What players buy
The items bought most in each of Valve’s four game stages
Public matches · each item’s own count
1stMost bought
153 buys
2ndSecond most
103 buys
3rdThird most
92 buys
4thFourth most
86 buys
5thFifth most
63 buysBy GamGem ResearchLast updated 22 Sept 2026
Phoenix
Ranged · Strength
- Win rate
- 51.3%
- Pick share
- 0.5%
- Matches
- 231,145
- Patch
- 7.41f
Draft coverage
BringsSupportNukerInitiatorEscapeDisabler
NeedsCarryFrontlineTower damage
Recommendation
Pick
- The game is heading for 30–40 min — that is where this hero measures best, at 50.7% over 6,802 matches.
Avoid
- Keeper of the Light is on their side — this hero wins 34.1% of 88 matches against it.
- Juggernaut is on their side — this hero wins 38.1% of 147 matches against it.
- Bane is on their side — this hero wins 36.4% of 66 matches against it.
153 buys103 buys92 buys86 buys63 buys
Skill Order
Which ability to max first, and where each point goes — what most league players on Phoenix took at each level.
QIcarus Dive
Phoenix dives forward in an arc with a fixed distance in the targeted direction, dealing damage over time and slowing the movement speed of any units it comes into contact with, and then orbiting back to its original position.
Point Target · Magical damage
WFire Spirits
Summons 4 fire spirits that circle around Phoenix.
No Target · Instant Cast · Magical damage
ESun Ray
Phoenix expels a beam of light at the cost of its own health.
Point Target · Magical damage
RSupernova
The Phoenix willingly ends its current life for the chance to be reborn.
No Target · Magical damageMax Order
WEQ
Max W first, then E, then Q. Most took R at 6 / 13.
Level-up Order
- QIcarus Dive
- WFire Spirits
- ESun Ray
- RSupernova
- TTalent
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QIcarus Dive | Q | Q | Q | Q | ||||||||||||
| WFire Spirits | W | W | W | W | ||||||||||||
| ESun Ray | E | E | E | E | ||||||||||||
| RSupernova | R | R | ||||||||||||||
| TTalent | T | T |
Matchup map
How Phoenix performs against every opponent with 30 or more counted games
109 opponents · public matches40%60%Phoenix's win rate
≥ 60%Very favorable
55 – 60%Favorable
50 – 55%Even
45 – 50%Unfavorable
40 – 45%Hard
< 40%Very hard
If this happens, use this
- They are running away
Something that holds them still, or closes the gap yourself. Matched on “slow”, “stun”.
- I am being jumped
A way out, a way to shrug the debuff, or something to eat the burst. Matched on “dispel”.
- Kill them in one window
Damage that lands now rather than over a minute. Matched on “magical”, “damage over time”.
- Clear or push the wave
Creeps, summons and anything that hits a building. Matched on “summon”.
- Stay in lane
Healing, regeneration or lifesteal — not having to walk back. Matched on “heals”.
- Pressure their mana
Burn it, drain it, or take the spell away entirely. Matched on “mana”.
By medal
- Herald51.6%3,460
- Guardian51.8%13,695
- Crusader51.6%28,559
- Archon51.4%44,900
- Legend51.6%52,804
- Ancient51.3%40,041
- Divine50.9%32,115
One count per medal, not one rate split across them; a medal with no counted matches is left out.
By match length
- 0–20 min47.7%3,286
- 20–30 min48.7%9,403
- 30–40 min50.7%6,802
- 40–50 min49.8%2,689
- 50 min +49.0%1,151
Bands under 120 matches are absent rather than shown small.
Learning Phoenix
Abilities
Icarus Dive
Point Target · Magical damagePhoenix dives forward in an arc with a fixed distance in the targeted direction, dealing damage over time and slowing the movement speed of any units it comes into contact with, and then orbiting back to its original position. If Phoenix casts Supernova, the dive ends.
Fire Spirits
No Target · Instant Cast · Magical damageSummons 4 fire spirits that circle around Phoenix. Each spirit can be launched independently at a targeted area of effect. Affected enemy units take damage over time and have their attack speed greatly reduced.
Sun Ray
Point Target · Magical damagePhoenix expels a beam of light at the cost of its own health. The beam damages enemies and heals allies for a base amount plus a percentage of their health. The percentage increases as the beam continues to fire.
Dying Light
Passive · HiddenPhoenix deals 4% of its missing health as magic damage to all enemies in a 400 radius every second.
Supernova
No Target · Magical damageThe Phoenix willingly ends its current life for the chance to be reborn. Transforms into a burning sun that scorches enemies in a huge area. The sun can be destroyed by attacks from enemy Heroes. After 6 seconds the sun explodes, stunning all nearby enemies while restoring Phoenix to full health and mana with refreshed abilities. DISPEL TYPE: Strong Dispel
Base attributes
- Strength
- 23 +3.3
- Agility
- 12 +1.5
- Intelligence
- 16 +1.8
- Move · range
- 280 · 525
Talents
- 4+2 Supernova Hit Count+1000 Icarus Dive Cast Range
- 3+1.5% Max Health Sun Ray Damage+0.6s Supernova Stun Duration
- 2+20 Fire Spirits Damage Per Second+25 Health Regen
- 1+25% Icarus Dive Slow+1% Dying Light Missing Health as Damage
Aghanim’s Scepter
Changes Supernova
Increases number of attacks to destroy Supernova and allows Phoenix to cast Supernova on an allied hero, bringing both into the sun to be reborn together.
Aghanim’s Shard
Changes Sun Ray
Allows Sun Ray to be cast during Supernova, and slows affected enemies by 10%.
Sources
- Kit, talents and upgrades · mechanicalread 22 Sept 2026
Ability names, icons, behaviour, damage type and text, plus the Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard descriptions — as the game itself ships them. Nothing here was counted over matches.
- Win rate by medal · countedread 15 Sept 2026
The same hero at each of Valve’s eight medals, over 4,610,063 public matches. Each medal carries its own sample, because the eight buckets are nothing like the same size.
- Matchups and match length · counted, on a narrower windowread 16 Sept 2026
Win rate against each opponent and across five match-length bands. This channel reports far fewer games than the medal figures above: the median hero pairing is 51 matches and the largest on the whole roster is 707. Rows under 30 games are absent rather than shown small, and the ones that remain are ORDERED by a figure shrunk toward even by its own sample — the rate you see is the real one, the ranking is the careful one.
- What players build · countedread 15 Sept 2026
The five most common items in each of Valve’s four game stages, with each row’s own pick count.
- Skill order · counted, in league matchesread 3 Oct 2026
Where skill points go, read off every player's own learning order in premium and professional league matches on patches 7.41 and 7.40. Each level shows the ability most players took there and the share that did — a column only a third agree on is printed as a third, not as the rule. Heroes under 30 counted games show no path.
- Situation index · derived, and checkableread 22 Sept 2026
Each situation is a phrase match against Valve’s own ability text, and every row shows the phrases that matched. No win rate is attached, because nobody counts one per situation.
Mechanics are the ones Valve publishes for patch 7.41f. GamGem is not affiliated with or endorsed by Valve Corporation.