This new Sniper build is both silly and hugely overpowered
Sniper players have found a devastating new build that uses the new Wraith Band to maximum effect.
Wraith Bands are a useful item on almost every agility core. In addition to a good chunk of agility, they grant a nice boost to strength, intelligence, armor, and attack speed. Sniper in particular greatly benefits from all the stats, which conveniently double past the 25-minute mark. The build is growing increasingly popular at low MMRs thanks to its powerful damage output and very strong mid game.
The build relies on one of the biggest changes added in patch 7.31. Wraith Bands, Null Talismans, and Bracers now double all of their stats after 25 minutes. Once the sun sets on the third day-night cycle, Wraith Bands double to 10 agility, 10 attack speed, four armor, and four secondary stats. Multiply that by five, and Snipers can boost up to 50 bonus agility and 100 attack speed from barely more than the price of a Blink Dagger.
This build idea works with tons of heroes, but Sniper is particularly suited to Wraith Band stacking. His main drawback in the laning phase is his low damage, but a few Wraith Bands put him on par
with most potential opponents. Take Aim’s active component further boosts his damage, and the three-second duration greatly rewards attack speed. His Aghanim’s Shard Concussive Grenade functions as a cheap defensive option that doesn’t take up an item slot.
How to build Wraith Band Sniper in Dota 2 7.31
The new Sniper build is all about stacking Wraith Bands, but there’s a little more nuance to it than meets the eye.
This Sniper build generally goes mid, but it can also work as a safe lane carry. Of course, the first step is to start putting Wraith Bands together. At 505 gold each, it’s easy for Sniper to grab one every two minutes or so. Sniper still needs to go boots, and Power Treads is the obvious option. 10 agility is another big damage and attack speed boost. From there, fill the other five slots with Wraith Bands.
The ideal timing for all of this is to have four Wraith Bands and Power Treads around the 12-minute mark, but a little later is okay. Five Wraith Bands is an option, but it’s important to note that players should almost immediately start replacing them as soon as possible. If you think you’ll get a big expensive item before the 25-minute mark, stick with just four.
As for those replacements, Wraith Bands can’t win a game on their own. Since this build is all about agility, Swift Blink is one of the more popular options. When activated, Swift Blink grants an incredible total of 60 agility. It functions as both an offensive and defensive item while also speeding up farming. From there, standard Sniper items like Hurricane Pike, Satanic, and Black King Bar are good choices. This build does so much damage that gold is better spent on keeping yourself alive.
Read Also
Dota 2
ESIC hand down ruling in EWC Dota match-fixing case: Lifetime ban for coach as DarkMago gets a nickel
Michael Hassall
South American Dota 2 player Gonzalo "DarkMago" Herrera will be banned for five years from competitive Dota 2, with his coach Juan "Vintage" Angulo banned permanently, following the results of an The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) investigation. ESIC handed down the findings and rulings from its investigation into match-fixing allegations leveled at members of South American Dota 2 team PlayTime during the Esports World Cup on Sep. 10, in a ...
News
Polystrike Turns a Dota 2 Mod Into a Standalone Tactical Shooter
Hannan Mundia
After the community-made mod found success within the community, developer and publisher Robin Entertainment has decided to turn Polystrike into a proper standalone game. Community-made mods of games finding success within the respective game’s community is nothing new. However, only a handful of those mods are able to go on and become a standalone game. One of the more recent examples is The Forgotten City, which started as a mod ...
Dota 2
Team Spirit wins TI15 to lift a record third Aegis of Champions
Michael Hassall
Team Spirit has defeated TEAM VISION in the grand finals of TI15, The International 2025. In a full five-game series on Aug. 23, Spirit pulled out all the stops and narrowly defeated an incredible VISION team in a back-and-forth series in Shanghai, China. With Spirit’s victory, Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk and Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov become the first ever three-time TI champions, and Team Spirit becomes the first ever organization to lift ...
Dota 2
The International 2026 (TI15) Finals Preview and Predictions
Michael Hassall
The International 2026, TI15, has reached its final day, and just three teams remain in the fight for the Aegis of Champions. With the lower bracket final and Grand Final still to come, everything comes down to one final day of Dota 2 action. The lower bracket finalists will first battle for the right to reach the main event’s final series, while the winner will advance to face the upper-bracket ...
Dota 2
TI15’s opening ceremony weaves a tapestry of emotion for Valve’s storied title
Michael Hassall
The main stage of The International 2026, TI15, kicked off today with the traditional opening ceremony heralding the start of the biggest celebration of Dota 2 on the calendar. On Aug. 20 fans in Shanghai, China, and at home, were treated to a rousing 11-minute series of performances and video packages, introducing TI15’s main stage show. Here’s how the magic unfolded: The ceremony began with a graphic which quite literally ...
Dota 2
The International 2026 (TI15) Playoffs preview and predictions
Michael Hassall
The Group Stage of The International 2026, TI15, is in the books and we’ve whittled down 16 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams to just eight finalists. One of these talented lineups will be the ones lifting the Aegis of Champions come Sunday, Aug. 23, but until then, there’s plenty of playoff shenanigans that could go on. Below we’ve put together a preview of the upcoming Playoff Games, along ...
News
The Esports Nations Cup Has Been Postponed to November 2027
Ben Boland
The 2026 Esports Nations Cup has been suspended until 2027. The Esports Foundation announced the delay on August 18, citing ongoing regional uncertainty. The inaugural competition was scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, comprising over 100 national teams and featuring 16 different games, including League of Legends. According to the Esports Foundation, this decision follows ongoing developments in the region and consultation with key stakeholders. Moving the event ...
