Dota 2: How to play Necrophos and best build

Necrophos is a fearsome presence in Dota 2, known for his ability to outlast opponents and deliver devastating blows in the late game. As of Patch 7.34, the character is a strong pick for players who prefer a hero that can sustain himself in fights, heal allies, and punish enemies with significant burst damage.

This guide covers how to play Necrophos effectively, focusing on his best builds, positioning, talents, and item choices, along with strategies to maximize his impact throughout the game.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.

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Understanding Necrophos' role in Dota 2

Necrophos as seen in the game (Image via Valve)

In Dota 2, Necrophos is primarily played as a Position 2 midlaner or Position 3 offlaner, where his role is to outlast enemies, secure kills with his ultimate, Reaper's Scythe, and provide consistent team fight presence through his healing and damage-over-time abilities.

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How to effectively play Necrophos in Dota 2

Necrophos' Immemorial Emperor set (Image via Valve)

Playing Necrophos effectively revolves around understanding his role as a durable, sustained damage dealer who can turn the tide of battles with well-timed ultimates.

During the laning phase, focus on harassing your opponent with Death Pulse while maintaining your health through the regeneration provided by Sadist, your innate ability. Position yourself carefully to avoid being overextended, as Necrophos lacks mobility and can be vulnerable to ganks.

Death Pulse is Necrophos’ primary ability, dealing damage to enemies and healing himself and nearby allies. Use it to secure last hits, harass enemies, and sustain yourself and your team in the lane. With good mana management, you can outlast many opponents in prolonged engagements.

Ghost Shroud makes Necrophos go into ghost form and slows nearby enemies, making it a powerful tool for both offense and defense. Use Ghost Shroud to amplify the healing effects of Death Pulse and items like Magic Wand or Mekansm.

You are immune to physical damage during this time, but be mindful of its vulnerability to magic damage, as enemies may capitalize on it during this form.

Heartstopper Aura is a passive ability that deals percentage-based damage over time to enemies around Necrophos. This ability makes Necrophos incredibly effective in prolonged fights and clashes, where he can slowly whittle down the enemy team’s health over time.

In team fights, position yourself to maximize the number of enemies affected by Heartstopper Aura.

Reaper’s Scythe is Necrophos’s ultimate and a game-changing ability that deals significant damage based on the target’s missing health. If Reaper’s Scythe kills an enemy, you permanently gain Health and Mana Regen that keeps stacking with every successful kill.

Use it to finish off low-health enemies, particularly key targets like enemy cores or supports with valuable abilities.

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Best Dota 2 Necrophos builds

Necrophos' position 2 and 3 builds (Image via Valve)

Position 2 Midlane build:

• Starting Items: Tango, Null Talisman, Faerie Fire, Branches.
• Early Game: Bottle, Arcane Boots, Magic Wand, Raindrops.
• Core Items: Guardian Greaves, Veil of Discord, Eul’s Scepter of Divinity.
• Late Game: Aghanim’s Scepter, Scythe of Vyse, Octarine Core.

As a midlaner, Necrophos should focus on dominating his lane and transitioning into a team-fighting monster. Guardian Greaves enhance your team’s sustain, while Veil of Discord amplifies your magical damage, making Death Pulse and Reaper’s Scythe even more potent.

Eul’s Scepter of Divinity offers a strong utility option, allowing you to set up kills or dodge dangerous abilities.

In the late game, Aghanim’s Scepter gives Heartstopper Aura an even more devastating impact, and Scythe of Vyse provides additional control. Octarine Core core lets you use your spells quicker and gives you tankiness.

Position 3 Offlane build:

• Starting Items: Tango, Headdress, Quelling Blade, Clarity.
• Early Game: Phase Boots, Magic Wand, Hood of Defiance.
• Core Items: Pipe of Insight, Rod of Atos, Aghanim’s Shard.
• Late Game: Shiva’s Guard, Radiance, Heart of Tarrasque.

As an offlaner, Necrophos’s role is to absorb damage and be a constant threat with his aura and abilities. Phase Boots give you mobility and damage, while Hood of Defiance provides necessary magic resistance against enemy nukes. Pipe of Insight further enhances your team’s resilience to magic damage.

