Weaver
Skitskurr the Weaver was a master of the Loom, a cosmic tapestry from which all reality is woven. Tasked with its protection, he grew frustrated with the clumsy meddling of other beings. Deciding the universe needed a more hands-on editor, he detached himself from the Loom, gaining the power to scuttle through the strands of time and space to rewrite fate, one thread at a time.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“The perfect thread is the one they never see you weave. Position beats power, and a reset beats a mistake.”
Be Unseen, Be Everywhere
Your map presence is defined by where you *could* be. Use Shukuchi not just to move, but to instill fear and force enemies to play defensively.
Think in 5-Second Loops
Your life is tethered to the past. Always be aware of where you were 5 seconds ago. A safe position then is a safe retreat now.
Waste Their Resources, Not Yours
Bait the big spells. Let them use their ultimates on you, then erase it all with Time Lapse. A fight won through resource attrition is a Weaver victory.
The Surgical Strike
You are not a front-to-back brawler. You are an assassin. Bypass the tanks, ignore the distractions, and eliminate the one critical target that will unravel their entire strategy.
Hero Overview
Weaver is a hyper-mobile agility hero who excels at harassment, skirmishing, and survival. He darts through fights with Shukuchi, shreds armor with The Swarm, and delivers consistent damage with Geminate Attack. His true strength lies in his ultimate, Time Lapse, which allows him to undo damage and escape seemingly certain death, making him one of the most elusive heroes in the game.
Weaver's gameplay is a dance of aggression and retreat. He constantly pressures lanes, forcing reactions from the enemy. In teamfights, he plays on the fringes, chipping away at supports and backline heroes. A core part of his strategy is to bait enemy cooldowns, absorb damage, and then erase it all with a well-timed Time Lapse, effectively wasting the enemy's resources and rejoining the fight at full strength.
Pros
- Exceptional mobility and invisibility with Shukuchi
- Powerful strong dispel and survival tool with Time Lapse
- Sustained damage output via Geminate Attack
- Excellent vision and armor reduction with The Swarm
- Strong laning phase and pickoff potential
Cons
- Very low base health pool and susceptible to burst damage
- Extremely vulnerable to silence, roots, and true sight
- Lacks hard crowd control abilities
- Requires excellent game sense and positioning
- Highly dependent on items for damage and survivability
Ability Analysis
The Swarm
Target PointUnleashes a swarm of beetles that latch onto enemies in an area, dealing damage, reducing their armor, and granting vision of them.
Notes: Use its massive cast range to scout high ground, Roshan, and treelines safely. Beetles will also draw tower aggression, enabling early dives.
Shukuchi
Active / No TargetWeaver shifts out of visibility, gaining maximum movement speed and damaging any enemies he passes through. Allows phasing through units.
Notes: Your primary tool for positioning, escape, and harassment. Use it to dodge projectiles, juke in trees, and get in position to attack the backline.
Geminate Attack
Passive / Target UnitAllows Weaver to launch a second attack on his next auto-attack. This second attack does not trigger other attack modifiers.
Notes: Can be manually cast on a target to avoid drawing creep aggro in lane. Excellent for securing last hits and applying pressure. Works on buildings and wards.
Time Lapse
Ultimate / No TargetWeaver teleports to the position he was in 5 seconds prior, regaining the Health and Mana from that time. Applies a strong dispel.
Notes: The ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card. Use it to purge stuns, silences, and powerful debuffs like Doom or Viper Strike. A proactive Lapse is often better than a reactive one.
Shukuchi (Shard Upgrade)
Passive UpgradeCauses Shukuchi to apply a mark to enemies it passes through. Attacking a marked enemy launches an additional Geminate Attack that does not trigger its cooldown.
Notes: A massive boost to your burst damage potential. Allows you to hit multiple heroes with Shukuchi and then focus one down with a triple-attack burst.
Time Lapse (Scepter Upgrade)
Target AllyLowers Time Lapse cooldown and allows it to be cast on allied heroes.
Notes: Transforms you into one of the best savers in the late game. Can be used to save allies caught out of position or to reset your primary core in a fight.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Weaver is the ultimate tempo controller. His power isn't in standing his ground, but in dictating the terms of engagement. A good Weaver player thinks in 5-second intervals, constantly evaluating their position relative to their Time Lapse.
Key Insights:
- Shukuchi is a positioning tool first, a damage spell second.
- Time Lapse is not a panic button. It's a proactive reset to maintain pressure and undo enemy investment.
- Your survivability comes from being un-hittable, not from having high HP.
Weaver rewards players who understand that the best defense is never being a valid target in the first place.
