Crixalis, the Sand King, is a premier melee Strength initiator, ganker, and area-denial specialist in DotA 1. While possessing balanced Agility and Intelligence base values, his high Strength growth fuels his capability to dive directly into the heart of battle. He excels at catching multiple enemies with linear crowd control, melting creep waves, and channeling devastating, expanding seismic waves that disrupt and tear apart enemy formations during team fights.
Base Stats & Attributes
Hero Attributes
| Attribute |
Base Value |
Growth (per level) |
| Strength |
22 |
+3.0 |
| Agility |
19 |
+1.8 |
| Intelligence |
19 |
+1.8 |
Statistics & Mechanics
| Statistic |
Value |
Mechanic |
Value |
| Damage |
45-61 |
Base HP Regen |
0.25/s |
| HP |
640 |
HP Regen |
+2.45/s |
| MP |
278 |
MP Regen |
+0.96/s |
| Armor |
1.7 |
Turn Rate |
0.5 |
| Move Speed |
290 |
Base Attack Time (BAT) |
1.7 |
| Attack Range |
150 (melee) |
Attack Animations |
0.53 / 0.47 |
Hero Skills Breakdown
1. Burrowstrike
The Sand King burrows into the ground and tunnels forward, impaling everything above him, then resurfaces. Deals magical damage.
- Damage Type: Magical
- Targeting/Shape: Linear ground-target or unit-target path.
- Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade: Significantly extends the maximum cast range and automatically injects enemy heroes impaled by the spike with the current level of Caustic Finale.
| Skill Level |
Damage (Magical) |
Stun Duration |
Maximum Range |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
100 |
1.6 sec |
400 |
14 sec |
110 |
| Level 2 |
160 |
1.8 sec |
500 |
13 sec |
120 |
| Level 3 |
220 |
2.0 sec |
600 |
12 sec |
130 |
| Level 4 |
280 |
2.2 sec |
700 |
11 sec |
140 |
2. Sand Storm
Create an enormous Sand Storm which makes the Sand King invisible, while damaging his enemies. It deals magical damage per second to nearby enemy units. Damage comes regularly, meaning each instance deals half of the DPS. Sand King can act freely within the Storm, but when he attacks or casts a spell he will be revealed briefly. The Sand Storm instantly stops when the Sand King leaves its area or casts another Storm.
- Damage Type: Magical
- Tick Rate: Deals damage every 0.5 seconds (each instance inflicts exactly half of the listed Damage Per Second).
- Reveal Fade Time: Attacking or casting a separate ability breaks invisibility for exactly 0.7 seconds before cloaking again inside the storm perimeter.
- Termination Conditions: The storm is instantly dispelled if Crixalis moves completely out of the area or channels a new Sand Storm instance.
| Skill Level |
Storm Duration |
Damage Per Second (DPS) |
Area of Effect (AoE) |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
20 seconds |
20 |
425 |
40 sec |
60 |
| Level 2 |
25 seconds |
45 |
500 |
34 sec |
60 |
| Level 3 |
30 seconds |
70 |
575 |
28 sec |
60 |
| Level 4 |
35 seconds |
95 |
650 |
22 sec |
60 |
3. Caustic Finale
Sand King's attacks inject a venom that causes enemy units to move more slowly and to explode violently upon death, spreading magical damage around, depending on maximum victim's HP. Slow reduces enemy's movespeed. Denied targets don't explode. Exploding illusions do not provide HP-based bonus damage.
- Ability Type: Passive Attack Modifier
- Damage Type: Magical
- Debuff Duration: Fixed 5 seconds
- Exception Rules: Denied units will not trigger the explosion mechanics. Illusions that detonate under the effect only deal the flat base damage; they do not contribute the percentage-based maximum health bonus damage.
| Skill Level |
Flat Base Explosion Damage |
Max HP Scaling Percentage |
Movement Speed Slow % |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
70 |
10% |
10% |
Passive |
0 |
| Level 2 |
90 |
14% |
15% |
Passive |
0 |
| Level 3 |
110 |
18% |
20% |
Passive |
0 |
| Level 4 |
130 |
22% |
25% |
Passive |
0 |
4. Epicenter
Sends a disturbance into the earth, causing it to shudder violently. All caught within range will take magical damage and become slowed. First pulse affects a base area, and each following pulse expands the coverage area.
- Damage Type: Magical
- Channeling Time: Required 2.0-second cast time before pulses begin; moving or getting disabled during this window cancels the ultimate entirely.
- Pulse Expansion Mechanic: The first pulse radiates at a base radius of 500. Each consecutive pulse permanently adds an extra 25 to the radius, expanding the total Area of Effect dynamically with every wave.
| Skill Level |
Total Pulses |
Damage Per Pulse (Magical) |
Maximum Potential Damage |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
6 |
110 |
660 |
120 sec |
150 |
| Level 2 |
8 |
120 |
960 |
110 sec |
225 |
| Level 3 |
10 |
130 |
1300 |
100 sec |
300 |
Item Build Guide
| Phase |
Recommended Items |
Strategic Purpose |
| Early Game |
Arcane Boots, Magic Wand, Bracer |
Arcane Boots expand Crixalis's low primary mana pool, supporting expensive early Burrowstrike and Sand Storm costs. Bracer offers efficient, affordable health scaling. |
| Core Items |
Blink Dagger, Aghanim's Scepter, Black King Bar (BKB) |
Blink Dagger is absolutely non-negotiable for positioning after casting Epicenter. Aghanim’s Scepter massively boosts your catch range, and BKB ensures you can channel your ultimate safely. |
| Late Game |
Shiva's Guard, Veil of Discord, Heart of Tarrasque |
Shiva's Guard adds armor and active stacking slow synergy. Veil of Discord amplifies the massive magical payload of Epicenter, and Heart reinforces your endgame tankiness. |
Quick Gameplay Tips
- The Epicenter-Blink Transfer: Never use Blink Dagger to initiate before using your ultimate. Always channel Epicenter completely safely inside the fog of war, bushes, or high ground first. During the split second after the 2.0-second channeling completes and the first pulse fires, use your Blink Dagger to teleport directly on top of the enemy team. The active seismic waves will travel seamlessly with you to your new location.
- Caustic Lane Detonation: To completely clear an enemy creep wave or force a lane opponent away, hit every low-health enemy creep once to seed them with the Caustic Finale debuff. Once multiple units are infected, finish off one creep with a standard attack or a short Burrowstrike. The chain-reaction explosion from the first dying creep will instantly detonate the rest, yielding immense immediate magical burst to any nearby enemy hero.
