This guide is also available on Strifebuilds: https://strifebuilds.net/builds/view/egy4OC

Hey gang! So my last Shank guide[snaxkrew.com] was obsoleted pretty quickly by balance changes, so I've been working on an alternative build and I think it's good and ready.

This guide takes advantage of Ground Pound (Q)'s Resistance debuff and the ability to activate Frenzy (E) for full charges. It makes the Stone Skin optional because of the changes to Frenzy and it focuses on early regen and Mitigation instead of a Throwing Axe to help with your early game.

Luster – although it's been nerfed several times, Luster is still a great choice on this build, especially since you're not going to have a Throwing Axe to help you last hit. Shank is great at clearing green camps quickly, and you will get ahead very quickly if you can do so while also getting lane creeps.




Pincer – always a good choice for melee heroes, it will help discourage a ranged opponent from poking you and will get you out in a pinch with the CC break. The Resistance boost is nice, but not necessary since you will already be building a lot.



Plunder – good for trying to push early. The Resistance boost is the same as Pincer's.

Golden Protector of Adaptation – 1x Vitality Stone, 2x Clarity Shard.
Rush this item ASAP. In most cases Adaptation is the best enchantment but sometimes Restoration makes more sense. Once you complete this item you will probably not need health potions.

Power Boots.
Surprisingly effective despite the diminishing returns with Ground Pound's Resistance debuff. Use this right before you cast Ground Pound for extra damage. It's a great anti-tank item and it really does a lot of work. Inertia Boots may be appropriate depending on whether the enemy team has lots of CC and you didn't take Pincer.





Dampening Cloak of Resistance or Masochism – 2x Power Shard.
HP, power, Resistance. It's one of the most cost-effective items in the game. Masochism can come in handy for getting that little extra bit of mana to secure a kill.




Cursed Wand (default or Restraint) – 1x Power Crystal, 1x Mana Shard.
Some people might craft HP into this item but I think it's more useful to use the default components so you have the option of getting the cheaper default if you're behind on GPM. Having a tiny extra bit of mana won't hurt either, since you have a low mana pool.

Guardian Helm of Desperation – 1x Agility Relic, 1x Power Crystal or 1x Health Relic.
This item makes you very difficult to kill for almost everyone. Prefer this against most balanced team comps. Go with power unless you're getting bursted.




Iceforged Plate of Desperation – 1x Agility Relic, 1x Power Crystal or 1x Health Relic.
Same with Guardian Helm, but it works better against attack damage heavy teams.




Zealot's Blade (any enchantment, all are good) – 1x Power or Health Crystal, 1x Agility Stone, 1x Power Shard.
This item is great for any rushdown hero, and it counters enemy Zealot's Blades and Fervor Boots. Plus, it gets you around the map faster.




Woundsplitter of Ruin – 1x Agility Relic, 1x Power Crystal, 1x Power Shard.
Once you feel tanky enough, build this item. It works well against any hero and it massively increases your damage output. Applying the Ruin debuff will help your team burst enemies down much more effectively.

Iceforged Plate of Virtue – 1x Power Crystal or 1x Health Crystal, 2x Power Shard.
This is usually a good item to build on tanks but it has poor stats. I used to consider it core but now I rarely build it with Shank.




Vampiric Dagger of Thirst – 1x Agility Stone, 2x Power Shard.
Another item I used to consider core. Thirst is one of the best enchantments in the game but I've found that the regular lifesteal isn't really that useful compared to just rushing Resistance items.




Stone Skin (default or Diligence) – combination of Health and Power Crystals.
If the enemy is stacking a lot of damage or using Cursed Wands, you're going to need this item.




Hexbane of Restraint – 1x Power Relic, 1x Health Crystal.
If the enemy team has an out of control carry, your team should be building Hexbanes. Here's how you'd build yours.




Dark Bargain – 1x Agility Relic, 1x Agility Stone, 1x Power Crystal.
If the game is really dragging on, Dark Bargain will let you backdoor generators quickly. This item is really a last resort. It's such a niche pickup that you don't really need to ever craft this item.

Start off slow. Get last hits and punish enemies who approach you with a Ground Pound. Shank struggles a bit in the very early game, but he quickly gains momentum once you get a defensive item.

Once you get your Golden Protector, it's time to start being a bully. Get within range to cast Ground Pound, then follow up with some auto attacks. Don't over-extend as you don't have finishing power quite yet, just harass your opponent(s) out of lane.

Take green camps whenever you can, but don't let the enemy push to your tower. If you are duo laning, make sure your lane partner has an escape mechanism so they don't get caught.

Make sure you max Ground Pound first, as it's a very good spell now. Frenzy should get maxed second, but make sure you put a point into Jailbreak (W) at some point so you always have an escape mechanism.

Once you have your core items (Golden Protector, boots, Dampening Cloak) you can basically do whatever you want. With Frenzy fully activated, you have 58 Resistance (plus some more from your pet if your pet has any) and the 20+ Mitigation from your Golden Protector.

Once you complete your Cursed Wand you will be able to chase down almost any enemy and kill them. You will have 3 slows at your disposal (Ground Pound, Jailbreak, and Cursed Wand) and Manacle will catch any enemy that tries to use a dash or leap skill to get away. So, whenever your opponent gets just a little too far from their tower, get right in their faces and don't back down.

I actually like to push with Shank in this build, as he is very hard to approach, since he can use Jailbreak to run away at any time. But you can also roam to gank or jungle. If you chose Luster you should probably focus on farming to get vastly ahead of your enemies, but if you chose Pincer or Plunder then it's more than fine to shift focus to teamfights.

Late game Shank is a lot like midgame Shank, except that now your team will be moving as a group so you should try to always lead the way. If you get pounced on, activate Frenzy and Jailbreak. It'll be very hard for your enemies to kill you and if you use Jailbreak on your allies it'll also be hard for your enemies to kill them. Try to make sure you always have Manacle on cooldown, and take advantage of your tankiness to take Baldir whenever possible.

During a teamfight, you should try to focus on two things: zoning out your opponents so your back line can do its job, and catching any squishy targets who are trying to stay out of the way with your Manacle. You can delete an enemy Moxie or Vermillion stupidly easy once you have your attack speed/power defensive items, and once you have a Woundsplitter it gets even easier.

If the game really drags on, buy Dark Bargain and wait for your enemies to leave their base, then backdoor a generator with it. It's dirty, but sometimes you gotta just finish the game.

Squish, squish, squish!