Is Echo Sabre Good on Slark?

Echo Sabre Is an Interesting New Item, but Is It Good on Slark?

Hoo-boy, did patch 6.87 ever bring a lot of changes to the game. They usually do. That’s what patches are for, ya dig? And don’t think I haven’t heard you whining on Reddit and in the forums about Slark and Echo Sabre. Most of you are probably familiar with this item by now, so I won’t bore you with details you already know. But the main question we’ve been squabbling over her at DireDota HQ: is ES good on Slark?

How many of us have played several games in a row only to have Slark pop up in every one? Don’t make me quote  matchmaking data at you. Slark is consistently a favorite, with a winrate that isn’t too shabby at a solid 52%. And as long as we’re talking about stats, a little poking around shows quite clearly that with ES in his inventory, Slark has a 57% winrate. Not as strong a percentage as Silver Edge or Skaldi, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Not even my naysayer coworkers can argue that the winrate percentage of ES doesn’t indicate it’s good on Slark for something. So what makes ES good on Slark?

Echo Sabre Helps with Pick-offs

Let’s break this down. ES’s passive, Echo Strike, allows Slark to perform a second attack at maximum attack speed once every five seconds. This second attack also applies 100% movement and attack speed slow for .6 seconds. This helps Slark pick off individual heroes while roaming or ganking. The doubled attack gives Slark more burst, and the brief slow helps Slark stick to his prey, providing a window to land a guaranteed Pounce.

Echo Sabre Synergizes with Essence Shift

For those of you out there still mastering Slark, it might help you to know that his passive, Essence Shift, drains one point from the Strength, Intelligence, and Agility from his enemies every time he auto-attacks them, converting these stats into bonus agility for himself. More auto-attacks from Echo Strike means more stats stolen for Slark. At max level, Essence Shift lasts for two full minutes. Every extra point of stolen stats will make Slark more dangerous.

Echo Sabre Gives Slark Stats He Needs at a Good Price

ES comes with a solid stat package that’s useful well into mid-game. 200 extra HP from its Strength stat makes Slark more durable, and 15 straight damage adds to the hurtin’ when he hits. Slark always wants more attack speed for Essence Shift, so the 10 attack speed on ES is a nice bonus. Most importantly, in my opinion, is the 120 mana gained. Coupled with ES’s 75% mana regen, this item keeps him in-lane and dangerous as Shadow Dance keeps his health in the green.

Disadvantages to Consider before Buying of Echo Sabre

While I think there’s a great deal of potential for ES in tactical and situational play, my momma didn’t raise no fool. When playing against late game powerhouse heroes, this item can hamstring your end game. With an Ultimate Orb and Infused Raindrop, you’ll get comparable stats with the option of building Skaldi (winrate of 72%). That same Ultimate Orb and its sweet, sweet stats can also be put to use in a Silver Edge (winrate 65%).

So the real question is…

To Buy, or Not to Buy?

ES gives Slark the mana he needs to stay an active threat early game. It’ll help you keep the pressure on your opponents, so as long as you play an aggressive, well-coordinated game with your team, this item can snowball into a gold-ball.

I, for one, think in the right situation, ES is a strong choice for your inventory.

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