Bane · Hard Support (pos. 5)
Bane Items: What to Buy and When
More Bane 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 Bane's builds and when to buy it. Your spikes are level 6, when Fiend's Grip comes online, and your core items: Aether Lens and then Ghost Scepter.
Strengths
- Reliable sleep: Nightmare sets up kills.
- Keeps allies alive with Brain Sap.
- Valve tags Bane as Durable: it stays in fights longer than most heroes.
Weaknesses
- No escape in the kit: without good positioning and vision, Bane is easy to catch.
- Low base armor (1): 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 Bane players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Damage buildOffensiveAdvancedMoves the popular items that add damage — Vladmir's Offering and Shadow Blade — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Bane players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Survival buildDefensiveSituationalPrioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Ghost Scepter and Glimmer Cape. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Bane 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 Bane players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
224%170%- Safe laneMain70% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- OfflanePriority 224% of matchesOff lane next to your offlaner, as Soft Support (pos. 4).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Aether Lens+300 Mana, +2.5 Mana Regeneration, +225 Cast Range.
- 2Ghost Scepter+5 All Attributes. Active: Ghost Form.
- 3Blink DaggerActive: Blink.
- 4Glimmer Cape+20% Magic Resistance. Active: Glimmer.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Nightmare›Enfeeble›Brain Sap
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · |
 | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · |
Talents by level
- +3s Fiend's Grip Duration+275 Brain Sap Damage/Heal25
- -3s Nightmare Cooldown+30 Movement Speed20
- +13 Enfeeble Damage Per Second+5% Fiend's Grip Max Mana Drain15
- +20% Enfeeble Cast Range Reduction+125 Brain Sap Cast Range10
Damage build
When to use it
Moves the popular items that add damage — Vladmir's Offering and Shadow Blade — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Bane players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
224%170%- Safe laneMain70% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- OfflanePriority 224% of matchesOff lane next to your offlaner, as Soft Support (pos. 4).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Vladmir's Offering+1 Armor, +0.75 Mana Regeneration.
- 2Shadow Blade+25 Damage, +35 Attack Speed. Active: Shadow Walk.
- 3Aether Lens+300 Mana, +2.5 Mana Regeneration, +225 Cast Range.
- 4Ghost Scepter+5 All Attributes. Active: Ghost Form.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Nightmare›Enfeeble›Brain Sap
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · |
Talents by level
- +3s Fiend's Grip Duration+275 Brain Sap Damage/Heal25
- -3s Nightmare Cooldown+30 Movement Speed20
- +13 Enfeeble Damage Per Second+5% Fiend's Grip Max Mana Drain15
- +20% Enfeeble Cast Range Reduction+125 Brain Sap Cast Range10
Survival build
When to use it
Prioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Ghost Scepter and Glimmer Cape. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Bane players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
224%170%- Safe laneMain70% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- OfflanePriority 224% of matchesOff lane next to your offlaner, as Soft Support (pos. 4).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Ghost Scepter+5 All Attributes. Active: Ghost Form.
- 2Glimmer Cape+20% Magic Resistance. Active: Glimmer.
- 3Force Staff+10 Intelligence, +175 Health. Active: Force.
- 4Pavise+3 Armor, +175 Mana, +175 Health. Active: Protect.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Nightmare›Enfeeble›Brain Sap
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · |
Talents by level
- +3s Fiend's Grip Duration+275 Brain Sap Damage/Heal25
- -3s Nightmare Cooldown+30 Movement Speed20
- +13 Enfeeble Damage Per Second+5% Fiend's Grip Max Mana Drain15
- +20% Enfeeble Cast Range Reduction+125 Brain Sap Cast Range10
Abilities
- Enfeeble22 / 17 / 12 / 7s100 / 110 / 120 / 130 mpDeals damage every second and lowers the enemy's total attack damage and cast range.
- Attack damage reduction
- 55%·60%·65%·70%
- Cast range reduction
- 30%
- Duration
- 9
- Damage
- 12·18·24·30
- Brain Sap17 / 15 / 13 / 11s105 / 120 / 135 / 150 mpFeasts on the vital energies of an enemy unit, healing Bane and dealing damage.
- Heal/damage
- 90·160·230·300
- Nightmare25 / 22 / 19 / 16s120 / 130 / 140 / 150 mpPuts the target enemy or friendly Hero to sleep. Sleeping units walk in Bane's chosen direction and are awakened when damaged. If the target was directly attacked, the Nightmare passes to the attacking unit. Bane can attack and damage Nightmared targets freely.
Can be put on alt-cast to have the target stand still.
- Attack speed bonus
- 0
- Walk speed
- 110
- Fiend's Grip120 / 110 / 100s200 / 300 / 400 mpCHANNELED - Grips an enemy unit, disabling it and causing heavy damage over time, while stealing mana every 0.5 seconds based on the unit's maximum mana.
- Mana drain per second
- 5%
- Duration
- 4.75·5.25·5.75
- Damage
- 70·110·150
Nightmare EndEnds all ongoing Nightmares.
Ichor of NyctashaPassiveEvery time Bane kills an enemy hero or they die under the effect of Bane's debuff, they receive a Terror for the rest of the game that decreases their status resistance to Bane's subsequent debuffs.- Max terrors per hero
- 6
- Status resistance per terror
- 4%
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:Nightmare›Enfeeble›Brain Sap
| 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:
- Iron Branch — +1 All Attributes.
- Tango
- Blood Grenade — +50 Health.
- Observer and Sentry Wards — 1600 Observer vision range, 6 Observer duration, 8 Sentry duration.
- Faerie Fire — +2 Damage.
- Smoke of Deceit
2Core items
Your spikes are level 6, when Fiend's Grip comes online, and your core items: Aether Lens and then Ghost Scepter. Buy them in this order; each one is a power spike:
- Arcane Boots — +45 Movement Speed, +0.25 Mana Regeneration, +125 Mana. Active: Replenish.
- Aether Lens — +300 Mana, +2.5 Mana Regeneration, +225 Cast Range.
- Ghost Scepter — +5 All Attributes. Active: Ghost Form.
- Blink Dagger — Active: Blink.
- Glimmer Cape — +20% Magic Resistance. Active: Glimmer.
3Late-game items
What players finish with once the core is done:
- Aghanim's Scepter — +10 All Attributes, +175 Health, +175 Mana.
- Force Staff — +10 Intelligence, +175 Health. Active: Force.
- Solar Crest — +7 Armor, +25 Movement Speed, +200 Mana. Active: Shine.
- Aeon Disk — +250 Health, +300 Mana, 105.0 / 125.0 / 145.0 / 165.0 Cooldown.
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 Aether Lens 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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