The Tree-Hating Terror

Timbersaw

Channeling his mortal fear of trees into a rabid frenzy, he zips through forests with his chain, shredding enemies and treelines alike with spinning blades.

At a Glance

Primary AttributeStrength

Primary RoleDurable / Core / Escape

ComplexityHigh

Core Principles

“They'll whisper your name in the woods... because there won't be any woods left to shout in.”

Dance with the Trees

The map is your playground—treat trees as highways for instant engagement, escape routes, and pure destruction.

The Momentum Machine

Perpetual motion equals power; seek damage to stack Reactive Armor—stationary equals vulnerable.

The Pure Damage Doctrine

Clip a tree every Whirling to turn damage pure; shred primary attributes and ignore enemy armor.

Calculated Chaos

Chain → mid-air Whirling → Chakram → recall → Chain out; compress the burst window to <1.5 s.

Unkillable Nuisance

Dive deep, absorb spells, deal massive damage, then zip out—create space by being the center of frustration.

The Deforestation Expert

Carve paths, destroy hiding spots, and reshape the battlefield so every fight happens on your terms.

Victory through wisdom and strength

Hero Overview

Timbersaw is a highly mobile and exceptionally durable front-line brawler who thrives on chaos and deforestation. His kit punishes enemies near trees and shrugs off damage with Reactive Armor. He excels against strength heroes and teams that rely on positioning and treeline cover.

Master the map's treelines as your personal highway system. Chain in, unload Whirling/Chakram, chain out. A well-played Timbersaw is an unkillable, high-damage nuisance that sets fight tempo.

Pros

Extremely high mobility with low cooldown
Massive burst pure/magic damage
Exceptionally tanky with Reactive Armor
Strong lane presence vs melee/strength heroes
Excellent at creating chaos and space

Cons

Very weak against silence and leashes
Highly mana-dependent early
Vulnerable to break and regen reduction
Gameplay relies on trees being present
Low right-click damage

Ability Analysis

Whirling Death

Active

Whirls a deadly blade, damaging enemies and reducing their primary attribute. If a tree is destroyed, the damage becomes Pure.

Notes: Aim to clip a tree for maximum impact, especially against strength heroes.

Timber Chain

Active

Fires a chain that latches onto the first tree hit, pulling Timbersaw to it and damaging enemies along the path.

Notes: Signature mobility spell. Use to initiate, escape, and reposition through treelines.

Reactive Armor

Passive

Grants armor and health regeneration per instance of damage taken from heroes or Roshan.

Notes: Pre-stack before fights by tanking creeps; enter skirmishes with high armor.

Chakram

Ultimate

Launches a saw blade to a location where it spins, dealing damage and slowing. Timbersaw is disarmed while Chakram is active.

Notes: Destroys trees and controls space. Time casts to cancel blinks and cut escape routes.

Flamethrower (Shard)

Upgrade

Channels flames that damage, slow, and reduce enemy attack damage. Damages buildings and sets trees on fire.

Notes: Potent for sieging and layering damage/utility in fights.

Second Chakram (Aghs)

Upgrade

Grants a second Chakram ability. Both can be active simultaneously for immense area control and sustained damage.

Notes: Enables area denial. Mind the mana cost; recall early to burst twice when needed.

Developer's Notes

Developer Insights

Timbersaw rewards map fluency and decisive movement. Treat treelines as highways: pre-clear paths, chain through fights, and leverage pure damage when trees are destroyed. Build for sustained casting (mana + durability) and respect silences, leashes, and breaks.

Game Strategy

Early Game (Lane Dominance)

Timeframe: 0–10 minutes Objective: Bully offlaners, clip trees with Whirling, and pre-stack armor. Key: Use Whirling Death to secure last hits and harass; always try to hit a tree.; Draw creep aggro to build Reactive Armor stacks safely.; Solve mana early; Ring of Health or Soul Ring helps sustain pressure. Items: Ring of Health; Soul Ring; Magic Wand Tips: Pre-stack armor before skirmishes; enter fights already durable.; Trees are routing tools — chain through forests to outmaneuver opponents.; Respect silences/leashes; play fog and angles to avoid hard counters.

Mid Game (Creating Chaos)

Timeframe: 10–25 minutes Objective: Dominate tempo with Chain in/out, Chakram control, and durable itemization. Key: Power spike with Bloodstone or Kaya & Sange; keep casting nonstop.; Invade and force fights; draw attention and be difficult to kill.; Zip into backlines, unload spells, zip out before focus lands. Items: Bloodstone; Kaya and Sange; Arcane Boots Tips: Chain while casting Whirling/Chakram to compress your execution window.; Use Blink post-Chain to alter angles for safer exits or deeper picks.; Track enemy vision; play treelines as highways to enter/exit fights.

Late Game (Siege & Control)

Timeframe: 25+ minutes Objective: Zone space with Chakrams and break high ground with Shard. Key: Use double Chakram (Aghs) for area denial and blink canceling.; Cut escape paths and reshape terrain to favor your team.; Frontline with durability; absorb spells and maintain casting uptime. Items: Aghanim's Scepter; Aghanim's Shard; Octarine Core; Black King Bar Tips: Recall Chakram early if targets are exiting AoE to double-hit.; Shard enables building damage; pair with armor items to siege safely.; Position to deny treeline cover; destroy trees pre-engage for clean chains.

Tips & Strategies

Timber Chain Mastery

Cast Whirling or Chakram mid-Chain to compress execution and save time.
Blink immediately after Chain to change angle — hit and still escape to a safe tree.
Self-Eul right after launching Chain to dodge stuns; Chain still pulls you out of cyclone.

Chakram Finesse

Cancel blinks on respawn by moving Chakram over the hero as they appear.
Hit twice: once on cast and once on recall. Recall early to burst escaping targets.
Clear paths with Chakram before Chain for surprise initiations or clean escapes.