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Shadow Demon build, counters and guide for Dota 2 7.41
Shadow Demon wins 46.2% of its 14,416 Divine+ games on patch 7.41f (games from 2026-09-15 to 2026-10-30). Shadow Demon is played as Hard support (pos 5) in 63% of its 54 Divine+ games with a recorded position, and as Soft support (pos 4) in 31%. Below: starting items, the item build and when its core items come, counters and lane notes – measured from recent pro and Divine+ games and rebuilt as the patch and the meta move.
Data through 2026-10-31 · patch 7.41f · page updated 2026-11-01
Shadow Demon at a glance
| Divine+ win rate | 46.2% over 14,416 games |
|---|---|
| Main position | Hard support (pos 5), Soft support (pos 4) |
| Primary attribute | Intelligence |
| Attack type | Ranged |
| Roles | Support, Disabler, Initiator, Nuker |
Shadow Demon abilities
The spells on the hero's ability bar and its innate ability, as the game lists them.
Which position Shadow Demon is played in
| Position | Share of Divine+ games | Divine+ tier | Pro tier · picked / banned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid (pos 2) | 6% | – | – |
| Soft support (pos 4) | 31% | D | B · picked 2%, banned 1% |
| Hard support (pos 5) | 63% | D | B · picked 2%, banned 1% |
Share of the 54 Divine+ games with a recorded position (patch 7.41f). Tiers are this patch's tier list at that position, from Divine+ and pro games.
Shadow Demon starting items
The most common whole starting basket of recent pro and Divine+ players at each position, with the newest games counted most.
Hard support (pos 5)
×2
Brought whole by 6% of the 1,862 players counted at this position.
Soft support (pos 4)
- ×2
Brought whole by 8% of the 3,909 players counted at this position.
Shadow Demon item build
The items that Divine+ and pro players of this hero complete most often at each position, with the share of games that finished each one.
Hard support (pos 5)
Divine+ players
88%
85%
74%
62%
47%
29%
21%
18%
34 Divine+ games at this position.
Pro games
- 83%
- 82%
- 65%
55%- 54%
- 23%
- 22%
21%
37 pro games on this patch at this position, the newest counted most.
Soft support (pos 4)
Divine+ players
- 88%
- 88%
- 65%
- 65%
- 53%
- 35%
- 18%
- 18%
17 Divine+ games at this position.
Pro games
- 88%
- 79%
- 52%
- 49%
- 48%
- 38%
27%- 26%
54 pro games on this patch at this position, the newest counted most.
Shadow Demon counters and matchups
From the Divine+ draft tables the coach drafts with: each number is how many points of win chance the matchup moves when the two heroes meet, with both heroes' own win rates taken out. Only matchups that clearly stand out are listed.
Heroes that are hard on Shadow Demon
Heroes Shadow Demon is strong against
Laning against Shadow Demon
- At level 3, Shadow Demon deals about 348 damage to a typical laner in 8 seconds of fighting, mostly through ranged harass – more than 34 of the other 126 heroes (items not counted).
Quick answers about Shadow Demon
What is the best item build for Shadow Demon?
Divine+ players at Hard support (pos 5) most often finish Ring of Basilius, Arcane Boots, Magic Wand, Blink Dagger.
What starting items should I buy on Shadow Demon?
At Hard support (pos 5) the most common starting basket of recent pro and Divine+ players is Blood Grenade, Iron Branch, Magic Stick, Tango, Sentry Ward.
Who counters Shadow Demon?
In Divine+ drafts Shadow Demon struggles most against Riki, Chaos Knight, Undying.
Which position is Shadow Demon played in?
Mostly Hard support (pos 5): 63% of its Divine+ games with a recorded position.
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