Xal'atath Talents

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.

Level	Choices
1	✓ ? ?
4	? ? ✓
7	✓ ✘︎ ?
10	✓ ?
13	? ✓ ✘︎
16	? ✘︎ ✓
20	? ? ✓ ? ✘︎

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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Void Adept (Level 1) Xal'atath

Quest: Detonate the Dark Heart on targets afflicted by Shadow Mark.

Each successful detonation permanently increases Shadow Mark and the Dark Heart Ritual Detonation damage by 25, up to 20 times.

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Anchored Core (Level 1) Xal'atath

Dark Heart Ritual:

+50% Radius

+25% Duration

Dark Heart's damage bounces 2 times from the primary target to nearby enemies, dealing 25 (+4% per level) damage.

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Cloak of Shadows (Level 1) Xal'atath

Activating Void Step grants 50% Movement Speed and 25 Spell Armor for 2 seconds. This bonus refreshes each time Xal'atath teleports.

Void Adept is difficult to stack, but is an excellent Talent. Shadow Mark is Xal'atath's hardest Ability to hit because its center is small and its projectile travels very slowly. Since securing a stack requires multiple conditions, it is better to wait for your team to hit an enemy Hero with crowd control before using Shadow Mark. After Marking the target, you can summon Dark Heart Ritual or redirect one that is already on the ground to detonate on them. Try to stack this Quest as quickly as possible, as the resulting damage increase is significant.

Anchored Core increases the duration and radius of Dark Heart Ritual, making it especially effective at controlling channel-based Objectives. Place the Dark Heart directly over the interaction point to repeatedly interrupt enemy Heroes with its damage.

Objectives with a 6-second channel:

• The Coin turn-in at Captain Blackheart on Blackheart's Bay
• The Tributes on Cursed Hollow
• The Altars on Towers of Doom

With Anchored Core, the Dark Heart lasts 10 seconds, while Dark Heart Ritual has a 15-second cooldown. This leaves only 5 seconds between consecutive Dark Hearts, which is shorter than these 6-second channels. As long as Xal'atath remains in range, leaves each Dark Heart covering the Objective, and casts Dark Heart Ritual every 15 seconds, an enemy Hero cannot normally complete the channel during the gap.

Objectives with a 5-second channel:

• The Seeds on Garden of Terror
• The Nuclear Warheads on Warhead Junction

The 5-second opening technically gives enemy Heroes enough time to complete these channels, but they have to react immediately after the Dark Heart expires. Doing so reliably is difficult, so Xal'atath can stall these Objectives indefinitely in most situations as long as she remains in range and casts Dark Heart Ritual every 15 seconds.

Objectives with a 3-second channel:

• The Prison Camps on Alterac Pass
• The Dragon Knight activation point on Dragon Shire

Enemies have enough time to complete these shorter channels between consecutive Dark Hearts, so Anchored Core cannot deny them indefinitely through duration alone. It still forces the enemy team to wait for the Dark Heart to expire or remove Xal'atath before attempting the channel.

The increased duration also improves Xal'atath's waveclear when she has to clear a Minion wave without help, although the extra duration is less important when an allied Hero is nearby. The increased radius has strong synergy with other Dark Heart Ritual Talents, particularly Pull of the Dark Heart and Unstable Core. The additional damage bounces do not apply the effects of those Talents, but still provide useful damage during team fights.

Cloak of Shadows is Xal'atath's only mobility Talent and it is a good option for repositioning safely. Its Movement Speed and Spell Armor are applied when Void Step begins and refreshed by each teleport, then remain active for 2 seconds after the most recent application.

When using Void Step to escape, reactivate it as soon as you reach the position where you want to remain. Waiting for the sequence to end spends part of the Movement Speed duration standing still. Even after the third teleport, manually ending Void Step lets Xal'atath move sooner.

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Cold Feet (Level 4) Xal'atath

+1s Shadow Mark Duration

Heroes afflicted by Shadow Mark have their Movement Speed reduced by 25%.

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Dark Barrier (Level 4) Xal'atath

Each time Dark Heart damages an enemy, Xal'atath gains a Shield equal to 2% of her maximum Health, up to 10%.

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Void Acolyte (Level 4) Xal'atath

Completing Void Step fully charges Void Volley.

The next Void Volley deals 50% increased damage and costs no Mana.

Even though Cold Feet increases Shadow Mark's duration by 1 second, the slow it provides will only last 4 seconds. This Talent is not necessary for a Shadow Mark-oriented build, but it is good with the Void Minions from Void Summoner and Void Convergence. We also recommend pairing this Talent with Marked Resilience, as the Slow makes it easier for Xal'atath to chase and hit the Marked target.

Dark Barrier is a good Talent for aggressive play in the early game. Cast Dark Heart Ritual in the middle of a Minion wave to gain up to 10% of Xal'atath's maximum Health as a Shield: each enemy hit by a pulse grants 2%, so hitting at least 5 Minions fills it. Further Dark Heart damage refreshes its 5-second duration. Its value falls off in the late game as Heroes deal more burst damage and fights take place in Minion waves less often.

