Sand King

Hero

 

Strategy

 

Equipment

 

Gear

 

Talents

 

Relics

 

Responses

 

Sounds

 

Animations

 

Lore

 

Old Abilities

 

Changelogs

 

Known Bugs

 

Sand King 22 + 3 19 + 1.8 19 + 1.8
Level 0 1 15 25 30 Health 120 604 1528 2452 2826 +0 +2.2 +6.4 +10.6 +12.3 Mana 75 303 603 963 1095 +0 +0.95 +2.21 +3.71 +4.26 Armor -1 2.17 6.37 11.37 13.2 Magic Resist 25% % % % % Damage Block 16 (50%) Damage 23 33 45 55 87 97 129 139 146 156 Attack Rate 0.65/s 0.76/s 0.91/s 1.08/s 1.15/s Attack Range 150 (600) Attack Speed ▶️ 110 (1.7s BAT) Attack Animation 0.53 + 0.47 Projectile Speed Instant Move Speed ▶️ 290 ( 320) Turn Rate 0.5 Collision Size 24 Bound Radius 24 Vision Range (G) 1800 ( 800) Gib Type Default Internal Not Provided

Crixalis, the Sand King, is a melee strength hero with one of the highest area of effect (AoE) damage outputs in the entire game. All four of his abilities can affect multiple enemy units, and can combo quite well with each other. He is one of the most versatile Heroes in the game as he can push, initiate, support, gank, and even semi-carry if he does well. Late game his effectiveness diminishes as none of his abilities scale, but he can still function to support carries with Burrowstrike and Epicenter's slow. He is also versatile enough to be able to go to any lane with at least moderate success. He works well as a participant in a dual lane or trilane, but can also solo very effectively against melee enemies, since Caustic Finale discourages enemies from approaching the creeps. His main role in the team is to deliver a devastating initiation, delivering both stuns and slows to the enemy team. Crixalis is also very effective at escaping and dodging with two low cost, low cooldown abilities that disjoint projectiles and can escape enemy damage. Burrowstrike allows him to tunnel underground and resurface in a short line, dealing damage and stunning all targets it hits. Sand Storm is used as an escape mechanism and to do AoE damage. Caustic Finale serves as a strong harassing tool against enemy melee heroes or as a followup after he Burrowstrikes a creep wave, allowing him to farm quite effectively. Finally, his ultimate delivers a vast amount of AoE damage and slow centered around himself, though it necessitates a safe way to channel it, like a Blink Dagger.

Bio

Crixalis, the Sand King

▶️ "I will show you fear in a handful of sand…"

Lore:

The sands of the Scintillant Waste are alive and sentient--the whole vast desert speaks to itself, thinking thoughts only such a vastness can conceive. But when it needs to find a form to communicate with those of more limited scope, it frees a fragment of itself, and fills a carapace of magic armor formed by the cunning Djinn of Qaldin. This essential identity calls itself Crixalis, meaning 'Soul of the Sand,' but others know it as Sand King. Sand King takes the form of a huge arachnid, inspired by the Scintillant Waste's small but ubiquitous denizens; and this is a true outward expression of his ferocious nature. Guardian, warrior, ambassador--Sand King is all of these things, inseparable from the endless desert that gave him life.

Voice:

David Scully (Responses)

Abilities

Burrowstrike

▶️QE

Ability
Target Point / Target Unit

Affects
Enemies / Self

Damage
Magical

Sand King burrows into the ground and tunnels forward, damaging and stunning enemy units above him as he resurfaces.

Cast Animation: 0+0.53

Cast Range: 400/500/600/700 ( 800/1000/1200/1400)

Spikes Radius: 150

Damage: 100/160/220/280

Stun Duration: 1.6/1.8/2/2.2

 14/13/12/11 ( 12/11/10/9)

 110/120/130/140

Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade:

Adds Caustic Finale poison to heroes hit by your Burrowstrike and increases its cast range. Does not apply Caustic Finale to illusions.

Modifiers [?]

modifier_sandking_burrowstrike

Death

modifier_sandking_impale

Strong

Crixalis often lies in wait, burrowing under the surface to ambush his adversaries.

• The spikes travel at a speed of 2000 ( 3000), reaching max range in 0.2/0.25/0.3/0.35 ( 0.27/0.33/0.4/0.47) seconds.

• Sand King is teleported instantly towards the targeted point once the spikes reach it.

• Does not disjoint projectiles upon cast or upon teleporting.

• Sand King is disabled during the cast backswing of Burrowstrike.

• When targeting a unit, Sand King chases the target until it is within range and casts Burrowstrike towards its direction.
  • The spikes still do not home in on the target, thus can be evaded. Targeting a unit only determines the direction upon cast.

• Hit units are knocked up 350 range for the initial 0.52 seconds of the stun.

• While in the air, other units may pass below hit airborne units.

• The damage is applied upon landing, not upon getting hit.

• Can hit units up to 550/650/750/850 ( 950/1150/1350/1550) range away (max range + radius).

