Shadow Blade is an extremely popular item for public matchmaking games, mostly because of how unlikely your opponents are to buy detection. First, let’s take a look at the stats and item build up.

Recipe:

 + 
(1400) + (1600)

Total: 3000

Stats:
+30 Damage
+30 Attack Speed

Active:
Shadow Walk
Makes you invisible until the duration ends, or until you attack or cast a spell. While Shadow Walk is active, you move 20% faster and can move through units. If attacking to break the invisibility, you gain 150 bonus damage on that attack. Lasts 12 seconds.

The recipe is made up of some relatively cheap, strong stat items. It gives a bit of bonus damage and attack speed as well. However, as expected, the major draw of Shadow Blade is the active. You gain a brief invisibility and bonus move speed, but more importantly get bonus damage on your next attack. This is the most important part about the active and the item in general, and leads to the very important reason for buying it on any hero.

Shadow Blade offers an amazing initiation, and should be used as such. The cooldown is only 18 seconds, meaning that you can easily use it to escape AFTER you initiate with the bonus damage if you have proper positioning! Buying a Shadow Blade solely for escaping is, quite frankly, silly. In fact, it’s a pretty mediocre escape mechanism at best that is countered by very cheap detection items. The best part is the initiation, so use it!

Shadow Blade Users:

Sniper, Drow, Luna, Gyro, and Viper all fall into the category of relatively squishy agility damage dealers without escapes. Shadow Blade offers this escape possibility, on top of a bonus 150 damage strike for initiations. Drow and Viper can become rather potent gankers with a Shadow Blade, finding heroes alone and slowing them with their orb effects while dealing large amounts of damage. In addition, Luna is able to use the Shadow Blade active while her ultimate is being cast allowing her to not be focused for the duration of it, and can then pop-out with the extra damage for right click glaive throwing.

Kunkka has a much more unique interaction thanks to his tidebringer ability. The tidebringer splash damage will, in fact, splash the bonus 150 damage to everyone in the radius. Unfortunately, as of the recent patch which added Timbersaw, he is no longer able to have that extra 150 crit. With sufficient farm though he is still capable of one-shotting entire squishhy teams, and a bonus 150 damage to everyone is nothing to scoff at.

Shadow Fiend has one of the most interesting interactions with Shadow Blade, as he is able to channel the entire duration of his ultimate before popping out of the invisibility. This allows for some seriously scary magical damage if you position yourself properly on top of the enemy for the cast and have maximum souls stored up.

Unconventional Users:
Remember, every game of DotA is different, and sometimes you can really catch your opponents off guard with a good item pickup and give your team the advantage. These heroes aren’t necessarily the best Shadow Blade users, but given proper use and good timing the item can make a significant impact on your game.

Tidehunter, Earthshaker, Magnus, and Venomancer all have extremely positioning dependent ultimates. While a blink dagger is almost always a better option, sometimes a slightly cheaper build up is necessary to help turn the tides of fights earlier rather than later. Or, just get both and a force staff for maximum mobility.

Crystal Maiden, Witch Doctor, Warlock, and Nature’s Prophet all have channeling abilities. One of the greatest things about Shadow Blade is that you can cast it while in a channel! This means you can sit invisible while teleporting away as Nature’s Prophet or while destroying your opponents with a well placed Death Ward from Witch Doctor.

Dragon Knight and Alchemist have long duration stuns that can be used at range (for Dragon Knight, only when his ultimate form is active). A Shadow Blade pickup on these heroes can help catch someone off guard, and the added bonus of stats help out these heroes as well.

Vengeful Spirit also has a ranged stun, and her swap ability can sometimes put her right in the middle of the enemy team. A Shadow Blade can help initiate easier, or get her out of sticky situations.

Shadow Blade is a great item, sometimes gotten for all the wrong reasons. Remember to make use of the amazing initiation potential, and not to rely too much on the escape that is easily countered by 180g worth of Dust of Appearance. Don’t be afraid to experiment with it, but keep in mind your team and what’d be best for the game before making the decision to invest in one!