Shinbi Build Guide

Table of Contents

1. TL;DR
2. Overview
   1. Strengths
   2. Weaknesses
3. Abilities Analysis
4. Deck Considerations
5. Deck Build #1
6. Deck Build #2
7. Deck Build #3
8. Gameplay
   1. Early Game
   2. Mid Game
   3. Late Game
   4. Tips and Tricks
9. Shinbi Counters
10. Shinbi Updates

TL;DR on Shinbi

In Omeda City, Shinbi is a famous pop star, well known for conjuring wolves and using them in her performances. In the battles of Agora, she is a deceptive melee assassin who uses her wolves to dazzle her enemies and rip them to shreds.

"Line Tempo" will summon a wolf that dashes in a straight line, dealing damage. This wolf passes through minions but will explode when it hits an enemy hero. "Line Tempo" will allow you to harass enemies at range, last hit and even chase down targets.

"Rushing Beat" is a short range dash that deals damage to all enemies in a line. Once used, you will have a small window to reactivate the ability to dash again. This is a great mobility tool that will allow you to reposition in teamfights, disengage fights, or close the gap to take down a target.

"Circle Rhythm" will deal damage in an area around you and will heal you as you damage targets. "Circle Rhythm" will allow you to sustain while you engage an enemy, but is also great for sustain in lane.

And finally, your ultimate is "All-Kill!". "All-Kill!" has both an active and a passive component. The passive will make your other abilities apply a wolf stack to your enemies. When activated, wolves are summoned to attack an enemy based on how many stacks they have.

Your ultimate can be triggered from anywhere, so you can engage, then disengage a fight and safely assassinate a target from range. Shinbi can very fluidly navigate teamfights, to isolate and take down high value targets. Though she is mobile, she is very susceptible to crowd control, so only go in when you’re sure you can get the kill. Look for opportunities to safely pick off enemies and always know your limit. Get ready to dazzle your audience with Shinbi.

Lore of Shinbi

• Connected to Kwang (go to Kwang Build Guide)
• Has difficulty hiring event staff due to wolf-related injuries
• Remixes and performs ancient songs, but saves her mother's favorite to herself
• Receives a simple protection charm on every birthday. Thinks it's from her sister.
• Read more Shinbi Lore.

Shinbi Overview

Shinbi's Strengths

1. Escape and engage capabilities with Rushing Beat.
2. Sustain bonus and good wave clear from Circle Rhythm.
3. Good Mana regen.

Shinbi's Weaknesses

1. Squishy.
2. Vulnerable to Crowd control (see point #1 above).
3. Special note: Shinbi is very loud while getting back to base.

Shinbi's Abilities Analysis

Cutting Edge

Melee basic attack dealing Basic Damage

Rushing Beat

Alternate Ability. Shinbi dashes forward passing through enemies and dealing Ability Damage, she can also re-trigger the ability within a short period of time to dash again.

At first it is a great engage and disengage tool. Unless you are stunned it will get you out of almost any bad situation. It is like Feng Mao's Reaping Dash, Crunch'es Forward Crunch, or Grux'es Charge but two times better. It is also close to Swarm of Morigesh since it also allows to go through enemies.

Similarly to all the other re-position abilities it ignores any Slow effects.

Rushing Beat is not a teleport so Dekker's Containment Fence will still be a problem

If you dash through an enemy Hero a Wolf Stack will be applied so if you feel safe you can use it like dashing back and forth to apply two more stacks.

Re-triggering. Rushing Beat can be re-triggered within a short period of time even if she was stunned after the first dash. The only thing matter is that CC expires before you re-trigger the ability.

Rushing Beat can potentially be used for wave clear especially when minions are running in a straight line but only in rare cases, e.g. you are to defend your tower or a core from a huge pack of minions. In all the other cases you want this ability to be ready to help you escape.

Note that in the majority of cases you will be using this ability not for dealing damage but for re-positioning or applying Wolf Stacks so once you have it upgraded to the first level you might be willing to postpone other upgrades until the very late game.

Rushing Beat helps Shinbi to be very elusive. When your enemies think they can gain on her, she dashes away. if possible try using this trick to bait opponents into a trap.

Line Tempo

Primary Ability. A Spirit Wolf is summoned and runs out in a straight line, passing through minions and dealing Ability Damage. The wolf explodes on contact with an enemy Hero.

