Axe · Offlane (pos. 3)
Axe Safe Play Guide
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This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.
Overview
This guide is about playing Axe safely and consistently. Safe offlane means soaking experience from a distance, pulling the wave's attention and never dying for a last hit. The kit brings crowd control (taunt) with Berserker's Call.
Strengths
- Valve tags Axe as Durable: it stays in fights longer than most heroes.
- Reliable taunt: Berserker's Call sets up kills.
- Clear job in the team: survive a hard lane, bother the enemy carry and start the fights.
Weaknesses
- Melee: has to walk up to its target, which makes the lane harder against ranged heroes.
- No escape in the kit: without good positioning and vision, Axe is easy to catch.
- Low base armor (0): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Survival buildDefensiveRecommendedPrioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Blade Mail and Black King Bar. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Axe players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Against physical damageDefensiveSituationalFor games against right-click carries: keep your first two core items and add armor, evasion or damage block.
Builds
Survival build
When to use it
Prioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Blade Mail and Black King Bar. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Axe players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
192%- OfflaneMain92% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Blade Mail+15 Damage, +7 Armor. Active: Damage Return.
- 2Black King Bar+10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- 3Spirit Vessel+1.75 Mana Regeneration, +10 All Attributes, +2 Armor. Active: Soul Release.
- 4Lotus Orb+10 Armor, +6.5 Health Regeneration, +4.0 Mana Regeneration. Active: Echo Shell.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Counter Helix›Battle Hunger›Berserker's C…
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
Talents by level
- +150 Culling Blade Damage+85 Berserker's Call AoE25
- +15 Strength+40 Counter Helix Damage20
- +8 Battle Hunger Damage Per Second+10 Berserker's Call Armor15
- +3s Culling Blade Kill Buff Bonus Duration+8% Movement Speed per active Battle Hunger10
Against physical damage
When to use it
For games against right-click carries: keep your first two core items and add armor, evasion or damage block.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
192%- OfflaneMain92% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
Core items
- 1Blink Dagger
- 2Blade Mail
Situational
Skill order
Max order:Counter Helix›Battle Hunger›Berserker's C…
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
Talents by level
- +150 Culling Blade Damage+85 Berserker's Call AoE25
- +15 Strength+40 Counter Helix Damage20
- +8 Battle Hunger Damage Per Second+10 Berserker's Call Armor15
- +3s Culling Blade Kill Buff Bonus Duration+8% Movement Speed per active Battle Hunger10
Abilities
- Berserker's Call18 / 16 / 14 / 12s90 / 100 / 110 / 120 mpAxe taunts nearby enemy units, forcing them to attack him while he gains bonus armor during the duration.
- Radius
- 315
- Bonus armor
- 12·13·14·15
- Duration
- 2.1·2.4·2.7·3
- Enemy attack speed bonus
- 0
- Battle Hunger20 / 15 / 10 / 5s50 / 60 / 70 / 80 mpEnrages an enemy unit, causing it to take damage over time until it kills another unit or the duration ends. The enemy is slowed as long as they are facing away from Axe.
- Duration
- 12
- Movement slow
- 18·22·26·30
- Damage per second
- 12·16·20·24
- Counter HelixPassive0.3sAfter a set number of attacks, Axe will perform a helix counter attack, dealing pure damage to all nearby enemies.
- Damage
- 100·120·140·160
- Radius
- 275
- Attacks to helix
- 7·6·5·4
- Culling Blade80 / 75 / 70s100 / 125 / 150 mpAxe spots a weakness and strikes, dealing pure damage. When an enemy hero is killed with Culling Blade, its cooldown is reset, and all nearby allied units gain bonus movement speed and armor.
Axe permanently drenches his blade every time he kills an enemy Hero with Culling Blade, gaining bonus armor for each stack.
- Damage
- 275·375·475
- Kill move speed bonus
- 20·25·30
- Kill armor bonus
- 10·15·20
- Kill buff duration
- 6
- Kill buff radius
- 900
- Armor per stack
- 1·1.5·2
One Man ArmyPassiveAxe gains Strength based on 50% of his Armor as long as there are no allied heroes within 700 distance from Axe. The effect fades over 3s after approaching an ally.
Most played skill order
The most played order in the last 100 professional matches with this hero. Highlighted levels are the points spent on talents.
Max order:Counter Helix›Battle Hunger›Berserker's C…
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
Strategy
1Safe laning
Safe offlane means soaking experience from a distance, pulling the wave's attention and never dying for a last hit. Trade when the enemy support uses their mana or leaves the lane; a level up is worth more than a kill here.
2Surviving fights
You go in first: land Berserker's Call on as many heroes as you can and soak the spells your carry fears. You have no escape in the kit, so your position is your defence: stay behind someone who can protect you.
3Positioning and peel
Stand where the enemy has to go through your team to reach you, and protect whoever the enemy focuses. Hold Berserker's Call for the enemy diver.
4Playing from behind
When the game goes badly, farm what's safe, defend with your team and wait for the enemy to make a mistake: a single won fight can turn it around.
Tips
- Save Berserker's Call for whoever jumps on your team.
- Go back when your key abilities are down: a reset costs less than a death.
- Never be the first to show on the map in the late game.
- If enemies are missing from the map, back off before they appear.
Matchups
Weak against
- Abaddon39.3%win rate in the matchup
Axe only wins 39.3% of the 168 games measured against Abaddon this patch.
168 matches
- Keeper of the Light40.4%win rate in the matchup
Axe only wins 40.4% of the 104 games measured against Keeper of the Light this patch.
104 matches
- Ember Spirit41.3%win rate in the matchup
Axe only wins 41.3% of the 201 games measured against Ember Spirit this patch.
201 matches
- Spirit Breaker42.7%win rate in the matchup
Axe only wins 42.7% of the 150 games measured against Spirit Breaker this patch.
150 matches
- Warlock44.2%win rate in the matchup
Axe only wins 44.2% of the 199 games measured against Warlock this patch.
199 matches
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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