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[G] 5-s' 30 second guide to every hero

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5-s
Profile Joined June 2010
United States1674 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-12-28 21:57:48
December 27 2011 05:35 GMT
#1
In short, I wrote a guide on every hero in dota about 2 years ago. That guide is now horribly outdated, but with the arrival of many new players to Dota 2, a short build + tips guide on ever hero seems more useful now then ever. I present, 5-s' 30 second guide to every hero. This is not meant to be exhaustive, obviously, and suggestions are certainly welcome.

The format is as follows:
Hero Name the Hero Title

Which lane / role is recommended. (I will use the terms short or long name to refer to the bottom / top lane for the radiant, and the opposite for dire).
How to skill the hero
Boot Type
Core Items (usually only 2-3)

My hope is that people can just control + f on a new hero they haven't used before, and read in 30 seconds the build they need. Hope it's useful!

+ Show Spoiler [Strength Heroes] +
Kunkka the Admiral
Solo mid, or dual/trilane with stunners
Max tidebringer by lvl 7, 3 levels of torrent by lvl 8, 2 levels of x by 10 (to be able to do your x + torrent combo sooner), then finish off torrent at 12
Phase Boots
Invisibility Sword, battlefury

Rexxar the Beastmaster
Solo mid
Max call of the wild first, axes second. Some people get one point of inner beast at 4.
Treads or phase
Blink, Gem, Necronomicon, sometimes vanguard

Bradwarden the Centaur Warchief
Solo mid, jungle (requires pulling), or dual/trilane
One point in return by level 4, max hoof stomp, then double edge
Phase
Hood (pipe), Blink Dagger

Raigor Stonehoof the Earthshaker
Dual/trilane, or full time roaming
Max fissure, then aftershock, with one point in enchant totem at lvl 4
Arcane Boots
Soul Ring, Blink Dagger

Purist Thunderwrath the Omniknight
Solo mid, or dual lane
Max purification first; other skills depend on situation and what you need. Generally mix some repel and degen aura.
Arcane Boots
Soul Ring, Mekanzm

Mangix the Pandaren Brewmaster
Dual/trilane
Max Thunder clap, one point in drunken haze at some point, then drunken brawler. Some people like to skill some stats at level 2 and/or 4, due to small low mana pool.
Phase Boots
Ultimate Scepter, Blink Dagger

Sven the Rogue Knight
Dual/trilane or full time roaming
Storm bolt and stats, start getting warcry as needed later, and great cleave only late game.
Treads or tranquil boots
Soul ring, black king bar, blink dagger

Tiny the Stone Giant
Solo mid
This one's tricky:
Avalanche at 1, 3, 5, and 9 (the last point adds only 40 damage, compared to 80 at lvl 2 and 3)
Toss at 2, 4, 6, and 7
Grow! at 8
Treads or Arcane Boots
Blink Dagger

Cairne Bloodhoof the Tauren Chieftain
Solo mid or dual/trilane
Max Ancestral Spirit then Echo Stomp
Treads
Invisibility Sword, Black King Bar

Rooftrellen the Treant Protector
Solo mid
Max Leech seed, with 1 level of nature's guise, and then max living armor.
Phase Boots
Refresher Orb, Radiance, Shiva's Guard

Io the Guardian Wisp
Dual/trilane, preferably short
Max Spirits, then tether.
Tranquil Boots
Mekanzm, Urn of Shadows

Razzil Darkbrew the Alchemist
Solo mid or dual/trilane short
Max Acid Spray, with at least 1 point in unstable concoction (more if you plan on ganking). Max Gobling's greed in the mid game.
Any boots
Vanguard, Radiance

Rattletrap the Clockwerk Goblin
Solo long (One of the best solo longs in the game)
Max Rocket Flare, then Battery Assault. One point in Power Cogs as you see fit (opinions differ on when to do this.)
Phase, Arcane, or Tranquil Boots
Vanguard, Ultimate Scepter

Knight Davion the Dragon Knight
Solo mid or dual/trilane
Max Dragon's blood, one point in Dragon tail, then max Breathe Fire. Don't skill the second level of ult right away at 11, as the green dragon is often more useful then the red except when farming.
Treads
Black King Bar, Armlet, Heart

Huskar the Sacred Warrior
Solo mid or dual/trilane short
Always get burning spears at level 1 for the best level 1 harass skill in the game. Some prefer 1 burning spear, then max berserker's blood, then inner vitality, but max burning spears is also extremely deadly in the right situations.
Treads
Armlet, Black King Bar

Rigwarl the Bristleback
Solo mid or dual/trilane short
Max quill spray or bristleback first, then the other skill second. Get one point in Viscous nasal Goo if needed to help with ganks.
Treads or Tranquil boots
Radiance, Vanguard, Hood (Pipe)

Icarus the Phoenix
Solo any lane
Max Fire Spirits first, then Icarus Dive.
Tranquil Boots or Treads
Anything goes. I like radiance and shiva's guard.

