Mjollnir
Mithril Hammer
Javelin
Gloves of Haste
Maelstrom in Dota 2: who buys it, when it wins and what it costs
Kevin · Dota2Arena · updated Oct 28, 2026 · numbers live from our scannerMaelstrom costs 2,950 gold and shows up in 20% of ranked matches. Players holding it at the end win 34.8% of their games across 467,169 inventories, most often on Windranger and Sniper. It wins most in the early game (47.3%) and least in the mid game (33.2%).
What Maelstrom does
Passive: Chain Lightning
Grants a 25% chance on attack to release a bolt of electricity that leaps between 4 targets within a 650 radius, dealing 110 magical damage to each. Lightning proc pierces evasion.
In numbers: +25 damage, +25 attack speed.
Who buys Maelstrom
The share says how many games of a hero end with Maelstrom in the inventory, the win rate is that hero's win rate in exactly those games. A high share with an average win rate means the item is standard on the hero; a low share with a high win rate means it is a situational pick that works when it is needed.
| Hero | Share of games | Win rate with it | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windranger | 38% | 41.7% | 135,720 |
| Sniper | 19% | 33.6% | 76,443 |
| Lina | 10% | 31.5% | 30,460 |
| Hoodwink | 12% | 40.4% | 28,917 |
| Nature's Prophet | 12% | 27.4% | 20,824 |
| Weaver | 16% | 35.4% | 16,633 |
| Faceless Void | 9% | 17.0% | 14,742 |
| Mirana | 6% | 39.3% | 14,054 |
When to buy it
Win rate by match length tells you in which kind of game the item pays off. Items that win short games are usually bought early and snowball; items that win long games are late-game purchases or things you buy when the game is already going well, so read the number as "games with this item at this length" rather than as advice to rush it.
| Phase | Match length | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early game | under 25 min | 47.3% | 12,215 |
| Mid game | 25–40 min | 33.2% | 247,059 |
| Late game | over 40 min | 36.0% | 208,160 |
What to combine it with
These items sit in the same final inventory as Maelstrom most often (based on every 4th match). Boots and other staples appear on almost every list; the interesting entries are the ones specific to this item.
| Item | In the same inventory | Cost |
|---|---|---|
 Power Treads | 55% | 1,400 |
 Black King Bar | 28% | 4,050 |
 Wraith Band | 19% | 505 |
 Blink Dagger | 16% | 2,250 |
 Daedalus | 13% | 5,200 |
 Hurricane Pike | 12% | 4,450 |
 Dragon Lance | 12% | 1,900 |
 Crystalys | 11% | 2,000 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Maelstrom good right now?
In our window Maelstrom ends up in winning inventories 34.8% of the time across 467,169 ranked games, below the 50 % mark. It does best in the early game (47.3%) and worst in the mid game (33.2%).
Which heroes buy Maelstrom?
Windranger (38% of games), Sniper (19% of games), Lina (10% of games), Hoodwink (12% of games), Nature's Prophet (12% of games). The highest win rate with it belongs to Windranger at 41.7%.
How much does Maelstrom cost and what do you need?
Maelstrom costs 2,950 gold in total: Mithril Hammer (1,600), Javelin (900), Gloves of Haste (450) and a recipe for 0.
What does Maelstrom build into?
Maelstrom is a component of Mjollnir (5,500).