Morphling · Carry (pos. 1)
Morphling 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
Morphling is a ranged Agility hero that Valve tags as Carry, Escape and Durable. It is played mainly as Carry (pos. 1): 89% of the public matches we measured, by starting lane and starting items. In this guide you play it as Carry (pos. 1): your job is to farm efficiently, hit your item timings and win the late game. The kit brings crowd control (stun) with Adaptive Strike. Its ultimate is Morph. This patch, Morphling wins 47.8% of the 140,494 public matches we measured (C tier on our ladder).
Strengths
- Reliable stun: Adaptive Strike sets up kills and interrupts enemy channels.
- Valve tags Morphling as Durable: it stays in fights longer than most heroes.
- Heavy magical burst: Valve lists it as a Nuker.
- Scales into a late-game threat as the items come in.
Weaknesses
- Low base armor (-1): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
- Item-dependent: weak until Manta Style is done.
- Tough patch: wins only 47.8% of measured public matches.
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 Morphling players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Damage buildOffensiveAdvancedMoves the popular items that add damage — Vladmir's Offering and Butterfly — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Morphling players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Team utility buildUtilitySituationalBuilt around the popular items that help your allies — Vladmir's Offering and Hurricane Pike. Choose it when your team needs saves and auras more than your damage. Built from what Morphling 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 Morphling players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
189%- Safe laneMain89% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Manta Style
- 2Vladmir's Offering
- 3Butterfly
- 4Force Staff
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Waveform›Adaptive Stri…›Attribute Shi…
| 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
- +35 Strength-40% Waveform Cooldown25
- -3s Adaptive Strike Cooldown+15 Agility20
- +75 Attack Range+250 Waveform Range15
- +15% Magic Resistance+12s Morph Duration10
Damage build
When to use it
Moves the popular items that add damage — Vladmir's Offering and Butterfly — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Morphling players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
189%- Safe laneMain89% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Vladmir's Offering+1 Armor, +0.75 Mana Regeneration.
- 2Butterfly+30 Agility, +35% Evasion, +20% Base Attack Speed Percentage.
- 3Specialist's Array+15 Agility, +20 Damage.
- 4Phylactery+6 All Attributes, +5.5 Health Regeneration, +2.25 Mana Regeneration.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Waveform›Adaptive Stri…›Attribute Shi…
| 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
- +35 Strength-40% Waveform Cooldown25
- -3s Adaptive Strike Cooldown+15 Agility20
- +75 Attack Range+250 Waveform Range15
- +15% Magic Resistance+12s Morph Duration10
Team utility build
When to use it
Built around the popular items that help your allies — Vladmir's Offering and Hurricane Pike. Choose it when your team needs saves and auras more than your damage. Built from what Morphling players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
189%- Safe laneMain89% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Vladmir's Offering+1 Armor, +0.75 Mana Regeneration.
- 2Hurricane Pike+15 Intelligence, +200 Health, +20 Agility. Active: Hurricane Thrust.
- 3Phylactery+6 All Attributes, +5.5 Health Regeneration, +2.25 Mana Regeneration.
- 4Khanda+450 Health, +450 Mana, +8 All Attributes.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Waveform›Adaptive Stri…›Attribute Shi…
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | ● |
Talents by level
- +35 Strength-40% Waveform Cooldown25
- -3s Adaptive Strike Cooldown+15 Agility20
- +75 Attack Range+250 Waveform Range15
- +15% Magic Resistance+12s Morph Duration10
Abilities
- Waveform21 / 18 / 15 / 12s115 mpMorphling dissolves into liquid and surges forward, damaging enemy units in his path. Morphling is invulnerable during Waveform.
- Adaptive Strike17 / 14 / 11 / 8s40 / 50 / 60 / 70 mpLaunches a surge of water toward an enemy unit, stunning them, knocking them back, and dealing base damage plus additional damage based on Morphling's agility times a multiplier. If Morphling's agility is 50% higher than strength, the maximum agility multiplier is used.
Knockback distance and stun duration are based on Morphling's strength. If his strength is 50% higher than his agility, the maxi
- Base damage
- 50·70·90·110
- Damage min agi multiplier
- 0.5
- Damage max agi multiplier
- 1·1.5·2·2.5
- Stun min
- 0.5
- Stun max
- 1.4·1.8·2.2·2.6
- Knockback min
- 50
- Attribute Shift (Agility Gain)Morphling shifts its form, pulling points from Strength and pouring them into Agility at a rate of 4. The process is reversible.
