Xal'atath Build Guide “The power of the void is at my command!”

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.

Xal'atath is a Ranged Assassin who can deal burst damage by hitting an enemy Hero with the center of Shadow Mark and detonating Dark Heart Ritual on them. Unlike many mages, she can Basic Attack while moving. Her attacks deal substantial Physical Damage even to frontline Heroes and charge Void Volley, so she can keep dealing damage between Ability casts.

Xal'atath is very fragile and has only Void Step to escape. Its long, telegraphed teleport sequence gives enemies time to react, while she must keep using Basic Attacks to charge Void Volley. Although she is difficult to play safely, her mix of good Physical Damage from Basic Attacks and burst damage from Void Volley and her other Abilities is hard for enemies to mitigate, making her rewarding when played well.

Strengths

• Great burst damage
• Has great area of effect damage
• Excellent late game scaling
• Can reposition with Void Step
• Can stall channeled Objectives with Dark Heart Ritual

Weaknesses

• Very fragile
• Vulnerable to hard engages
• Steep learning curve
• Burst depends on landing delayed skillshots
• Struggles against highly mobile Heroes

Void Volley Build

Recommended

Level 1

Level 4 ?

Level 7

Level 10 ?

Level 13

Level 16 ?

Level 20 ?

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The Void Volley Build maximizes Xal'atath's burst damage and adds utility through Dark Heart's Protection's Silence. It works in any game, but allied crowd control helps stack Void Adept and Void Volley. Keep Basic Attacking anything in range to charge Void Volley, then use it to hit enemy Heroes whenever possible. Reaching its first 20 Quest stacks is essential for this Build.

If your Tank has reliable crowd control, spend the early game using only Basic Attacks and Void Volley until they catch an enemy Hero. Then follow up with Shadow Mark and Dark Heart Ritual to detonate the Dark Heart on the Marked target.

Without reliable allied setup, use Dark Heart Ritual on enemy Heroes or Minion waves, then aim Shadow Mark at Heroes leaving its area. In small skirmishes, try Shadow Mark first. If you miss, wait 2 seconds before placing Dark Heart Ritual on the wave. Shadow Mark will be ready roughly 4 seconds later; hitting a Hero with its center lets the previously placed Dark Heart pursue and detonate on them for a Void Adept stack while you clear the wave.

Dark Heart Ritual Build

Situational

Level 1

Level 4

Level 7

Level 10 ?

Level 13 ?

Level 16

Level 20 ? ?

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The Dark Heart Ritual Build controls space, especially at narrow choke points. Dark Heart Ritual should be placed across paths enemies must take to advance or retreat, forcing them to take damage and, with Pull of the Dark Heart, be Slowed.

This Build is also strong on Maps with channeled Objectives, such as Cursed Hollow and Towers of Doom. With Anchored Core, the Dark Heart lasts 10 seconds and Dark Heart Ritual has a 15-second cooldown. By placing it on the Objective every 15 seconds, Xal'atath can stall its 6-second channel on her own indefinitely, as long as she stays in range and can keep casting.

Void Step Build

Not recommended

Level 1

Level 4

Level 7

Level 10 ?

Level 13

Level 16

Level 20

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The Void Step Build requires Xal'atath to use Void Step aggressively in fights to deal damage. Spending her only mobility Ability to close in leaves her vulnerable to Stuns. Even if enemies cannot stop her, they can leave Basic Attack range between blinks, making the damage from Relentless Whispers inconsistent. For these reasons, we do not recommend this Build.

ARAM Build

ARAM

Level 1

Level 4

Level 7

Level 10

Level 13

Level 16

Level 20 ?

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The ARAM Build focuses on Shadow Mark and stacking Void Adept. To get the most out of the Quest, hold Dark Heart Ritual until Shadow Mark hits an enemy Hero, then cast it to detonate the Dark Heart on the Marked target. ARAM's frequent fights let Xal'atath stack Void Adept quickly, so she can already deal substantial burst damage by Level 7 with Toxic Mark.

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Xal'atath synergizes with

Allied crowd control gives Xal'atath a window to land Shadow Mark's center and several Void Volley projectiles. It also gives the Dark Heart time to reach a Marked target. Void Prison and Containment Disc let Xal'atath charge Void Eruption in advance.

Xal'atath is countered by

Shadow Mark travels slowly, and Void Volley's projectiles launch over time, giving mobile enemies a chance to avoid both. Xal'atath has low Health, little self-peel, and only Void Step to escape. Hard engages such as Dragon's Arrow or Leap can catch her before she can reposition, especially if she has already used Void Step.

Xal'atath's stronger maps

Xal'atath's average maps

Xal'atath's weaker maps

Xal'atath benefits from Maps that bring teams together for frequent fights. They give her more chances to stack Void Volley and Void Adept, while narrow areas make her area-of-effect skillshots easier to land. Infernal Shrines, Volskaya Foundry, and Towers of Doom have contested spaces that make Dark Heart Ritual and Shadow Mark harder to avoid.

She struggles on Maps where enemies can flank from several directions. Her low Health and predictable Void Step make it hard to escape once surrounded.

• 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.

In the early game, Xal'atath should clear waves while working on her Quests, especially Void Volley's first 20 stacks. Stay near your Tank until reaching that milestone, since dying before it loses all Void Volley stacks.

At 20 stacks, Void Volley gains range, making enemy Heroes easier to hit and giving Xal'atath more freedom to follow allied crowd control or look for a gank. Dying now costs at most 6 stacks without removing the milestone. From Level 7, following that crowd control with Shadow Mark's center also applies Toxic Mark's Armor reduction, greatly increasing the team's burst damage.

The extra range does not protect you from flanks. If enemies are hunting you, keep Void Step ready to escape instead of spending it to follow an engage, and let your Tank peel when they turn on you.