Dota 2 Leshrac Guide: Learn How To Dominate With Leshrac
| Tags: Dota 2
| Author The Old One
Master the art of pushing and dominating the game with Leshrac with the help of this guide
Leshrac is known for his versatility and ability to control lanes with his powerful area of effect (AoE) spells. This Intelligence Hero is widely appreciated for his fast farming ability and capacity to destroy towers quickly. He is usually played as a mid or offlaner, but sometimes he can also be seen as a support or carry.
Leshrac starts with a decent 560 HP and 339 Mana pool. His starting movement speed is 325, and he deals 49-53 damage per attack. As of the 7.33d patch update, many abilities of Leshrac were buffed, making him a more viable Hero to pick. This guide will provide tips, tricks and strategies to help you dominate the battlefield as Leshrac. So, let's take a deep dive into Leshrac's powers and abilities and how to play with the Hero!
Contents
Abilities
Leshrac has four abilities, each providing him with different advantages in battles:
- Split Earth: Leshrac uses his power to split the earth under enemies. The ability stuns enemies in its area of effect and also deals damage. It deals 300 damage and stuns for 1.7 seconds. This ability can be upgraded by Aghanim’s Shard.
- Aghanim’s Shard Upgrade: After consuming an Aghanim’s Shard, Split Earth will repeat 3.0 times at the same spot, with a 5.0 second delay between each one. The radius grows by 55.0 each time. Both teams can see the split Earth echo position.
- Diabolic Edict: Leshrac releases chaotic magic around him, which damages nearby enemy units and structures and lasts 10 seconds. The ability is excellent for pushing towers and harassing enemy heroes in the lane. The damage per explosion is 7 at level 1 and 28 at max level. Total number of explosions are 40.
- Lightning Storm: A simple yet effective ability for lane control and farming. Lightning Storm allows Leshrac to summon a lightning storm that blasts out to damage the targeted enemy unit and then jumps to nearby enemy units. It deals 90 damage at level 1 and 240 damage at max level. Lightning Storm also slows the enemy’s movement speed by 75% for a second.
- Pulse Nova: Leshrac's ultimate ability. He creates waves of damaging energy around him, which damage nearby enemy units. Drains Leshrac's mana with each pulse. Pulse Nova can be devastating in team fights when combined with Leshrac's other AoE abilities. This ability can be upgraded by Aghanim’s Scepter.
- Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade: When consumed, Aghanim’s Scepter provides a new ability, Nihilism. Nihilism turns Leshrac ethereal, reducing his magic resistance and slowing nearby enemies. The ability lasts 4 seconds and increases magic damage by 30%.
Talents
Leshrac can select from the following talents as he levels up:
- Level 10 – +40 Split Earth Radius or +1.5 Mana Regen
- Level 15 – +10% Movement Speed during Pulse Nova or +100 Lightning Storm Damage
- Level 20 – +40 Pulse Nova Damage or +20% Damage Reduction during Pulse Nova
- Level 25 – +25 Diabolic Edict Explosions or Pulse Nova triggers Lightning Storm
Dota 2 Leshrac Guide – Tips
As Leshrac, lane control and map awareness are crucial. You can utilize your Diabolic Edict to put pressure on towers early in the game. Use Split Earth to stun enemies, followed by Lightning Storm to dish out damage. Once you unlock your Pulse Nova, your potential for damage in team fights is greatly enhanced.
Your standard go-to for boots is the Arcane Boots, providing an additional mana pool to keep using your spells. Other key items for Leshrac include Eul's Scepter of Divinity for movement speed and a setup for Split Earth, Black King Bar against heavy magic damage, Bloodstone for health and mana regeneration, Octarine core for a reduced cooldown time of abilities, and a Scythe Of Vyse to control your enemies better.
