How to Use BKB in Dota 2 to Play Like a Pro

If you’ve played Dota 2 for any amount of time, you’re definitely familiar with the importance of the Black King Bar (BKB). But, despite being one of the most common items in the game, the BKB is also one of the most misunderstood and misused. This guide will cover how to use a BKB in Dota, when to buy it, how to use it in fights, and how to manage its crucial timings. 

What is BKB in Dota 2?

Black King Bar, often referred to as “BKB,” is a core item in Dota 2 that grants your hero temporary spell immunity through its active ability – Avatar. When activated, your hero becomes immune to most spells and disables for a duration that starts at 9 seconds, and decreases by 1 second with each use. It goes down to a minimum of 6 seconds. 

BKB Provides:

• +10 Strength
• +24 Damage
• Active: Avatar – Applies a Basic Dispel. Grants 60% Magic resistance and immunity to pure and reflected damage. For the duration of the effect, any negative effect from enemy spells has no effect.
• Cooldown: 95 seconds

What Spell Immunity Does

• Blocks most magic damage and disables.
• You are targetable by many common stuns, slows, silences, and roots, but most of them will have no effect on you.
• Certain spells in Dota 2 can pierce through spell immunity, meaning you can still get affected by them even while under BKB (e.g. Bane’s Fiend’s Grip, Magnus’ Reverse Polarity, and Legion Commander’s Duel).
• Does not block pure and physical damage.

Why BKB Is Important

In the mid and late game, teamfights often hinge on who can deal damage and survive disables. If you’re playing a hero that needs to right-click, channel, or initiate, getting disabled for even a second can mean you get chain stunned into certain death. BKB ensures you get to play your hero in the most crucial moments, which is why it is one of the most best items in Dota for carry heroes. 

When Should You Buy BKB in Dota 2?

BKB is one of the most impactful items in the game, but it’s crucial to understand when to buy it and which heroes benefit most from it. It’s also a timing tool, as buying it at the right moment lets you become the God of a fight while buying it too late can spell disaster. 

You can’t buy BKB too early in the game either. At 4050 gold, this isn’t the cheapest item and even the best farming heroes will need to wait until the mid game to be able to pick it up.

Ideal BKB Candidates

Though BKB typically doesn’t look bad on any hero, some heroes definitely benefit more from it. Generally, core heroes that need uninterrupted damage output, such as Phantom Assassin, Troll Warlord, or Sven, often prioritize it to ensure they can dish out damage without being controlled or bursted. 

In general, heroes that benefit most from BKB are those vulnerable to being kited, silenced, or quickly burst down. Another key factor is high-damage heroes that can unleash significant damage in just a few seconds – BKB provides the perfect window of protection for them to maximize their impact during that crucial timeframe.

Signs You Need a BKB

You will likely need a BKB if:

• The enemy team has lots of disable that can leave you chain stunned, or if they have heavy magic damage, that can kill you before you can effectively cast spells or attack.
• You are repeatedly dying in fights before you can use all of your abilities or items.
• Enemy supports have impactful disables like Lion’s Hex or Disruptor’s Static Storm that can shut you down.
• You are the highest net-worth hero on your team, and you can’t afford to get burst and die without getting anything off. 

A quick rule of thumb: if you find yourself thinking, “If I could have just gotten my spells off, we would have won this fight,” BKB is probably the answer, even if you’re a support hero!

Best Time to Use BKB in Fights

Timing is everything when it comes to BKB, making all the difference between an impactful use and a wasted one. Popping it too early may cause enemies to disengage and kite it out, while using it too late might mean that you’re already dead. 

Here are the main scenarios when using BKB is effective:

• When you see a great jump on a key target and know you can burst them down in seconds. 
• When an enemy stun is about to land on you, using BKB can help you counter-initiate or run away safely.
• When you need to channel your ultimate without getting interrupted.
• When you see no chance of a turnaround, BKB and teleporting back home can get you out of most situations (aka “The Nightfall”).

Remember, BKB doesn’t always need to be used offensively. While it’s often ideal for securing kills, sometimes the best use is simply surviving the enemy’s initial burst – buying enough time to turn the fight in your team’s favor.

If you notice yourself using BKB defensively almost every time, you need to re-evaluate your positioning or ask yourself why they’re always jumping you first!

BKB Timings: Power Spikes and Decline

BKB is strongest when first purchased, and its effectiveness declines every time you use it. There is also a key timing where the enemy time might not be aware that you’ve bought it yet.

But the length of the immunity duration decreases with each use. This decline means you should capitalize on your early usages, using your 9- and 8-second BKBs to win key fights that lead to objectives such as Roshan. 

Still, many players hesitate to use their 9- or 8-second BKB charges because they don’t want to “waste” them. However, playing it safe is often better than saving it for the “perfect” scenario that may never happen.

Using your first BKB charge to survive a gank or avoid a death can be far more impactful than holding onto a long-duration charge and losing both your hero and map control. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid

BKB can be a game-changing item, so here are some things you want to avoid doing:

1. Buying BKB too late: One of the biggest mistakes lower-ranked players make is delaying BKB until they’ve lost multiple fights. Some players get too greedy and focus on building more damage instead of BKB, and by the time they have it, the window for turning fights may have already been closed. 
2. Wasting early charges: While it’s better to use BKB than to die with it off cooldown, repeatedly popping it for minor threats can quickly reduce its duration. It’s very tricky, but you’ll get the hang of it by playing more. 
3. Overestimating its protection: Sure, BKB provides spell immunity, but it doesn’t provide invulnerability. BKB doesn’t block right-click damage, so heroes like Phantom Assassin or Troll Warlord will still deal full damage to you.
4. Lack of defensive items: Building upon the previous point, BKB alone isn’t always enough for cores that need defensive items. They might need additional ones to complement spell immunity, whether it’d be Linken’s Sphere or Assault Cuirass. 
5. Forgetting piercing A=abilities: Some abilities in Dota 2 bypass BKB (e.g., Beastmaster’s Primal Roar and Enigma’s Black Hole). Failing to respect these abilities can lead to overconfidence and potentially costly consequences, including death.

Hero-Specific Uses

Some heroes benefit from BKB far more than others. To give you a better understanding of when this item skins, let’s take a look at a few hero-specific examples.

Explosive Melee Carries

Carry heroes like Sven, Phantom Assassin, and Ursa excel at instantly deleting enemy supports or squishy cores. They typically preemptively pop BKB before blinking in, ensuring they can perform their complete burst without being interrupted. 

Channeling Ultimate Casters

Heroes like Shadow Fiend, Enigma, and Witch Doctor have impactful ultimates that need to be channeled. But their spells can be easily interrupted by stuns or silences. Popping BKB ensures they can complete their channeling without being interrupted. 

Blink Initiators

Heroes with abilities to initiate, such as Magnus, Mars, and Axe, are responsible for starting fights with their powerful area-control abilities. By activating BKB right after blinking in, they can ensure their initiation isn’t interrupted by stuns or silences, giving them a better chance to land stuns on multiple heroes. 

Elusive Heroes

Heroes like Storm Spirit, Ember Spirit, and Puck are notoriously hard to catch, as they have the mobility to make them slippery to catch. However, a single stun or silence connection can completely shut them down. BKB gives them the freedom to dish out damage without fear of instant disables, allowing them to reach full potential.

Fragile Ranged Cores

Heroes like Sniper, Drow Ranger, and Templar Assassin are high-damage ranged cores, but they lack natural durability. This makes them prime targets for enemy initiators to lock down. With BKB, these heroes can survive the initial burst and potentially turn the fight around.