Spirit Breaker Overview

Lore & Bio

Barathrum the Spirit Breaker is a strong and lordly creature, a ferocious and elemental intelligence that opted to plane-shift into the world of matter in order to participate in events that would have ramifications in the elemental realm where he resides. To that aim, he put together a shape that would serve him well both in and out of our world. His physical shape pulls from the world's strengths, combining bovine and simian features—horns, hooves, and hands—as external symbols of his inner attributes of power, speed, and cunning. He has a ring in his nose to remind him that he works for a secret master and that the world he works in is only a shadow of the true one.

In the game, Barathrum, the Spirit Breaker, is a formidable ganker-type melee strength hero that specializes at concentrating on and killing lone targets in skirmishes but struggles in bigger team engagements. His Charge of Darkness allows him to charge quickly at any adversary on the map, knocking out any foes in his way. It may already be too late if you notice the charge coming. Bulldoze gives him increased movement speed and status resistance, allowing him to quickly track down his opponents while also shortening the duration of most disables.

His Greater Bash, which crushes the life out of his defenseless victims, is the main reason for his selection (and stuns them). Barathrum may use Nether Strike to travel fast to his opponent and startle them with a soul-bashing attack. Spirit Breaker's ganking powers are unrivaled. He's tanky, mobile, and equipped with a variety of high-damage knockbacks, including a passive one connected to his right clicks.

This is his in-game description: 

“Highly mobile and always aggressive, Spirit Breaker charges across the map to bring the fight to his enemies. With each bash of his heavy lantern, he knocks his foes senseless. His enemies may run, but with the help a few wards, they cannot hide.”

Attribute & Stats

Level 0/1/15/25/30

• Health: 200/740/1580/2420/2760;

• Health regen: 1.25/3.95/8.15/12.35/14.05;

• Mana: 75/243/543/903/1035;

• Mana regen: 0/0.7/1.96/3.46/4.01;

• Armor: 2/4.83/8.8/13.63/15.38;

• Att/ sec: 0.53/0.62/0.74/0.89/0.95;

• Damage: 31‒41/58‒68/100‒110/142‒152/159‒169;

• Magic resistance: 25%;

•  Movement speed: 290;

•  Attack speed: 100;

• Turn rate: 0.6;

• Vision range: 1800/800;

• Attack range: 150;

• Projectile speed: Instant;

• Attack animation: 0.6+0.3;

• Base attack time: 1.9;

• Damage block: 16;

• Collision size: 24;

• Legs: 2;

• Gib type: Ethereal.

Abilities & Talents

Skills building guide

Spirit Breaker’s skillset is very versatile, so depending on the situation you can have different builds altogether. Generally speaking, what you need to concern yourself with the most is what type of situation do you utilize each of the abilities. With that said, the common guideline to Spirit Breaker’s skills and consequently skill build is as follows.

Charge of Darkness may be used to reduce the distance between you and your opponent, stun him, and render him exposed to your assaults. Charge of Darkness may be spammed during teamfights to cause havoc and break your opponents' formation, therefore aim to target the backliners to receive the most stuns.

While charging, Spirit Breaker can use Bulldoze to increase his movement speed, allowing Greater Bash to inflict more damage. Bulldoze has a 2.5 second cooldown with the Lv 20 Talent. Don't be afraid to repeat casting it if you want a near-permanent boost.

Depending on Spirit Breaker's movement speed, Greater Bash does greater damage. Obtaining items that enhance movement speed, such as Drum of Endurance, will boost your damage output. Always attempt to position Spirit Breaker such that you may drive your opponent away from safety; the odds of getting several bashes are small, but it's worth considering.

Nether Strike inflicts significant damage on the target opponent and teleports behind them. You may use this to catch adversaries who are blinking or teleporting before they escape. Because the larger bash would strike them anyway, it's sometimes a good idea to use Nether Strike on a spell immune hero to halt their actions. For example, if your squad is trapped in a Black Hole by a spell-resistant Enigma, you can turn the game around if you can stop him immediately away.

For the early game and early ganks, Greater Bash and an early point on Charge of Darkness will be beneficial. For late-game team clashes, Nether Strike and Greater Bash are more powerful.

Abilities

Charge of Darkness

Charge of Darkness (Unit Target, Self/Enemies) 

Effect: Spirit Breaker focuses his attention on an opposing unit and charges past all obstacles. A Greater Bash will strike the selected unit and all opponent units that went through. If the targeted unit is killed, Spirit Breaker's target will be the next enemy unit to that location.

