Slark is picked in 14.9% of Very High matches, 13.9% of High and 12.1% of Normal, and wins 50% / 49.1% / 50.1%. Pounce leashes a target, Essence Shift steals attributes with every hit, Dark Pact purges debuffs, and Shadow Dance hides him and speeds up his regeneration. His team gains more XP in 49.5% of games before minute 15, 52% up to minute 35 and 47.2% after. He wins 53.3% of games under 25 minutes, 49.5% at 25–50 and 50.8% past 50.
Countered by GrimstrokeGrimstroke starts slightly ahead: his team gains more XP in 52.2% of games before minute 15. Stroke of Fate damages and slows Slark from range, and Ink Trail makes enemies hit by Grimstroke's attacks and spells deal less damage to him.
Slark needs his spells to fight and to escape, and Grimstroke takes them away. Phantom's Embrace latches onto him and silences him, so he can't Pounce, Dark Pact or cast Shadow Dance until the phantom is killed. Soulbind ties Slark to his nearest ally so neither can walk away from the other, and every unit-targeted spell cast on one hits both. Ink Swell on an ally stuns Slark when he dives in.
Grimstroke's team gains more XP in 52.1% of games at 15–35 minutes and 56.5% after. He wins 58.6% of 25–50 minute games (6,447 games) and 54.5% past 50 minutes (1,453 games); the 212 games under 25 minutes go the other way, 48.6%. The edge is strong in every bracket: +10.78 in Very High, +12.02 in High and +8.92 in Normal. Grimstroke wins 58% / 59% / 56.3% (Very High / High / Normal) against Slark, against his usual 52.6% / 52.1% / 52%.
Best teammate: AlchemistThe pair loses the lane: their team gains more XP in only 38.1% of games before minute 15, and they win only 33.1% of the 121 games that end before 25 minutes.
Acid Spray lowers the armor of every enemy in an area, so each of Slark's attacks hits harder and steals agility faster with Essence Shift. Unstable Concoction stuns the target Slark has pounced, and Berserk Potion dispels Slark and gives him attack speed, movement speed and regeneration. The XP-gain share recovers to 51.2% between minutes 15 and 35.
This pair wins long games. Their XP-gain share is 51.5% after minute 35, and they win 57.8% of games past 50 minutes (455 games) and 50.2% at 25–50 minutes (2,586 games). The advantage is +7.26 in Very High, +9.58 in High and +8.01 in Normal. The pair wins 50.1% / 50% / 51.2% (Very High / High / Normal), with Alchemist normally at only 46.5% / 46.1% / 47.1%.
Based on 2,111,000 public ranked matches of patch 7.41, played 30 September – 14 October 2026. Advantage is the win-rate difference from what the two heroes' own win rates predict, times two (+6 is about 3 win-rate points), weighted over the skill brackets. The live numbers on the Slark page update every few hours. More guides: Dota 2 counter guides.
