Shiv vs Venator

Do

• Plan for Majestic Leap Majestic Leap 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +45s Cooldown +5s Interrupt Cooldown +100% Air Control +50% Air Control +32% Move Speed +2.5s Slow Duration +8s Barrier Duration — know which tier it sits in so you are not improvising at the shop.
• Know what Hex-Lined Snap Trap looks like. It is the cooldown this lane revolves around.

Avoid

• Walking to lane on the same path every wave against a hero with Venator's engage range.

Do

• Below-average movement speed (6.4 m/s) means he cannot dodge-dance in lane or rotate away from a gank the way Vindicta or Yamato can
• No self-heal or barrier at all, so once an enemy anti-heals him back he has no answer
• Serrated Knives Serrated Knives 16s Cooldown Shiv throws a knife that damages and bleeds the target. Crowd Control Applies a movement slow with the bleed; Damage 32 impact damage plus 10 bleed DPS per knife stack over a 5s debuff; 1 1 AP: +2s debuff duration 2 2 AP: +2 charges (four knives available for a full stack dump) 5 5 AP: +7 bleed DPS per stack, and +0.01 spirit scaling on the full-Rage impact damage give him free chip at range with 2 charges on a 16s cooldown, which wins the health-bar war without him ever entering shotgun range

Avoid

• Consecrating Grenade denies the enemy laner's Healing Rite and regen trades in a fixed 1v1 lane where the 4.5m burn is hard to fully avoid
• Hex-Lined Snap Trap placed behind the enemy's own guardian or on their retreat path punishes any greedy last-hit push

Do

• Their first real spike is laning 0-10min — respect it from that point, not before.
• Your spike is ult unlock: Killing Blow makes every low-health enemy within 12m a guaranteed kill and turns on the Rage passive that upgrades all three basic abilities

Avoid

• Taking an even fight against Venator on their spike timing when you could take the same fight ten minutes later on yours.

Do

• Watch for Gutshot Gutshot 10m Range23s Cooldown A point-blank shotgun burst within about 10m that shoves everyone hit backwards. Crowd Control knockback on everyone hit; Damage 60 base (about 0.7x weapon scaling) plus 30 bonus (about 0.8x scaling) when… Mobility none for Venator himself 1 +25 damage 2 -10s cooldown (23s base) and +0.4s stun duration 5 after a wall stun, Venator's next heavy melee becomes blessed . Fight Venator away from walls and railings — in open ground Gutshot is a 10m nudge with no Stun attached
• Bait the trap with a minion wave, a summon or a zipline arrival before you walk any choke he has been defending

Avoid

• Spending your own escape before Hex-Lined Snap Trap is on cooldown.

• Gutshot Ability 2

  Being moved is the damage here, because of what follows it: knockback on everyone hit; 0.6s Stun on targets driven into a wall (T2 adds +0.4s, so up to 1.0s).

  • Fight Venator away from walls and railings — in open ground Gutshot is a 10m nudge with no Stun attached
  • Divers with Unstoppable Unstoppable 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorInstantCast +60s Cooldown +5.5s Duration +125 Bonus Health +25% Debuff Resist Builds from Debuff Reducer (Abrams' Siege, Yamato's Shadow Transformation Shadow Transformation 5s Duration160s Cooldown Yamato transforms with an initial invincible window, refreshes her ability cooldowns, and for the duration casts them much faster while immune to negative status effects and heavily… Damage No direct damage; the power is in refreshed abilities cast 60% faster Mobility T2 adds +4 m/s move speed during the transformation, on top of her already… Defensive Initial invincibility during the 1.5s transformation channel, immunity to… 1 +7 weapon damage 2 +4 m/s move speed and -30s cooldown (160s base) 5 +3s duration (5s base up to 8s) and +30% bullet resist and +30% spirit resist status immunity) walk through the shove and the Stun
  • Do not back yourself into a corner while pressuring him; the shove has no value if there is nothing behind you
• Hex-Lined Snap Trap Ability 3

  A second source of hard control: 1.25s immobilize (T2 pushes it to 2.25s).

  • Push a minion wave, a Seven stormcloud drone, an Ivy ally or any summon down a choke first — the trap springs on the first thing through
  • Vary your rotation path; traps cover fixed geometry, so take the zipline or the roof instead of the same Haunt Haunts Neutral camps Lanes and Districts across the map Haunts replace the old neutral camps. They are not a reskin: each type behaves differently, and the health bar now shows a camp's soul value and how hard it is, so you can decide whether a camp is worth your time before you start shooting. Three eye colours mark the tier — teal for tier I, yellow for tier II, red for tier III. Souls 41/68/181 souls tier I / II / III a creep +0.44 / +0.73 / +1.95 a minute -camp door twice
  • On Graves, shoot the trap: since the 09-29-2026 patch her gun destroys it outright
• Ira Domini Ira Domini 15s Duration160s Cooldown For a limited window Venator loads three heavy stakes instead of normal bolts. Damage 120 per stake (about 1.5x weapon scaling); Mobility T1 grants +1.2 m/s move speed while active 1 +1.2 m/s move speed while Ira Domini is active 2 -15s cooldown (160s base) and +65 bonus damage 5 all three stakes become blessed Ultimate

  His kill-confirm. After a Root, a wall Stun or an anti-heal burn he loads up and converts, and the blessed final stake takes a target that thinks it has escaped at low HP.