Ymir the Tuskar
Preferably mid or short
Many ways to do this, but most people max Ice Shards first then Snowball
Phase boots
Medallion of courage, black king bar, invisibility blade

Mogul Khan the Axe
Jungle or solo mid if vs melee (or wherever broodmother goes)
Two possible builds: 1. Max helix first, then berserker's call, and stats instead of battle hunger
2. One point in helix and call, and max battle hunger by 7, then helix by 10.
Arcane (for hunger build) or tranquil boots
Vanguard, Blink Dagger

Nessaj the Chaos Knight
Any dual/trilane
Max Chaos Bolt, the Reality Rift. You might want to skip Phantasm until 9, unless you have some mana regen (like a crystal maiden).
Treads
Armlet, Black King Bar, Sange

Lucifer the Doom Bringer
Solo mid, occasionally solo short
Anything goes. Seriously. However, I recommend at least getting some levels of devour and scorched earth. If you want to use lvl? death, usually the sweet spot is having 2 levels of it around lvl 5 (2 nukes and some scorched earth will kill most opponents mid, or force them out).
Phase Boots, Tranquil Boots
Vanguard

Naix the Lifestealer
Jungle or dual short, occasionally solo mid
One point in feast, max rage, then open wounds. (Get wounds a bit earlier if you plan to kill heroes)
Treads
Black King Bar, Armlet

Abaddon the Lord of Avernus
Dual with ranged carry
Max either Death coil or Aphotic Shield first, then the other skill second. Max death coil is the more aggresive build.
Arcane Boots
Mekanzm, Pipe

Banehallow the Lycanthrope
Jungle, occasionally solo mid
Max Summon Wolves, then Feral Impulse. Sometimes a level of Howl is added for early pushing, but this can cause mana problems.
Normal boots or treads
Vladimir's Offering, Black King Bar, Stygian Desolator, Medallion of Courage

Balanar the Night Stalker
Solo mid
Max Void, one point in Crippling fear, then max Hunter in the Night. Darkness is sometimes skipped until level 8.
Phase Boots
Vanguard, Black King Bar, Urn of Shadows

Azgalor the Pit Lord
Anything goes.
Max expulsion then Pit of Malice is the best build. Firestorm also has its uses sometimes.
Arcane boots, boots of travel later.
Shiva's Guard, Necronomicon, Sheepstick

Pudge the Butcher
Solo mid or solo short or dual short with helper
Max Hook, then rot. Somtimes one level of flesh heap if you manage to snatch early kills for the strength bonuses.
Any boots
Hood, Black King Bar, Ultimate Scepter, Urn of Shadows

King Leoric the Skeleton King
Dual/tri short or long
Max Storm bolt, with some points in stats, then one point in vampiric before maxing critical strike. Sometimes the first point in vampiric comes earlier, but this will push your lane.
Treads
Black King Bar, Stygian Desolator, Radiance, Armlet

Slardar the Slithereen Guard
Dual/tri short
One point in sprint and bash, max Slithereen Crush by 7, then max either sprint or bash first depending on situation.
Treads
Black King Bar, Blink Dagger, Medallion of Courage

Dirge the Undying
Any lane; often trilane short/long
I prefer: 2 points in soul rip by level 3, max tombstone, then 1 decay at level 8, then max rip. Reasoning: Soul rip at rank 1 and 2 are incredibly cost effective ways to heal / harass
Arcane boots or Tranquil Boots
Soul ring (if no arcane boots), ultimate scepter.

