Friday, 24 April 2009
Venomancer dota hero guide
[1.1] Hero Stats & Overview
Lesale Deathbringer - The Venomancer
Range: 450 | | Move Speed: 290 | Primary: AGI
Str: 18 + 1.85 | Agi: 22 + 2.6 | Int: 15 + 1.75
Damage: 46 - 48 | HP: 492 | Mana: 195
HP Regen: 0.79 | Mana Regen: 0.61
Attack Speed: 1.33 (+ 22% IAS) | Armor: 4.1
PROS
- Kills blinkers and wind walkers when combo is successful
- Dominates low hp heroes early to mid game
- Shreds health points quickly
- Plague Wards shine against pushes
- Low Survivability Rate against nukers
- Easily countered by the skills of the Holy Knight
- Poison Nova does not kill without a DoT skill
- Loses effectiveness when late game arrives
- Decent opponents will kill their own teammates under poison
[2.0] – Skill Analysis
Venamancer’s team role in battle is to damage multiple heroes. Now let’s review his skills: he has one slow damage overtime skill, a simple ward, a mini nuke, and an AoE DoT skill. All these skills make him a great asset for his team; Just dish out assists, and you will be a big contribution to your team.[2.1] Skill Descriptions
Shadow Strike
Hurls a poisoned dagger which deals large initial damage, and then deals damage over time. The poisoned unit has its movement speed slowed for a short duration.
Level 1 - 50 strike damage, 10 duration damage.
Level 2 - 70 strike damage, 20 duration damage.
Level 3 - 70 strike damage, 40 duration damage.
Level 4 - 100 strike damage, 50 duration damage.
Mana Cost: 90/ 105/ 120/ 135
Cooldown: 22
Poison Sting
Adds poison damage to this hero’s normal attacks, slightly slowing movement speeds.
Lasts 7 seconds.
Poison Sting damages do not stack.
Level 1 - Deals 5 damage per second.
Level 2 - Deals 10 damage per second.
Level 3 - Deals 15 damage per second.
Level 4 - Deals 20 damage per second.
Mana Cost: N/A
Cooldown: N/A
Plague Ward
Summons an immobile serpentine ward. The ward deals piercing damage, lasts 40 seconds, and is immune to magic.
Level 1 - 75 hit points, 11 max damage.
Level 2 - 200 hit points, 21 max damage.
Level 3 - 325 hit points, 32 max damage.
Level 4 - 450 hit points, 42 max damage.
Mana Cost: 25
Cooldown: 6
Poison Nova
Creates a ring of noxious poison of around 500 AoE that damages enemy units over a 12 second period.
Level 1 - 36 damage per second.
Level 2 - 58 damage per second.
Level 3 - 81 damage per second.
Level 4 (with Scepter) - 108 damage per second.
Mana Cost: 200/ 300/ 400
Cooldown: 135/ 115/ 95/ 60
[2.2] Skill Build
Suggested Skill Build:
Shadow Strike is leveled up to the max because this is what makes you a threat. It is a strong damage-overtime nuke that slows, which gives you a few hits on the target.
Poison & Wards Build
Level 1 | Shadow Strike
Level 2 | Poison Sting
Level 3 | Shadow Strike
Level 4 | Poison Sting
Level 5 | Shadow Strike
Level 6 | Poison Nova
Level 7 | Shadow Strike
Level 8-10 | Plague Wards
Level 11 | Poison Nova
Level 12 | Plague Wards
Level 13-15 | Attribute Bonus
Level 16 | Poison Nova
Level 17-23 | Attribute Bonus
Level 24-25 | Poison Sting
Poison Sting only takes two levels; the only use for this is to get rid of any form of regeneration (only tangos counter this).
Poison Nova is a big threat early game. Your ultimate makes you a team player so you should level it up as soon as it is available. By level 6 onwards, I assure you that blinkers and wind walkers cannot escape death if the damage done is lethal enough to kill.
I have chosen Plague Wards before stats because it can stop pushes and create better pushing opportunities for your team when they are massed. Although I have Maelstrom to stop pushes, Plague Wards can push down towers just like Enigma’s Eidolons now that towers have no regen. I do not agree with anything bad about wards. They feed only if you put them in the position feed. With wards comes more versatility when you start creeping.
[3.0] - Item Build
[3.1] Item LineupStarting Items:
This is an optional choice but buy a chicken if there isn’t already. You can buy a headdress for the optional choice of buying Mekansm to support. You may also buy Ring of Basilius for the small armor boost to help you dive through the enemy creeps.
Your first basic item will be 2 bracers since you need to attack and endure a few hits and you need the hp being a low hp agi hero. No wraith bands unless you really have a hard time last hitting creeps.
