Xal'atath Abilities and Strategy

• Anchored Core lets Dark Heart Ritual repeatedly deny 6-second Objective channels. With Unstable Core at Level 20, its flames cover the rest of the 15-second cooldown, allowing continuous denial of even 3-second channels if you cast Dark Heart Ritual on time and stay in range.
• Activate Void Step while a Basic Attack is already traveling toward an enemy to give that attack the first 10% damage bonus when it lands.
• With Void Acolyte, cast a charged Void Volley before Void Step, then fire the free, 25%-stronger Volley after Void Step ends.
• Hit ranged Minions with Shadow Mark before placing Dark Heart Ritual in the wave. This helps the Dark Heart get the last hits so you can leave without collecting Experience Globes.
• When escaping with Void Step, reactivate it as soon as you reach a safe position. Ending the teleport sequence early lets you move again sooner.

Xal'atath Guide

This guide is based on information from the Public Test Realm (PTR). Please note that details are subject to change, and we will update this guide as new information becomes available.

Shadow Mark (Q) Xal'atath

• Mana: 45
• Cooldown: 7 seconds

Shoot a Void Orb that deals 75 (+4% per level) damage to enemies hit, and an additional 150 (+4% per level) damage to enemies in the center.

If an enemy Hero or Structure is hit by the center, they are marked for 4 seconds.

Targets afflicted by Shadow Mark are Revealed and draw the Dark Heart and Void Minions towards them.

Shadow Mark fires an Orb that damages enemies it hits, dealing extra damage at its center. Every enemy Hero or Structure hit by the center is Marked and Revealed for 4 seconds. Cold Feet at Level 4 and Toxic Mark at Level 7 can each extend the Mark by 1 second, up to 6 seconds with both Talents.

Marked targets remain Revealed for the Mark's duration. Any Dark Heart or Void Minions already active, or summoned while the Mark is active, are directed towards the Marked target. If the Mark expires before they reach it, they continue moving towards that target.

The most reliable way to land Shadow Mark's center is to wait for allied crowd control before casting it. Without that setup, you can place Dark Heart Ritual to make an enemy move away from the Dark Heart, then aim Shadow Mark along their expected path.

You can also queue Void Step away from the enemy immediately after casting Shadow Mark. The blink hides the Orb's initial animation, making it appear to fly from Xal'atath's new position and giving the enemy less time to react. Queue Dark Heart Ritual before Shadow Mark as well to set up a quick detonation on the Marked target after blinking away.

Dark Heart Ritual (W) Xal'atath

• Mana: 50
• Cooldown: 15 seconds

Summon the Dark Heart, which pulses for 50 (+4% per level) damage per second to nearby enemies and lasts 8 seconds.

The Dark Heart moves to Shadow Mark's impact location.

The Dark Heart will pursue targets afflicted by Shadow Mark and detonate on impact, dealing 305 (+4% per level) damage to nearby enemies and 152 (+4% per level) more damage to the Marked target.

Dark Heart Ritual summons the Dark Heart for 8 seconds, damaging nearby enemies once per second. While the Heart is active, casting Shadow Mark sends it towards the Orb's impact location, even if the Orb does not Mark anyone. If an enemy is Marked before or after the Heart is summoned, it pursues that target. The Heart detonates on contact only if the enemy is still Marked, damaging nearby enemies and dealing additional damage to the Marked target.

The Dark Heart pulses once when summoned and once each second afterward, for 9 pulses over its 8-second duration. Anchored Core extends its duration by 2 seconds, allowing 2 more pulses. To get the most damage from it, let it pulse for as long as possible before detonating it on a Marked target near the end of its duration.

For waveclear, place the Dark Heart in the middle of the enemy wave as soon as possible, since its damage takes time to be dealt. Hit the ranged Minions with Shadow Mark before summoning the Dark Heart. The Orb softens them for the Heart to finish without moving it. When the Heart gets the last hit, you gain Experience immediately, so you can mount and leave without needing to collect Experience Globes from the Ranged Minions. If you hit the melee Minions with Shadow Mark instead, they may die first, allowing your Minions to advance and last-hit the ranged Minions. Those kills leave Experience Globes that you need to collect before leaving, slowing your rotation speed.

