Drow Ranger · Carry (pos. 1)
Drow Ranger Items: What to Buy and When
More Drow Ranger 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 Drow Ranger's builds and when to buy it. Your spikes are your core items: Manta Style and then Force Staff.
Strengths
- Reliable silence: Gust sets up kills and interrupts enemy channels.
- Long attack range (625) to harass and last hit safely.
- Scales into a late-game threat as the items come in.
Weaknesses
- Low base armor (0): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
- Item-dependent: weak until Manta Style is done.
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.
- Survival buildDefensiveSituationalPrioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Manta Style and Force Staff. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. 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+10 Strength, +26 Agility, +10 Intelligence. Active: Mirror Image.
- 2Force Staff+10 Intelligence, +175 Health. Active: Force.
- 3Hurricane Pike+15 Intelligence, +200 Health, +20 Agility. Active: Hurricane Thrust.
- 4Aghanim's Scepter+10 All Attributes, +175 Health, +175 Mana.
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
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
Survival build
When to use it
Prioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Manta Style and Force Staff. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. 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
- 1Manta Style+10 Strength, +26 Agility, +10 Intelligence. Active: Mirror Image.
- 2Force Staff+10 Intelligence, +175 Health. Active: Force.
- 3Hurricane Pike+15 Intelligence, +200 Health, +20 Agility. Active: Hurricane Thrust.
- 4Aghanim's Scepter+10 All Attributes, +175 Health, +175 Mana.
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
1Starting items
What to buy before leaving the base, and what each item gives:
- Iron Branch — +1 All Attributes.
- Faerie Fire — +2 Damage.
- Magic Wand — +3 All Attributes. Active: Energy Charge.
- Circlet — +2 All Attributes.
- Tango
- Magic Stick — Active: Energy Charge.
2Core items
Your spikes are your core items: Manta Style and then Force Staff. Buy them in this order; each one is a power spike:
- Power Treads — +45 Move Speed, +10 Selected Attribute, +25 Attack Speed. Active: Switch Attribute.
- Manta Style — +10 Strength, +26 Agility, +10 Intelligence. Active: Mirror Image.
- Force Staff — +10 Intelligence, +175 Health. Active: Force.
- Hurricane Pike — +15 Intelligence, +200 Health, +20 Agility. Active: Hurricane Thrust.
- Aghanim's Scepter — +10 All Attributes, +175 Health, +175 Mana.
3Late-game items
What players finish with once the core is done:
- Black King Bar — +10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- Butterfly — +30 Agility, +35% Evasion, +20% Base Attack Speed Percentage.
- Crystalys — +32 Damage.
- Shadow Blade — +25 Damage, +35 Attack Speed. Active: Shadow Walk.
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 Manta Style 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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