Anub'arak Talents

Last updated on Dec 12, 2023 at 14:29 by Elitesparkle 20 comments
General Information

Welcome to our Talents page for Anub'arak. Here, we give you an overview of how strong each of Anub'arak's talents is. Then, we present several viable builds, before analyzing each talent row separately, so that you can make informed decisions.

1.

Anub'arak's Talent Build

Level Choices
1 Nerubian Armor ? Legion of Beetles Regeneration Master ?
4 Bed of Barbs Shed Exoskeleton ? Underking ?
7 Chitinous Plating ? Subterranean Shield ? Leeching Scarabs
10 Locust Swarm ? Cocoon
13 Urticating Spines ? Burning Beetles Acid Drenched Mandibles ✘︎
16 Epicenter Debilitation ? Beetle, Juiced ?
20 Hive Master ? Cryptweave ? The Traitor King ? Rewind
2.

Anub'arak's Talent Build Cheatsheet

Scarab Host Build

Recommended
Level 1 Legion of Beetles Icon
Level 4 Bed of Barbs Icon Shed Exoskeleton Icon ? Underking Icon ?
Level 7 Leeching Scarabs Icon
Level 10 Cocoon Icon Locust Swarm Icon ?
Level 13 Burning Beetles Icon
Level 16 Epicenter Icon Beetle, Juiced Icon ?
Level 20 Rewind Icon The Traitor King Icon ?

Anub'arak's Scarab Host Build increases his sustain damage and survivability during prolonged team fights or when sieging.

The increased damage comes from Burning Beetles Icon Burning Beetles at Level 13 while the survivability comes from Leeching Scarabs Icon Leeching Scarabs at Level 7, both empowered by Legion of Beetles Icon Legion of Beetles at Level 1.

Burrow Charge Build

Advanced
Level 1 Legion of Beetles Icon Nerubian Armor Icon ? Regeneration Master Icon ?
Level 4 Underking Icon Shed Exoskeleton Icon ?
Level 7 Subterranean Shield Icon
Level 10 Cocoon Icon Locust Swarm Icon ?
Level 13 Urticating Spines Icon
Level 16 Epicenter Icon
Level 20 Rewind Icon The Traitor King Icon ?

Anub'arak's Burrow Charge Build increases his burst damage and survivability while engaging aggressively with Burrow Charge Icon Burrow Charge.

The survivability mostly comes from Subterranean Shield Icon Subterranean Shield at Level 7 and the damage comes from Urticating Spines Icon Urticating Spines at Level 13, which is the best option when it comes to burst damage.

Harden Carapace Build

Situational
Level 1 Nerubian Armor Icon
Level 4 Shed Exoskeleton Icon
Level 7 Chitinous Plating Icon
Level 10 Cocoon Icon Locust Swarm Icon ?
Level 13 Urticating Spines Icon
Level 16 Epicenter Icon Debilitation Icon ?
Level 20 Rewind Icon The Traitor King Icon ?

Anub'arak's Harden Carapace Build increases his mobility, survivability, and burst damage.

Consider going for this Build when playing against Heroes who can deal damage over time because it will trigger Chitinous Plating Icon Chitinous Plating at Level 7 and thus allow you to get more value from Urticating Spines Icon Urticating Spines at Level 13 as well as any other Harden Carapace Icon Harden Carapace-related Talent.

ARAM Build

ARAM
Level 1 Legion of Beetles Icon
Level 4 Bed of Barbs Icon Shed Exoskeleton Icon ? Underking Icon ?
Level 7 Leeching Scarabs Icon
Level 10 Locust Swarm Icon Cocoon Icon ?
Level 13 Burning Beetles Icon
Level 16 Epicenter Icon Beetle, Juiced Icon ?
Level 20 Rewind Icon The Traitor King Icon ? Hive Master Icon ?

Anub'arak's ARAM Build increases his sustain damage and survivability during prolonged team fights or when sieging.

The increased damage comes from Burning Beetles Icon Burning Beetles at Level 13 while the survivability comes from Leeching Scarabs Icon Leeching Scarabs at Level 7, both empowered by Legion of Beetles Icon Legion of Beetles at Level 1.

3.

Level 1 Talents for Anub'arak

Anub'arak Nerubian Armor ?
Nerubian Armor (Level 1) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Increase Hardened Carapace's Spell Armor by 25.

Nerubian Armor Icon Nerubian Armor is a good Talent that increases the Spell Armor coming from Harden Carapace Icon Harden Carapace, making Anub'arak extremely hard to kill with Abilities.

Even against Heroes that do not rely on Abilities as their main damage source, Nerubian Armor Icon Nerubian Armor will still give a good amount of value, especially in the early game.

Anub'arak Legion of Beetles
Legion of Beetles (Level 1) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Beetles have 30 Spell Armor. Automatically spawn a Beetle every 12 seconds. Can be toggled on and off.

