Sven, the sensational swordsman is a staple carry hero who you’ll often see in your pub games, regardless of your skill bracket. He is picked primarily because he can survive the laning phase without getting into any trouble, and along with that, he can also farm exceptionally, staying relevant even in the late game. Sven’s immense cleave and physical damage make him unstoppable, and his item choices only amplify his ungodly strength. He is one of the few carry heroes capable of getting a solo rampage at any stage of the game. Sven is quite invincible with his recent buffs. But what really makes him viable is the right item and skill build.
To assist you in picking the right item and skill builds for the skilled swordsman, we have compiled this list of the best 5 Sven Builds in the current meta. The strengths of the mighty swordsman only amplify thanks to these impressive builds.
5. ATF Build
Sven has been a consistent pick by ATF ever since his transition to the carry role. The hero fits his playstyle like a glove. He is an aggressive laner, extremely powerful right off the bat, and stays relevant even in the late game. There are various builds that ATF loves on Sven, but this build here takes the cake for being the most relevant. Though the skill build may appear to be like a normal Sven build, what takes the cake is the item build, which is rather unconventional. ATF is known to prioritize fighting over farming on Sven, his skill build is evidence of that.
Ammar’s build includes team-fighting items such as Black King Bar, Eye of Skadi, and Aghanim’s Scepter. These items are extremely hard-hitting and make him deal high physical damage as well as sustain him in the fights with lifesteal and magic immunity. As mentioned earlier, most of these items are extremely rare on Sven, ATF does a great job of showing how he can obliterate enemies with the most unorthodox of builds. Sven is essentially used to his full potential by ATF in this highlight video.
Use This Build If:
- You want a self-sustainable build that deals terrific damage in teamfights
- You want to be involved in more skirmishes from the early game
- You want an extremely reliable carry build for the late game
Skill Points
Level 1: Storm Hammer - This allows Sven to stun and damage the target unit along with its nearby units. It is an exceptional spell that provides Sven with the much-needed lockdown for kills.
Level 2: Warcry - Increases the movement speed and armor for Sven and his nearby allies. This helps them stay durable in a fight and also allows them to escape a sticky fight.
Level 3: Great Cleave - Allows Sven to deal AoE cleave damage upon physical attacks. This is the pivotal reason behind Sven’s immaculate and lighting fast farming capabilities. Most carry players opt to max this spell as soon as they can as it provides them with increased damage.
Level 4: Great Cleave
Level 5: Great Cleave
Level 6: God’s Strength - Upon usage, it allows Sven to deal bonus damage for a significant duration. The damage increases with each point put in God’s Strength. A synergy of all these spells allows Sven to dominate a teamfight, sometimes without any assistance from his team.
Level 7: Great Cleave
Level 8: Warcry
Level 9: Warcry
Level 10: +15 Attack Speed
Level 11: Warcry
Level 12: God’s Strength
Level 13: Storm Hammer
Level 14: Storm Hammer
Level 15: -15s God’s Strength Cooldown
Level 16: Storm Hammer
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: God’s Strength
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: +10 Warcry Armor
Level 25: +50% God’s Strength Damage
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- Tango (90 Gold) - Provides health regen if used on a tree. It's the cheapest yet the most convenient way of healing up in the early stages of the game when you are playing in the side lanes. Regardless of the hero you play, Tangoes are a core item.
- Quelling Blade (100 Gold) - Increases the physical attack damage on non-hero units, and can also be used to cut trees. It is a must-have item on melee carry heroes.
- Magic Stick (200 Gold) - Gains a charge each time an enemy uses a spell around you. Each charge grants 15 HP and mana and can have up to 10 charges. It is a perfect item in the laning stage if you are facing heroes that cast spells frequently.
- 2x Iron Branch (50 Gold) - Grants +1 of all attributes per branch. It provides decent sustain in the early game. The branch can be also planted in order to block paths for enemies or to deceive them under the fog.
- Enchanted Mango (65 Gold) - Grants passive +0.6 health regeneration if not consumed. Upon consumption, it refills 100 mana instantly. Sven lacks in the mana department and having a mango or two in handy can perhaps help him net kills in the early game.
- Power Treads (1400 Gold) - Bought at 5 minutes. It provides 45 movement speed and 25 attack speed along with toggleable attributes, which offer everything from increased mana pool to armor and even strength, helping Sven stay durable and sufficient in all game stages.
- Mask of Madness (1775 Gold) - Purchased at 7 minutes. Grants 110 attack speed and 30 movement speed while silencing and reducing armor by 8. It can be a risky purchase on Sven due to the armor loss but if you have your team backing you then it can be an ideal item if combined with God’s Strength.
