Winter Wyvern · Hard Support (pos. 5)
Winter Wyvern 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
Winter Wyvern is a ranged Intelligence hero that Valve tags as Support, Disabler and Nuker. It is played mainly as Hard Support (pos. 5): 79% 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 Cold Embrace. Its ultimate is Winter's Curse. This patch, Winter Wyvern wins 49.6% of the 232,058 public matches we measured (B tier on our ladder).
Strengths
- Keeps allies alive with Cold Embrace.
- Heavy magical burst: Valve lists it as a Nuker.
- Clear job in the team: keep your carry safe in the safe lane, buy the wards and give up farm so the cores can have it.
Weaknesses
- No escape in the kit: without good positioning and vision, Winter Wyvern is easy to catch.
- Low base armor (1): 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.
- 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 Winter Wyvern players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Damage buildOffensiveAdvancedMoves the popular items that add damage — Vladmir's Offering and Shadow Blade — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Winter Wyvern 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 Winter Wyvern players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
217%179%- Safe laneMain79% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- OfflanePriority 217% of matchesOff lane next to your offlaner, as Soft Support (pos. 4).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Blink Dagger
- 2Glimmer Cape
- 3Drum of Endurance
- 4Pavise
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Arctic Burn›Splinter Blast›Cold Embrace
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
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Talents by level
- Splinter Blast 1s Stun+60 Winter's Curse Attack Speed25
- +10% Arctic Burn Slow+100 Splinter Blast Damage20
- +3s Arctic Burn Debuff Duration+175 Splinter Blast Shatter Radius15
- +35 Damage+15 Cold Embrace Base Heal Per Second10
Damage build
When to use it
Moves the popular items that add damage — Vladmir's Offering and Shadow Blade — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Winter Wyvern players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
217%179%- Safe laneMain79% of matchesSafe lane next to your carry, as Hard Support (pos. 5).
- OfflanePriority 217% of matchesOff lane next to your offlaner, as Soft Support (pos. 4).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Vladmir's Offering+1 Armor, +0.75 Mana Regeneration.
- 2Shadow Blade+25 Damage, +35 Attack Speed. Active: Shadow Walk.
- 3Orchid Malevolence+35 Attack Speed, +20 Damage, +2.5 Mana Regeneration. Active: Soul Burn.
- 4Assault Cuirass+30 Attack Speed, +10 Armor.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Arctic Burn›Splinter Blast›Cold Embrace
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Talents by level
- Splinter Blast 1s Stun+60 Winter's Curse Attack Speed25
- +10% Arctic Burn Slow+100 Splinter Blast Damage20
- +3s Arctic Burn Debuff Duration+175 Splinter Blast Shatter Radius15
- +35 Damage+15 Cold Embrace Base Heal Per Second10
Abilities
- Arctic Burn29 / 26 / 23 / 20s100 mpWinter Wyvern soars upon an arctic wind, granting her unobstructed movement and allowing her to exhale a blistering chill into each attack. While soaring, her attacks travel further and faster, and slow enemies with a magical freeze that strips them of 4% of their current health each second.
- Flight duration
- 7·8·9·10
- Bonus attack range
- 250·275·300·325
- Health burn
- 4%·6%·8%·10%
- Burn duration
- 3
- Movement slow
- 15%·20%·25%·30%
- Splinter Blast6s105 / 115 / 125 / 135 mpLaunches a ball of brittle ice toward a unit. The ice shatters on impact, leaving the primary target completely unaffected, while hurling damaging splinters into nearby enemies in a 500 base radius. Enemies struck by these splinters are slowed by 27%.
- Shatter radius
- 500
- Movement slow
- 27%·30%·33%·36%
- Slow duration
- 4
- Damage
- 80·160·240·320
- Cold Embrace24 / 21 / 18 / 15s50 / 60 / 70 / 80 mpEncases an ally in an icy cocoon, freezing them solid while healing a base amount as well as a percentage of their maximum health each second. The cocoon blocks all physical damage.
- Duration
- 4
- Base heal per second
- 40·45·50·55
- Max hp heal per second
- 1.5%·2.5%·3.5%·4.5%
Eldwurm's EddaPassive- Winter's Curse100 / 90 / 80s150 / 200 / 250 mpWinter Wyvern dispells then freezes an enemy in place while striking those nearby with a maddening curse which causes them to attack their frozen ally with increased attack speed. The frozen ally and those cursed to attack their ally are immune to all damage from their enemies with the exception of damage from Winter Wyvern or her controlled units. Enemy heroes which enter the cursed area after th
- Radius
- 525
- Damage reduction
- 100%
- Attack speed
- 50·65·80
- Minimum duration
- 2
- Maximum duration
- 6
- Bonus duration per hero
- 1.5
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:Arctic Burn›Splinter Blast›Cold Embrace
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
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: Null Talisman.
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 Winter's Curse comes online, and your core items: Blink Dagger and then Glimmer Cape.
- Core items: Blink Dagger, Glimmer Cape and Drum of Endurance.
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 Aeon Disk.
4Team fights
Stay behind your cores, keep your mana for the key moment and protect whoever the enemy dives. Use Winter's Curse where it hits the most enemies or catches the key target.
Tips
- Keep Cold Embrace 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 Blink Dagger and Glimmer Cape: they give your team the saves it needs.
- Plan fights around Winter's Curse: without it, Winter Wyvern is far less threatening.
Matchups
Strong against
- Underlord66.2%win rate in the matchup
Winter Wyvern wins 66.2% of the 65 games measured against Underlord this patch.
65 matches
- Void Spirit62.1%win rate in the matchup
Winter Wyvern wins 62.1% of the 58 games measured against Void Spirit this patch.
58 matches
- Undying61.8%win rate in the matchup
Winter Wyvern wins 61.8% of the 68 games measured against Undying this patch.
68 matches
- Dark Willow60.9%win rate in the matchup
Winter Wyvern wins 60.9% of the 92 games measured against Dark Willow this patch.
92 matches
- Dawnbreaker58.6%win rate in the matchup
Winter Wyvern wins 58.6% of the 58 games measured against Dawnbreaker this patch.
58 matches
Weak against
- Ember Spirit44.3%win rate in the matchup
Winter Wyvern only wins 44.3% of the 106 games measured against Ember Spirit this patch.
106 matches
- Rubick45.6%win rate in the matchup
Winter Wyvern only wins 45.6% of the 125 games measured against Rubick this patch.
125 matches
- Windranger46.8%win rate in the matchup
Winter Wyvern only wins 46.8% of the 109 games measured against Windranger this patch.
109 matches
- Shadow Fiend48.2%win rate in the matchup
Winter Wyvern only wins 48.2% of the 139 games measured against Shadow Fiend this patch.
139 matches
Works well with
Cold Embrace from Winter Wyvern keeps Juggernaut alive, and Juggernaut is the damage the team needs to protect.
Cold Embrace from Winter Wyvern keeps Sven alive, and Sven is the damage the team needs to protect.
Cold Embrace from Winter Wyvern keeps Naga Siren alive, and Naga Siren is the damage the team needs to protect.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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