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Most of the heroes in DOTA 2 look badass in their own way, but Axe is perhaps one of those that looks like a savage warrior in just one glance. While some would say that whatever looks good doesn’t usually translate to action, Axe’s tough image does carry over to his effectiveness in the game, and this guide should show you a general view on how to do so.
Axe is a fairly versatile STR hero that can be played as a tank, especially since he has a taunt which makes him one of the true tanks in the game. He can also gank when backed up by a partner with stun. Being able to play these two roles fairly well makes Axe a utility hero who can also carry when he needs to.
Due to his offensive stopping power, Axe can seek out squishy targets and tear their faces off quite easily. If he faces opposition along the way, he can take a good bit of the beating and hit back hard. While doing that hitting back, there’s no real need to panic since he’s not that skill intensive, so there’s no need to spam. It’s not like you need to spam to begin with though with Culling Blade being such a beastly skill that just owns.
Being a melee STR hero though, ranged heroes can take pot shots and run circles around him; but if ever you do get close though, you’ll hurt them badly. Getting to them though won’t be easy since Axe isn’t exactly the fastest of the heroes, so you’ll need something like Blink to do so, or mostly your boots and discretion if you don’t have that yet.
He’s also quite dependent on items, making the laning phase very important for him. But even if you do get what you need, you still need your teammates to have a disable, stun, or snare to assist you in fights. It may seem that Axe is best if you are playing with teammates who know what to do with you.
Berserker’s Call (Q) – Obtain at levels 10, 12, 13, 14
Axe roars, taunting all units around him in a AoE to attack him. This includes invisible units and units with magic immunity. Also grants Axe bonus armour for the duration.
This is what makes Axe such a good tank and gives him quite a bit of utility. It taunts just about anything, even those who are invisible and with magic immunity. For instance, if you are up against Rikimaru, you can actually taunt him if you can predict his movements.
Just take note though that once you’ve taunted them, they’ll be attacking you, so make sure that either you can take it or it’s the right time for you to make the sacrifice.
Battle Hunger (W) – Obtain at levels 2, 3, 5, 7
Axe taunts a target unit to become enraged, causing it to take damage per second and become slowed. Lasts until the duration ends or the unit kills another unit. Axe gains bonus movement speed for each unit affected by Battle Hunger.
It’s another taunt in a sense, but this is more of a slow with some damage, as well as a movement speed buff. It can be quite useful in a team fight when you’ve taunted the primary targets and need them to stay put for you and your teammates to pick off.
You can then run towards and away from the next targets with the extra movement speed while it lasts. The damage you get from it is also pretty good, which is why it’s usually the first skill you max out on Axe.
Counter Helix (E) – Obtain at levels 1, 4, 8, 9
When being attacked, Axe has a chance to perform a counter helix attack, dealing damage to all units around him in a AoE.
Juggernaut has his spin to win, and you have yours as well, sort of. This is more of a counterattack that activates by chance, so you don’t really activate it at all. It does provide good AoE damage, which makes it useful for farming. It also doesn’t hurt if an enemy hero attacks you at close range since this skill will see him get shredded to bits.
Culling Blade (R) – Obtain at levels 6, 11, 16
Axe takes advantage of an enemy’s weakness, striking him for moderate damage. If the unit has less life than the kill threshold, it will instantly destroy the target. When a enemy unit is killed this way, Axe and nearby allies in a radius gains bonus movement speed and attack speed for a few seconds.
The great thing about this skill is that it has potential to kill with one shot. If the enemy hero has less life than the current kill threshold of Culling Blade, then it just outright kills instantly, so you should use this on squishy heroes.
If you get good enough with playing Axe, you can develop a sense for knowing if an enemy hero is ripe for a one-hit-kill, in which case this ultimate will truly shine and you’ll be literally a psychotic axe murderer (in the game, of course).
Stats – Obtain at levels 15, 17-25
Early Game Items
Stout Shield – Being able to avoid damage more than half the time is a big thing, especially during the early game. There are even recommendations of buying two of them for increasing chance to block, which actually does help with your sustain. The additional chance to block that the second one gives, however smaller than the first one, still makes it worth it.
Healing Salve
Arcane Boots One of the first items you could get here. There may be an argument for Tranquil Boots instead of this, but Axe could use the extra mana since he always needs his taunt ready. You wouldn’t want to get caught flatfooted (pun intended) with no mana in a crucial situation now, would you?
