Shiva’s Guard is one of the most powerful utility items in Dota 2, offering a combination of defensive and offensive benefits that make it a must-have for certain heroes. With its signature active ability, Arctic Blast, alongside its potent passive effects, Shiva’s Guard is especially valuable for team fights, countering illusion-based heroes, and reducing enemy attack speed. Whether you’re playing a tanky frontliner like Tidehunter or an intelligence hero such as Outworld Destroyer, this item can significantly enhance your impact in battles.
Shiva’s Guard – Overview
Shiva’s Guard is a late-game item in Dota 2 designed to counter high physical damage output and enemy healing. It provides a significant armor boost and intelligence while also offering an active ability that slows enemies and deals area-of-effect magical damage. This item is especially effective when used in team fights, where its Arctic Blast can disrupt enemy positioning and strategy.
Shiva’s Guard – Active Ability: Arctic Blast
The highlight of Shiva’s Guard is its active ability, Arctic Blast, which can turn the tide of engagements when used correctly.
- Emits a wave that freezes everything around the wielder.
- Slows enemy heroes by 40% for 4 seconds.
- Deals 200 magical damage in an AOE radius of 719 units.
- Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Arctic Blast is particularly effective against mobile heroes such as Tinker, Hoodwink, and Broodmother. Additionally, it provides extra vision after activation, which helps reveal enemies hiding in fog or trees.
Shiva’s Guard – Passive Effects
Freezing Aura
The Freezing Aura is a key passive ability thataffects all nearby enemy heroes:
- Reduces enemy attack speed by 25%.
- Weakens healing, vampirism, and health regeneration.
While the aura no longer pierces Black King Bar as it did in older patches (pre-7.20), it is still an effective tool against high-sustain heroes.
Illusion Damage
Shiva’s Guard also provides a unique passive mechanic against illusions, making it an excellent choice against illusion-based heroes such as Phantom Lancer, Naga Siren, and Terrorblade.
- Deals up to 640 damage to Terrorblade illusions.
- Deals up to 700 damage to Naga Siren illusions.
- Deals up to 1300 damage to Phantom Lancer illusions.
This helps control illusion-heavy drafts, ensuring that heroes relying on illusory clones won’t be as effective in fights.
Stat Bonuses Provided by Shiva’s Guard
Shiva’s Guard grants the following bonuses and advantages to its wielder:
- +15 Armor – Reduces physical damage taken. Although it does not manipulate enemy armor like Assault Cuirass, it still offers excellent protection.
- +30 Intelligence – Boosts mana pool and spell amplification, making it ideal for intelligence-based heroes.
Best Heroes for Shiva’s Guard
Shiva’s Guard is a staple item for several Dota 2 heroes, especially those who initiate fights or need extra bulk in the late game. Here are some of the top picks for Shiva’s Guard:
Team Fight Initiators
- Leshrac – Enhances his AOE damage and helps mitigate incoming physical damage.
- Tidehunter – Increases tankiness and provides additional slow after using Ravage.
- Death Prophet – Improves survivability while using Exorcism.
Intelligence-Based Damage Dealers
- Invoker – The intelligence boost increases damage output for spells.
- Outworld Destroyer – Strengthens mana-based damage.
- Silencer – Gains both mana for his abilities and a significant armor increase.
Heroes Countering Illusions
- Timbersaw – Excellent against illusion-based heroes due to his AOE kit.
- Medusa – Helps disrupt swarm-like illusion attacks.
How to Use Shiva’s Guard Effectively
- Use Arctic Blast before initiating a fight to apply the slowing effect and deal magic damage.
- Combine it with Blink Dagger for maximum effectiveness when jumping onto enemy backlines.
- Use it after popping Black King Bar to maximize its impact while staying immune to enemy magic damage.
- Save it for chasing escaping enemies as it provides an extra vision advantage.
FAQ – Shiva’s Guard in Dota 2
What is Shiva’s Guard in Dota 2?
Shiva’s Guard is a powerful item that provides armor, intelligence, and an active ability that slows and damages enemies in an area.
Which heroes benefit the most from Shiva’s Guard?
Heroes like Tidehunter, Leshrac, Death Prophet, and Intelligence-based heroes significantly benefit from Shiva’s Guard.
How does the Arctic Blast ability work?
Arctic Blast slows enemy movement by 40% for 4 seconds and inflicts 200 magic damage in a 719 AOE.
Does Shiva’s Guard stack with other slow effects?
Yes, its slow effect stacks additively with other sources of slow in the game.
Is Shiva’s Guard good against illusion heroes?
Yes, it deals high damage to illusions making it an excellent counter to heroes like Phantom Lancer and Naga Siren.
How does Shiva’s Guard compare to Assault Cuirass?
Assault Cuirass reduces enemy armor and increases team armor, while Shiva’s Guard provides a slowing effect and more intelligence.
Can Shiva’s Guard be used by carry heroes?
It is usually built by tanky initiators and intelligence-based heroes rather than traditional carries.
When should you buy Shiva’s Guard?
It is purchased in the later stages, around the 30-minute mark, to counter high attack-speed enemies.
Does Shiva’s Guard’s slow go through spell immunity?
No, as of patch 7.20, its aura no longer affects spell-immune enemies.
Is Shiva’s Guard better than other late-game armor items?
It depends on the situation. If you need magic damage and an AOE slow, Shiva’s Guard is superior to items like Assault Cuirass.
Conclusion
Shiva’s Guard is a game-changing item in Dota 2 that offers a powerful mix of survivability, crowd control, and magical damage. With its active Arctic Blast and valuable passive effects, it serves as an excellent choice for intelligence-based heroes, initiators, and anyone looking to counter high-attack-speed opponents. Understanding when and how to use this item effectively can elevate your gameplay and provide a crucial edge in team fights.
Source : turizx
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