Leshrac
Once a scholar who delved into forbidden knowledge, Leshrac was twisted by dark magic into the Tormented Soul. He commands the power to split the earth and summon lightning storms, making him a formidable tower pusher and teamfight controller.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“Command the earth and lightning, control the battlefield, and unleash devastating destruction - through torment comes victory for those who master the art of magical domination.”
Master Split Earth Positioning
The long cast animation of Split Earth is both your greatest weakness and your greatest strength. Learn to use it to your advantage by moving to position the stun and canceling if the enemy dodges. Mastering this animation is key to playing Leshrac effectively.
Optimize Diabolic Edict Usage
Diabolic Edict is your primary tower pushing ability, but its effectiveness depends on proper positioning. When attacking towers, stand in the corner of the AoE to avoid drawing aggro. Use the fog of war to your advantage by hiding in treelines while casting Edict.
Chain Lightning Storm with Split Earth
Lightning Storm and Split Earth form a powerful combination that can devastate teamfights. Use Lightning Storm's slow to make it easier to land Split Earth on enemies. The combination of slow followed by stun makes it much harder for enemies to dodge your abilities.
Manage Pulse Nova Effectively
Pulse Nova provides sustained damage in teamfights but consumes mana rapidly. Learn to toggle it on and off strategically to conserve mana when not needed. Remember that Pulse Nova can hit invisible and fogged units, revealing their locations.
Leverage Nihilism and Misanthropy
Your Aghanim's Scepter and Shard upgrades significantly change your playstyle. Nihilism provides magic resistance reduction for enemies within its aura, making your entire team's magic damage more effective. With Misanthropy, Diabolic Edict becomes a targeted ability that allows safer participation in fights.
Control the Battlefield Through Area Denial
Your true strength lies in your ability to control the battlefield through area denial and positioning. Use Split Earth to create zones that enemies must avoid, and Diabolic Edict to destroy enemy structures quickly. With proper timing and positioning, you can dictate the flow of battles.
Hero Overview
Leshrac is an intelligence hero who excels as a midlaner or support. His combination of area control abilities and tower pushing power makes him a versatile threat throughout the game. With his long cast animations and devastating area damage, he can control teamfights and dismantle enemy structures with equal effectiveness.
His gameplay revolves around landing perfect Split Earth stuns while using Diabolic Edict to destroy towers rapidly. Lightning Storm provides additional area damage and slow, while Pulse Nova offers sustained damage in teamfights. With proper positioning and spell timing, Leshrac can dominate the mid-game through tower pushes and remain relevant in late-game teamfights.
Pros
- Powerful tower pushing with Diabolic Edict
- Reliable area stun with Split Earth
- Strong area damage in teamfights
- Diabolic Edict pierces debuff immunity
- Good mana scaling with abilities
- Versatile hero for multiple roles
Cons
- Long cast animations make him vulnerable
- Squishy if focused
- Mana-intensive abilities
- Dependent on proper positioning
- Split Earth can be easily dodged
- Requires good game sense for timing
Ability Analysis
Split Earth
ActiveCreates a seismic fissure after a delay, stunning enemies in an area and destroying trees.
Notes: The outrageously long cast animation is both a blessing and a curse. You can use it to your advantage in lane by moving to position the stun, and canceling if the enemy dodges. You can also use the cast animation to stun people chasing you without having to turn around by casting it directly in front of your feet. Mastering this animation is key to playing Leshrac effectively.
Diabolic Edict
ActiveCreates explosions around Leshrac that damage enemies and structures. Damage pierces debuff immunity.
Notes: When munching on a tower with Diabolic Edict, become a zen master of positioning. Stand in the corner of the AoE so you're only seeing explosions underneath the tower and give her the Edict. If you don't right click, you won't draw any aggro and the tower will continue attacking whichever unit is closest.
Lightning Storm
ActiveSummons a lightning storm that strikes a target, then bounces to nearby enemies, slowing them.
