Shadow Fiend — Dota 2 7.41e Counters, Synergies & Win Rate
Also known as: SF, Nevermore
Shadow Fiend (SF, Nevermore) in Dota 2 7.41e: win rate, pick rate, top counters and best teammates, from Batru's ranked-match pipeline.
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Shadow Fiend by rank bracket
Shadow Fiend is strongest in Divine & Immortal games, winning 50.22% (#60 of 127 heroes), but drops to 49.19% (#72) in Crusader & Archon.
| Bracket | Tier Rank | Win Rate | Pick Rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herald & Guardian | #53 of 127 | 49.85% | 16.51% | 18,161 |
| Crusader & Archon | #72 of 127 | 49.19% | 17.11% | 45,913 |
| Legend & Ancient | #75 of 127 | 49.51% | 17.84% | 38,522 |
| Divine & Immortal | #60 of 127 | 50.22% | 19.67% | 15,353 |
Recent ranked matches split by average match rank — the same data behind the per-rank tier lists each bracket links to.
Shadow Fiend win rate by patch
Shadow Fiend is winning 50.08% of 31,487 ranked matches in patch 7.41e, up 1.4pp from 7.41d.
| Patch | Win Rate | Change | Pick Rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.41e | 50.08% | ▲ +1.4pp | 18.08% | 31,487 |
| 7.41d | 48.68% | ▼ -0.1pp | 15.89% | 3,919,329 |
| 7.41c | 48.73% | ▲ +1.4pp | 13.31% | 1,825,591 |
| 7.41b | 47.34% | ▼ -0.2pp | 12.21% | 1,719,902 |
| 7.41a | 47.53% | ▲ +0.7pp | 13.51% | 772,871 |
| 7.41 | 46.85% | — | 14.42% | 130,913 |
Win rate and pick rate per patch window over all quality-filtered ranked matches; the newest patch accumulates matches for days after release — its row shows the current sample size.
Shadow Fiend counters & matchups
Shadow Fiend is a glass-cannon mid who stacks Necromastery souls for huge physical right-clicks and a triple Requiem of Souls nuke. He beats immobile, low-pressure mids: Timbersaw, Nature's Prophet and Tinker let him free-farm souls and out-damage them. He's hard-countered by heroes that punish his zero-escape frame: Wraith King and Spectre out-tank and walk him down, while Vengeful Spirit swaps and deletes him with negative armor. Draft tip: SF wants lane space into passive mids; never leave him without a save into a dive comp — he is one of the squishiest carries in the game.
Strong against
| Hero | Win Rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Timbersaw | 64.91% | 741 |
 Batrider | 60.61% | 231 |
 Gyrocopter | 58.37% | 490 |
 Storm Spirit | 58.17% | 1,095 |
 Nature's Prophet | 57.88% | 1,301 |
 Pangolier | 57.72% | 518 |
 Shadow Demon | 57.59% | 349 |
 Primal Beast | 57.50% | 593 |
Struggles against
| Hero | Win Rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Wraith King | 41.86% | 1,880 |
 Visage | 41.98% | 324 |
 Brewmaster | 43.17% | 278 |
 Outworld Destroyer | 44.80% | 1,038 |
 Arc Warden | 44.81% | 790 |
 Dawnbreaker | 44.91% | 1,659 |
 Sniper | 45.01% | 3,037 |
 Vengeful Spirit | 45.02% | 2,088 |
Shadow Fiend synergies
Shadow Fiend brings a massive AoE Requiem nuke and a powerful armor-reduction presence — he wants targets clumped and locked, plus a save for his fragile body. He pairs best with AoE setup and front line: Spectre and Wraith King hold the line while SF stacks souls, and Tidehunter Ravages a clumped team straight into a max-stack Requiem. Shadow Shaman and Legion Commander provide the single-target lock that lets SF safely cast. Give SF a frontline and a clump-and-stun, and his combo erases teamfights.
Best teammates
| Hero | Win Rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
 Meepo | 58.44% | 231 |
 Dazzle | 57.86% | 802 |
 Broodmother | 57.59% | 323 |
 Dragon Knight | 57.05% | 468 |
| Visage | 56.06% | 198 |
| Vengeful Spirit | 55.49% | 1,739 |
| Arc Warden | 55.38% | 390 |
 Legion Commander | 55.06% | 2,232 |
Data updated Aug 9, 2026.