Silver Edge
Claymore
Blitz Knuckles
Shadow Amulet
Shadow Blade in Dota 2: who buys it, when it wins and what it costs
Kevin · Dota2Arena · updated Oct 28, 2026 · numbers live from our scannerShadow Blade costs 3,250 gold and shows up in 26% of ranked matches. Players holding it at the end win 43.8% of their games across 620,249 inventories, most often on Spirit Breaker and Sniper. It wins most in the early game (67.7%) and least in the late game (42.3%).
What Shadow Blade does
Active: Shadow Walk
Makes you invisible for 17 seconds, or until you attack or cast a spell. While Shadow Walk is active, you move 20% faster and can move through units. If attacking to end the invisibility, you gain 175 bonus physical damage on that attack.
In numbers: +25 damage, +35 attack speed, 25s cooldown, 75 mana.
- Has a 0.3 second fade time.
- If the invisibility ends without attacking, the bonus damage is lost.
Who buys Shadow Blade
The share says how many games of a hero end with Shadow Blade 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Breaker | 47% | 50.4% | 172,785 |
| Sniper | 13% | 41.6% | 54,538 |
| Slark | 16% | 38.8% | 48,430 |
| Lina | 12% | 38.0% | 37,371 |
| Lion | 6% | 53.3% | 35,121 |
| Drow Ranger | 9% | 30.4% | 27,425 |
| Nature's Prophet | 11% | 32.7% | 19,175 |
| Legion Commander | 6% | 48.7% | 19,137 |
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 | 67.7% | 5,454 |
| Mid game | 25–40 min | 45.1% | 271,831 |
| Late game | over 40 min | 42.3% | 343,399 |
What to combine it with
These items sit in the same final inventory as Shadow Blade 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 | 35% | 1,400 |
 Phase Boots | 33% | 1,450 |
 Aghanim's Scepter | 25% | 4,200 |
 Black King Bar | 19% | 4,050 |
 Blink Dagger | 17% | 2,250 |
 Yasha and Kaya | 13% | 4,200 |
 Bracer | 9% | 505 |
 Boots of Travel | 9% | 2,500 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Shadow Blade good right now?
In our window Shadow Blade ends up in winning inventories 43.8% of the time across 620,249 ranked games, below the 50 % mark. It does best in the early game (67.7%) and worst in the late game (42.3%).
Which heroes buy Shadow Blade?
Spirit Breaker (47% of games), Sniper (13% of games), Slark (16% of games), Lina (12% of games), Lion (6% of games). The highest win rate with it belongs to Lion at 53.3%.
How much does Shadow Blade cost and what do you need?
Shadow Blade costs 3,250 gold in total: Claymore (1,350), Blitz Knuckles (1,000), Shadow Amulet (900) and a recipe for 0.
What does Shadow Blade build into?
Shadow Blade is a component of Silver Edge (5,700).