Rubick steals enemy spells and turns them back on their owners in Dota 2. He lifts targets with Telekinesis, shreds attack damage with Fade Bolt, and boosts cast range and spell power through Arcane Supremacy. His ultimate, Spell Steal, copies the last spell an enemy hero cast. With Aghanim’s Scepter, he can hold two stolen spells at once.

Rubick is classed as Support/Disabler/Nuker with high complexity. He shines when fights hinge on big abilities. If you enjoy outplaying opponents with timing and positioning, this hero fits you. Learn the best strategies, builds, and techniques in this Dota 2 Rubick Playbook to control every fight with precision and skill.

Core Kit, In Plain Terms

Telekinesis: Lift, Place, Stun

Telekinesis lifts a target, then slams them down to stun nearby enemies. The lift lasts up to 1.7 seconds at max level, followed by a 0.3-second travel and a stun that scales to 1.5 seconds (talent can extend lift/stun). Cooldown drops from 24 to 15 seconds as you level it. You decide the landing point with Telekinesis Land, so you can throw enemies backward, onto low ground, or into your team’s spells.

With Aghanim’s Shard, you can target yourself or allies, shorten the throw delay to 0.5 seconds, and extend throw distance. That turns Telekinesis into a mobility and save tool, not just a setup.

Key limitations:

• It does not pierce debuff immunity.
• Linken’s Sphere blocks it on the primary target.
• You cannot lift Roshan. He gets stunned for the lift duration instead.
• Casting it on targets in Black Hole, Chronosphere, or Duel wastes the spell.

Fade Bolt: Bounce Damage and Attack Reduction

Fade Bolt is a bouncing nuke with no bounce limit. Each bounce happens 0.25 seconds apart and lowers the spell’s current damage by 6%. The first hit is the strongest. At base, it deals 100/175/250/325 damage and reduces enemy attack damage by 5/15/25/35 for 10 seconds (a talent pushes the reduction higher). Cooldown scales down to 10 seconds. It’s great for cutting physical DPS during skirmishes and for safe wave clear.

Important details:

• It doesn’t hit invisible targets or units in fog.
• It never bounces to the same unit twice per cast.
• Linken’s Sphere blocks it only on the first target.

Arcane Supremacy: Reach and Power

Arcane Supremacy passively increases cast range by 60/120/180/240 and grants spell damage amplification of 14/18/22/26%. It also increases debuff duration from your stolen spells by level of Spell Steal. This means your disables last longer and your nukes hit harder. The reach boost also makes steals safer.

Spell Steal: The Signature

Spell Steal targets an enemy hero and copies the last spell they cast. The projectile travels at 1500 speed to you. You keep the spell for 180/240/300 seconds or until death. With Aghanim’s Scepter, cast range increases and you can hold two stolen spells.

Important boundaries:

• You cannot steal passives, item actives, or certain specific abilities listed in the hero notes.
• It is blocked by Linken’s Sphere and cannot be reflected.
• It only works on real heroes and clones—not illusions.
• Stolen spells use a fast 0.15-second cast point (unless flagged to keep their original).
• Your Scepter and Shard can upgrade stolen spells to their Scepter/Shard versions, even if the enemy doesn’t own those items.

Roles and When to Pick Rubick

Rubick works as a roaming or lane support who scales into a teamfight controller. He is not item-hungry early. He counters lineups that rely on one or two decisive spells—think arena-wide stuns, massive channeling ultimates, or long disables. When an enemy lineup shows Ravage, Black Hole, or Echo Slam, he becomes a threat from draft screen to throne.

Lane Phase: Simple Plans That Win

Open with health regen and mana (Tango, Salve, Clarity) and an Observer Ward. Use Telekinesis to punish oversteps. Fade Bolt weakens enemy trading by cutting their attack damage for 10 seconds. Don’t spam if it will shove the lane without payoff.

If you play mid, Fade Bolt doubles as lane control and harassment. Push waves before runes and force last hits under the enemy tower. You want level 6 early so Spell Steal comes online for rotations.

Positioning and Timing

Rubick dies fast if caught. Play just behind the frontline, using Arcane Supremacy range to stay safe. Watch cast animations. If you want a specific spell, anticipate when that hero usually casts it. Spell Steal has a short cast time and long reach, so you can grab key spells on reaction if you hold position and vision.

Telekinesis Land: Micro That Changes Fights

Telekinesis Land is where skill expression shows. Aim the landing spot to:

• Throw targets backward into hazards or allies.
• Split two enemies so your team can isolate one.
• Cliff a hero on high ground near river cliffs to remove them from play for seconds.

With Shard, lift an ally out of danger or extend their jump. The reduced delay makes these saves consistent.

Fade Bolt Use Cases

In ganks, hit the priority right-clicker first to reduce their damage. When defending towers, cast from max range to pull creep aggro and slow the push. When pushing, clear waves fast but watch your mana; Rubick’s early pool is limited.

