Overall Overview Guide for Heroes

[H3LL]

Mini-Guide For Every Hero!

This is Complete Mini Guide For Every DoTA Hero!

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How To Use This Guide

In order to find the Hero for whom you want more information, simply hit Ctrl+F. This will bring up a search window in your web browser. Then, type in the name of the Hero, and click "Find next". This should bring you to the Mini-Guide for that Hero. Do note that when I say name, I mean the actual name of the Hero, not the Hero's profession. For instance, for Anti-Mage you would type in "Magina"., for Witch Doctor you would type in "Vol'Jin", etc.

At the end of the guide, there is a brief miscellaneous section that explains certain items in more detail, gives some strategy advice that is alluded to in other sections of the guide, etc. This section is under construction, but should work fine for now to explain some things that I do not elaborate on in the Mini-Guides themselves.


Magina, the Anti-Mage

Skill Build:

1. Spell Shield
2. Blink
3. Mana Break
4. Mana Break
5. Mana Break
6. Mana Void
7. Mana Break
8. Spell Shield
9. Spell Shield
10. Spell Shield
11. Mana Void
12. Blink
13. Blink
14. Blink
15. Attribute Bonus
16. Mana Void
17-25. Attribute Bonus

Explanation of Skill Build:

1. Spell Shield is maximized before Blink. Most people don't wind up getting Spell Shield until Level 10, then 12-14; however, as the early game is dominated by spells, getting this skill is recommended even if you aren't against heavy nukers. Team battles will also begin occurring around Level 10, and Level 4 Spell Shield is a crucial part of Anti-Mage surviving long enough to do his part in them. Additional levels of Blink aren't needed until the mid game, where Anti-Mage turns from the prey for Intelligence Heroes to the predator. Chasing down Heroes in the early game with a low cooldown Blink is often suicidal, as Anti-Mage is weak before he gets his items and all towers are generally still up to protect the opponent. So one point in Blink is plenty for the Blink&Break tactic, escaping from sticky situations, and dodging spells.

Item Builld

Starting Items:

Chicken (225)
Ironwood Branch (57)

1. Ring of Regeneration (375)
2. Circlet of Nobility (185)
3. Gauntlets of Ogre Strength (150)
4. Gloves of Haste (610)
5. Hand of Midas (1000)
6. Boots of Speed (500)
7. Gloves of Haste (610)
8. Power Treads (420)
10. Mithril Hammer (1610) [sell Ironwood Branch]
11. Cranium Basher (1460)
12. Eaglehorn (3400)
13. Quarterstaff (1150) [sell Circlet of Nobility]
14. The Butterfly (1400)

Total: 13,032

Explanation of Item Build:

1. The only item in the build that is out of the ordinary is the Hand of Midas. Hand of Midas is a great item on Anti-Mage, as he meets all the requirements described in the Hand of Midas section of this guide (to read the Hand of Midas section, hit Ctrl+F and search for "* HoM" Take out the space between * and HoM). I will now go into further detail on how these requirements apply to the Anti-Mage:

A ) The Anti-Mage is not an early game dominance Hero. He gets stronger as the game progresses and opponents' mana pools increase, not weaker. He is also fairly fragile and not capable of doing much damage until he gets a few items. Therefore, he isn't in a rush to get his first item, like most early game Heroes are, and can afford the minor speed bump of Hand of Midas.

B ) The Anti-Mage benefits significantly from the increased attack speed of Hand of Midas. Since the damage per second caused by Feedback is based on how fast you attack, not on how much damage you do, any items that increase his attack speed are more than welcome.

C ) The Anti-Mage's mana pool will not be strained by the 75 mana requirement every 100 seconds. He has no farming spell that he wants to spam on every creep wave, nor does he have a nuke that he wants to cast every time he sees his opponent. Two of his skills are passive, and one of his skills only costs 60 mana.

In conclusion, Hand of Midas is an excellent first item on the Anti-Mage.

2. Everything else falls neatly into place after that. Upgrading Boots of Speed to Power Treads further increases the rate at which he burns his opponent's mana, and Cranium Basher is the next logical item to further capitalize on the Anti-Mage's fast attack speed. The Butterfly is the final item listed, but if the game continues, Buriza-do Kyanon or the usual Aegis of the Immortal/Divine Rapier combo are options.

Lane Choices: Do not request a solo lane with the Anti-Mage. Lacking range, nukes, and early game power, there is absolutely no reason to solo the Anti-Mage, and you will often wind up getting dominated in a 1v2 lane. Anti-Mage can also work quite well with partners, in fact most of his early game kills will come from getting help from his lane allies' disables, stuns, or slows. Avoid going to the middle lane if possible.

Final Words: As so many others have said before me, the Anti-Mage is weak early to mid game; many try to turn him into an early game assassin with Wraith Bands, and while that approach works well in the right games (offering him a nice HP boost for toe-to-toe early game fighting and IAS/Armor through the Agility), I believe that my build ultimately leads to a more well-rounded Hero. Though I am sure some may disagree with not getting any EHP items, Anti-Mage has arguably the best escape mechanism in the game in the form of Blink, and combined with his additional resistance against spells, he isn't in need of HP increasing items as much as other Agility Heroes such as Juggernaut, Moonrider, Vengeful Spirit, etc.


Mogul Kahn, the Axe

Skill Build:

1. Counter Helix
2. Battle Hunger
3. Battle Hunger
4. Berserker's Call
5. Battle Hunger
6. Culling Blade
7. Battle Hunger
8. Berserker's Call
9. Berserker's Call
10. Berserker's Call
11. Culling Blade
12. Counter Helix
13. Counter Helix
14. Counter Helix
15. Attribute Bonus
16. Culling Blade
17-25. Attribute Bonus

Explanation of Skill Build:

1. Battle Hunger over Berserker's Call. Most Axe guides split down the middle on this one. Some swear by the power of Berserker's Call+Counter Helix, stating that the Call is what allows Axe to get early game kills since he has no stun, disable, or slow. It is also what makes him such a great tank, so they get it early and then skip Battle Hunger in favor of Attribute Bonus. Others love the Battle Hunger, as it is the noob-killer extraordinaire: many DotA players can't get a last hit to save their lives. And, still others try to mix and mingle, getting a few points of Battle Hunger early, then switching to Berserker's Call, so as to give you an early game combo of Battle Hunger+Berserker's Call+Culling Blade. So who is right? Well, no one is clearly in the wrong, since there are definitely two distinct ways of playing Axe, but in my opinion, Battle Hunger first is the way to go.

