Passive
Decimation
Summon
Upon death, Zhask summons a frenzied Nightmaric Spawn on the spot, which gradually loses HP over time until death.
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- Attack effects
- 20%
Zhask
CTierSummoner mage whose Nightmaric Spawn fights on even after he dies.
MageMid LaneDeals magic
Zhask is a mid lane mage who summons a Nightmaric Spawn to inherit his stats and attack independently, then fuses with it during Dominator's Descent for enhanced skills. Mind Eater's penetrating missile chains into the Spawn's own stun, and even Zhask's death spawns a new Nightmaric Spawn, letting him threaten a fight from beyond the grave.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Specialities
- ChaseDamage
Managing the Nightmaric Spawn's positioning and range limit alongside his own skills takes practice, but the core combo is straightforward to execute.
- Beaten by
- 94 hard
- Strong into
- 9
- Best duos
- 8
- Builds
- 2
At a glance
When Zhask is strong
Attributes
- Damage
- 7
- Durability
- 4
- Crowd Control
- 5
- Mobility
- 3
- Utility
- 5
Strengths
- Nightmaric Spawn attacks independently, letting Zhask threaten damage from two sources at once
- Mind Eater chains into the Spawn's own stun, turning a single skill into a hard CC combo
- Decimation summons a fresh Nightmaric Spawn on death, so he can still threaten damage after dying
- Dominator's Descent fuses him fully with the Spawn for enhanced skills during the fusion window
Weaknesses
- Nightmaric Spawn disappears if Zhask strays too far from it, limiting his effective threat range
- No personal mobility or escape tool outside repositioning the Spawn itself
- Mind Eater's stun only triggers through the Spawn, so losing it removes his hard CC entirely
- Squishy in the early game before the Spawn is strong enough to meaningfully add damage
Skills
Max Mind Eater first for damage and the stun combo, level Nightmaric Spawn second to keep it alive longer, and take Dominator's Descent at 4, 8 and 12.
Skill 1
Nightmaric Spawn
Summon
Zhask summons a Nightmaric Spawn that inherits 55%–100% of his Attributes (HP, Hybrid Defense, Magic Power). Nightmaric Spawn will automatically attack nearby enemies by firing a Death Ray at the target, dealing 55 (+20% × Extra Attack Speed) (+20% Total Magic Power) Magic Damage and slowing them by up to 30% for 0.6 seconds. If Zhask is too far away from Nightmaric Spawn, it will disappear. Death Ray is considered as a Basic Attack but cannot Crit.
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- Cooldown
- 13s
- Mana
- 60 → 90
- Attack effects
- 20%
Skill 2
Mind Eater
CCAOE
Zhask fires a penetrating mental missile in the designated direction, dealing 300–540 (+100% Total Magic Power) Magic Damage. Afterward, Nightmaric Spawn will attack enemies by Mind Eater for 120 (+80% Total Magic Power) Magic Damage and stun for 0.5 seconds. Fusion Enhanced: Increases the damage dealt by Mind eater by 540–975 (+180% Total Magic Power) Magic Damage.
- Cooldown
- 8s
- Mana
- 50 → 95
- Spell vamp
- 50%
What the terms mean(1)
- Stun
- Basic level Crowd Control: Prevents a target from moving, and using Basic A
Ultimate
Dominator's Descent
MorphBuff
Zhask selects a designated position to summon Nightmaric Spawn and fuses with it. Nightmaric Spawn can inherit 100% of his attributes and get extra of them. His skills are enhanced during the fusion period. Use Again: Zhask immediately gets off the Nightmaric Spawn and loses enhancement.
- Cooldown
- 60s
- Mana
- 100 → 200
- Attack effects
- 36%
Signature combo
Nightmaric Spawn out to establish a second damage source → Mind Eater to burst and trigger the Spawn's stun → Dominator's Descent to fuse and finish with enhanced skills.
Zhask builds
Core items in buy order, with the emblem, talents and battle spell that go with them.
Burst Poke Mage
7,840g total
Default pick for mid lane poke and zoning with the Nightmaric Spawn.
Battle spell
Flicker120s CDThe '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
Glowing Wand — Against sustain or lifesteal heroes — Scorch's burn and Lifebane cut healing while adding damage over time.
Ice Queen Wand — Versus mobile divers closing in on him or the Spawn — the stacking slow keeps them at range.
Winter Crown — When he's the primary target for assassins — the freeze dodges a lethal combo.
Anti-Tank Sustained Poke
7,560g total
When the enemy stacks magic defense and raw burst stops converting into kills.
Battle spell
Sprint100s CDUnlike 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
Genius Wand — Early penetration before enemies have stacked much magic defense.
Clock of Destiny — Extra survivability stacks and a heal-back window during extended poke wars.
Wishing Lantern — Butterfly Goddess deals 8% of the target's current HP, scaling off the frontline's health pool — Divine Glaive in the core is what cuts their magic defense.
Who counters Zhask
The heroes that make this matchup hard, and the mechanic that does it.
