Dawnbreaker · Offlane (pos. 3)
Dawnbreaker Laning 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
You usually play outnumbered, so experience matters more than last hits. Stay alive, keep the enemy carry busy and punish them whenever their support leaves. Early, aim to reach level six without dying and to make the enemy carry miss last hits.
Strengths
- Reliable stun: Starbreaker sets up kills and interrupts enemy channels.
- Global presence: Solar Guardian reaches the whole map.
- Valve tags Dawnbreaker as Durable: it stays in fights longer than most heroes.
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, Dawnbreaker is easy to catch.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Laning itemsBalancedRecommendedWhat leaves the fountain and what lands in the first ten minutes, with what each item gives you.
- Most-played buildBalancedAdvancedThe items most bought with this hero, phase by phase. Pick it when you don't have a clear reason to deviate. Built from what Dawnbreaker players buy in the public matches we measured.
Builds
Laning items
When to use it
What leaves the fountain and what lands in the first ten minutes, with what each item gives you.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
190%- OfflaneMain90% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Echo Sabre
Boots
Skill order
Max order:Celestial Ham…›Starbreaker›Luminosity
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
 | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Talents by level
- -4s Starbreaker Cooldown+80% Celestial Hammer Cast Range/Speed25
- +150 Solar Guardian Radius-1 Luminosity Attacks Required20
- -20s Solar Guardian Cooldown+40% Celestial Hammer Trail/Hammer Damage15
- Celestial Hammer Trail Grants Movement Speed to Allies+25% Luminosity Critical Strike Damage10
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 Dawnbreaker players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
190%- OfflaneMain90% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Echo Sabre
- 2Aghanim's Shard
- 3Harpoon
- 4Black King Bar
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Celestial Ham…›Starbreaker›Luminosity
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Talents by level
- -4s Starbreaker Cooldown+80% Celestial Hammer Cast Range/Speed25
- +150 Solar Guardian Radius-1 Luminosity Attacks Required20
- -20s Solar Guardian Cooldown+40% Celestial Hammer Trail/Hammer Damage15
- Celestial Hammer Trail Grants Movement Speed to Allies+25% Luminosity Critical Strike Damage10
Abilities
- Starbreaker17 / 15 / 13 / 11s110 mpDawnbreaker whirls her hammer around 3 times, damaging enemies with her attack plus bonus damage. On the final strike, she smashes her hammer down, stunning and damaging enemies in front of her.
- Combo duration
- 1.1
- Swipe/smash radius
- 300
- Swipe/smash bonus damage
- 25·40·55·70
- Smash stun duration
- 0.6·0.8·1·1.2
- Celestial Hammer18 / 16 / 14 / 12s100 / 110 / 120 / 130 mpDawnbreaker hurls her weapon at a target, damaging enemies struck along the way. The hammer pauses for 2 seconds at the destination before flying back to her, leaving a trail of fire that slows enemies. Dawnbreaker can recall the hammer at any time, pulling her towards it so they meet in the middle.
- Hammer damage
- 50·80·110·140
- Fire trail duration
- 2.5·3·3.5·4
- Fire trail radius
- 200
- Fire trail movement slow
- 24%·28%·32%·36%
- Fire trail burn dps
- 20·30·40·50
- Cast range
- 700·900·1100·1300
- LuminosityPassive
Converge0.25sDawnbreaker recalls her hammer, pulling them together so they meet in the middle.
Break of DawnPassiveWhenever the sun comes out, Dawnbreaker gains bonus base damage and vision that decreases throughout the course of the day. If Dawnbreaker causes the day these bonuses are at full power for the entirety of that daytime.- Max damage increase
- 8%
- Max vision increase
- 20%
- Solar Guardian110 / 100 / 90s150 / 200 / 250 mpCHANNELED - Dawnbreaker creates a pulsing effect at a location within 350 units of an allied hero anywhere on the map and creates daylight for 6s. Each pulse damages enemies and heals allies.
After a short duration, she flies to the target location and deals additional damage and stuns enemies upon landing.
Once channeled, Dawnbreaker cannot stop the ability.
- Heal per pulse
- 45·70·95
- Land radius
- 500
- Damage per pulse
- 30·50·70
- Landing damage
- 130·160·190
- Landing stun duration
- 1.2·1.4·1.6
- Air time
- 0.8
dawnbreaker_land2s
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:Celestial Ham…›Starbreaker›Luminosity
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Strategy
1Starting and early items
The first items decide how comfortable the lane is. The lane build below lists them with what each one gives you.
- Key early items: Soul Ring and Bracer.
2Trading
Trade when the enemy support uses their mana or leaves the lane; a level up is worth more than a kill here. The kit brings crowd control (stun) with Starbreaker, sustain with Solar Guardian and global reach with Solar Guardian.
3Wave management
Keep the creep equilibrium close to your tower when you're weaker, deny to cut the enemy's experience and pull the jungle camp to reset a lane that's pushing too far.
4Early objectives
Early, aim to reach level six without dying and to make the enemy carry miss last hits. Your spikes are level 6, when Solar Guardian comes online, and your core items: Echo Sabre and then Aghanim's Shard.
Tips
- Trade when the enemy support uses their mana or leaves the lane; a level up is worth more than a kill here.
- Soul Ring is your first purchase that changes the lane: get it early.
- Use Starbreaker in lane only when your partner or jungler can follow.
- Early, aim to reach level six without dying and to make the enemy carry miss last hits.
Matchups
Strong against
- Underlord58.6%win rate in the matchup
Dawnbreaker wins 58.6% of the 116 games measured against Underlord this patch.
116 matches
- Sniper56.4%win rate in the matchup
Dawnbreaker wins 56.4% of the 101 games measured against Sniper this patch.
101 matches
- Tidehunter55.7%win rate in the matchup
Dawnbreaker wins 55.7% of the 158 games measured against Tidehunter this patch.
158 matches
Weak against
- Beastmaster43.4%win rate in the matchup
Dawnbreaker only wins 43.4% of the 159 games measured against Beastmaster this patch.
159 matches
- Void Spirit43.8%win rate in the matchup
Dawnbreaker only wins 43.8% of the 112 games measured against Void Spirit this patch.
112 matches
- Ember Spirit44.4%win rate in the matchup
Dawnbreaker only wins 44.4% of the 160 games measured against Ember Spirit this patch.
160 matches
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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