Very good poking tool. It has a range slightly higher the the ranger's attack which combined with a very low cooldown makes Line Tempo very convenient for a melee hero like Shinbi.​

Applies one Wolf Stack per hit.

Circle Rhythm

Secondary Ability. Shinbi summons four Spirit Wolves that circle her for 4 seconds, which deal Ability Damage and heal Shinbi for each hit. Each hit restores Shinbi's Health for a fixed amount of HP and for a bonus amount based on your Power from cards. Can heal up to 4 times.

Circle Rhythm is an instant ability with a long lasting effect that can't be interrupted by Crowd Control. It does damage in AoE and heals Shinbi if there are enemies hit. Circle Rhythm requires position mastery to maximize damage and/or ensure all 4 stacks are applied to a target of your choice.

Sound cues. Circle Rhythm has a sound effect during entire duration and an additional cue when a Wolf Stack is applied.

Interaction with abilities. Circle Rhythm is not a channel ability, it does not prevent Shinbi from using other abilities. It also can't be interrupted by Stuns, Knockups, Roots and so on.

Using the ability. The main purpose of Circle Rhythm is to provide Shinbi with some sustain during a fight while also applying stacks for her ultimate. Since it is also an AoE damage, Circle Rhythm is a good wave clear tool especially in late game.

Combos. Circle Rhythm makes a good combo with an offensive Rushing Beat. The latter will keep Shinbi close to her target and will contribute to spplying damage and Wolf Stacks.

​All-Kill!

Ultimate Ability.
[Passive]: All of Shinbi’s abilities apply +1 Wolf Stack per hit to enemy heroes, building up to 8 stacks. Stacks last for a short period of time, and the duration resets when new stacks are applied.
[Active]: Shinbi summons a pack of Spirit Wolves to attack the closest target with the highest number of Wolf Stacks, sending one wolf for every stack. Each wolf deals Ability Damage.

Stacks are applied even while the Ultimate is on cooldown.

Shinbi can move while executing the ultimate.

Shinbi's Deck Considerations

Core Cards for Shinbi

Shinbi Deck Build #1

Explore Deck

Shinbi Deck Build #2

Explore Deck

Shinbi Deck Build #3

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Gameplay with Shinbi

Early Game

Early game is pretty standard and straightforward. Farm to level 5 and stay alive. Playing as a Midlaner ensure control over the River buffs to allow yourself join a gank on any of the side lanes. If playing in the jungle go into upgrading Circle Rhythm and clearing camp as quickly as you can. On timer join the contest of River Buffs as well to keep your Mana level in a good shape.

Mid Game

In team-fights your job is to pick off an enemy carry with low mobility. But be aware of any incoming CC. The best option is dueling since you can do two things at once: heal yourself and apply stacks to deal focused damage with your abilities followed up with your ultimate.

Farm as much as you can Shinbi's scaling factors are very good so the faster you get Card Points the better. Therefore balance opportunities of joining the team-fights and performing split-pushes. Communicate to your team what you are going to do.

Late Game

Be patient and choose your target carefully. Then use Rushing Beat to go in followed by Circle Rhythm to keep yourself healthy, do damage and apply Wolf stacks. Depending on how the team-fight goes follow up either with Line Tempos or with dashing back into safety with Rushing beat re-trigger. And finalize with All-Kill!

Tips and Tricks with Shinbi

• You can use your Rushing Beat to apply more Wolf Stacks to your opponent by dashing through him back and forth.
• Rushing Beat does not interrupt Circle Rhythm
• Prioritize Circle Rhythm if you decide go Jungling to increase your sustain and AOE damage to the Jungle camps.

Shinbi Counters

Shinbi is a very powerful hero especially in duels. She is also very good against compositions without or with very limited Crowd Control. So when countering Shinbi, try stunning or rooting her and then delivering a focused fire. However watch out if Shinbi has Unbroken Spirit.

Explore Shinbi Counters

Shinbi Updates

v40.0 (May-16 2017)

All-Kill!

• Shinbi can now move while casting.
• Wolf stack duration increased to 10 seconds from 7 seconds.

Rushing Beat

• Shinbi will no longer lose the ability to recast Rushing Beat after being Stunned or Silenced.

Line Tempo

• Projectile speed increased.

v38.3 (Mar-13 2017)

All-Kill!

• Base damage per wolf increased (47 / 61 / 74 → 55 / 80 / 105)