AliceTank · MageHardAlice's spell vamp drains through Zhask's poke faster than he and the Spawn together can output it, then she closes in and kills a mage with no escape.
SunFighterHardSun's clones bait Mind Eater and the Spawn's attacks onto decoys, letting the real Sun close in and burst Zhask down.
BaratsTank · FighterHardBarats's Detona's Welcome charges past the Spawn and suppresses Zhask for 1.2 seconds, killing him before Dominator's Descent's fusion is ready.
AulusFighterHardAulus's Basic-Attack-fueled Fighting Spirit stacks up on both Zhask and the Spawn if he gets in range, killing whichever he targets first.
BelerickTankSoftBelerick's thorns reflect damage back at both Zhask and his Nightmaric Spawn, punishing extended poke exchanges.
NatanMarksmanSoftNatan's Superposition out-ranges Zhask's poke and his Reverse-Clone doubles every shot back at him, so the Mind Eater trade never comes out ahead.
RubyFighterSoftRuby's dash chain closes distance quickly and her sustain outlasts the damage from Zhask and his Spawn combined.
BaxiaTankSoftBaxia Mark cuts a flat amount off every instance of damage, blunting both Zhask's own skills and the Nightmaric Spawn's stream of small attacks.
JoyAssassinSoftJoy's Meow, Rhythm of Joy! chains dashes past both Zhask and the Spawn's attack range to burst him down at close range.
Items to build against Zhask
Zhask is strong into
Heroes whose own counter list names Zhask — the same matchup, read from the other side.
ArlottFighter · AssassinSoftHis summoned spawnling and ranged poke whittle Arlott down before he can close the gap to use Vengeance.
DiggieSupportSoftZhask's long-range spawn and AOE poke damages Diggie's team from outside Auto Alarm Bomb's range, whittling them down safely.
FreyaFighterSoftZhask's Nightmaric Spawn keeps attacking even while he retreats or is CC'd, and Mind Eater's follow-up stun through the Spawn locks Freya down mid-approach before she ever reaches melee range.
GusionAssassinSoftZhask's Nightmaric Spawn keeps firing Death Rays at Gusion even after Zhask retreats, slowing him and chipping his low HP before he can set up a clean dive.
KajaSupport · FighterSoftNightmaric Spawn holds the front and pokes on its own while Zhask stays behind it, so Kaja rarely gets a clean run at the hero Divine Judgement actually needs.
LunoxMageSoftZhask's Nightmaric Spawn adds free damage while Mind Eater pokes from range, trading favorably against Lunox's own short-range skills before her ultimate stack is ready.
Who to pair Zhask with
Duo partners whose kit completes this one.
HarleyAssassin · MageHarley's Deadly Magic ring pins a target with a 40% slow for Mind Eater and the Nightmaric Spawn's follow-up to burst down together.
NataliaAssassinNatalia's stealth picks isolate a target for Zhask's Mind Eater combo to finish before their team can respond.
JohnsonTank · SupportJohnson can transport Zhask and the team into position for an ambush, letting Mind Eater's stun-and-burst combo land uncontested.
SaberAssassinSaber's lock-on ultimate isolates a target that Zhask's Mind Eater and Spawn can immediately follow up on for extra burst.
BaneFighter · MageBane's Ale venom spray and Deadly Catch's knock-up hold a target long enough for Zhask's Nightmaric Spawn to add sustained extra damage.
SelenaAssassin · MageSelena's Abyssal Trap roots a target in place for Mind Eater's stun-chain and the Spawn's attacks to land cleanly.- GusionAssassinGusion's blink burst deletes a squishy target that Zhask's Mind Eater slow and stun already pinned down.
- BaratsTank · FighterBarats's Detona's Welcome charge spits an isolated enemy out right next to both Zhask and his Nightmaric Spawn.
Playing Zhask well
- 1
Keep Nightmaric Spawn within range of your intended fight — it disappears and stops threatening damage otherwise
- 2
Land Mind Eater on cooldown to trigger the Spawn's stun follow-up rather than saving it purely for damage
- 3
Use Dominator's Descent to reposition through the Spawn's location when you need a burst of range or safety
- 4
Don't overextend expecting Decimation's death-spawn to bail you out — it deals damage but doesn't save you
Zhask — common questions
Is Zhask good for beginners?
Zhask is moderate difficulty — the core combo is simple, but managing the Nightmaric Spawn's positioning and range limit alongside his own skills takes practice.
What is the best build for Zhask?
A burst magic build with Enchanted Talisman, Lightning Truncheon, and Holy Crystal covers most games, giving cooldown reduction and raw magic power for repeated poke from both him and the Spawn.
Which heroes counter Zhask?
Sustain heroes like Alice counter Zhask by draining through his and the Spawn's combined poke faster than he can output it, then closing in for the kill.
What lane does Zhask play?
Zhask is a mid lane mage who solos the middle lane for levels, then uses the Nightmaric Spawn to zone and poke from two directions at once.