Why? First, I will begin by comparing the two. Battle Hunger is a "nuke" of sorts, a DoT (damage over time) to be exact, and as with all nukes, it loses its power as the game goes on. So you either get it early, or you don't bother with it at all. Berserker's Call, on the other hand, retains its power throughout the game, and actually works better later in the game when there are more creeps to attract to you, and when most damage is done via Melee attacks instead of Spells, so the extra Armor plays much more of a role. But, the fact that Battle Hunger loses its power while Berserker's Call doesn't isn't a reason to get it over Berserker's Call if Berserker's Call is more effective in the early game.

Battle Hunger is an extremely powerful early game DoT, dealing a total of 150/225/400/625 damage per level. But, there's a catch, actually two, and they are the backbone of the argument against using Battle Hunger. The first one is the obvious, which is that the Battle Hunger is removed as soon as your opponent manages to kill a creep. This is what has given Battle Hunger the reputation of "Great against noobs, horrible against anyone who knows what a last hit is". But, with proper timing of the Battle Hunger between creep waves, and good denying skills yourself, Battle Hunger will nearly always deal its full damage. The second catch of Battle Hunger is that it does its damage over time, instead of all at once, meaning that your opponent often will not die close enough to you to give experience, or, worse, may be saved by a heal or make it to the safety of his fountain in time. Though this is true, and there is no way to counteract it, sending your opponent back to the fountain or into the arms (or lane) of someone who can heal him is often nearly as good as getting the kill. And in the cases where you are lucky enough to get the kill, it is better to have gotten a kill but not gotten any experience than to not get the kill at all.

Berserker's Call, on the other hand, is an easily dodgeable AoE which often leads to a suicidal approach to the early game since you don't yet have your Vanguard and other tanking items. Getting in close enough to get your Berserker's Call off is also extremely hard against ranged Heroes who know what you're up to. You'll often just wind up getting hit once or twice on your way up to them, and then they'll run back. And thus is the power of early game ranged Heroes. Also, most ranged Heroes are equipped with at least one nuke/disable, against which your Stout Shields, extra Armor, and Counter Helix do nothing. Though Melee Heroes are a different story, and Berserker's Call shines much more against them, you aren't superman this early in the game, and even with multiple Stout Shields, you may wind up coming out more damaged than they do, especially if their lane partner is an early game Hero or you don't proc many Counter Helixes.

Don't get me wrong though, Berserker's Call is an excellent skill which will be focused heavily on in this guide. I just feel that Battle Hunger, due in part to its ranged casting, is better for early game laning purposes.

2. Only one point in Counter Helix until Berserker's Call is maximized. This is probably the part of the skill build which will draw the most attention. Generally, either Berserker's Call/Counter Helix are the first skills taken with Axe, or Battle Hunger/Counter Helix. Axe's mana pool is especially small, and his base mana at Level 7 will only allow for 1 Battle Hunger and 1 Culling Blade, so it seems better to level his passive ability first, and then get Berserker's Call later when his mana constraints aren't so tight. In the meantime though, Counter Helix doesn't do all that much for you as a passive ability because almost all of the damage you take this early will be from either spells or ranged attacks; in fact, Counter Helix really doesn't start to shine until you have Berserker's Call and can actually force your opponent to stay and fight you. Therefore, Berserker's Call is levelled first, as with my item build you will have the mana necessary to pull off a deadly Battle Hunger+Berserker's Call+Culling Blade combo. So why bother with one point of Counter Helix? At least 1 level of Counter Helix is necessary to strengthen your Berserker's Call combo, and Counter Helix is taken as your first skill because not everything always goes according to plan in the early game. You will occasionally find yourself in the midst of a creep wave trying to get first blood, or running away from a Strength Hero and a few creeps that got the best of you, and in these situations, as well as countless others, Counter Helix can sometimes get a few lucky procs and wind up sending your opponent back to the fountain, or giving you just enough damage to get that first blood.

Item Build:

Starting Items:

None.

1. Ring of Health (875)
2. Sobi Mask (325)
3. Ring of Protection (175)
4. Ring of Basilius (0)
5. Boots of Speed (500)
6. Staff of Wizardry (1000)
7. Vitality Booster (1100)
8. Stout Shield (300)
9. Vanguard (0)
10. Belt of Giant Strength (450)
11. Necronmicon Level 1 (1300)
12. Blink Dagger (2150)
13. Plate Mail (1400)
14. Necronmicon Level 2 (1300)
15. Necronmicon Level 3 (1300)
16. Boots of Travel (2200)
17. Planeswalker's Cloak (650)
18. Aegis of the Immortal (2000)

Total: 17,025

Explanation of Item Build:

1. Axe is a tank, and the item build reflects that. However, unlike many other well-known tanks, such as Skeleton King, Pandaren Brewmaster, Leviathan, etc., Axe has no skills which increase his physical combat prowess. No Critical Strike, Lifesteal, or other passive abilities which make you want to get Increased Attack Speed items or Damage items. Therefore, no items like Satanic, Power Treads, etc. are included.

