Offlane guide

Steal their Strength, plant the tomb and let the zombies chase.

604 HP399 manaLevel 1

UndyingDota 2 hero

Undying is a Strength offlaner who steals Strength with Decay, heals with Soul Rip, floods the lane with zombies from Tombstone and turns into a Flesh Golem for fights.

StrengthMelee

#16of 127 heroes
by pick rate

Pick rate: 14.9%
Hero win rate: 50.7%

Our game-phase read Editorial · impact 1–5

Source & our read · Sep 12, 2026

OpenDota · retrieved Sep 12, 2026. 564,364 Undying picks and 286,222 wins in approximately 3,780,175 rank-classified public matches. Excludes Turbo and pro stats. This is a sample, not all players.

Pick rate = hero picks ÷ estimated matches; win rate = hero wins ÷ hero picks. Estimated matches = all hero picks ÷ 10, following OpenDota’s calculation. Tied pick counts share a rank. The API does not provide observation timestamps.

Our impact scores · 1 low, 5 high
Early · 5/5	Decay and Tombstone make him one of the strongest laners in the game.
Mid · 4/5	Auras and Flesh Golem give the team a front line in every fight.
Late · 2/5	Zombies die fast and his damage is gone, so he becomes an aura carrier.

The Dota2Freaks take Editorial

Why pick Undying?

Pick Undying when you want to win the offlane outright and your team fights early with a tanky front line.

When to think twice

Avoid him against ranged kiting and heroes who kill the Tombstone from range before the zombies matter.

The usual mistake

Do not place the Tombstone in the open. It dies in seconds when the carry can reach it.

Our picks · Offlane

Undying item builds

Choose for the game in front of you.

Standard

Default offlane path built around Soul Ring, Pipe of Insight and Crimson Guard.

01Starting
Empty inventory slot
Lane with regen
02Lane
Empty inventory slot
Mana for Decay
03First core
Empty inventory slotEmpty inventory slot
Spam Decay
04Mid game
Empty inventory slot
Protect the team
05Late game
Armor and area slow
06Luxury
Stronger zombies

Soul RingTrades health for mana so Decay is always ready.

How to use these builds

These are our editorial build paths. Labels describe their purpose, not measured popularity or win rate. Click an item for its use. Each stage is an inventory snapshot: keep earlier items, use consumables, upgrade components, and replace small items as space runs out. Boots, defenses, and late slots can change with the draft.

More match and build examples: Dota 2 Pro Tracker. Item names and images: Valve.

The draft check

Friends & counters

Our picks, based on how the spells work together.

5 friends to play with

Lion

Earth Spike and Hex hold enemies inside Decay and the zombies.

Crystal Maiden

Arcane Aura keeps Decay on cooldown in the lane.

Axe

Berserker's Call holds the enemy next to the Tombstone.

Dazzle

Shallow Grave keeps Undying alive while the zombies work.

Venomancer

Slows and damage over time stack with the zombie slow.

5 counter picks to watch

Sniper

Kills the Tombstone and Undying from a range he cannot reach.

Lina

Burst magic damage and range beat a hero who needs to stand close.

Windranger

Shackleshot and Windrun kite him, and Powershot kills the Tombstone.

Enigma

Black Hole and Demonic Conversion eat the zombies and hold the golem.

Leshrac

Area magic damage clears zombies and punishes him for standing still.

About these picks

These are useful ability interactions, not a statistical ranking or guaranteed matchups. Positioning, items, and cooldowns change the result. Hero links open a full guide when available, otherwise the directory.

Ability references from Valve: Lion · Crystal Maiden · Axe · Dazzle · Venomancer · Sniper · Lina · Windranger · Enigma · Leshrac. Checked 2026-10-14.

The buttons

QWER · open for spell values

DecayPoint targetDamages enemies in an area and steals Strength from every hero hit for a long duration.

Mana: 110
Cooldown: 13 / 10 / 7 / 4s
Strength stolen: 4

Soul RipUnit targetDrains health from nearby units to heal an ally or damage an enemy.

Mana: 80 / 90 / 100 / 110
Cooldown: 15 / 12 / 9 / 6s
Health per unit: 14 / 26 / 38 / 50

TombstonePoint targetSummons a tombstone that spawns zombies against every enemy in its radius until it is destroyed.

Mana: 125 / 150 / 175 / 200
Cooldown: 80s
Duration: 30s

Flesh GolemUltimateTransforms Undying into a golem with bonus Strength, speed and attacks that slow and amplify damage.