Leviathan the Tidehunter
Typically trilane or full roaming
Max Gush, one point in Kraken Shell, then max Anchor Smash.
Tranquil boots or arcane boots
Vanguard or pipe, blink dagger

Magnus the Magnataur
Solo mid or short
Max Shockwave, one point in empower to last hit, then max skewer
Treads
Blink Dagger

Barathrum the Spiritbreaker
Varies a lot
Max Empowering haste, one point in charge + greater bash, then max charge.
Treads or Tranquil Boots
Black King Bar, Urn of Shadows

Crixalis the Sand King
Dual/trilane, or solo mid vs melees / certain ranged
Two builds: solo mid: 2 points in caustic, then max burrowstrike
Other lanes: max burrow strike, then max sand storm. Skip caustic if you want more stats after this.
Any boots
Blink Dagger, Ultimate Scepter, Black King Bar if needed

+ Show Spoiler [Agility Heroes] +
Magina the Anti-Mage
Mid or short lane (with helper if needed)
Max Spell Shield, one point in mana break and blink, then max blink. More points in manabreak if you're against a particularly helpless opponent.
Phase or Treads
Vanguard, Manta, Battlefury, Butterfly

Kardel Sharpeye the Dwarven Sniper
Solo mid/bottom, occasionally dual short
Headshot at lvl 1; two points in shrapnel if used for ganks, max shrapnel if you plan to push, taking take aim whenever you don't need shapnel. Max headshot after take aim.
Treads
Invisibility Blade, Yasha into manta or S&Y

Yurnero the Juggernaut
Dual/trilane short
Max Blade Fury, with one or two levels of stats, and one early level in healing ward. Max healing ward and critical strike later, as needed.
Boots of your choice
Battlefury for farming; s&y, invisibility blade

Syllabear the Lone Druid
Solo mid or short, or jungle
Max Summon Spirit Bear, then synergy.
Any boots (2 pairs!)
Radiance on pet

Luna Moonfang
Solo mid, dual or solo short
Max Lucent Beam, with one level of lunar blessing, then get 2-3 levels of moon glaive before maxing lunar blessing.
Treads
Black King Bar, Butterfly, Manta Style

Morphling the Morphling
Solo or dual mid, dual/trilane for short/long
Max waveform, then morph. The noob friendly build is max waveform with stats instead. One level of adaptive strike around 8 sometimes to interrupt channeling., but max adaptive last.
Treads
Black King Bar, Eye of Skadi, Manta Style, Helm of the Dominator (Satanic)

Slithice the Naga Siren
Short lane with helpers
I haven't seen her in a serious game in current form, ever. Probably 1 early level of mirror image, with a mix of ensnare and rip tide.
Treads
Diffusal Blade, Manta Style, Heart, Butterfly

Azwraith the Phantom Lancer
Max Spirit Lance, then doppelwalk. Sometimes a few levels of stats is throw in, as well as an early level in juxtapose.
Dual mid or bottom with ranged helper
Treads
Radiance, Vanguard/Heart, Diffusal Blade

Mirana Nightshade the Priestess of the Moon
Typically solo mid or long
Level one leap (if soloing). Max starfall, then arrow
Treads
Yasha (Into manta or S&Y), Mjollnir, Butterfly

Rikimaru the Stealth Assassin
Dual mid or with helper
Max blink strike, one level of smoke screen, then max backstab
Treads
Diffusal Blade, Manta Style

Jah'rakal the Troll Warlord
Max whirling axes, one level in berserker rage, and then stats or fervor as needed. Max berserker rage last.
Solo mid, jungle, or dual short
Treads or Phase
Black King Bar, Helm of the Dominator

Aurel Vlaicu the Gyrocopter
Solo mid, or solo / dual short
Many ways to build this. Max homing missile first, one point in flak, and max rocket barrage for suicidal build. Max flak cannon, with one point in homing and rocket barrage for farming build. I prefer the max flak cannon build.
Phase Boots
Invisibility Blade, Black King Bar, Divine Rapier (or Ultimate scepter if wuss)

Traxex the Drow Ranger
Solo mid or short
Max trueshot aura, one level in frost arrows and silence, then silence or stats as needed. Occasionally maxing frost arrows will win a lane though.
Treads
Invisibility Blade, Manta Style, Helm of the Dominator, Black King Bar

Lanaya the Templar Assassin
Solo mid
Level one refraction, then max meld first, refraction second. One point in early psi blades if vs a melee or short ranged solo sometimes.
Treads or phase
Blink Dagger, Medallion of Courage, Black King Bar

Ulfsaar the Ursa Warrior
Short with helper or jungle
Max fury swipes first, overpower second. One early point in overshock if you want to gank.
Phase boots
Blink Dagger, Vladimir's Offering, Black King Bar

Shendelzare Silkwood the Vengeful Spirit
Any dual / trilane or fulltime roam.
Max Magic Missile, one point in Command Aura and Wave of Terror, then max Wave of Terror
Tranquil Boots
Observer Wards, Smoke of Deceit

