Essence Distiller
Spirit Vessel
Sage's Mask
Ring of Protection
Circlet
Recipe
Urn of Shadows in Dota 2: who buys it, when it wins and what it costs
Kevin · Dota2Arena · updated Oct 28, 2026 · numbers live from our scannerUrn of Shadows costs 825 gold and shows up in 16% of ranked matches. Players holding it at the end win 41.9% of their games across 361,311 inventories, most often on Witch Doctor and Spectre. It wins most in the early game (43.2%) and least in the mid game (41.2%).
What Urn of Shadows does
Active: Soul Release
Provides 30 health regeneration when cast on allies, and deals 25 damage per second when cast on enemies. Lasts 8 seconds. Gains charges every time an enemy hero dies within 1500 units.
In numbers: +1 mana regen, +2 all attributes, +2 armor, 10s cooldown.
- Empty urns gain 2 charges.
- If the allied unit is attacked by an enemy hero or Roshan, the effect is lost.
- Does not trigger spell block or spell reflect.
Who buys Urn of Shadows
The share says how many games of a hero end with Urn of Shadows 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Witch Doctor | 10% | 46.0% | 39,374 |
| Spectre | 18% | 43.6% | 38,607 |
| Spirit Breaker | 6% | 43.1% | 22,488 |
| Invoker | 5% | 42.3% | 17,953 |
| Pudge | 3% | 41.4% | 17,231 |
| Mirana | 7% | 43.7% | 15,653 |
| Venomancer | 9% | 38.0% | 13,425 |
| Bounty Hunter | 7% | 39.9% | 9,942 |
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 | 43.2% | 15,146 |
| Mid game | 25–40 min | 41.2% | 218,058 |
| Late game | over 40 min | 43.0% | 128,361 |
What to combine it with
These items sit in the same final inventory as Urn of Shadows 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 |
|---|---|---|
 Arcane Boots | 32% | 1,500 |
 Aghanim's Scepter | 21% | 4,200 |
 Blink Dagger | 21% | 2,250 |
 Power Treads | 18% | 1,400 |
 Tranquil Boots | 17% | 900 |
 Glimmer Cape | 16% | 2,150 |
 Radiance | 11% | 4,700 |
 Eul's Scepter of Divinity | 10% | 2,600 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Urn of Shadows good right now?
In our window Urn of Shadows ends up in winning inventories 41.9% of the time across 361,311 ranked games, below the 50 % mark. It does best in the early game (43.2%) and worst in the mid game (41.2%).
Which heroes buy Urn of Shadows?
Witch Doctor (10% of games), Spectre (18% of games), Spirit Breaker (6% of games), Invoker (5% of games), Pudge (3% of games). The highest win rate with it belongs to Nyx Assassin at 47.4%.
How much does Urn of Shadows cost and what do you need?
Urn of Shadows costs 825 gold in total: Sage's Mask (175), Ring of Protection (175), Circlet (155) and a recipe for 320.
What does Urn of Shadows build into?
Urn of Shadows is a component of Essence Distiller (1,775), Spirit Vessel (2,725).