Talent Notes That Matter

• Level 10: +150 Telekinesis landing damage or extra Fade Bolt reduction (-12% becomes a larger reduction via talent). Pick based on whether you need more control damage or more anti-DPS.
• Level 15: +0.4s Telekinesis lift/stun duration increases control and setup windows.
• Level 20: -4s Telekinesis cooldown keeps your primary setup ready more often.
• Level 25: +400 Telekinesis Land distance or +40% spell amp for stolen spells. Choose distance if positioning wins fights; choose amp if you plan to carry fights with high-impact nukes/ultimates you’ve stolen.

Items: What Builds Consistently Work

Early, you want Boots of Speed and Magic Wand for stats and instant resources. Arcane Boots keep your mana stable and can be disassembled later for Aether Lens. Lens pairs perfectly with Arcane Supremacy for reach and safety.

Blink Dagger is the most consistent mid-game spike. It fixes initiation and escape. Force Staff is a flexible alternative or follow-up for team saves and Linken’s breaks. Glimmer Cape helps you walk into range invisibly and protect channeling stolen spells.

Late, Eul’s Scepter gives mana regen, move speed, and a defensive or setup cyclone. Scythe of Vyse adds another hard disable. Refresher Orb is situational; buy it only if the enemy has a fight-deciding ultimate that you can reliably steal and cast twice.

Situational tools from the provided notes include Ghost Scepter versus physical cores, Solar Crest for ally buffing or enemy debuffing, Rod of Atos for long-range roots, and Pipe of Insight against heavy magic lineups.

One-Page Checklist (Quick Reference)

• Start: Regen + Clarity, Wand components, early Boots, ward mid-river or enemy jungle path.
• Aim: Level 6 timing into rotations; hold Spell Steal for key casts.
• Core: Arcane Boots → Aether Lens; Blink Dagger; Force Staff or Glimmer based on game.
• Fights: Stand back. Wait for the big spell. Steal instantly. Chain with Telekinesis.
• Shard/Scepter: Shard for ally saves and longer throws; Scepter to hold two steals and upgrade them.
• Talents: 15 for longer lift/stun; 20 for lower Telekinesis cooldown; 25 for stolen spell amp or throw distance.
• Map: Use Telekinesis Land to displace, cliff, or funnel enemies into your team’s area spells.

Matchups and Patterns You Can Exploit

Rubick’s ceiling rises with the enemy draft. If their plan relies on one spell to start or finish fights, you can break it. Lift the initiator, steal their follow-up, and turn the fight. If they hold a long channel, Glimmer or Eul’s yourself while channeling your stolen version to prevent interrupts.

When facing lineups without notable spells, focus on displacement and anti-DPS. Fade Bolt’s attack damage reduction and constant Telekinesis picks still win skirmishes and protect your cores.

Execution Tips for Common Situations

Ganking Side Lanes

Smoke with your offlaner or position four. Blink or walk in under Glimmer. Telekinesis first, then Telekinesis Land to throw the target toward your team. If the enemy support counter-stuns, steal their disable and chain it. Keep Fade Bolt for the carry if they depend on right-clicks.

Defending Towers

Cast Fade Bolt from max range to drag creeps off the tower and soften the push. Look for a lift on their frontliner to stall the dive. If they drop a big spell to force the tower, steal it and turn once your team arrives.

Roshan Fights

Hold high ground vision. If the enemy shows a teamfight ultimate near the pit, let them commit, then steal on reaction. Telekinesis can throw a hero out of the pit or over the wall, splitting the fight and buying time for reinforcements.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Over-spamming Fade Bolt and draining mana is the most frequent error. Don’t cast Telekinesis into ally skillshots without agreeing on landing direction. Don’t fish for steals on illusions; it wastes cooldown and mana. Avoid casting Telekinesis into abilities that make it fail (like targets in Black Hole, Chronosphere, or Duel).

Growth Path for Mastery

Start by landing safe Telekinesis setups and clean Fade Bolt harass. Then add geometry: throw enemies across ramps, into trees, or into allied circles. Next, practice timing on high-value steals. Push yourself to steal fast, cast fast, and immediately steal again if cooldown allows. As comfort grows, work in Shard saves and double-steal sequences with Scepter.

Why Rubick Stays Relevant

His numbers are steady, but his impact scales with your game knowledge. The more you understand enemy spells, the more value you extract. Even when patch notes shift cooldowns or ranges, his plan stays the same: position well, take the right spell, and use it better than its owner.

Final Takeaway

Rubick rewards clear reads and clean mechanics. Keep your distance, track key cooldowns, and let the enemy fire first. If you lift well and steal on time, your team plays every fight with their draft plus the opponent’s best tools—exactly how the Grand Magus likes it.

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