Death Prophet
Krobelus the Death Prophet gazes into the souls of mortals, foreseeing their inevitable demise. She walks between worlds, a harbinger of doom who channels the spirits of the dead to devastate her foes.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“I see your death, and it will be glorious. Follow these prophecies, and your victory is not hoped for—it is foretold.”
Harass from the Shadows
Never reveal yourself unnecessarily. Ground target your spells, strike from fog, and let your enemies wonder where the damage comes from.
Master the Swarm
Exorcism is your power. Control the spirits with your right-click, position for maximum damage, and know when to sacrifice your position for destruction.
Sustain Through Battle
You are a nightmare that keeps coming back. Use Spirit Siphon on multiple targets, embrace the healing from spirits, and refuse to die.
Silence is Your Weapon
The ability to stop enemy spells is more valuable than raw damage. Time your Silence perfectly, disrupt combos, and create windows of opportunity.
The Inevitable End
Exorcism ending is not a weakness - it's your resurrection. The healing makes you survive anything, emerging stronger to finish what you started.
Push with Purpose
Your strength lies in breaking defenses. Coordinate with team, pressure lanes, and remember that while they defend towers, you're building toward their defeat.
Hero Overview
Death Prophet is a formidable pushing and teamfight hero capable of single-handedly dismantling enemy structures and dominating team battles. Her combination of AoE magical damage, physical damage from spirits, and exceptional mobility makes her a constant threat on the battlefield.
Death Prophet's gameplay revolves around strategic use of her abilities -Crypt Swarm for harassment and waveclear, Spirit Siphon for sustain and damage, Silence for control, and Exorcism for devastating teamfights and tower destruction. A well-timed Exorcism can win teamfights and secure objectives with ease.
Pros
- Excellent pushing power with Exorcism
- High mobility and escape potential
- Strong AoE damage output
- Self-sustain with Spirit Siphon healing
- Silence provides valuable team control
Cons
- Relatively squishy without items
- Exorcism has long cooldown
- Vulnerable to burst damage when Exorcism is down
- Mana intensive early game
- Dependent on positioning for effectiveness
Ability Analysis
Crypt Swarm
ActiveDeath Prophet releases a swarm of bats that damage enemy units they fly through.
Notes: Use ground targeting to avoid revealing your position when enemies are in fog. The bats travel slightly beyond cast range, allowing for surprise attacks. Excellent for waveclear and harassing enemies from safety.
Spirit Siphon
Target UnitDeath Prophet drains health from target enemy unit, dealing damage and healing herself. Has multiple charges.
Notes: Cannot have multiple Siphons on one target, but can Siphon multiple enemies simultaneously. Works on Roshan, Tormentor, and even high magic resistance units for full healing amount. Refresher Orb/Shard restores all charges.
Silence
ActivePrevents enemy units in target area from casting spells.
Notes: Crucial for disrupting enemy combo heroes and channeling abilities. The AoE makes it difficult for enemies to escape its effect. Use it to initiate fights or protect yourself from ganks.
Exorcism
ActiveDeath Prophet releases spirits from the underworld to attack nearby enemy units and buildings. When the duration ends, she is healed based on damage dealt.
Notes: Spirits deal physical damage and follow your right-click target. Deals more damage to low-armor targets. Stand close to towers when pushing for maximum DPS. Can kill Techies mines and Venomancer wards but not other wards.
Crypt Swarm (Shard Upgrade)
ActiveCrypt Swarm bounces to additional targets and has reduced cooldown.
Notes: The bounce effect significantly increases waveclear potential and teamfight damage. The reduced cooldown allows for more frequent harassment and farming. Essential for maintaining lane dominance.
Exorcism (Aghanim's Scepter)
ActiveExorcism spirits move faster and attack more frequently. Death Prophet gains movement speed during Exorcism.
Notes: The movement speed bonus makes you incredibly difficult to kite during Exorcism. Faster and more frequent spirit attacks dramatically increase damage output, especially against structures and high-armor targets.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Death Prophet is one of the most potent pushers and teamfight presences in Dota 2. Her Exorcism is not just a pushing tool - it's a game-changing ultimate that deals physical damage and provides massive sustain.
Key Insights:
- Use ground targeting for Crypt Swarm to avoid revealing your position
- Spirit Siphon can target multiple enemies for maximum healing
- Exorcism spirits follow your right-click target even when disabled
Death Prophet rewards strategic positioning and resource management. Don't be afraid to be aggressive during Exorcism - that's when she thrives!
