Silencer
Nortrom, the Silencer, was the last of a lineage bred for magical excellence. Raised by the ancient order of the Aeol Drias, he was destined to become the greatest battle mage the world had ever known. Yet while other apprentices wielded fire, ice, and transformation magic, Nortrom remained silent and seemingly powerless. On the final day of testing, he silenced his brethren one by one, proving that magic's ultimate expression is not in casting spells, but in preventing them.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“Silence is not the absence of power - it is the presence of absolute control. Master these truths, and enemies' spells become whispers of defiance against your inevitable victory.”
Intelligence is Everything
Every kill steals their power and adds to yours. Hunt intelligently, for each stolen point makes you exponentially stronger.
Timing Over Volume
Your silences are most devastating when perfectly timed. One well-placed Global Silence is worth ten poorly timed ones.
Vision is Victory
Last Word provides more than silence - it provides truth. Use this vision to control the flow of battle and track threats.
Patience Pays
You're not the initiator - you're the counter-engineer. Let enemies commit, then strike when their spells become useless.
Synergy Stacking
Arcane Curse's pause mechanic makes you multiply allied silences. Position to maximize your team's control potential.
The Glaive's Truth
Your Glaives become devastating as you grow in intelligence. Each stolen point makes your normal attacks increasingly lethal.
Hero Overview
Silencer is the quintessential anti-mage specialist, capable of decimating enemy intelligence pools and rendering entire spell-reliant lineups useless. His unique ability to permanently steal intelligence on kills makes him grow exponentially stronger throughout the game, while his array of silencing abilities provides unparalleled control over teamfight dynamics.
Silencer's gameplay revolves around strategic positioning and perfect timing of his silencing abilities. Early game, you'll harass with Arcane Curse and Last Word, while building toward game-changing items. Mid to late game, you become a walking nightmare for spell-casters, with Glaives of Wisdom providing sustained damage while your silences shut down enemy combos. A well-timed Global Silence can single-handedly win teamfights and secure objectives.
Pros
- Permanent intelligence steal makes you scale infinitely
- Global Silence is game-changing ultimate
- Excellent against spell-casting heroes
- Strong laning phase with Arcane Curse harassment
- Provides team-wide vision control with Last Word
Cons
- Vulnerable to physical damage dealers
- Low mobility without items
- Relies on positioning to survive
- Mana intensive early game
- Weak against BKB timing coordination
Ability Analysis
Arcane Curse
ActiveCurses an enemy unit, causing it to be silenced and take damage over time. The duration pauses when the target is silenced by any source.
Notes: Excellent harassment tool in lane. The duration pause mechanic makes it incredibly synergistic with your other silences and allies' disables. Use it to pressure enemy heroes out of lane and secure last hits. The AoE can hit multiple enemies if they're grouped.
Glaives of Wisdom
Auto-castSilencer enchants his glaives with wisdom, dealing extra damage based on his Intelligence. Manually casting on enemy heroes won't draw creep aggro.
Notes: Your main damage source that scales incredibly well with intelligence stole from kills. Manually cast on heroes to avoid drawing creep aggro while farming. Essential for last-hitting and trading damage effectively in lane.
Last Word
ActiveLaunches a globe of silence, seeking out enemy heroes. When it finds one, it applies a short duration deafening effect, then damages and silences them. Provides shared vision of the target.
Notes: Incredibly versatile ability used for harassment, vision control, and spell interruption. The shared vision makes it excellent for tracking invisible enemies. Use it to prevent spell combos and keep enemies in vision for your team. The AoE talent allows it to hit units in fog and even through spell immunity.
Global Silence
ActiveSilences all enemy units on the map, preventing them from casting spells. Pierces spell immunity, but can be dispelled.
Notes: Game-changing ultimate that affects every enemy unit on the map. Best used to interrupt channeling spells or prevent enemy spell combos. Remember that BKB activation dispels it, so time it after enemies use their BKBs. Affects all units including creeps and summons.
Glaives of Wisdom (Shard Upgrade)
Auto-castGlaives of Wisdom reduces enemy magic resistance by 25% for 4 seconds.
Notes: Transforms your main damage source into a magic resistance shredding tool. Works incredibly well with teammates' magic damage and makes you much more threatening to tanky heroes. The effect stacks with other magic resistance reducers.
Global Silence (Aghanim's Scepter)
ActiveGlobal Silence becomes an aura that pulses every 3 seconds, silencing enemies for 2 seconds each pulse. Lasts 8 seconds.
Notes: Transforms your ultimate from a one-time silence into a sustained control tool. The pulsing nature makes it incredibly difficult for enemies to coordinate abilities and ensures that even if they dispel one pulse, they'll be hit by the next.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Silencer is the ultimate anti-mage hero, designed to punish spell-casting heroes and control the flow of teamfights through silence. His Global Silence is one of the game's most impactful ultimates, capable of turning the tide of battle when timed perfectly.
Key Insights:
- Intelligence steal from kills makes you exponentially stronger as the game progresses
- Arcane Curse duration pauses on all silences, creating devastating synergy
- Last Word provides vision and burst damage throughout all game phases
Silencer rewards patient, strategic play. You're not looking for flashy plays - you're looking for the right moment to silence the enemy's entire game plan.
