Earthshaker is a support hero who needs very little to be highly effective. He is usually played as a roamer and for the first roughly 10 minutes of the game, the hero usually wanders the map placing Fissures and setting up kills for his allies. It can be hard to have a good early game with the hero, but he needs very few items before his Blink Dagger.
His skill build usually goes one of two ways, which is either maxing Fissure or Aftershock first, depending on whether you are able to effectively use Enchant Totem in the early game. When Earthshaker gets his Blink Dagger, he should be looking to position himself in team-fights well enough to get great Fissures and epic Echo Slams.
He can be played in the off-lane in some situations, but he often struggles there.
@ Valve
[/column]Earthshaker Skill Build
- Fissure
- Aftershock
- Fissure
- Enchant Totem
- Fissure
- Echo Slam
- Fissure
- Aftershock
- Aftershock
- Talent
- Aftershock
- Echo Slam
- Enchant Totem
- Enchant Totem
- Talent
- Enchant Totem
- –
- Echo Slam
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Earthshaker creates an impassable rock wall in a straight line in the target direction. This spell is usually maxed either first or secondly, depending on whether you can utilize the Aftershock from Enchant Totem. Fissure is the spell which defines Earthshaker for the first 10-20 minutes until you get your Blink Dagger. The spell can be used in a wide variety of ways and perhaps the hardest part in playing this hero effectively is knowing how you can use it most efficiently in every situation. This is something the best Dota 2 players master in time.
Fissure can be cast to block creep-waves which can be very effective in the beginning of the game, as you can delay your creeps from getting to the lane. This will cause the creeps to meet closer to your tower, which will allow you or whoever is laning in the off-laner to get some experience and maybe some last-hits more easily. You can usually do this more than once by following the creep wave and positioning yourself slightly in front of it. Fissure is very mana-intensive however, which makes it very important to carry multiple Clarities and probably have some brought to you on the Courier if you run out.
Before the game starts, you need to be thinking about how the lanes are going to look and where, if anywhere, you have kill potential and if so at what point. For example, some heroes have lots of kill potential at level 1, others need to wait until level 6 and others may lie somewhere in between. Placing Fissures aimlessly is almost never a good use of your time, so try to be wherever you either have most kill potential, or can impact the lane in the most effective way possible.
As a roaming hero, prepare to spend a lot of time stood in the tree-line or to the side of the lane. Your presence there may often force the enemy to play cautiously and miss some last-hits. If you are able to block an enemy off as your creep-wave pushes in, you may be able to deal a significant amount of harass damage, especially if your teammate can follow up and may even lead to a kill. If you stay near the lane without soaking much lane experience, it can be very good for you to drop your Fissures aggressively so that the enemy cannot trade-hits with your teammate effectively. Your ultimate goal is to help your allies win their lanes, so try to do so.
In the early-to-mid game, you should also be looking for opportunities where your time may be better spent soaking up experience and getting some last-hits. This may be the case if your mid-laner or off-laner has left the lane to gank or farm the jungle. It may be good to even let your team know that you won’t be turning up to the next gank or fight and just get your Arcane Boots/Soul Ring/Blink Dagger sooner.
Earthshaker slams the ground around him, enchanting his weapon to deal critical damage on the next attack. Aghanim’s Scepter gives this spell a 900 cast range and makes Earthshaker jump to the target area, where he will cast the spell upon landing. Casting Enchant Totem on yourself with an Aghanim’s Scepter will cause it behave normally. This spell is usually maxed lastly after getting one point in it early to be able to stun and damage nearby enemies as you skill Aftershock. After you’ve put a few points into Aftershock, Enchant Totem can be a great farming spell, as it can be used to damage all nearby creeps and will allow you to deal lots of physical damage to a bigger creep.
Enchant Totem allows Earthshaker to deal a surprising amount of physical damage in the late game with very few items. For example, having a Daedalus and a Heart of Tarrasque will allow you to potentially crit for massive damage. If you’re laning in the off-lane, it may be good to max Enchant Totem over Fissure, as it will help you to farm and get kills in the early and mid game. However, Earthshaker is generally a weak off-laner, as he has no defensive abilities. On the other hand, in 1v1 situations, he may be able to dominate the lane, since Enchant Totem spam with some levels in Aftershock may be too much for his opponent.
@ Valve
Earthshaker’s spells cause him to damage and stun nearby enemies. This passive is usually maxed either first or second depending on whether you can utilize Enchant Totem in the early game. If the enemies are mostly ranged heroes for example, you may struggle to get close enough to use the spell effectively. On the other hand, if you’re playing against lots of melee heroes, you should have no problem stunning nearby enemies. Enchant Totem and Echo Slam have no stuns by themselves, which makes it very effective to max this spell early on, as you will be able to stun and deal more damage to foes. Lastly, the stun duration from Aftershock does not apply to Fissure, since that has a longer stun duration and they are not added together.