Mana: 100 / 125 / 150
Cooldown: 140s
Damage amplification: 25 / 30 / 35%

Base stats & innate Level 1 · no items

Strength22+2.4 / lvl

Agility13+1.2 / lvl

Intelligence27+2.8 / lvl

Attack damage: 55–63
Armor: 2.2
Move speed: 295
Magic resist: 25%
Attack range: 150
Base attack time: 1.7s
Health regen: +1.7/s
Mana regen: +1.85/s

DOTA2FREAKS GUIDE · REVIEWED Oct 14, 2026

Dota 2 Undying guide: offlane builds, abilities and tips

Undying is a Strength offlaner who steals Strength with Decay, heals with Soul Rip, floods the lane with zombies from Tombstone and turns into a Flesh Golem for fights.

What role does Undying play in Dota 2?

Undying is a melee Strength hero. Our recommended role is offlane.

Undying is a lane bully who gets stronger the longer the enemy stays near him. Decay damages enemies in an area and steals Strength from every hero it hits, Soul Rip pulls health from nearby units to heal an ally or damage an enemy, Tombstone creates a structure that spawns zombies against every enemy in range, and Flesh Golem makes him bigger, faster and gives his attacks a slow and damage amplification. Pick Undying when you want to win the lane outright and your team fights early. He is weak against ranged kiting, long fights where zombies die quickly and heroes who destroy the Tombstone from range.

How to play Undying in Dota 2

Undying laning and early decisions
Walk up to the enemy carry and cast Decay on him and the support at the same time. Every cast steals Strength for a long time, so after three casts you have the health of two heroes and the enemy has almost none. Soul Rip heals you or your partner by draining creeps. Level Tombstone early when the enemy stays in the lane, because the zombies slow and chase anyone who stands near it.
Undying positioning and teamfights
Place the Tombstone behind your team, out of reach of the enemy carry, before the fight starts: zombies spawn on every enemy in its radius and keep spawning until it is destroyed. Activate Flesh Golem, walk into the enemies, cast Decay on as many heroes as possible and attack the carry to slow it. Soul Rip heals a dying ally by draining the zombies you created.
Dota 2 Undying item build decisions
Boots, Magic Wand and a Soul Ring carry the lane, usually with Tranquil Boots or Arcane Boots. Pipe of Insight, Crimson Guard and Vladmir's Offering are the usual offlane auras, while Blade Mail turns the enemy's focus into damage. Guardian Greaves, Shiva's Guard, Heart of Tarrasque, Aghanim's Scepter and Lotus Orb finish the build depending on whether the team needs sustain, armor or a dispel.

Dota 2 Undying tips and ability interactions

D2F ADVICE

Undying: Decay is the lane

Decay steals Strength from every enemy hero in its radius for a long duration, and the stolen Strength stacks. Cast it so it hits both lane enemies, keep casting on cooldown while the enemy stays in range, and watch how the enemy carry loses health while you gain it. Mana is the only limit, so a Soul Ring or Arcane Boots keep the spam going.

Undying: hide the Tombstone

The Tombstone has a small number of hits before it dies, so place it behind trees, on a cliff or behind your own heroes. Zombies spawn at every enemy in a large radius and slow the ones they hit, which stops escapes and chases. Soul Rip can also heal the Tombstone itself.

Undying: Soul Rip counts units, not heroes

Soul Rip drains health from every nearby unit, including creeps, zombies and allies, and heals or damages the target with the total. Use it next to a creep wave or a Tombstone for a huge heal, and use it as a nuke on an enemy hero in the same situation.

Dota 2 Undying ability mechanics

Key Undying mechanics · Valve snapshot Oct 14, 2026
Detail	What it means in your game
Decay	Damages enemies in an area and steals Strength from every hero hit for a long duration.
Soul Rip	Drains health from nearby units to heal an ally or damage an enemy.
Tombstone	Summons a tombstone that spawns zombies against every enemy in its radius until it is destroyed.
Flesh Golem	Transforms Undying into a golem with bonus Strength, speed and attacks that slow and amplify damage.

Dota 2 Undying FAQ

Which role should Undying play in Dota 2?

Undying is an offlaner first, because Decay wins almost every lane and his auras give the team a front line. He also works as a position four or five support, where he still wins the lane for his carry and places Tombstones in fights without needing farm.

Which items should Undying buy in Dota 2?

Boots, Magic Wand and Soul Ring cover the lane, with Tranquil Boots or Arcane Boots. Pipe of Insight, Crimson Guard, Vladmir's Offering and Blade Mail are the usual mid-game choices. Guardian Greaves, Shiva's Guard, Heart of Tarrasque, Aghanim's Scepter and Lotus Orb finish the build.

Is Undying suitable for Dota 2 beginners?

Undying is beginner-friendly. Decay has a simple rule, stand close and cast it, and the Tombstone does most of the fight work on its own. The lessons to learn are mana management and where to put the Tombstone so it survives.

How should you use Undying's ultimate in Dota 2?

Flesh Golem gives Undying bonus Strength, movement speed and attacks that slow and amplify the damage the target takes. Activate it before you walk into a fight, attack the carry so the whole team deals more damage to it, and use the extra speed to chase or to reach the Tombstone when it is under attack.

Next pick?