Slardar
As a Slithereen Guard, Slardar patrols the deep ocean cities and treasures. Having spent his entire life under tremendous ocean pressure, he wields incredible power and serves as the guardian of the sunken riches.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“The depths protect their own. Strike with the fury of the abyss, and leave no refuge for your enemies.”
Flow Like Water
Use Guardian Sprint to control the battlefield's fluid dynamics. Create advantageous positions and escape impossible situations.
Armor is Optional
Corrosive Haze makes enemy tanks vulnerable. Apply it liberally and watch even the strongest defenses crumble.
Control the Impact
Slithereen Crush isn't just damage - it's positioning control. Use it to disrupt channels and group enemies for follow-up.
Stake Your Claim
Build Bash of the Deep counters opportunistically. Turn farming time into combat readiness, then unleash stored aggression.
Tides of Battle
Harness water effects from your abilities to activate Seaborn Sentinel. The battlefield becomes your domain.
Depth Strikes
Initiate with purpose. Your combination of mobility, disables, and armor reduction creates irreversible momentum.
Hero Overview
Slardar is the aquatic warrior who brings the fury of the deep to the battlefield. As a Slithereen Guard, he combines high mobility with devastating disables and armor reduction, making him an ideal initiator and tank. His innate connection to water provides passive advantages, while his abilities create terrifying combinations that leave enemies defenseless.
Slardar's gameplay centers around using Guardian Sprint to close gaps, followed by Slithereen Crush to immobilize targets. Bash of the Deep provides consistent stuns, while Corrosive Haze ensures targets take maximum damage from your team. The synergy between Crush's puddles and your Seaborn Sentinel innate creates sustained pressure in teamfights and tower sieges.
Pros
- Excellent mobile initiator with Guardian Sprint
- Strong armor reduction with Corrosive Haze
- Reliable stun with Bash of the Deep
- Synergizes well with team physical damage dealers
- Can TP during Guardian Sprint without interruption
Cons
- Relies on closing distance effectively
- Vulnerable to kiting and ranged harass
- Limited without proper positioning
- Corrosive Haze can be dispelled
- Movement speed bonus can be dispelled
Ability Analysis
Guardian Sprint
ActiveSlardar pushes himself with a surge of water, gaining movement speed and status resistance for a duration. The trail left behind turns into water, empowering his Seaborn Sentinel innate.
Notes: Use this to initiate fights or escape danger. The water trail created activates your Seaborn Sentinel passive. Can be cast during TP without canceling the channel, making it excellent for rapid response to teamfights.
Slithereen Crush
ActiveSlardar slams the ground, dealing damage and stunning nearby enemy units. Creates a puddle that turns to water, empowering his Seaborn Sentinel innate.
Notes: Primary disable and initiation tool. The puddle created synergizes with your innate ability. Perfect for disrupting channeling spells and catching multiple enemies. Position carefully to maximize area coverage.
Bash of the Deep
PassiveSlardar attacks with increasing force. After a number of attacks, his next attack deals bonus damage and stuns the target. The counter increases and doesn't expire on creeps.
Notes: Build up the counter on jungle camps or lane creeps for easy stuns on heroes. The counter stacks infinitely on non-building targets. Cannot be used with other bash items like Abyssal Blade or Skull Basher.
Corrosive Haze
Target UnitDrenches an enemy in slime, reducing their armor and providing True Sight of the target. The armor reduction stacks with other sources.
Notes: Crucial for amplifying team physical damage. Works on BKB'd enemies and can be cast on couriers. With Brineguard facet, debuffed illusions provide bonus armor. Can be removed by basic dispels.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Slardar is a high-mobility initiator who excels at locking down targets and reducing their armor. His Guardian Sprint provides incredible mobility, while Corrosive Haze makes even the tankiest enemies vulnerable.
Key Insights:
- Guardian Sprint can be used during TP without canceling
- Slithereen Crush synergizes perfectly with your Seaborn Sentinel innate
- Bash of the Deep stacks and has infinite duration on creeps
Slardar thrives in aquatic environments but dominates on land as well. His ability to both initiate and sustain makes him a versatile threat throughout the game.