Cast Animation: 0.3+0.5 (With Aghanim's Scepter 0.1+0.5)

Cast Range: Global

Greater Bash Radius: 300

Charge Speed Bonus: 300/325/350/375 (Talent 500/525/550/575)

Stun Duration: 1.2/1.6/2/2.4

Cooldown: 17/15/13/11 (With Aghanim's Scepter 7)

Mana: 100

Aghanim's Scepter upgrade: Reduces Charge of Darkness cooldown, cast point and makes it pierce magic immunity.

Partially pierces spell immunity. Greater Bash is still applied, since it pierces spell immunity.

Can target spell immune enemies, but not stun them.

Partially blocked by Linken's Sphere. Blocked fully only when primary target. Blocked upon cast. If the charge has already begun, its impact is not blocked.

Notes:

Increases Spirit Breaker's total movement speed to 590/615/640/665 (Talent 790/815/840/865) and removes the 550 movement speed cap while charging. This means the charge speed bonus affects the damage of  Greater Bash. The charge speed is based on Spirit Breaker's current movement speed, checking his movement speed periodically and adapts immediately.

Goes on cooldown once the charge ends or is canceled, not upon cast.

The charge indicator above the target, as well as the target buff on the caster are visible to allies only. Alt + Left Click the status buff announces in the team chat which hero is being charged.

During Charge of Darkness, Spirit Breaker has phased and unobstructed movement.

The charge is canceled upon getting stunned, cycloned, hexed, rooted, slept, hidden, feared, hypnotized or by Forced Movement.

The charge is not cancelled by taunts. Instead, Spirit Breaker starts attacking the taunting unit once the charge stops. Charge of Darkness cannot be manually canceled during taunts.

The player can manually cancel the charge by giving the hero a stop (S), hold position (H) or any targeted order. Non-targeted abilities do not cancel the charge.

Spirit Breaker is unable to ⇧ Shift-queue orders with Charge of Darkness, since it is not a channeling ability. Shift-queue orders cancels the ability, with the exception of shift-queued Patrol commands. However, when Charge of Darkness ends, Spirit Breaker is issued an attack order which overwrites shift-queue orders.

When auto-attack is set to ◎ Always, Spirit Breaker can automatically attack units within attack range, without cancelling the charge.

Any unit which comes within 300 radius of Spirit Breaker during the charge gets hit by  Greater Bash based on its current level. Greater Bash notes fully apply. A unit may only be bashed once per cast. If an enemy unit enters the radius a second time, they do not get bashed again. The bash radius is offset by 20 units in front of him, so it can hit units 280 range behind and 320 range in front of him. The primary target is bashed upon the charge reaching it, not upon coming within range of the bash radius. A hidden buff is placed upon reaching the target and lasts for 0.1 seconds. The buff is responsible for the Greater Bash proc.

With level 4 Charge of Darkness, the Greater Bash hit deals 93.1/133/172.9/212.8 (Talent 121.1/173/224.9/276.8) damage (before reductions). With the Greater Bash damage increasing Talent talent, it deals at least 259.35/299.25/339.15/379.05 damage. With both Talent talents, it deals at least 337.35/389.25/441.15/493.05 damage.

If the target dies during the charge, it is transferred to the nearest valid target within 4000 range of the previous target.

The charge provides shared vision over the targeted unit, revealing their silhouette when they become invisible. However, it does not provide vision when neutral creeps are targeted.

Destroys trees within a small radius around Spirit Breaker whenever the charge ends.

Bulldoze

Bulldoze (No Target/Self) 

Effect: To plow through adversaries, Spirit Breaker increases movement speed and status resistance. It's possible to utilize it while it's charging.

Cast Animation: 0+0

Move Speed Bonus: 10%/16%/22%/28%

Status Resistance Bonus: 34%/46%/58%/70%

Duration: 8

Cooldown: 22/20/18/16 (Talent 18/16/14/12)

Mana: 30/40/50/60

Notes:

Bulldoze interrupts Spirit Breaker's channeling abilities upon cast.

The status resistance bonus stacks multiplicatively with other sources of status resistance.

Can be cast during Charge of Darkness.

Greater Bash

Greater Bash (Passive/Magical)

Effect: On an assault, you have a chance to stun and knockback an opponent unit. Damage is calculated as a proportion of movement speed. Creeps take 1.5 times as much damage.