2. Necronmicon. Axe's mana is strained early in the game due to our neglecting to level his passive ability, leaving him with 3 active spells, all of which are required for his combo. Thus, Axe greatly benefits from the additional mana (and of course extra Strength) of Necronmicon. The extra mana is also necessary to support his Blink Dagger, which is the next item after Necronmicon Level 1 and will be discussed further below. Though Axe is not a damage dealer, Necronmicon works very well with his Berserker's Call, and is a great item for his team, providing Endurance Aura, mana burning other low Intelligence Heroes, and eventually giving Truesight.

3. Blink Dagger. Blink+Berserker's Call is not only a powerful ganking tool (especially when combined with Necronmicon), but also a great way to open team battles. It is essentially a 3 second disable on many Heroes that do most of their damage in team battles via spells, and serves the same purpose as Blink+Stomp.

Lane Choices: Do not request a solo lane with Axe. Without range, you are ill-equipped to handle yourself in many 1v1 lanes and in almost every 1v2 lane. As you are getting a Ring of Health as your first item, top lane for Sentinel and bottom lane for Scourge are preferred; however, you can also handle yourself fine in the middle lane if your team is lacking ranged Heroes due to your Ring of Health and ranged harassment spell.

Final Words: Remember above all else that Axe is a tank. Unlike other tanks, he actually has a way to make his opponents attack him, instead of ignoring him and heading straight for the weaklings. Therefore, do not hesitate to charge head first into the battle (as long as your allies are ready to be right behind you, of course!), and use your Berserker's Call to help your allies escape if need be. As a tank, you are able to withstand much more punishment than they are, so don't be the first one to flee from the battle when things start to turn sour. Chances are, you will make it away, but your allies won't.


Atropos, the Bane Elemental

Skill Build:

1. Brain Sap
2. Nightmare
3. Brain Sap
4. Nightmare
5. Brain Sap
6. Fiend's Grip
7. Brain Sap
8. Nightmare
9. Nightmare
10. Enfeeble
11. Fiend's Grip
12. Enfeeble
13. Enfeeble
14. Enfeeble
15. Attribute Bonus
16. Fiend's Grip
17-25. Attribute Bonus

Explanation of Skill Build:

1. Nightmare is the 2nd skill that you maximize. I wouldn't normally include this, but it seems many guides only get a point or two in Nightmare early on for its damage and escape uses. Nightmare is a great disable, and you pump it to Level 4 for the same reason you take Silence, Voodoo, and many other skills to their highest level: every second counts, and is worth a skill point. This seven second disable is what makes Bane Elemental one of the strongest disablers in the game, and the fact that you can cast Nightmare on yourself to give time for allies to catch up to you makes every extra second count.

2. Enfeeble vs. Attribute Bonus. Enfeeble is quite weak compared to Bane Elemental's other 3 spells, and the reason most people choose Attribute Bonuses over Enfeeble is that due to Bane's already low starting Intelligence and low Intelligence growth, they don't think his mana pool can support a 4th active spell. However, since the two core items in my build both give plenty of mana, and due to the high cooldown on all of Bane's skills, the mana requirement isn't an issue. But the core question still remains: is it even worth it? Even though the 80% damage reduction only affects base damage, this still significantly reduces the Damage Per Second (DPS) of many Agility Heroes, and some Strength Heroes as well. Consider, for example, a Level 14 Razor, whose base damage is 70-72. The Level 4 Enfeeble will shave off 56.8 damage from that, leaving him with a whopping 14.2 base damage. How does that affect his overall DPS? Well, Razor's first item is usually Radiance, so we'll say he has that at Level 14 in addition to a Broadsword and Blades of Attack (he's working on his Buriza!). Using diaz_leon's nifty easy DPS forumla, we can compare and contrast how much of an affect Enfeeble has on Razor's DPS. Here is the formula:

Assume your average damage is A;
Agility is B;
Bonus attack speed from items and skills is C;
Base Attack Speed is 1.7;
Your DPS will be (A)*(100+B+C)/170.

First, his DPS without Enfeeble:

A = (71 + 70 +18 + 9) The 71 is his base damage, the 70 is from Radiance, 18 from Broadsword, 9 from Blades of Attack
B = 54.5 (22+2.5*13) The 22 is his starting Agility, 2.5*13 represents his Agility gain over 13 Levels
C = 100 This is from Frenzy, his only attack speed modifier at this point.

DPS = 251.5

And now, an Enfeebled Razor:

A = 111.2 (14.2 + 70 + 18 + 9) The 14.2 is his base damage after Enfeeble, the 70 is from Radiance, 18 from Broadsword, 9 from Blades of Attack
B = 54.5 (22+2.5*13) The 22 is his starting Agility, 2.5*13 represents his Agility gain over 13 Levels
C = 100 This is from Frenzy, his only attack speed modifier at this point.

DPS = 166.5

This is an overall loss of 85 DPS, or cutting his total DPS by 33%. Not bad for 120 mana, and the example given here isn't that favorable. Enfeeble only gets better as the game goes on, and will show a larger affect on those Heroes who either get Attribute Bonuses early, or who get a significant amount of their damage from +Agility items like Wraith Bands/Yasha/The Butterfly or +Strength items like Bracers/Sange/Heart of Tarrasque. Also, the cooldown on Enfeeble is actually slightly shorter than its duration, meaning that you can keep it on a Hero for as long as you want provided that you have the mana. The negative HP regeneration of 4hp/sec, though somewhat insignificant, is icing on the cake.

Item Build:

Starting Items:

Chicken (225)
Clarity Potion (50)
Circlet of Nobility (185)
Ironwood Branch (57)

1. Staff of Wizardry (1000)
2. Boots of Speed (500)
3. Belt of Giant Strength (450)
4. Necronmicon Level 1 (1300)
5. Void Stone (900)
6. Staff of Wizardry (1000)
7. Robe of the Magi (450) [sell Ironwood Branch]
8. Eul's Scepter of Divinity (450)
9. Boots of Travel (2200)
10. Necronmicon Level 2 (1300)
11. Necronmicon Level 3 (1300)
12. Quarterstaff (1150)
13. Robe of the Magi (450)
14. Sobi Mask (325)
15. Oblivion Staff (0)
16. Guinsoo's Scythe of Vyse (450)

Total: 13,713

Explanation of Item Build:

1. Necronmicon is clearly the best item for Bane Elemental. Not only can Bane's early mana pool not support a silly item like Dagon, but Necronmicon has incredible synergy with Fiend's Grip, in addition to being a much better team support item and being worth upgrading throughout the game.

