Enigma · Offlane (pos. 3)
Enigma Safe Play 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 Enigma safely and consistently. Safe offlane means soaking experience from a distance, pulling the wave's attention and never dying for a last hit. The kit brings crowd control (stun) with Malefice.
Strengths
- Reliable stun: Malefice sets up kills and interrupts enemy channels.
- Black Hole can swing team fights: it hits several enemies at once.
- Takes towers quickly: Valve lists it as a Pusher.
Weaknesses
- No escape in the kit: without good positioning and vision, Enigma is easy to catch.
- Low base armor (1): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Survival buildDefensiveRecommendedPrioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Black King Bar and Spirit Vessel. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Enigma players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Against physical damageDefensiveSituationalFor games against right-click carries: keep your first two core items and add armor, evasion or damage block.
Builds
Survival build
When to use it
Prioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Black King Bar and Spirit Vessel. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Enigma players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
210%183%- OfflaneMain83% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
- MidPriority 210% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Black King Bar+10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- 2Spirit Vessel+1.75 Mana Regeneration, +10 All Attributes, +2 Armor. Active: Soul Release.
- 3Octarine Core+25% Cooldown Reduction, +450 Health, +450 Mana.
- 4Vladmir's Offering+1 Armor, +0.75 Mana Regeneration.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Demonic Summo…›Malefice›Midnight Pulse
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
Talents by level
- +4 Demonic Summoning Eidolons+4 Malefice Instances25
- +30 Eidolon Damage+200 Midnight Pulse Radius20
- +250 Health+100 Event Horizon Radius15
- +50 Black Hole Damage Per Second+10 Eidolon Attack Speed10
Against physical damage
When to use it
For games against right-click carries: keep your first two core items and add armor, evasion or damage block.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
210%183%- OfflaneMain83% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
- MidPriority 210% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Core items
- 1Blink Dagger
- 2Aghanim's Shard
Situational
Skill order
Max order:Demonic Summo…›Malefice›Midnight Pulse
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
Talents by level
- +4 Demonic Summoning Eidolons+4 Malefice Instances25
- +30 Eidolon Damage+200 Midnight Pulse Radius20
- +250 Health+100 Event Horizon Radius15
- +50 Black Hole Damage Per Second+10 Eidolon Attack Speed10
Abilities
- Malefice20 / 18 / 16 / 14s100 / 110 / 120 / 130 mpFocuses Enigma's power on a target, causing it to take damage and become repeatedly stunned for multiple instances. An instance strikes every 2 seconds.
- Stun duration
- 0.3·0.5·0.7·0.9
- Damage per instance
- 55·70·85·100
- Instances
- 3
- Demonic Summoning45 / 40 / 35 / 30s70 / 80 / 90 / 100 mpSummons three fragments of Enigma himself at the cost of health. The eidolons health is increased by 3% of Enigma's current health. These eidolons are all under Enigma's control, and repeated successful attacks cause them to multiply. When this happens, the eidolons have their health restored.
- Spawn count
- 3
- Attacks to multiply
- 6
- Eidolon hp
- 180·200·220·240
- Eidolon damage
- 16·28·40·52
- Eidolon magic resistance
- 30%·40%·50%·60%
- Eidolon attack range
- 380·420·460·500
- Midnight Pulse40 / 35 / 30 / 25s65 / 90 / 115 / 140 mpSteeps an area in dark resonance, dealing 5 + a percentage of the enemies current HP as damage.
- Radius
- 600
- Current health as damage
- 4%·6%·8%·10%
- Duration
- 9·10·11·12
Event HorizonPassiveUnits in a 600 radius moving away from Enigma have a movespeed penalty.- Movement slow
- 5%
- Black Hole180 / 170 / 160s300 / 400 / 500 mpCHANNELED - Summons a vortex that sucks in nearby enemy units. Enemies affected by Black Hole cannot move, attack, or cast spells.
- Damage per second
- 100·150·200
- Radius
- 420
- Duration
- 4
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:Demonic Summo…›Malefice›Midnight Pulse
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
Strategy
1Safe laning
Safe offlane means soaking experience from a distance, pulling the wave's attention and never dying for a last hit. Trade when the enemy support uses their mana or leaves the lane; a level up is worth more than a kill here.
2Surviving fights
You go in first: land Malefice on as many heroes as you can and soak the spells your carry fears. You have no escape in the kit, so your position is your defence: stay behind someone who can protect you.
3Positioning and peel
Stand where the enemy has to go through your team to reach you, and protect whoever the enemy focuses. Hold Malefice for the enemy diver.
4Playing from behind
When the game goes badly, farm what's safe, defend with your team and wait for the enemy to make a mistake: a single won fight can turn it around.
Tips
- Save Malefice for whoever jumps on your team.
- Go back when your key abilities are down: a reset costs less than a death.
- Never be the first to show on the map in the late game.
- If enemies are missing from the map, back off before they appear.
Matchups
Weak against
- Hoodwink45.9%win rate in the matchup
Enigma only wins 45.9% of the 74 games measured against Hoodwink this patch.
74 matches
- Snapfire46.3%win rate in the matchup
Enigma only wins 46.3% of the 54 games measured against Snapfire this patch.
54 matches
Flaming Lasso lets Batrider reach Enigma, who has no escape in the kit.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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