[3.2] Elite Damage Dealer
Core Items:
Optional (Extension) Items:
Item Build Order:
1. Complete 2 bracers
2. Buy Boots, Gloves of Haste
3. Complete Midas
4. Mekansm | Dagger of Escape
5. Complete Travels
6. Complete Maelstrom
7. Complete Linkin Sphere
8. Complete Mjollnir
9. Complete Butterfly
Total Cost of Core Items: xx,xxx
You might be wondering of why is there no damage early game and my answer is that Venomancer relies on damage overtime skills. His Poison Skills are more than enough to kill off easy prey. The only real damage he would have would come from Maelstrom if you choose to adjust the order according to the game flow.
Boots of Travels are better as I am not a fan of Power Treads on Venomancer as this hinders him from starting & stopping pushes immediately. Though he can buy scrolls, the teleport ability and the move speed from Travels makes ganking, chasing and fleeing easier.
The Transmute from Midas helps you farm expensive items and suits Venomancer very well since the components of MKB and the new Butterfly cost a lot. The IAS from this item helps trigger the lightning from Maelstrom a bit more; which is farming happily. Early game, this helps you give off more shots than needed.
Linkin Sphere enables you to keep using Shadow Strike. Both Mekansm and the Plague Wards also use up the excess mana, so his mana does not really get wasted. The Entangle is a bonus for Venomancer; no stun will stop you from chasing dying heroes.
Your main damage items are Mjollnir, Butterfly & MKB now that Divine is no longer the best option. Mjollnir and Butterfly work great as Evasion and Static Charge are a good mix; even though opponents will miss, they can still trigger Static Charge. Maelstrom and then eventually Mjollnir help assist Poison Nova with their chain damage. And finally MKB is a better choice in terms of DPS against Buriza as the final items since towers are the main concern.
Optional Items – Endurance
Dagger of Escape is a better alternative to Lothars but the only time you get this is if the opposing team has Furion where sprout would really hurt. Another hero to look out for is Vengeful Spirit. Get dagger if the enemy team has pushed you out of position.
Mekansm is a support item and since you have excess mana, it would be best to use that mana to heal your allies while you are in the middle of the team clash. The armor boost enables you to tank a bit. Mekansm is gotten in conjunction with Linkin Sphere.
Monkey King Bar may or may not replace Hand of Midas late game. The DPS within this item helps Venomancer fulfill his role as a late game damage dealer. This is due to the damage from the mini-stun as it helps bring down opponents although it is physical with range. Advisable after the Core Items have been completed.
Radiance is an item I wouldn’t be surprised to have when nobody will get it. You also have decent items to tank: Butterfly, Linkin Sphere & Mekansm. Even though another hero uses the immolation better, it is still a fine choice when pushing multiple lanes as a team.
Other Alternative Items
Wraith Bands are good at increasing damage and can also help with last hit creeping. I have chosen Bracers because you will be diving into creeps early game so increasing your health is a better option.
Lothar’s Edge may be one of the best items for hunting but I do not recommend it as you can run away with travels and use the fog of war to your advantage instead. Veno’s ultimate is instant and nothing compared to Shadow Fiend’s Ultimate.
Sange & Yasha IMO is the worst choice a player can choose for Venomancer. It provides nothing except more speed, which does not really help the team unless you have an item that boosts damage quickly. I’ve chosen Maelstrom because it can help you and the team. You have SS so maim is worthless.
This guide originally had Maelstrom-Divine-Aegis but now that’s out, we have Mjollnir-Butterfly-MKB to compensate for that. Use Dr.Aegis in versions 6.41 and below.
[4.0] – Strategy & Walkthrough
[4.1] Early Game 1-11
Level 1-3: Earning your territory
You are a hero with 450 range, which can make it difficult, so you’re best having an ally tagging along in getting that first kill. Lane partners suited for you should be tanks that can assist. Abaddon, Skeleton King and Tidehunter fit this criterion.
The lanes I encourage you to get are the side lanes. Last hit creeps as you normally do. When you reach level 2, you should have Poison Sting so use it wisely; don’t be greedy but don’t be too cautious either, hit a hero at least once because the Poison Sting eliminates their poor regen for 7 seconds. Be careful when creeps do start targeting you; tangos will help here. When you reach level 3, start spamming SS on your target and have your ally assist. If the hero flees, let him go. Rely on Shadow Strike to kill for you, there’s no use tower diving at this stage.
Levels 4-11: Establish Lane Control
Work on your basic items. Complete them. With Bracers, Boots, Headdress and/or a RoB, you are a stacked hero and this will allow you to stay in your lane. The boots will allow for easy chasing.
The only thing you need to worry about is Chen and Mekansm. If enemy heroes teleport or have teleports, have your allies ready their stun. Kill when necessary, it should be very easy for you to earn at least 2 kills before this stage ends. Shadow Strike and hit or add in Poison Nova to kill fleeing targets.
