Timbersaw · Offlane (pos. 3)
Timbersaw 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 Timbersaw safely and consistently. Safe offlane means soaking experience from a distance, pulling the wave's attention and never dying for a last hit.
Strengths
- Valve tags Timbersaw as Durable: it stays in fights longer than most heroes.
- Chakram can swing team fights: it hits several enemies at once.
- Heavy magical burst: Valve lists it as a Nuker.
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.
- Tough patch: wins only 45.6% of measured public matches.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Survival buildDefensiveRecommendedPrioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Kaya and Sange and Black King Bar. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Timbersaw 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 — Kaya and Sange and Black King Bar. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Timbersaw players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
218%179%- OfflaneMain79% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
- MidPriority 218% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Kaya and Sange+16 Strength, +16 Intelligence, +25% Slow Resistance.
- 2Black King Bar+10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- 3Lotus Orb+10 Armor, +6.5 Health Regeneration, +4.0 Mana Regeneration. Active: Echo Shell.
- 4Shiva's Guard+17 Armor, +75 Area of Effect. Active: Arctic Blast.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Whirling Death›Timber Chain›Reactive Armor
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ● | · | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · |
 | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · |
Talents by level
- +75% Timber Chain Range/Projectile Speed+75 Whirling Death Tree Bonus Damage25
- Exposure Therapy Heals for 12 HP Per Tree Destroyed+6% Chakram Slow20
- +2% Whirling Death Stat Loss+6 Max / +1 Hero Attack Reactive Armor Stacks15
- +0.25 Reactive Armor Regeneration Per Stack+1.5 Mana Regen10
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.
218%179%- OfflaneMain79% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
- MidPriority 218% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Core items
- 1Kaya and Sange
- 2Blink Dagger
Situational
Skill order
Max order:Whirling Death›Timber Chain›Reactive Armor
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · |
Talents by level
- +75% Timber Chain Range/Projectile Speed+75 Whirling Death Tree Bonus Damage25
- Exposure Therapy Heals for 12 HP Per Tree Destroyed+6% Chakram Slow20
- +2% Whirling Death Stat Loss+6 Max / +1 Hero Attack Reactive Armor Stacks15
- +0.25 Reactive Armor Regeneration Per Stack+1.5 Mana Regen10
Abilities
- Whirling Death7.5 / 7 / 6.5 / 6s100 mpTimbersaw whirls extremely sharp edges, damaging enemies and destroying trees around him in an area. If an enemy hero is affected, it loses some of its primary attribute for a short duration. Whirling Death will deal bonus damage per tree destroyed.
- Radius
- 325
- Damage
- 60·120·180·240
- Tree bonus damage
- 9·16·23·30
- Stat loss
- 13%
- Stat loss (universal)
- 5%
- Stat loss duration
- 7·9·11·13
- Timber Chain4s60 / 70 / 80 / 90 mpTimbersaw fires a chain that embeds itself in the first tree it hits, pulling him towards it. Any enemy in the path takes damage.
- Radius
- 225
- Speed
- 2200·2400·2600·2800
- Damage
- 45·105·165·225
- Reactive ArmorPassiveEach time Timbersaw is attacked, he gains increased health regen and armor. Hero attacks are counted as 4x the amount.
- Bonus armor
- 0.4·0.5·0.6·0.7
- Bonus hp regen
- 0.5·0.6·0.7·0.8
- Max stacks
- 10·20·30·40
- Stack duration
- 10·12·14·16
Flamethrower20s100 mpReleases a flame in the direction Timbersaw is facing. Applies a debuff that deals damage per second and slows enemy movement speed. Affects buildings for reduced damage.- Damage per second
- 70
- Duration
- 8
- Width
- 275
- Range
- 400
- Move slow
- 40%
- Building damage
- 50%
- Chakram8s90 / 120 / 150 mpFires Timbersaw's main saw blade at the target location where it will spin in place, dealing damage in an area around it. Enemies caught in the saw blade will move more slowly for every 5% of health missing. The blade deals damage and cuts down trees in its path when fired and retracted. While active the ability costs mana, and Timbersaw loses the ability to attack.
- Radius
- 200
- Pass damage
- 75·150·225
- Damage per second
- 50·75·100
- Slow
- 5%
- Mana cost per second
- 10·15·20
Return ChakramReturns the Chakram to Timbersaw.
Exposure TherapyPassiveWhenever Timbersaw destroys a tree, he gains mana.- Mana restore
- 4
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:Whirling Death›Timber Chain›Reactive Armor
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · |
Strategy
1Safe laning
Safe offlane means soaking experience from a distance, pulling the wave's attention and never dying for a last hit. Trade when the enemy support uses their mana or leaves the lane; a level up is worth more than a kill here.
2Surviving fights
You go in first: catch as many heroes as you can and soak the spells your carry fears. 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.
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
- 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.
- Ward the paths the enemy uses to reach you, not just the objectives.
Matchups
Weak against
- Doom40.0%win rate in the matchup
Timbersaw only wins 40.0% of the 105 games measured against Doom this patch.
105 matches
- Ursa40.6%win rate in the matchup
Timbersaw only wins 40.6% of the 187 games measured against Ursa this patch.
187 matches
- Treant Protector41.4%win rate in the matchup
Timbersaw only wins 41.4% of the 162 games measured against Treant Protector this patch.
162 matches
- Queen of Pain41.8%win rate in the matchup
Timbersaw only wins 41.8% of the 158 games measured against Queen of Pain this patch.
158 matches
- Shadow Demon42.3%win rate in the matchup
Timbersaw only wins 42.3% of the 137 games measured against Shadow Demon this patch.
137 matches
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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