Gondar the Bounty Hunter
Solo any
One or two points in windwalk, one early point in jinada, then max Shuriken Toss
Treads
Battlefury, Black King Bar

Strygwyr the Bloodseeker
Solo mid, or short with helper
One point in bloodbath then bloodrage, then get more Blood Bath or Strygwyr's Thirst depending on what you need. Max bloodrage last.
Treads
Radiance, Black King Bar

Clinkz the Bone Fletcher
Solo any (preferably long)
Max searing arrows, then windwalk. One point in strafe at 4 or 8.
Treads
Black King Bar, Orchid Malevolence or Sheepstick

Black Arachnia the Broodmother
Solo any
Max Spawn Spiderlings, then Spin Web. Sometimes Incapacitating bite is skilled at 4 or 8.
Treads
Black King Bar, ring of basilius, soul ring

Anub'arak the Nerubian Assassin
Solo mid
One point in mana burn, max impale, then max urna swarm. Please don't play this hero if you're not going to use urna swarm!
Arcane boots
Dagon, Neconomicon

Anub'seran the Nerubian Weaver
Solo long or short
Max Shukuchi, one in germinate attack, then max The Swarm
No boots (or just the plain ones)
Radiance, Black King Bar

Mortred the Phantom Assassin
Dual short with helper
Max Stifling Dagger, then Phantom Strike, then Blur. Sometimes one point of Blur is skilled earlier.
Treads
Black King Bar, Helm of the Dominator

Nevermore the Shadow Fiend
Solo mid, occasionally solo short
First point in necromastery, then max shadowraze before necromastery
Treads
Black King Bar, Blink or Invisibility Blade

Terrorblade the Soul Keeper
Solo mid or jungle / dual short
One point in zeal, then max metamorphosis or reflection based on opponent heroes.
Treads
Anything with sange and or yasha, black king bar

Mercurial the Spectre
Short with helper
Max Spectral dagger, then Dispersion. One point in desolate earlier if you may be able to get a kill.
Treads
Vanguard, Radiance

Lesale Deathbringer the Venomancer
Dual trilane, full time roam, or solo long (with wards)
Max Plague Wards, with one point in venomous gale (at level one if you're ganking) and poison sting. Then just get stats and your ulti. Seriously, try it.
Tranquil Boots or Arcane Boots
Mekanzm, Pipe of Insight, Ring of Aquila

Viper the Netherdrake
Solo mid
Another tricky one:
Poison attack at 1, 3, 5, 9
Nethertoxin at 2, 4, 7, 8
Viper Strike at 6
Reasoning: We want to get Poison Attack down to 0 cooldown, but nethertoxin actually adds more damage so we max it first.
Treads
Ring of Aquila, Black King Bar

Meepo the Geomancer
Solo mid or short; or dual with helper on short
Max poof, one point in earthbind and geostrike, then max earthbind. Probably get stats instead of maxing geostrike in many cases.
Treads
Invisibility Blade or Blink Dagger, Mekanzm, Vladimir's Offering

Razor the Lightning Revenant
Solo mid or short; occasionally in dual / trilanes in short/long
Max Plasma Field, Then Unstable Current. Sometimes one point in static link helps laning early, if your opponent is low ranged.
Treads
Vanguard, Pipe

Slark the Murloc Nightcrawler
Solo mid or dual/trilane short
Max Pounce or Death Pact first, with one point in Essence Shift. Max pounce is safer.
Treads
Vanguard, Mask of Madness, Black King Bar

Darkterror the Faceless Void
Short with helper
Two early levels in time walk, with most points going into backtrack and one point in time lock. Max Time Walk sooner if needed. (Often it's not)
Treads
Battlefury, Black King Bar, Butterfly

Medusa the Gorgon
Solo mid or short (sometimes with helper)
Max Mystic Snake, then Mana shield. Some levels of stats is occasionally skilled.
Treads
Linken's Sphere, Yasha

+ Show Spoiler [Intelligence Heroes] +
Rylai Crestfall the Crystal Maiden
Any dual/trilane, or full roam
One point in Nova and Frostbite, then Max Brilliance aura, then nova. Freezing field is usually skiped early on, sometimes until 10.
Tranquil Boots
Smoke of Deceit, Observer Wards

Aiushtha the Enchantress
Jungle
Enchant at 1 and 3, then max nature's attendants. Max enchant first also works if you want to be very aggresive.
Treads
Smoke of Deceit, Ring of Basilius, Ultimate Scepter

