How to Master Outworld Destroyer in Dota 2: The Ultimate Guide for Every Rank (2026)

Why Outworld Destroyer Is the Ultimate Intelligence Thief

Outworld Destroyer is a ranged intelligence hero who plays primarily as a position 2 mid laner. His entire identity revolves around one devastating mechanic: stealing intelligence from enemy heroes through Arcane Orb, then weaponizing that stolen intelligence into raw damage with every attack and a catastrophic team fight ultimate in Sanity’s Eclipse.

What makes OD unique in the Dota 2 hero pool is how he scales. Most mid laners scale with items and levels. OD scales with those too, but he also scales with the intelligence gap between himself and his enemies. Every Arcane Orb hit steals intelligence, making his attacks deal more damage while simultaneously reducing the enemy’s mana pool and spell damage. This creates a snowball effect where OD gets exponentially stronger the more he fights, and his opponents get exponentially weaker.

According to Dotabuff, OD currently sits around a 49% winrate across all brackets but climbs to nearly 53% in Immortal games. His pick rate hovers around 6-8% in pubs, making him a niche but impactful pick. In the current patch, OD thrives against lineups with low intelligence heroes and limited BKB-piercing lockdown. He is one of the strongest scaling mid heroes in the game when drafted correctly.

Abilities Deep Dive

Understanding OD’s abilities at a deep mechanical level is what separates the players who dominate with this hero from the ones who wonder why their Sanity’s Eclipse did 200 damage. Every ability has hidden interactions and timing nuances that matter enormously.

Arcane Orb (Q)

Arcane Orb is the cornerstone of OD’s kit and the reason he exists as a hero. When activated, each attack deals bonus pure damage equal to a percentage of OD’s current mana pool and steals intelligence from the target for a duration. The pure damage component is what makes OD terrifying — it completely ignores armor, meaning even 40-armor Terrorblade or Dragon Knight takes the full damage.

The intelligence steal is where the real power lies. Each hit steals a set amount of intelligence (scaling with levels), and this intelligence theft stacks. Hit a hero five times and they have lost a massive chunk of their mana pool and spell damage, while you have gained that exact amount. This creates situations where enemy casters literally cannot cast their spells anymore because OD has stolen too much intelligence.

Hidden mechanics most players miss:

• Arcane Orb is a unique attack modifier that can be autocast. When autocast is on, it will automatically apply to every attack, but it will NOT draw creep aggro — this is massive for laning
• The pure damage is calculated based on your current mana at the moment of the attack landing, not when the projectile is launched. This means mana gained from Essence Flux procs between launch and impact will increase damage
• Intelligence steal duration refreshes with each new stack, not per individual stack. Landing multiple orbs extends the total duration of ALL stolen intelligence
• Arcane Orb does not work when attacking buildings, so you cannot steal intelligence from tower hits

Astral Imprisonment (W)

Astral Imprisonment is OD’s most versatile ability and arguably the one that requires the most game sense to use correctly. It banishes a target unit (ally or enemy) for up to 4 seconds, making them completely invulnerable and unable to act. When the imprisonment ends, it deals area-of-effect magic damage to enemies around the target.

This ability serves multiple purposes simultaneously. Defensively, you can save an ally from burst damage, dodge projectile stuns, or remove yourself from danger. Offensively, you can lock down a key target, set up ganks by removing an enemy from a fight temporarily, or combo with your team’s AOE abilities. The skill ceiling on this one ability alone is enormous.

Critical interactions to know:

• Astral Imprisonment dispels the target upon cast. This means it removes buffs like Haste, Double Damage, and many ability buffs
• You can self-cast Astral Imprisonment to dodge incoming spells and damage — this is your primary survival tool
• The AOE damage upon release hits in a radius around the imprisoned target. If you imprison an enemy in the middle of their team, the release damage hits all of them
• Imprisoned units are fully invulnerable — they cannot be targeted or damaged by anything, including AOE spells that were already in flight
• Vision is provided around the imprisoned unit for the duration, so you can use it for scouting Roshan or high ground
• Allies can be Astraled to save them from damage-over-time effects, targeted spells, or to wait out key cooldowns

Essence Flux (E)

Essence Flux is OD’s passive mana sustain engine and the reason he can spam Arcane Orb without going out of mana. It gives OD a chance to restore a percentage of his maximum mana pool every time he casts a spell. This includes Arcane Orb casts when manually activated (not autocast attacks that are not technically spell casts in terms of the proc).

