Earthshaker

Raigor Stonehoof the Earthshaker is a melee strength Hero with several area of effect disables, commonly played as a ganker or initiator. Early game, Earthshaker's main ability is Fissure. Fissure makes him a powerful ganker as it can be used to block enemies for several seconds almost ensuring a kill. It has more utility than most disables; not only can it be utilized offensively as a stun, it can block off an enemy's retreat or save an ally from their pursuers. Aftershock is Earthshaker's passive ability, adding bonus damage and an area of effect stun to his other spells. His other ability, Enchant Totem, is used mainly to trigger Aftershock's stun, allowing Earthshaker to keep his target disabled longer. Late game, Earthshaker's role shifts to being an initiator, where he commonly uses Blink Dagger and his ultimate to start fights. Echo Slam, when cast in the center of a battle, can disable an entire enemy team and do major damage. If chained successfully with Fissure, an enemy can be stunned up to 4.75 seconds, making him a great disabler and overall contributor to team fights. One of Earthshaker's weaknesses is his slow, 0.69-second casting animations for Fissure and Enchant Totem, though Echo Slam has an instant cast time so it has a lower chance of being interrupted or stopped.

Tips

 * Fissure creates an impassable barrier, which can be effective for stopping enemies from escaping.
 * It is important to keep in mind, however, that this barrier is also impassible to yourself and allies. Be careful of how you position yourself and the Fissure.


 * Use Enchant Totem in conjunction with Aftershock to stop escaping enemies, even when Fissure is unavailable.
 * Because of the echo damage, Echo Slam is best used in the middle of the enemy team, especially when they have a large amount of units near them.
 * A Blink Dagger or Force Staff will help you get into the best position.
 * Rely on the stun from Aftershock to escape after using Echo Slam.

Trivia

 * Earth-Shaker was one of the many names Poseidon was referred to, which may not be a coincidence, considering the large amount of Greek mythology in DotA (Zeus and Medusa as two of the more obvious examples).

Update history
December 06, 2012 Patch
 * Updates on sound effects for Visage,  Viper,  Warlock,  Tiny and  Earthshaker.