance
• Templar Assassin -> Refraction
• Wraith King -> Reincarnation

Ending

So, this is the end of my guide, hope it helps, and thanks for reading!
Comments are welcome below here!
Happy New Year!!

Update

Fri, 2 Jan 2015
(*)Guide Published
(*)Updated Necromastery and Shadowraze texts