Earthshaker slams the ground, causing shockwaves to damage all nearby enemies. Each enemy triggers a shockwave which damages all other nearby enemies. Heroes cause two echoes. Echo Slam is one of the most recognisable spells in the entire game because of its ability to potentially single-handedly win entire team-fights. The stun radius from Aftershock is about half of the damage radius for Echo Slam, which means you have to stand right on top of an enemy to stun them with the spell. The spell can be used as a powerful initiation tool if you see some heroes grouped around each other or creeps.
In team-fights, look for opportunities where enemies naturally move close to one another. Areas such as Roshan pit, the high-ground entrances and around the river are good places. Make sure to follow up with whatever spells you have at the ready afterwards, as this will keep enemies stunned for longer and will allow your team to follow-up with their own spells. Try to stay near the fight while doing your best to stay out of harm’s way and while also not making it obvious that you are about to use Echo Slam if you are. For example, try to hover around the enemies without walking straight towards them, as they will often react in advance.
Echo Slam has an incredibly long cooldown at all stages of the game, so make you use it to its maximum potential. It may be a better idea to pass up the occasional opportunity for a mediocre or weak Echo Slam in the expectation of a better one. The spell can really turn entire games around, so try to use it in cases where you know it will get some kills.
Earthshaker really struggles with mana, especially in the early and mid game. This is largely because he has a very small mana pool due to his low intelligence and low int gain per level. This makes the extra 250 mana very helpful, as it effectively adds enough mana for a Fissure and Enchant Totem combo. On the other hand, the extra damage can be helpful if you’re playing in a more core role. It is extra damage which can crit with an item such as Daedalus, although it is not multiplied by Enchant Totem. However, it can still be helpful in farming creeps more quickly and dealing more physical damage to enemies overall.
The extra movement speed is almost always more helpful for Earthshaker. This is because Earthshaker fundamentally relies largely upon positioning to land good Fissures and to be near enough to cast massive Echo Slams. The armor may be more helpful than the movement speed if you are playing against an overwhelming amount of physical damage to the point where it is the majority of the damage you are taking.
It’s usually a better option to take the increased Echo damage, as it can potentially equate to hundreds more damage from a well-placed Echo Slam. It’s especially strong against heroes who summon illusions or creeps, as the chances of catching enemies bunched together will increase. The extra Fissure range can be good if you’re playing against heroes who are very hard to lockdown or who have a lot of mobility, as it will effectively extend the reach of your disables. It can also be used to block off faster heroes more easily, as it is more likely to reach impassable terrain such as trees or a cliff.
The reduced Enchant Totem Cooldown will bring the cooldown of the spell to only 3 seconds. This can be incredibly powerful if you have some damage items such as Heart of Tarrasque or Daedalus, as you’ll be able to dish out more damage a lot sooner. If you stack the stuns from an Aftershock Enchant Totem with a Fissure, you may be able to keep an enemy disabled long enough to cast Enchant Totem again. You may fail to keep them chain stunned completely, but you will be able to disable them a lot. This can be great if you have lots of mobility items and can move in and out of fights easily.
On the other hand, the extra magic resistance is a massive amount and be incredibly helpful in keeping you alive during team-fights. It’s especially strong if the enemy team has a large amount of magical damage or if you’re dying to mostly magical damage.
Earthshaker needs very few items to be effective in the early game in Dota 2 esports. He doesn’t lane like most heroes, which makes standard health regeneration not very important on him. On the other hand, mana regeneration in the form of Clarities and Enchanted Mangoes are of the upmost importance. It can be good to get Boots of Speed or a Wind Lace with your starting gold since Earthshaker usually spends a lot of his time in the early game roaming the map. If you need to get some support items you should buy them also. A Smoke of Deceit can be very helpful if you have kill potential on the mid lane for example, as a good Fissure may often result in a kill.
A Soul Ring can be a great item to get on Earthshaker if you will purchase Tranquil Boots. It offers a great way to restore your mana, especially since you will be casting Fissure for the most part of the early game.
Tranquil Boots can be a good option to get on a roaming Earthshaker if your team doesn’t need the Arcane Boots or if you’re taking a lot of damage in between rotations. The extra movement speed will help you to position yourself for Fissures, and the regen can be great if you’re taking a lot of damage from spells.
Arcane Boots are great boots to get on Earthshaker. Tranquil Boots plus a Soul Ring can be good in many situations, but Arcane Boots provide your team with lots of mana regeneration and will help to replenish your mana in between ganks for a cheaper amount than the Tranquil Boots and Soul Ring combo. It’s usually best to get these as early as you can, and you should usually prioritize picking them up if your team needs the mana regen they provide.
