Ember Spirit · Mid (pos. 2)
Ember Spirit Aggressive 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
This guide is about playing Ember Spirit aggressively. Aggressive mid means using every useful rune to gank and turning your level lead into kills on the side lanes. Your spikes are level 6, when Fire Remnant comes online, and your core items: Spirit Vessel and then Aghanim's Shard. This patch, Ember Spirit wins 49.2% of the 251,138 public matches we measured (B tier on our ladder).
Strengths
- Fire Remnant can swing team fights: it hits several enemies at once.
- Heavy magical burst: Valve lists it as a Nuker.
- Mobility: Sleight of Fist gets Ember Spirit in and out of fights.
- Sustain from Flame Guard to stay in lane and in fights.
Weaknesses
- Low base armor (0): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
- Melee: has to walk up to its target, which makes the lane harder against ranged heroes.
- Every death while playing aggressively hands the tempo back to the enemy.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Damage buildOffensiveRecommendedMoves the popular items that add damage — Radiance and Veil of Discord — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Ember Spirit players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Against magic damageDefensiveSituationalFor games where the enemy kills with spells: keep your first two core items and add magic resistance or spell immunity.
Builds
Damage build
When to use it
Moves the popular items that add damage — Radiance and Veil of Discord — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Ember Spirit players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
195%- MidMain95% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Radiance+55 Damage, +25% Evasion.
- 2Veil of Discord+175 Health, +10 Intelligence, +18% Spell Lifesteal. Active: Spell Weakness.
- 3Orb of Corrosion+7 Agility.
- 4Divine Rapier+100 Damage.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Flame Guard›Searing Chains›Sleight of Fi…
| 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 Sleight of Fist Charges-12s Remnant Charge Restore Time25
- +50 Sleight of Fist Hero Damage+50 Searing Chains Damage20
- +100% Flame Guard Damage Per Second+0.8s Searing Chains Duration15
- +165 Flame Guard Barrier Amount+12 Damage10
Against magic damage
When to use it
For games where the enemy kills with spells: keep your first two core items and add magic resistance or spell immunity.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
195%- MidMain95% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Core items
- 1Spirit Vessel
- 2Aghanim's Shard
Situational
Skill order
Max order:Flame Guard›Searing Chains›Sleight of Fi…
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● |
Talents by level
- 2 Sleight of Fist Charges-12s Remnant Charge Restore Time25
- +50 Sleight of Fist Hero Damage+50 Searing Chains Damage20
- +100% Flame Guard Damage Per Second+0.8s Searing Chains Duration15
- +165 Flame Guard Barrier Amount+12 Damage10
Abilities
- Searing Chains13 / 12 / 11 / 10s80 / 90 / 100 / 110 mpEmber Spirit unleashes fiery bolas that wrap around nearby enemies, anchoring them in place and dealing damage each second.
- Duration
- 1.25·1.75·2.25·2.75
- Radius
- 400
- Damage per second
- 100
- Unit count
- 2
- Sleight of Fist13 / 11 / 9 / 7s75 mpEmber Spirit dashes around with blazing speed, attacking all enemies in the targeted area of effect, then returning to his start location. Deals bonus damage to heroes.
- Radius
- 250·350·450·550
- Bonus hero damage
- 40·80·120·160
- Attack interval
- 0.25
- Flame Guard32s65 / 80 / 95 / 110 mpEmber Spirit surrounds himself with a ring of fire that consumes incoming magic damage, absorbing a percentage of the damage taken. Flame Guard deals damage per second in an area around Ember Spirit while Flame Guard is active. If the shield is broken, the damage is also lost.
- Duration
- 12·14·16·18
- Damage per second
- 20·30·40·50
- Radius
- 500
- Percentage absorbed
- 70%
- Magic barrier
- 60·140·220·300
Activate Fire Remnant100 / 125 / 150 mpSelect the Fire Remnant to arrive at.
ImmolationPassiveEmber Spirit is continuously burning, dealing damage per second to all nearby enemies at all times.- Radius
- 200
- Damage per second
- 10
- Fire Remnant0.5sSends a Fire Remnant that runs to the target location at 250% Ember Spirit's speed. Using Activate Fire Remnant, Ember Spirit will dash out to all active Fire Remnants, destroying them and dealing damage in an area and then moving to the nearest Remnant. Ember Spirit will end at the Remnant closest to the targeted location.
- Damage
- 100·200·300
- Radius
- 450
- Duration
- 45
- Charge radius
- 0
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:Flame Guard›Searing Chains›Sleight of Fi…
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● |
Strategy
1When to fight
Your spikes are level 6, when Fire Remnant comes online, and your core items: Spirit Vessel and then Aghanim's Shard. Aggressive mid means using every useful rune to gank and turning your level lead into kills on the side lanes.
2Picking your targets
Your damage decides the opening seconds: look for the enemy support or carry out of position, and use Fire Remnant where it hits the most heroes. The best target is the one your team can reach and kill before the enemy answers, not always the most valuable one.
3Snowballing a lead
After a won fight, take towers and Roshan before anything else: that's what turns kills into a lead the enemy can't erase. Early, you fight for runes, for the enemy mid tower and for kills on the side lanes after a rune.
4When to back off
Safe mid means keeping the wave pushed, never walking to the river without vision and taking only the runes you can take safely. If your key abilities are on cooldown or the enemy is missing from the map, the aggressive play is to wait.
Tips
- Fight on your spikes: right after Spirit Vessel, look for the next fight instead of farming.
- Look for kills when Fire Remnant is ready and the enemy's key ability is not.
- Track the enemy's key cooldowns and attack right after they use them.
- Turn every kill into towers and Roshan: a kill without an objective is a wasted lead.
- Push your lane before you roam so the aggression doesn't cost you resources.
Matchups
Strong against
- Void Spirit63.0%win rate in the matchup
Ember Spirit wins 63.0% of the 165 games measured against Void Spirit this patch.
165 matches
- Terrorblade62.2%win rate in the matchup
Ember Spirit wins 62.2% of the 127 games measured against Terrorblade this patch.
127 matches
- Undying61.8%win rate in the matchup
Ember Spirit wins 61.8% of the 123 games measured against Undying this patch.
123 matches
- Tidehunter61.2%win rate in the matchup
Ember Spirit wins 61.2% of the 260 games measured against Tidehunter this patch.
260 matches
- Hoodwink60.7%win rate in the matchup
Ember Spirit wins 60.7% of the 361 games measured against Hoodwink this patch.
361 matches
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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