Undying · Hard Support (pos. 5)
Undying 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
Undying is a melee Strength hero that Valve tags as Support, Durable and Nuker. It is played mainly as Hard Support (pos. 5): 57% of the public matches we measured, by starting lane and starting items. In this guide you play it as Hard Support (pos. 5): your job is to keep your carry safe in the safe lane, buy the wards and give up farm so the cores can have it. The kit brings sustain with Soul Rip. Its ultimate is Flesh Golem. This patch, Undying wins 49.7% of the 448,189 public matches we measured (B tier on our ladder).
Strengths
- Keeps allies alive with Soul Rip.
- Valve tags Undying as Durable: it stays in fights longer than most heroes.
- 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.
- No escape in the kit: without good positioning and vision, Undying is easy to catch.
- Low base armor (0): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
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 Undying players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Damage buildOffensiveAdvancedMoves the popular items that add damage — Harpoon and Orchid Malevolence — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Undying players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Survival buildDefensiveSituationalPrioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Octarine Core and Black King Bar. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Undying players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Team utility buildUtilitySituationalBuilt around the popular items that help your allies — Octarine Core and Lotus Orb. Choose it when your team needs saves and auras more than your damage. Built from what Undying 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 Undying players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
240%157%- Safe laneMain57% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- OfflanePriority 240% of matchesOff lane next to your offlaner, as Soft Support (pos. 4).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Aghanim's Shard
- 2Blink Dagger
- 3Octarine Core
- 4Black King Bar
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Decay›Tombstone›Soul Rip
| 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
- Tombstone On Death+50% Flesh Golem Strength Bonus25
- -2s Decay Cooldown+4 Tombstone Attacks to Destroy20
- +12 Soul Rip Damage/Heal+20 Zombie Damage15
- +30 Decay Damage-15s Tombstone Cooldown10
Damage build
When to use it
Moves the popular items that add damage — Harpoon and Orchid Malevolence — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Undying players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
240%157%- Safe laneMain57% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- OfflanePriority 240% of matchesOff lane next to your offlaner, as Soft Support (pos. 4).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Harpoon+25 Damage, +25 Strength, +10 Agility. Active: Draw Forth.
- 2Orchid Malevolence+35 Attack Speed, +20 Damage, +2.5 Mana Regeneration. Active: Soul Burn.
- 3Echo Sabre+20 Damage, +15 Strength, +1.75 Mana Regeneration.
- 4Vladmir's Offering+1 Armor, +0.75 Mana Regeneration.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Decay›Tombstone›Soul Rip
| 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
- Tombstone On Death+50% Flesh Golem Strength Bonus25
- -2s Decay Cooldown+4 Tombstone Attacks to Destroy20
- +12 Soul Rip Damage/Heal+20 Zombie Damage15
- +30 Decay Damage-15s Tombstone Cooldown10
Survival build
When to use it
Prioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Octarine Core and Black King Bar. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Undying players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
240%157%- Safe laneMain57% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- OfflanePriority 240% of matchesOff lane next to your offlaner, as Soft Support (pos. 4).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Octarine Core+25% Cooldown Reduction, +450 Health, +450 Mana.
- 2Black King Bar+10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- 3Lotus Orb+10 Armor, +6.5 Health Regeneration, +4.0 Mana Regeneration. Active: Echo Shell.
- 4Drum of Endurance+8 Strength. Active: Endurance.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Decay›Tombstone›Soul Rip
| 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
- Tombstone On Death+50% Flesh Golem Strength Bonus25
- -2s Decay Cooldown+4 Tombstone Attacks to Destroy20
- +12 Soul Rip Damage/Heal+20 Zombie Damage15
- +30 Decay Damage-15s Tombstone Cooldown10
Team utility build
When to use it
Built around the popular items that help your allies — Octarine Core and Lotus Orb. Choose it when your team needs saves and auras more than your damage. Built from what Undying players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
240%157%- Safe laneMain57% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- OfflanePriority 240% of matchesOff lane next to your offlaner, as Soft Support (pos. 4).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Octarine Core+25% Cooldown Reduction, +450 Health, +450 Mana.
- 2Lotus Orb+10 Armor, +6.5 Health Regeneration, +4.0 Mana Regeneration. Active: Echo Shell.
- 3Drum of Endurance+8 Strength. Active: Endurance.
- 4Glimmer Cape+20% Magic Resistance. Active: Glimmer.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Decay›Tombstone›Soul Rip
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
Talents by level
- Tombstone On Death+50% Flesh Golem Strength Bonus25
- -2s Decay Cooldown+4 Tombstone Attacks to Destroy20
- +12 Soul Rip Damage/Heal+20 Zombie Damage15
- +30 Decay Damage-15s Tombstone Cooldown10
Abilities
- Decay13 / 10 / 7 / 4s110 mpUndying steals strength from all enemy heroes in an area, dealing base damage as he claims the enemy's strength for himself. Deals 2x damage to creeps.