- Mana cost per second
- 10
Attribute Shift (Strength Gain)Morphling shifts its form, pulling points from Agility and pouring them into Strength at a rate of 4. The process is reversible.- Mana cost per second
- 10
- Morph125 / 90 / 55s50 mpMorphling changes his form to match the targeted enemy, gaining their basic abilities and changing his primary attribute based on his target. Can be toggled for the duration of the ability.
- Duration
- 24
Morph Replicate2sToggles Morphling's form between his own and the replicated enemy.
Ebb and FlowPassiveMorphling receives bonus cast range and slow resistance based on his current Strength, and attack range and movement speed based on his current Agility. These bonuses persist if he is morphed into another hero.- Agility to attack range
- 25%
- Agility to movement speed
- 15%
- Strength to cast range
- 25%
- Strength to slow resistance
- 25%
Most played skill order
The most played order in the last 46 professional matches with this hero. Highlighted levels are the points spent on talents.
Max order:Waveform›Adaptive Stri…›Attribute Shi…
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | ● |
Strategy
1Early game
The first ten minutes are about last hits. Stay close to your supports, deny when you can and only trade when the enemy offlaner overextends: a death now costs more than any kill is worth. Trade right-clicks only when the enemy walks up to last hit, and step back as soon as their support shows up.
- Early items: Morbid Mask and Wraith Band.
2Mid game
With Manta Style done, farm the lanes the map lets you farm safely and join the fights that happen near you. Your team is making space; your job is to turn that space into items like Vladmir's Offering. Your spikes are level 6, when Morph comes online, and your core items: Manta Style and then Vladmir's Offering.
- Core items: Manta Style, Vladmir's Offering and Butterfly.
3Late game
Late, you are the win condition. Farm dangerous areas only with vision, group for Roshan and high ground, and keep gold for buyback: dying before the fight loses the game.
- Late items: Black King Bar and Satanic.
4Team fights
Walk in after the enemy has used their key disables and hit whatever you can reach safely: your survival is the fight. Use Morph where it hits the most enemies or catches the key target.
Tips
- Last-hit every creep you can in the first ten minutes: Morphling needs Manta Style before taking real fights.
- If you can't see the enemy supports on the map, assume they are coming for you and farm closer to your towers.
- Once Vladmir's Offering is done, stop farming alone: move with your team to take towers and Roshan.
- From the mid game on, keep enough gold for buyback before buying your next big item.
- Plan fights around Morph: without it, Morphling is far less threatening.
Matchups
Strong against
- Queen of Pain59.8%win rate in the matchup
Morphling wins 59.8% of the 102 games measured against Queen of Pain this patch.
102 matches
- Mars58.1%win rate in the matchup
Morphling wins 58.1% of the 148 games measured against Mars this patch.
148 matches
- Templar Assassin53.0%win rate in the matchup
Morphling wins 53.0% of the 100 games measured against Templar Assassin this patch.
100 matches
- Gyrocopter50.9%win rate in the matchup
Morphling wins 50.9% of the 110 games measured against Gyrocopter this patch.
110 matches
- Jakiro50.6%win rate in the matchup
Morphling wins 50.6% of the 154 games measured against Jakiro this patch.
154 matches
Weak against
- Ember Spirit42.1%win rate in the matchup
Morphling only wins 42.1% of the 121 games measured against Ember Spirit this patch.
121 matches
- Shadow Fiend44.2%win rate in the matchup
Morphling only wins 44.2% of the 156 games measured against Shadow Fiend this patch.
156 matches
- Ogre Magi44.6%win rate in the matchup
Morphling only wins 44.6% of the 121 games measured against Ogre Magi this patch.
121 matches
- Snapfire44.8%win rate in the matchup
Morphling only wins 44.8% of the 143 games measured against Snapfire this patch.
143 matches
- Disruptor46.4%win rate in the matchup
Morphling only wins 46.4% of the 151 games measured against Disruptor this patch.
151 matches
Works well with
Adaptive Strike from Morphling holds enemies in place for Astral Step from Void Spirit.
Shallow Grave from Dazzle keeps Morphling alive, and Morphling is the damage the team needs to protect.
Cold Embrace from Winter Wyvern keeps Morphling alive, and Morphling is the damage the team needs to protect.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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