Slark · Carry (pos. 1)
Slark Laning 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
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. Your early goals are simple: a clean lane, your first core item on time and, if the lane is won, the enemy offlane tower.
Strengths
- Mobility: Pounce gets Slark in and out of fights.
- Heavy magical burst: Valve lists it as a Nuker.
- Scales into a late-game threat as the items come in.
Weaknesses
- Melee: has to walk up to its target, which makes the lane harder against ranged heroes.
- Low base armor (0): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
- Item-dependent: weak until Diffusal Blade is done.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Laning itemsBalancedRecommendedWhat leaves the fountain and what lands in the first ten minutes, with what each item gives you.
- Most-played buildBalancedAdvancedThe items most bought with this hero, phase by phase. Pick it when you don't have a clear reason to deviate. Built from what Slark players buy in the public matches we measured.
Builds
Laning items
When to use it
What leaves the fountain and what lands in the first ten minutes, with what each item gives you.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
229%165%- Safe laneMain65% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
- MidPriority 229% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Diffusal Blade
Boots
Skill order
Max order:Dark Pact›Pounce›Saltwater Shiv
| 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 Agility gain/stolen per Essence Shift Stack+1.5s Shadow Dance Duration25
- +20s Essence Shift Duration+100 Shadow Dance Attack Speed20
- +30 Shadow Dance Regen+70 Dark Pact Damage15
- -0.75s Dark Pact Cooldown+0.5s Pounce Leash10
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 Slark players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
229%165%- Safe laneMain65% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
- MidPriority 229% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Diffusal Blade
- 2Aghanim's Scepter
- 3Mage Slayer
- 4Shadow Blade
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Dark Pact›Pounce›Saltwater Shiv
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Talents by level
- +1 Agility gain/stolen per Essence Shift Stack+1.5s Shadow Dance Duration25
- +20s Essence Shift Duration+100 Shadow Dance Attack Speed20
- +30 Shadow Dance Regen+70 Dark Pact Damage15
- -0.75s Dark Pact Cooldown+0.5s Pounce Leash10
Abilities
- Dark Pact9 / 8 / 7 / 6s65 mpAfter a short delay, Slark sacrifices some of his life blood, purging most negative debuffs and dealing damage to enemy units around him and to himself. Slark only takes 30% of the damage.
DISPEL TYPE: Strong Dispel
- Delay
- 1.5
- Radius
- 325
- Damage
- 75·150·225·300
- Pounce24 / 20 / 16 / 12s75 mpSlark leaps forward, leashing and applying Essence Shift stacks to the first hero he connects. That unit can only move a limited distance away from Slark's landing position.
- Distance
- 700
- Leash duration
- 2.5·2.75·3·3.25
- Leash radius
- 400
- Essence shift stacks
- 1·2·3·4
- Saltwater Shiv12 / 10.5 / 9 / 7.5s25 / 30 / 35 / 40 mpSlark slices the target with his salty shiv, stealing a portion of the target's movement speed, Health Regen and Health Restoration.
These effects stack independently.
- Duration
- 12
- Base restoration steal
- 0%
- Restoration steal
- 4%·8%·12%·16%
- Regen steal
- 4·8·12·16
- Speed steal
- 4·8·12·16
Depth Shroud75s75 mpCreates a cloud at the target location. All allies inside the radius are hidden and affected by Shadow Dance.- Duration
- 2
- Radius
- 225
Essence ShiftPassiveSlark steals the life essence of enemy heroes with his attacks, draining 1 of each of their attributes and converting them to bonus 3 Agility. If Slark kills an affected enemy hero, he permanently steals 1 Agility.- Duration
- 10
- Steal radius
- 300
- Shadow Dance50 / 40 / 30s100 mpWhen not visible to the enemy team, Slark passively gains bonus movement speed and health regeneration. If Slark is damaged by a neutral unit, the passive movement and health regeneration bonuses are lost for 2 seconds.
When activated, Slark hides himself in a cloud of shadows, becoming immune to detection. Attacking, casting spells, and using items will not reveal Slark, but enemies can see the
- Bonus movement speed
- 20%·30%·40%
- Health gained per second
- 60·90·120
- Duration
- 4·4.25·4.5
Most played skill order
The most played order in the last 82 professional matches with this hero. Highlighted levels are the points spent on talents.
Max order:Dark Pact›Pounce›Saltwater Shiv
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Strategy
1Starting and early items
The first items decide how comfortable the lane is. The lane build below lists them with what each one gives you.
- Key early items: Bracer and Wraith Band.
2Trading
Trade right-clicks only when the enemy walks up to last hit, and step back as soon as their support shows up. The kit brings mobility with Pounce and sustain with Shadow Dance.
3Wave management
Keep the creep equilibrium close to your tower when you're weaker, deny to cut the enemy's experience and pull the jungle camp to reset a lane that's pushing too far.
4Early objectives
Your early goals are simple: a clean lane, your first core item on time and, if the lane is won, the enemy offlane tower. Your spikes are level 6, when Shadow Dance comes online, and your core items: Diffusal Blade and then Aghanim's Scepter.
Tips
- Trade right-clicks only when the enemy walks up to last hit, and step back as soon as their support shows up.
- Bracer is your first purchase that changes the lane: get it early.
- Keep Pounce ready when the enemy's gankers are missing.
- Your early goals are simple: a clean lane, your first core item on time and, if the lane is won, the enemy offlane tower.
Matchups
Strong against
- Warlock63.5%win rate in the matchup
Slark wins 63.5% of the 96 games measured against Warlock this patch.
96 matches
- Puck58.8%win rate in the matchup
Slark wins 58.8% of the 51 games measured against Puck this patch.
51 matches
- Pudge58.2%win rate in the matchup
Slark wins 58.2% of the 67 games measured against Pudge this patch.
67 matches
Weak against
- Jakiro43.0%win rate in the matchup
Slark only wins 43.0% of the 114 games measured against Jakiro this patch.
114 matches
- Shadow Fiend45.0%win rate in the matchup
Slark only wins 45.0% of the 109 games measured against Shadow Fiend this patch.
109 matches
- Rubick48.2%win rate in the matchup
Slark only wins 48.2% of the 110 games measured against Rubick this patch.
110 matches
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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