- Echo Sabre (2500 Gold) - Bought at 11 minutes. Provides increased damage, strength, attack speed, mana regen, and intelligence to Sven. Its passive allows him to do physical attacks twice in a succession. The attacks apply 100% movement slow for a brief duration. Sven benefits heavily from such early-game stats.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 14 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Sven, as it allows him to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies with it. It can also be upgraded into Overwhelming later. This allows him to the frontline and initiates a fight.
- Black King Bar (4050 Gold) - Purchased at 19 minutes. Provides magic immunity upon usage, making Sven invulnerable during team fights. It is essential in most matchups as he has low magical resistance.
- Overwhelming Blink (6800 Gold) - Purchased at 24 minutes. Increases strength and deals damage in an AoE that deals attack and movement speed slow to enemies, while also making them take 150% of your strength as damage. Sven benefits heavily from this item due to his immense strength.
- Aghanim’s Scepter (4200 Gold) - Purchased at 27 minutes. Allows Storm Hammer to transport Sven along with the projectile to the targeted unit, stunning them and dealing physical damage at the same time. It is an ideal late-game item for Sven and can be a replacement for Blink Dagger in certain scenarios.
- Eye of Skadi (5300 Gold) - Bought at 31 minutes. This causes Sven’s attacks to lower enemy attack and movement speed while reducing their health regeneration and lifesteal by 40%. It is an exceptional item if you are facing tanky heroes that regen or lifesteal fast. It also provides immense bonuses such as increased stats, HP, and Mana.
- Refresher’s Orb (5000 Gold) - Purchased at 35 minutes. Refreshes the cooldown of all items and spells. It is an effective item on Sven as it allows you to use crucial spells like God’s Strength and items like Black King Bar or Blink Dagger twice.
Neutral Items
- Possessed Mask - It provides +7 of the primary attribute to Sven while also providing him with lifesteal. It is an exceptional item in the early game for a carry hero.
- Vambrace - It acts as a secondary Power Treads which provides Sven the stats depending upon the attribute he has set it to. It is essential to survive through the early game.
- Brigand’s Blade - Provides Sven with +10 attack damage and attack speed. It makes it easy for him to deal damage and survive through the early game.
- Mind Breaker - Provides Sven with increased attack damage and attack speed while also causing his attack to silence the enemy for 1.75 seconds. Has 12 seconds cooldown.
4. Miracle Build
The master Miracle’s high octane and intelligent gameplay have gained him fame and attention from all over the world. Sven is one of Miracle’s favorites in the carry role. The early game build is the most prominent Sven build which Miracle loves to try out in his pub games. Miracle’s mechanical skills as well as the farming patterns on Sven are truly breathtaking and something we all can learn from. He quite well knows everything the hero can do, this helps him induce fear in the mind of his enemies with his immense push and fight potential.
Sven is played differently by Miracle as he opts to play the hero in an extremely fast-paced manner, often wishing to buy the damage dealing and mobility items as soon as he can to disable the early game of his enemies. He prefers ganking and helping his team in teamfights instead of farming away as he can just push with Silver Edge and Satanic, ending the game as soon as he can. Miracle’s item choices and skill build allow him to go aggressive on his enemies as early as possible. This build is ideal if you are facing enemies with low magic resistance or high armor.
Use This Build If:
- You want to be an active carry hero, instead of just relying on farming
- You want a fighting build that helps you deal terrific damage in teamfights
- You are facing heroes with low mobility and armor
- You want to be involved in more skirmishes from the early game
Skill Points
Level 1: Storm Hammer - This allows Sven to stun and damage the target unit along with its nearby units. It is an exceptional spell that provides Sven with the much-needed lockdown for kills.
Level 2: Warcry - Increases the movement speed and armor for Sven and his nearby allies. This helps them stay durable in a fight and also allows them to escape a sticky fight.
Level 3: Storm Hammer
Level 4: Great Cleave - Allows Sven to deal AoE cleave damage upon physical attacks. This is the pivotal reason behind Sven’s immaculate and lighting fast farming capabilities. Most carry players opt to max this spell as soon as they can as it provides them with increased damage.
Level 5: Great Cleave
Level 6: God’s Strength - Upon usage, it allows Sven to deal bonus damage for a significant duration. The damage increases with each point put in God’s Strength. A synergy of all these spells allows Sven to dominate a teamfight, sometimes without any assistance from his team.