Game Strategy
Early Game (Laning)
Timeframe: 0-12 minutes Objective: Dominate the lane through harassment and secure farm Key: Use Shukuchi to move through the creep wave for a guaranteed hit on the enemy.; Time your Geminate Attack to secure the ranged creep.; Use The Swarm to scout for ganks or to reduce armor before an all-in.; Don't be afraid to use Time Lapse to negate a single stun or heavy nuke; its cooldown is relatively low. Items: Wraith Band; Power Treads; Dragon Lance Tips: Manually cast Geminate Attack on heroes to avoid drawing creep aggro.; Use Shukuchi while teleporting to reposition to a safer spot upon arrival.
Mid Game (Skirmishing)
Timeframe: 12-25 minutes Objective: Create pressure and pick off isolated targets Key: With Linken's Sphere or BKB, you can play on the enemy's side of the map.; Hunt for supports in the jungle or lanes.; Use The Swarm to give vision on targets trying to juke in trees.; Join fights, deal damage, and Time Lapse out to reset and rejoin. Items: Linken's Sphere; Desolator; Aghanim's Shard Tips: Your goal is to force rotations and create space for your other cores.; A solo kill on an enemy support is a huge win, as it reduces their map control.
Late Game (Teamfighting)
Timeframe: 25+ minutes Objective: Assassinate backline heroes and provide utility saves Key: Stay on the edge of the fight until key enemy spells are used.; Use Shukuchi to bypass the frontline and attack high-priority targets like Sniper or Zeus.; With Aghanim's Scepter, watch your own core's health bar to provide a game-winning save.; A buyback-into-Time-Lapse can instantly turn a lost fight. Items: Black King Bar; Daedalus; Aghanim's Scepter Tips: True sight is your biggest enemy. Play around sentry wards and be aware of heroes with detection.; Your primary targets are heroes who lack escape and have high impact spells.
Tips & Strategies
Shukuchi Mastery
- You can cast items and attack while in Shukuchi without breaking the invisibility.
- Use Shukuchi's brief period of max speed to dodge linear projectiles like Magic Missile or Hookshot.
- Don't immediately attack out of Shukuchi. Use the phasing and speed to body-block or move to a more advantageous position.
Time Lapse Discipline
- Time Lapse is a strong dispel. Use it to remove Orchid, Doom, or other crippling debuffs.
- A common mistake is using Shukuchi to escape and then using Time Lapse, which returns you to danger. Walk or fight first, then Lapse.
- Buying back and immediately using Time Lapse can return you to full health and mana, allowing you to rejoin a critical fight instantly.
Vision & Pressure
- The Swarm has a massive cast range. Use it to check for Roshan attempts without risking your life.
- A single beetle on an enemy hero provides constant vision, preventing them from hiding or juking effectively.
- Desolator and The Swarm's armor reduction stack, allowing you to melt towers and heroes with ease.
Item Guide
Starting Items
Focus on stats and regeneration to win trades and secure last hits against lane pressure.
Tango, Slippers of Agility, Circlet, Faerie Fire
Core Items
Builds survivability (Dragon Lance, Linken's) and then damage (Desolator). This progression allows you to play aggressively with a safety net.
Power Treads, Dragon Lance, Linken's Sphere, Desolator
Situational Items
BKB is essential against heavy control. Manta provides a dispel and damage. Skadi offers control and stats, while Daedalus is for raw late-game damage.
Black King Bar, Manta Style, Eye of Skadi, Daedalus
Counter Guide
Good With
Weaver synergizes with heroes who can amplify his physical damage or provide lockdown. Dazzle's Bad Juju reduces his cooldowns, while Shallow Grave offers a safety net if Time Lapse is down. Vengeful Spirit's Vengeance Aura and Wave of Terror boost his damage and armor reduction. Magnus's Empower gives him cleave and bonus damage, turning him into a teamfight menace. Any hero with a reliable stun, like Lion or Shadow Shaman, can hold a target in place for Weaver to eliminate.
Bad Against
Weaver's primary weakness is instant, long-duration lockdown and silence. Silencer's Global Silence and Last Word can prevent him from using Shukuchi or Time Lapse to escape. Disruptor is a nightmare, with Glimpse pulling him back and Static Storm silencing and damaging him. Bloodseeker's Thirst provides true sight on a low-health Weaver, and Rupture punishes his mobility. Heroes with instant hexes or stuns like Lion and Shadow Shaman can disable him before he can react.
Good Against
Weaver excels against squishy, immobile heroes who rely on positioning. He preys on backline glass cannons like Sniper, Drow Ranger, and Zeus, using Shukuchi to bypass their frontline and kill them quickly. He is also strong against heroes who rely on slow-moving projectiles or delayed spells, as he can easily dodge them. Heroes without instant disables, like Bristleback or Necrophos, struggle to lock him down, allowing him to kite them indefinitely.