DOTALEDGERPatch7.41e
Axe
StrengthMeleeInitiatorDurableDisablerCarry

Axe

As a grunt in the Army of Red Mist, Mogul Khan set his sights on the rank of Red Mist General. In battle after battle he proved his worth through gory deed. His rise through the ranks was helped by the fact that he never hesitated to decapitate a superior. Through the seven year Campaign of the Thousand Tarns, he distinguished himself in glorious carnage, his star of fame shining ever brighter, while the number of comrades in arms steadily dwindled. On the night of ultimate victory, Axe declared himself the new Red Mist General, and took on the ultimate title of 'Axe.' But his troops now numbered zero. Of course, many had died in battle, but a significant number had also fallen to Axe's blade. Needless to say, most soldiers now shun his leadership. But this matters not a whit to Axe, who knows that a one-man army is by far the best.

Hero lore

As a grunt in the Army of Red Mist, Mogul Khan set his sights on the rank of Red Mist General. In battle after battle he proved his worth through gory deed. His rise through the ranks was helped by the fact that he never hesitated to decapitate a superior. Through the seven year Campaign of the Thousand Tarns, he distinguished himself in glorious carnage, his star of fame shining ever brighter, while the number of comrades in arms steadily dwindled. On the night of ultimate victory, Axe declared himself the new Red Mist General, and took on the ultimate title of 'Axe.' But his troops now numbered zero. Of course, many had died in battle, but a significant number had also fallen to Axe's blade. Needless to say, most soldiers now shun his leadership. But this matters not a whit to Axe, who knows that a one-man army is by far the best.

STR25+2.7
AGI18+1.7
INT18+1.6
315
move speed
150
attack range
31–35
base damage
1800 / 800
day / night vision

Compact stat and ability fields shown here were checked against patch 7.41e where this model represents the changed field. Talents and full mechanics remain in the official notes.

Axe abilities

Berserker's Call icon
Berserker's Call

Axe taunts nearby enemy units, forcing them to attack him while he gains bonus armor during the duration.

CD18/16/14/12MP90/100/110/120BKB ✓
No Target
Battle Hunger icon
Battle HungerPure

Enrages an enemy unit, causing it to take damage over time until it kills another unit or the duration ends. The enemy is slowed as long as they are facing away from Axe.

CD20/15/10/5MP50/60/70/80
Unit Target
Counter Helix icon
Counter HelixPure

After a set number of attacks, Axe will perform a helix counter attack, dealing pure damage to all nearby enemies.

CD0.3BKB ✓
Passive
Culling Blade icon
Culling BladePure

Axe spots a weakness and strikes, dealing pure damage. When an enemy hero is killed with Culling Blade, its cooldown is reset, and all nearby allied units gain bonus movement speed and armor. Axe permanently drenches his blade every time he kills an enemy Her…

CD80/75/70MP100/125/150BKB ✓
Unit Target
One Man Army icon
One Man Army

Axe gains Strength based on 50% of his Armor as long as there are no allied heroes within 700 distance from Axe. The effect fades over 3s after approaching an ally.

Passive, Hidden

OpenDota professional-match aggregate as of Jul 21, 2026, 9:50 PM UTC. Popularity rows are independent phase totals, not a coherent build, sequence, or win-rate advice.

The professional-match item popularity snapshot is delayed; the latest saved aggregate is shown.

Starting

6 items
  1. 1Iron BranchIron Branch161 selections · 29.5%
  2. 2Gauntlets of StrengthGauntlets of Strength134 selections · 24.6%
  3. 3Ring of ProtectionRing of Protection68 selections · 12.5%
  4. 4TangoTango64 selections · 11.7%
  5. 5Magic StickMagic Stick27 selections · 5%
  6. 6Faerie FireFaerie Fire26 selections · 4.8%

Early

6 items
  1. 1Boots of SpeedBoots of Speed100 selections · 22.4%
  2. 2ChainmailChainmail90 selections · 20.2%
  3. 3Phase BootsPhase Boots83 selections · 18.6%
  4. 4SplintmailSplintmail53 selections · 11.9%
  5. 5BracerBracer42 selections · 9.4%
  6. 6BroadswordBroadsword22 selections · 4.9%

Mid

6 items
  1. 1Blink DaggerBlink Dagger97 selections · 20.1%
  2. 2Ogre AxeOgre Axe71 selections · 14.7%
  3. 3Blade MailBlade Mail69 selections · 14.3%
  4. 4BroadswordBroadsword56 selections · 11.6%
  5. 5Mithril HammerMithril Hammer48 selections · 10%
  6. 6Aghanim's ShardAghanim's Shard38 selections · 7.9%

Late

6 items
  1. 1Black King BarBlack King Bar42 selections · 19.4%
  2. 2Shiva's GuardShiva's Guard17 selections · 7.8%
  3. 3Soul BoosterSoul Booster13 selections · 6%
  4. 4Lotus OrbLotus Orb13 selections · 6%
  5. 5ReaverReaver12 selections · 5.5%
  6. 6Octarine CoreOctarine Core10 selections · 4.6%

More heroes to explore

All heroes →

Axe — frequently asked

What are Axe's abilities in Dota 2?

Axe's abilities are Berserker's Call, Battle Hunger, Counter Helix, Culling Blade, One Man Army. It is a Strength melee hero played as Initiator, Durable, Disabler.

What is Axe's primary attribute?

Axe is a Strength hero, starting with 25 strength (+2.7/lvl), 18 agility (+1.7/lvl) and 18 intelligence (+1.6/lvl), and a base move speed of 315.

What do the popular Axe item phases mean?

The saved OpenDota aggregate is dated 2026-07-22. The phase lists summarize professional-match item popularity; they are not one coherent build, a recommended sequence, or win-rate advice.