Slardar, the Slithereen Guard, is a powerful and aggressive melee Strength initiator and physical damage carry in DotA 1. Driven by exceptional Strength growth and high base armor, his core role centers on hunting down targets, breaking enemy formations, and melting high-priority targets by stripping away their defenses. He thrives in fast-paced skirmishes where his high mobility and lockdown can completely dictate the tempo of battle.
Base Stats & Attributes
Hero Attributes
| Attribute |
Base Value |
Growth (per level) |
| Strength |
21 |
+3.6 |
| Agility |
17 |
+2.4 |
| Intelligence |
15 |
+1.5 |
Statistics & Mechanics
| Statistic |
Value |
Mechanic |
Value |
| Damage |
51-59 |
Base HP Regen |
0.25/s |
| HP |
620 |
HP Regen (Total) |
+2.35/s |
| MP |
230 |
MP Regen (Total) |
+0.76/s |
| Armor |
5.4 |
Turn Rate |
0.5 |
| Move Speed |
300 |
Base Attack Time (BAT) |
1.7 |
| Attack Range |
150 (melee) |
Attack Animations |
0.36 / 0.64 |
Hero Skills Breakdown
1. Sprint
Slardar increases his Movement speed dramatically. Also grants Phased movement, allowing to pass through units.
- Buff Duration: Fixed 10 seconds
- Movement Type: Phased movement (allows collision-free movement through units)
- Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade: Grants passive bonuses (+10 armor, +40% Status Resistance, and +30 HP regeneration) and updates Slithereen Crush to generate a temporary puddle.
| Skill Level |
Movement Speed Increase |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
16% |
17 sec |
25 |
| Level 2 |
24% |
17 sec |
25 |
| Level 3 |
32% |
17 sec |
25 |
| Level 4 |
40% |
17 sec |
25 |
2. Slithereen Crush
Slams the ground, damaging nearby enemy units and stunning them. Slows enemy units afterwards, reducing their movespeed and attack speed.
- Damage Type: Smashing (Physical/Magical mixed baseline type)
- Stun Duration: Fixed 1.0 second
- Area of Effect (AoE): Targets units directly surrounding the hero
- Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade Interaction: Spawns a 600 radius puddle on the ground lasting 25 seconds, which automatically activates all of Sprint's upgraded passive benefits while Slardar stands inside it.
| Skill Level |
Crush Damage |
Slow Duration |
Movement/Attack Slow % |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
80 |
3 sec |
20% |
8 sec |
90 |
| Level 2 |
140 |
4 sec |
25% |
8 sec |
100 |
| Level 3 |
200 |
5 sec |
30% |
8 sec |
110 |
| Level 4 |
260 |
6 sec |
35% |
8 sec |
120 |
3. Bash of the Deep
After a fixed number of attacks on non-building enemies, your next attack will bash the target. Bash provides bonus physical damage and stuns the target. Deals amplified bonus damage against non-heroes.
- Damage Type: Physical
- Required Hit Count: Triggered automatically on the 4th attack (after 3 preceding hits)
- Target Restrictions: Only counts and triggers on non-building enemy units
- Non-Hero Multiplier: Deals double (2x) the listed bonus physical damage value against creeps and summons
- Item Conflicts: Strictly disabled from stacking with Cranium Basher or Abyssal Blade; buying these items disables their internal bash mechanics.
| Skill Level |
Bonus Physical Damage |
Stun Duration |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
50 |
1.0 sec |
Passive |
0 |
| Level 2 |
100 |
1.1 sec |
Passive |
0 |
| Level 3 |
150 |
1.2 sec |
Passive |
0 |
| Level 4 |
200 |
1.3 sec |
Passive |
0 |
4. Corrosive Haze
Amplifies physical damage against enemy units by reducing their armor. This curse also grants True Sight and vision of the target.
- Vision Type: Grants total vision and True Sight (reveals invisible units) of the target
- Debuff Duration: Fixed 25 seconds
| Skill Level |
Armor Reduction |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
-10 Armor |
5 sec |
25 |
| Level 2 |
-15 Armor |
5 sec |
25 |
| Level 3 |
-20 Armor |
5 sec |
25 |
Item Build Guide
| Phase |
Recommended Items |
Strategic Purpose |
| Early Game |
Power Treads, Magic Wand, Bracer |
Power Treads offer attack speed to accelerate Bash of the Deep counters. Magic Wand and Bracer provide raw durability and vital stats to bridge your early lane phase. |
| Core Items |
Blink Dagger, Black King Bar, Aghanim's Scepter |
Blink Dagger is non-negotiable for gap-closing initiation. BKB ensures uninterrupted combat, while Scepter turns Slithereen Crush puddles into safe zones with armor, health regen, and status resistance. |
| Late Game |
Assault Cuirass, Moon Shard, Heart of Tarrasque |
Assault Cuirass stacks armor reduction with Corrosive Haze. Moon Shard maximizes attack speed for perpetual stuns via Bash of the Deep, and Heart sustains your frontline lifespan. |
Quick Gameplay Tips
- Pre-Charging the Deep Bash: Before blinking into an enemy hero, prime your passive by attacking neutral creeps or lane creeps exactly 3 times. Your very first strike out of your Blink initiation will guarantee an immediate physical bash and stun, allowing you to seamlessly chain it into Slithereen Crush.
- Vision Tracking and Pre-Casting: Because Corrosive Haze has an incredibly low 5-second cooldown and provides total True Sight, actively apply it to targets before they slip into the fog of war or use invisibility skills. The visual tracking prevents you from wasting a high-value Slithereen Crush on blind ground guess-work.