Level 7: Great Cleave
Level 8: Great Cleave
Level 9: Storm Hammer
Level 10: +15 Attack Speed
Level 11: Storm Hammer
Level 12: God’s Strength
Level 13: Warcry
Level 14: Warcry
Level 15: -15s God’s Strength Cooldown
Level 16: Warcry
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: God’s Strength
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: +10 Warcry Armor
Level 25: +50% God’s Strength Damage
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- Tango (90 Gold) - Provides health regen if used on a tree. It's the cheapest yet the most convenient way of healing up in the early stages of the game when you are playing in the side lanes. Regardless of the hero you play, Tangoes are a core item.
- Quelling Blade (100 Gold) - Increases the physical attack damage on non-hero units, and can also be used to cut trees. It is a must-have item on melee carry heroes.
- Enchanted Mango (65 Gold) - Grants passive +0.6 health regeneration if not consumed. Upon consumption, it refills 100 mana instantly. Sven lacks in the mana department and having a mango or two in handy can perhaps help him net kills in the early game.
- Slippers of Agility (140 Gold) - Grants +3 Agility. It is not a usual early item on Sven, but he lacks the early game attack speed which is hence fulfilled by this item.
- Circlet (155 Gold) - Grants +2 of all attributes. It helps Sven stay durable through the early game.
- Wraith Band (505 Gold) - Bought at 1 minute. Provides increased attributes, armor, and attack speed. The bonuses are doubled after 25 minutes. Although not a staple item on Sven, it is built here for the increased durability and farming potential that it offers in this matchup.
- Phase Boots (1500 Gold) - Bought at 3 minutes. It offers high movement speed along with increased armor as well as physical damage. The item also allows Sven to phase through enemies when activated, making it easy to escape or initiate fights without getting his body blocked.
- Mask of Madness (1775 Gold) - Purchased at 7 minutes. Grants 110 attack speed and 30 movement speed while silencing and reducing armor by 8. It can be a risky purchase on Sven due to the armor loss but if you have your team backing you then it can be an ideal item if combined with God’s Strength.
- Echo Sabre (2500 Gold) - Bought at 11 minutes. Provides increased damage, strength, attack speed, mana regen, and intelligence to Sven. Its passive allows him to do physical attacks twice in a succession. The attacks apply 100% movement slow for a brief duration. Sven benefits heavily from such early-game stats.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 14 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Sven, as it allows him to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies with it. It can also be upgraded into Overwhelming or Swift Blink. This allows him to the frontline and initiates a fight.
- Black King Bar (4050 Gold) - Purchased at 19 minutes. Provides magic immunity upon usage, making Sven invulnerable during team fights. It is essential in most matchups as he has low magical resistance even in the late game.
- Crystalys - (1950 Gold) Bought at 22 minutes. It grants each attack a 30% chance to deal 160% critical damage. The damage can be extremely useful in the early game to fend off enemies and neutralize them.
- Shadow Blade (3000 Gold) - Purchased at 25 minutes. Turns Sven invisible for a brief duration, increasing his movement speed while he is invisible. If Sven attacks enemies to break the invisibility, he deals a bonus of 175 damage, which works exceptionally with the cleave.
- Silver Edge (5450 Gold) - Purchased at 26 minutes. Shadow Blade can further be upgraded into Silver Edge which offers the same benefits as its predecessor while also dealing a guaranteed 160% critical strike and disabling enemy passive for 4 seconds. If you are facing enemies with multiple powerful passive spells, then Silver Edge is the right item for you.
- Satanic - (5050 Gold) Bought at around 31 minutes. Can lifesteal on physical attacks upon activation, and also provides basic dispel from the latter. Great to sustain in the ultra-late game as you can be surrounded by multiple enemies at once.
- Swift Blink (6800 Gold) - Purchased 36 minutes into the game. Swift Blink allows Sven to gain 40% phased movement speed and +35 agility for 6 seconds. This makes Sven highly mobile, and also allows him to deal more damage which is suitable with the above build.
- Assault Cuirass (5125 Gold) - Purchased at 42 minutes. Grants 30 attack speed and 5 armor to allies and structures near Sven. It also reduces armor for enemies around him. With reduced enemy armor and increased damage for Sven, he can wreak havoc upon his enemies.
- Boots of Travel 2 (4500 Gold) - Purchased at 47 minutes. Allows you to teleport on allied heroes as well as creeps and units anywhere on the map. Purchasing this item grants Sven extreme mobility, making him highly active and providing him with increased global potential. He can push lanes and join his allies in a teamfight anytime he wants.
