Zone-control mage who burns targets to a delayed stun with Ablaze
MageMid LaneDeals magic
Valir is a zone-control mage who spams Burst Fireball and drops Searing Torrent's firewall to stack his passive Ablaze on anyone who lingers, detonating at three stacks for a burst of magic damage plus a one-second stun. Vengeance Flame wipes his own debuffs and empowers his next casts, letting him extend a fight or shut down a turret dive with amplified damage and a speed burst.
Difficulty
Moderate
Specialities
DamageGuard
Landing the Ablaze stun cleanly means sequencing Burst Fireball and Searing Torrent so all three stacks land on the same target before they walk out of the zone.
Beaten by
85 hard
Strong into
11
Best duos
9
Builds
3
At a glance
Damage
6 of 10
Durability
4 of 10
Crowd Control
5 of 10
Mobility
3 of 10
Utility
7 of 10
Rated against the whole roster, not against their own class.
When Valir is strong
Attributes
Damage
6
Durability
4
Crowd Control
5
Mobility
3
Utility
7
Strengths
Burst Fireball holds two charges and refunds one instantly on hitting an enemy hero, so he stacks Ablaze far faster than most mages
Searing Torrent zones a whole area, denying dives, chases and turret pushes for its duration
Ablaze's 3-stack detonation deals magic burst damage plus a guaranteed one-second stun
Vengeance Flame cleanses every debuff on himself and empowers his next four skill casts
Weaknesses
Needs three separate skill-hits on the same target to trigger the Ablaze stun, so it is not instant lockdown
No dash or blink — Searing Torrent's zone is his only spacing tool against divers closing the gap
Squishy like any mage; a single burst combo can kill him before Ablaze ever reaches 3 stacks
Searing Torrent's radius is short compared to true poke mages, forcing him to fight closer than he'd like
Skills
Max Burst Fireball first for the spam poke and fast Ablaze stacking, put points into Searing Torrent second for the zone damage, and take the ultimate at levels 4, 8 and 12.
Passive
Ashing
CCDamage
Valir's skills apply a stack of Ablaze to enemies hit, dealing them Magic Damage equal to 0.6% of their Max HP per second for 4s. At 3 stacks, the fire detonates, dealing Magic Damage euqal to 6% of the target's Max HP to the enemy and stunning them for 1s (the same target can only be stunned by Valir's skills once every 7s.)
Always active — no cooldown
What the terms mean(1)
Stun
Basic level Crowd Control: Prevents a target from moving, and using Basic Attacks and skills. Can interrupt some skills.
Skill 1
Burst Fireball
Magic DamageSlowPoke
Valir launches a fireball that explodes on the first target hit for Magic Damage and a brief slow, leaving a lingering flame on the ground that explodes again after about a second for further Magic Damage. Valir can hold up to 2 charges, recharging one roughly every 9 seconds; hitting an enemy hero or Legend Creep instantly restores a charge. While empowered by Vengeance Flame, Burst Fireball's cast range is increased by 30% and consumes one Vengeance Flame charge for 30% bonus base damage.
Cooldown
1.5s
Mana
50 → 90
Skill 2
Searing Torrent
Magic DamageKnockbackSlow
Valir unleashes a torrent of flame in the target direction, dealing Magic Damage to enemies hit and knocking them back to the end of its path while slowing them. A firewall forms at the end of the torrent's path for several seconds, continuing to damage and slow enemies who stand in it. While empowered by Vengeance Flame, Searing Torrent consumes one Vengeance Flame charge for 30% bonus base damage, and its firewall becomes stronger.
Cooldown
13s → 10s
Mana
80 → 110
Ultimate
Vengeance Flame
Remove CCBuff
Valir removes all debuffs on himself and conjures 4 Vengeance Flames that last 9s. Each of his subsequent skillls consumes 1 Vengeance Flam to deal 30% extra base damage. The effects of both Burst Fireball and Searing Torrent can be enhanced. Meanwhile, Valir gains 40% extra Movement Speed that decays over 3s.