A Magic Wand is often a very strong item to pickup in the early game, as it will help you to sustain your roam. It will be able to generate lots of charges through early skirmishes and it may prove helpful in ensuring you have enough mana for Fissures.
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Earthshaker should work towards his Blink Dagger in every game and it should be the first core item that you get in every situation. It provides Earthshaker with an immeasurable increase to his mobility and ganking and team-fight potential. When he gets his Blink Dagger, he no longer has to sit at the edges of team-fights throwing Fissures in and occasionally moving close to cast Enchant Totem. With a Blink Dagger, you can position Fissure more carefully to block off paths completely. You can also Blink closer to enemies to cast and stun enemies more easily with Enchant Totem, since they will have no time to react from it. Lastly, a Blink Dagger allows you to use Echo Slam effectively, as you will be able to cast it the split-second you see your enemies bunched together. Earthshaker’s overall potential is massively increased with a Blink Dagger.
A Force Staff is a great follow-up item to get after a Blink Dagger. This is because it helps him move in and out of fights more easily, since he can Force himself out of danger after blinking in. This makes it a great item against heroes with slows or disables which can keep you at the front in fights, since Earthshaker is not a tanky hero. It’s also great against heroes such as Clockwerk or Tusk, since they can block you in an area, as Earthshaker has little mobility otherwise. In addition to this, with the chance of a Fissure blocking yourself off from an escape path, it can be a very important item.
A Eul’s Scepter can be a great item to get after a Blink Dagger. It effectively fulfills the same function as a Force Staff, which is helping to keep you alive after initiating with an Echo Slam or Enchant Totem. The mana regeneration is incredibly helpful for Earthshaker’s relatively small mana-pool. The extra movement speed is also helpful when it comes to positioning your spells, and lastly, the active Cyclone can be used effectively both aggressively and offensively. It will purge yourself of any negative de-buffs and you can use it on an enemy who is just out of your reach to move in close enough for an Enchant Totem/Fissure combo. While they are in the air, you can also position yourself to get a strong Fissure block off.
A Shadow Blade can be a great item to get in most games, unless you have lots of heroes with invisibility. Its strength lies in the fact that you can use Enchant Totem and go invisible to approach an enemy, where you can attack an enemy for the extra damage from attacking from invisibility and the Enchant Totem damage in addition to being able to follow up with an Echo Slam/Enchant Totem to keep them disabled for even longer. It can be a great item to get if you’re playing against split-pushing heroes who may have aggressive wards up to see you otherwise approach with a Blink Dagger. It can be built into a Silver Edge later, which makes it even more potent and overall, it’s a great item if you’re playing more of a core Earthshaker and want to pump out some more physical damage.
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A Silver Edge is mainly purchased to deal with enemies who have strong passives which may make them harder to kill. It’s a great upgrade to Silver Edge, as the extra stats grant you more strength. The strength stat is very helpful because it gets converted to damage which is multiplied from Enchant Totem. It’s a great item on a core Earthshaker, as it will increase your DPS and provide you a great means to deal with heroes with passives.
A Shiva’s Guard is a great late game item to get in case you need to tank up against lots of physical damage. The damage from the active slow also helps at clearing enemy illusions and creeps, although this is usually not necessary since they will take massive amount of damage from Echo Slam. However, it can be a great item to get to follow-up a big Echo Slam, as the slow will keep enemies near each other for longer, thus making them more vulnerable to AoE spells from your allies. The armor and attack speed slow aura will also help to tank u
A Lotus Orb is another great item to get in the late game if you’re playing against lots of single-target disables and/or negative de-buffs. It also provides some armor and regeneration which can be great against line-ups with lots of physical damage. Earthshaker is usually on the back-lines of a team-fight, so keep an eye out for allies who may need the defensive active.
An Aghanim’s Scepter is a very interesting item to get. It provides Earthshaker with a massive amount of mobility in the late game, which can be excellent against line-ups with very mobile heroes or line-ups who have lots of slows. The mobility in itself is never bad, but it may not always be needed so direly. Consider if another item such as Scythe of Vyse or Shiva’s Guard would be better in your situation.
A Scythe of Vyse is a great late game item on Earthshaker as it provides him with even more lockdown and a massive increase to his mana-regeneration. It can be a good item to get if you’re playing against a very farmed carry or a very mobile hero who can be hard to lockdown.
A Daedalus can be a very strong item on Earthshaker if you’re playing in more of a carry role. This is because you can deal critical damage after using Enchant Totem to gain the attack bonus, effectively giving you the chance to crit the Enchant Totem damage. This can be incredibly effective if you have some strength item such as a Heart of Tarrasque, as this will drastically increase the damage dealt through Enchant Totem crits. It’s not always a very popular item, since Earthshaker isn’t a traditional carry, and a Daedalus doesn’t really help him to carry, since he can’t usually go toe-to-toe with more orthodox carries. However, it will drastically increase your physical damage output and can be very helpful in bringing down farmed but relatively squishy carries.
