Sand King Hero Analysis in Dota 2

Last time we observed Underlord, now - Sand King. He is an adaptable melee hero, known for his exceptional ability to serve multiple roles, including Disabler, Initiator, and Nuker. His widespread appeal in professional and casual matches alike is attributed to his remarkable area-of-effect skills and remarkable initiation prowess. Notably, Sand King's selection frequency has remained consistently high in recent updates, and his competitive success rate consistently falls within the impressive 55-60% range across different skill levels. According to Dotabuff, he consistently occupies a fifth position according to his win rate. This solidifies Sand King's reputation as a highly reliable and versatile option for players seeking a hero capable of seamlessly adapting to various team compositions.

Description

Sand King's playstyle revolves around his ability to control the battlefield using a combination of stuns, slows, and burst damage. His effectiveness varies across game stages, making him a highly adaptable hero depending on the situation and the player's skill level.

Early Game: Sand King is typically played as an off-laner or roamer in the early game. His skill set allows him to exert lane pressure and secure kills when paired with another hero who can deal with high damage or provide additional crowd control. Burrowstrike (Q) is Sand King's primary tool in the early stages, allowing him to engage, disengage, and secure kills by stunning enemies. Players often max Burrowstrike first or Sand Storm (W)​, depending on the lane matchup and team composition.

For laning, items like Bracer and Magic Wand are recommended to provide additional health and mana sustain. Getting Boots of Speed early is crucial to enhance his mobility and chase potential. Sand King can use Sand Storm to farm and harass in lane, especially when facing melee opponents. This ability grants him invisibility and deals damage over time, making it difficult for the enemy carry to farm or zone him out effectively.

Mid-Game: Sand King shines in the mid-game, as this is when he can start using his core items. A Blink Dagger is an essential pickup, enabling him to initiate with Burrowstrike, followed by Epicenter (R). This classic combination deals massive AoE damage and is often enough to wipe out squishier enemy heroes. Another essential item is Veil of Discord, which amplifies Sand King's magic damage, making his combos even more potent.

After getting Blink Dagger, many players opt for Aghanim's Shard, which enhances Sand Storm by making it a toggled ability. The shard also reduces Sand King's attack damage taken and provides him with constant invisibility and movement speed within Sand Storm, making him harder to pin down​.

For secondary items, Eul's Scepter of Divinity is a popular choice. It offers mana regeneration, mobility, and a way to set up Burrowstrike or escape dangerous situations. Players can also go for Black King Bar (BKB) if the enemy team has heavy crowd control or magic damage, allowing Sand King to freely channel Epicenter without interruption.

Late Game: Sand King's role transitions into a more utility-based initiator as the game progresses. Aghanim's Scepter becomes valuable, enhancing his Burrowstrike to hit a larger radius and increasing his overall impact in team fights. Shiva's Guard is another vital item, providing armor, a slow aura, and additional AoE damage that synergizes well with his abilities. The slow from Shiva's Guard can also be combined with Epicenter, making it harder for enemies to escape Sand King's ultimate.

Sand King's talents play a crucial role in boosting his late-game presence. Choosing talents like +150 Burrowstrike Cast Range or +25 Sand Storm DPS Per Second can significantly increase his impact during fights​. The cast range bonus on Burrowstrike allows Sand King to initiate from a safer distance, while the increased damage on Sand Storm helps secure kills on fleeing heroes.

Itemization:

Core Items:

Blink Dagger: Mandatory for initiating with Burrowstrike and positioning for Epicenter.

Aghanim's Shard: Enhances Sand Storm, provides utility, and adds survivability.

Eul's Scepter of Divinity: Mana regen, mobility, and setup potential.

Situational Items:

Black King Bar (BKB): Necessary against high disable lineups.

Shiva's Guard: Adds survivability, AoE damage, and a slow effect that pairs well with his abilities.

Lotus Orb: Reflects spells and purges debuffs, useful when facing heavy single-target spells.

Luxury Items:

Aghanim's Scepter: Increases Burrowstrike's radius and allows for more impactful initiations.

Octarine Core: Reduces cooldowns, increasing Sand King's uptime on spells and giving him more presence in prolonged fights.

Heart of Tarrasque: Great for sustaining through longer fights when playing as a tanky frontliner.

Skill Build:

Level 1-3: Prioritize Burrowstrike and Sand Storm. If your lane is more aggressive, you can get an early point in Caustic Finale (E) for added harass.

Level 4-6: Max Burrowstrike first for lower cooldown and higher stun duration. Put a point in Epicenter at level 6.

Level 7-12: Max out Sand Storm next for better farming and escape potential. Keep Caustic Finale as a utility ability.

Level 13+: Focus on increasing Epicenter's impact by leveling it up and taking talents that boost Burrowstrike's cast range and Sand Storm's DPS.

Gameplay Strategies:

Early Game: Focus on securing farm and levels while applying pressure on the enemy carry. Use Sand Storm defensively to avoid ganks.

Mid-Game: Actively look for fights with Blink Dagger and Epicenter. Use smoke ganks and ward vision to find opportunities to initiate.

Late Game: Transition to a more utility-based role with items like Shiva's Guard or Scythe of Vyse. Initiate fights and disrupt the enemy team's positioning.