Proc Chance: 17% (Talent 27%)

Move Speed as Damage: 14%/20%/26%/32% (Talent 39%/45%/51%/57%)

Non-Hero Damage Multiplier: 1.5

Knockback Distance: 143/152/158/162

Knockback Duration: 0.5

Stun Duration: 0.9/1.2/1.5/1.8

Cooldown: 1.5

Partially disabled by Break. Disables bash from attacks, but not the one from spells.

Notes:

Does not stack with other bashes. The bash fromSkull Basher and Abyssal Blade is completely disabled for Spirit Breaker.

Does not go on cooldown when proccing from  Charge of Darkness or Nether Strike.

Greater Bash first applies the debuff, then the damage, no matter whether it procs on attacks, or is applied by Spirit Breaker's abilities.

The bash effects happen before the attack damage of the attack that procs it, and before Nether Strike's damage.

Bashed units are knocked back at a speed of 286/304/316/324.

Also knocks affected enemies 50 units upwards, resulting in a small arc. This has only visual purposes.

Deals 21%/30%/39%/48% (Talent 58.5%/67.5%/76.5%/85.5%) of current movement speed as damage to non-hero units. Treats creep-heroes as heroes.

With the movement speed limits of 100 to 550, the minimum and maximum possible damage are 

• 14/20/26/32 ‒ 77/110/143/176 (Talent 39/45/51/57 ‒ 214.5/247.5/280.5/313.5). 

Against non-hero units, the minimum and maximum possible damage are 

• 21/30/39/48 ‒ 115.5/165/214.5/264 (Talent 58.5/67.5/76.5/85.5 ‒ 321.75/371.25/420.75/470.25).

The bonus damage is dealt in a separate damage instance, and counts as spell damage. This means it is not affected or considered by anything that works with attack damage. This also means that it fully works with spell damage amplification and spell lifesteal.

Can proc on Roshan, putting it on cooldown and applying the damage, but Roshan is neither knocked back nor stunned.

Adds an average of 2.38%/3.4%/4.42%/5.44% (Talent 6.63%/7.65%/8.67%/9.69%) or 3.57%/5.1%/6.63%/8.16% (Talent 9.95%/11.48%/13.01%/14.54%) of current movement speed as magical damage against heroes or against creeps respectively to every attack. 

With the damage increasing Talent talent, it adds an average of 3.78%/5.4%/7.02%/8.64% (or 5.67%/8.1%/10.53%/12.96% against creeps) damage. With both Talent talents, it adds an average of 10.53%/12.15%/13.77%/15.39% (or 15.8%/18.23%/20.66%/23.09% against creeps) damage.

• Does not work against wards, buildings and allied units.
• Greater Bash uses pseudo-random distribution.
• Damage bonus is based on a percentage of current movement speed.
• Destroys trees units are pushed into.
• Does not affect Roshan.

Nether Strike

Nether Strike (Unit Target/Magical)

Effect: Spirit Breaker enters the nether world and reappears close to his unfortunate victim. A Greater Bash of the current level happens upon reappearance, doing added damage. Doubles the typical distance knocked back.

Cast Animation: 1+0

Cast Range: 700

Damage: 100/175/250 (With Aghanim's Shard 300/375/450)

• With Aghanim's Shard Break Duration: 4
• With Aghanim's Shard Spell Immunity Duration: 2
• Cooldown: 90/70/50Mana: 125/150/175
• Aghanim's Shard upgrade: Causes Nether Strike to deal 200 damage, and apply a 4-second break. Grants you Spell Immunity for 2 seconds.

Notes:

Nether Strike does not disjoint projectiles upon cast.

Places a hidden debuff on the target during the cast time. This debuff exposes the target, but it does not grant True Sight over it.

Nether Strike instantly moves Spirit Breaker on the opposite side of the target, 54 range away from it.

Greater Bash based on its current level is instantly applied on the target. Greater Bash notes fully apply. If it is not leveled, the bash does not occur. The knockback distance is doubled. Bashed units are knocked back 286/304/316/324 distance, over 0.5 seconds, at a speed of 572/608/632/648. A hidden buff is placed upon reaching the target and lasts for 0.1 seconds. The buff is responsible for the Greater Bash proc.

