Chen · Hard Support (pos. 5)
Chen 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
Chen is a ranged Intelligence hero that Valve tags as Support and Pusher. It is played mainly as Hard Support (pos. 5): 56% of the public matches we measured, by starting lane and starting items. In this guide you play it as Hard Support (pos. 5): your job is to keep your carry safe in the safe lane, buy the wards and give up farm so the cores can have it. The kit brings sustain with Divine Favor. Its ultimate is Hand of God. This patch, Chen wins 45.1% of the 16,533 public matches we measured (C tier on our ladder).
Strengths
- Keeps allies alive with Divine Favor.
- Long attack range (650) to harass and last hit safely.
- Takes towers quickly: Valve lists it as a Pusher.
Weaknesses
- No escape in the kit: without good positioning and vision, Chen is easy to catch.
- Low base armor (-1): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
- Plays on little gold: expensive items arrive late.
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 Chen players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Damage buildOffensiveAdvancedMoves the popular items that add damage — Vladmir's Offering and Meteor Hammer — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Chen 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 Chen players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
317%227%155%- Safe laneMain55% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- RoamingPriority 227% of matchesOur data counts these games in the mid lane, but with support purchases: a position 4 that rotates between lanes from the start.
- OfflanePriority 317% of matchesOff lane next to your offlaner, as Soft Support (pos. 4).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Mekansm
- 2Drum of Endurance
- 3Pavise
- 4Vladmir's Offering
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Holy Persuasi…›Divine Favor›Penitence
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
 | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Talents by level
- Hand of God Fully Heals Chen and His CreepsHand of God applies a Strong Dispel25
- +15% Divine Favor Heal Amplification+1300 Holy Persuasion Minimum Health20
- +12% Holy Persuasion Damage+15% Penitence Slow15
- +75 Penitence Damage+25% Zealot Health/Damage10
Damage build
When to use it
Moves the popular items that add damage — Vladmir's Offering and Meteor Hammer — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Chen players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
317%227%155%- Safe laneMain55% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- RoamingPriority 227% of matchesOur data counts these games in the mid lane, but with support purchases: a position 4 that rotates between lanes from the start.
- OfflanePriority 317% 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.
- 2Meteor Hammer+6 Strength, +6 Agility, +24 Intelligence. Active: Meteor Hammer.
- 3Assault Cuirass+30 Attack Speed, +10 Armor.
- 4Shadow Blade+25 Damage, +35 Attack Speed. Active: Shadow Walk.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Holy Persuasi…›Divine Favor›Penitence
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Talents by level
- Hand of God Fully Heals Chen and His CreepsHand of God applies a Strong Dispel25
- +15% Divine Favor Heal Amplification+1300 Holy Persuasion Minimum Health20
- +12% Holy Persuasion Damage+15% Penitence Slow15
- +75 Penitence Damage+25% Zealot Health/Damage10
Abilities
- Penitence20 / 17 / 14 / 11s80 / 90 / 100 / 110 mpDamages enemy unit, forces it to move slower and lets allies attack it more quickly.
- Duration
- 5·6·7·8
- Movement slow
- -12%·-18%·-24%·-30%
- Bonus attack speed
- 20·40·60·80
- Damage
- 50·100·150·200
- Holy Persuasion15s110 / 130 / 150 / 170 mpChen takes control of an enemy or neutral creep and receives a percentage of its bounty. Its maximum health is set to 400. Converted creeps will have increased movement speed and bonus damage. Chen may globally target his own creep if it has not taken damage in the last 3 seconds to unsummon it.
- Max units
- 1·2·3·4
- Creep max level
- 3·4·5·6
- Health minimum
- 400
- Percentage of bounty
- 25%·50%·75%·100%
- Move speed bonus
- 5·10·20·30
- Bonus damage
- 5%·10%·15%·20%
- Divine Favor20 / 18 / 16 / 14s75 mpPassively provides an aura that grants increased health regeneration. Can be cast on allies to provide them with bonus armor and increasing the healing and health regeneration they receive.
If cast on Chen, all units controlled by Chen receive the buff.
- Regen per sec
- 1.5·3·4.5·6
- Duration
- 6
- Armor
- 5·10·15·20
- Heal amplification
- 5%·10%·15%·20%
Zealot10s50 mp- Hand of God150 / 130 / 110s200 / 300 / 400 mpHeals all allied heroes on the map as well as all units under Chen's control. A large heal is applied at first and a slow heal over time is applied for 10 seconds afterwards.
- Initial heal
- 200·300·400
- Heal per second
- 20·30·40
Most played skill order
The most played order in the last 12 professional matches with this hero. Highlighted levels are the points spent on talents.
Max order:Holy Persuasi…›Divine Favor›Penitence
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Strategy
1Early game
Position 5 starts in the safe lane with your carry: their last hits come first, so harass the enemy offlaner, pull the small camp when the wave needs resetting and buy the wards nobody else will. Harass when the enemy core walks up to last hit: every hit you land is gold your carry keeps.
2Mid game
Rotate to the lanes where you can get kills, keep vision around the next objective and leave the farm to your cores. Your spikes are level 6, when Hand of God comes online, and your core items: Mekansm and then Drum of Endurance.
- Core items: Mekansm, Drum of Endurance and Pavise.
3Late game
Late, your death costs little gold but your spells are worth a lot: stay behind the team, keep your save items ready and ward before the fight, not during it.
- Late items: Pipe of Insight and Aghanim's Scepter.
4Team fights
Stay behind your cores, keep your mana for the key moment and protect whoever the enemy dives. Use Hand of God where it hits the most enemies or catches the key target.
Tips
- Keep Divine Favor for the moment the enemy commits, not to top up health.
- Buy and place wards every time they are available: vision is your first job.
- Your key purchases are Mekansm and Drum of Endurance: they give your team the saves it needs.
- Plan fights around Hand of God: without it, Chen is far less threatening.
Matchups
Strong against
- Queen of Pain68.8%win rate in the matchup
Chen wins 68.8% of the 77 games measured against Queen of Pain this patch.
77 matches
- Ursa67.2%win rate in the matchup
Chen wins 67.2% of the 58 games measured against Ursa this patch.
58 matches
- Disruptor64.8%win rate in the matchup
Chen wins 64.8% of the 71 games measured against Disruptor this patch.
71 matches
- Ring Master64.1%win rate in the matchup
Chen wins 64.1% of the 64 games measured against Ring Master this patch.
64 matches
- Mars62.3%win rate in the matchup
Chen wins 62.3% of the 77 games measured against Mars this patch.
77 matches
Weak against
- Gyrocopter47.8%win rate in the matchup
Chen only wins 47.8% of the 67 games measured against Gyrocopter this patch.
67 matches
- Slardar49.3%win rate in the matchup
Chen only wins 49.3% of the 71 games measured against Slardar this patch.
71 matches
Leap lets Mirana reach Chen, who has no escape in the kit.
Works well with
Divine Favor from Chen keeps Tiny alive, and Tiny is the damage the team needs to protect.
Divine Favor from Chen keeps Abaddon alive, and Abaddon is the damage the team needs to protect.
Divine Favor from Chen keeps Juggernaut alive, and Juggernaut is the damage the team needs to protect.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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