Puck the Faerie Dragon
Solo long
Max illusory orb, with one point in phase shift at level 2, then max waning rift
Treads
Blink Dagger, Sheepstick, Eul's Scepter of Divinity

Chen the Holy Knight
Jungle
Persuasion at level 1, Test of faith at 2 and 3, then max persuaion first, test next.
Arcane Boots
Ring of basilius, Mekanzm, Ultimate Scepter

Ezalor the Keeper of the Light
Dual with certain carries or nuker
Two early levels in Chakra magic, one point in mana leak in certain situations, then get illuminate / chakra magic as needed.
Tranquil Boots or Phase Boots
Observer wards, urn of shadows, mekanzm, sheep stick

Zeus the Lord of Olympus
Solo mid
Arc at level 1 to last hit, static field at lvl 2, then max lightning bolt, then static field
Arcane boots
Blink Dagger, Ultimate Scepter

Furion the Prophet
Jungle or solo
Max either force of nature or teleportation first, with one point in sprout when needed for ganks.
Any boots
Hand of Midas (Ok, anything goes here for furion, but midas wins those ladder games pretty well), Invisibility blade

Nortrom the Silencer
Solo mid or short, or dual short
Typically, one point in glaives of wisdom, then max curse of the silent, then max Last Word. In some lanes max Glaives of Wisdom is acceptable.
Treads
Mekanzm, Black King Bar, Sheep Stick

Lina Inverse the Slayer
Solo mid or dual/trilane any
Light Strike Array at level one, then max Dragon Slave, then max Light Strike Array
Tranquil Boots
Blink Dagger, Eul's Scepter of Divinity

Raijin Thunderkeg the Storm Spirit
Solo mid
Static Remnant at level 1, Overload at level 2, then max electric vortex.
Treads (Intelligence)
Linken's Sphere, Sheepstick
Alleria the Windrunner

Solo long
One point in windrunner early on, one point in shackleshot in certain situations, then max powershot first, shackleshot second.
Phase Boots
Mekanzm, Sheepstick, Pipe, (a lot of stuff works on her)

Thrall the Disruptor
Solo mid/short, dual with other nukers
Max Thunder Strike, then glimpse, with one level of kinetic field at 4. Occasionally I skip kinetic field until 8, because glimpse is so good.
Tranquil boots or Arcane boots
Doesn't matter much, anything goes (just hit your spells).

Aggron Stonebreaker the Ogre Magi
Dual/Trilane any or roam (starting at 2-3)
Max Fireblast, then Ignite. Occasionall bloodlust is skilled before maxing ignite.
Arcane boots
Urn of Shadows

Squee Spleen and Spoon the Goblin Techies
Anything goes (be smart)
Hell, you can't teach techies like this. Max anything but stasis traps first (one level will suffice early on).
Ultimate scepter

Jakiro the Twin Head Dragon
Dual/trilane any
Max Dual Breath, then Ice Path, with one level of Liquid Fire earlier sometimes.
Tranquil boots or Arcane Boots
Mekanzm, observer wards

Boush the Tinker
Solo mid or short
Max Laser, then Heat Seeking Missile. Rearm at 9, March from 10-13, then more levels of rearm as your mana allows.
Boots of Travel
Soul Ring, Bottle, Sheepstick

Rhasta the Shadow Shaman
Solo mid or dual in some situations
Max Ether Shock, one level of shackles, then max voodoo. Some people get two levels of shackle, but more isn't really useful in many games.
Arcane boots
Blink Dagger, Ultimate Scepter

Rubick the Grand Magus
Solo mid or dual short
Max Fade Bolt, then Telekenesis
Arcane Boots
Blink Dagger, any intelligence item

Atropos the Bane Elemental
Solo mid or dual/tri with certain spells that work well with nightmare
Max Brain Sap, one level of nightmare, then stats or nightmare or enfeeble as you see fit.
Regular old boots is fine
Soul Ring, Blink Dagger, Black King Bar

Ish'kafel the Dark Seer
Jungle
A bunch of ways to do this one as well. I usually max ion shell, one level of surge, then max vacuum.
Arcane boots
Vanguard or hood, Ultimate Scepter

Krobelus the Death Prophet
Solo mid/short
Max Carrion Swarm, one level of silence, then max witchcraft
Tranquil boots or Phase Boots
Vanguard, Mana regen items