Nether Strike first applies the Greater Bash debuff, the Greater Bash damage, then the break debuff, and then its own damage. With Aghanim's Shard, Spirit Breaker first gains the spell immunity before the target is affected.

Spirit Breaker is issued an attack order on the target. This attack order ignores the auto-attack settings.

Can be cast on Courier, applying all its effects.

The Nether Strike modifier is responsible for a delay upon successfully casting Nether Strike, during which Spirit Breaker is spell immune. However, its duration is set to 0, so it effectively does nothing.

Effective items guides

Early game

Tango

Tango: assists Spirit Breaker in maintaining his health throughout the laning phase, allowing him to avoid returning to base due to opponent harassment.

Healing Salve

Healing Salve: also aids in the recovery of health.

Iron Branch

Iron Branch: is a low-cost, high-impact option to boost Spirit Breaker's poor mana pool and health pool.

Boots of Speed

Boots of Speed: Spirit Breaker needs Boots of Speed because the increased speed will allow him to escape dangerous circumstances and catch up to an escaping adversary. Because of Greater Bash, the extra movement speed will also offer additional damage.

Magic Stick

Magic Stick: If the opponents in your lane will be performing a lot of spells, the Magic Stick is a good burst health/mana item. It may be turned into a Magic Wand later on.

Urn of Shadows

Urn of Shadows: assists ganking by restoring mana and healing. Enemy healing goods like Healing Salve and Bottle can also be cancelled by the damage over time.

Mid game

Power Treads

Power Treads: Spirit Breaker will have a higher probability of proccing Greater Bash if he has Power Treads.

Magic Wand

Magic Wand: In comparison to Magic Stick, Magic Wand is effective for burst health/mana while also boosting his qualities.

Mask of Madness

Mask of Madness: When triggered, Mask of Madness grants additional attack and movement speed, boosting the damage and frequency of Greater Bash assaults.

Black King Bar

Black King Bar: Many abilities that interrupt your Charge of Darkness are rendered ineffective by Black King Bar, enabling you to engage and harm your target without interruption.

Late game

Assault Cuirass

Assault Cuirass: Spirit Breaker's attack speed will be greatly increased by Assault Cuirass, who will also provide an attack speed/armor aura to surrounding teammates. Greater Bash will occur more frequently as a result of the increased attack speed.

Silver Edge

Silver Edge: Invisibility is granted by Silver Edge, which may be beneficial for escaping or enhancing your ganking/roaming abilities. Breaking invisibility by attacking will disable opponent passives, decrease their damage, and provide you with a strong 175 damage blow. 

It also gives a reasonable amount of attack speed, attack damage, and attribute bonuses, and it may be used before striking your target to prevent being incapacitated and so breaking your charge.

Mjollnir

Mjollnir: Spirit Breaker benefits greatly from Mjollnir, as it offers not just a substantial attack speed but also a lightning proc and the lightning shield for teamfight presence.

Situation items

Aghanim's Scepter

Aghanim's Scepter: Charge of Darkness is substantially improved by Aghanim's Scepter, which increases its speed and reduces its cooldown.

Heaven's Halberd

Heaven's Halberd: The additional evasion and status resistance of Heaven's Halberd will not only boost Spirit Breaker's durability, but its active ability may also disarm opponent carriers that rely on physical assaults.

Armlet of Mordiggian

Armlet of Mordiggian: Spirit Breaker has increased attack speed and damage output at the cost of his health per second when he wears the Armlet of Mordiggian. The lifesteal provided by Mask of Madness, on the other hand, may mainly alleviate the life drain, making it a worthwhile buy when utilized appropriately.

Monkey King Bar

Monkey King Bar: enhances the damage of Spirit Breaker's attacks and allows him to target foes that have evaded his assaults.

Drum of Endurance

Drum of Endurance: boosts both his own and his team's mobility and attack speeds. Greater Bash and the extra mobility and attack speed work nicely together.

Moon Shard

Moon Shard: The biggest single-item-slot boost in attack speed in the game is given to Spirit Breaker by Moon Shard, which causes Greater Bash to occur regularly. Thus, it should be kept for the duration of the game until a more effective item can be acquired, at which point the Shard may be eaten and replaced - the attack speed boost will be half, but having a constant 60 attack speed increase without the requirement for an inventory spot is highly helpful.

Lotus Orb

Lotus Orb: provides strong survivability stats as well as mana restoration, allowing you to utilize Charge of Darkness without having to return to base for extra mana. Its presence will also strengthen your initiating skills, as spellcasters will have to think twice before nuking or shutting you down.

