Drow Ranger · Carry (pos. 1)
Drow Ranger 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
Drow Ranger is a ranged Agility hero that Valve tags as Carry, Disabler and Pusher. It is played mainly as Carry (pos. 1): 88% of the public matches we measured, by starting lane and starting items. In this guide you play it as Carry (pos. 1): your job is to farm efficiently, hit your item timings and win the late game. The kit brings crowd control (silence) with Gust and invisibility with Gust. This patch, Drow Ranger wins 46.0% of the 348,389 public matches we measured (D tier on our ladder).
Strengths
- Reliable silence: Gust sets up kills and interrupts enemy channels.
- Invisibility with Gust to scout, escape or set up ganks.
- Long attack range (625) to harass and last hit safely.
- Takes towers quickly: Valve lists it as a Pusher.
Weaknesses
- Low base armor (0): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
- Item-dependent: weak until Manta Style is done.
- Tough patch: wins only 46.0% of measured public matches.
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 Drow Ranger players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Damage buildOffensiveAdvancedMoves the popular items that add damage — Shadow Blade and Butterfly — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Drow Ranger players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Team utility buildUtilitySituationalBuilt around the popular items that help your allies — Hurricane Pike and Falcon Blade. Choose it when your team needs saves and auras more than your damage. Built from what Drow Ranger 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 Drow Ranger players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
210%188%- Safe laneMain88% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
- MidPriority 210% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Manta Style
- 2Force Staff
- 3Hurricane Pike
- 4Aghanim's Scepter
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Multishot›Frost Arrows›Gust
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Talents by level
- +2 Multishot Waves+8% Marksmanship Chance25
- 50% Gust Self Movement Speed+25% Multishot Damage20
- +75 Attack Range-6s Multishot Cooldown15
- -18% Frost Arrows Mana Cost+1 Multishot Arrow Per Wave10
Damage build
When to use it
Moves the popular items that add damage — Shadow Blade and Butterfly — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Drow Ranger players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
210%188%- Safe laneMain88% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
- MidPriority 210% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Shadow Blade+25 Damage, +35 Attack Speed. Active: Shadow Walk.
- 2Butterfly+30 Agility, +35% Evasion, +20% Base Attack Speed Percentage.
- 3Silver Edge+70 Damage, +35 Attack Speed. Active: Shadow Walk.
- 4Falcon Blade+200 Health, +1.8 Mana Regeneration, +14 Damage.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Multishot›Frost Arrows›Gust
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
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Talents by level
- +2 Multishot Waves+8% Marksmanship Chance25
- 50% Gust Self Movement Speed+25% Multishot Damage20
- +75 Attack Range-6s Multishot Cooldown15
- -18% Frost Arrows Mana Cost+1 Multishot Arrow Per Wave10
Team utility build
When to use it
Built around the popular items that help your allies — Hurricane Pike and Falcon Blade. Choose it when your team needs saves and auras more than your damage. Built from what Drow Ranger players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
210%188%- Safe laneMain88% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
- MidPriority 210% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Hurricane Pike+15 Intelligence, +200 Health, +20 Agility. Active: Hurricane Thrust.
- 2Falcon Blade+200 Health, +1.8 Mana Regeneration, +14 Damage.
- 3Linken's Sphere+16 All Attributes, +6.5 Health Regeneration, +4.25 Mana Regeneration. Active: Transfer Spellblock.
- 4Divine Rapier+100 Damage.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Multishot›Frost Arrows›Gust
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
Talents by level
- +2 Multishot Waves+8% Marksmanship Chance25
- 50% Gust Self Movement Speed+25% Multishot Damage20
- +75 Attack Range-6s Multishot Cooldown15
- -18% Frost Arrows Mana Cost+1 Multishot Arrow Per Wave10
Abilities
- Frost Arrows9 / 10 / 11 / 12 mpAdds a freezing effect to Drow's attacks, slowing enemy movement and dealing bonus damage. Slow lasts 1.5 seconds.
- Movement slow
- -15%·-25%·-35%·-45%
- Bonus damage
- 12·18·24·30
- Gust19 / 17 / 15 / 13s55 mpReleases a wave that silences and knocks back and reveals invisible enemy units. Knockback distance is relative to how close they are to Drow.