Lion the Demon Witch
Solo mid or dual lane.
Max Impale, then Voodoo. One level of manadrain is sometimes helpful, but rare in high level games.
Normal Boots
Blink Dagger, Black King Bar in higher level games

Darchrow the Enigma
Solo long or jungle
Pushing build: Max Demonic Conversion, then Malefice
Normal build: Demonic Conversion at 1, 3, 8, 9 and Malefice at 2, 4, 5, 7
Normal Boots
Blink Dagger, Black King Bar

Kel'thuzad the Lich
Solo long or mid or dual with any carry
One point in dark ritual at level 1 (use it right away!) then max nova. One point in frost armor at 8.
Tranquil Boots
Blink Dagger, Observer wards, Mekanzm

Rotund'jere the Necrolyte
Solo mid or short, sometimes with helper
Max Death Pulse, with one or two levels of sadist, then max heartstopper aura. Occasionally one level of hearstopper is skilled very early.
Boots of your choice
Sheepstick

Pugna the Oblivion
Solo any, typically mid
Max Nether Blast, with one level in decrepify, then max nether ward
Treads
Dagon, Mekanzm, Sheepstick

Harbringer the Obsidian Destroyer
Solo mid/short, or dual with helper
Many ways to do this. A good build is max astral imprisonment, one point in arcane, then max essence aura. A good farming build is one point in arcane, max astral, and then all stats.
Treads (Intel)
Sheepstick, Rod of Atos, Black King Bar, Force Staff

Akasha the Queen of Pain
Solo any (preferably long or mid)
Blink at level one, then max scream, then blink. One point in Shadow Strike if needed. Against melee solos, maxing shadow strike can be incredibly strong as well.
Normal Boots or treads
Ultimate Scepter, Linken's Sphere, Sheepstick

Demnok Lannik the Warlock
Solo mid or short, occasionally dual as helper
Max Shadow Word, one or two levels in upheavel and /or fatal bonds, then max fatal bonds.
Phase Boots
Ultimate Scepter, Refresher Orb

Eredar the Shadow Demon
Solo mid
First point in disruption, then max shadow poison, then max soul catcher. Other builds also work, but this is the strongest if played correctly.
Boots of your choice
Force Staff

Jin'zakk the Batrider
Solo any
Max Sticky Napalm, then Firefly
Treads
Blink Dagger, Force Staff, Vanguard

Dazzle the Shadow Priest
Dual any (as helper)
At least one level in shallow grave and shadow wave early on. Get poison touch if your lane can afford to be aggresive, but don't get the 4th point of poison touch. (it adds minor damage, 0 duration)
Arcane boots or tranquil boots
Observer wards, urn of shadows

Kael the Invoker
Solo any
Best beginner build: max wex, then quas. Don't forget invoke is available earlier then normal ultimates! (2,7,12,17) Key spells: Cold Snap (Quas Quas Quas), EMP (Wex wex wex), Tornado (Quas Wex Wex), and Ghost Walk (Quas Quas Wex).
Phase Boots
Eul's scepter of divinity, Sheepstick, Ultimate Scepter

Visage the Necro'lic
Typically trilane with other nukers; occasionally solo
Max Soul Assumption, Then Grave Chill. One early point in gravekeeper's cloak can also be useful.
Boots of your choice
Anything goes (just use your nuke and gargoyles well)

Leshrac the Malicious the Tormented Soul
Solo mid/short, dual/tri with other stunners/slowers
A bunch of ways to do this one. I think one point in split earth, max diabolic edict, then max lightning storm is pretty strong.
Treads
Black King Bar, Sheepstick, Ultimate Scepter, Rod of Atos

Vol'Jin the Witch Doctor
Dual/tri any, as helper
Depends on lane. One early point in voodoo restoration if needed. Otherwise, max paralyzing cask and maledict first. Max maledict first works better in noob games, max cask first works better in higher level games.
Tranquil Boots or Arcane Boots
Situational, whatever support items your team needs

Kaldr the Ancient Apparition
Solo mid or dual with stunner
Max Cold Feet, then Ice Vortex. Don't bother getting chilling touch, ever in most games. It can be useful, but it's unnecesary.
Phase boots
Eul's Scepter of Divinity

And the brand spanking new 6.73 heroes:
+ Show Spoiler [6.73 Heroes] +
Dragonus the Skywrath Mage
Solo mid/short
Max Arcane Bolt, one point in Concussive, one point in seal, then max concussive or seal as needed.
Treads (intelligence)
Rod of Atos, Sheepstick, Forcestaff