Neutral Items
- Possessed Mask - It provides +7 of the primary attribute to Sven while also providing him with lifesteal. It is an exceptional item in the early game for a carry hero.
- Broom Handle - Provides increased armor, attack speed, and attack damage. Alchemist with increased armor which helps him fare well in a teamfight.
- Brigand’s Blade - Provides Sven with +10 attack damage and attack speed. It makes it easy for him to deal damage and survive through the early game.
- Mind Breaker - Provides Sven with increased attack damage and attack speed while also causing his attack to silence the enemy for 1.75 seconds. Has 12 seconds cooldown.
- Paladin Sword - Increases lifesteal, spell lifesteal, regen, and healing by 14%. This allows Sven to sustain his teamfights.
- Penta-Edged Sword - Increases Sven’s attack damage by 45 and provides him with 100 increased attack range. It also has a chance to reduce enemy movement and attack speed for a brief duration. Sven benefits briefly from this slow.
3. Dreamcocel Build
The rising star from SEA, Dreamcocel is a force to be reckoned with. He is an exceptional carry player with a highly versatile hero pool and vast game knowledge. Dreamcocel takes Sven to the safe lane as that is where his true potential is unlocked. His exceptional farming style and aggressive demeanor ensure there is no stone left unturned when it comes to winning the lane. Dreamcocel is known to build items that are rather unorthodox but work in that specific matchup. His skill build is standard, but his item build is worth taking a look at.
Dreamcocel loves the early-game fight build on Sven which allows him to sit back and dish damage without worrying about his HP. He focuses on fighting early on in the game and rotating to other lanes to secure them, ensuring his teammates aren’t lacking behind. He also loves purchasing situational items like Bloodthorn and Satanic on Sven which are exceptional against heroes that he is facing. This build may look highly ordinary on paper but is one of the best if tried out in the game due to its damage and fighting potential.
Use This Build If:
- If you are facing heroes that have low armor and are considered to be squishy
- If you want a self-sustainable build that helps you deal damage while also making you tanky at the same time
- If you are facing highly mobile or slippery heroes
- If you want a skill and item build which allows you to skirmish right from the early game
Skill Points
Level 1: Storm Hammer - This allows Sven to stun and damage the target unit along with its nearby units. It is an exceptional spell that provides Sven with the much-needed lockdown for kills.
Level 2: Storm Hammer
Level 3: Great Cleave - Allows Sven to deal AoE cleave damage upon physical attacks. This is the pivotal reason behind Sven’s immaculate and lighting fast farming capabilities. Most carry players opt to max this spell as soon as they can as it provides them with increased damage.
Level 4: Warcry - Increases the movement speed and armor for Sven and his nearby allies. This helps them stay durable in a fight and also allows them to escape a sticky fight.
Level 5: Great Cleave
Level 6: God’s Strength - Upon usage, it allows Sven to deal bonus damage for a significant duration. The damage increases with each point put in God’s Strength. A synergy of all these spells allows Sven to dominate a teamfight, sometimes without any assistance from his team.
Level 7: Great Cleave
Level 8: Great Cleave
Level 9: Warcry
Level 10: +15 Attack Speed
Level 11: Warcry
Level 12: God’s Strength
Level 13: Storm Hammer
Level 14: Warcry
Level 15: -15s God’s Strength Cooldown
Level 16: Storm Hammer
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: God’s Strength
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: +10 Warcry Armor
Level 25: +50% God’s Strength Damage
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- Tango (90 Gold) - Provides health regen if used on a tree. It's the cheapest yet the most convenient way of healing up in the early stages of the game when you are playing in the side lanes. Regardless of the hero you play, Tangoes are a core item.
- Quelling Blade (100 Gold) - Increases the physical attack damage on non-hero units, and can also be used to cut trees. It is a must-have item on melee carry heroes.
- Iron Branch (50 Gold) - Grants +1 of all attributes per branch. It provides decent sustain in the early game. The branch can be also planted in order to block paths for enemies or to deceive them under the fog.
- 2x Enchanted Mango (65 Gold) - Grants passive +0.6 health regeneration if not consumed. Upon consumption, it refills 100 mana instantly. Sven lacks in the mana department and having a mango or two in handy can perhaps help him net kills in the early game.
- Magic Stick (200 Gold) - Gains a charge each time an enemy uses a spell around you. Each charge grants 15 HP and mana and can have up to 10 charges. It is a perfect item in the laning stage if you are facing heroes that cast spells frequently.
- Phase Boots (1500 Gold) - Bought at 3 minutes. It offers high movement speed along with increased armor as well as physical damage. The item also allows Sven to phase through enemies when activated, making it easy to escape or initiate fights without getting his body blocked.