Rod of Atos allows you to lock down enemies, setting them up for Reaper’s Scythe. Aghanim’s Shard gives a new ability, Death Seeker, that is a great utility to initiate and position yourself in enemies' faces.

In the late game, Shiva’s Guard provides additional armor and AoE slow, Radiance stacks on your damage output along with Heartstopper Aura, and Heart of Tarrasque ensures you remain a nearly unkillable presence on the battlefield.

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Tips & tactics for Necrophos in Dota 2

Necrophos' Robes of the Heretic set (Image via Valve)

• Sustain and harass: Use Death Pulse to keep yourself healthy and pressure your lane opponent. Proper mana management is key, so consider buying early regeneration items like Bottle and Magic Wand.
• Timing Ghost Shroud: Use Ghost Shroud wisely, especially when healing from Death Pulse or items like Mekansm. Be cautious of enemies with high magic burst, as Ghost Shroud increases your vulnerability to magic damage.
• Reaper’s Scythe execution: Save Reaper’s Scythe for when an enemy is low on health, as it deals damage based on missing health. This ensures you secure kills and add extra time to their respawn, disrupting the enemy team’s momentum.
• Positioning: Stay in the middle of team fights to maximize Heartstopper Aura's impact, but be mindful of your positioning to avoid being caught out without support.

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Pros and cons of Necrophos in Dota 2

Pros:

• High sustain with Death Pulse and Sadist.
• Strong lane presence and harass potential.
• Game-changing ultimate that can secure kills and extend enemy respawn times.
• Excellent in prolonged team fights due to Heartstopper Aura.

Cons:

• Low mobility, making him vulnerable to ganks and kiting.
• Reliant on mana, requiring careful resource management.
• Ghost Shroud can be a double-edged sword if used incorrectly, as it increases the magic damage taken.
• Falls off if not farmed or played aggressively during the mid-game.

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Which Necrophos Talents to pick in Dota 2

Necrophos' Wrath of Ka set (Image via Valve)

• Level 10: +125 Reaper's Scythe Cast Range
• Level 15: +50 Death Pulse Heal
• Level 20: +25% Heartstopper Regen Reduction or +15% Ghost Shroud Self Restoration Amp (pick according to your playstyle
• Level 25: -2.5s Death Pulse Cooldown

These Talents enhance Necrophos’ ability to sustain himself in fights and increase his damage output. The Level 20 and 25 Talent choices are particularly impactful, allowing you to significantly increase your survivability and impact.

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Best Necrophos Items in Dota 2

• Power Treads: Offers a mix of attack speed, strength, and mana switching for efficiency.
• Veil of Discord: Amplifies magical damage, making your spells more effective.
• Eul’s Scepter of Divinity: Provides a strong utility option for setting up kills, escaping danger, or removing debuffs.
• Guardian Greaves: Increases your survivability and provides a strong aura for your team.
• Aghanim’s Scepter: Enhances Reaper’s Scythe, making it a more potent tool in fights.
• Shiva’s Guard: Adds armor, an AoE slow, and a powerful aura, making you even harder to kill and increasing your team fight presence.

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FAQs about Necrophos in Dota 2

Necrophos' Plaguemonger set (Image via Valve)

1) How to play Necrophos effectively

Focus on sustaining yourself with Death Pulse and harassing your opponents in the laning phase. Use Ghost Shroud to amplify your healing and stay alive in team fights. Save Reaper’s Scythe for key moments to secure kills and extend enemy respawn times.

2) What is Necrophos' role?

Necrophos is typically played as a Position 2 midlaner or Position 3 offlaner, where his role is to sustain through fights, deal consistent damage over time, and secure kills with Reaper’s Scythe.

3) Who can counter Necrophos?

Heroes with burst damage or silences, such as Lina or Silencer, can be problematic for Necrophos. Additionally, heroes with high mobility, like Anti-Mage, can kite Necrophos and avoid his slow-moving attacks and abilities.

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