Nortrom, the Silencer, is a formidable Intelligence-based carry and anti-mage in DotA 1. Armed with a toolkit designed to punish spellcasters, he excels at neutralizing enemy utility while permanently siphoning their intellectual essence. Silencer’s core strength lies in his ability to scale infinitely throughout the game; by accumulating stolen Intelligence from his foes, he transforms from a lane-dominant harass specialist into a powerful physical and pure-damage threat. With his ultimate ability capable of muting the entire enemy team across the map, Nortrom is the ultimate counter to any strategy relying on spellcasting synchronization.
2. Base Stats & Attributes
Hero Attributes
| Attribute |
Base Value |
Growth (per level) |
| Strength |
19 |
+2.7 |
| Agility |
22 |
+2.4 |
| Intelligence |
25 |
+2.9 |
Statistics & Mechanics
| Statistic |
Value |
Mechanic |
Value |
| Damage |
43-57 |
Base HP Regen |
0.25/s |
| HP |
580 |
HP Regen |
+2.15/s |
| MP |
350 |
MP Regen |
+1.26/s |
| Armor |
2.1 |
Turn Rate |
0.6 |
| Move Speed |
290 |
Base Attack Time (BAT) |
1.7 |
| Attack Range |
600 (missile: 900) |
Attack Animations |
0.5 / 0.5 |
3. Hero Skills Breakdown
1. Arcane Curse
Curses all enemies within a targeted area, inflicting persistent damage and movement speed penalties. If an affected enemy attempts to cast a spell, the duration of this curse is extended. Furthermore, the curse's duration and damage are paused while the victim is under a silence effect.
- Damage Type: Magical
- Unique Behavior: Duration extends upon enemy spellcasts; effect pauses if the target is silenced
| Level |
Damage per Second |
Movement Speed Slow |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
16 |
9% |
20 seconds |
125 |
| 2 |
26 |
12% |
18 seconds |
130 |
| 3 |
36 |
15% |
16 seconds |
135 |
| 4 |
46 |
18% |
14 seconds |
140 |
2. Glaives of Wisdom
Enchants Nortrom's attacks with his deep knowledge of arcane magic, causing his physical strikes to deal additional damage scaling with his Intelligence. Each attack also temporarily steals Intelligence from the affected enemy hero.
- Damage Type: Pure (Pierces spell immunity/armor)
- Mechanic: Bonus damage is calculated as a percentage of current Intelligence
| Level |
Bonus Damage (% of Int) |
Intelligence Stolen |
Steal Duration |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
15% |
1 |
10 seconds |
0 seconds |
15 |
| 2 |
35% |
1 |
20 seconds |
0 seconds |
15 |
| 3 |
55% |
2 |
30 seconds |
0 seconds |
15 |
| 4 |
75% |
3 |
40 seconds |
0 seconds |
15 |
3. Last Word
Marks a target enemy, inflicting damage and triggering a silence immediately upon their next spellcast or when the debuff duration expires.
- Damage Type: Magical
- Unique Behavior: Damage scales with the Intelligence difference between Silencer and the target
- Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade: Applies the effect in an area of effect, hitting all enemies in the targeted radius
| Level |
Base Damage |
Int-Difference Multiplier |
Silence Duration |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
120 |
1.5x |
3 seconds |
22 seconds |
100 |
| 2 |
160 |
2.0x |
4 seconds |
18 seconds |
105 |
| 3 |
200 |
2.5x |
5 seconds |
14 seconds |
110 |
| 4 |
240 |
3.0x |
6 seconds |
10 seconds |
115 |
4. Global Silence
Silencer unleashes a wave of energy that instantly prevents all enemy heroes on the map from casting spells.
- Mechanic: Global Silence
- Effect: Prevents all active spellcasting
| Level |
Silence Duration |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
4.5 seconds |
130 seconds |
300 |
| 2 |
5.25 seconds |
115 seconds |
450 |
| 3 |
6.0 seconds |
100 seconds |
600 |
4. Item Build Guide
| Phase |
Recommended Items |
Strategic Purpose |
| Early Game |
Null Talisman, Power Treads, Magic Wand |
Null Talisman maximizes your early Intelligence scaling. Power Treads offer attack speed for proccing Glaives of Wisdom, and Magic Wand provides burst survivability. |
| Core Items |
Hurricane Pike, Orchid Malevolence, Rod of Atos |
Hurricane Pike allows you to maintain attack range while orb-walking. Orchid provides a crucial silence to ensure kills, and Rod of Atos keeps enemies in range for your glaives. |
| Late Game |
Scythe of Vyse, Shiva's Guard, Bloodthorn |
Scythe of Vyse offers the hard lockdown required in the late game. Shiva's Guard provides the armor you desperately need, and Bloodthorn capitalizes on your high attack speed. |
5. Quick Gameplay Tips
- Intelligence Stealing Priority: Glaives of Wisdom is not just for damage—it is your scaling tool. Always prioritize attacking enemy heroes during skirmishes to drain their Intelligence. Not only does this empower your glaives, but it actively lowers the enemy’s maximum mana pool, often preventing them from casting their most important ultimate abilities.
- Global Silence Timing: Do not use Global Silence solely to initiate. Often, the best use is to wait for the enemy to begin their combo. By silencing them right as they cast their primary initiation spell, you disrupt their team-fight rhythm and force them to retreat or fight without their main utility, significantly increasing your win probability.
- Arcane Curse Cycling: Always lead with Arcane Curse on groups of enemies before silence-heavy teamfights. Because the curse duration pauses when a unit is silenced, it forces the enemy to make a choice: take the damage while you silence them, or avoid casting spells and lose the ability to fight back effectively.