- Magic Wand (450 Gold) - Bought at 6 minutes. Gains a charge every time an enemy uses a spell in an AoE. It can store up to 20 charges, with each charge healing you up to 15 HP and mana. It is an ideal starting item as it allows Sven to sustain himself in the lane if he is facing spellcasting heroes.
- Mask of Madness (1775 Gold) - Purchased at 7 minutes. Grants 110 attack speed and 30 movement speed while silencing and reducing armor by 8. It can be an ideal item if combined with God’s Strength. It can further be upgraded into Satanic by disassembling it.
- Echo Sabre (2500 Gold) - Bought at 10 minutes. Provides increased damage, strength, attack speed, mana regen, and intelligence to Sven. Its passive allows him to do physical attacks twice in a succession. The attacks apply 100% movement slow for a brief duration. Sven benefits heavily from such early-game stats. Echo Sabre can also be disassembled into Black King Bar later on in the game.
- Black King Bar (4050 Gold) - Purchased at 15 minutes. Provides magic immunity upon usage, making Sven invulnerable during team fights. It is essential in most matchups as he has low magical resistance even in the late game.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 17 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Sven, as it allows him to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies with it. It can also be upgraded into Overwhelming or Swift Blink. This allows him to the frontline and initiates a fight.
- Battlefury (4100 Gold) - Purchased at 21 minutes. It allows melee heroes like Sveb to deal 70% of their damage as cleave damage. It is an unusual item on Sven but the prominent focus of this build is to split push and farm quickly as a carry, which pays off in the late game, Battlefury is quite essential as it is the gateway to acquiring other items quickly.
- Satanic - (5050 Gold) Bought at around 24 minutes. Can lifesteal on physical attacks upon activation, and also provides basic dispel from the latter. Great to sustain in the ultra-late game as you can be surrounded by multiple enemies at once.
- Overwhelming Blink (6800 Gold) - Purchased at 30 minutes. Increases Sven’s strength and deals damage in an AoE that deals attack and movement speed slow to enemies, while also making them take 150% of his strength as damage.
- Bloodthorn (6800 Gold) - Bought at 34 minutes. It silences the targeted enemy for 5 seconds, making them take 30% of the total damage dealt during the silence. The attacks will also have True Sight, and deal critical damage under its duration. Sven prefers this item as it provides him with much-needed disables in the early game
- Moon Shard - (4000 Gold) - Purchased at 37 minutes. It grants 140 Attack Speed and 200 Bonus Night Vision. Upon consumption, the bonuses are halved. Sven benefits greatly from increased attack speed bonuses as he lacks majorly in that department.
- Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 37 minutes. Makes Warcry undispellable while also granting armor to allies in an AoE. It's a team item that ensures that Sven’s allies do not lack durability in the late game.
Neutral Items
- Pig Pole - Provides +6 of all attributes. Its active turns Sven into a pig, making him unable to use spells or items but increasing his movement speed, which can allow him to escape certain sticky situations.
- Specialist’s Array - Increases Sven’s attributes while also providing her with increased attack damage. Specialist’s Array is helpful to make Sven an essential team fighter.
- Titan Sliver - Increases Sven’s base attack damage by 20%, it also increases his magic resistance by 16% and buffs up his status resistance by 12%. These stats allow Sven to be highly durable and resilient in a teamfight.
- Havoc Hammer - Provides Sven with increased 12 Strength and attack damage. Its active allows Sven to knock back enemies around him while slowing them and dealing damage to them based on his strength.
2. Yatoro Build
The pride of CIS and the most prominent name in the current dota scene is none other than young superstar Yatoro. He is regarded as one of the best carry players due to his insane map awareness and impeccable mechanical skills. This is due to his immense understanding of the game. His Sven has been highly lauded due to his excellent spell-casting and item builds. As the vicious greevil, he focuses on shoving his enemy out of the lane and capitalizing on that by farming neutrals and taking all the runes, ensuring he hits his item timings earlier than his opponents. Yatoro loves going with a typical fight-oriented build which helps him dominate the mid-game.
The dashing and evolving Yatoro changes his build according to the heroes he is against, constantly shuffling between items like Linken’s Sphere and Swift Blink. Yatoro is quite an aggressive and dominant player, and Sven for sure suits his playing style. You can see his highly dominating playstyle right off the bat, the way he shoves enemies out of the lane with his massive physical damage. He is an extremely aggressive laner, often diving towers to get kills, which he can do quite effortlessly with AM. You may learn a few tricks if you follow Yatoro’s build thoroughly.