The key thing to understand about Essence Flux is that it scales with your maximum mana pool. The more intelligence you have (from items, stolen intelligence, or levels), the more mana each proc restores. This creates a positive feedback loop — the more intelligence OD steals, the bigger his mana pool, the more damage Arcane Orb deals, and the more mana Essence Flux restores.

What most players get wrong:

• Essence Flux procs on ALL spell casts, including items like Hex, Orchid, and Refresher Orb — not just hero abilities
• The percentage-based restore makes intelligence-boosting items disproportionately valuable on OD compared to flat mana items
• At max level with enough intelligence, Essence Flux effectively makes OD mana-infinite in prolonged fights

Sanity’s Eclipse (R) — Ultimate

Sanity’s Eclipse is the reason OD can single-handedly win team fights. It deals damage in an area based on the difference between OD’s intelligence and each enemy hero’s intelligence. The bigger the intelligence gap, the more damage it deals. Against low-intelligence heroes like Wraith King, Phantom Assassin, or Troll Warlord, a well-timed Sanity’s Eclipse can deal 1,000+ damage to each of them simultaneously.

The ability also has a mana burn component — it removes a percentage of each affected enemy’s maximum mana. This means even if the damage does not kill them, they are left with barely any mana to fight back. Casters hit by Sanity’s Eclipse often cannot cast a single spell afterward.

Advanced mechanics:

• Sanity’s Eclipse has a minimum damage threshold. If the intelligence difference would result in less than the minimum, the spell deals 0 damage to that target. This is why OD feels useless against high-intelligence lineups
• The intelligence comparison uses your CURRENT intelligence, including all stolen stacks from Arcane Orb. This is why you want to orb multiple targets before ulting
• Sanity’s Eclipse goes through BKB’s magic immunity for the mana burn portion, but NOT for the damage portion. BKB completely blocks the damage
• The AOE is massive (375/475/575 radius at levels 1/2/3). In team fights, you can easily hit 3-5 heroes
• Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade adds significant power by increasing the multiplier and adding an Astral Imprisonment effect on affected heroes

Item Builds by Rank Bracket

OD’s item build is surprisingly flexible, but the core philosophy stays the same at every rank: maximize intelligence, mana pool, and attack speed. The more intelligence you have, the more damage Arcane Orb deals, the bigger your mana pool for the pure damage calculation, and the more devastating Sanity’s Eclipse becomes.

Why Items Differ by Rank

At Herald through Crusader, players struggle with positioning, so Hurricane Pike provides both the intelligence OD needs and a critical escape or chase tool. Blink Dagger requires more precise decision-making that lower-rank players often lack, making Pike the safer and more forgiving option.

At Archon through Legend, players start to understand when to Blink in and when to play backline. The choice between Blink Dagger and Hurricane Pike becomes matchup-dependent. Against melee-heavy lineups, Blink is superior for finding Sanity’s Eclipse angles. Against ranged burst, Pike gives needed distance.

At Ancient and above, Blink Dagger becomes nearly mandatory. The ability to Blink into optimal Sanity’s Eclipse positioning is too valuable to pass up. Aghanim’s Scepter enters the build earlier because coordinated teams can capitalize on the additional Astral Imprisonment from the upgraded ultimate.

At Immortal, the build is refined further. Double Null Talisman provides the most efficient early stats. Witch Blade gives attack speed and intelligence together. The late game focuses on Scythe of Vyse for lockdown and Refresher Orb for double Sanity’s Eclipse — which is often an instant team wipe if the first one did not already end the fight.

Situational Items

• Rod of Atos: Excellent against mobile heroes. The root sets up Sanity’s Eclipse perfectly and builds from intelligence components
• Orchid Malevolence / Bloodthorn: Strong against heroes who rely on spell casting to survive (Storm Spirit, Queen of Pain, Puck). The Soul Burn amplifies your already massive pure damage
• Linken’s Sphere: Crucial against Doom, Legion Commander, or any lineup with single-target lockdown that pierces BKB
• Shiva’s Guard: Provides intelligence, armor against physical burst, and an AOE slow that keeps enemies in Sanity’s Eclipse range
• Force Staff: Budget mobility when behind and cannot afford Blink. Upgrades into Hurricane Pike later

Laning Phase Masterclass

OD’s laning phase is where games are decided. A strong laning phase sets you up for an oppressive mid game where you delete heroes. A weak laning phase turns you into a liability that takes 30 minutes to come online. There is no hero in Dota 2 more dependent on winning their lane than OD.