Xin the Ember Spirit
Any lane
A lot of ways to do this guy. Get rank 3 searing chains quickly if you want to gank, otherwise focus on sleight of fist and flame guard first to farm.
Boots of your Choice
Vanguard, Mjollnir

Rizzrak the Goblin Shredder
Any lane
Max Whirling Death, with one point in Reactive Armor then max Timber Chain.
Arcane boots
Vanguard

Tresdin the Legion Commander
Solo mid or dual short/long
Max Overwhelming Odds, with one point in press the attack and moment of courage, then max press the attack.
Phase boots
Black King Bar, Blink Dagger
I liked Dota before it was Mainstream.
myopia
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
United States2928 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-12-27 05:49:51
December 27 2011 05:48 GMT
#2
Great thread, one comment though... Bfury on Gondar? I am by no means a good Dota player but SnY / Desolater / Vlads seem like much better calls if you're going for track team kills. I also always get phase for the chase + crit damage.
it's my first day
5-s
Profile Joined June 2010
United States1674 Posts
December 27 2011 05:53 GMT
#3
On December 27 2011 14:48 myopia wrote:
Great thread, one comment though... Bfury on Gondar? I am by no means a good Dota player but SnY / Desolater / Vlads seem like much better calls if you're going for track team kills. I also always get phase for the chase + crit damage.

Bfury is there for one simple reason: perseverance is a great starting item for bh. His whole goal is to be constantly farming / tracking people when there are fights; he's essentially a ganking caster that turns into a dpser when you farm enough. There're certainly other ways to play him, but he needs the regen from one item or another. Getting some of the vlads components definitely also works.
I liked Dota before it was Mainstream.
Empyrean
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
16978 Posts
December 27 2011 06:00 GMT
#4
Looks like a great thread. Would it be possible to add "roles" of each hero for those who have some pretty set roles? Think 6.43b Warlock.
Moderator
5-s
Profile Joined June 2010
United States1674 Posts
December 27 2011 06:02 GMT
#5
On December 27 2011 15:00 Empyrean wrote:
Looks like a great thread. Would it be possible to add "roles" of each hero for those who have some pretty set roles? Think 6.43b Warlock.

Ahh, good point. That'd certainly be helpful for someone learning a hero, I'll add that sometime (have a headache right now from typing all day).
I liked Dota before it was Mainstream.
Ryuu314
Profile Joined October 2009
United States12679 Posts
December 27 2011 06:09 GMT
#6
Nice thread. Will be really useful for me

Just a question tho. Why max call of the wild on BM first over axes? Call of the wild is super useful, but wouldn't maxing axes first let you take full advantage of the burst/damage potential early?
5-s
Profile Joined June 2010
United States1674 Posts
December 27 2011 06:13 GMT
#7
On December 27 2011 15:09 Ryuu314 wrote:
Nice thread. Will be really useful for me

Just a question tho. Why max call of the wild on BM first over axes? Call of the wild is super useful, but wouldn't maxing axes first let you take full advantage of the burst/damage potential early?

Maxing axes is viable, but most of the pros prefer maxing call of the wild first. With some micro, you're actually more likely to chase someone down with that greater quillbeast than you are with extra damage on axes; and the upgraded hawk is quite a bit better for scouting as well. You won't get flamed for maxing axes first, it works, but if you want to practice playing bm the right way, I believe call is better.
I liked Dota before it was Mainstream.
BuLba
Profile Joined June 2011
United States1585 Posts
December 27 2011 06:26 GMT
#8
On December 27 2011 15:13 5-s wrote:
Show nested quote +
On December 27 2011 15:09 Ryuu314 wrote:
Nice thread. Will be really useful for me

Just a question tho. Why max call of the wild on BM first over axes? Call of the wild is super useful, but wouldn't maxing axes first let you take full advantage of the burst/damage potential early?