• The burrowing and reappearing takes 0.53 seconds from the moment the spell is cast, during which Sand King cannot do anything.

• The spikes do not travel the full distance when targeting closer than the max range.

• When upgraded, Burrowstrike applies Caustic Finale on all hit heroes, excluding illusions. Treats creep-heroes as creeps.

Sand Storm

▶️WR

Ability
No Target

Affects
Enemies / Self

Damage
Magical

Sand King creates a fearsome sandstorm that damages enemy units while hiding him from vision. The effect ends when Sand King leaves the area.

Cast Animation: 0+0.5

Radius: 425/500/575/650

Fade Delay: 0.7

Damage per Second: 20/45/70/95 ( 70/95/120/145)

Enemy Miss Chance: 0 ( 35%)

Movement Speed Slow: 0 ( 35%)

Sand Storm Duration: 20/25/30/35

Aura Linger Duration: 0.5

 40/34/28/22

 75

Modifiers [?]

modifier_sandking_sand_storm

Death

modifier_invisible

Death

modifier_sandking_sand_storm_slow_aura_thinker

Undispellable

modifier_sandking_sand_storm_slow

Undispellable

Some say Crixalis is a mirage; his carapace appearing then vanishing between the whirling sands of the Scintillant Waste.

• The fade delay is not used upon cast. Sand King turns invisible instantly on cast.

• The fade delay takes effect when breaking the invisibility by attacking, or casting spells or items.
  • However, since casting Sand Storm applies the invisibility instantly, the fade delay effectively does not take effect when re-casting it while inside the previous cast's area.

• Sand Storm deals 10/22.5/35/47.5 ( 35/47.5/60/72.5) damage in 0.5 second intervals, starting immediately upon cast, resulting in a total of 40/50/60/70 instances.

• Can deal up to 400/1125/2100/3325 ( 1400/2375/3600/5075) damage to a single unit (before reductions) if it stays in range for the whole duration.

• The movement speed slow and blind granted by the talent are aura-based. The aura's debuff lingers for 0.5 seconds.
  • Sand Storm's blind uses pseudo-random distribution.

Caustic Finale

▶️EL

Ability
Passive

Affects
Enemies

Damage
Magical

Sand King's attacks inject a venom that causes enemy units to move more slowly and to violently explode when it dies.

Damage Radius: 500

Base Damage: 70/90/110/130

Max Health as Damage: 10%/14%/18%/22%

Movement Speed Slow: 10%/15%/20%/25% ( 130%/135%/140%/145%)

Debuff Duration: 5

Modifiers [?]

modifier_sand_king_caustic_finale

Undispellable

modifier_sand_king_caustic_finale_orb

Any

An injection from Crixalis makes one brittle and as dry as the arid wastes, subject to implosive demise.

• The area damage triggers only when the target dies while having the debuff on.

• The area damage is only applied when the unit is killed by one of its enemies.
  • This means the unit does not explode when it gets denied, expires (e.g. summons and illusions), or killed without a creditted source (e.g. multiple Meepoes).

• When an illusion dies with the debuff, only the base damage is applied within the area, the health-based extra damage is not applied.

• Successive attacks on the same target do not stack, but refresh the duration instead.
  • However, the debuff does not get updated. All its values are set upon initial placement.

• The debuff is not placed on allies, buildings and wards.

Epicenter

RC

Ability
No Target / Channeled

Affects
Enemies

Damage
Magical

After channeling for 2 seconds, Sand King sends a disturbance into the earth, causing it to shudder violently. All enemies caught within range will take damage and become slowed. Each subsequent pulse increases the radius of damage dealt.

Cast Animation: 0+0

Channel Time: 2

Radius per Pulse: 275/325/375/425/475/525/575/625/675/725 ( /775/825/875/925)

Number of Pulses: 6/8/10 ( 11/13/15)

Damage per Pulse: 110/120/130 ( 125/135/145)

Move Speed Slow: 30%

Attack Speed Slow: 30

Slow Duration: 3

 120/110/100

 150/225/300

Modifiers [?]

modifier_sand_king_epicenter

Death

modifier_sand_king_epicenter_slow

Any

Many an explorer was lost to the quicksands of the Scintillant Waste.

• When interrupted during the channeling, the spell does nothing, wasting the cooldown and mana.

• If the channeling was successful the damage pulses cannot be interrupted anymore, not even by Sand King's death.

• Sand King can act freely during the damage pulses.

• The pulse radii are all centered at Sand King's current location, not at the cast location.

• When Sand King dies after having finished channeling, the pulses still continue from where he died.

• The pulses happen in 0.5/0.375/0.3 ( 0.27/0.23/0.2) second intervals, starting 0.5/0.375/0.3 ( 0.27/0.23/0.2) seconds after the channeling finishes.
  • This means it takes 3 seconds for the spell to release all pulses after the initial delay.