Legion of Beetles Icon Legion of Beetles is a good Talent that improves your ability to intercept enemy skillshot directed towards you or allied Heroes by making Beetles harder to kill. You also get an additional Beetle, slightly increasing your damage output.

Ideally, when playing this Talent, you should toggle it off when mounted, so that you do not end up wasting its effect when randomly being dismounted. This is important when you want to have it ready for checking bushes.

You can further increase the damage provided by this Talent by combining it with Leeching Scarabs Icon Leeching Scarabs at Level 7, Burning Beetles Icon Burning Beetles at Level 13, and/or Beetle, Juiced Icon Beetle, Juiced at Level 16.

Anub'arak Regeneration Master ?
Regeneration Master (Level 1) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Quest: Gathering a Regeneration Globe increases your Health Regeneration by 1 per second, up to 30.

Reward: After gathering 30 Regeneration Globes, you also gain 500 Health.

Regeneration Master Icon Regeneration Master is a decent Talent that increases your Health Regeneration and, after completing its Quest in the late game, your maximum Health.

While it works against any type of damage, this Talent gives no value during the early game and low value during the mid game because the Health Regeneration provided barely matters and the maximum Health bonus requires a high amount of Regeneration Globes.

4.

Level 4 Talents for Anub'arak

Anub'arak Bed of Barbs
Bed of Barbs (Level 4) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Create a bed of spikes along Impale's path that slows enemies by 25% and deals 21 (+4% per level) damage per second. Spikes persist for 3.5 seconds.

Bed of Barbs Icon Bed of Barbs is a good Talent that improves Impale Icon Impale by adding a respectable area of effect Slow to it.

Beetles, generated via Scarab Host Icon Scarab Host, move at 4 units per second. Heroes are a bit faster, so the Slow you get from this Talent can sometimes help them stick on enemy Heroes for slightly longer.

In case you need more waveclear sometimes, this Talent helps a bit. That said, Impale Icon Impale should not be wasted to damage Minions if there are enemy Heroes around, as it is a key Ability for Anub'arak.

For higher level of play, it is useful to know that the damage component of this Talent provides vision while happening. Because of this, you can use Impale Icon Impale in a bush and have vision there for about 4 seconds, rather than losing it almost instantly.

Anub'arak Shed Exoskeleton ?
Shed Exoskeleton (Level 4) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Harden Carapace grants 30% increased Movement Speed for 3 seconds.

Shed Exoskeleton Icon Shed Exoskeleton is a strong Talent that provides Anub'arak with a strong and reliable Movement Speed increase effect that makes up for the lack of mobility right after using Burrow Charge Icon Burrow Charge. Being based on Harden Carapace Icon Harden Carapace, this Talent has synergy with Chitinous Plating Icon Chitinous Plating at Level 7 which provides cooldown reduction for it.

Anub'arak Underking ?
Underking (Level 4) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Increases Burrow Charge range by 20% and damage by 100%.

Underking Icon Underking is a strong Talent that increases both range and damage of Burrow Charge Icon Burrow Charge.

The range increase is great when you want to dive the enemy backline or when you want to escape.

The extra damage is always welcome, especially if your team wants to burst down enemy Heroes as fast as possible.

5.

Level 7 Talents for Anub'arak

Anub'arak Chitinous Plating ?
Chitinous Plating (Level 7) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

While Harden Carapace is active, taking damage from enemy Abilities reduces its cooldown by 1 second, up to 3 seconds.

Chitinous Plating Icon Chitinous Plating is a good Talent that has the potential of nearly halving the cooldown of Harden Carapace Icon Harden Carapace. This translates into more survivability, more Beetles, and, later on, more damage, through Urticating Spines Icon Urticating Spines at Level 13.

Anub'arak Subterranean Shield ?
Subterranean Shield (Level 7) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Burrow Charge also grants a 400 (+4% per level) point Shield for 5 seconds.

Subterranean Shield Icon Subterranean Shield is a strong Talent that provides Anub'arak with a substantial survivability increase that is conveniently located on his main initiation tool. Subterranean Shield becomes particularly potent when combined with Epicenter Icon Epicenter at Level 16.

Anub'arak Leeching Scarabs
Leeching Scarabs (Level 7) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Beetles gain 30% bonus attack damage and they heal Anub'arak for 50% of their damage with each attack if he is nearby.

Leeching Scarabs Icon Leeching Scarabs is a good Talent that offers a nice amount of self-sustain and a bit more damage, however, it requires Legion of Beetles Icon Legion of Beetles at Level 1 and gets better when combined with Beetle, Juiced Icon Beetle, Juiced at Level 16.

6.

Level 10 Talents for Anub'arak

In this section we discuss when and why to pick a given Heroic Ability. If you want to read how they work and/or you are looking for some tips on how to use them, check the dedicated section in the Abilities and Strategy page.

