Bane
Bane is a master of mental torment and fear, binding heroes with nightmare and leeching their very essence to fuel his dark designs.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“Control the mind, control the fight—Nightmare is not just a spell, it is leverage.”
Lock One, Win the Fight
Your value is single-target lockdown. Create a 1v1 inside your team's burst window and you win the war.
Manage the Sleep
Nightmare is a currency: spend its 1s invulnerability to deny burst, then transfer it to deny engages. Keep Nightmare End ready to reset the board.
Pierce the Wall
Brain Sap ignores Debuff Immunity. When enemies think they're safe behind BKB, you finish them anyway.
Own the Night
1200 night vision is your hidden stat. Seize vision, pick at dusk, and turn the dark into your ally.
Anchor the Channel
Fiend's Grip is long and lethal. Use Glimmer/Force Staff and cover to guarantee the full duration.
Hero Overview
Bane excels at targeted disruption and save play. In lane, Enfeeble reduces enemy attack damage and cast ranges, making trades favorable. Brain Sap is both harassment and sustain, and it fully pierces BKB. Nightmare offers clutch saves and initiation denial with its opening second of invulnerability, and its transfer mechanics can deny enemy plays or reposition danger. Fiend's Grip provides true sight and extended lockdown.
Your gameplan is to set up kills with Enfeeble + Brain Sap, then use Nightmare to deny enemy follow-up or to save low allies during the first 1s invulnerability window. Transfer the Nightmare using normal right-clicks (denying your sleeping ally) or with summons to reposition the effect. In fights, channel Fiend's Grip to hard-lock a priority target and reveal them with true sight. Keep Nightmare End ready to cancel all active Nightmares, including reflected or stolen ones.
Pros
- True single-target lockdown and reliable disable
- Nightmare is a powerful save/invuln tool (1s invuln on apply)
- Brain Sap fully pierces BKB and scales massively vs illusions
- Long range and control tools open up pick-offs
- Good night vision (1200) for vision trades
Cons
- Vulnerable to burst if caught during long channels
- Mana-dependent early on
- Requires coordination to transfer Nightmare effectively
- Counters like Lotus Orb and instant dispels disrupt your ultimate
- Positioning matters: your disable window is your lifeline
Ability Analysis
Enfeeble
ActiveReduces enemy damage and cast ranges (including item-based casts), crippling their ability to trade or cast at range.
Notes: Use on ranged cores or spellcasters to force unfavorable trades. The reduced cast range also limits long-range skillshots and item actives.
Brain Sap
Target UnitA pure damage nuke that heals Bane for the same amount dealt. Fully pierces Debuff Immunity/BKB.
Notes: Exceptional value against illusions due to the damage multiplier. Use in lane for harassment and sustain; in fights, the pierce lets you burn through BKB windows to finish targets.
Nightmare
ActivePuts a unit to sleep for the duration. The first 0.9–1.0s grants full invulnerability. Any non-Bane right-click transfers the Nightmare; damaging spells wake and dispel the sleep.
Notes: Save yourself or allies during the first second of invulnerability to dodge projectiles or setup spells. Transfer by right-clicking the sleeping target or using summons as sacrificial buffers.
Fiend's Grip
ActiveChannels to apply a strong single-target disable with damage over time. Provides true sight on the target.
Notes: Plan for interruptions. Use during reliable cover or after enemies burn BKB/dispel tools. Does not damage couriers, but can stun them.
Nightmare End
ActiveEnds all active Nightmares (including reflected or Rubick-stolen). Can be cast during channels (e.g., Fiend's Grip) and even while stunned.
Notes: Use to instantly clear annoying or recursive Nightmares. Great for interrupting reflected spells or cleaning up teammate misclicks.
Sleepwalk (Facet)
Sub-abilityA variant of Nightmare that reorients the target toward a targeted direction and destroys small trees nearby when they wake. Can be used to nudge allies out of bad zones.
Notes: Creative uses include pulling allies out of Chronosphere/Black Hole edges, breaking trees for vision, countering Sprout, or baiting Pounce leashes by walking to the edge and briefly Nightmareing forward.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Bane is a high-impact, control-focused support who wins fights through single-target lockdown, lane harassment, and life-saving Nightmare. Enfeeble cripples enemy damage and cast ranges; Brain Sap both hurts and heals you, fully piercing Debuff Immunity/BKB; Nightmare grants a 1s invulnerability window and can be transferred; and Fiend's Grip is one of the longest single-target hard disables in the game.