- Width
- 250
- Silence duration
- 3·4·5·6
- Knockback max
- 450
- Knockback duration
- 0.6·0.7·0.8·0.9
- Multishot24 / 21 / 18 / 15s70 / 85 / 100 / 115 mpCHANNELED - Drow releases a flurry of arrows in continuous salvos, hitting enemies for extra damage and applying Frost Arrows with a range of Drow's Attack Range + 475. Lasts up to 1.75 seconds.
Drow can move slowly and use items while casting Multishot.
- Wave count
- 3
- Arrows per wave
- 4
- Arrow base damage bonus
- 80%·100%·120%·140%
- Movement speed penalty
- 35%
Glacier25s50 mpDrow creates a hill of ice beneath her, knocking away nearby enemies. Units on the hill gain flying vision and Drow and her ranged allies gain bonus attack range. Drow gains additional damage while on the Glacier and attacking targets below her.
The front of the hill obscures vision and cannot be moved through except by Drow. Does not interrupt Multishot when cast.- Duration
- 8
- Attack range bonus
- 200
- Bonus arrows per wave
- 0
- High ground damage bonus
- 25%
Precision AuraPassiveGrants Drow bonus agility based on Drow's current agility and level. Nearby ranged heroes received 50% of the bonus agility.- Radius
- 1200
- Agility bonus
- 10%
- MarksmanshipPassiveDrow's experiences in battle grant her a chance to launch arrows with incredible accuracy and effectiveness. Pierces through the enemy's defenses, ignoring their base armor. This ability is disabled if there is an enemy hero within 300 range.
- Chance
- 30%·35%·40%
- Bonus proc damage
- 50·70·90
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:Multishot›Frost Arrows›Gust
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
Strategy
1Early game
The first ten minutes are about last hits. Stay close to your supports, deny when you can and only trade when the enemy offlaner overextends: a death now costs more than any kill is worth. Trade right-clicks only when the enemy walks up to last hit, and step back as soon as their support shows up.
- Early items: Falcon Blade and Wraith Band.
2Mid game
With Manta Style done, farm the lanes the map lets you farm safely and join the fights that happen near you. Your team is making space; your job is to turn that space into items like Force Staff. Your spikes are your core items: Manta Style and then Force Staff.
- Core items: Manta Style, Force Staff and Hurricane Pike.
3Late game
Late, you are the win condition. Farm dangerous areas only with vision, group for Roshan and high ground, and keep gold for buyback: dying before the fight loses the game.
- Late items: Black King Bar and Butterfly.
4Team fights
Walk in after the enemy has used their key disables, hit whatever you can reach safely and keep Gust for getting out.
Tips
- Last-hit every creep you can in the first ten minutes: Drow Ranger needs Manta Style before taking real fights.
- If you can't see the enemy supports on the map, assume they are coming for you and farm closer to your towers.
- Once Force Staff is done, stop farming alone: move with your team to take towers and Roshan.
- From the mid game on, keep enough gold for buyback before buying your next big item.
- Keep Gust for getting out, not for chasing.
Matchups
Strong against
- Tiny54.5%win rate in the matchup
Drow Ranger wins 54.5% of the 101 games measured against Tiny this patch.
101 matches
- Shadow Fiend53.0%win rate in the matchup
Drow Ranger wins 53.0% of the 183 games measured against Shadow Fiend this patch.
183 matches
- Rubick51.8%win rate in the matchup
Drow Ranger wins 51.8% of the 141 games measured against Rubick this patch.
141 matches
Weak against
- Hoodwink40.9%win rate in the matchup
Drow Ranger only wins 40.9% of the 137 games measured against Hoodwink this patch.
137 matches
- Snapfire46.7%win rate in the matchup
Drow Ranger only wins 46.7% of the 107 games measured against Snapfire this patch.
107 matches
- Windranger46.8%win rate in the matchup
Drow Ranger only wins 46.8% of the 111 games measured against Windranger this patch.
111 matches
- Lion47.5%win rate in the matchup
Drow Ranger only wins 47.5% of the 122 games measured against Lion this patch.
122 matches
Works well with
Demonic Cleanse from Shadow Demon keeps Drow Ranger alive, and Drow Ranger is the damage the team needs to protect.
Shadow Word from Warlock keeps Drow Ranger alive, and Drow Ranger is the damage the team needs to protect.
Voodoo Restoration from Witch Doctor keeps Drow Ranger alive, and Drow Ranger is the damage the team needs to protect.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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