Place the Dark Heart over a channel point to repeatedly interrupt attempts to capture Objectives such as Tributes on Cursed Hollow or Seeds on Garden of Terror. With Anchored Core at Level 1, its longer duration can repeatedly deny 6-second channels and make 5-second channels difficult to complete if you keep the Dark Heart on the Objective and cast it whenever it is ready. Enemies can still finish 3-second channels in the gap between casts.

Void Step (E) Xal'atath

• Mana: 50
• Cooldown: 15 seconds

Cast to teleport Xal'atath 3 times in a triangular pattern.

Each time Xal'atath teleports, her Basic Attacks deal 10% more damage while the Ability is active.

Reactivate to end Void Step early and remain at your current location.

Weapon Bonus Damage caps at +30%..

Void Step teleports Xal'atath three times, moving counterclockwise around the points of a triangle. Each teleport increases her Basic Attack damage by 10% while Void Step is active, up to 30%. Reactivate it to end the sequence early at her current position.

Void Step is Xal'atath's only way to escape, and its predictable path gives enemies time to react. Keep it ready when you might need to retreat, and reactivate it once you reach a safe position so you can move again sooner.

Void Volley (D) Xal'atath

• Mana: 35

After attacking enemies with her Basic Attacks 5 times, Xal'atath can activate Void Volley to unleash a barrage of 6 Void Orbs at a target location, each dealing 90 (+4% per level) damage on impact.

Charge fully decays if Xal’atath does not hit an enemy with a Basic Attack after 6 seconds.

Quest: Hit enemy Heroes with Void Volley to grant 1 stack per hit and increases Void Volley's damage by 1%. Lose all stacks upon dying.

Reward (20 Stacks):

+2 Void Volley Range

Stack loss on death lowered to 6.

Reward (60 Stacks):

-1 Basic Attack required to charge Void Volley.

Mythic Reward (100 Stacks):

+50% Basic Attack and Void Volley Damage.

Void Volley projectiles Pierce all targets.

Stack loss will never cause the Hero to fall below a quest reward threshold..

After five Basic Attacks against enemies, Xal'atath can cast Void Volley to fire six Orbs at a location. Its charge expires after 6 seconds without hitting an enemy with a Basic Attack. Each Orb that hits an enemy Hero adds a Quest stack and increases Void Volley's damage. At 20 stacks, it gains range and loses fewer stacks on death. At 60, it needs one fewer Basic Attack to charge. At 100, its projectiles pierce and both Basic Attacks and Void Volley gain damage.

Void Eruption (R) Xal'atath

• Heroic
• Mana: 80
• Cooldown: 75 seconds

Channel a powerful Void Orb that grows over time until reaching maximum size after 2 seconds. Recast to launch the Orb early.

Enemies that come into contact with the Orb take 112 (+4% per level) damage and are Blinded for 1 second.

When the Orb reaches the end of its path, it detonates in a large explosion, dealing 400 (+4% per level) damage.

Charging up this Ability increases its contact damage up to 175 (+4% per level) and its explosion damage up to 700 (+4% per level).

Contact damage is dealt every 0.25 seconds..

Void Eruption channels a growing Orb. Enemies who touch it take periodic damage and are Blinded. Recast to launch the Orb early. It explodes at the end of its path, and charging it longer increases both its contact and explosion damage.

Void Convergence (R) Xal'atath

• Heroic
• Mana: 75
• Cooldown: 90 seconds

After channeling for 2 seconds, summon a Void Portal that spawns up to 3 Void Minions to attack nearby enemies.

You can have up to 1 active Void Portal.

Enemies near the Void Portal are Slowed by 25%.

Void Minions are attracted to targets afflicted by Shadow Mark.

The Portal expires after 12 seconds.

Void Minions automatically choose a nearby lane to push.

Void Minion Basic Attacks deal 50 (+4% per level) damage per hit.

Void Minions lose Health over 12 seconds..

Void Convergence channels for 2 seconds before summoning a Void Portal that lasts up to 20 seconds if not attacked. The Portal Slows nearby enemies and spawns up to three Void Minions, which follow targets Marked by Shadow Mark or move into a lane. Only one Portal can be active at a time.