Leshrac – Pros and Cons
Like all heroes, Leshrac has his strengths and weaknesses:
Pros:
- Strong pushing power with Diabolic Edict
- High area damage with abilities
- Versatile in terms of roles
- Decent stun with Split Earth
Cons:
- Squishy and can be burst down quickly if caught
- Requires mana management
- All abilities require positioning
How to Play Leshrac
Whether you are playing Leshrac as Mid, Offlane, or Support, the following tips can help you maximize his potential:
Starting Items:
For starting items, consider getting a Null Talisman for increased mana capacity and damage and Tangoes for healing. If you're playing a core Leshrac, buying a couple of Iron Branches for some extra stats and filling in inventory space might be a good idea.
Early Game (Levels 1-6):
In the early laning phase, focus on securing last hits and harass the enemy with Lightning Storm when they come up for last hits. Position yourself well to avoid enemy harassment and look for opportunities to use Split Earth to lock down enemies for your carry. Use Diabolic Edict defensively if the enemy is diving under your tower or aggressively if you see a chance to destroy the enemy tower. Try to get Arcane Boots as soon as possible to address Leshrac's high mana needs. A Magic Stick is a must if you have enemies casting spells regularly. Bottle is also very useful for a mid Leshrac.
Mid Game (Levels 7-18):
This is where Leshrac shines the most. You should be able to farm your core items and participate actively in team fights. Ideally, you should have Eul's Scepter of Divinity or Bloodstone by now. This increases your mana pool and regeneration and gives you a reliable setup for your Split Earth. It's a good practice to use Eul's on an enemy, then time your Split Earth to stun them as soon as they land.
Blink Dagger is a situational item for Leshrac. If there's a squishy enemy Hero like Sniper or Drow Ranger that deals heavy damage and stays back in fights, getting a Blink Dagger is a good option. Remember to activate Pulse Nova and Diabolic Edict during clashes for maximum AoE damage. If you're ahead, you can use Diabolic Edict to force down towers and expand your team's map control. But remember to always keep an eye on your positioning. Leshrac can deal massive damage, but he's also quite squishy and can be easily killed if caught out of position.
Late Game (Levels 19-30):
Late game as Leshrac can be challenging. His damage does not scale as well as some other heroes into the late game, yet he remains a serious danger due to his massive AoE damage and tower pushing ability. Consider items that assist Leshrac in surviving team fights or give usefulness to your team in the late game. Shiva’s Guard is a good option for extra armor, AoE slow, and reducing enemy attack speed. Octarine Core is also beneficial, as it reduces all your spell cooldowns and provides spell lifesteal.
Don’t forget to keep a Black King Bar which is handy against teams with lots of disables or magic damage. You might also want to consider a Scythe of Vyse for the added utility of hexing an enemy or a Linken's Sphere if there's a key single-target ability you need to block.
If the game goes very late, an Aghanim’s Scepter and an Aghanim's Shard can be very valuable. Remember, no matter how late the game goes, Leshrac is always a threat to enemy buildings. Never miss an opportunity to pressure the enemy towers with Diabolic Edict.
Leshrac Counter
While Leshrac can be a dominating force, he has a few counters because of his over reliance on magic damage and spells. Here are 5 top counters of Leshrac:
- Anti-Mage: With his Mana Break and Mana Void, Anti-Mage can burn Leshrac's mana quickly and deal massive damage when it's low.
- Pugna: Pugna‘s Nether Ward can punish Leshrac for his heavy mana usage, and his Decrepify can prevent Leshrac from attacking.
- Silencer: Silencer can disrupt Leshrac's spell casting with his Global Silence, making Leshrac an easy target during fights.
- Night Stalker: With his Crippling Fear, Night Stalker can silence Leshrac and make him helpless in fights during the night.
- Bane: Bane can control Leshrac with his Nightmare and Fiend’s Grip, making him almost useless in fights.
Conclusion
Leshrac is a match winning Hero with high damage potential but requires good positioning and mana management. If played correctly, he can control the pace of the game with his pushing power and AoE damage. So, take control of the game and bring chaos to your enemies with Leshrac!
If you find this guide useful, be sure to check out our other Dota 2 Hero guides. Whether you're a new Dota player trying to learn the game or an experienced player looking to climb the MMR ladder, we have guides for you!