Popular Builds:

Aggressive Core Build: Start with Bracer, Magic Wand, and Boots of Speed. Rush Blink Dagger, then go for Aghanim's Shard. Build into Eul's or BKB, and finish with Shiva's Guard and Aghanim's Scepter​.

Utility Off-lane Build: Start with Tangos and Gauntlets of Strength for survivability. Build into Phase Boots and Magic Wand. Get Pipe of Insight or Crimson Guard to provide durability and support to your team.

Support Build: Start with Observer Wards, Tangos, and a Sentry Ward. Focus on getting Arcane Boots, then a Blink Dagger. Transition into utility items like Force Staff, Lotus Orb, or Glimmer Cape based on the match's needs.

Lore

Sand King, also known as Crixalis, represents the endless desert's power and sentience. He is not just an insect, but a being born from the dunes, embodying the will and wrath of the desert itself. Whenever Sand King moves, the desert moves with him, making him a force of nature. His lore depicts him as an eternal guardian, defending his territory with the power of the sands at his command.

Latest Updates

Sand King has undergone several changes in the most recent patches to refine his gameplay and balance his abilities.

Patch 7.37 Updates:

Burrowstrike has received a minor increase in stun duration, making it more reliable in initiating and interrupting essential spells. The cooldown has been adjusted to make it more balanced in the early game​.

Sand Storm has seen an increase in radius, enhancing its effectiveness in the late game. This change allows Sand King to cover a larger area, providing better zoning and farming capabilities. The slow effect from Aghanim's Shard has been slightly buffed to offer more utility in team fights​.

Epicenter scales better into the late game, with improved slow percentages and damage over multiple pulses. This adjustment makes Sand King's ultimate impact more significant during prolonged team fights​.

Patch 7.36 Updates:

The Aghanim's Scepter upgrade for Sand King now enhances Burrowstrike by increasing its damage and stun duration proportionally to the number of enemies hit. This makes the Scepter more valuable when targeting clustered enemies during fights​.

Sand Storm's Aghanim's Shard upgrade has been reworked slightly. The interval between damage pulses has been increased, making it harder to stack damage quickly on enemies within the storm. However, this is compensated by a higher total damage output over time​.

Benefits

Strong Initiation and Control: Sand King's Burrowstrike and Epicenter provide excellent initiation and teamfight control.

Versatile Role Potential: Depending on the lineup, he can be played as a core or support, making him adaptable to various strategies.

Area-of-Effect Damage: Most of his abilities deal AoE damage, which is crucial for team fights and farming.

Downsides

High Mana Dependency: His abilities, especially Burrowstrike and Epicenter, are mana-intensive, making items like Arcane Boots or Eul's Scepter essential.

Positioning Dependent: Sand King can be easily killed due to his relatively low health and armor if caught out of position.

Cooldown Reliant: Epicenter has a high cooldown, making Sand King less effective without it during team fights.

Abilities

Burrowstrike (Q): Sand King burrows underground and resurfaces at a target location, stunning and damaging enemies in a line.

Sand Storm (W): Creates a sandstorm that grants invisibility and deals damage over time to enemies in the area. He becomes visible upon attacking or using spells.

Caustic Finale (E): Adds a poison effect to Sand King's attacks, causing enemies to explode upon death and dealing damage in an area around them.

Epicenter (R): Channels to release a series of pulses that deal damage and slow enemies. It is best used when combined with Blink Dagger for a surprise initiation.

Hints and Tips to Master

Initiate with Blink Dagger: Blink Dagger is essential for Sand King to initiate fights with Burrowstrike and follow up with Epicenter.

Stack and Farm Camps: Use Sand Storm to clear stacked camps efficiently, gaining farm and gold quickly.

Stay Hidden and Position Well: Utilize Sand Storm's invisibility to position yourself effectively for a good Epicenter. It's also a great escape tool.

Combo with Stunners: Pair Sand King's Burrowstrike with other stuns or silences to ensure your Epicenter deals full damage.

Manage mana Carefully: Items like Arcane Boots or Eul's Scepter can alleviate Sand King's mana issues, allowing for more frequent spell usage.

Recommended Allies

Pudge: Combos well with Burrowstrike, allowing Pudge to land easy hooks and dismember targets​.

Lina: Can follow up Burrowstrike with her Light Strike Array for a high-damage combo.

Tusk: Sand King's initiation pairs well with Tusk's snowball, trapping enemies in Sand Storm.

Weaver: Weaver's mobility and swarm help Sand King track down fleeing enemies.

Slark: Slark benefits from the chaos created by Sand King's AoE damage, making it easier for him to pick off isolated targets.

Counters

Nyx Assassin: Nyx's Carapace can disrupt Sand King's Burrowstrike, and his mana burn is devastating for Sand King​.

Troll Warlord: Can lock down Sand King with his ultimate, making it hard for Sand King to escape or reposition.

Gyrocopter: Gyrocopter's Flak Cannon and Rocket Barrage can quickly reveal and damage Sand King during Sand Storm.

Pangolier: Pangolier's Swashbuckle can avoid Burrowstrike, and Rolling Thunder interrupts Sand King's channeling.

Grimstroke: Grimstroke's Silence and Soulbind make it difficult for Sand King to initiate and use his spells effectively​.