Key Insights:
- Use the first second of Nightmare to block projectiles or set up saves
- Brain Sap fully pierces debuff immunity and gains massive value vs. illusions
- Manage Nightmare transfers with Nightmare End to reset or disrupt
Game Strategy
Early Game
Timeframe: 0–10 minutes Objective: Win lane through Enfeeble + Brain Sap pressure; preserve mana and tempo Key: Open with Enfeeble to neuter enemy damage and cast ranges; Trade with Brain Sap (heals you) to force them out of lane; Use the first second of Nightmare to block risky hooks/projectiles on yourself or core; If your ally is mispositioned and slept, take the Nightmare off and migrate it safely Items: Arcane Boots for sustain; Tango/Clarity to sustain trades; Observers for safe Nightmare saves Tips: Enfeeble also reduces item cast range; use it to shut down long-range actives; Use summons (e.g., familiars, wolves, spiders, treants, illusions) as sacrificial lambs to take Nightmare off allies; Avoid being the first right-clicker on a Nightmared enemy if you don't want the transfer
Mid Game
Timeframe: 10–25 minutes Objective: Enable pick-offs and fights with reliable single-target lockdown Key: Channel Fiend's Grip on priority targets after enemies burn BKB/dispels; Use Glimmer Cape + Force Staff to survive long channels; Control vision thanks to 1200 night vision advantage; Maintain Nightmare End to clear reflected or recursive Nightmares Items: Glimmer Cape (save/invis); Force Staff (positioning); Aether Lens (range) Tips: Creeps and towers ignore Nightmared targets—use this to stabilize lane waves and protect pushes; If an ally walks into the edge of Chronosphere/Black Hole, Sleepwalk-facet can tug them out; Disruptor's Glimpse cancels Fiend's Grip—be ready with extra disable or stay out of sight
Late Game
Timeframe: 25+ minutes Objective: Lockdown the right target; protect your cores; manage dispels Key: Hold for BKB windows; Brain Sap still pierces—punch through defensive spell windows; Use Sleepwalk for tree denial, positioning nudges, or breaking Sprout; Save Nightmare for clutch invuln during big enemy ultimates Items: Lotus Orb vs. single-target control; Scythe of Vyse for additional lockdown; Glimmer/Force Staff for survivability and setup Tips: Fiend's Grip gives true sight the entire channel—use to reveal invisible cores or couriers; Dispel threats: Abaddon's Aphotic Shield, Legion's Press the Attack, and Oracle's False Promise remove your ultimate—play around those windows; If Lotus Orb is on you and you try to take Nightmare off a target, both you and Bane get Nightmared; use this to interrupt Bane channels if timing is perfect
Tips & Strategies
Nightmare Mechanics & Saves
- The first ~1s of Nightmare grants full invulnerability; use it to block hooks, Stuns, or damage spells
- Any non-Bane right-click transfers the Nightmare; damaging spells immediately wake and dispel the target
- Use Nightmare End to cancel all active Nightmares, even reflected or Rubick-stolen ones—can be cast while channeling or stunned
Brain Sap Value
- Heals you for the same damage dealt—sustain in lane and mid-fight
- Fully pierces Debuff Immunity/BKB—use to burn through defensive windows
- Massive value vs. illusions due to the damage multiplier
Lane Control & Macro
- Towers and creeps ignore Nightmared targets—use it to protect pushes and stabilize waves
- Enfeeble reduces item cast range—shuts down long-range actives in lane
- High night vision (1200) lets you win vision battles after dusk
Facet: Sleepwalk Plays
- Pull allies out of Chronosphere/Black Hole edges by casting forward and canceling
- Break trees on wake for vision; counter Nature's Prophet's Sprout
- Combine with Force Staff for extra displacement; destroys trees in a small AoE on wake
Item Guide
Starting Items
Ensure sustain to land Enfeeble + Brain Sap trades in lane and manage early mana.
Tango, Healing Salve, Clarity, Faerie Fire
Core Items
Sustain mana, enable save/invis plays, and improve setup/escape.
Arcane Boots, Glimmer Cape, Force Staff
Situational Items
Aether Lens increases cast range; Lotus Orb reflects/nulls enemy target picks; Vessel for anti-regen; Desolator/Dagon to burst; Scythe for additional hard control.
Aether Lens, Lotus Orb, Spirit Vessel, Desolator, Dagon, Scythe of Vyse
Counter Guide
Good With
Bane pairs with heroes that need a single-target anchor and can layer crowd control around Fiend's Grip. Crystal Maiden safely channels Freezing Field while you lock a core. Puck and Mirana can follow your Grip with their own AoE control or pick-off tools. Grimstroke chains Ink Swell to your disable, and Mars sets up Arena of Blood for clean grips. The key is reliable lockdown plus follow-up burst so your long channel can't be interrupted.
Bad Against
Avoid being BKB'd when you Fiend's Grip—Brain Sap still works, but your disable window can be bypassed. Disruptor cancels your channel with Glimpse at long range. Rubick steals Fiend's Grip and also has the Nightmare End interaction; both of you having Nightmares out lets Rubick wipe all sleeps. Oracle and Abaddon can dispel your ultimate; Lotus Orb on the target cancels your Grip instantly. Slark can break Pounce leashes with Sleepwalk if timed at the edge, and he can purge your debuffs. Aghanim's Scepter carriers with mass dispel also reduce your control window. Save your stuns/silences to protect the channel and pressure Bane before he grips.
Good Against
Bane destroys fragile backlines and illusion-based cores. Phantom Lancer, Naga Siren, Terrorblade, and Luna get wrecked by Brain Sap due to the damage multiplier; Enfeeble cripples their damage, and Fiend's Grip pins the real hero. Enchantress and other immobile supports struggle vs. Grip + follow-up. Channelers like Crystal Maiden and Enigma are easy picks when isolated. Use the first-second invulnerability of Nightmare to nullify initial burst or projectiles, then transfer the sleep to deny enemy follow-up.