Use This Build If:
- You want an extremely reliable carry build for the late game
- You want to deal physical damage as a Sven
- You want to be mobile or are facing slippery mobile heroes
- You want to be involved in more skirmishes from the early game
Skill Points
Level 1: Storm Hammer - This allows Sven to stun and damage the target unit along with its nearby units. It is an exceptional spell that provides Sven with the much-needed lockdown for kills.
Level 2: Great Cleave - Allows Sven to deal AoE cleave damage upon physical attacks. This is the pivotal reason behind Sven’s immaculate and lighting fast farming capabilities. Most carry players opt to max this spell as soon as they can as it provides them with increased damage.
Level 3: Storm Hammer
Level 4: Great Cleave
Level 5: Great Cleave
Level 6: God’s Strength - Upon usage, it allows Sven to deal bonus damage for a significant duration. The damage increases with each point put in God’s Strength. A synergy of all these spells allows Sven to dominate a teamfight, sometimes without any assistance from his team.
Level 7: Great Cleave
Level 8: Warcry - Increases the movement speed and armor for Sven and his nearby allies. This helps them stay durable in a fight and also allows them to escape a sticky fight.
Level 9: Storm Hammer
Level 10: +15 Attack Speed
Level 11: Storm Hammer
Level 12: God’s Strength
Level 13: Warcry
Level 14: Warcry
Level 15: -15s God’s Strength Cooldown
Level 16: Warcry
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: God’s Strength
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: +10 Warcry Armor
Level 25: +1.25s Storm Hammer Stun Duration
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- Quelling Blade (100 Gold) - Increases the physical attack damage on non-hero units, and can also be used to cut trees. It is a must-have item on melee carry heroes.
- 2x Iron Branch (50 Gold) - Grants +1 of all attributes per branch. It provides decent sustain in the early game. The branch can be also planted in order to block paths for enemies or to deceive them under the fog.
- 3x Enchanted Mango (65 Gold) - Grants passive +0.6 health regeneration if not consumed. Upon consumption, it refills 100 mana instantly. Sven lacks in the mana department and having a mango or two in handy can perhaps help him net kills in the early game.
- Magic Stick (200 Gold) - Gains a charge each time an enemy uses a spell around you. Each charge grants 15 HP and mana and can have up to 10 charges. It is a perfect item in the laning stage if you are facing heroes that cast spells frequently.
- Wraith Band (505 Gold) - Bought at 1 minute. Provides increased attributes, armor, and attack speed. The bonuses are doubled after 25 minutes. Although not a staple item on Sven, it is built here for the increased durability and farming potential that it offers in this matchup.
- Power Treads (1400 Gold) - Bought at 4 minutes. It provides 45 movement speed and 25 attack speed along with toggleable attributes, which offer everything from increased mana pool to armor and even strength, helping Sven stay durable and sufficient in all game stages.
- Mask of Madness (1775 Gold) - Purchased at 7 minutes. Grants 110 attack speed and 30 movement speed while silencing and reducing armor by 8. It can be an ideal item if combined with God’s Strength.
- Echo Sabre (2500 Gold) - Bought at 11 minutes. Provides increased damage, strength, attack speed, mana regen, and intelligence to Sven. Its passive allows him to do physical attacks twice in a succession. The attacks apply 100% movement slow for a brief duration. Sven benefits heavily from such early-game stats.
- Magic Wand (450 Gold) - Bought at 15 minutes. Gains a charge every time an enemy uses a spell in an AoE. It can store up to 20 charges, with each charge healing you up to 15 HP and mana. It is an ideal starting item as it allows Sven to sustain himself in the lane if he is facing spellcasting heroes.
- Black King Bar (4050 Gold) - Purchased at 16 minutes. Provides magic immunity upon usage, making Sven invulnerable during team fights. It is essential in most matchups as he has low magical resistance even in the late game.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 20 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Sven, as it allows him to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies with it. It can also be upgraded into Overwhelming or Swift Blink. This allows him to the frontline and initiates a fight.
- Crystalys - (1950 Gold) Bought at 22 minutes. It grants each attack a 30% chance to deal 160% critical damage. The damage can be extremely useful in the early game to fend off enemies and neutralize them.
- Silver Edge (5450 Gold) - Purchased at 25 minutes. Shadow Blade can further be upgraded into Silver Edge which offers the same benefits as its predecessor while also dealing a guaranteed 160% critical strike and disabling enemy passive for 4 seconds. If you are facing enemies with multiple powerful passive spells, then Silver Edge is the right item for you.