- Base damage
- 20·60·100·140
- Strength steal
- 4
- Steal duration
- 35
- Radius
- 325
- Soul Rip15 / 12 / 9 / 6s80 / 90 / 100 / 110 mpUndying rips health away from all nearby units and uses it to heal an ally, or damage an enemy. Soul Rip can also be used to heal Tombstone.
- Damage/heal per unit
- 14·26·38·50
- Max units
- 10
- Rip radius
- 1300
- Tombstone heal
- 4·8·12·16
- Strength gain
- 0%
- Duration
- 0
- Tombstone80s125 / 150 / 175 / 200 mpSummons a tombstone at the target point. Zombies will frequently spawn next to every enemy unit in the area around the Tombstone, and attack them. Zombies have the Deathlust ability, which causes their attacks to slow the target, and if the target reaches below a certain amount of health, increases the attack and movement speed of the zombie.
- Attacks to destroy
- 5·6·7·8
- Tombstone duration
- 30
- Zombie spawn radius
- 1200
- Zombie spawn interval
- 4·3.6·3.2·2.8
- Zombie attack damage
- 34
Ceaseless DirgePassive480s- Flesh Golem140s100 / 125 / 150 mpUndying transforms into a horrifying flesh golem. While in this state, he gains a percentage increase to strength, bonus movement speed, and causes attacks to slow, apply damage amplification, and spawn Tombstone zombies.
- Slow on attack
- 30%·35%·40%
- Damage amplification
- 25%·30%·35%
- Damage amp duration
- 3
- Strength multiplier
- 40%·50%·60%
- Duration
- 40
- Bonus movespeed
- 25
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:Decay›Tombstone›Soul Rip
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
Strategy
1Early game
Position 5 starts in the safe lane with your carry: their last hits come first, so harass the enemy offlaner, pull the small camp when the wave needs resetting and buy the wards nobody else will. Harass when the enemy core walks up to last hit: every hit you land is gold your carry keeps.
- Early items: Soul Ring and Bracer.
2Mid game
Rotate to the lanes where you can get kills, keep vision around the next objective and leave the farm to your cores. Your spikes are level 6, when Flesh Golem comes online, and your core items: Aghanim's Shard and then Blink Dagger.
- Core items: Aghanim's Shard, Blink Dagger and Octarine Core.
3Late game
Late, your death costs little gold but your spells are worth a lot: stay behind the team, keep your save items ready and ward before the fight, not during it.
- Late items: Force Staff and Aghanim's Scepter.
4Team fights
Stay behind your cores, keep your mana for the key moment and protect whoever the enemy dives. Use Flesh Golem where it hits the most enemies or catches the key target.
Tips
- Keep Soul Rip for the moment the enemy commits, not to top up health.
- Buy and place wards every time they are available: vision is your first job.
- Your key purchases are Aghanim's Shard and Blink Dagger: they give your team the saves it needs.
- Plan fights around Flesh Golem: without it, Undying is far less threatening.
Matchups
Strong against
- Hoodwink53.5%win rate in the matchup
Undying wins 53.5% of the 170 games measured against Hoodwink this patch.
170 matches
- Axe52.8%win rate in the matchup
Undying wins 52.8% of the 125 games measured against Axe this patch.
125 matches
- Windranger52.8%win rate in the matchup
Undying wins 52.8% of the 108 games measured against Windranger this patch.
108 matches
- Mars52.5%win rate in the matchup
Undying wins 52.5% of the 122 games measured against Mars this patch.
122 matches
- Disruptor50.4%win rate in the matchup
Undying wins 50.4% of the 117 games measured against Disruptor this patch.
117 matches
Weak against
- Jakiro37.0%win rate in the matchup
Undying only wins 37.0% of the 119 games measured against Jakiro this patch.
119 matches
- Ember Spirit38.2%win rate in the matchup
Undying only wins 38.2% of the 123 games measured against Ember Spirit this patch.
123 matches
- Rubick41.9%win rate in the matchup
Undying only wins 41.9% of the 167 games measured against Rubick this patch.
167 matches
- Shadow Fiend44.0%win rate in the matchup
Undying only wins 44.0% of the 168 games measured against Shadow Fiend this patch.
168 matches
- Tusk44.2%win rate in the matchup
Undying only wins 44.2% of the 138 games measured against Tusk this patch.
138 matches
Works well with
Soul Rip from Undying keeps Phantom Assassin alive, and Phantom Assassin is the damage the team needs to protect.
Soul Rip from Undying keeps Luna alive, and Luna is the damage the team needs to protect.
Soul Rip from Undying keeps Spectre alive, and Spectre is the damage the team needs to protect.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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