Anub'arak Locust Swarm ?
Locust Swarm (Level 10) World of Warcraft Anub'arak
  • Mana: 75
  • Cooldown: 100 seconds

Deal 68 (+4% per level) damage per second to nearby enemies. Each enemy damaged restores 24 (+4% per level) Health. Lasts 6 seconds.

Locust Swarm Icon Locust Swarm is a good Heroic Ability that makes Anub'arak extremely difficult to take out for its duration, on top of making him impossible to ignore due to the Ability's sheer area of effect damage output.

You should pick this Heroic Ability only if you expect to not get any value from Cocoon Icon Cocoon, such as when the enemy team has multiple tools to blow it up immediately and you cannot block them in the way explained below.

For beginners, we recommend selecting Locust Swarm Icon Locust Swarm as Heroic Ability because it increases your survivability and damage output. If you are confident with using Cocoon Icon Cocoon, then go for it.

Anub'arak Cocoon
Cocoon (Level 10) World of Warcraft Anub'arak
  • Mana: 70
  • Cooldown: 70 seconds

Wraps target enemy Hero in a cocoon, rendering them unable to act or be targeted for 7 seconds. Allies of the Hero can attack the cocoon to break it and free them early.

Cocoon Icon Cocoon is a strong Heroic Ability that can be used to get numerical advantage for a few seconds, usually enough to secure a kill.

Keep in mind that enemy Heroes who are Unstoppable are invalid targets. If the projectile is already flying towards them while they become Unstoppable, then Cocoon Icon Cocoon will be wasted and go on full cooldown.

Use Cocoon Icon Cocoon on Heroes who possess tools to destroy it in less than 2-3 seconds. Alternatively, engage them so that they cannot break it immediately due to being unable to act. If these tips cannot be applied to the game you are playing, then consider picking Locust Swarm Icon Locust Swarm instead.

7.

Level 13 Talents for Anub'arak

Anub'arak Urticating Spines ?
Urticating Spines (Level 13) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Casting Harden Carapace will also deal 90 (+4% per level) damage to nearby enemies. Deals double damage against Heroes.

Urticating Spines Icon Urticating Spines is a good Talent that deals a high amount of burst damage to enemy Heroes near Anub'arak when Harden Carapace Icon Harden Carapace gets used. The damage done via this Talent counts as Spell Damage.

Anub'arak Burning Beetles
Burning Beetles (Level 13) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Deal 21 (+4% per level) damage per second to nearby enemies. Beetles deal 6 (+4% per level) damage per second to nearby enemies.

Burning Beetles Icon Burning Beetles is a strong Talent that provides a lot of sustain damage when combined with some Scarab Host Icon Scarab Host-related Talents: Legion of Beetles Icon Legion of Beetles at Level 1 and Beetle, Juiced Icon Beetle, Juiced at Level 16. The damage done via this Talent counts as Spell Damage.

Anub'arak Acid Drenched Mandibles
Acid Drenched Mandibles (Level 13) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Attacking a Hero that is slowed, rooted, or stunned increases Anub'arak's Basic Attack damage by 80% for 4 seconds.

Acid Drenched Mandibles Icon Acid Drenched Mandibles is a weak Talent that provides a good amount of sustain damage, in the form of Physical Damage, against enemy Heroes recently affected by specific crowd control effects: Slow, Root, and Stun.

We do not recommend this Talent because its damage is too low compared to the alternatives in the same Tier: Urticating Spines Icon Urticating Spines when you need burst damage and Burning Beetles Icon Burning Beetles when you need sustain damage.

8.

Level 16 Talents for Anub'arak

Anub'arak Epicenter
Epicenter (Level 16) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Increases Burrow Charge impact area by 60% and lowers the cooldown by 1 second for each Hero hit.

Epicenter Icon Epicenter is a strong Talent that primarily helps you land Burrow Charge Icon Burrow Charge on enemy Heroes while also reducing its cooldown when it successfully hits them.

Anub'arak Debilitation ?
Debilitation (Level 16) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Enemy Heroes hit by Burrow Charge or Impale have their Spell Power reduced by 50% for 4 seconds.

Debilitation Icon Debilitation is a good Talent that reduces the Spell Power of enemy Heroes recently hit with Impale Icon Impale or Burrow Charge Icon Burrow Charge, halving all the damage and healing they deal with their Abilities.

You can use this Talent to deal with powerful Healers (such as Whitemane) and/or to reduce the self-healing of certain Heroes (for example W Build Diablo), so that they cannot get value from their Abilities when your Stuns end and they are not dead yet.

Anub'arak Beetle, Juiced ?
Beetle, Juiced (Level 16) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Passive: Beetles gain 30% increased health.

Every 4th Basic Attack spawns a Beetle.