2. Eul's is also necessary for Bane Elemental, as he needs more mana and mana regeneration than what Necronmicon provides to support his 4 spells. It also further increases his role as a disabler in team battles, allowing him to potentially disable a total of 3 Heroes, and severely weaken a 4th via Enfeeble.

3. If the game continues, Effective Hit Point boosting items such as Plate Mail (and eventually Aegis of the Immortal), Point Booster/Skadi, and Soul Booster are recommended. Refresher Orb is an option as well, giving Bane Elemental something to do in battle after using all of his spells/item cooldowns.

Lane Choices: Insist that you be allowed to have a solo lane. Due to Bane's incredibly easy attack animation and high starting damage, denying and last hitting is a breeze. Bane Elemental can also heal himself, thus oftern turning the tables on 1v2 lanes with his powerful early game nuke/heal and extremely powerful Ultimate. At Level 6, the simple combination of Fiend's Grip+ Level 3 Brain Sap will deal 544 damage to a Hero after magic resistance. This is often enough to kill many Intelligence and Agility Heroes, especially if they are only Level 4 since they are in a 2v1 lane. It's really an almost certain death for ANY hero if they took a bit of damage from creeps and/or you were able to work in a Brain Sap earlier before your combo.

Final Words: Bane Elemental has a lot to do in team battles, so don't lose your head. Remember to summon your Necronmicon beforehand, then cast your Nightmare on any Hero that can stop you from channeling your Fiend's Grip, Enfeeble nearly any Agility Hero, use your Eul's/Guinsoo's, and then finally Fiend's Grip a low HP Hero.


Rexxar, the Beastmaster

Skill Build:

1. Wild Axes
2. Call of the Wild
3. Wild Axes
4. Call of the Wild
5. Wild Axes
6. Primal Roar
7. Wild Axes
8. Call of the Wild
9. Call of the Wild
10. Beast Rage
11. Primal Roar
12. Beast Rage
13. Beast Rage
14. Beast Rage
15. Attribute Bonus
16. Primal Roar
17-25. Attribute Bonus

Explanation of Skill Build:

1. No explanation is required. This order of skills is agreed upon by all to be the best way to build Rexxar.

Item Build:

Starting Items:

Chicken (225)
Ironwood Branch (57)
Ironwood Branch (57)

1. Ring of Regeneration (375)
2. Sobi Mask (325)
3. Ring of Protection (175)
4. Ring of Basilius (0)
5. Headdress of Rejuvenation (225)
6. Boots of Speed (500)
7. Staff of Wizardry (1000)
8. Belt of Giant Strength (450)
9. Necronmicon Level 1 (1300)
10. Helm of Iron Will (950)
11. Mask of Death (900)
12. Helm of the Dominator (0)
13. Gloves of Haste (610) [move Ironwood Branch to Chicken, do not sell it]
14. Power Treads (420)
15. Necronmicon Level 2 (1300)
16. Necronmicon Level 3 (1300)
17. Chainmail (620)
18. Netherezim Buckler (200)
19. Mekansm (900)
20. Messerchmidt's Reaver (3200)
21. Satanic (1100)

Total: 16,189

Explanation of Item Build:

1. Necronmicon. After noobasaurusREX's excellent guide on the Beastmaster, Necronmicon has become accepted as the best item for the Beastmaster. I will not explain it any further here.

2. One of the few things that differes between my item build and noobasaurusREX's is the order of items. I prefer a Staff of Wizardry early to allow the Beasmaster to cast his Wild Axes more often. I then also upgrade the Staff of Wizardry to a Necronmicon to strengthen the power of his Primal Roar+Wild Axes combo. The alternative is to get Helm of the Dominator earlier, but the 200 mana cost on it, while steep no matter the item build, is especially painful without the +15 Intelligence from Necronmicon Level 1. Finally, the Beastmaster's Ultimate gets much better once you have Necronmicon, so I want to obtain it as quickly as possible. I also prefer to play Rexxar as a tank, which is why I get Satanic earlier.

3. Mekansm? After upgrading Necronmicon to Level 3, the Beastmaster has spare mana to work with. Having already bought a Headdress of Rejuvenation earlier in the game, and with Chainmail being a nice item for any tank, Mekansm is a logical upgrade. It will also heal his summons and dominated creeps.

4. The rest of the item build is left open, and depends upon how the game is going, what your team is in need of, etc. The usual Aegis of the Immortal/Divine Rapier is a good choice, as are Cranium Basher and Radiance.

Lane Choices: Any lane works fine for Rexxar, just as long as he is not solo. Lacking range, he cannot handle himself well in a 1v2 lane, and will often find himself out harassed or out denied in 1v1 lanes. Wild Axes, while an extremely powerful early game harassment tool, generally won't net any kills without the help of an ally. Rexxar generally prefers a 2v2 lane, because the more targets there are for Wild Axes, the better; therefore, try to head to the bottom or middle lane on Sentinel, or the top or middle lane on Scourge.

Final Words: If you wish to learn to master Rexxar, noobasaurausREX's guide is an indispensible asset. Learning to use Wild Axes to their full effect is crucial to playing Rexxar well, and he will teach you how in his guide.


