Silencer · Hard Support (pos. 5)
Silencer 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 Silencer safely and consistently. Safe support means warding ahead of danger, staying out of the enemy's reach and saving spells to protect your cores. The kit brings crowd control (silence) with Arcane Curse.
Strengths
- Reliable silence: Arcane Curse sets up kills and interrupts enemy channels.
- Long attack range (600) to harass and last hit safely.
- Heavy magical burst: Valve lists it as a Nuker.
Weaknesses
- No escape in the kit: without good positioning and vision, Silencer is easy to catch.
- Low base armor (0): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
- Plays on little gold: expensive items arrive late.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Survival buildDefensiveRecommendedPrioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Force Staff and Glimmer Cape. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Silencer 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 — Force Staff and Glimmer Cape. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Silencer players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
232%159%- Safe laneMain59% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- OfflanePriority 232% of matchesOff lane next to your offlaner, as Soft Support (pos. 4).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Force Staff+10 Intelligence, +175 Health. Active: Force.
- 2Glimmer Cape+20% Magic Resistance. Active: Glimmer.
- 3Pavise+3 Armor, +175 Mana, +175 Health. Active: Protect.
- 4Drum of Endurance+8 Strength. Active: Endurance.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Arcane Curse›Last Word›Glaives of Wi…
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
 | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Talents by level
- +30% Glaives of Wisdom Damage+2s Global Silence Duration25
- +40s Glaives of Wisdom Int Steal Duration250 AoE Last Word20
- -15s Global Silence Cooldownspecial_bonus_unique_silencer_arcane_curse_duration15
- +7% Suffer In Silence Silenced Target Damage+25 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.
232%159%- Safe laneMain59% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- OfflanePriority 232% of matchesOff lane next to your offlaner, as Soft Support (pos. 4).
Core items
- 1Force Staff
- 2Glimmer Cape
Situational
Skill order
Max order:Arcane Curse›Last Word›Glaives of Wi…
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Talents by level
- +30% Glaives of Wisdom Damage+2s Global Silence Duration25
- +40s Glaives of Wisdom Int Steal Duration250 AoE Last Word20
- -15s Global Silence Cooldownspecial_bonus_unique_silencer_arcane_curse_duration15
- +7% Suffer In Silence Silenced Target Damage+25 Attack Speed10
Abilities
- Arcane Curse22 / 20 / 18 / 16s120 / 130 / 140 / 150 mpCurses the target area, dealing damage and causing enemies to take damage over time and slowing their movement speed.
Anytime affected enemies cast a spell, the duration is increased. The duration is paused as long as the target is silenced.
- Damage
- 16·24·32·40
- Initial damage
- 20·40·60·80
- Radius
- 350
- Base duration
- 6
- Movement slow
- -16%·-19%·-22%·-25%
- Penalty duration
- 2
- Glaives of Wisdom12 / 14 / 16 / 18 mpSilencer enchants his glaives with his wisdom, stealing his target's Intelligence with each hit and dealing additional damage based on his Intelligence.
- Int to damage
- 35%·50%·65%·80%
- Int steal
- 2·3·4·5
- Int steal duration
- 10·20·30·40
- Last Word22 / 18 / 14 / 10s100 / 105 / 110 / 115 mpEnchants a target, providing vision of them and causing them to be damaged and silenced if they cast a spell or if the enchantment timer expires. Deals extra damage based on the difference in intelligence between Silencer and the target.
- Base damage
- 120·160·200·240
- Int diff multiplier
- 1·1.5·2·2.5
- Enemy cast timer
- 4
- Silence duration
- 3·4·5·6
- Aoe
- 0
Suffer In SilencePassiveSilencer takes less damage from and deals more damage to silenced targets.
If an enemy Hero dies within 925 range of Silencer or was debuffed by Silencer at the time of death, Silencer permanently steals 1 Intelligence from them. If the victim was silenced, steal an extra 1 Intelligence.- Silenced target damage
- 5%
- Global Silence120s300 / 450 / 600 mpSilencer stops all sound, preventing enemy heroes and units on the map from casting spells.
- Duration
- 4.5·5.25·6
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:Arcane Curse›Last Word›Glaives of Wi…
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Strategy
1Safe laning
Safe support means warding ahead of danger, staying out of the enemy's reach and saving spells to protect your cores. Harass when the enemy core walks up to last hit: every hit you land is gold your carry keeps.
2Surviving fights
Stay behind your cores and use Arcane Curse on whoever jumps on your carry. 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 Arcane Curse 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 Arcane Curse 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
- Puck37.4%win rate in the matchup
Silencer only wins 37.4% of the 115 games measured against Puck this patch.
115 matches
- Axe41.4%win rate in the matchup
Silencer only wins 41.4% of the 128 games measured against Axe this patch.
128 matches
- Luna41.9%win rate in the matchup
Silencer only wins 41.9% of the 124 games measured against Luna this patch.
124 matches
- Hoodwink42.5%win rate in the matchup
Silencer only wins 42.5% of the 146 games measured against Hoodwink this patch.
146 matches
- Windranger43.0%win rate in the matchup
Silencer only wins 43.0% of the 149 games measured against Windranger this patch.
149 matches
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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