Earthshaker · Mid (pos. 2)
Earthshaker 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
Earthshaker is a melee Strength hero that Valve tags as Initiator, Disabler and Support. It is played mainly as Mid (pos. 2): 49% of the public matches we measured, by starting lane and starting items. In this guide you play it as Mid (pos. 2): your job is to win the solo lane, control the runes and create pressure on the other lanes. The kit brings crowd control (stun) with Fissure. Its ultimate is Echo Slam. This patch, Earthshaker wins 50.7% of the 558,251 public matches we measured (A tier on our ladder).
Strengths
- Reliable stun: Fissure sets up kills and interrupts enemy channels.
- Heavy magical burst: Valve lists it as a Nuker.
- Clear job in the team: win the solo lane, control the runes and create pressure on the other lanes.
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, Earthshaker is easy to catch.
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 Earthshaker players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Damage buildOffensiveAdvancedMoves the popular items that add damage — Yasha and Kaya and Hand of Midas — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Earthshaker players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Survival buildDefensiveSituationalPrioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Aghanim's Scepter and Black King Bar. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Earthshaker players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Team utility buildUtilitySituationalBuilt around the popular items that help your allies — Eul's Scepter of Divinity and Glimmer Cape. Choose it when your team needs saves and auras more than your damage. Built from what Earthshaker 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 Earthshaker players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
247%149%- MidMain49% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
- OfflanePriority 247% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Blink Dagger
- 2Aghanim's Shard
- 3Aghanim's Scepter
- 4Yasha and Kaya
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Aftershock›Fissure›Enchant Totem
| 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
- -1.5s Enchant Totem Cooldown-50% Echo Slam Cooldown25
- +50 Echo Damage+65% Enchant Totem Damage20
- +50 Aftershock Damage+200 Fissure Range15
- +25 Base Damage+75 Fissure Damage10
Damage build
When to use it
Moves the popular items that add damage — Yasha and Kaya and Hand of Midas — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Earthshaker players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
247%149%- MidMain49% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
- OfflanePriority 247% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Yasha and Kaya+16 Agility, +16 Intelligence, +20 Attack Speed.
- 2Hand of Midas+40 Attack Speed. Active: Transmute.
- 3Crystalys+32 Damage.
- 4Shadow Blade+25 Damage, +35 Attack Speed. Active: Shadow Walk.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Aftershock›Fissure›Enchant Totem
| 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
- -1.5s Enchant Totem Cooldown-50% Echo Slam Cooldown25
- +50 Echo Damage+65% Enchant Totem Damage20
- +50 Aftershock Damage+200 Fissure Range15
- +25 Base Damage+75 Fissure Damage10
Survival build
When to use it
Prioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Aghanim's Scepter and Black King Bar. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Earthshaker players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
247%149%- MidMain49% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
- OfflanePriority 247% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Aghanim's Scepter+10 All Attributes, +175 Health, +175 Mana.
- 2Black King Bar+10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- 3Force Staff+10 Intelligence, +175 Health. Active: Force.
- 4Ghost Scepter+5 All Attributes. Active: Ghost Form.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Aftershock›Fissure›Enchant Totem
| 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
- -1.5s Enchant Totem Cooldown-50% Echo Slam Cooldown25
- +50 Echo Damage+65% Enchant Totem Damage20
- +50 Aftershock Damage+200 Fissure Range15
- +25 Base Damage+75 Fissure Damage10
Team utility build
When to use it
Built around the popular items that help your allies — Eul's Scepter of Divinity and Glimmer Cape. Choose it when your team needs saves and auras more than your damage. Built from what Earthshaker players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
247%149%- MidMain49% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
- OfflanePriority 247% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Eul's Scepter of Divinity+10 Intelligence, +2.5 Mana Regeneration, +20 Movement Speed. Active: Cyclone.
- 2Glimmer Cape+20% Magic Resistance. Active: Glimmer.
- 3Crella's Crozier+6 All Attributes, +450 Health, +450 Mana. Active: Rite of Rumusque.
- 4Refresher Orb+14 Health Regeneration, +7.0 Mana Regeneration. Active: Reset Cooldowns.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Aftershock›Fissure›Enchant Totem
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Talents by level
- -1.5s Enchant Totem Cooldown-50% Echo Slam Cooldown25
- +50 Echo Damage+65% Enchant Totem Damage20
- +50 Aftershock Damage+200 Fissure Range15
- +25 Base Damage+75 Fissure Damage10
Abilities
- Fissure18 / 17 / 16 / 15s115 / 120 / 125 / 130 mpSlams the ground with a mighty totem, creating an impassable ridge of stone while stunning and damaging enemy units along its line.