Cooldown
36s
Mana
100 → 150
Signature combo
Burst Fireball → Burst Fireball → Searing Torrent to land all three Ablaze stacks for the detonation stun, then Vengeance Flame to empower a follow-up Burst Fireball and finish the target.
Valir builds
Core items in buy order, with the emblem, talents and battle spell that go with them.
Zone Control Mage
8,010g total
Default pick for mid lane, defending objectives and denying dives with Searing Torrent.
The 'Flicker combo' — blinking in right as a hook or stun lands, or blinking out the instant an enemy ultimate is cast — is the single most common high-elo outplay moment in the game.
Swap in when needed
Divine Glaive — Scaling penetration once the enemy stacks magic defense.
Winter Crown — Negates a burst combo aimed at him before Ablaze reaches 3 stacks.
Concentrated Energy — Hybrid Lifesteal and stacking Magic Power to keep trading through a long lane.
Valir Zone Control Mage build: Arcane Boots, then Lightning Truncheon, then Holy Crystal, then Ice Queen Wand.
Poke Burst Mage
7,970g total
Against a squishy backline you can chip down safely before committing to the stun.
Unlike Purify, Sprint does nothing against stuns or roots already applied — it only prevents future slows and outruns melee threats, so it's best on heroes who aren't the primary CC target.
Swap in when needed
Divine Glaive — Penetration once the enemy backline builds magic defense to counter him.
Ice Queen Wand — Stacking slow to stop dash-heavy assassins from reaching him.
Winter Crown — Survives the first burst window from an assassin diving onto him.
Valir Poke Burst Mage build: Arcane Boots, then Lightning Truncheon, then Genius Wand, then Holy Crystal.
Mana Sustain Mage
7,770g total
Long, grindy games where spamming Burst Fireball's charges drains his mana pool fast.
The 'Flicker combo' — blinking in right as a hook or stun lands, or blinking out the instant an enemy ultimate is cast — is the single most common high-elo outplay moment in the game.
Swap in when needed
Winter Crown — Cheats a burst kill attempt while he holds the line with Searing Torrent.
Athena's Shield — Blunts a short burst window from enemy magic damage in a quick trade.
Radiant Armor — Sustained magic damage reduction against a DPS-heavy magic team.
Valir Mana Sustain Mage build: Demon Shoes, then Concentrated Energy, then Clock of Destiny, then Holy Crystal.
Who counters Valir
The heroes that make this matchup hard, and the mechanic that does it.
Open with Burst Fireball to start Ablaze stacks, then drop Searing Torrent so its damage ticks land the 3rd hit and stun
2
Save Vengeance Flame to extend a skirmish rather than only for the cleanse — its empowered Burst Fireball and Searing Torrent hit far harder
3
Drop Searing Torrent over a jungle chokepoint or under your own turret to deny a dive before it starts
4
The same target can't be Ablaze-stunned again for 7 seconds, so don't waste a rotation expecting a second stun immediately
5
Use Vengeance Flame's movement speed burst to disengage right after your combo — he has no other escape tool
Valir — common questions
Is Valir good for beginners?
Yes, he's a fairly approachable mage — Burst Fireball's two charges make lane poke forgiving, though timing all three Ablaze stacks onto one target for the stun takes some practice.
What is the best build for Valir?
Lightning Truncheon into Holy Crystal and Ice Queen Wand covers cooldown, raw power, and anti-mobility slow; add Divine Glaive or Winter Crown depending on whether the enemy stacks magic defense or brings a burst assassin.
Which heroes counter Valir?
X.Borg, Helcurt, Ling and Benedetta are the hardest counters — Firaga Armor eats his DoT entirely, while the other three close the gap fast enough to burst him before his three Ablaze stacks ever land.
How does Valir's Ablaze stun work?
Every skill hit applies a stack of Ablaze, and the 3rd stack detonates for magic burst damage plus a one-second stun; the same target can't be stunned again for 7 seconds, so it's a setup tool, not instant CC.
