Dazzle, the Shadow Priest: Ultimate Skills and Item Build Guide — DotA 1

Dazzle, the Shadow Priest, is a versatile support hero who excels at keeping his allies alive through critical situations while simultaneously weakening enemy defenses. With massive Intelligence scaling and unique abilities that manipulate damage and armor, Dazzle is the quintessential protector, capable of turning the tide of team fights through sheer attrition and timely interventions.


Base Stats & Attributes

Hero Attributes

Attribute Base Value Growth (per level)
Strength 18 2.5
Agility 21 1.7
Intelligence 25 3.7

Statistics & Mechanics

Statistic Value Mechanic Value
Damage 47-53 Base HP Regen 0.25/s
HP 560 HP Regen +2.05/s
MP 350 MP Regen +1.26/s
Armor 2 Turn Rate 0.6
Move Speed 305 Base Attack Time (BAT) 1.7
Attack Range 550 Attack Animations 0.3 / 0.3

Hero Skills Breakdown

1. Poison Touch

Releases a cone of toxins that strikes multiple enemy units. The afflicted targets take damage over time and suffer a movement speed penalty. The duration of this effect is refreshed whenever the target is attacked by a player-controlled unit or Roshan, and the effect can stack.

  • Damage Type: Smashing
  • Behavior: Effect stacks on the same target.
Level Damage per Second Movement Slow % Duration Max Targets Cooldown Manacost
1 16 14% 4 seconds 2 27 seconds 110
2 28 16% 5 seconds 4 24 seconds 120
3 40 18% 6 seconds 6 21 seconds 130
4 52 20% 7 seconds 8 18 seconds 140

2. Shallow Grave

Bestows a protective ward upon a targeted allied hero that prevents them from dying for a set duration, regardless of how much damage they receive.

  • Exception: Does not prevent death from Axe's Culling Blade if the target is below the kill threshold.
Level Cast Range Cooldown Manacost
1 700 36 seconds 150
2 800 30 seconds 150
3 900 24 seconds 150
4 1000 18 seconds 150

3. Shadow Wave

Sends forth a wave of dark energy that heals the caster and several nearby allies. Each unit healed by this wave also releases an burst of damage to all enemies in their immediate vicinity.

  • Damage Type: Smashing
  • Scepter Upgrade: Increases bounce count and distance; applies a basic dispel to allies.
Level Damage/Heal Amount Ally Count Cooldown Manacost
1 80 2 14 seconds 90
2 100 3 12 seconds 100
3 120 4 10 seconds 110
4 140 5 8 seconds 120

4. Bad Juju

A passive ability that reduces the cooldown of the hero's spells and items. Furthermore, whenever the hero casts an ability, all nearby enemies suffer a stacking armor reduction debuff.

  • Restriction: Does not affect Roshan.
Level Cooldown Reduction Armor Reduction Cooldown Manacost
1 26% 2 Passive 0
2 38% 2.25 Passive 0
3 50% 2.5 Passive 0

Item Build Guide

Phase Recommended Items Strategic Purpose
Early Game Magic Wand, Tranquil Boots, Clarity Sustain lane presence and mana for frequent spell casting.
Core Items Aghanim's Scepter, Arcane Boots, Mekansm Enhance team-wide healing, provide dispels, and restore mana.
Late Game Guardian Greaves, Glimmer Cape, Scythe of Vyse Provide clutch dispels, invisibility/magic resist, and hard crowd control.

Quick Gameplay Tips

  • Grave Timing: Use Shallow Grave only when an ally is critically low on health and being focused by the enemy team. Using it too early wastes the duration, while using it too late may not prevent the target from being chain-stunned and killed immediately after the effect expires.
  • Armor Stacking: Bad Juju reduces armor whenever you cast a spell. In team fights, chain your abilities together—using Shadow Wave and Poison Touch in quick succession—to rapidly stack armor reduction on the enemy team, significantly increasing your team's physical damage output.
  • Wave Positioning: When using Shadow Wave, try to position yourself near multiple allies or within the enemy creep wave. Because the healing wave also deals damage around every unit it jumps to, you can use it to push lanes or deal significant burst damage to clustered enemies.