Satanic is the strongest item in Dota 2 right now, here's why

William Davis Published 06/06/2021

Between its powerful passive and tide-turning active, Satanic has become one of the most impactful items in Dota 2. 

Satanic is a 5,050-gold item built from Morbid Mask, Claymore, and Reaver. It grants 25 strength, 55 damage, and 25% physical lifesteal. Those are strong stats, but Satanic’s true value comes from its active ability Unholy Rage. When triggered, the item dispels its owner and grants 200% lifesteal for six seconds. Hard-hitting carries like Sven, Terrorblade, and Phantom Assassin can jump from death’s door to full health with just a few right clicks. 

Satanic’s high price but independently useful ingredients have made it one of the most successful items in Dota 2. The item boasts a devilish 68.52% win rate in pubs over the last week and is the fifth-most successful shop item in the game, excluding droppables like Rapier and Gem. It’s also very well-represented at the WePlay AniMajor in Kiev.

After losing 30% status resistance in 7.28, only Mask of Madness splitters like Luna and Sven considered building the item. A massive buff in 7.29 made Unholy Rage undispellable while also applying a hard dispel on activation. Almost all debuffs, including slow and silences, are instantly removed by Unholy Rage. The item now serves as an alternative or complement to other defensive tools like Black King Bar and Manta Style.

Several late-game powerhouses have great synergy with Satanic. It’s become an essential pickup for Spectre, whose Dispersion allows her to reflect two life bars worth of damage back at nearby enemies. Medusa’s level 25 talent, which applies modifiers to Split Shot, effectively grants her 800% lifesteal. Morphling and Templar Assassin are the two most popular cores at the AniMajor, and both love a Satanic as their fourth or fifth item.

Satanic even turns Terrorblade’s Sunder from a selfish health swap to a game-winning heal, as Evil Geniuses’ iconic carry Artour “Arteezy” Babaev has demonstrated multiple times in the event. 

While the commentators at the WePlay AniMajor often label Sange as the premier strength accessory, Satanic has had a massive impact on the tournament. The resurgence of hard carries has brought the item back into contention from all six represented regions. Odds are that it will be facing a hard nerf in the post-AniMajor balance patch, but anybody looking for some quick MMR ought to make the most out of this while they can.

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