Vengeful Spirit
Once a proud warden of her people, Shendelzare was torn apart by her jealous sister. Rebuilt as a vessel of vengeance, she now seeks to turn the tides of battle with her array of disabling spells and damage amplification abilities.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“Position, punish, and prevail - through vengeance comes victory for those who master the art of tactical repositioning.”
Master Positioning
Your effectiveness hinges on proper positioning. Always position yourself where you can threaten key targets with Nether Swap or save allies in danger. Stay on the edges of teamfights to avoid being focused, but remain close enough to impact the engagement.
Strategic Swapping
Nether Swap is your most powerful tool. Use it to isolate enemy carries for your team to focus, or save your own carry when they're in danger. Remember that Swap works through BKB and invulnerability, making it one of the few reliable disables against such targets.
Utilize Soul Strike
Your Soul Strike facet gives you unique hybrid mechanics. Take advantage of melee item benefits while maintaining ranged interactions. Items like Echo Sabre will work as they do on melee heroes, while Hurricane Pike functions as on ranged heroes.
Control Vision
Wave of Terror is an excellent scouting tool due to its massive range and lingering vision. Use it to check dangerous areas before entering, deward cliffs, and provide vision for your team. The armor reduction also makes it valuable for Roshan and Tormentor fights.
Leverage Death
With Aghanim's Scepter, your death becomes a strategic asset. Your Vengeance illusion spawns with all spell cooldowns available and can cast spells, channel objectives, and continue fighting. This means even in death, you remain a threat.
Amplify Team Damage
Your Vengeance Aura is one of the strongest damage amplification tools in the game. It affects all allied heroes and player-controlled units, making it incredibly valuable for summon-based heroes and illusion-heavy lineups. Consider purchasing Vladmir's Offering to stack with your aura for even greater team damage output.
Hero Overview
Vengeful Spirit is a versatile hero who can excel as both a support and a core. Her combination of reliable stun, armor reduction, damage amplification aura, and game-changing ultimate makes her a valuable addition to any team composition.
Her gameplay revolves around landing perfect Magic Missile stuns, using Wave of Terror to scout and reduce enemy armor, and making game-changing plays with Nether Swap. The Soul Strike facet gives her unique hybrid mechanics, allowing her to benefit from both ranged and melee item interactions. With Vengeance Aura persisting even after death, she remains valuable throughout the game.
Pros
- Reliable single-target stun with Magic Missile
- Strong armor reduction with Wave of Terror
- Game-changing ultimate with Nether Swap
- Damage amplification with Vengeance Aura
- Versatile with Soul Strike facet
- Excellent at isolating key targets
Cons
- Low base armor
- Fragile in early game
- Mana-intensive abilities
- Dependent on proper positioning
- Low damage output without farm
- Weak against magic immunity
Ability Analysis
Retribution
InnateInnate ability that marks enemies who kill Vengeful Spirit. The marked enemy takes bonus damage from her attacks until they die.
Notes: When an enemy kills you, they receive a debuff that increases the damage you deal to them until they next die. This creates a psychological deterrent against focusing you, as enemies know they will take increased damage from your attacks.
Magic Missile
Target UnitFires a magic missile at a target enemy, stunning them and dealing damage.
Notes: Perfect disable for securing kills or saving allies. With Aghanim's Shard, Magic Missile bounces to nearby enemies after hitting the primary target, prioritizing heroes. The bounces can be blocked by Linken's Sphere but won't reflect from Lotus Orb.
Wave of Terror
ActiveSends out a wave of terror that damages enemies and reduces their armor. Also provides vision along its path and for a duration after.
Notes: Extremely useful for scouting dangerous areas due to its massive range and lingering vision. Can cancel consumable regen like Salves or Clarities and break Blink Daggers from long range. Works on Roshan and the Tormentor for objective control.
Vengeance Aura
PassiveGrants bonus damage to all allied heroes and player-controlled units. The aura persists even after Vengeful Spirit dies.
Notes: Boosts damage on player-controlled units, making it valuable for heroes with summons or illusions. The aura can be disabled by Break effects, but it's still granted by illusions of VS, which heroes like Shadow Demon, Terrorblade, and Dark Seer can take advantage of.
Nether Swap
Target UnitInstantly swaps position with a target enemy or ally unit. Can be used to initiate, save allies, or isolate key targets.
Notes: Disables and swaps enemies through debuff immunity/BKB and invulnerability. Can swap heroes that are cycloned or units like Storm Spirit in Ball Lightning. Provides a brief damage barrier to allies when you swap them to safety, which can save lives in critical situations.
Magic Missile (Shard Upgrade)
Target UnitMagic Missile bounces to nearby enemies after hitting the primary target, prioritizing heroes.
Notes: The Shard upgrade significantly increases teamfight potential. You can potentially cast on a nearby creep if a hero is far away and bank on the bounce landing on your target. Essential for late-game teamfights.
Vengeance Illusion (Aghanim's Scepter)
PassiveWhen Vengeful Spirit dies, she creates a powerful illusion that inherits her abilities and can cast spells. The illusion persists until Vengeful Spirit respawns.
Notes: Your Vengeance illusion spawns with its spell cooldowns immediately available. The illusion is considered a 'strong' illusion, meaning it can't be instagibbed by things like hexes or Dagon. You'll take your illusion's place on the map when you respawn, even when using buyback.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Vengeful Spirit is one of the most versatile supports in Dota 2. Her Nether Swap is not just a positioning tool - it's a game-changing ability that can turn the tide of any teamfight.