Game Strategy
Early Game
Timeframe: 0-15 minutes Objective: Control lane through harassment and secure first intelligence steals Key: Use Arcane Curse to pressure enemy heroes; Manually cast Glaives for last-hits without creep aggro; Position to track enemy movements with Last Word; Build toward core mana sustain items Items: Magic Wand (Essential sustain); Power Treads (Stats flexibility); Orchid Malevolence (Damage amp) Tips: Avoid trading kills with enemies when possible; Use Last Word vision to setup ganks; Save mana for key harassment opportunities; Position safely - you're squishy early game
Mid Game
Timeframe: 15-30 minutes Objective: Teamfight control and intelligence scaling Key: Time Global Silence for maximum impact; Use Last Word to prevent enemy initiations; Build intelligence advantage through steals; Coordinate with team for silence timing Items: Orchid Malevolence (Damage amplify); Bloodstone (Mana sustain); Scythe of Vyse (Hard control) Tips: Global Silence after enemy BKB activation; Last Word high-value targets for vision; Stack intelligence through safe kills; Position at teamfight edges for safety
Late Game
Timeframe: 30+ minutes Objective: Game-winning ultimate timing and intelligence domination Key: Coordinate Global Silence with team engagements; Use stolen intelligence advantage for damage; Control key targets with silences and hexes; Position for late-game teamfight impact Items: Aghanim's Scepter (Pulsing silence); Refresher Orb (Double ultimates); Scythe of Vyse (Essential control) Tips: Global Silence counters enemy initiations; Aghs makes Global Silence incredibly oppressive; Refresher allows devastating double silence sequences; Your intelligence steal makes you late-game threat
Tips & Strategies
Arcane Curse Synergy
- Arcane Curse duration pauses on ALL silence debuffs, not just yours
- Combine with allies' silences for devastating duration
- Use AoE to hit multiple enemies during teamfights
- Excellent for forcing enemies to burn mana on spells
Glaives Management
- Manually cast Glaives to avoid creep aggro while harassing
- Every intelligence steal makes your Glaives significantly stronger
- Position to safely apply Glaives in teamfights
- Mana management is crucial for sustained Glaives usage
Global Silence Mastery
- Cast Global Silence after enemies use BKB to penetrate immunity
- Save Global Silence to break channeling ultimates like Black Hole
- Coordinate with team - don't use it to start fights unnecessarily
- Use it when enemies are committed to fight, not before
Item Guide
Starting Items
Basic sustain and intelligence for early lane dominance. The extra intelligence from Mantle helps with last-hitting and spell casting.
Tango, Clarity, Mantle of Intelligence
Core Items
Treads for stats flexibility, Orchid for early damage amplification and silence stack, Wand for burst sustain against spell-casters.
Power Treads, Orchid Malevolence, Magic Wand
Situational Items
Bloodstone for mana sustain, Scythe for hard control, BKB if enemies can jump you, Linken's against single-target lockdown.
Bloodstone, Scythe of Vyse, Black King Bar, Linken's Sphere
Counter Guide
Good With
Silencer excels with heroes who can follow up on his silences or benefit from his control. Magnus creates devastating combos with Reverse Polarity after Silencer's Global Silence catches enemies off-guard. Enigma benefits from Silencer's ability to prevent Black Hole counters and can cast uninterrupted. Earthshaker can land perfect Echo Slams on silenced enemies who can't use mobility spells. Void Spirit provides additional silence and burst damage, creating near-unavoidable kill scenarios. The ideal partners are heroes who need enemies to be stationary or unable to cast spells - Silencer provides exactly that through his comprehensive silencing toolkit.
Bad Against
Silencer struggles against heroes who can either bypass his silences or exploit his physical vulnerability. Anti-Mage is the quintessential counter, burning Silencer's mana pool while being able to Blink away from danger. Phantom Assassin deals massive physical damage that Silencer cannot survive without items, and evasion makes trading unfavorable. Lifestealer can rage through silences and heal through harassment, while his magic immunity makes Silencer's damage negligible. Ursa and Riki can quickly close the gap and eliminate Silencer before he can react, as he lacks mobility and escape mechanisms. Heroes with strong dispels like Abaddon or Oracle can immediately remove Silencer's debuffs and turn fights around. The pattern is clear: fast, physical damage dealers who can reach Silencer quickly or heroes with strong dispel capabilities pose extreme threats to his game plan.
Good Against
Silencer dominates heroes who rely heavily on spells or combos. Invoker becomes nearly useless when caught by Global Silence mid-combination, and Last Word prevents him from casting his devastating spells. Enigma fears Silencer's timing - a well-placed Global Silence can waste a Black Hole or prevent it entirely. Crystal Maiden and Witch Doctor are completely shutdown by silences mid-channel, their ultimates becoming liabilities. Puck and Storm Spirit who rely on spell chaining for mobility and damage find themselves vulnerable and easy targets. Heroes with long cooldown ultimates like Faceless Void or Spectre are dramatically hampered when silenced at critical moments. Silencer's ability to permanently steal intelligence also makes him scale exponentially against other Intelligence heroes, eventually out-damaging and out-mana-ing them consistently.