Void Acolyte fully charges Void Volley on the third teleport of Void Step and makes its next cast free and 25% stronger. When Void Volley is charged, try to cast it before activating Void Step so you do not waste the free recharge. Fire the recharged Volley after Void Step ends. The free cast and its 25% damage bonus expire with the Volley charge after 6 seconds unless another Basic Attack refreshes the charge. Canceling Void Step before the third teleport prevents the recharge.

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Toxic Mark (Level 7) Xal'atath

+1s Shadow Mark Duration

Heroes affliced with Shadow Mark have their Armor reduced by 15 and take damage equal to 1% of their maximum Health every second.

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Silence of the Lamb (Level 7) Xal'atath

Activating Void Step summons a seal of void magic on the ground. When the seal completes, it deals 250 (+4% per level) damage to enemies inside and Silences them for 1 seconds.

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Void Summoner (Level 7) Xal'atath

Activating Void Step summons a single Void Minion in Xalataths original postion. Void Minions are attracted to targets afflicted by Shadow Mark.

Void Minions automatically choose a nearby lane to push.

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

Void Minion loses Health over 12 seconds..

Toxic Mark is the recommended Talent for every Build. After hitting an enemy Hero with Shadow Mark, Xal'atath can reliably follow up with Dark Heart Ritual and detonate it on the Marked target. The Armor reduction increases this burst damage and the damage dealt by Xal'atath's allies. The Armor reduction and percent-based damage both last 4 seconds, even when Shadow Mark's duration is increased.

Silence of the Lamb places a delayed Seal of Void Magic during Void Step. Enemies chasing Xal'atath must leave its area or take damage and be Silenced for 1 second. Its delayed, telegraphed effect makes it less reliable than Toxic Mark, so it is not recommended.

Void Summoner is a very situational Talent mostly used to speed up Mercenary Camps. The Void Minion it spawns is not as strong as it may seem, but it deals double damage to Minions and Mercenaries. However, like Silence of the Lamb, this Talent is overshadowed by Toxic Mark's strength.

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Void Eruption (Level 10) Xal'atath

• 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..

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Void Convergence (Level 10) Xal'atath

• 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 Eruption is a strong follow-up Heroic Ability for long and predictable crowd control effects. Its charging time makes it difficult to land on its own, but allied Heroes can set it up with Deckard Cain's Stay Awhile and Listen, Zeratul's Void Prison, or Medivh's Ley Line Seal.

Void Eruption is also a decent choice against Heroes who rely heavily on Basic Attacks and can easily dive Xal'atath. The Blind applied to enemies who touch the Orb while it is being channeled should not be overlooked. It gives Xal'atath a way to defend herself against Heroes such as Greymane, Artanis, and The Butcher.

Void Convergence is a good choice on Maps where fights tend to happen around the same area, such as Infernal Shrines and Volskaya Foundry. You can place the Portal near the Objective but away from enemy Heroes. This way, the Void Minions can reach the fight quickly without making it easy for enemies to kill the Portal.

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Pull of the Dark Heart (Level 13) Xal'atath

Enemies damaged by the Dark Heart Ritual are Slowed by 10% for each pulse, stacking up to 5 times and decaying over 1 seconds.

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Dark Heart's Protection (Level 13) Xal'atath

Casting Dark Heart Ritual Silences enemies inside its radius for 1 second.

Xal'atath and allied Heroes gain 30 Spell Armor while inside the Dark Heart's radius.

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Crushing Cascade (Level 13) Xal'atath

Enemies hit by Void Volley are Slowed by 6% for 1 seconds per projectile, up to 50%.

Pull of the Dark Heart provides a decent Slow and works especially well with Anchored Core. The increased radius and duration allow Dark Heart Ritual to control choke points and disrupt the enemy team's movement. However, this Talent provides no value if the Dark Heart immediately detonates on an enemy Hero. With this Talent, cast Dark Heart Ritual early to set up Xal'atath's other Abilities. Its area control and Slow make Shadow Mark easier to hit.

Dark Heart's Protection is an excellent Talent because casting Dark Heart Ritual Silences nearby enemies. This can interrupt important Abilities, such as Mosh Pit and Deflect.

The Silence also makes Shadow Mark easier to hit against high-mobility Heroes, such as Maiev and Zeratul. Cast Dark Heart Ritual while Shadow Mark is traveling towards them to prevent them from blinking away.

The Spell Armor can also be used to protect Xal'atath and her allies from telegraphed damage, such as Pyroblast and Lightbomb. However, it does not grant Spell Armor until 1 second after Dark Heart Ritual is cast, so prepare accordingly.

Crushing Cascade's 1.5-second Slow is too short to be relevant. Void Volley will usually land several consecutive projectiles only on enemies who are already immobilized or Slowed, causing much of its Slow to be wasted. For these reasons, we do not recommend Crushing Cascade.

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Marked Resilience (Level 16) Xal'atath

Basic Attacks against targets afflicted by Shadow Mark grant a 160 (+4% per level) point Shield that rapidly decays.

Shield starts decaying after 1 second, decays over 2 seconds..