Key Insights:
- Always position yourself to save allies or isolate key targets
- Use Wave of Terror for scouting and armor reduction
- Vengeance Aura provides huge team value even when you're behind
Vengeful Spirit rewards smart positioning and game awareness. Don't be afraid to sacrifice yourself for the greater good - that's where Vengeful Spirit shines!
Game Strategy
Early Game
Timeframe: 0-15 minutes Objective: Harass enemies and secure core items Key: Harass enemies with Magic Missile; Use Wave of Terror to scout and reduce armor; Position aggressively to zone enemies; Secure kills with your carry Items: Arcane Boots (Priority #1); Magic Wand for sustainability; Observer Wards for vision Tips: Remember Wave of Terror can cancel consumable regen; Keep Blink Daggers on cooldown from long range; Position yourself aggressively to zone enemies away from your carry; Use Retribution to deter enemies from focusing you
Mid Game
Timeframe: 15-30 minutes Objective: Rotations and teamfight impact Key: Look for pickoffs with Magic Missile; Position for Nether Swap plays; Use Wave of Terror before engagements; Maximize Vengeance Aura value Items: Aether Lens for increased Nether Swap range; Glimmer Cape for positioning safety; Force Staff for mobility utility Tips: Consider purchasing Aether Lens to increase Nether Swap range; Your Vengeance Aura provides significant damage amplification; You remain valuable even when behind due to aura; Coordinate with team for Nether Swap plays
Late Game
Timeframe: 30+ minutes Objective: Perfect initiation and execution Key: Save Nether Swap for key moments; Isolate enemy carries with Swap; Save your own carry with Swap; Leverage Aghanim's Scepter death plays Items: Aghanim's Scepter for Vengeance Illusion; Scythe of Vyse for additional disable; Hurricane Pike for positioning Tips: Your Vengeance Aura remains valuable throughout the game; With Aghanim's Scepter, your death becomes a strategic tool; Use barrier from Nether Swap to save allies; Remember Swap works through BKB and invulnerability
Tips & Strategies
Soul Strike Facet Mastery
- Your Soul Strike facet allows items/spells to give you all the benefits of being a melee hero while also taking advantage of ranged hero interactions.
- Range increasing items will increase your attack range normally.
- Hurricane Pike will work as expected as it does on a ranged hero, while Echo Sabre will work as it does on a melee hero.
- Your attacks can cleave and can't miss uphill with this facet.
- Items that give you different proc chances on melee heroes will roll for the melee version, like Abyssal Blade.
Wave of Terror Usage
- Use Wave of Terror to scout dangerous territory before entering - its massive range provides safety information.
- The armor reduction works on Roshan and the Tormentor, making it valuable for objective control.
- Remember it cancels consumables and breaks Blink Daggers from long range.
- The lingering vision can be used to deward cliffs and check juke spots.
Nether Swap Advanced Techniques
- Nether Swap disables and swaps enemies through debuff immunity/BKB and invulnerability - use this against BKB'd heroes.
- You can Swap heroes that are cycloned or things like Storm Spirit inside Ball Lightning.
- Against heroes like Enigma, save your Swap specifically to break Black Hole.
- The barrier from Nether Swap on allies can save lives - don't hesitate to Swap just for the barrier.
Item Guide
Starting Items
Standard support starting items. Faerie Fire provides early burst healing for trades. Wards are essential for vision control and safety. Clarities help with mana sustain for ability usage.
Tango, Faerie Fire, Observer Wards, Sentry Wards, Clarity
Core Items
Arcane Boots solve mana issues and provide mana to allies. Aether Lens increases cast range for safer Nether Swap positioning. Glimmer Cape offers invisibility and magic resistance for positioning. Force Staff provides repositioning utility.
Arcane Boots, Aether Lens, Glimmer Cape, Force Staff
Situational
Counter Guide
Good With
Vengeful Spirit excels when paired with heroes who can capitalize on her disables and damage amplification. Phantom Lancer and Naga Siren benefit immensely from Vengeance Aura's bonus damage on illusions. Magnus creates devastating combos with Reverse Polarity after Vengeful sets up with Nether Swap. Invoker can land perfect Meteor + Deafening Blast combinations on disabled enemies. Enigma benefits from Vengeful's ability to isolate targets for Black Hole. The key is heroes who need enemies to be disabled or benefit from damage amplification - Vengeful Spirit provides both through her stuns and aura.
Bad Against
Vengeful Spirit struggles against heroes who can neutralize her core strengths or exploit her fragility. Earthshaker and Lion with long-range stuns/silences can prevent her from positioning for Nether Swap. Juggernaut and Lifestealer with magic immunity can ignore her stuns and trade damage favorably. Storm Spirit and Queen of Pain with high mobility can easily dodge her skillshots and escape Nether Swap range. Nyx Assassin and Bounty Hunter can kill her quickly without retaliation. Silencer and Ancient Apparition with Break abilities can disable her crucial Vengeance Aura. The pattern is clear: heroes with long-range disables, magic immunity, high mobility, or burst damage all pose serious threats to Vengeful Spirit's game plan.
Good Against
Vengeful Spirit dominates heroes who rely on positioning, have no magic immunity, or are vulnerable to armor reduction. Sniper, Crystal Maiden, and Drow Ranger with low mobility are easy prey for Magic Missile and Nether Swap. Tank heroes suffer from Wave of Terror's armor reduction, making them much easier to kill. Most supports and carries without magic immunity can be locked down by her reliable stuns. Enigma and Witch Doctor with valuable channeling ultimates can be interrupted by Magic Missile or have their positioning ruined by Nether Swap. Heroes that rely on positioning like Tinker lose their safety when suddenly swapped into danger. Her ability to isolate targets, provide consistent damage amplification, and disable through positioning makes her a nightmare for these hero types.