Dota 2 Shadow Shaman Guide – The Underrated Support (Tips)

The Dota 2 Shadow Shaman guide you’ve all been waiting for.

If you like playing a support hero in Dota 2 that has a lot of CC and can push fast, Shadow Shaman is the hero for you. This Shadow Shaman Dota 2 guide will reveal why this hero is always one of the top picks in every meta and what makes him so popular.

Shadow Shaman has some of the most impressive starting stats in the game. The ranged Intelligence hero starts the game with 4.7 armor and up to 72 damage, making him ideal for harassing. However, his movement speed is not that good, meaning that most players start the game with Wind Lance.

There are many other important things to know besides the Shadow Shaman Dota 2 skins, so let’s learn more about them.

Abilities

When choosing your Dota 2 Shadow Shaman build, you need to know more about the hero’s abilities. 

• Ether Shock – This is Rhasta's nuke that hits multiple targets and deals up to 320 damage.
• Hex – When used, Shadow Shaman transforms an enemy target into a frog for 2.8. During that time, the enemy hero is unable to attack or use his abilities. Moreover, the enemy will take 20% more damage. 
• Shackles – This is a channeling ability that allows Shadow Shaman to keep an enemy in place for up to 4.2s. During that time, the unit will also take 270 damage.
• Mass Serpent Wards – This is one of the best Shadow Shaman Dota 2 abilities because it allows the hero to summon serpent wards that last for 45s and deal up to 120 damage each. However, these wards can’t move, and the enemy team can destroy them with 2 attacks.

Players who get the Shadow Shaman Dota 2 Shard will summon 4 Serpent Wards while using his Shackles. These wards will last 7s and Shackles itself will gain slightly more range.

Purchasing an Aghanim’s Scepter for Shadow Shaman will allow his wards to attack two units for the full damage.

Talents

Another important thing to discuss in this Shadow Shaman Dota 2 guide is the talents.

• Level 10 – -2s Hex Cooldown or +170 Shackles Total Damage
• Level 15 – +1s Shackles Duration or +140 Serpent Wards Attack Damage
• Level 20 – +1 Serpent Wards max HP or Hex Breaks
• Level 25 – +25 Wards Attack Damage or +400 Ether Shock Damage

Dota 2 Shadow Shaman Guide – Tips

Even though there are instances where Shadow Shaman can be a midlaner, usually, he’s a support. As such, his job is to try and make a difference in the early game. He can do that by nuking his opponents or using his CC to land kills. Regardless of the Shadow Shaman Dota 2 build, we need to mention that the hero works extremely well with some of the more aggressive carries, such as Juggernaut and Ursa.

Besides the usual things the hero is good at, Shadow Shaman is also very important in the mid and late game because he has 2 CCs. He can also push really fast, which is another big plus that many people do not consider.

Speaking of pushing, this is something you should always pay attention to when playing with him. Once you notice the enemy team is distracted, you can try to push and use your ultimate near the tower. This will allow you to split push really efficiently, and the enemy’s team will need to go back to deal with you.

While discussing the Shadow Shaman Dota 2 role, you should use your ultimate at the beginning of the fight because the enemy team will try to kill you right away. Ideally, you can initiate the fight with the Blink and Hex combo, followed by using your ult.

Other than that, Shadow Shaman has to use his early game advantage to harass enemy units. He has some of the highest damage output early on, plus his armor allows him to trade hits.

Shadow Shaman Dota 2 Guide – Pros and Cons

There are a lot of advantages and drawbacks of using this hero, so let’s go over some of them.

Pros:

• Good for pushing
• Strong early on
• Has two disables
• He can work well with a lot of carries

Cons:

• Slow
• Easy to kill
• Not using his ult properly won’t give him any value

Dota 2 Shadow Shaman Items

In order to choose the best build for Shadow Shaman Dota 2, you need to know which items to get, so let’s learn more about them.

Starting items

Rhasta’s starting items usually include Observer Wards, some HP regen, and stats. However, some people prefer getting Wind Lance because of the hero’s low movement speed.

Early game

Magic Wand and boots of speed are the standard early-game items for this hero.

Mid game

Depending on how the mid game is going for Shadow Shaman, he can have Arcane Boost and/or Glimmer’s Cape. In some cases, the hero can even have a Eul’s Scepter of Divinity.

Late game

When it comes down to the late game, Rhasta should try to get an Aghanim’s Shard, a Scepter, and a Scythe of Vyse. Of course, this requires a lot of farm, so people have to be careful.

Dota 2 Shadow Shaman counter

Another important thing we need to share in this Dota 2 Shadow Shaman guide is the hero’s counters.

• Slark -The hero can dispel himself from Rhasta’s CC, allowing him to kil the hero really fast.
• Luna – Luna can use her ultimate before being CCied, which means she will do a lot of damage. Moreover, she can mini-stun Rhasta and stop the hero’s Shackles.
• Lifestealer – The fact that this hero has a built-in BKB allows him to tank Rhasta’s abilities and kill him really fast.
• Juggernaut – Jugg’s Q makes him immune to Shadow Shaman’s CCs. Moreover, he can kill him really fast after that.

Conclusion

Shadow Shaman is one of the supports in Dota 2 that can work in many situations. Although there are definitely instances where other supports my work better, usually, this is a solid pick.