Abaddon firmly holds a significant position in the Dota 2 hero rankings. According to Dotabuff, he boasts a solid pick rate and an impressive win rate (first position, as for last week), establishing himself as a reliable choice for various team compositions. As of July 2024, Abaddon is a trendy pick in the current meta. Whether as a support, off-laner, or carry, He brings a unique blend of durability and utility to his team. All statistical data is taken from Dotabuff.com.
In-Game Roles
Support: As a support, Abaddon excels in protecting his allies and sustaining them through fights. His Aphotic Shield can dispel debuffs and absorb significant damage, making him an invaluable ally in the early and mid-game. Mist Coil provides healing, which is essential in the laning phases and during team fights.
Off-laner: In the off-lane, Abaddon leverages his tankiness and survivability. His passive ability, Curse of Avernus, allows him to harass enemies effectively while maintaining his health with Mist Coil and Aphotic Shield. He can disrupt enemy formations and create space for his team by absorbing damage and drawing enemy attention.
Carry: Although less common, Abaddon can be played as a carry. He can become a formidable force in the late game with the right items. Due to his exceptional durability, he can endure prolonged engagements and deliver consistent damage, making it challenging to hinder him.
Skill Build
Players prioritize Aphotic Shield due to its utility in offensive and defensive situations. Mist Coil is often maxed second to provide more healing and damage. Curse of Avernus can be leveled up when needed, especially if additional crowd control and attack speed are required. Borrowed Time is taken whenever available, as it significantly enhances Abaddon's survivability.
Itemization
Support Abaddon: Focuses on items that enhance his ability to sustain and protect his team. Typical items include Arcane Boots, Guardian Greaves, and Mekansm for mana and health sustain, and Aghanim's Scepter and Lotus Orb for additional utility.
Off-lane Abaddon: Builds items that make him tankier and allow him to initiate fights. Items like Vladmir's Offering, Solar Crest, and Pipe of Insight are standard choices, providing a mix of defense and team utility.
Carry Abaddon: Prioritizes items that increase his damage output while maintaining his survivability. Radiance is a common early item, followed by Assault Cuirass, Abyssal Blade, and Satanic for lifesteal and durability.
Facets of Abbaddon’s Playstyle
Abaddon's play style revolves around his ability to sustain himself and his team in fights. As a support or off-laner, positioning is critical. Abaddon must be within range to cast his abilities on allies or enemies, but must avoid being caught out of position. Effective use of Aphotic Shield can negate many enemy abilities, turning potential kills into wasted efforts.
Abaddon focuses on itemization, which enhances his survivability and damage output when playing as a carry. Items like Radiance, Assault Cuirass, and Black King Bar are popular choices, providing a mix of damage, durability, and magic immunity.
Damage Mitigation: Abaddon's ability to absorb and mitigate damage is crucial. By strategically using Aphotic Shield, he can protect himself and his teammates from burst damage and debuffs. This facet of his play style makes him an excellent frontline who can soak up enemy abilities and attacks.
Healing and Sustain: Mist Coil provides both offensive and defensive utility. As a healing spell, it can keep critical allies in the fight longer, while also serving as a means to harass and damage enemies. Managing Abaddon's health while using Mist Coil is vital, as it costs health to cast.
Crowd Control and Buffing: The Curse of Avernus offers crowd control and a significant attack speed buff for his team. This ability is precious during team battles, as the boost in slow and attack speed can change the course of a fight. Concentrating on the cursed targets with your teammates amplifies its impact.
Survivability and Disruption: Borrowed Time is a game-changing ability that can save Abaddon from lethal situations and turn the tables on his enemies. Understanding the timing and conditions to use Borrowed Time effectively is essential. It allows Abaddon to play aggressively, knowing he has a safety net when his health gets low.
Item Synergy: Abaddon benefits greatly from items that enhance his natural strengths. Items that provide health, mana, and additional utility, like Guardian Greaves, Solar Crest, and Lotus Orb, complement his abilities well. To carry Abaddon, items that boost his damage output while maintaining survivability, such as Radiance and Assault Cuirass, are essential.
Lore
Abaddon, the Lord of Avernus, hails from a noble lineage tasked with safeguarding an ancient and mysterious power. The House of Avernus has long been intertwined with the black mist, a substance that grants great power but also demands an equally great price. As a child, Abaddon was ritually bathed in the Font of Avernus, a sacred pool filled with the potent black mist. This ritual endowed him with the ability to command the fog, which he uses to protect his allies and smite his enemies.
Riding into battle on his spectral steed, Abaddon embodies the spirit of the mist, a force both feared and revered. His existence is a testament to the power and mystery of the Font of Avernus, an ancient relic that has shaped the destiny of his lineage. The black mist, which flows through his veins, grants him supernatural abilities, allowing him to shield his comrades from harm and heal their wounds while punishing those who oppose him.