Beetle, Juiced Icon Beetle, Juiced is a good Talent that increases the survivability of your Beetles and makes Scarab Host Icon Scarab Host spawn a Beetle once every 4 Basic Attacks.

As you can imagine, this Talent has synergy with any Scarab Host Icon Scarab Host-related Talent: Legion of Beetles Icon Legion of Beetles at Level 1, Leeching Scarabs Icon Leeching Scarabs at Level 7, and Burning Beetles Icon Burning Beetles at Level 13.

9.

Level 20 Talents for Anub'arak

Anub'arak Hive Master ?
Hive Master (Level 20) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Gain a permanent Vampire Locust that attacks a nearby enemy every 3 seconds. The Vampire Locust deals 165 (+4% per level) damage and returns to heal Anub'arak for 80 (+4% per level) health.

Hive Master Icon Hive Master is a decent Talent that gives you a permanent Vampire Locust which deals damage to a single nearby enemy once every 3 seconds and heals Anub'arak for about half of that amount.

The self-sustain and sustain damage provided by this Talent are designed for long team fights. Unless in ARAM, we do not recommend this Talent because Rewind Icon Rewind offers more playmaking potential together with additional survivability and more damage.

Anub'arak Cryptweave ?
Cryptweave (Level 20) World of Warcraft Anub'arak

Staying near the Cocoon allows Anub'arak to extend the duration by up to 6 seconds per Cocoon. Upon exiting the Cocoon, enemies take 60 (+4% per level) damage over 4 seconds. This damage is increased by 100% for each second that they were inside.

Cryptweave Icon Cryptweave is a situational Talent that can extend the duration of Cocoon Icon Cocoon, but only if Anub'arak stays within 4.5 range. In addition to that, the targeted Hero will take damage based on how long it lasted.

You can occasionally use this Talent against scary enemy Heroes (notably Cho) to keep them blocked while fighting the rest of their team and at the same time dealing a moderate amount of damage to them.

Anub'arak The Traitor King ?
The Traitor King (Level 20) World of Warcraft Anub'arak
  • Cooldown: 60 seconds

Gain 10% bonus maximum Health and 20 Spell Armor.

Activate to gain 75 Armor for 4 seconds.

The Traitor King Icon The Traitor King is a situational Talent that passively gives Anub'arak 10% additional maximum Health and 20 Spell Armor, and it can also be activated once every 60 seconds to gain 75 Armor for a few seconds.

The huge amount of survivability provided by this Talent makes Anub'arak way harder to kill with burst damage. That said, you will rarely need this Talent instead of Rewind Icon Rewind.

Anub'arak Rewind
Rewind (Level 20) World of Warcraft Anub'arak
  • Cooldown: 60 seconds

Activate to reset the cooldowns of your Basic Abilities.

Rewind Icon Rewind is a strong Talent that allows Anub'arak to instantly reset the cooldown of all his Basic Abilities once every 60 seconds.

The effect provided is outstanding and versatile, allowing you to double your burst damage, survivability, and crowd control on demand.

Being able to cast Impale Icon Impale and Burrow Charge Icon Burrow Charge twice in a row can lead to some of the game's longest crowd control chains.

Thanks to Scarab Host Icon Scarab Host, you will be also summoning 3 additional Beetles to assist you, effectively increasing your damage output.

Make sure that you have used most if not all your Basic Abilities before using Rewind Icon Rewind, else you will waste part or all of its effect.

10.

Changelog

  • 12 Dec. 2023: Guide reviewed.
  • 20 Sep. 2023: ARAM Build addded.
  • 30 Mar. 2022: Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 28 Jan. 2022: Builds updated.
  • 18 Nov. 2021: Builds updated.
  • 20 May 2021: Builds updated.
  • 22 Mar. 2021: Builds updated.
  • 09 Mar. 2021: Builds and Talents updated.
  • 25 Feb. 2021: New layout.
  • 15 Dec. 2020: Builds fixed.
  • 04 Nov. 2020: Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 28 Oct. 2020: Builds fixed.
  • 10 Oct. 2020: Guide reviewed for the latest Balance Update.
  • 19 Aug. 2020: Burning Beetles added.
  • 19 Jul. 2020: Talents reviewed and updated.
  • 20 Jun. 2020: Talents reviewed following June 3 balance patch. No changes to Talent recommendations.
  • 05 Apr. 2020: Description reviewed for Bed of Barbs.
  • 27 Jan. 2020: Guide reviewed following January 22 balance patch. No changes to Talent recommendations.
  • 26 Jun. 2019: Guide reviewed and updated.
  • 05 Feb. 2019: Talents and recommendations updated following Legion of Beetles rework.
  • 20 Jan. 2019: Build recommendations updated.
  • 30 Jun. 2018: Updated for the latest Balance update.
  • 14 Jan. 2018: Updated Balance build.
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