Barathrum, the Spiritbreaker, is a dominant melee Strength gank specialist and chaotic initiator in DotA 1. Boasting one of the highest base health pools and starting armor values in the game, his core role revolves around global map pressure, relentless single-target hunting, and disrupting enemy positioning. He uses his high base durability to dive deep into enemy territory, capitalizing on his movement speed to deliver devastating physical and magical bash damage.
Base Stats & Attributes
Hero Attributes
| Attribute |
Base Value |
Growth (per level) |
| Strength |
29 |
+3.1 |
| Agility |
17 |
+1.7 |
| Intelligence |
14 |
+1.8 |
Statistics & Mechanics
| Statistic |
Value |
Mechanic |
Value |
| Damage |
60-70 |
Base HP Regen |
0.75/s |
| HP |
780 |
HP Regen |
+3.65/s |
| MP |
218 |
MP Regen |
+0.71/s |
| Armor |
4.4 |
Turn Rate |
0.5 |
| Move Speed |
285 |
Base Attack Time (BAT) |
1.9 |
| Attack Range |
150 (melee) |
Attack Animations |
0.6 / 0.3 |
Hero Skills Breakdown
1. Charge of Darkness
Barathrum fixes his sight on an enemy and starts charging through all objects. He ignores the movement speed limit and gains bonus movement speed for the charge duration. Any unit that comes into contact during the charge, including the primary target, triggers a greater bash proc. Upon leaving the shadows, Barathrum shocks his opponent into an immobile state for some time. Charge is interrupted if disabled or any targeted order is given.
- Targeting: Target Unit (Global range, tracks across fog of war)
- Collision Behavior: Automatically triggers a current-level Greater Bash proc on any enemy unit Barathrum physically collides with along the trajectory path.
- Interruption Conditions: Hard disables (stuns, hexes, cyclones) or issuing manual movement/target commands will prematurely cancel the charge.
- Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade: Dramatically lowers the cooldown and introduces an additional flat movement speed bonus. (Note: The in-game skill tooltip does not visually update to reflect these changes).
| Skill Level |
Stun Duration |
Base Move Speed Bonus |
Scepter MS Bonus |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
1.2 sec |
+300 |
+175 |
17 sec (7 sec with Scepter) |
70 |
| Level 2 |
1.6 sec |
+325 |
+175 |
15 sec (7 sec with Scepter) |
80 |
| Level 3 |
2.0 sec |
+350 |
+175 |
13 sec (7 sec with Scepter) |
90 |
| Level 4 |
2.4 sec |
+375 |
+175 |
11 sec (7 sec with Scepter) |
100 |
2. Bulldoze
Spirit Breaker gains bonus movement speed and status resistance to ram through enemies. Can be used while charging.
- Ability Type: Active Self-Buff
- Buff Duration: Fixed 8 seconds
- Interaction: Fully castable during Charge of Darkness without interrupting or canceling the movement.
| Skill Level |
Move Speed Bonus % |
Status Resistance % |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
14% |
34% |
22 sec |
30 |
| Level 2 |
20% |
46% |
20 sec |
40 |
| Level 3 |
26% |
58% |
18 sec |
50 |
| Level 4 |
32% |
70% |
16 sec |
60 |
3. Greater Bash
Gives a chance to bash enemies across the ground, doing magical damage based on your speed.
- Ability Type: Passive
- Damage Type: Magical
- Proc Chance: Fixed 17% chance on landing a basic physical attack.
- Item Incompatibility: Strictly does not stack with Cranium Basher or Abyssal Blade; buying these items disables their internal bash mechanics entirely.
| Skill Level |
Speed-to-Damage Scaling |
Knockback Duration |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
14% of current MS |
0.9 sec |
Passive |
0 |
| Level 2 |
20% of current MS |
1.2 sec |
Passive |
0 |
| Level 3 |
26% of current MS |
1.5 sec |
Passive |
0 |
| Level 4 |
32% of current MS |
1.8 sec |
Passive |
0 |
4. Nether Strike
Moves you next to your target doing extra magical damage. Performs a greater bash hit.
- Ability Type: Target Unit
- Damage Type: Magical
- Mechanic: Instantly teleports Barathrum directly next to the targeted unit, immediately applying a guaranteed Greater Bash proc alongside the bonus skill damage.
| Skill Level |
Bonus Strike Damage (Magical) |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
100 |
90 sec |
125 |
| Level 2 |
175 |
70 sec |
150 |
| Level 3 |
250 |
50 sec |
175 |
Item Build Guide
| Phase |
Recommended Items |
Strategic Purpose |
| Early Game |
Power Treads, Urn of Shadows, Magic Wand |
Power Treads provide crucial attack speed and early damage scaling. Urn of Shadows offers excellent utility, translating successful global ganks into health regen. |
| Core Items |
Black King Bar (BKB), Shadow Blade, Mask of Madness |
Black King Bar guarantees you finish charges and strikes uninterrupted. Shadow Blade offers invisible lane approach vectors, while Mask of Madness accelerates Greater Bash procs through raw attack and movement speed. |
| Late Game |
Assault Cuirass, Aghanim's Scepter, Heaven's Halberd |
Assault Cuirass shores up your attack speed and team armor. Aghanim's Scepter lowers your primary initiation tool to a 7-second cooldown, making you an un-kiteable team fight threat. |
Quick Gameplay Tips
- Pre-Impact Speed Stacking: Always activate Bulldoze (and items like Mask of Madness or Phase Boots if purchased) right before you make physical contact with your Charge of Darkness or Nether Strike targets. Because Greater Bash damage scales exponentially off your active movement speed at the precise millisecond of the hit, this brief spike yields immense burst damage.
- The Counter-Disability Chain: If you are diving into a team fight or ganking an enemy with an instant-cast disable (like Lion or Shadow Shaman), do not open with Nether Strike. Instead, initiate with Charge of Darkness and pop Bulldoze. The 70% status resistance drastically reduces incoming hex or stun durations, allowing you to instantly recover and lock them down with Nether Strike before they can escape.