Level 1-3: Establishing Dominance

At level 1, take Arcane Orb. OD has one of the highest base damages in the game for a ranged hero, and Arcane Orb on autocast does not draw creep aggro. This means you can harass the enemy mid laner constantly while they struggle to trade back without tanking your creeps. The intelligence steal from Orb hits means every exchange makes the next exchange even more favorable for you.

Your level 2 skill point should almost always go into Astral Imprisonment. This gives you kill threat with a support rotation, defensive save against ganks, and the ability to secure ranged creeps by Astraling the enemy when the ranged creep is low. At level 3, take a second point in Arcane Orb for significantly increased pure damage and intelligence steal.

Laning fundamentals:

• Keep Arcane Orb on autocast and trade aggressively. You win almost every right-click trade because of pure damage and intelligence steal
• Use Astral Imprisonment on the enemy when the ranged creep is about to die. They are banished and cannot last hit it, giving you free gold and denying them experience
• Do NOT push the wave unnecessarily with Arcane Orb. The pure damage only applies to heroes, so Orb hits on creeps are wasted mana
• Control runes. OD’s bottle usage is efficient because Essence Flux helps sustain mana, but securing power runes (especially Haste or Double Damage) creates gank opportunities on the side lanes

Matchup-Specific Laning Tips

Against melee mids (Ember Spirit, Dragon Knight, Tiny): These are OD’s best matchups. You can freely orb them every time they go for a last hit. The intelligence steal makes them unable to use their spells after a few trades. Zone them completely from the creep wave and look to kill with a support rotation at level 3-4.

Against ranged mids (Lina, Sniper, Invoker): More even matchups. You still win trades with Arcane Orb, but they can harass you from further range. Focus on using Astral Imprisonment defensively to dodge their key spells (Lina’s Light Strike Array, Invoker’s Cold Snap combo) rather than offensively.

Against hard counters (Pugna, Nyx Assassin): These lanes are difficult. Pugna’s Nether Ward punishes every Arcane Orb cast, and Nyx Assassin’s Mana Burn scales with OD’s intelligence. Consider playing more passively, focusing on last hits, and waiting for your team to gank for you.

When to Rotate

OD is NOT a ganking mid. Unlike heroes like Spirit Breaker mid or Ember Spirit, OD wants to stay in lane and farm. His power comes from levels and intelligence accumulation, not from roaming. Only rotate if:

• You have secured a Haste or Invisibility rune
• A fight is happening directly below your tower (within 15 seconds of walking)
• The enemy mid has left lane and you have already pushed the wave in
• Your team has set up a guaranteed kill (stun already landed, enemy is committed)

Mid and Late Game Transitions

OD’s transition from laning to mid game is one of the most critical timing windows in all of Dota 2. Get it right and you snowball into an unkillable cosmic entity. Get it wrong and you spend 15 minutes farming jungle camps while your team loses 4v5 fights.

The 12-20 Minute Power Spike

OD’s first major power spike happens when he completes Power Treads plus Witch Blade, typically around 12-15 minutes. At this point, your Arcane Orb damage is significant, your attack speed allows multiple orb hits in fights, and you have enough mana pool for sustained fighting. This is when you should start joining fights and pushing towers with your team.

The ideal play pattern at this timing is to group with your team for objectives. Push the tier 1 tower in the enemy’s weakest lane, then take the tier 2 if possible. OD pushes towers slowly compared to other mids, but his ability to win fights around objectives more than compensates. If you win a fight, take the tower. If you cannot fight, farm the triangle or enemy jungle with Arcane Orb on autocast (it works on creeps for the mana cost but gives you farm speed).

Team Fight Positioning

OD’s team fight positioning is a balancing act between staying close enough to land Arcane Orbs and far enough to avoid being instantly killed. As a ranged hero with no escape other than self-Astral, you need to be extremely careful about where you stand.

Ideal team fight sequence:

1. Stay behind your frontline, orbiting at maximum attack range
2. Open by Astraling the enemy’s most dangerous initiator or BKB carrier
3. Land 3-4 Arcane Orbs on different targets to steal intelligence
4. Blink forward (if you have Blink Dagger) and drop Sanity’s Eclipse on the clustered enemy team
5. Continue orbiting with Arcane Orb on autocast, prioritizing low-intelligence targets
6. Use self-Astral if you get caught or if the enemy focuses you

Common mistake: Many OD players open fights with Sanity’s Eclipse. This is almost always wrong unless you have a massive intelligence lead already (which you will not at the start of a fight). Sanity’s Eclipse should be used AFTER you have stolen intelligence with Arcane Orb, not before.