- Satanic - (5050 Gold) Bought at around 31 minutes. Can lifesteal on physical attacks upon activation, and also provides basic dispel from the latter. Great to sustain in the ultra-late game as you can be surrounded by multiple enemies at once.
- Linken’s Sphere (4600 Gold) - Purchased at 34 minutes. Blocks one single targeted spell every 14 seconds, and also provides increased stats and mana regen for Sven. This build has enough offensive items and having a balance of offensive and defensive items can be extremely useful in the late game, helping him stay alive in the high-pressure teamfights.
- Swift Blink (6800 Gold) - Purchased 36 minutes into the game. Swift Blink allows Sven to gain 40% phased movement speed and +35 agility for 6 seconds. This makes Sven highly mobile, and also allows him to deal more damage which is suitable with the above build.
Neutral Items
- Possessed Mask - It provides +7 of the primary attribute to Sven while also providing him with lifesteal. It is an exceptional item in the early game for a carry hero.
- Dagger of Ritsul - Consumes 100 HP to gain 40 damage for 8 seconds. As Sven has decent HP in the middle game, he can afford to sacrifice the 100 HP for a significant amount of damage in a teamfight.
- Ring of Aquila - Grants 1.25 mana regen and 2 armor to nearby allies and allied units. This is an exceptional teamfight item for Sven.
- Titan Sliver - Increases Sven’s base attack damage by 20%, it also increases his magic resistance by 16% and buffs up his status resistance by 12%. These stats allow Sven to be highly durable and resilient in a teamfight.
1. Ana Build
Ana is a dynamic superstar, his fresh builds on off-meta heroes are quite impressive, to say the least. Ana playing Sven is a rare sight but his immaculate map awareness and ungodly mechanical skills make him the cream of the crop. After all, he has achieved every feat this game has to offer. His extremely versatile hero pool also includes Sven, whom he seems to be dominating games within the current meta. Ana has that straightforward approach with the orthodox skill built on this hero. Sven isn’t a hero you see often, but Ana has a few tricks up his sleeve which makes it easy for him to dominate the game.
Ana is known to have an aggressive playstyle on Sven, he is often known to build items that are extremely orthodox but win him the games. Ana loves buying items that provide him immense damage-dealing potential and resistance, such as Daedalus, Black King Bar, Blink Dagger, and much more. These items allow him to have an edge over his opponents. Though this build may appear to be like a normal Sven build, built by players all around the world, there is something different in Ana’s playstyle which makes him stand out.
Use This Build If:
- Your enemies have low armor or are generally squishy
- You want to fight right from the get-go as a carry Sven
- You want to be involved in more teamfights as soon as you can
Skill Points
Level 1: Storm Hammer - This allows Sven to stun and damage the target unit along with its nearby units. It is an exceptional spell that provides Sven with the much-needed lockdown for kills.
Level 2: Warcry - Increases the movement speed and armor for Sven and his nearby allies. This helps them stay durable in a fight and also allows them to escape a sticky fight.
Level 3: Storm Hammer
Level 4: Great Cleave - Allows Sven to deal AoE cleave damage upon physical attacks. This is the pivotal reason behind Sven’s immaculate and lighting fast farming capabilities. Most carry players opt to max this spell as soon as they can as it provides them with increased damage.
Level 5: Great Cleave
Level 6: God’s Strength - Upon usage, it allows Sven to deal bonus damage for a significant duration. The damage increases with each point put in God’s Strength. A synergy of all these spells allows Sven to dominate a teamfight, sometimes without any assistance from his team.
Level 7: Great Cleave
Level 8: Great Cleave
Level 9: Warcry
Level 10: +15 Attack Speed
Level 11: Warcry
Level 12: God’s Strength
Level 13: Warcry
Level 14: Storm Hammer
Level 15: -15s God’s Strength Cooldown
Level 16: Storm Hammer
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: God’s Strength
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: +8% Warcry Movement Speed
Level 25: +50% God’s Strength Damage
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- Blades of Attack (450 Gold) - Grants 9 physical damage. It is an unusual starting item to purchase, but it is exceptional if you want to quickly build Phase Boots or fight from the get-go.
- Quelling Blade (100 Gold) - Increases the physical attack damage on non-hero units, and can also be used to cut trees. It is a must-have item on melee carry heroes.
- 2x Iron Branch (50 Gold) - Grants +1 of all attributes. It provides decent sustain in the early game. The branch can be also planted in order to block paths for enemies or to deceive them under the fog.
