Dota 2 Slark Guide – How to Play & What Items to Get

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Dota 2 Slark Guide – How to Play & What Items to Get

This Dota 2 Slark guide will show you what makes him one of the best Dota 2 heroes.

Slark is probably one of the most annoying heroes in Dota 2. Unlike some of the other heroes that can fit in different roles, Slark Dota 2 is almost always the team’s carry. He is extremely hard to deal with and is one of the best snowball heroes in the game. 

Slark is a melee Agility hero that starts the game with 3.5 armor. He has 300 movement speed, 0.7s turn rate and between 55-51 attack damage. The hero starts the game with 21 agility, 20 str, and 16 INT. With that said, this Dota 2 Slark Guide will now focus on other important things you need to know.

Abilities

One of the first things that this Slark guide Dota 2 has to share is more information about the abilities. They are the things that make him so special, so let’s learn more about them.

  • Dark Pact – When used, Slark causes a total of 300 damage to enemy units around him and 0.3 of the damage to himself. This ability has a very short cooldown, allowing him to farm much faster. Furthermore, this ability allows the hero to dispel most enemy debuffs.
  • Pounce – This ability allows the hero to leap forward and grab the first enemy hero that’s in his way. The leash duration can go up to 3.25s, during which the enemy hero can’t escape.
  • Essence Shift – One of the reasons why the Dota 2 Slark build with carry items is so good is because of this ability. Each of Slark’s attacks steals one attribute from an enemy hero and adds bonus agility to the hero for up to 80 seconds.
  • Shadow Dance – Slark’s ultimate gives the hero the ability to hide for 4.5s, during which enemies can’t attack him. Furthermore, the hero gets 48% bonus movement speed and regenerates 120hp/sec. Interestingly, Slark Dota 2 also gets the movement speed and HP regen when he is not visible to the enemy team.

People who get an Aghanim’s Scetper will have additional range to Pounce, and the ability will come with charges. As for the Aghanim’s Shard, this will give Slark an ability called Depth Shroud. When used, it creates a shroud where allies can hide and get the Shadow Dance effect.

Talents

Another important thing in this Dota 2 Slark guide we have to discuss is the hero’s talents:

  • Level 10 – +0.5s Pounce Leash or – 0.5s Dark Pact Cooldown
  • Level 15 – +40 Shadow Dance Regen or +70 Dark Pact Damage
  • Level 20 – +80 Shadow Dance Attack Speed or +1 Agility gain/stolen per Essence Shift Stack
  • Level 25 – +50s Essence Shift Duration or +1s Shadow Dance Duration

Dota 2 Slark – Tips

The Dota 2 hero Slark is one of the best heroes for gaining MMR in ranked games

As mentioned, Slark is one of the most annoying carries in Dota 2 because he is extremely hard to play against. No matter which Dota 2 Slark Build 2023 you go for, your job is to have a good early game and snowball after it. Ideally, you will secure at least one or more kills and use it to get a quick Shadow Blade. Once you have this item, you can start hunting for squishy enemy heroes and kill them.

One of the perks of playing with Slark is that you are extremely hard to kill. People who know how to play with the hero can dispel most debuffs with Dark Pact and can be extremely aggressive because of their ult. Speaking of the ultimate, you can also use it offensively, depending on the scenario.

Another thing we’d like to share with those who want to know how to play Slark Dota 2 is that the hero is the best in longer fights. There are cases where you should try to disengage, wait to get some HP back, and then go in again. The fact that you can steal Essence Shifts makes you extremely dangerous in longer fights, so you will almost always win them.

Starting Items

Like all Dota 2 carries, Slark needs items that provide magic resistance and stats. Most people who read this Dota 2 Slark Guide Indonesia will probably get tangoes and Iron Branches that they can build into a Magic Wand.

Mid Game

If Slark Dota 2 has a good mid-game, he should have Power Treads and Shadow Blade. Some people prefer to get a Blink Dagger, but Shadow Blade is superior in PUB games. If the hero has a couple of kills, you can also go for an Echo Sabre because it allows him to get additional Essence Shifts.

Late Game

Slark’s items for the late game depend entirely on the enemy heroes. However, he usually gets things like an Abyssal Blade, Eye of Skadi, Butterfly, Monkey King Bar, Silver Edge, and Black King Bar. The latter is a must in almost all games.

Counters

Slark pounces on enemy

If you’re wondering how to counter Slark, you have to focus on a couple of specific heroes:

  • Ancient Apparition – Although this supper is usually a free kill, his ultimate removes Slark’s HP regen, which makes him very vulnerable.
  • Axe- Axe is one of the heroes you need to be aware of after reading this Slark guide Dota 2. Once the hero gets a Blademail and a Blink Dagger, he can easily kill you in a single call.
  • Bloodseeker – The latter’s ultimate does not allow Slark to chase anyone, making him an easy target.
  • Phantom Lancer – Although Slark has some sort of AoE damage, even the best Slark Build Dota 2 won’t allow him to win a duel vs a Phantom Lancer during the later stages of the game.

Final Thoughts

Regardless of which Slark Build 2023 you go for, the hero will be one of the strongest carries in the game. He can easily win the laning stage and dominate the rest of the game. Although there are a couple of annoying counters, overall, Slark is among the best PUB heroes in Dota 2.

Dota 2 Slark Guide – How to Play & What Items to Get
Zlosterr
Zlosterr has been a fan of esports for many years and mainly focuses on Dota 2. He has more than five years of experience writing Dota 2 content for numerous platforms. Besides being a passionate fan of the game, he's also played for various amateur teams.