  • Ira Domini is a loud, visible transformation — the moment you see him load stakes, break line of sight for the 15s window instead of trading
  • Bullet Resist items (Enduring Speed Enduring Speed 1,600 souls Tier 2ArmorPassive +25% Slow Resist +2 Out of Combat Regen Builds from Sprint Boots line, Metal Skin Metal Skin 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +24s Cooldown +5s Duration +12% Bullet Resist -20% Dash Distance +20% Gravity Scale , Bullet Armor) cut the 120-per-stake body damage, though not the blessed pure-damage portion
  • At low HP, the 8% execute means a Restorative Shot or Colossus Colossus 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorInstantCast +37s Cooldown +7s Duration +25% Base Health +15% Weapon Damage +35% Bullet Resist +35% Spirit Resist +24% Move Speed -22% Dash Distance +20% Model Scale +30% Melee Damage Builds from Extra Health that puts you over the threshold is worth more than a damage item

1. 1 Hex-Lined Snap Trap

   Hex-Lined Snap Trap first — it is his only reliable hard lock and it has 2 charges on an 8s recharge, so trip both with a wave before rotating

2. 2 Gutshot

   Gutshot second — it is his self-peel; once it is on a 13-23s cooldown a melee diver can sit on him with impunity

3. 3 Consecrating Grenade

   Consecrating Grenade third — force it out on a frontliner so your support can heal freely for the next 20-25s

• Zero sustain, zero barrier and no escape ability — the entire kit is offense and control Strong evidence
• 6.4 m/s base speed makes him the slowest of this group and an easy gank target Strong evidence
• Gutshot's Stun is conditional on terrain, so his Hard CC evaporates in open-field fights Strong evidence

• Consecrating Grenade applies 30-50% healing reduction before his team commits, so your Restorative Shot, Healing Rite and Lifesteal all stop mattering for 3.5-4.5 seconds Strong evidence
• Hex-Lined Snap Trap sitting invisible-until-triggered on your flank route roots you for 1.25-2.25s and reveals you for 6s Strong evidence
• Gutshot into a wall is a 0.6-1.0s Stun plus 90 damage, and in corridors or around the Patron that is a free chain into his whole kit Strong evidence
• Ira Domini stakes hit for 120 each with a blessed stake adding 95 pure damage and executing anyone under 8% max health — running away at low HP does not work Strong evidence
• Since the 09-16-2026 patch his stakes Ricochet Ricochet 6,400 souls Tier 4WeaponPassive +65% Ricochet Damage +18% Fire Rate and split, so standing in a line behind a focused ally now shares the ultimate damage across your team Strong evidence

• Bait the trap with a minion wave, a summon or a zipline arrival before you walk any choke he has been defending Strong evidence
• Fight him in open ground — away from walls, Gutshot is only a knockback and he has no Hard CC left Strong evidence
• Punish his 6.4 m/s speed: he cannot disengage, so gap-closers (Yamato's Flying Slash Flying Slash 23m Range36s Cooldown Throws a grappling hook at an enemy and pulls herself to them, landing a light melee hit and leaving them significantly slowed on arrival. Crowd Control -40% movement slow for 2.5s on the target Damage 66 melee damage Mobility Pulls her to the target from 23m base (T3 adds +8m, up to 31m) 1 -18s cooldown (36s base down to 18s) 2 gain +35 Spirit Power for 6s 5 alt-cast to grapple allies, +8m cast range, and +1 charge , Abrams' Shoulder Charge Shoulder Charge 1.4s Duration33s Cooldown Abrams barrels forward, scooping up any hero he contacts and carrying them along. Crowd Control Stun on wall impact only. Damage 30 base impact damage (deadlock.one). Mobility Forward charge with a speed bonus after connecting with a hero. 1 applies a 32% move-speed slow for 3s, giving the ability value even when no wall is… 2 +0.8s wall-slam stun duration 5 roughly -18s cooldown and +1.5 weapon damage for 6s after hitting a hero , Wraith's Project Mind Project Mind 25m Range50s Cooldown After a brief channel, Wraith teleports to a chosen location at range. Mobility Teleport up to 25m (T1 adds +15m, so up to 40m) after a 1s interruptible… Defensive T2 grants a 300 barrier for 5s on arrival, scaling with Spirit Power 1 +15m cast range (25m base up to 40m) 2 300 barrier for 5s on arrival, scaling with Spirit Power 5 -32s cooldown (50s base down to 18s) ) reach him and he cannot leave Strong evidence
• Delay big heals until his grenade burn expires rather than healing into 30-50% reduction Strong evidence
• Bullet-resist items blunt his weapon-scaling kit far more than Spirit Resist does, since Consecrating Grenade, Gutshot and Ira Domini all scale off weapon damage Strong evidence