Vanguard – Off of your Stout Shield, you can get this for all the big things like damage block, additional health, and regen to make you the big bad tank that you should be.
Core Items
Blink Dagger – This is what turns Axe into an insane killer. Being able to teleport right in front of enemies to chop them down is what you should be aiming for. You can also blink away if you’re trying to bail, but that shouldn’t happen too often if you play Axe right.
Boots of Travel – Once you’re at the higher levels, you can get additional mana from other items, so you can disassemble your Arcane Boots and use the boots to get Boots of Travel to gain more mobility throughout the map. The teleport is great for getting back into the lane quickly so that you can back your teammates up right away.
Soul Booster – This is the item that gives additional mana when you decide to switch to Boots of Travel from Arcane Boots, assembled from the Energy Booster that use to be a part of your Arcane Boots. It also gives you more health and regen, so it’s pretty good for Axe. At this point, you’d be taking your tanking duties quite seriously.
Bloodstone – From the Soul Booster, you then form this item that gives you much of the same, but also the Bloodpact passive that adds so much to Axe’s strengths. Since he’s quite good at ganking too, it adds up with each enemy killed, which then snowballs and makes Axe incredible. If you do die though, your allies in the vicinity get bonuses that can help them out in tight spots for the time being, so your sacrifice won’t be in vain.
Situational Items
Assault Cuirass – Best when up against enemies like Slardar, Shadow Fiend, Dazzle, Bounty Hunter, and so on with armor-reducing skills, or just about any carry that carries Desolator.
Blade Mail – Good choice when up against hard-hitting enemies, but does clash with Berserker’s Call since the reflected damage depends on how much damage Axe takes, so that skill with its armor bonus makes this item a waste. Only use the active of this item when Berserker’s Call is not in use.
Heaven’s Halberd – Also good against hard-hitting enemies due to both chance to slow and the active that disables enemies from attacking for a while. This item essentially can make carries become sitting ducks.
Pipe of Insight – Best when facing against mostly magic teams, especially ones with Dagon.
Shiva’s Guard – Great for slowing enemies down when needed.
Aghanim’s Scepter – It’s kind of overkill for Axe in terms of mana, but it does make your Culling Blade even stronger, as if it weren’t strong enough already.
Heart of Tarrasque – If you really want to be virtually invincible, you can get this and tank up really hard.
Radiance – Obvious luxury item just because it’s Radiance.
You would want to face against melee enemies due to Axe’s strengths. Your domain is mostly the suicide lane (top for Radiant, bottom for Dire) with a support, and it’s good to pick up the power up in the river just as the creeps spawn and reach the lane. You should be able to farm fairly quickly with it and get up in level in a reasonably quick rate.
As Axe, you’re looking to punish whoever you’re up against that makes a mistake. With your lane partner backing you up, you should be able to pull back easily enough if things get too dicey. If you do well in the starting minutes of the game, you might even get first blood, but don’t actively push for that.
Remember that in this phase of the game, it’s all about being patient and taking opportunities only when they come. Your main priority here is still to farm as much gold as you can and get the items you need.
This is where Axe starts to really shine, especially when he has the Blink Dagger and Arcane Boots (later Boots of Travel) for mobility. Make sure that you have enough mana to use your abilities
When you have enough mana to go around, it’s time to look for a victim. Find a squishy target and engage with Battle Hunger, then blink right in front of him and use Berserker’s Call immediately. Continue to auto-attack while Counter Helix takes effect when you’re being attacked as well, adding in more damage.
If that hero doesn’t die immediately to your onslaught, he may do two things — he can either try to escape with portal or use something like Windwalk. If it’s the former, just hit him with Culling Blade before he gets away to finish him. If it’s Windwalk and gets away with it, remember to get dust or gem so that he can’t get away next time.
You should be nigh unstoppable now at this point. Your main job now is to initiate team fights, which is a lot like how you ganked in the mid game, but you have to let your teammates come in when it’s good — you set them up, and they knock them down. Make sure that communication between you and your team is crystal clear.
Hit them with Battle Hunger and blink right in, making sure that there are three teammates with you at least. Once you’re in, your teammates should come in as well as you go for your primary target, namely the biggest threat. Once his health is low enough, cast Culling Blade for the kill, then move on to the next target.
Cast Battle Hunger again whenever you can. By this point, you’ve already done your duty, so you’ll either die or somehow get out alive with the enemy team dead, with the former being more likely. If you do die, the passive in your Bloodstone will buff your teammates in the area, so they should be able to finish the job if things go well.
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