- Tango (90 Gold) - Purchased at 0:07. Provides health regen if used on a tree (has 3 charges). It's the cheapest yet the most convenient way of healing up in the early stages of the game when you are playing in the side lanes. Regardless of the hero you play, Tangoes are a core item.
- 2x Enchanted Mango (65 Gold) - Grants passive +0.6 health regeneration per mango if not consumed. Upon consumption, it refills 100 mana instantly. Sven lacks in the mana department and having a mango or two in handy can perhaps help him net kills in the early game.
- Boots of Speed (500 Gold) - Purchased at 1 minute. Provides +45 movement speed to Sven. It is ideal for all heroes as you can further purchase upgraded boots with it.
- Phase Boots (1500 Gold) - Bought at 3 minutes. It offers high movement speed along with increased armor as well as physical damage. The item also allows Sven to phase through enemies when activated, making it easy to escape or initiate fights without getting his body blocked.
- Magic Wand (450 Gold) - Purchased at 4 minutes. Gains a charge every time an enemy uses a spell in an AoE. It can store up to 20 charges, with each charge healing you up to 15 HP and mana. It is an ideal starting item as it allows Sven to sustain himself in the lane if he is facing spellcasting heroes.
- Mask of Madness (1775 Gold) - Purchased at 10 minutes. Grants 110 attack speed and 30 movement speed while silencing and reducing armor by 8. It can be an ideal item if combined with God’s Strength.
- Echo Sabre (2500 Gold) - Bought at 14 minutes. Provides increased damage, strength, attack speed, mana regen, and intelligence to Sven. Its passive allows him to do physical attacks twice in a succession. The attacks apply 100% movement slow for a brief duration. Sven benefits heavily from such early-game stats.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 16 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Sven, as it allows him to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies with it. It can also be upgraded into Overwhelming or Swift Blink. This allows him to the frontline and initiates a fight.
- Black King Bar (4050 Gold) - Purchased at 21 minutes. Provides magic immunity upon usage, making Sven invulnerable during team fights. It is essential in most matchups as he has low magical resistance even in the late game.
- Crystalys - (1950 Gold) Bought at 23 minutes. It grants each attack a 30% chance to deal 160% critical damage. The damage can be extremely useful in the early game to fend off enemies and neutralize them.
- Daedalus - (5150 Gold) Purchased at 26 minutes. Daedalus allows Sven to deal critical damage. This high damage allows her to be a devastating hard hitter, as she can also solo kill and does not always need follow-up from her team due to the items she has built earlier.
- Swift Blink (6800 Gold) - Purchased 32 minutes into the game. Swift Blink allows Sven to gain 40% phased movement speed and +35 agility for 6 seconds. This makes Sven highly mobile, and also allows him to deal more damage which is suitable with the above build.
- Bloodthorn (6800 Gold) - Bought at 36 minutes. It silences the targeted enemy for 5 seconds, making them take 30% of the total damage dealt during the silence. The attacks will also have True Sight, and deal critical damage under its duration. Sven prefers this item as it provides him with much-needed disables in the early game.
- Satanic (5050 Gold) - Bought at around 43 minutes. Can lifesteal on physical attacks upon activation, and also provides basic dispel from the latter. Great to sustain in the ultra-late game as you can be surrounded by multiple enemies at once.
Neutral Items
- Fairy’s Trinket - Increases Sven’s health by 75, while increasing spell amplification and reduces mana loss by 5% Though it is an effective item on spellcaster heroes, Sven can benefit from it in the early game if he is constantly fighting from the get-go.
- Possessed Mask - It provides +7 of the primary attribute to Sven while also providing him with lifesteal. It is an exceptional item in the early game for a carry hero.
- Ring of Aquila - Grants 1.25 mana regen and 2 armor to nearby allies and allied units. This is an exceptional teamfight item for Sven.
- Titan Sliver - Increases Sven’s base attack damage by 20%, it also increases his magic resistance by 16% and buffs up his status resistance by 12%. These stats allow Sven to be highly durable and resilient in a teamfight.
You may also like:
- [Top 10] Dota 2 Best Carry Heroes That Wreck Hard!
- Top 10 Best Mid Heroes of Dota 2
- Top 10 Best Support Heroes of Dota 2
- In-game Best Settings for an Advantage in Dota 2
- Top 10 Best Offlane Heroes in Dota 2
- [Top 10] Dota 2 Best Agility Heroes That Wreck Hard!
- [Top 10] Dota 2 Best Junglers That Wreck Hard!
- [Top 10] Dota 2 Best Aghanim Upgrades That Are OP