BKB Timing

Black King Bar timing on OD is crucial and often game-deciding. OD needs BKB to survive team fights, but BKB provides no intelligence and no mana, which means it does not directly increase his damage. The general rule:

• Build BKB second or third item if the enemy has chain stuns, silences, or burst magic damage that prevent you from getting orb hits off
• Delay BKB until fourth item if the enemy lacks hard lockdown and you can position well enough to avoid getting caught
• Never skip BKB entirely — even against lineups with minimal disable, the 5+ seconds of uninterrupted Arcane Orb damage in a fight is invaluable

When OD Peaks and Falls Off

OD’s peak is between 25-40 minutes. This is when he has his core items (Witch Blade, Blink, BKB) and the intelligence steal from Arcane Orb creates a massive gap between himself and enemies who have not yet completed enough stat items to compensate. At this timing, a 4-second Astral into a full-team Sanity’s Eclipse can literally end fights before they begin.

OD starts to fall off after 45+ minutes when enemy carries have 5-6 slotted builds with plenty of stats, BKBs are shorter, and the intelligence gap narrows. However, Refresher Orb gives OD a second wind in ultra-late game — double Sanity’s Eclipse, double Astral Imprisonment, and double Scythe of Vyse (if you have it) is enough to win almost any fight regardless of the game timer.

Counters and How to Beat Them

OD has some of the most brutal hard counters in Dota 2. Understanding these matchups is critical not just for playing against them, but for knowing when NOT to pick OD in the drafting phase.

Top 5 Counters

1. Nyx Assassin — Nyx is OD’s hardest counter, full stop. Mana Burn deals damage based on the target’s intelligence multiplied by a factor, and OD has the highest intelligence in any given game due to Arcane Orb stealing. A single Mana Burn from Nyx can deal 300-500 pure damage to OD in the mid-late game and drain a massive chunk of his mana pool. Spiked Carapace also reflects the pure damage from Arcane Orb, which can be devastating. Vendetta allows Nyx to initiate on OD from invisibility before he can self-Astral.

How to play around Nyx: Build Linken’s Sphere to block Mana Burn. Always keep detection on support teammates. Never walk alone on the map — Nyx preys on isolated ODs. In fights, Astral Imprisonment Nyx immediately if he reveals himself.

2. Pugna — Nether Ward punishes OD for every spell cast based on the mana cost, and Arcane Orb’s mana cost is percentage-based (meaning it increases as OD’s mana pool grows). In the late game, each Arcane Orb can trigger Nether Ward for 200+ damage. Decrepify also prevents OD from attacking, neutralizing his entire damage source.

How to play around Pugna: Prioritize destroying Nether Ward before fighting (it has limited HP). Buy BKB to fight through Decrepify. Astral Imprisonment Pugna when he tries to Decrepify your targets.

3. Anti-Mage — Mana Break directly counters OD by draining his mana pool, which directly reduces Arcane Orb damage. Counterspell reflects Astral Imprisonment. Mana Void punishes OD’s large mana pool, especially after Mana Break has drained a significant portion. Anti-Mage also naturally builds Manta Style, which makes him harder to lock down.

How to play around Anti-Mage: End the game before Anti-Mage comes online (before 30 minutes ideally). In fights, do NOT target Anti-Mage first — focus other heroes, build your intelligence lead, then deal with him last. Scythe of Vyse goes through Counterspell if applied during BKB.

4. Silencer — Global Silence prevents OD from casting any spells, including Arcane Orb (if manually cast) and Astral Imprisonment. Last Word forces OD to choose between casting and being silenced, or not casting and being silenced anyway. The intelligence steal on kill further reduces OD’s damage ceiling. Arcane Curse deals damage whenever OD casts a spell.

How to play around Silencer: Build BKB or Eul’s Scepter to dispel silences. Play fights around Global Silence cooldown (it is very long). Avoid dying to Silencer at all costs — each death permanently loses intelligence.

5. Lifestealer — Rage grants Lifestealer magic immunity, making him completely immune to Arcane Orb’s pure damage (since Orb cannot target magic-immune units). Feast heals Lifestealer based on OD’s max HP, making him hard to trade against. Infest provides a guaranteed escape that OD cannot prevent with Astral Imprisonment.