Enemies & Allies

Allies

Bloodseeker

Bloodseeker: Bloodrage increases the damage done by Spirit Breakers, allowing him to kill more people on his own. Thirst shows opponents with low health, allowing Spirit Breaker to finish them off with Charge of Darkness.

Bounty Hunter

Bounty Hunter: Spirit Breaker may use Track to charge heroes that are beyond the team's range of vision while simultaneously providing gold to the rest of the team if the gank is successful. Spirit Breaker's movement speed is boosted by Track, which increases Greater Bash's damage. Bounty Hunter generally searches regions so that Spirit Breaker may charge lone targets.

Io

Io: Spirit Breaker gains extra movement speed from Tether, which increases Greater Bash's damage. Overcharge increases Spirit Breaker's attack speed, increasing the probability of Greater Bash being triggered. Charge of Darkness may be turned into a three-man gank with Relocate.

Lifestealer

Lifestealer: When Spirit Breaker utilizes Charge of Darkness for both ganking and fleeing, Infest lets Lifestealer to join in. Infesting Spirit Breaker increases Greater Bash's damage by greatly boosting his movement speed. Lifestealer may also offer Spirit Breaker greater movement speed for additional damage and spell immunity with Aghanim's Scepter.

Dark Seer

Dark Seer: Spirit Breaker may useSurge to enhance his mobility and Charge of Darkness speed, reducing his target's counter time and increasing his damage.

Snapfire

Snapfire: A charging Spirit Breaker may be hit with a Firesnap Cookie, which disables the opponents he's focused on even more.

Others: Heroes with attack speed buffs: ( Beastmaster, Invoker, Chen, Arc Warden). Heroes that can give extra movement speed to Spirit Breaker: (Ogre Magi).

Counters

Omniknight

Omniknight: may appear to be an easy target for Spirit Breaker in the early game, but with Purification and Degen Aura, what appears to be an opportunity might soon turn into a tragedy. With status resistance, Heavenly Grace may be utilized to counter Charge of Darkness by reducing damage and stun duration. 

If Spirit Breaker is within the radius of Degen Aura, his Greater Bash from all sources (Charge of Darkness or regular attacks) does less damage. As a result, while targeting Omniknight, Spirit Breaker's damage will always be lower.

Clockwerk

Clockwerk: Because of his long attack animation, Battery Assault will prohibit Spirit Breaker from utilizing Nether Strike, Charge of Darkness, or even right clicking. A perfectly timed Hookshot can negate Charge of Darkness. If Charge of Darkness is aimed towards Clockwerk or his allies, he can halt it by casting Power Cogs in Spirit Breaker's path or surrounding the target.

Ember Spirit

Ember Spirit: If timed right, Searing Chains can halt Charge of Darkness. Activate Fire Remnant may be used to either flee from an approaching Spirit Breaker or to lure Spirit Breaker into a dangerous scenario. Ember Spirit may avoid Charge of Darkness by using Fire Remnant and Sleight of Fist at the right time.

Outworld Destroyer

Outworld Destroyer: By imprisoning either friends or Spirit Breaker, Astral Imprisonment can be utilized to safeguard them. Spirit Breaker's intellect will be severely drained by Arcane Orb, making him nearly worthless and unable to perform spells. Sanity's Eclipse will do a lot of damage to Spirit Breaker because of his low intellect.

Enigma

Enigma: For the time being, Malefice prohibits Spirit Breaker from using his spells. The eidolons of Demonic Conversion have a high magic resistance and take little damage from Charge of Darkness.

Invoker

Invoker: Charge of Darkness and Nether Strike are both interrupted by Cold Snap. Charge of Darkness may be cancelled using Tornado's extended range. Spirit Breaker can't right-click, thus Deafening Blast stops him from using his Greater Bash.

Medusa

Medusa: The charge will certainly fail if Medusa uses Stone Gaze. Medusa can easily withstand Spirit Breaker's initiation thanks to her Mana Shield and her tankiness.

Phoenix

Phoenix: Supernova is difficult to take down for Spirit Breaker because of his slow attack speed, and it's more more difficult when the Fire Spirits debuff is applied. Phoenix may use the Icarus Dive to rapidly flee to safety.

