Sylvanas · Ranged Assassin
Sylvanas 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 Sylvanas safely and consistently. Safe play means staying at maximum range, clearing waves and letting your frontline take the first hits. The kit brings crowd control (stun) with Black Arrows and mobility with Haunting Wave.
Strengths
- Has escape tools, according to Blizzard's own hero tags.
- Good wave clear, according to Blizzard's own hero tags.
- Takes mercenary camps efficiently.
Weaknesses
- Mana-hungry: Blizzard flags its energy as important, so manage it early.
- Fragile when divers reach it.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
Builds
Survival talents
When to use it
At each level, the talent with the most healing, shields or armor. Choose it against dive or heavy burst.
Map job
Battlegrounds change every match, so this is its job on any of them.
- Solo laneHolds a lane alone and wins it.
Double soakMainSoaks experience in a lane, usually alongside a teammate, and clears waves fast.- RotateMoves between lanes to gank and help.
- Mercenary campsPriority 2Takes mercenary camps on its own when the map is quiet.
- With the teamStays with the team for fights and objectives.
Talents by level
Might of the Banshee QueenHitting an enemy Hero with Withering Fire increases Sylvanas's Attack Speed and Spell Power by 5% for 6 seconds, stacking up to 5 times.Q
Unrelenting TormentIncrease the damage of Shadow Dagger by 20% and increase its duration by 1 second.
Overwhelming AfflictionEnemy Heroes with 3 stacks of Black Arrows are Slowed by 15%. Sylvanas's Basic Attacks against Slowed enemy Heroes deal 1% of their maximum Health as damage.Trait
- 1Upgrades Black Arrows for more survivability.
- 4Upgrades Black Arrows for more utility.
- 7Upgrades Withering Fire for more damage.
- 10Heroic ability focused on utility.
- 13Upgrades Shadow Dagger for more survivability.
- 16Upgrades Black Arrows for more survivability.
- 20Adds an active ability.
Against mobile heroes
When to use it
Slows, roots and stuns first, to pin down heroes who would otherwise escape.
Map job
Battlegrounds change every match, so this is its job on any of them.
- Solo laneHolds a lane alone and wins it.
- Double soakMainSoaks experience in a lane, usually alongside a teammate, and clears waves fast.
- RotateMoves between lanes to gank and help.
- Mercenary campsPriority 2Takes mercenary camps on its own when the map is quiet.
- With the teamStays with the team for fights and objectives.
Talents by level
- Might of the Banshee QueenHitting an enemy Hero with Withering Fire increases Sylvanas's Attack Speed and Spell Power by 5% for 6 seconds, stacking up to 5 times.Q
- Unrelenting TormentIncrease the damage of Shadow Dagger by 20% and increase its duration by 1 second.
- Overwhelming AfflictionEnemy Heroes with 3 stacks of Black Arrows are Slowed by 15%. Sylvanas's Basic Attacks against Slowed enemy Heroes deal 1% of their maximum Health as damage.Trait
- 1Upgrades Black Arrows for more utility.
- 4Upgrades Black Arrows for more utility.
- 7Upgrades Shadow Dagger for more utility.
- 10Heroic ability focused on utility.
- 13Upgrades Withering Fire for more utility.
- 16Upgrades Withering Fire for more utility.
- 20Upgrades Mind Control for more utility.
Abilities
- QWithering Fire8s25 mpShoot the closest enemy up to 5 times over 1.5 seconds for 39 (+4% per level) damage, prioritizing Heroes. Cooldown is reset on getting a Takedown.
- WShadow Dagger11s50 mpThrow a dagger at a target enemy that deals 30 (+4% per level) damage and an additional 150 (+4% per level) damage over 2.5 seconds. Damage dealt by Sylvanas to the initial target spreads Shadow Dagger to all nearby enemies.
EHaunting Wave11s75 mpSend forth a wave of banshees dealing 114 (+4% per level) damage to all targets. Reactivate to teleport to the banshees' location.
RWailing ArrowHeroic90s100 mpShoot an arrow that can be reactivated to deal 228 (+4% per level) damage and Silence enemies in an area for 2.5 seconds. The arrow detonates automatically if it reaches maximum range.Heroic — applies a silence and hits an area. Save it for priority targets or to interrupt a channel.
RMind ControlHeroic40s50 mpAfter 0.25 seconds, fire a missile that Mind Controls the first enemy Hero hit. Heroes hit are Silenced, Slowed by 30%, have 3 stacks of Banshee's Curse applied to them, and are forced to walk towards Sylvanas for 1.75 seconds.Heroic — applies a silence. Save it for priority targets or to interrupt a channel.- DBlack ArrowsTrait40sActivate to cause all Basic Attacks and Abilities to Stun Minions, non-Elite Mercenaries, and Structures for 3 seconds. Lasts for 10 seconds. Banshee's Curse Basic Attacks infect enemies with Banshee's Curse for 3 seconds, stacking up to 3 times. Deal 25% more damage to enemies with 3 stacks.
Strategy
1Safe laning
Safe play means staying at maximum range, clearing waves and letting your frontline take the first hits. Trade at the edge of your range, and walk away as soon as the enemy starts to close the gap.
2Surviving fights
Hit the closest target you can reach safely and keep Haunting Wave for the enemy dive. Your way out is Haunting Wave: if it's on cooldown, stay further back.
3Positioning and peel
Stand where the enemy has to go through your team to reach you, and protect whoever the enemy focuses. Hold Black Arrows 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
- Keep Haunting Wave for escaping, not for chasing.
- Save Black Arrows 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
Changelog
- Updated for patch 2.57.0.98304.
- Updated for patch 2.57.0.98297.
- Updated for patch 2.57.0.98285.
- Guide created for patch 2.55.17.98025.
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