Strygwyr, the Bloodseeker

Item Build:

1. Blood Bath
2. Bloodrage
3. Blood Bath
4. Bloodrage
5. Bloodrage
6. Rupture
7. Bloodrage
8. Blood Bath
9. Blood Bath
10. Strygwyr's Thirst
11. Rupture
12. Strygwyr's Thirst
13. Strygwyr's Thirst
14. Strygwyr's Thirst
15. Attribute Bonus
16. Rupture
17-25. Attribute Bonus

Explanation of Skill Build:

1. Bloodrage is the first skill to be maximized as it provides a very large damage bonus and is the only thing that makes the Bloodseeker a threat other than his Rupture. Though this skill build seems extremely obvious to me, WidjayaMan is the only one who goes for Bloodrage and Blood Bath early. Bloodrage also works perfectly with Rupture for an early game combo, while Strygwyr's Thirst does not. If you level Strygwyr's Thirst and neglect Bloodrage early, you may often find a Ruptured Hero merely standing still and fighting you, and Strygwyr's Thirst does not help you at all there.

2. Strygwyr's Thirst comes later. There is no need for Strygwyr's Thirst in the early game, as you won't be able to chase your opponents very far at all due to towers. Also, Bloodseeker, like so many other Agility Heroes, is quite weak early until he gets his items anyways, and has to rely solely on Rupture + a few hits while Bloodraged to get early game kills.

Item Build:

Starting Items:

Chicken (225)
Ironwood Branch (57)

[1. Ring of Regeneration (375) - optional, recommended for non-experts]
1. Circlet of Nobility (185)
2. Circlet of Nobility (185)
3. Gloves of Haste (610)
4. Hand of Midas (1000)
5. Boots of Speed (500)
6. Gloves of Haste (610) [sell Ironwood Branch]
7. Power Treads (420)
8. Blade of Alacrity (1000)
9. Boots of Elvenskin (450) [sell Circlet of Nobility]
10. Yasha (600)
11. Blade of Alacrity (1000)
12. Robe of the Magi (450) [sell Circlet of Nobility]
13. Diffusal Blade (1550)
14. Eaglehorn (3400)
15. Quarterstaff (1150) [sell Ring of Regeneration]
16. The Butterfly (1400)
17. Vitality Booster (1100)
18. Manta Style (1400)

Total: 17,268

Explanation of Item Build:

1. Ring of Regeneration is an optional item. Upon arriving at your lane, take a look at your lane opponents and determine whether or not you will be able to last hit creeps and regenerate your Hit Points via Blood Bath. As a rule of thumb, if there are any ranged Heroes in your lane, or the Melee hero(es) in your lane have powerful stuns or combinations that will keep you away from the creeps (such as Centaur Warchief's Hoof Stomp), then play it safe and grab a Ring of Regeneration. If the opposing Heroes are about as weak as you are early (for instance, you are vs. Stealth Assassin and Treant Protector), then you can skip the Ring of Regeneration.

2. I again agree with WidjayaMan's build of Hand of Midas first, albeit mainly because Bloodseeker meets all the requirements described in the Hand of Midas section of this guide (to read the Hand of Midas section, hit Ctrl+F and search for "* HoM" Take out the space between * and HoM), though the added benefit that Hand of Midas works with Blood Bath is definitely icing on the cake. I will now go into further detail on how these requirements apply the Bloodseeker:

A ) Bloodseeker is not an early game dominance Hero. His main damage skill, Bloodrage, increases in power as the game progresses, and Strygwyr's Thirst also does not begin to get powerful until Bloodseeker has built up several items, and it is his opponents who run from him, not the other way around.

B ) Bloodseeker benefits significantly from the extra attack speed offered by Hand of Midas. With his damage nearly doubled by Bloodrage, the best way to increase his DPS is to increase his attack speed.

C ) Bloodseeker's mana pool will not be strained by the 75 mana requirement every 100 seconds. Lacking any nukes that he wants to spam while in lane, and with a passive skill learned early, Bloodseeker has the spare mana to use Hand of Midas. His combo at Level 7 costs 290 mana, and his base mana at that level is 364.

3. Agility is by far the best stat for Bloodseeker. Because his Bloodrage increases only his base damage, and base damage can only be increased via direct +Agility items, the Bloodseeker is not that interested in traditional +damage items such as Monkey King Bar or Radiance. Just as every point of Agility for Stealth Assassin is worth 2 points of damage (1 damage from the natural +1 damage from getting +1 Agility, and 1 from his Backstab), so, too, is every point of Agility worth 1.8 damage for the Bloodseeker (1 damage from the natural +1 damage from getting +1 Agility, and .8 damage from Bloodrage). The Bloodseeker's "thirst" for Agility is reflected in the item build, with a quick rush to The Butterfly after completing a Yasha.

4. Diffusal Blade and Manta Style. Feedback is the perfect Orb effect for Bloodseeker, as the items he goes for naturally give him a very fast attack speed. Though Purge has a negative synergy with Rupture, and Bloodseeker is already very good at chasing down fleeing Heroes, the many uses of Purge still make it an awesome asset for any team battles. And, just as Diffusal Blade is a great item for Bloodseeker due to his item build, so, too, is Manta Style. Again, there is a bit of negative synergy with Images and Bloodseeker, as his Bloodrage will clearly give away the real Bloodseeker, but nevertheless Manta Style still greatly increases Bloodseeker's overall damage output. You can also use the Manta Style even while you are Bloodraged, and though it will cancel the Bloodrage, this can be useful should you be focused on too heavily.

Lane Choices: Do not request a solo lane with Bloodseeker. Like nearly all melee Agility Heroes, he is weak early game and cannot handle 1v2 lanes, and struggles in many 1v1 lanes. Avoid going to the middle lane, as your main early game skill requires that you be able to last hit creeps to regenerate hit points. The top or bottom lane will be fine for him on either side, so long as he is not solo.

Final Words: Agility, Agility, and more Agility is the key to success with Bloodseeker. Read WidjayaMan's guide for many insightful tips on how to use all of Bloodseeker's skills to their best effect.


