Spirit Breaker creates pressure just by disappearing from the map: Charge of Darkness can start from the other side of the map, and a string of bashes leaves you unable to respond. Let's look at the heroes and items that stop Barathrum before he makes contact.

Hero characteristics

Strengths: Barathrum is highly mobile and durable, and can keep a target controlled for a long time. Bulldoze increases his status resistance, Greater Bash scales with movement speed, and Nether Strike extends his chain of stuns.

Weaknesses: His main weakness is the predictable trajectory of Charge of Darkness. Roots, obstacles, and ranged disables can stop his charge. Bara also often gets separated from his team and dies if the enemy is prepared for him.

Best heroes against Spirit Breaker

Spirit Breaker usually plays in the fourth or third position. Good counters include heroes who interrupt Charge of Darkness, quickly come to their allies' aid, or remove Bulldoze.

Carry

  • Morphling Waveform helps dodge the collision, Adaptive Strike interrupts the charge, and Attribute Shift lets you build up health ahead of time.
  • Faceless Void Time Walk gets you off his trajectory, while Chronosphere holds Bara in place regardless of his high status resistance.

Mid

  • Invoker Cold Snap, Tornado, and Ice Wall provide several ways to stop Charge of Darkness and prevent him from continuing his attack.
  • Puck Phase Shift dodges the collision, while Dream Coil restricts Barathrum's further movement.

Offlaner

  • Underlord Pit of Malice interrupts the charge with a root, while Fiend's Gate lets you quickly come to the aid of a target on the other side of the map.
  • Mars Arena of Blood and Spear of Mars create obstacles that make it difficult for Bara to move freely.

Support

  • Dark Willow Bramble Maze stops Charge of Darkness, while Shadow Realm helps Dark Willow survive the targeted attack herself.
  • Clockwerk Power Cogs interrupt his trajectory, Battery Assault makes it harder for him to build up speed again, and Hookshot lets you meet Bara first.

Hard support

  • Shadow Shaman Hex instantly stops the charge, Shackles hold him after Bulldoze ends, and Mass Serpent Ward creates a barrier.
  • Disruptor Glimpse returns Barathrum after a deep initiation, while Kinetic Field makes it difficult for him to start another charge.

What to buy against Spirit Breaker

  • Linken's Sphere Blocks Charge of Darkness and forces him to break the protection with another ability first.
  • Eul's Scepter of Divinity Stops the charge or lets its owner dodge the collision.
  • Force Staff Pushes the target off his trajectory and helps create distance.
  • Lotus Orb Reflects targeted abilities and protects an obvious target.
  • Nullifier Removes Bulldoze and strips Spirit Breaker of his high status resistance.
  • Rod of Atos Its long-range root interrupts Charge of Darkness before contact.

How to play against Spirit Breaker at different stages

Laning

Call out every time Barathrum disappears and place vision on long paths, not just near the lane. If the Charge of Darkness icon appears above a hero, retreat toward your allies and get ready to disable him. It's much safer to face Spirit Breaker as a pair.

Mid game

Carry a Town Portal Scroll and respond to his global rotations with numbers. After a deep initiation, don't run back one by one: surround Bara and don't let him build up speed again. Check for a possible Shadow Blade with true sight.

Don't use all your stuns while Bulldoze is active. First dispel the buff or wait out part of its duration, then apply long disables one after another.

Late game

In the late game, Barathrum can control even a hero with Black King Bar, so keep Linken's Sphere on your main core. Don't leave a vulnerable support alone in view. If Spirit Breaker starts a fight too far from his team, quickly focus him after removing Bulldoze.

Charge of Darkness warns its chosen target about the threat in advance. Don't keep farming greedily: move toward your team, prepare Linken's Sphere, and turn Barathrum's initiation into a trap.