Notes: Lightning Storm won't bounce to any targets in fog, making it less effective against enemies who are hiding. However, you can use the slow on Lightning Storm to make it easier to land Split Earth on enemies. The combination of Lightning Storm's slow followed by Split Earth can be devastating in teamfights.
Pulse Nova
ActiveCreates a field of electrical energy that damages enemies around Leshrac. Can be toggled on and off.
Notes: You can toggle Pulse Nova while channeling, like during a TP. This allows for interesting tactical plays, such as turning it on just before TP completes to damage enemies who might be waiting for you, or turning it off to conserve mana when not needed. Edict and Pulse Nova can hit invisible and fogged units.
Nihilism (Agh's Scepter)
ActiveCreates an aura that reduces magic resistance of nearby enemies. Can be toggled on and off.
Notes: Nihilism provides significant magic resistance reduction for enemies within its aura, making your entire team's magic damage more effective. This ability synergizes perfectly with your other abilities, as the reduced magic resistance means enemies will take more damage from Split Earth, Diabolic Edict, Lightning Storm, and Pulse Nova.
Misanthropy (Agh's Shard)
ActiveDiabolic Edict can now be cast on a target location instead of around Leshrac. Does not target towers.
Notes: With Misanthropy facet, Diabolic Edict becomes much more versatile as it can be cast on a target location rather than around Leshrac. This allows for much safer tower pushing and teamfight participation, as you don't need to be as close to the action.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Leshrac is a devastating area damage dealer who excels at both tower pushing and teamfight control. His combination of Split Earth stun and Diabolic Edict destruction makes him one of the most threatening pushers in the game.
Key Insights:
- Master the long cast animation of Split Earth
- Use Diabolic Edict for rapid tower destruction
- Chain Lightning Storm with Split Earth for devastating combos
Leshrac rewards precise positioning and spell timing. A well-played Leshrac can single-handedly dismantle enemy structures and control teamfights through area denial.
Game Strategy
Early Game
Timeframe: 0-15 minutes Objective: Harass opponents and secure farm Key: Use Split Earth to harass and set up kills; Master the long cast animation to position stuns; Use Diabolic Edict for early tower pressure; Control lane with area damage abilities Items: Power Treads (Core stats); Magic Wand (Burst mana/health); Bottle (Rune control for mid) Tips: Practice Split Earth positioning and timing; Use the cast animation to bait out enemy dodges; Don't be afraid to push early with Diabolic Edict; Conserve mana for important skirmishes
Mid Game
Timeframe: 15-30 minutes Objective: Push towers and dominate teamfights Key: Use Diabolic Edict for rapid tower destruction; Chain Lightning Storm with Split Earth for combos; Position safely in teamfights while dealing area damage; Push objectives with your tower pushing power Items: Eul's Scepter (Setup for Split Earth); Blink Dagger (Positioning and escape); Aghanim's Shard (Targeted Edict) Tips: Hide in fog while using Diabolic Edict on towers; Use Lightning Storm slow to land Split Earth; Toggle Pulse Nova to conserve mana; Coordinate with team for tower pushes
Late Game
Timeframe: 30+ minutes Objective: Control teamfights with area damage Key: Use Nihilism aura to amplify team magic damage; Position to maximize area damage impact; Use Pulse Nova for sustained damage in fights; Provide magic resistance reduction for team Items: Aghanim's Scepter (Nihilism aura); Bloodstone (Mana sustainability); Scythe of Vyse (Additional disable) Tips: Position carefully to maximize Nihilism aura; Manage Pulse Nova mana consumption efficiently; Use area denial to control battlefield; Focus on surviving to deal sustained damage
Tips & Strategies
Split Earth Mastery
- Split Earth destroys trees in its AoE, useful for creating paths or removing cover
- Use the long cast animation to your advantage - move to position, cancel if dodged
- Cast Split Earth directly in front of your feet to stun chasing enemies without turning
- In lane, the animation can be used to bait out dodges from enemies
- Mastering the cast animation is key to playing Leshrac effectively
Diabolic Edict Tactics
- When pushing towers with Diabolic Edict, stand in corners to avoid aggro
- Don't right-click towers while Edict is active to avoid drawing aggro
- Hide in treelines while casting Edict - enemies won't see you on map
- Plant an Iron Branch tree in front of tower and stand behind it for vision denial
- Diabolic Edict damage fully pierces debuff immunity/BKB
Advanced Techniques
- Edict and Pulse Nova can hit invisible and fogged units
- Chase invis enemies if they're traveling a predictable path
- Pulse Nova shows invisible unit locations through damage effects
- You can toggle Pulse Nova while channeling, like during a TP
- Lightning Storm won't bounce to targets in fog
- Eul's Scepter is great on Leshrac - cyclone makes landing Split Earth easier
Item Guide
Starting Items
Standard starting items for a mid Leshrac. Circlet and Mantle provide early stats. Faerie Fire offers burst healing for trades. Tangos and Clarities help with sustainability in lane.