Maxing axes is viable, but most of the pros prefer maxing call of the wild first. With some micro, you're actually more likely to chase someone down with that greater quillbeast than you are with extra damage on axes; and the upgraded hawk is quite a bit better for scouting as well. You won't get flamed for maxing axes first, it works, but if you want to practice playing bm the right way, I believe call is better.



getting lvl 4 axes and lvl 2 aura is the best build on bm, no need call.
Zlasher
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States9129 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-12-27 06:50:02
December 27 2011 06:48 GMT
#9
Wow this is awesome 5-s, great work, this might even deserve to be stickied in my eyes

Edit: Also, question if I may ask, were you heavily involved in the testing of 6.73? (I believe you are one of the map testers, correct? For Dota 1 as well as 2)
Follow me: www.twitter.com/zlasher
5-s
Profile Joined June 2010
United States1674 Posts
December 27 2011 06:54 GMT
#10
On December 27 2011 15:48 Zlasher wrote:
Wow this is awesome 5-s, great work, this might even deserve to be stickied in my eyes

Edit: Also, question if I may ask, were you heavily involved in the testing of 6.73? (I believe you are one of the map testers, correct? For Dota 1 as well as 2)

I can neither confirm nor deny that accusation .
I liked Dota before it was Mainstream.
TheYango
Profile Joined September 2008
United States47024 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-12-27 07:23:54
December 27 2011 06:59 GMT
#11
Needs more Janggo. Needs less Lothar's. Needs more Manta Style (great reliable DPS for any Agi carry). Needs more Force Staff.

Your listing of Urn is very inconsistent. Mention it for KotL, but not for Pudge, NS, VS, or CM?

Medallion is required for Lycan. Honestly, playing HoN and not having Medallion was the most rage-inducing experience ever.

EDIT: Should also have 5-s's 5s guide to every hero.
Any Strength hero: Janggo BKB
Any Agi hero: Vanguard Manta
Any Int hero: Mekan Force Staff

CAN'T GO WRONG
Moderator
Kaafu
Profile Joined October 2011
Korea (South)30 Posts
December 27 2011 07:27 GMT
#12
Battlefury on juggernaut is not as good as soul ring/radiance. Whereas battlefury is good for farming, so is radiance, also, with soul ring available, juggernaut is able to be at full hp with lvl 1 ward. Plus raidance deals more damage and syncs well with his blade fury.
TheWarbler
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States1659 Posts
December 27 2011 07:59 GMT
#13
Well what is the point to continue my quick guides
if you can believe you can concieve
Ryuu314
Profile Joined October 2009
United States12679 Posts
December 27 2011 08:46 GMT
#14
On December 27 2011 16:27 Kaafu wrote:
Battlefury on juggernaut is not as good as soul ring/radiance. Whereas battlefury is good for farming, so is radiance, also, with soul ring available, juggernaut is able to be at full hp with lvl 1 ward. Plus raidance deals more damage and syncs well with his blade fury.

Doesn't battlefury also apply the splash to jug's ulti? Also radiance requires you to farm up 3.8k whereas battlefury is in much smaller and more useful parts. Just my 2 cents.
Legend`
Profile Joined April 2011
Canada381 Posts
December 27 2011 08:48 GMT
#15
Got the game yesterday, thanks for the help.
NME.352 GM NA Protoss
igotmyown
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States4291 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-12-27 09:06:36
December 27 2011 09:05 GMT
#16
Beastmaster quillbeast doesn't scale until level 4. Also some pros level up the aura to 2 so the quillbeast can permaslow. And of course you can use axes for pushing/anti-pushing. But leveling hawk is better against long range initiators and blinkers and people that overplay pudge.
Veles
Profile Joined May 2011
United States3280 Posts
December 27 2011 09:08 GMT
#17
I haven't read all of it yet, but you say that panda is dual/tri. Solo mid panda can be devastating in some situations ^^
konadora *
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
Singapore66156 Posts
December 27 2011 09:19 GMT
#18
techies is great for pushing

once lvl 7 or 11 and you have soul ring and arcane boots and/or bottle, you can push like mad, killing off a single wave with remote/land combo and downing towers with land mines

late game you just fuck everything up with mass remotes and stasis the entire map
POGGERS
konadora *
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
Singapore66156 Posts
December 27 2011 09:25 GMT
#19
On December 27 2011 17:46 Ryuu314 wrote:
Show nested quote +
On December 27 2011 16:27 Kaafu wrote:
Battlefury on juggernaut is not as good as soul ring/radiance. Whereas battlefury is good for farming, so is radiance, also, with soul ring available, juggernaut is able to be at full hp with lvl 1 ward. Plus raidance deals more damage and syncs well with his blade fury.

Doesn't battlefury also apply the splash to jug's ulti? Also radiance requires you to farm up 3.8k whereas battlefury is in much smaller and more useful parts. Just my 2 cents.

yeah it works on the ulti
POGGERS
Firebolt145
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Lalalaland34490 Posts
December 27 2011 09:31 GMT
#20
Wow I don't even have to read this and I can tell it's an epic thread. Loads of props.
Moderator
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