Meepo

Meepo: Charge of Darkness is prevented/interrupted by Earthbind's root. Spirit Breaker is inefficient against Meepo in general as a single target focused hero with little damage output. Consider using Aghanim's Scepter to upgrade Nether Strike and spam AoE stuns on Meepo clones.

Razor

Razor: Greater Bash's damage boost is drained by Static Link, which cannot be restored by Nether Strike. Spirit Breaker's armor is melted by Eye of the Storm, making him significantly less tanky.

Treant Protector

Treant Protector: Because Spirit Breaker's strikes are sluggish, Living Armor may negate a substantial part of his damage. Before Spirit Breaker gets to flee, Treant Protector can use Leech Seed and his bash from Nature's Guise to counter-initiate him.

Underlord

Underlord: To negate Spirit Breaker's Charge of Darkness, cast Pit of Malice in its path. Underlord and his teammates can use Dark Rift to get away from a gank.

Undying

Undying: Tombstone is a difficulty for Spirit Breaker because of his slow attack speed. Greater Bash's damage is greatly reduced by the zombies called by Tombstone, who impose a stacking movement speed slow. Undying and his teammates can withstand incoming Spirit Breaker ganks thanks to Soul Rip and Decay.

Others: Ogre Magi, Earthshaker, and Lion are heroes who can negate Charge of Darkness. Heroes that can defend themselves or their allies from the initiation of the Spirit Breaker include: Demon of the Shadows Heroes who retaliate against mobile heroes include: Keeper of the Light, Bloodseeker Heroes that frequently construct Linken's Sphere as a main item include: Storm Spirit, Weaver, Medusa, Morphling, Queen of Pain Axe, Bristleback, Tidehunter, and Wraith King are tough heroes. Heroes that continue to do damage when stunned include: Leshrac, Luna, Razor, Axe, Bristleback Heroes that can significantly delay Charge of Darkness include: Venomancer, Viper, Dazzle, Arc WardenLionVenomancer, Viper, Dazzle, Arc Warden.

Items Counter

Ghost Scepter

Ghost Scepter: Spirit Breaker is prevented from right-clicking and hitting by Ghost Scepter (and its upgrade Ethereal Blade).

Eul's Scepter of Divinity

Eul's Scepter of Divinity: Charge of Darkness and Nether Strike may be cancelled using Eul's Scepter of Divinity on oneself or Spirit Breaker.

Rod of Atos

Rod of Atos, Scythe of Vyse, Abyssal Blade, and Force Staff : Charge of Darkness is interrupted by Rod of Atos, Scythe of Vyse, Abyssal Blade, and Force Staff (and its upgrade Hurricane Pike).

Heaven's Halberd

Heaven's Halberd: Spirit Breaker can be stopped from right-clicking and smashing using Heaven's Halberd.

Linken's Sphere

Linken's Sphere: Charge of Darkness and Nether Strike are both blocked by Linken's Sphere.

Favorable Matchups

Anti-Mage

Anti-Mage: Anti-Mage generally uses Blink to get away, but with Charge of Darkness' eyesight, it's much simpler to capture him. Spirit Breaker may lock Anti-Mage down for 4 seconds (or even longer with fortunate bashes), allowing his comrades to finish the job. Because Anti-Mage is a solitary hero who prefers to farm, Spirit Breaker may opt to charge anytime Anti-Mage appears.

Clinkz

Clinkz: Clinkz might be imprisoned by Spirit Breaker for a long period if he is stuck in dust, and he has nowhere to flee. Even when Clinkz is in Skeleton Walk, Charge of Darkness offers shared vision over its target.

Nature's Prophet

Nature’s Prophet: When Nature's Prophet tries to split push, Spirit Breaker can use Charge of Darkness to catch him off guard. Spirit Breaker can't hide in Nature's Prophet's Sprout since his Charge of Darkness gives him eyesight of the target. Nature's Prophet's Teleportation may be readily cancelled by Spirit Breaker.

Tinker

Tinker: Tinker survives thanks to his excellent mobility from Boots of Travel and Blink Dagger. If Spirit Breaker gets to cast Charge of Darkness on him, those things are useless. Rearm and Boots of Travel may be readily cancelled using Spirit Breaker.