- Fissure duration
- 6.5·7·7.5·8
- Stun duration
- 1·1.2·1.4·1.6
- Damage
- 100·160·220·280
- Enchant Totem5s45 / 55 / 65 / 75 mpEmpowers Earthshaker's totem, causing it to deal extra damage and have 100 bonus attack range on the next attack.
- Bonus
- 100%·200%·300%·400%
- Duration
- 14
- AftershockPassiveCauses the earth to shake underfoot, adding additional damage and stuns to nearby enemy units when Earthshaker casts his abilities.
- Radius
- 350
- Damage
- 65·90·115·140
- Duration
- 1·1.1·1.2·1.3
- Echo Slam130 / 120 / 110s150 / 200 / 250 mpShockwaves travel through the ground, damaging enemy units. Each enemy hit causes an echo to damage nearby units. Real heroes cause two echoes.
- Radius
- 700
- Echo damage
- 70·90·110
- Initial damage
- 100·140·180
SluggerPassiveEnemies killed with Enchant Totem or Earthshaker's other abilities are sent flying, dealing damage to enemies they hit.- Speed
- 1600
- Distance
- 1200
- Damage (creeps)
- 27
- Damage (heroes)
- 135
- Flying enemy's max health as damage
- 7%
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:Aftershock›Fissure›Enchant Totem
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Strategy
1Early game
Mid is a one-on-one: whoever has more last hits and levels usually wins it. Contest the power runes every two minutes and use a good one to gank a side lane. Trade when the enemy mid goes for a last hit and when you are a level ahead: in the solo lane each level is a real edge.
- Early items: Bottle and Soul Ring.
2Mid game
With Blink Dagger, you should be the one starting the action: gank, push out lanes and take towers with your team. Your spikes are level 6, when Echo Slam comes online, and your core items: Blink Dagger and then Aghanim's Shard.
- Core items: Blink Dagger, Aghanim's Shard and Aghanim's Scepter.
3Late game
Late, choose your fights: you still hit hard, but the enemy carry catches up. Stay with the team and look for picks with vision.
- Late items: Black King Bar and Refresher Orb.
4Team fights
Your damage decides the opening seconds: look for the enemy support or carry out of position, and use Echo Slam where it hits the most heroes.
Tips
- Check the power runes at every even minute and gank with the good ones.
- Blink Dagger is your first big spike: once you have it, leave the lane and look for kills.
- Push the wave into the enemy tower before you rotate, or the lane punishes you twice.
- Plan fights around Echo Slam: without it, Earthshaker is far less threatening.
Matchups
Strong against
- Sven62.0%win rate in the matchup
Earthshaker wins 62.0% of the 50 games measured against Sven this patch.
50 matches
- Dragon Knight58.7%win rate in the matchup
Earthshaker wins 58.7% of the 75 games measured against Dragon Knight this patch.
75 matches
- Kez57.4%win rate in the matchup
Earthshaker wins 57.4% of the 54 games measured against Kez this patch.
54 matches
- Invoker56.3%win rate in the matchup
Earthshaker wins 56.3% of the 64 games measured against Invoker this patch.
64 matches
- Axe55.6%win rate in the matchup
Earthshaker wins 55.6% of the 63 games measured against Axe this patch.
63 matches
Weak against
- Snapfire41.1%win rate in the matchup
Earthshaker only wins 41.1% of the 146 games measured against Snapfire this patch.
146 matches
- Disruptor46.1%win rate in the matchup
Earthshaker only wins 46.1% of the 115 games measured against Disruptor this patch.
115 matches
- Mars46.6%win rate in the matchup
Earthshaker only wins 46.6% of the 116 games measured against Mars this patch.
116 matches
- Ogre Magi47.1%win rate in the matchup
Earthshaker only wins 47.1% of the 104 games measured against Ogre Magi this patch.
104 matches
- Rubick48.5%win rate in the matchup
Earthshaker only wins 48.5% of the 134 games measured against Rubick this patch.
134 matches
Works well with
Fissure from Earthshaker holds enemies in place for Song of the Siren from Naga Siren.
Fissure from Earthshaker holds enemies in place for Terrorize from Dark Willow.
Fissure from Earthshaker holds enemies in place for Infest from Lifestealer.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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