Axe · Offlane (pos. 3)
Axe Items: What to Buy and When
More Axe guides
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 explains every item in Axe's builds and when to buy it. Your spikes are level 6, when Culling Blade comes online, and your core items: Blink Dagger and then Blade Mail.
Strengths
- Reliable taunt: Berserker's Call sets up kills.
- Valve tags Axe as Durable: it stays in fights longer than most heroes.
- Clear job in the team: survive a hard lane, bother the enemy carry and start the fights.
Weaknesses
- 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.
- Most-played buildBalancedRecommendedThe items most bought with this hero, phase by phase. Pick it when you don't have a clear reason to deviate. Built from what Axe players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Damage buildOffensiveAdvancedMoves the popular items that add damage — Phylactery and Assault Cuirass — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Axe players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Survival buildDefensiveSituationalPrioritises 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.
Builds
Most-played build
When to use it
The items most bought with this hero, phase by phase. Pick it when you don't have a clear reason to deviate. 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
Early game
Core items
- 1Blink DaggerActive: Blink.
- 2Blade Mail+15 Damage, +7 Armor. Active: Damage Return.
- 3Black King Bar+10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- 4Aghanim's Shard
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
- +8% Movement Speed per active Battle Hunger+3s Culling Blade Kill Buff Bonus Duration10
Damage build
When to use it
Moves the popular items that add damage — Phylactery and Assault Cuirass — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. 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
- 1Phylactery+6 All Attributes, +5.5 Health Regeneration, +2.25 Mana Regeneration.
- 2Assault Cuirass+30 Attack Speed, +10 Armor.
- 3Meteor Hammer+6 Strength, +6 Agility, +24 Intelligence. Active: Meteor Hammer.
- 4Yasha and Kaya+16 Agility, +16 Intelligence, +20 Attack Speed.
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
- +8% Movement Speed per active Battle Hunger+3s Culling Blade Kill Buff Bonus Duration10
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
- +8% Movement Speed per active Battle Hunger+3s Culling Blade Kill Buff Bonus Duration10
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
1Starting items
What to buy before leaving the base, and what each item gives:
- Gauntlets of Strength — +3 Strength.
- Iron Branch — +1 All Attributes.
- Ring of Protection — +2 Armor.
- Tango
- Faerie Fire — +2 Damage.
- Quelling Blade — Active: Chop Tree.
2Core items
Your spikes are level 6, when Culling Blade comes online, and your core items: Blink Dagger and then Blade Mail. Buy them in this order; each one is a power spike:
- Phase Boots — +50 Movement Speed, +18 Damage, +4 Armor. Active: Phase.
- Blink Dagger — Active: Blink.
- Blade Mail — +15 Damage, +7 Armor. Active: Damage Return.
- Black King Bar — +10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- Aghanim's Shard
3Late-game items
What players finish with once the core is done:
- Shiva's Guard — +17 Armor, +75 Area of Effect. Active: Arctic Blast.
- Heart of Tarrasque — +40 Strength, +1% Max Health Regen.
- Lotus Orb — +10 Armor, +6.5 Health Regeneration, +4.0 Mana Regeneration. Active: Echo Shell.
- Crella's Crozier — +6 All Attributes, +450 Health, +450 Mana. Active: Rite of Rumusque.
4Adapting to the game
The damage build moves the offensive items forward when you're ahead; the defensive one adds survival when the enemy focuses you. The situational builds in the matchups guide answer specific threats.
Tips
- Buy Blink Dagger as early as you can: it's your first real spike.
- Complete one item before starting the next: half-built items give less than one finished one.
- Look at the enemy team at every back and adjust the situational items.
- Don't sit on gold: spend it when you go back.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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