• The moment Gutshot and both Snap Trap charges are on cooldown, he has no CC and no escape — that is the all-in window Strong evidence
• During the 2.8s weapon reload (33-round magazine at nearly 8 shots/sec empties fast) Strong evidence
• The arming delay on a freshly kicked trap: the trap does nothing for that brief period, so pushing through immediately after you watch him kick it is safe Strong evidence
• After all three Ira Domini stakes are spent, his damage collapses back to a 63.5 DPS bolt gun for the next ~145 seconds Strong evidence
• Any moment he is in open ground away from walls: his Hard CC is trap-only and traps must be pre-placed Strong evidence
• Being stunned by Venator now pauses your reload rather than restarting it, as of 09-16-2026. That quietly changes when it is safe to reload in this matchup: a reload caught by their Stun resumes where it left off instead of costing you the whole cycle, so the old rule of never reloading inside their engagement range is too conservative now. The compensating change is that parrying also pauses your reload, so a defensive parry no longer buys you free reload time. Documented

• You get value from moving around the map and Venator does not, but the 09-16-2026 patch made that harder to convert early: tunnel breakables Crates Breakable Streets, rooftops and tunnels — about 500 of them Ordinary breakables. Each has a 60% chance to drop souls; a Tough Crate always drops, for double. Souls 23 souls a crate, 60% of the time +2 a minute now spawn and respawn on 5 minutes rather than 3. The off-lane income that used to make a rotation pay for itself is roughly 40% less frequent, so before 6:00 a rotation has to be justified by pressure on Venator or on the Guardian, not by the breakables you pick up on the way. Documented

• Venator decides where you stand, not you. The practical rule is to never hold a position whose failure case is being moved — stand so that being yanked or knocked puts you somewhere survivable rather than inside their whole team. Cover at your back is worth more than cover in front. Strong evidence
• Venator wins by choosing where the fight happens. Take your position before the zoning goes down, not after — once the area is committed you are fighting on their terms, and walking in to contest it is exactly the mistake the kit is built to farm. Strategic

• Majestic Leap (vitality T3) — Venator's Hex-Lined Snap Trap — that is the zoning and area denial this answers. Buy to escape ground-based lockdown and to rotate across the map quickly. Documented
• Stamina Mastery Stamina Mastery 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorPassive +2 Stamina +18% Stamina Recovery +23% Air Jump/Dash Distance Builds from Extra Stamina (vitality T3) — Venator's Gutshot — that is the stuns and Hard CC this answers. Buy when dodging telegraphed abilities and disengaging is how you survive. Strong evidence
• Warp Stone Warp Stone 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +16s Cooldown +30% Bullet Resist +6s Buff Duration (vitality T3) — Venator's Gutshot is what you are buying against here. Buy when you are repeatedly getting caught and killed out of position, or to close a gap onto a fleeing target. Documented

• The instinct here is to buy Dispel Magic Dispel Magic 3,200 souls Tier 3ArmorInstantCast +45s Cooldown +10% Spirit Resist +3s Buff Duration +250 Heal Amount as your answer to Venator and then find it greyed out at the exact moment you need it. Dispel Magic cannot be cast while you are stunned or asleep, and it cannot remove a Stun at all — it purges what comes with the Stun, not the Stun itself. Against Venator the item you actually want is the pre-cast kind (Unstoppable, which also cannot be activated once you are already stunned) or the automatic kind (Indomitable Indomitable 6,400 souls Tier 4ArmorPassive +55s Cooldown +10s Duration +10% Bullet Resist +10% Spirit Resist +20s Cooldown On Apply +2 Out of Combat Regen Builds from Reactive Barrier , which cleanses the next Hard CC with no input from you). Documented
• The losing pattern against Venator is deciding to leave, walking to the zipline and finding you cannot attach. Any damage from an enemy hero or objective blocks zipline attachment for 3 seconds, and Venator has the chip range to keep that 3-second timer rolling indefinitely. Break line of sight first, wait out the lockout, then attach — do not walk to the rope while still taking fire. Documented
• Your instinct is to jump on Venator's backline the moment you see an opening, and the mistake is not checking what is above you. A Walker's Stomp is 350 damage + 15% of your max health inside 15m with a 2-second Stun on a 7-second cooldown — a 2-second Stun handed to a team with peel is a death. Dive under their Walker only with Unstoppable pre-cast or after the Stomp has just gone off. Strong evidence