Game Strategy
Early Game
Timeframe: 0-15 minutes Objective: Build up bash counter and secure core mobility items Key: Farm jungle camps to stack Bash of the Deep counter; Use Guardian Sprint to harass and escape ganks; Apply Corrosive Haze to amplify right-click damage; Position to benefit from water effects from abilities Items: Power Treads (stat manipulation); Armlet of Mordiggian (damage boost); Blink Dagger (mobility priority) Tips: Build bash stacks on neutrals before engaging; Use Crush puddles to activate Seaborn Sentinel; Haze can be cast on couriers for vision; Guardian Sprint during TP for rapid response
Mid Game
Timeframe: 15-30 minutes Objective: Initiate teamfights and control objectives Key: Blink + Crush initiation for maximum impact; Prioritize Haze on high-armor targets; Use speed advantage to force unfavorable engagements; Control Roshan with armor reduction advantage Items: Assault Cuirass (armor synergy); Black King Bar (spell immunity); Hurricane Pike (position control) Tips: Coordinate with physical damage dealers; Save Crush for interrupting channeling spells; Use water trails for sustained positioning; Track enemy dispel timings for Haze
Late Game
Timeframe: 30+ minutes Objective: Execute perfect initiations and provide tank presence Key: Initiate on key enemy carries with Haze + Crush; Utilize innate armor from water effects; Force teamfights around favorable terrain; Provide tank frontline for damage dealers Items: Aghanim's Scepter (enhanced abilities); Heart of Tarrasque (sustainability); Refresher Orb (double Haze impact) Tips: Focus Haze on enemy BKB users; Use positioning to maximize water effects; Initiate when enemy dispels are on cooldown; Tank initiation to protect team backline
Tips & Strategies
Mobility & Positioning
- Guardian Sprint can be cast during TP without canceling the channel.
- Create water trails with Sprint and Crush to activate Seaborn Sentinel passive.
- Use speed advantage to outmaneuver kiting enemies and force engagements.
- Position near towers with active water effects for bonus damage.
Bash Management
- Build bash counter on jungle or lane creeps - it lasts indefinitely.
- Bash doesn't proc on buildings or wards, so focus on hero targets.
- Cannot combine with Skull Basher or Abyssal Blade - game prevents it.
- Use stored bash on neutrals then switch to hero for immediate stun.
Corrosive Haze Tactics
- Reduces armor and provides True Sight - perfect against invis heroes.
- Works fully on debuff immune/BKB'd enemies.
- Can be dispelled with items like Lotus Orb, Manta Style, or Satanic.
- With Brineguard facet, debuffed illusions grant bonus armor.
Item Guide
Starting Items
Basic survivability and stat buildup for early laning phase.
Tangos, Slippers of Agility, Circlet
Core Items
Blink for initiation, Armlet for damage amplification, Treads for stat switching and mobility.
Blink Dagger, Armlet of Mordiggian, Power Treads
Situational Items
Adapt based on enemy composition. AC for armor reduction synergy, Pike for positioning control.
Assault Cuirass, Hurricane Pike, Black King Bar, Silver Edge
Counter Guide
Good With
Slardar excels alongside physical damage dealers who capitalize on armor reduction. Phantom Assassin and Juggernaut become devastating with amplified crit and spin damage, while Drow Ranger and Templar Assassin shred through reduced armor with their high物理输出. Morphling and Sven benefit tremendously from the armor debuff for their burst and cleave damage. Sniper becomes lethal against even tanky targets when Haze removes their armor shield. The pairing works best with heroes who can follow up on Slardar's initiation and maximize the -armor effect for rapid eliminations.
Bad Against
Slardar struggles against heroes who can dispel his effects or outmaneuver him. Phantom Lancer overwhelms with illusions, while Razor and Viper kite him with ranged damage and status effects. Nature's Prophet can trap him with Sprout and avoid initiation. Anti-Mage burns his limited mana pool, preventing crucial ability usage. Invoker withEMP and Deafening Blast can both drain mana and keep him at bay. Oracle can dispel Corrosive Haze and provide strong healing. Heroes with built-in dispels, sustained ranged damage, or mobility advantage all pose significant threats to Slardar's effectiveness.
Good Against
Slardar dominates heroes who rely on stealth or high armor. Riki and Templar Assassin lose their primary advantage when revealed by True Sight, while Broodmother and her spiders become vulnerable to physical damage. Anti-Mage struggles with armor reduction and can be locked down with Crush. Phoenix loses survivability with reduced armor during Supernova. Centaur Warrunner and Dragon Knight tank much less effectively with debuffed armor. Heroes who depend on armor for defense or invisibility for positioning become prime targets for Slardar's combination of reveals, disables, and armor-amplified damage.