How to play around Lifestealer: Ignore Lifestealer during Rage and focus his teammates. Kite him with Astral Imprisonment when Rage is on cooldown. Build Hurricane Pike for emergency disengage if he runs at you.

Heroes Outworld Destroyer Destroys

While OD has harsh counters, he also has matchups that feel deeply unfair for the enemy. These are the heroes you want to see on the opposing team when you pick OD.

1. Wraith King — Wraith King has one of the lowest intelligence gains in the game. Sanity’s Eclipse hits him like a truck, often dealing 1,000+ damage. His reliance on mana for Reincarnation means that Sanity’s Eclipse mana burn can prevent him from reviving, effectively giving him a single life in fights.

2. Phantom Assassin — PA is an agility hero with very low intelligence. Arcane Orb’s pure damage ignores her evasion from Blur (since it is bonus damage on a hit, not a separate attack). Sanity’s Eclipse decimates her. Astral Imprisonment removes her from fights or saves your allies from critical strikes.

3. Troll Warlord — Another low-intelligence carry who relies on right-clicking. OD can Astral Imprisonment him during Battle Trance to waste the entire duration. Sanity’s Eclipse punishes his low intelligence stat. Troll has no way to close the gap against OD’s Blink positioning.

4. Chaos Knight — CK has abysmal intelligence growth. Sanity’s Eclipse can deal absurd damage to him. Astral Imprisonment can be used to dodge Reality Rift or to remove his main illusion from the fight temporarily. OD’s pure damage ignores the armor that CK builds.

5. Dragon Knight — In lane, OD absolutely destroys Dragon Knight. DK’s passive regeneration is meaningless against OD’s intelligence steal, and DK cannot trade right clicks effectively against Arcane Orb. Astral Imprisonment disrupts Dragon Tail. Low intelligence means huge Sanity’s Eclipse damage.

How Pros Play Outworld Destroyer in Current Patch

OD in professional Dota is a pocket pick reserved for specific matchups. You will not see him first-phased, but when the draft calls for it, OD can completely take over games. Pros understand something about OD that most pub players do not: he is a draft-dependent hero, not a comfort pick.

In recent professional matches, OD has appeared primarily in matchups where the opposing team drafted multiple low-intelligence cores. Teams like Team Spirit and Tundra Esports have shown OD picks when facing lineups featuring Wraith King, Phantom Assassin, or Troll Warlord. The hero is almost never picked blind — it comes out as a last-pick counter.

Professional build trends:

• Double Null Talisman into Power Treads is universal at the pro level
• Witch Blade is the most common first major item, followed by Blink Dagger
• BKB timing varies significantly based on the matchup — some pros rush it second item, others delay until fourth
• Aghanim’s Scepter has seen increased priority in recent patches due to the Astral Imprisonment addition to Sanity’s Eclipse
• Refresher Orb is the standard late-game luxury, giving double Sanity’s Eclipse in extended fights

Notable players known for their OD play include Topson (who popularized aggressive Blink OD in TI-era games), Sumail (who showcased how to dominate mid matchups with Arcane Orb trading), and more recently, Nisha and bzm who have brought OD back into the competitive meta with updated item builds. Watching replays of these players on OD provides invaluable insight into positioning, item timing, and fight participation that you cannot learn from theory alone.

One pattern that stands out in pro OD gameplay: they almost never show on the map without a purpose. Pub OD players often farm triangle aimlessly. Pro OD players farm with the intent to hit a timing, then immediately join a fight or push an objective the moment they complete a key item. This urgency in gameplay is what separates a 6K OD from an 8K one.

Rank-Specific Climbing Guide

Herald to Guardian: Building the Foundation

At this rank, forget about complex combos or perfect fight positioning. Focus on three things:

1. Last hitting in lane: OD has great base damage. Practice getting every last hit and deny. If you consistently hit 50+ last hits by 10 minutes, you will be far ahead of anyone at this bracket
2. Keep Arcane Orb on autocast during fights: Just right-click enemy heroes with Orb on. The pure damage will melt them
3. Use Astral Imprisonment on yourself when in danger: Self-Astral is your panic button. Use it every time you are about to die. You will develop better instincts over time, but for now, staying alive is more important than saving teammates

At Herald-Guardian, enemies rarely build BKB or coordinate ganks. This means OD can freely farm mid, complete Witch Blade and Power Treads, then start deleting heroes with Arcane Orb. A simple game plan of “farm mid, get items, join fights when strong” will carry you out of this bracket.