A Black King Bar can be a great item in many situations and is quite popular on the hero. It remains situational because it may not be needed every game, but it is an excellent purchase on him. This is because it can be used to ensure that no silences or damage over time effects will stop him from Blinking and using his combo for longer than 3 seconds. It grants more strength and damage, the former of which is particularly helpful and the damage is always nice too. The magic immunity will make sure that you won’t get blown up after using your spells in a team-fight, or that you don’t get killed too quickly beforehand if an enemy attempts to pick you off. Overall, it can be a very helpful item to pickup.
A Linken’s Sphere can be a decent item to get if you’re playing against a line-up with lots of strong single-target spells, The stats it provides are generally helpful but not necessarily amazing on Earthshaker. In general, it’s rarely picked up over a Lotus Orb on this hero because you’re unlikely to get targeted by spells don’t matter if they are reflected, such as Duel if you manage to position yourself well in team-fights. It can be good to have it so that you can cast it on an ally, but it’s quite expensive and may not always be the most helpful item you can get.
Aeon Disk is quite a unique item but certainly has its place in Earthshaker’s inventory in a few situations. As with any other hero, it can be good if you’re playing against heroes who can burst you down quickly while you are disabled. It can be good against heroes such as Windrunner and Batrider, as it will give you a short windows to escape their disables after being initiated upon. An Aeon Disk is particularly strong on Earthshaker because it’s quite important that the hero survives long enough to get his spells off, along with any big items, in team-fights before dying.
A Heart of Tarrasque is a very strong item on Earthshaker. It grants a massive increase to his health regen which allows him to team-fight for even longer. This works great on him, because if he takes a lot of damage, he can heal up on the side-lines of a fight, throwing Fissures whenever necessary without the risk of being gone on because you’re at low health. The extra strength is also very strong because it massively increases the amount of damage your right-clicks deal, especially through Enchant Totem. The raw strength is multiplied, as it counts as base-damage, which means that each Enchant Totem will be dealing an extra 180 physical damage.
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Clockwerk is an excellent counter to Earthshaker because he can locate him on the side-lines of a team-fight with Rocket Flare, Hookshot onto him, and keep him locked down with a Power Cogs and Battery Assault combo. This will prevent him from using Blink Dagger or any of his spells to contribute to a fight in any way. Until he gets a Force Staff, Earthshaker has no answers to Clockwerk other than to be very careful and wary of his position.
Earth Spirit is another hero who can get on top of Earthshaker and prevent him from contributing as much in a team-fight. Magnetize will prevent him from using Blink Dagger for a very long time, and he can also silence and stun Earthshaker if he tries to flee or react with any spells. Until Earthshaker gets some defensive items such as Eul’s Scepter, Shadow Blade or Black King Bar, he need to be very careful.
Sniper is generally a strong hero against Earthshaker for several reasons. Firstly, Shrapnel prevents Earthshaker from blinking in or out of a team-fight, and can also be used to scout areas and provide vision of Earthshaker if he is hiding in nearby trees. Secondly, Sniper rarely stands next to any other units in team-fights, since he usually attacks from far away. This makes it hard for Earthshaker to use any of his spells on him except for Fissure. It also makes it hard for Earthshaker to Blink in to the enemy team, since Sniper will usually be able to kill him quite quickly afterwards.
Heroes who have global damage spells such as Thundergod’s Wrath, Wrath of Nature or Haunt are strong against Earthshaker, as they can prevent him from using Blink Dagger in team-fights. In particular, Spectre can be very strong against him, since she can jump to her Haunt illusion and kill Earthshaker quite quickly since he usually stands to the sides of team-fights alone.
Heroes such as Riki or Bounty Hunter are usually very strong against Earthshaker. This is because theses heroes should try to find you on the back lines or to the side of a team-fight and try to kill you, or at least preventing you from contributing as much in team-fights. To deal with them, bring detection in the form of Sentry Wards, and try to position yourself so that your allies can help you if you are gone on.
Heroes who can summon creeps or illusions are usually very countered by Earthshaker. This is because they are more potential units for you to Echo Slam. Consider defending each tower if heroes such as Nature’s Prophet or Broodmother and pushing in, as you may be able to get a few kills. In general, enemies will be careful of Echo Slam and stand far from the creeps. However, if you have another hero on your team who can initiate a team-fight while they are pushing into you, their ranks may break and they may forget about their positioning, giving you a perfect opportunity to get a good Echo Slam off.
Heroes who have powerful AoE disables are great allies to Earthshaker because they can potentially set up for a massive Echo Slam. For example, Enigma could use Black Hole on several enemies for Earthshaker to be able to AoE them down with his combo. Similar heroes include Dark Seer, Magnus.
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