Lifestealer · Carry (pos. 1)
Lifestealer Matchups and Counters
More Lifestealer 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 covers Lifestealer's matchups and how to adapt to them. Matchups that show a win rate come from the public matches we measured (at least 50 games each; 100 when the sample allows). When the sample is too small, the list is completed with matchups read from both heroes' kits, which carry no figures.
Strengths
- Infest can swing team fights: it hits several enemies at once.
- Sustain from Feast to stay in lane and in fights.
- Valve tags Lifestealer as Durable: it stays in fights longer than most heroes.
Weaknesses
- Melee: has to walk up to its target, which makes the lane harder against ranged heroes.
- Low base armor (1): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
- Item-dependent: weak until Radiance is done.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
Builds
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.
196%- Safe laneMain96% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
Core items
- 1Radiance
- 2Armlet of Mordiggian
Situational
Skill order
Max order:Feast›Rage›Open Wounds
| 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
- +1.0% Feast Heal and Damage+1.0s Rage Duration25
- +12% Infest Target Movespeed/Health+25% Open Wounds Lifesteal20
- +175 Infest Damage50 Attack Speed on Open Wounds Target15
- +4 All Attributes+15 Movement Speed10
Against disables
When to use it
For games against a lot of stuns and silences: items that dispel, block or ignore them.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
196%- Safe laneMain96% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
Core items
- 1Radiance
- 2Armlet of Mordiggian
Situational
Skill order
Max order:Feast›Rage›Open Wounds
| 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
- +1.0% Feast Heal and Damage+1.0s Rage Duration25
- +12% Infest Target Movespeed/Health+25% Open Wounds Lifesteal20
- +175 Infest Damage50 Attack Speed on Open Wounds Target15
- +4 All Attributes+15 Movement Speed10
Abilities
- Rage21 / 20 / 19 / 18s80 / 100 / 120 / 140 mpLaunch into a maddened rage, becoming Debuff Immune, increasing magic resistance and gaining movement speed.
DISPEL TYPE: Basic Dispel
- Duration
- 3·4·5·6
- Magic resistance
- 80%
- Movespeed bonus
- 6%·9%·12%·15%
- Open Wounds30 / 25 / 20 / 15s90 mpLifestealer rends an enemy unit, slowing the victim's movement speed and allowing all allies to regain health for a percentage of the damage they deal to that unit. The victim recovers movement speed over the duration.
- Duration
- 7
- Damage to healing
- 20%·30%·40%·50%
- Max slow
- 50%
- FeastPassiveLifestealer's attacks deal damage and provide heal for a percentage of his target's max health. He gains permanent max HP whenever he kills a unit.
- Heal from target's max health
- 1.45%·2.05%·2.65%·3.25%
- Max health damage
- 1.45%·2.05%·2.65%·3.25%
- Max hp per hero kill
- 10
- Max hp per creep kill
- 1
Ghoul FrenzyPassivePassively grants Lifestealer Attack Speed.- Infest80 / 65 / 50s100 / 125 / 150 mpLifestealer infests the body of a target unit, becoming undetectable, and healing for a portion of his max hitpoints every second while inside. He can then explode from the host body, dealing damage to nearby enemies. If the infested unit is an enemy creep or a neutral creep, he can take control of the unit's ability to move and attack, and the creep loses a portion of their max hitpoints over tim
- Damage radius
- 700
- Damage
- 150·275·400
- Movement speed
- 15%·20%·25%
- Health bonus
- 400·800·1200
- Self max hp regen
- 3%·4%·5%
- Enemy duration
- 0
ConsumeLifestealer eats the host body from the inside out, exploding from within.
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:Feast›Rage›Open Wounds
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
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Strategy
1Good matchups
Lifestealer does well against these:
- Dragon Knight: Lifestealer wins 58.6% of the 145 games measured against Dragon Knight this patch.
- Luna: Lifestealer wins 56.3% of the 126 games measured against Luna this patch.
- Shadow Shaman: Lifestealer wins 56.3% of the 112 games measured against Shadow Shaman this patch.
- Skywrath Mage: Lifestealer wins 55.8% of the 113 games measured against Skywrath Mage this patch.
- Pudge: Lifestealer wins 55.0% of the 160 games measured against Pudge this patch.
2Tough matchups
Lifestealer struggles against these:
- Phoenix: Lifestealer only wins 39.3% of the 135 games measured against Phoenix this patch.
- Tusk: Lifestealer only wins 42.2% of the 128 games measured against Tusk this patch.
- Pangolier: Lifestealer only wins 44.8% of the 105 games measured against Pangolier this patch.
- Queen of Pain: Lifestealer only wins 45.7% of the 129 games measured against Queen of Pain this patch.
- Shadow Demon: Lifestealer only wins 47.0% of the 100 games measured against Shadow Demon this patch.
3Synergies
Lifestealer works well alongside these, because their kits fit together:
- Treant Protector: Leech Seed from Treant Protector holds enemies in place for Infest from Lifestealer.
- Hoodwink: Bushwhack from Hoodwink holds enemies in place for Infest from Lifestealer.
- Windranger: Shackleshot from Windranger holds enemies in place for Infest from Lifestealer.
4Adapting the build
The situational builds in this guide answer specific threats: Against magic damage and Against disables.
5Playing against Lifestealer
If you're on the other side, this is what to exploit:
- Melee: has to walk up to its target, which makes the lane harder against ranged heroes.
- Low base armor (1): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
- Item-dependent: weak until Radiance is done.
Tips
- Look at the enemy team before choosing your build: the situational builds below answer the most common threats.
- Good matchup: Dragon Knight. Play forward when you face them.
- Tough matchup: Phoenix. Play safer and wait for your team.
- In a tough matchup, an even lane is already a good result.
Matchups
Strong against
- Dragon Knight58.6%win rate in the matchup
Lifestealer wins 58.6% of the 145 games measured against Dragon Knight this patch.
145 matches
- Luna56.3%win rate in the matchup
Lifestealer wins 56.3% of the 126 games measured against Luna this patch.
126 matches
- Shadow Shaman56.3%win rate in the matchup
Lifestealer wins 56.3% of the 112 games measured against Shadow Shaman this patch.
112 matches
- Skywrath Mage55.8%win rate in the matchup
Lifestealer wins 55.8% of the 113 games measured against Skywrath Mage this patch.
113 matches
- Pudge55.0%win rate in the matchup
Lifestealer wins 55.0% of the 160 games measured against Pudge this patch.
160 matches
Weak against
- Phoenix39.3%win rate in the matchup
Lifestealer only wins 39.3% of the 135 games measured against Phoenix this patch.
135 matches
- Tusk42.2%win rate in the matchup
Lifestealer only wins 42.2% of the 128 games measured against Tusk this patch.
128 matches
- Pangolier44.8%win rate in the matchup
Lifestealer only wins 44.8% of the 105 games measured against Pangolier this patch.
105 matches
- Queen of Pain45.7%win rate in the matchup
Lifestealer only wins 45.7% of the 129 games measured against Queen of Pain this patch.
129 matches
- Shadow Demon47.0%win rate in the matchup
Lifestealer only wins 47.0% of the 100 games measured against Shadow Demon this patch.
100 matches
Works well with
Leech Seed from Treant Protector holds enemies in place for Infest from Lifestealer.
Bushwhack from Hoodwink holds enemies in place for Infest from Lifestealer.
Shackleshot from Windranger holds enemies in place for Infest from Lifestealer.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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