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Relentless Whispers (Level 16) Xal'atath

While Void Step is active, Xal'atath's Basic Attack Speed is increased by 150%.

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Fractured Reality (Level 16) Xal'atath

+25% Void Volley Projectile Damage

Void Volley's projectiles leave behind a trail of fire for 3 seconds, constantly dealing 9 (+4% per level) damage to enemies. Damage is increased the longer a target stands in the flames.

Damage is dealt every 0.1875 seconds.

Damage increases up to 300%.

Damage increase from multiple fires stack..

Marked Resilience can help Xal'atath win almost every skirmish after she Marks an enemy Hero with Shadow Mark. Basic Attacks against the Marked target refresh the Shield. It remains at full strength for 1 second, then decays over 2 seconds. Xal'atath must keep attacking the Marked Hero to maintain the Shield.

Because this Talent is obtained in the late game, these small skirmishes become less common. For this reason, consider Marked Resilience only when paired with Cold Feet and Toxic Mark, as Shadow Mark will last for 6 seconds.

Relentless Whispers is an underwhelming Talent. Although it sounds good on paper, hitting the same target several times while blinking around them is extremely difficult. It also requires Xal'atath to use her only mobility Ability for a possible damage increase. Therefore, this Talent is not recommended.

Fractured Reality adds a good amount of damage to Void Volley and is more reliable than the other options at this tier. The fire trails are a useful zoning tool against melee Heroes and enemies advancing towards Xal'atath's team. This also gives her a minor tool for peeling.

After choosing this Talent, cast Void Volley at maximum range whenever possible. Longer casts create longer fire trails, allowing them to cover more ground.

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Harbinger's Consumption (Level 20) Xal'atath

Void Eruption splits into 3 orbiting Void Orbs. Each enemy Hero hit by their explosions reduces Void Eruption's cooldown by 14 seconds.

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Rift Invasion (Level 20) Xal'atath

Void Convergence's Void Portal no longer has a life duration, raises the active Void Portal limit to 2, and can spawn and sustain up to 4 Void Minions.

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Dueling Orbs (Level 20) Xal'atath

+1 Shadow Mark Charge

Shadow Mark has a 3 second cooldown between uses..

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Unstable Core (Level 20) Xal'atath

When the Dark Heart expires or detonates on a target afflicted by Shadow Mark, it leaves behind a pool of void flames for 5 seconds. Enemies in the flames take 45 (+4% per level) damage over time.

The flames deal damage every 1 second..

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Paradox Loop (Level 20) Xal'atath

After completing Void Step, Xal'atath immediately performs a second Void Step in the opposite direction. Added effects are triggered again.

Harbinger's Consumption is a situational upgrade. Void Eruption can deal much of its damage by charging the Orb over enemy Heroes, but this Talent makes the Orbs orbit Xal'atath instead of remaining in front of her. This can reduce the damage dealt while charging, especially if she cannot safely stand near the enemies. The orbiting Orbs can also be difficult to aim when following up on allied crowd control. With practice, however, you can release them consistently.

Rift Invasion lets Void Portals remain until destroyed or replaced and allows Xal'atath to have 2 Portals active at once. They continue spawning Void Minions, and the extra Minion adds more pressure around them.

This upgrade is excellent on Maps with predictable Objective locations, such as Volskaya Foundry or Infernal Shrines. Because you know where the next Objective will appear, you can place a Portal nearby minutes in advance. Once the Objective spawns, cast a second Portal so enemies must deal with both during the fight.

On Maps where the next Objective location is less predictable, you can instead place a Portal near a lane to help defend it between team fights.

Dueling Orbs is excellent if you picked Void Adept at Level 1. Its damage bonus makes each additional Shadow Mark cast much more threatening, while the second charge gives you more chances to Mark an enemy Hero and detonate Dark Heart Ritual on them.

While Dueling Orbs is a good choice for a Shadow Mark Build, Unstable Core is excellent alongside Anchored Core at Level 1. Anchored Core greatly increases the radius of the flames left behind when the Dark Heart expires or detonates on a Marked target.

Anchored Core makes the Dark Heart last 10 seconds. When it expires, Unstable Core leaves flames behind for another 5 seconds, covering the rest of Dark Heart Ritual's 15-second cooldown. By casting it on the same spot whenever it is available, Xal'atath can keep interrupting attempts to capture the Prison Camps on Alterac Pass or the Dragon Knight on Dragon Shire, even though their channels only take 3 seconds.

Paradox Loop makes Void Step repeat in the opposite direction, with shorter intervals between the additional teleports. These teleports trigger added effects again, such as Cloak of Shadows, Silence of the Lamb, and Void Summoner. With Void Acolyte, the recharge occurs on the first extra teleport rather than at the end of the whole sequence.

Each teleport can add Basic Attack damage, but the bonus is still capped at 30%, so the extra teleports do not keep increasing it. Paradox Loop also keeps Xal'atath in Void Step longer, leaving more time for enemies to stop her with crowd control before she finishes. Since it is unlikely that the enemy team has no way to do so, we do not recommend this Talent.