Tango, Faerie Fire, Circlet, Mantle of Intelligence, Clarity
Core Items
Aghanim's Scepter provides Nihilism aura for magic resistance reduction. Aghanim's Shard gives Misanthropy for targeted Diabolic Edict. Bloodstone offers mana sustainability and respawn reduction. Scythe of Vyse provides additional disable.
Aghanim's Scepter, Aghanim's Shard, Bloodstone, Scythe of Vyse, Blink Dagger
Luxury & Situational
Refresher Orb allows double Nihilism or Diabolic Edict for maximum impact. Octarine Core reduces cooldowns and provides spell lifesteal. Shiva's Guard offers armor and attack speed slow.
Refresher Orb, Octarine Core, Shiva's Guard, Black King Bar, Linken's Sphere
Counter Guide
Good With
Leshrac excels when paired with heroes who can capitalize on his area damage and control. Enigma creates devastating combos with Black Hole after Leshrac's area damage softens up enemies, while Magnus can group enemies perfectly for Leshrac's abilities with Reverse Polarity. Crystal Maiden provides the mana regeneration that Leshrac desperately needs and can safely channel Freezing Field behind his area control. Invoker can land perfect Meteor + Deafening Blast combinations on stunned or slowed enemies from Leshrac's setup. Jakiro and Warlock provide additional area damage that synergizes with Leshrac's playstyle. The key is heroes who can either enable Leshrac's positioning or amplify his area damage output.
Bad Against
Leshrac struggles against heroes who can interrupt his long cast animations or exploit his squishy nature. Shadow Shaman and Lion with their long-duration disables can completely shut down Leshrac before he can cast his spells. Lina and Nyx Assassin provide high burst damage that can eliminate Leshrac before he can react. Silencer and Anti-Mage with their silences prevent Leshrac from using his spell-intensive kit. Juggernaut and Lifestealer with spell immunity can walk through Leshrac's damage and kill him easily. Oracle and Abaddon with their strong dispels can save allies from Leshrac's combos. The pattern is clear: heroes with long disables, high burst damage, silences, spell immunity, or powerful dispels all pose serious threats to Leshrac's effectiveness.
Good Against
Leshrac dominates heroes who are immobile, squishy, or rely on grouping up. Sniper and Crystal Maiden are easy targets for Leshrac's Split Earth + Lightning Storm combos due to their low mobility. Illusion heroes like Phantom Lancer suffer from Leshrac's area damage that can quickly clear illusions while his stun sets up kills on the real hero. Structures (towers and barracks) fall quickly to Diabolic Edict, making Leshrac excellent at pushing against heroes who struggle to defend towers. Heroes with debuff immunity like Juggernaut still take full damage from Diabolic Edict, neutralizing their primary defensive tool. Heroes that group up in teamfights take massive damage from all of Leshrac's abilities. Heroes with small health pools like supports are vulnerable to his burst damage combos. Leshrac's combination of reliable stun, area damage, and tower destruction makes him a nightmare for these hero types.