Game Strategy
Early Game
Timeframe: 0-15 minutes Objective: Farm core items and harass enemies Key: Use Crypt Swarm for wave control and harassment; Maintain mana with careful spell usage; Use Spirit Siphon on enemy heroes for sustain; Position safely while farming toward Power Treads Items: Power Treads (Priority #1); Witch Blade components; Mana regeneration items Tips: Use ground targeting for Crypt Swarm to avoid revealing position; Siphon multiple enemies when being ganked for maximum healing; Save Silence for preventing enemy escapes or ganks; Farm jungle camps when lane is pushed out
Mid Game
Timeframe: 15-30 minutes Objective: Push towers and dominate teamfights with Exorcism Key: Use Exorcism to force enemy engagements; Stand close to towers for maximum spirit damage; Coordinate pushes with team objectives; Maintain pressure across multiple lanes Items: Witch Blade (Core damage item); Kaya (Mana efficiency); Aghanim's Scepter Tips: Right-click priority targets during Exorcism; Use Spirit Siphon to sustain through fights; Position to maximize Crypt Swarm bounces with Shard; Time Exorcism for tower sieges and teamfights
Late Game
Timeframe: 30+ minutes Objective: Win decisive teamfights with dual Exorcism Key: Use Refresher for devastating dual Exorcism; Focus on high-value targets and objectives; Provide sustained damage in prolonged fights; Control teamfight positioning with Silence Items: Refresher Orb (Game-changer); Bloodstone (Tankiness); Scythe of Vyse (Hard control) Tips: Coordinate Exorcism timing with team cooldowns; Use items to counter enemy threats; Focus on teamfight utility over individual kills; Maintain vision to position Exorcism optimally
Tips & Strategies
Ability Usage & Positioning
- Ground target Crypt Swarm from fog to avoid revealing your vision to enemies.
- You can have multiple Spirit Siphons active on different targets simultaneously for maximum healing.
- Exorcism spirits follow your right-click target even when you're stunned or disabled.
- When pushing towers, stand as close as possible to maximize spirit attack frequency.
Sustain & Healing
- Spirit Siphon healing is independent of damage dealt - works on high magic resistance units too.
- Siphon Roshan and Tormentor for additional healing during objective fights.
- Refresher Orb/Shard completely restores all Spirit Siphon charges instantly.
- Health restoration reduction effects diminish Exorcism healing when it ends.
Exorcism Mastery
- Spirits deal physical damage - enemy armor values affect their effectiveness.
- Spirits can kill Techies mines and Venomancer wards but not other ward types.
- Recasting Exorcism causes previous spirits to return and heal you immediately.
- Aghanim's Scepter increases spirit speed and attack rate while giving you bonus movespeed.
Item Guide
Starting Items
Mana regeneration and intelligence bonus for spell spam in lane.
Null Talisman, Tangos, Clarity
Core Items
Treads provide stats switching flexibility, Witch Blade adds damage and armor, Kaya enhances spell damage and reduces mana consumption.
Power Treads, Witch Blade, Kaya
Situational Items
Silver Edge for break effect to bypass evasion, Bloodstone for tankiness and mana, Scythe for hard lockdown, Aghanim's for enhanced Exorcism.
Silver Edge, Bloodstone, Scythe of Vyse, Aghanim's Scepter
Counter Guide
Good With
Death Prophet excels with heroes who can capitalize on her sustained damage and control. Magnus creates perfect setup for her abilities with Reverse Polarity, allowing Exorcism to devastate grouped enemies. Enigma benefits from her ability to keep enemies in place for Black Hole while also providing additional damage. Faceless Void can trap enemies in Chronosphere where they cannot escape Exorcism's wrath. Shadow Shaman provides additional disables and tower destruction, complementing Death Prophet's pushing power. Jakiro and Crystal Maiden offer AoE damage that synergizes well with her ability to force enemies to stay together. The key is heroes who need enemies to be stationary or grouped - Death Prophet's control and damage make these combinations incredibly deadly.
Bad Against
Death Prophet struggles against heroes who can disrupt her Exorcism or exploit her squishiness. Spirit Breaker can charge and charge out of Exorcism range, negating much of her damage. Pudge can hook her away from team fights and burst her down with Rot damage. Razor can steal her damage with Static Link and kite her effectively outside Exorcism range. Viper applies Nethertoxin which reduces magic damage, significantly impacting Crypt Swarm and Spirit Siphon. Anti-Mage can burn her mana pool, preventing consistent spell usage. Nyx Assassin with Vendetta and Mana Burn can burst her from invisibility. Burst heroes like Lifestealer and Ursa can kill her quickly before Exorcism provides healing. Heroes with strong mobility, burst damage, or mana disruption all pose significant threats to Death Prophet's effectiveness.
Good Against
Death Prophet dominates heroes who rely on positioning, channeling, or have low mobility. Illusion heroes like Phantom Lancer suffer as Exorcism spirits focus the real hero while Crypt Swarm clears illusions efficiently. Channeling heroes such as Crystal Maiden (Freezing Field), Witch Doctor (Death Ward), and Enigma (Black Hole) become easy targets with Silence disrupting them. Towers and structures fall quickly to Exorcism's physical damage, making death prophet excellent at map control. Squishy supports without mobility like Sniper and Drow Ranger are easily caught and burst down. Heroes with sustained damage who need to stay in range like Viper and Necrophos struggle against her mobility and healing. Pushing compositions suffer as Exorcism can defend against waves while also threatening their own towers. Death Prophet's combination of mobility, sustained damage, and healing makes her a nightmare for these hero types and strategies.