Others: Heroes that are naturally squishy are easy prey for Spirit Breaker: Shadow Shaman, Sniper, Drow Ranger Charge of Darkness allows heroes that rely on invisibility to be monitored, exposing them to team attacks: Riki, Mirana, and Bounty Hunter Charge of Darkness gives a shared view of its target, allowing heroes who rely on invisibility, mobility, or illusions to be tracked: Riki, Phantom Lancer's Broodmother Heroes who rely on escapes to stay alive might be apprehended and imprisoned for an extended period of time: Phantom Assassin, Queen of Pain Spirit Breaker's stuns penetrate spell immunity, giving him a viable opponent for heroes that rely heavily on Black King Bar; Huskar is another option.

Game plan

Early game

In most teams, the Spirit Breaker plays the initiator/ganker/tank position. His skill set demands him to search the map for potential ganking opportunities while also assisting his team in securing space and farming. A good early-mid game Spirit Breaker may snowball into a semi-carry and destroy his opponents, paving the way for his side to win.

There are a wide variety of roles Spirit Breaker can play, so his laning phase/early game can be a bit varied. You can almost take any lane in Spirit Breaker, including mid. His best lane for now is the Off-Lane, but it's still a challenge for him. However, if you keep on the outside of exp range and get the pull warded, you should be ok. As long as your team has somebody that can carry late game in the Jungle or Middle, such as Morphling (mid) or Lifestealer (middle), he may be deployed as a safe-lane carry (jungle). If you're a safe lane carry without a hero who can take your position in the late game, you should definitely be off-lane. When facing suspicious heroes like Bloodseeker or Pudge, Middle is useful since you can quickly defeat them to final hits and have virtually little chance of dying to them without their allies' aid.

Off-lane Spirit Breaker is his greatest choice, and it'll be the lane you'll be on the most during games. If you're playing him off-lane, I'd recommend getting the first point in Empowering Haste at Level 2, since the increased move speed could help you survive, but the bash won't assist you much. You can utilize the charge as a final option to try to survive. If you have a jungler, the best thing you can do is target one of the creeps he's farming (and instruct him to stop killing it, too), followed by a support pulling. If neither of those alternatives is available, you can charge to the middle or to your safe-lane; it makes little difference. 

If you go for safe-lane, because your basic damage is so high, you're one of the greatest heroes for killing creeps on tower if you go safe-lane, so make sure your support keeps pulling. Your supporters will have to offer you as much experience as possible, so don't be afraid to tell them off if they're hovering about too much. If you want to play it safe, I recommend Hand of Midas. With such a gank-heavy hero, it may seem counterintuitive, yet a quick level 11 may demolish people. On top of a 400-damage physical bomb, there aren't many objects that can withstand all of the strikes. Furthermore, the attack speed is still quite important. If you're in a group, grab an Aghanim's Scepter, or if you're in the snow, grab a Shadow Blade.

Mid is doable, but not preferable, since it’s much easier for you to go side-lane or off-lane then gank later. Remember to pick Stout Shield, three Iron Branch, Tango and a Healing Salve if you do go mid, unless your opponent is melee then pick a Quelling Blade instead.

Mid game

When Nether Strike is down, farm, gank with a teammate if a hero is alone, make sure your charge is never on cooldown when you need it, and participate in every teamfight. In the mid-game, you should have at least your treads, drums, and Urn, and should be working on finishing your Shadow Blade. Simply farm (but give your farm to any tougher carry than you, such as Faceless Void, Phantom Assassin, and so on) and gank while nether strike is up if it's safe to do so. You can stay and farm as your squad pushes as long as you maintain your charge up and they aren't too far away. All fights should be started by you, especially with your Shadow Blade.

Simply said, Charge the enemy hero furthest back so you can score more hits on everyone, and then ult the person you need the most (like a carry), or if you believe you can take down a support hero without the other team even reacting, do that instead. Your team may then join in on the havoc you've created, providing them an opportunity where you can focus on them rather than your own oncoming squad.

This is also when Black King Bar comes in handy, as it transforms you into an unstoppable force. The midgame is when Spirit Breaker shines, and with a Shadow Blade and some effective ganks, you can quickly reclaim lost games.

Late game

You won't be able to outcarry any Phantom Assassins, Faceless Voids, or any of the other large carriers before the end of the game. You'll still annihilate any support hero, and you'll still carry rather effectively. With Spirit Breaker, it's wonderful to have a tougher carry, since he's not enough on his own, but he's a terrific complement to a team that already has one. Spirit Breaker shines in the middle game, and he reigns supreme until the end. While a lot of your playstyle remains the same from Mid to Late, you're generally pushing/anti pushing a lot more.