Bone Clinkz, the Bone Fletcher

Skill Build:

1. Searing Arrows
2. Windwalk
3. Searing Arrows
4. Strafe
5. Searing Arrows
6. Strafe
7. Searing Arrows
8. Strafe
9. Strafe
10. Windwalk
11. Windwalk
12. Windwalk
13. Death Pact
14. Death Pact
15. Attribute Bonus
16. Death Pact
17-25. Attribute Bonus

Explanation of Skill Build:

1. Death Pact early. The only questionable part of this build is the decision to have Level 3 Death Pact upon reaching Level 16. Most tend to skip it in favor of Attribute Bonus, as the mana requirement is very steep for the Bone Fletcher, who already has 3 other spells and a low mana pool. However, my item build will include items that increase the Bone Fletcher's very strained mana pool so that the Bone Fletcher can actually cast his Ultimate.

Item Build:

Starting Items:

Ring of Regeneration (375)
Ironwood Branch (57)
Ironwood Branch (57)

1. Demon Edge (2600)
2. Boots of Speed (500)
3. Quarterstaff (1150)
4. Monkey King Bar (1650)
5. Point Booster (1200)
6. Ultimate Orb (2300)
7. Ultimate Orb (2300)
8. Eye of Skadi (1250)
9. Boots of Travel (2200)


Total: 15,639

Explanation of Item Build:

1. Eye of Skadi. Since Monkey King Bar is nearly universally agreed upon to be the best first item for the Bone Fletcher, the only question is what item to get next. One of my favorite builds on him is the "Bar" build, which follows up the Monkey King Bar with a Black King Bar. In any serious game, and even many public games, the Bone Fletcher's survivability issue must be addressed, as inevitably, either through Necronmicon Level 3 or a Gem of Truesight, his Windwalk will no longer be enough to keep him alive. Black King Bar, in addition to keeping him from being nuked/disabled out of existence in team battles, also gives him a small, but needed, Hit Point boost, and of course the Avatar ability greatly increases his survivability. However, there is one large problem with the "Bar" build, which is that the Bone Fletcher's mana pool is already overtaxed, and the 150 mana cost to use Black King Bar is difficult to scrounge up. The "Bar" build also does not address his mana issue.

Enter Eye of Skadi. With 3 spells and an expensive Ultimate that has only a 20 second cooldown, the Bone Fletcher, even at Level 25, can always make use of the extra mana from the 25 Intelligence. The 25 Strength gives him the survivability that he desperately needs once his opponents have Truesight. And of course, like any Agility Hero, the 25 Agility is put to good use. Point Booster is also a great item with which to follow up Monkey King Bar, as the Bone Fletcher's mana is especially strained before he starts getting Attribute Bonuses. And, finally, the Cold Attack Orb effect given by Eye of Skadi is the only Orb which stacks perfectly with his Searing Arrows, and it also happens to fit his skills perfectly. Though in most clan matches and serious games, the slow effect isn't necessary, it is always helpful for a Hero who does a ton of damage but lacks any slow, disable, or stun.

2. Boots of Travel. Power Treads, as tempting as they may be to acquire for any Hero whose damage comes mainly from their physical attack, are not necessary on the Bone Fletcher. His Strafe provides him with an additional 80% Increased Attack Speed, and Monkey King Bar also increases his Attack Speed by 15%. Boots of Travel are therefore the preferred upgrade.

3. The rest of the item build is left open and will depend upon how the game is going. Aegis/Rapier is common and recommended if you are in a position to be able to afford it. Buriza-do Kyanon and The Butterfly are also options.

Lane Choices: The Bone Fletcher is more capable of handling a solo lane than most Heroes, due to his ranged harassment spell and Windwalk; however, he will not be able to dominate 1v2 lanes the way many other Heroes can, and is in no rush to level up. If no powerful solo Heroes such as Bane Elemental, Netherdrake, Shadow Fiend, etc. are present, request to solo the Top lane for Sentinel, or the Bottom lane for Scourge. The reason these lanes are preferred is that you are more likely to wind up in a 1v1 lane, which the Bone Fletcher would prefer. 1v1 lanes often turn into last hitting wars with some harassment, a game at which Searing Arrows will often give you the upper hand. Ultimately, solo or not, the Bone Fletcher is well-equipped to handle himself in any lane, including the middle.

Final Words: Like many other Agility Heroes, the Bone Fletcher is weak early, and somewhat useless until he gets his first one or two items. Focus on getting your Demon Edge first, and with Windwalk, you shouldn't suffer any deaths in the process. Once you have your Monkey King Bar, you will be well on the road to victory.

[H3LL]

Nessaj, the Chaos Knight

Skill Build:

1. Chaos Bolt
2. Blink Strike
3. Chaos Bolt
4. Blink Strike
5. Chaos Bolt
6. Blink Strike
7. Blink Strike
8. Chaos Bolt
9. Phantasm
10. Critical Strike
11. Phantasm
12. Critical Strike
13. Critical Strike
14. Critical Strike
15. Attribute Bonus
16. Phantasm
17-25. Attribute Bonus

Explanation of Skill Build:

1. No explanation is necessary. Though many guides have been written on the Chaos Knight, the only one here at DotAPortal.com and only one linked to is the one that got the amazingly easy build down right. The only difference in diaz_leon's skill build and mine is that I get Phantasm at Level 9, and Critical Strike at Level 10, instead of the inverse. The reason is that Phantasm, though not powerful until it is Level 2, you have Critical Strike maximized, and you have Diffusal Blade to go with it, is still useful for escaping, removing debuffs, and occasionally getting a kill with the help of your allies.

