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Primal Beast · Mid (pos. 2)

Primal Beast as Mid (pos. 2)

Alternative roleData-drivenMediumPatch 7.41
4.1KUpdated

More Primal Beast 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

Primal Beast is a melee Strength hero that Valve tags as Durable, Initiator and Disabler. It is played mainly as Offlane (pos. 3): 59% of the public matches we measured, by starting lane and starting items. Its main role is Offlane (pos. 3), but it is also played as Mid (pos. 2) in 36% of the public matches we measured. 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.

Strengths

  • Reliable stun: Onslaught sets up kills and interrupts enemy channels.
  • Valve tags Primal Beast as Durable: it stays in fights longer than most heroes.
  • Clear job in the team: win the solo lane, control the runes and create pressure on the other lanes.

Weaknesses

  • Off-role pick: expect less support from guides and teammates than on Offlane (pos. 3).
  • 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, Primal Beast is easy to catch.

Build cheat sheet

Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.

Builds

Damage build

OffensiveRecommended
Open build

When to use it

Moves the popular items that add damage — Meteor Hammer and Bloodstone — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Primal Beast players buy in the public matches we measured.

Where it's played

Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.

Seen from RadiantRadiant · bottom leftDire · top right
  1. MidMain36% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).

Starting items

Iron BranchGauntlets of StrengthTangoQuelling BladeMagic StickFaerie Fire

Core items

  1. 1Meteor Hammer+6 Strength, +6 Agility, +24 Intelligence. Active: Meteor Hammer.
  2. 2Bloodstone+625 Health, +450 Mana, +15 Intelligence. Active: Bloodpact.
  3. 3Blink DaggerActive: Blink.
  4. 4Black King Bar+10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.

Boots

Phase Boots

Late game

Shiva's Guard+17 Armor, +75 Area of Effect. Active: Arctic Blast.Aghanim's Scepter+10 All Attributes, +175 Health, +175 Mana.Heart of Tarrasque+40 Strength, +1% Max Health Regen.

Skill order

Max order:Trample›Onslaught›Uproar

Ability1234567891011121314151617
●·●·●·●··········
·●·●···●●········
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Talents by level

  1. Colossal 2x Bonuses During Trample
    +67% Pulverize Duration
    25
  2. +20% Trample Attack Multiplier
    Basic Self-Dispel on Uproar Cast
    20
  3. +6 Uproar Armor Per Stack
    -5s Trample Cooldown
    15
  4. +25% Magic Resistance During Trample
    +30 Damage
    10

Abilities

  • Onslaught25 / 22 / 19 / 16s120 mpPrimal Beast charges up and then runs in the chosen direction, knocking back enemies and allies alike. Enemy units are damaged and stunned on impact. The longer the charge duration, the farther Primal Beast's momentum will carry him. Can be cancelled at any time with the Stop command.
    Run speed
    1200
    Max distance
    2000
    Damage
    75·170·265·360
    Time to max charge
    1.7
    Stun duration
    0.7·1·1.3·1.6
    Basic ability — applies a stun. Save it for priority targets or to interrupt a channel.
  • Trample30 / 27 / 24 / 21s100 mpPrimal Beast stomps over everything. For every 140 units traveled, all enemies around the Beast receive damage. Deals base damage plus a multiplier of Primal Beast's attack damage. Primal Beast is disarmed for the duration of the ability.
    Damage aoe
    200
    Base damage
    15·30·45·60
    Duration
    5.5
    Attack damage multiplier
    35%
  • UproarThe Beast's temper causes every instance of 50 hero damage or more to grant a stack of Uproar. When activated, Primal Beast releases a roar that slows surrounding enemies and grants the Beast additional attack damage and armor for 7 seconds based on his current stacks of Uproar.
    Bonus damage per stack
    10·20·30·40
    Max stacks
    6
    Slow per stack
    4%·6%·8%·10%
    Slow duration
    3
    Roar radius
    900
    Roar armor bonus per stack
    2·3·4·5
  • Rock Throw20s85 mpPrimal Beast throws a rock at the target location that stuns and damages enemies. The rock cannot be thrown within a minimum range of Primal Beast. After landing, the rock splits into 3 additional fragments that land behind the initial target location. Rock Throw increases stacks of Uproar for each hero hit.
    Damage
    325
    Impact radius
    225
    Min range
    550
    Min travel time
    0.65
    Max travel time
    1.75
    Stun duration
    1.4
  • Begin Onslaught0.3sBegins the rush to the specified location.
  • Pulverize45 / 40 / 35s100 mpCHANNELED - Primal Beast channels his rage, grabbing the target enemy and slamming them into the ground repeatedly, damaging and mini-stunning any enemies caught in the AoE. Each consecutive hit deals bonus damage. Lasts 2.3 seconds.
    Aoe radius
    575
    Hit interval
    0.75
    Stun duration
    0.2
    Hit damage
    100·175·250
    Bonus damage per hit
    20·40·60
    Ultimate — applies a stun. Save it for priority targets or to interrupt a channel.
  • ColossalPassive

Most played skill order

The most played order in the last 73 professional matches with this hero. Highlighted levels are the points spent on talents.

Max order:Trample›Onslaught›Uproar

Ability1234567891011121314151617
●·●·●·●··········
·●·●···●●········
·····●······●···●
·········●·●·●●··

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.

2Mid game

With Blink Dagger, you should be the one starting the action: gank, push out lanes and take towers with your team.

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.

4Team fights

Your damage decides the opening seconds: look for the enemy support or carry out of position, and use Pulverize 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.
  • Rune timings: power runes appear every two minutes, and a good one wins a gank.
  • Push before you leave: if the wave crashes into your tower while you gank, you lose experience and gold.

Changelog

  1. Guide created for patch 7.41.

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