• Can deal a total of 660/960/1300 damage without any talents (before reductions).
  • Can deal a total of 1210/1560/1950 damage when the number of pulses increasing talent is chosen.
  • Can deal a total of 750/1080/1450 damage when the damage per pulse increasing talent is chosen.
  • Can deal a total of 1375/1755/2175 damage when both talents are chosen.

• The slow is applied to enemies on each pulse. Multiple instances of the slow on a unit do not stack, but refresh the duration.
  • Can slow a single unit for up to 6 seconds (total duration of pulses + debuff duration).

• Each pulse first applies the damage, then the debuff.

• Multiple casts of Epicenter fully stack, with each cast creating its own independent instance.

Talents

Hero Talents
35% Sand Storm Slow and Blind	25	+5 Epicenter Pulses
+100 Base Radius and +25 Incremental Radius of Epicenter	20	-2s Burrowstrike Cooldown
+120 Caustic Finale Damage	15	+50 Sand Storm Move Speed
+0.4s Burrowstrike Stun	10	+15 Sand Storm Damage Per Second

Recent Changes

Main Article: Sand King/Changelogs

Version

Description

7.35

• Reduced base intelligence from 19 to 17.
• Rescaled Burrowstrike damage from 80/130/200/260 to 80/140/200/260.
• Reduced Caustic Finale base damage from 70/90/110/130 to 50/70/90/110.

• Talents:
• LVL 10

   

  +20 Sand Storm damage per second reduced to +15.

7.34d

• Reduced Burrowstrike cooldown from 15/14/13/12 to 14/13/12/11.

7.34c

• Increased base armor from 0 to 1.
• Increased Burrowstrike cast range from 500/550/600/650 to 525/600/675/750.

• Talents:
• LVL 15

   

  +25 Sand Storm movement speed increased to +50.

Gameplay

Obscured in the harshest of Sand Storms was Crixalis, guardian and ambassador of the Scintillant Waste. A construct of sentient sand, the Sand King traverses the world in a carapace of Djinn's craft. From beneath the shifting dunes he ambushes enemies with Burrowstrike, inflicting a desiccating venom that causes their corpses to erupt in a Caustic Finale. But true destruction was heralded by a beating tail. Within moments, the ground pulsed with violent tremors, and from its moving Epicenter Crixalis pursued scattering foes until the very last fell to their knees. Across bazaars and between towns, the learned repeat a simple truth. Where the Sand King walks, the earth trembles.
Roles:	Initiator Disabler Support Nuker Escape Jungler
Complexity:
Adjectives:	Legs ( 2 )

Strategy & Tips

Counters &
Matchups

Audio

Responses

Sounds

History

Lore

Old Abilities

Changelogs

Equipment

Sand King Equipment (expand sets) Sets Ceremonial Carapace of Qaldin Set Corroding Sands Elusive Destroyer Ironclad Mold Lord of the Scouring Dunes Majesty of the Forbidden Sands Ruler of the Frostbite Dunes Sovereign of the Kray Legions The Ancient Sovereign Set The Caustic Consumption Set Tunnel Raider Warrior of the Red Sand Head The Barren Crown Back Cercus of Whirling Death Defiled Stinger The Scintillant Sting Arms The Barren Vector Taunt Taunt: Get Up and Trance

Trivia

• In a very old version of DotA, there was a bug that caused the final pulse of Sand King's Epicenter to deal over 10,000 damage. The only unit that was able to survive this was a super beefed up Pudge that was used to measure the amount of damage dealt by the ability.
• Another old bug involved using Burrowstrike on an allied creep. When Sand King got into Burrowstrike range of that creep, he would move all the way back to the position of the creep where it was first clicked on. Because it only worked on allied creeps, the most common usage of it was to quickly get back to base.
• Gabe Newell has claimed that Sand King is his favorite hero.
• Sand King's responses contain several cultural references:
  • Sand King's line, ▶️ "Like the sands through an hourglass, these are the days of defeat." is an allusion to the soap opera Days of our Lives's introduction line, "Like sands in the hourglass, these are the days of our lives.".
  • Sand King's line, ▶️ "All we are is sand in the wind..." is an allusion to the song Dust in the Wind song form the band Kansas.
  • The line ▶️ "You were expecting... Sandy Claws?" is most likely a reference to the stop-motion film Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.
  • The line ▶️ "I will show you fear in a handful of sand..." is an allusion to the poem "The Waste Land" by T. S. Eliot.
  • The line ▶️ "We three Kings of disorient are..." is an allusion to the Christmas Carol "We Three Kings of Orient Are", by John Henry Hopkins, Jr.
  • The line ▶️ "The sand of silence." is most likely a reference to the song "The Sound Of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel.
  • The line ▶️ "The King is dead. Long live the King." is most likely a reference to the traditional proclamation made following the ascension of a new monarch in various countries. This may also be a reference to the Megadeth song "Kill the King"
  • The line "▶️ Lion, you are king of nothing" may be a reference to the film "The Lion King".
• Sand Storm's sound makes use of ▶️ this and ▶️ this voice line of Sandking.

Gallery

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