Item Build:

Starting Items:

Chicken (225)

1. Ring of Regeneration (375)
2. Circlet of Nobility (185)
3. Boots of Speed (500)
4. Mantle of Intelligence (150)
5. Robe of the Magi (450)
6. Blade of Alacrity (1000)
7. Diffusal Blade (1550)
8. Null Talisman (175)
9. Vitality Booster (1100)
10. Vitality Booster (1100)
11. Manta Style (1400)
12. Messerchmidt's Reaver (3200)
13. Heart of Tarrasque (1200)
14. Boots of Travel (2200)

Total: 14,810

Explanation of Item Build:

1. Again, this amazingly simple item build is only correctly shown in diaz_leon's guide. Our guides again differ only minorly: I choose to get only 1 Null Talisman, while he goes for 2. The Chaos Knight, like nearly all Heroes, has a slight mana problem early, which reaches its peak at Level 11, and then eases as the game gets to the mid to late game. The main item that the Chaos Knight yearns for is the Diffusal Blade, for the many reasons discussed in diaz_leon's guide and more (I love Purge!), and that item just so happens to come with +6 Intelligence. Combined with +6 Intelligence from a Null Talisman, this gives the Chaos Knight 520 mana at Level 11, which is enough for his Ultimate, a Chaos Bolt, and 2 Blink Strikes. The 2nd Null Talisman only delays the Chaos Knight from getting his all important Diffusal Blade, and thus is skipped.

2. After the Boots of Travel, Aegis/Rapier or Radiance are recommended; though they do not improve his images any further, if the game is still going at that point, then your Images probably just aren't getting the job done.

Lane Choices: Do not take a solo lane with the Chaos Knight. Because of his stun, Chaos Knight works well with an ally, and in most 1v1 or 1v2 lanes, the Chaos Knight will just be out-farmed and harassed heavily. He is also in no rush to use his Ultimate to decimate an opponent, like many good solo lane Heroes are. The Chaos Knight can handle himself decently in the middle lane if need be, but the top or bottom lanes are preferred.

Final Words: As diaz_leon said in the closing of his Chaos Knight guide, not much creativity is allowed for the Chaos Knight, because his skill build is nearly unquestionable. His item build also does not leave many choices, because there are only so many ways to buff images, especially for a Strength Hero (multiple Sanges not being possible like multiple Yashas because of their orb effect, and Satanic also having an orb effect, unlike The Butterfly). As with most Image Heroes, Chaos Knight is an excellent late gamer, just be sure to get that Diffusal Blade as soon as possible, because it opens up a whole world of possibilities for the Chaos Knight, as well as allowing him to contribute to team battles.


Rylai Crestfall, the Crystal Maiden

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Skill Build:

1. Frostbite
2. Frost Nova
3. Frostbite
4. Frost Nova
5. Frostbite
6. Freezing Field
7. Frostbite
8. Frost Nova
9. Frost Nova
10. Brilliance Aura
11. Freezing Field
12. Brilliance Aura
13. Brilliance Aura
14. Brilliance Aura
15. Attribute Bonus
16. Freezing Field
17-25. Attribute Bonus

1. The only questionable decision is Brilliance Aura over Attribute Bonuses. Most claim that Brilliance Aura is not worth learning because of Ring of Basilius; for 500g, you get half of the Crystal Maiden's Brilliance Aura, in addition to providing a +3 Armor Devotion Aura and +6 Damage. So why get Brilliance Aura then? The answer is that Attribute Bonuses are not worth much to the Crystal Maiden beyond the early game, whereas the 500g you earn from not buying Basilius or other mana regeneration items is. In general, skill points are far more valuable than gold; for example, Dragon Knight's Dragon Blood skill adds 4 Hit Points/second regeneration, which is worth approximately the price of two Rings of Regeneration (or a Ring of Health, to be generous), and thus the skill is rarely gotten. However, since the Crystal Maiden's skill is beneficial to the entire team, it is worth looking into.

To examine this in further detail, let's try to assign a monetary value to the skill Attribute Bonus (just as we would assign a monetary value to Dragon Knight's passive skill Dragon Blood, which provides up to 4 HP/sec regeneration). We'll be generous and compare it to the highest gold-per-point attribute item, the Ultimate Orb. At 2300 Gold, you get approximately 1 stat bonus per 230 gold, or 2 points for an Attribute Bonus. So your options are getting either 4 Levels of Attribute Bonuses, "worth" a whopping 1840 Gold, then using that 1840 gold you saved by getting Stats over Brilliance Aura and buy a Ring of Basilius for 500g that provides approximately the same mana regeneration as 2 points of Brilliance Aura in addition to providing a Devotion Aura and +6 Damage. This looks rather grim, and is the main reason why Brilliance Aura is skipped.

But let's look a little deeper. The +4 Agility obtained from 2 Levels of Attribute Bonus is nearly negligible for the Crystal Maiden. She does not need the extra Armor as she should rarely be the target of physical attacks, and won't survive them for very long if she is. Nor is the extra attack speed at all beneficial for a Hero who relies exclusively on her spells to deal damage. The +4 Intelligence is again not very useful for the Crystal Maiden, as she already has high Intelligence growth, coming in 10th place for most Intelligent Hero in the game. The 4 Strength provides a small HP boost of 76 HP, and is certainly useful, but my item build already gives the Maiden plenty of Hit Points as will be seen soon. Despite all of this, Attribute Bonuses + Ring of Basilius still seems attractive (other mana regeneration items will not be discussed here, because they do not provide the helpful Brilliance Aura to all of your teammates), especially as the 2 Levels of Attribute Bonuses are "worth" 920 gold, plenty to buy a Ring of Basilius and have some left over. But, let's examine the remaining two points of Attribute Bonuses chosen over 2 levels of Brilliance Aura. Again, you are getting the same deal on the Attribute Bonus side; 4 Agility, 4 Intelligence, and 4 Strength, worth 920 gold. But, the 3rd and 4th Levels of Brilliance Aura over double the amount of mana regeneration offered by Ring of Basilius, and cannot be replaced by a 2nd Ring of Basilius, or anything else for that matter. This 1.33 mana/second regeneration is an indespensible asset to your allies, especially those who have mana problems. It will perhaps allow for additional spells to be cast in battle, and will allow much quicker recoveries after winning battles for counter pushes. There are numerous ways that Brilliance Aura contributes to your team, and I won't go into any more detail on the matter here.