Latest Updates
The recent patches in July 2024 have brought several essential changes to Abaddon, significantly impacting his gameplay and strategy. The 7.36 update has made the following adjustments:
Mist Coil: The cast range has been reduced from 800 to 500, which means Abaddon needs to be closer to his allies or enemies to use this ability effectively. This change emphasizes his role in the thick of the fight rather than from a safer distance.
Aphotic Shield: When an ally takes more than 525 damage while the shield is active, Mist Coil is automatically cast on it at its current level. This makes the Aphotic Shield even more potent as a reactive, defensive tool, enhancing Abaddon's ability to provide continuous support in chaotic fights.
Borrowed Time: Borrowed Time now has an additional mechanic: Every time a unit dies within a 900-range of Abaddon, all his cooldowns are reduced by 0.2 seconds. This change incentivizes Abaddon players to stay close to the action, making him even more formidable in extended engagements.
General Buffs and Nerfs: Abaddon has also received various buffs and nerfs to balance his abilities and make him more viable across different roles. These include minor adjustments to mana costs and cooldowns to fine-tune his performance.
Benefits
Versatility: Abaddon can be played in various roles, including support, off lane, and carry.
Durability: His abilities provide significant damage mitigation and healing.
Utility: Abaddon's skills can dispel debuffs and shield allies, offering substantial team support.
Sustainability: He excels in prolonged fights due to his healing and damage absorption capabilities.
Downsides
Skill Reliant: Effective use of Abaddon's abilities requires good timing and positioning.
Low Burst Damage: He lacks high burst damage, making it challenging to eliminate opponents quickly.
Mana Dependent: His abilities can be mana-intensive, necessitating proper itemization to manage mana costs.
Countered by Silence: Heroes with silencing abilities can significantly hinder Abaddon's effectiveness.
Abilities
Mist Coil: Abaddon releases a coil of mist that can either heal an ally or damage an enemy at the cost of his health.
Aphotic Shield: Places a shield on a target ally that absorbs damage and explodes, damaging nearby enemies when it breaks.
Curse of Avernus: Abaddon's attacks curse his enemies, slowing them and increasing the attack speed of allies attacking the cursed target.
Borrowed Time: Abaddon enters a state where any damage taken heals him instead. This ability can be activated or automatically triggered when his health falls below a certain threshold.
Hints and Tips to Master
Positioning: Always be mindful of your positioning to maximize the effectiveness of Aphotic Shield and Mist Coil.
Timing: Use Borrowed Time at critical moments to turn the tide of battle. Avoid triggering it prematurely.
Itemization: Focus on items that enhance your survivability and mana regeneration, such as Arcane Boots and Guardian Greaves.
Aggressive Support: Don't hesitate to play aggressively, especially when you have Borrowed Time ready. Your presence can deter enemy aggression.
Recommended Allies
Axe: Axe can initiate fights with his Blink Dagger and Berserker's Call, drawing enemy attention and setting up for Abaddon to follow with Aphotic Shield and Mist Coil. The combination of Axe's tankiness and Abaddon's support makes them a formidable front line.
Templar Assassin: Abaddon can protect Templar Assassin with Aphotic Shield, allowing her to maintain Refraction charges longer and deal significant burst damage. Mist Coil can heal TA in critical moments, enhancing her fight for sustainability.
Weaver: Weaver benefits from Abaddon's sustaining abilities, allowing him to play aggressively with Shukuchi and The Swarm. Abaddon's support helps Weaver stay alive longer, making it easier for Weaver to secure kills and escape dangerous situations.
Rubick: Rubick's ability to steal powerful spells complements Abaddon's utility. Abaddon can shield and heal Rubick, enabling him to cast stolen spells more effectively. Together, they can control the battlefield with stolen abilities and defensive support.
Spectre: Spectre's natural tankiness and ability to dive into the backlines pair well with Abaddon's protective skills. Abaddon can shield Spectre as she jumps onto critical targets, and she heals with Mist Coil, ensuring she can survive and continue dealing damage throughout the fight.
Counters
Silencer: The abilities can shut down Abaddon's spells, preventing him from casting Aphotic Shield and Mist Coil. Global Silence is particularly effective, stopping Abaddon from using Borrowed Time when needed most and making him vulnerable.
Outworld Destroyer: Outworld Destroyer can imprison Abaddon with Astral Imprisonment, disrupting his ability to support allies. His strong magic damage output can also bypass Abaddon's durability, making it difficult for Abaddon to sustain in fights.
Doom: Doom's ultimate ability, Doom, silences and removes Abaddon's abilities, including Borrowed Time. This renders Abaddon ineffective and easy to kill, as he cannot use his abilities to protect himself or his allies.
Anti-Mage: Anti-Mage's The Mana Break quickly depletes Abaddon's mana, limiting his ability to cast spells. If he and his team are low on mana, the Mana Void can deal significant damage, making the Anti-Mage a tough opponent.
Shadow Demon: Shadow Demon's Disruption can isolate Abaddon or his allies, preventing him from effectively using Aphotic Shield and Mist Coil. Additionally, Shadow Poison can stack up damage over time, which is challenging for Abaddon to counter without using Borrowed Time.