Crusader to Archon: Adding Game Sense

At this level, start paying attention to:

• Power spike awareness: Know that your biggest spike is Witch Blade completion. The moment you finish it, look for a fight or a gank opportunity
• Astral Imprisonment on allies: Start using Astral defensively on teammates, not just yourself. Saving your carry from a gank or a stun can win fights single-handedly
• Rune control: Secure every water rune and power rune. OD with a Haste rune ganking the side lane is a guaranteed kill at this bracket
• Sanity’s Eclipse timing: Do not ult at the start of fights. Orb 3-4 times first, THEN ult. You will notice dramatically higher damage numbers

Legend to Ancient: The Macro Leap

Legend to Ancient is where OD games become about map awareness and objective-focused play. At this bracket, enemies start to coordinate against you — ganking your mid lane, drafting counters, and building BKBs.

• Draft awareness: Do not pick OD into Nyx, Pugna, or Anti-Mage. Check the enemy draft before locking in
• Blink Dagger usage: Master the Blink into Sanity’s Eclipse combo. The ability to Blink to a perfect position and ult 3-5 heroes is what makes OD game-breaking at this level
• Farming patterns: When not fighting, farm the enemy jungle aggressively. OD clears camps fast with Arcane Orb. Invading the enemy’s farm space denies their carry gold while accelerating yours
• Communication: Ping your Sanity’s Eclipse cooldown for your team. OD-centric pushes should happen when ult is available, and retreats should happen when it is on cooldown

Divine to Immortal: What Separates the Top 1%

At Divine and above, OD becomes a chess piece in the draft rather than a comfort pick. What separates top-level OD players:

• Intelligence tracking: Mentally track how much intelligence you have stolen from each enemy hero. This tells you exactly how much damage Sanity’s Eclipse will deal and helps you decide when to commit ult
• Pre-fight Astrals: Use Astral Imprisonment at the start of fights to remove the enemy’s save support (Oracle, Dazzle) or BKB carrier from the equation before committing
• Refresher timing: Double Sanity’s Eclipse is often an instant teamwipe. Identify the fight where you can end the game and commit Refresher for it
• Buyback discipline: Always keep buyback gold after 30 minutes. A dead OD with no buyback almost always means a lost Roshan or set of barracks
• Backline threat awareness: At this level, enemies WILL try to Blink on you, Smoke gank you, or dive past your frontline. Your Blink and self-Astral must be used reactively, not just offensively

The difference between a 6K OD and an 8K OD is not mechanical — it is decision-making. Knowing when to fight, when to farm, when to split push, and when to Roshan is what carries games at the highest level. OD’s kit amplifies good decisions enormously because a well-timed Sanity’s Eclipse can swing a game that looked unwinnable.

Tips and Tricks

These are the specific mechanical tricks and game knowledge tidbits that give you an edge with OD. Some of these are commonly known, others are things only experienced OD players discover through hundreds of games.

• Astral Imprisonment dodge: You can self-Astral to dodge virtually any projectile-based spell in the game, including Sniper’s Assassinate, Sven’s Storm Hammer, and even Vengeful Spirit’s Magic Missile. The timing window is generous — practice it in demo mode
• Orb walking in lane: Since autocast Arcane Orb does not draw creep aggro, you can “orb walk” enemy mids without tanking their creep wave. This is OD’s primary laning advantage and the #1 reason he wins mid matchups
• Astral into Sanity’s Eclipse combo: Astral Imprisonment an enemy, then time Sanity’s Eclipse to land exactly when they come out of Astral. The AOE damage from Astral plus the full damage of Sanity’s Eclipse is enough to kill most heroes from full HP in the mid game
• Tree juking with Astral: You can self-Astral in trees to become invisible to enemies without detection. The imprisonment makes you invulnerable, and enemies often lose track of you when the banish ends if you are in fog
• Intelligence steal stacking: In prolonged fights, focus Arcane Orb on the same target to steal maximum intelligence from them. After 5-6 orb hits, that target will have almost no mana and your intelligence lead will be enormous
• Pre-fight intelligence padding: Before a team fight, orb neutral creeps or lane creeps a few times while Essence Flux procs restore your mana. This does not steal intelligence from heroes, but it keeps your mana pool topped off for maximum Arcane Orb damage when the fight starts
• Sanity’s Eclipse vision: Sanity’s Eclipse provides brief vision of the area. Use it to scout Roshan pit or high ground before committing. The 0 mana cost for this scouting (if no enemies are hit) makes it a free information tool — but be careful about wasting the long cooldown

Frequently Asked Questions