Item Build:

Starting Items:

Chicken (225)
Flask of Sapphire Water (100)
Clarity Potion (50)

1. Circlet of Nobility (185)
2. Circlet of Nobility (185)
3. Mantle of Intelligence (150)
4. Mantle of Intelligence (150)
5. Boots of Speed (500)
6. Null Talisman (175)
7. Null Talisman (175)
8. Point Booster (1200)
9. Energy Booster (1000)
10. Vitality Booster (1100)
11. Soul Booster (0)
12. Ogre Axe (1000)
13. Broadsword (1200)
14. Black King Bar (1600)
15. Mystic Staff (2900)
16. Aghanim's Scepter (0)
17. Blink Dagger (2150)
18. Boots of Travel (2200)

Total: 16,245

Explanation of Item Build:

1. Two Null Talismans early. Despite having high Intelligence growth, the Crystal Maiden has a mana problem from the early to mid game which stems from her low starting Intelligence and having two spammable spells plus an expensive Ultimate.

2. Aghanim's Scepter/Black King Bar. In team battles, Crystal Maiden has one mission, and that is to do as much damage as possible with her extremely powerful Ultimate, Freezing Field. By far one of the most devastating Ultimates in the game, her entire item build is based around both ensuring the Freezing Field goes off, and that she survives to cast for its full duration of 3 seconds. Every item serves to accomplish this purpose, by giving her either more Hit Points or the Avatar ability. Assuming you agree that Freezing Field is her top priority, the item build falls together perfectly. Soul Booster is a great early game item for any Intelligence Hero, Black King Bar gives her more hit points and Avatar, Aghanim's Scepter is worth getting because the Crystal Maiden's game is based entirely around her Ultimate, and finally Mekansm provides a nice EHP boost with Chainmail, as well as supporting the team with its 250 Hit Point heal/armor bonus. Boots of Travel are the logical upgrade to Boots of Speed.

2. The rest of the build is left open. If feeding items is legal in your games, then buy items for someone else. Otherwise, Blink Dagger and Necronmicon are both good choices.

Lane Choices: Request a solo lane with the Crystal Maiden. Though she works well with allies and does great in any lane, a solo lane is preferred because of her ability to not only handle a 1v2 lane, but to often turn the tables, especially if the lane has even 1 semi-weak early game Hero, and dominate a 1v2 lane. Her range allows her to last hit and deny assuming you know her attack animation well (it is rather difficult to master, as her projectile speed is only 900, the slowest in the game [though shared by many other ranged Heroes]), and at Level 6 Frostbite+Freezing Field will nearly always kill weak Agility/Intelligence Heroes that are Level 4, assuming you can get close enough.

Final Words: The Crystal Maiden is a force to be reckoned with early due to her nasty Frostbite+Frost Nova combo, but she is also a key player in team battles throghout the game because of her extremely powerful (imbalanced? at least in AR games) Ultimate.


Krobelus, the Death Prophet

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Skill Build:

1. Carrion Swarm
2. Witchcraft
3. Carrion Swarm
4. Silence
5. Carrion Swarm
6. Witchcraft
7. Carrion Swarm
8. Witchcraft
9. Witchcraft
10. Exorcism
11. Exorcism
12. Silence
13. Silence
14. Silence
15. Attribute Bonus
16. Exorcism
17-25. Attribute Bonus

Explanation of Skill Build:

1. No explanation is required. This is the typical Death Prophet build.

Item Build:

Starting Items:

Chicken (225)
Ironwood Branch (57)
Ironwood Branch (57)

1. Ring of Regeneration (375)
2. Headdress of Rejuvenation (225) [complete later if solo]
3. Robe of the Magi (450)
4. Boots of Speed (500)
5. Void Stone (900)
6. Staff of Wizardry (1000)
7. Eul's Scepter of Divinity (450)
8. Chainmail (620)
9. Netherezim Buckler (200)
10. Mekansm (900)
11. Boots of Travel (2200)
12. Quarterstaff (1150)
13. Robe of the Magi (450)
14. Sobi Mask (325)
15. Oblivion Staff (0)
16. Guinsoo's Scythe of Vyse (450)

Total: 10,034

Explanation of Item Build:

1. Pretty much the exact same build as Cheese Elemental. Refer to his guide for the reasoning behind Eul's Scepter of Divinity and Mekansm.

2. Boots of Travel are obtained next because the Death Prophet, with her powerful Exorcism against Towers and low cooldown, high damage AoE nuke, is a great pusher. They are also the best upgrade from Boots of Travel for most Intelligence Heroes.

3. Guinsoo's is the final item listed, as it is a great upgrade to Eul's, and fits the Death Prophet's role as a team support hero perfectly. Options after the Guinsoo's are feeding your teammates items if that is allowed, Necronmicon, or getting an Aegis/Rapier yourself, which isn't too difficult with such a powerful farmer/tower pusher.

Lane Choices: Request a solo lane with the Death Prophet, as she is quite capable of handling herself in a 1v2 lane. Though kills aren't as likely as with more powerful solo Heroes such as Bane Elemental, Netherdrake, etc., she can harass two enemy Heroes very well, and thus prefers either a 1v2 or 2v2 lane. Therefore, head to the bottom or middle lane for Sentinel, and top or middle lane for Scourge.

Final Words: Cheese Elemental's guide is the best resource for an aspiring Death Prophet player, and I suggest checking out his guide if you're interested in learning the nuances of her.


Lion, the Demon Witch

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Skill Build:

1. Impale
2. Mana Drain
3. Impale
4. Mana Drain
5. Impale
6. Finger of Death
7. Impale
8. Voodoo
9. Voodoo
10. Voodoo
11. Finger of Death
12. Voodoo
13. Mana Drain
14. Mana Drain
15. Attribute Bonus
16. Finger of Death
17-25. Attribute Bonus

Explanation of Skill Build:

1. Mana Drain gets 2 points for early game laning purp