Slardar closes the gap quickly, keeps his target stunned, and turns high armor into negative armor with Corrosive Haze. Let’s take a look at who can stop Slardar from fighting up close and how to remove his main debuff.
Hero Overview
Strengths: Slardar is dangerous thanks to his physical damage and frequent disables. Guardian Sprint grants movement speed, Slithereen Crush stuns in an area, and Bash of the Deep makes every string of attacks a threat. Corrosive Haze sharply reduces armor and reveals invisibility.
Weaknesses: The hero has to get right up close, so he struggles against illusions, kiting, dispels, and ranged disables. If he can’t reach the target he needs, his impact in a fight drops considerably.
Best Heroes Against Slardar
Slardar most often plays in the offlane, and less often as a carry. Counters should create multiple targets, keep their distance, or remove Corrosive Haze.
Carry
- Phantom Lancer His illusions make it hard to pick out the real target, while Doppelganger removes some effects and helps him escape Crush.
- Naga Siren She creates several durable illusions, ensnares Slardar, and uses Song of the Siren to slow down his initiation.
Mid
- Viper He constantly slows Slardar and keeps him from getting close, while Nethertoxin disables passive advantages in the targeted area.
- Leshrac He deals most of his damage with spells and doesn’t depend much on the target’s armor. His AoE damage quickly tears through the team around Slardar.
Offlaner
- Dark Seer Surge saves a hero affected by Corrosive Haze, while Wall of Replica creates a dangerous copy of Slardar himself.
- Underlord Pit of Malice stops Slardar’s charge, Firestorm forces him to leave the area, and Underlord’s durability lets him survive the initial focus.
Support
- Shadow Demon Disruption hides a target affected by Corrosive Haze, while Demonic Purge slows Slardar and prevents him from continuing the chase.
- Hoodwink She keeps her distance, binds Slardar to a tree, and deals damage without needing to enter Slithereen Crush range.
Hard Support
- Oracle Fortune’s End removes Corrosive Haze, while False Promise prevents the chosen target from being killed quickly.
- Abaddon Aphotic Shield dispels the armor reduction and helps an ally survive a chain of stuns.
What to Build Against Slardar
- Lotus Orb Removes Corrosive Haze and reflects targeted effects.
- Manta Style Dispels the debuff from its owner and creates additional targets.
- Force Staff Creates distance after Guardian Sprint.
- Ghost Scepter Temporarily saves a support from physical focus.
- Heaven’s Halberd Prevents Slardar from building up Bash of the Deep with regular attacks.
- Shiva’s Guard Mitigates physical damage with armor and reduces attack speed.
How to Play Against Slardar at Different Stages
Laning
Keep an eye on the Bash of the Deep counter and move away before the empowered attack. Don’t let Slardar hit two heroes with Slithereen Crush at the same time. After he uses the stun to farm, you can safely harass him from a distance.
The Bash of the Deep counter is visible in advance. Move away or let a less important target take the empowered attack, then use the opening to harass him in return.
Midgame
Don’t leave a hero affected by Corrosive Haze without a dispel. Slardar wants to kill one target quickly and use his numerical advantage, so an early save ruins his entire plan. Slow him before he gets close, not after he starts chaining Bashes.
Don’t let Slardar start for free with Corrosive Haze. Remove the debuff immediately, or even a durable hero will quickly die to physical damage.
Late Game
Late in the game, save a dispel for your carry and don’t let Slardar flank. Illusions and summoned units make it harder to choose a target. After a failed initiation, he ends up deep among the enemy team and quickly dies to their counter-disables.
After buying Black King Bar, Slardar is still vulnerable to kiting and disables that pierce spell immunity. Spread out your supports so he can’t start killing two targets with a single Slithereen Crush.
