Anub'seran, the Nerubian Weaver: Skills and Item Build Guide — DotA 1

1. Introduction

Anub'seran, the Nerubian Weaver, is an exceptionally elusive, ranged Agility carry and skirmisher in DotA 1. Celebrated for his unrivaled mobility and slippery nature, he excels at weaving in and out of teamfights, shredding armor, and repositioning instantly to outmaneuver his foes. Backed by a phenomenal Agility growth of +3.1 per level, his playstyle revolves around constant spatial manipulation, slipping into invisibility to harass enemies, and using temporal rewind mechanics to cheat death itself.


2. Base Stats & Attributes

Hero Attributes

Attribute Base Value Growth (per level)
Strength 16 +2.0
Agility 14 +3.1
Intelligence 16 +2.0

Statistics & Mechanics

Statistic Value Mechanic Value
Damage 50-60 Base HP Regen 0.25/s
HP 520 HP Regen +1.85/s
MP 242 MP Regen +0.81/s
Armor 2 Turn Rate 0.5
Move Speed 275 Base Attack Time (BAT) 1.8
Attack Range 425 (missile speed 900) Attack Animations 0.64 / 0.36

3. Hero Skills Breakdown

1. The Swarm

Summons a swarm of parasitic insects that fly towards the target point, latching onto any enemy they come in contact with. They eat away at the target's life and armor until they are either destroyed or their lifespan ends. No enemy can have more than a single parasite latched onto them at once.

  • Damage Type: Physical
  • Target Interaction: Only one parasite can latch onto a single enemy at any time
  • Parasite Health: Takes exactly 4 basic attacks to destroy
  • Max Lifespan: Up to 16 seconds
Level Attack Cooldown Damage Per Bite (Physical) Cooldown Manacost
1 1.15 seconds 18 44 seconds 110
2 1.00 seconds 20 36 seconds 110
3 0.85 seconds 22 28 seconds 110
4 0.70 seconds 24 20 seconds 110

2. Shukuchi

Causes the Nerubian Weaver to move so fast as to become invisible. Any units passed through will take magical damage. Adds MS and removes movement speed limit for the duration.

  • Damage Type: Magical
  • Duration: 4 seconds
  • Special State: Removes the standard movement speed cap, allowing Weaver to sprint beyond normal thresholds while invisible
Level Magical Damage Movement Speed (MS) Bonus Cooldown Manacost
1 100 200 12 seconds 70
2 125 220 10 seconds 70
3 150 240 8 seconds 70
4 175 260 6 seconds 70

3. Geminate Attack

Occasionally the Nerubian Weaver will send out two swarms, attacking an opponent twice.

  • Behavior: Automatically launches a second attack projectile at the target shortly after a basic attack
  • Delay: Second projectile fires exactly 0.25 seconds after the initial attack
  • Damage Scaling: The second projectile inflicts increased damage compared to standard basic attacks
Level Bonus Damage Cooldown Manacost
1 10 9 seconds Passive
2 25 7 seconds Passive
3 40 5 seconds Passive
4 55 3 seconds Passive

4. Time Lapse

Weaver warps the flow of time, returning to the condition he was in a short time ago. This affects HP, mana, and position on the map.

  • Temporal Reach: Rewinds Weaver's state to exactly 5 seconds prior
  • Exclusions: Does not affect skill/item cooldowns, gold, or experience (XP)
  • Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade: Significantly reduces the skill's cooldown and allows it to be cast on allied heroes
Level Scepter Cooldown Cooldown Manacost
1 16 seconds 70 seconds 150
2 12 seconds 55 seconds 75
3 8 seconds 40 seconds 0

4. Item Build Guide

Phase Recommended Items Strategic Purpose
Early Game Ring of Aquila, Power Treads, Magic Wand Ring of Aquila provides early damage, armor, and critical mana regeneration to consistently cast Shukuchi. Power Treads are excellent for shifting stats to Strength when threatened, and Magic Wand offers key instant regeneration.
Core Items Linken's Sphere, Desolator, Black King Bar (BKB) Linken's Sphere is Weaver's signature item, blocking instant single-target disables that would otherwise prevent you from using Shukuchi or Time Lapse. Desolator heavily stacks with The Swarm's armor reduction, allowing Geminate Attack to shred targets. BKB ensures you cannot be locked down in large teamfights.
Late Game Butterfly, Daedalus, Heart of Tarrasque Butterfly provides massive Agility, attack speed, and evasion to bolster your carrying power. Daedalus scales perfectly with Geminate Attack for massive burst damage, and Heart of Tarrasque ensures you have a large enough health pool to survive burst combos before casting Time Lapse.

5. Quick Gameplay Tips

  • Maximizing Swarm Aggro & Armor Reduction: In teamfights or when taking Roshan, launch The Swarm early. Each bite from the beetles not only deals physical damage but progressively reduces the target's armor. Because the beetles force enemies to waste precious basic attacks to destroy them, you create an immediate tactical dilemma: attack the beetles or take heavy damage from your team.
  • The Shukuchi Double-Hit Trick: Use Shukuchi to run through a creep wave or an enemy hero to deal its magical damage instance, then immediately reposition to fire a physical Geminate Attack right as the invisibility ends. Keeping close track of the Geminate Attack cooldown indicator lets you execute high-damage, burst-heavy hit-and-run harassment in the laning phase.
  • Temporal Baiting with Time Lapse: Do not use Time Lapse prematurely. You can intentionally bait high-damage ultimate spells and crowd control from the enemy team by running deep into dangerous territory using Shukuchi. Once your health pool is heavily depleted, activate Time Lapse to reset your position, health, and mana back to where you were 5 seconds ago, leaving the enemy with empty cooldowns.