If you have been last hitting creeps effectively, you should see yourself with a Midas. After Midas, proceeding to Travels is optional so you can just adapt to the battlefield instead. By creeping and dedicated farming, you can rush for the better items and prepare yourself for mid game ganks.
[4.2] Mid Game 12-18
Your Role: Gang Bang and Support
Mid game is all about teamwork. You should participate in nearby ganks whenever possible. Have you been more successful at killing or have you been the main focus of the enemy team? Does your team need more support? I advise getting a Dagger of Escape to the first question and Mekansm for the second. You must acquire one of the two so you can remain versatile for your team.
Get your Linkin Sphere afterwards. Plague Wards serve as scouts and gives your tower more support from its piercing damage. Mass Plague Wards at key positions when ganking; you can lay down a maximum of 6 Plague Wards. They also help with the high-level creep camps. Maelstrom also helps and is your main damage item at this point and eventually Mjollnir.
Don’t die carelessly for a kill; if you are however on red health then it would be best to back off. You are mainly contributing Poison Nova and a Shadow Strike for your team, after that you are a normal DPS Hero. Maelstrom increases Venomancer’s potential, it helps in farming and increases your effectiveness after Poison Nova has been used.
Buy Wards for your team. Your team should be sharing the ward watch in order for everyone to stay equally powered against opponents. By mass warding, you are delaying your items and you will be a useless AGI hero by late game.
Coordinate with your allies about your skill combos within the team. Remember that Poison Nova does not kill so your allies should be the ones finishing up the mess. For chain combos regarding Venomancer and his allies, check out the A&E Section.
[4.3] Late Game 19-25
When this stage begins, you should be farming for Aegis and Divine and when the game goes on too long, go for Mjollnir. At this point, you may also replace Midas with Butterfly. With the help of both Midas and the 20% chain lightning, there should be no problem at all.
Poison Nova has almost no effect on high hp heroes and heroes with Aegis of Immortal. Shadow Strike is mainly a slow. It is annoying, which only gives Venomancer the role of a pure DPS Damage Dealer. Do what you must, play as a team and win as a team. Venomancer’s role late in this game is simple and complete once you’ve completed Divine-Aegis.
[4.4] Comparing Other Builds
Linkin Sphere vs. Guinsoo & Battlefury
Battlefury is much cheaper than the other but it will only provide damage. Venomancer is not even a melee hero so he can’t benefit from the cleaving attack and there is also the case of Venomancer survivability so this item goes down the drain. Guinsoo’s Sythe of Vyse is fairly a good item and provides a little damage and hex. The components are cheap and the item itself is cheaper than Linkins but it has a flaw. The flaw being that there is TOO MUCH MANA and provides no means of survivability in ganks, which pushes you to buy a Vanguard in conjunction with this.
Now Linkin Sphere provides the stats he needs and the mana regen he will ever require; it is better than Vanguard’s block percenatge because of the armor boosts from Mekansm and Butterfly. Though it is a tad expensive, all the bonuses of this item fit Venomancer’s Role. Entangle and stats are his best bets at survival and the mana regen enables you to use SS multiple times.
Other Damage Builds
Buriza is a fine choice but the Criticals don’t really count when you start pushing. IMHO, it is best used together with MKB but both would severely limit Venomancer’s Role. Mjollnir and Butterfly are better choices as they both add a lot of agility, which is converted to armor; the evasion is better than criticals and Static Charge can be used on you or on your tankers.Late game, you still have the choice of adding MKB after Butterfly and Mjollnir as criticals from Buriza do not effect buildings. On a side note, the random chances of Lightning triggering is better than random chances of Criticals because
the damage spreads, which syngerizes very well with Poison Nova.
Other Orb Effects
Maim: A worthless orb because Venomancer’s Projectile speed seems a bit random. Counting on Maim to trigger would mean to hit the target more than you should and, again, you depend on damage overtime. Maim is 10%, shadow strike slows on impact and your Poison Sting slightly slows a target.Frost: by getting Eye of Skadi, you are getting rid of Poison Sting; it simply does not stack. To make frost useful, you would have to rush EoS early because Poison Sting would be replaced by any means. 7050 is a lot of gold and provides health but does not provide the lethal damage required to kill. EoS would need a different build.
Feedback: To say the least, the items that provide feedback are useful. Diffusal Blade’s charges work well against Omniknight but Lightning goes through repel so Lighting > Feedback. And the split images from Manta Style don’t work well.
Lifesteal: I’ll make it simple, Venomancer does not tank very well although Poison Sting does stack with it. Lightning proves to be the better Orb Effect in terms of damage and reliability.
Aghenim’s Scepter
Poison Nova does not kill, simple. You’d be using it for creeps but Mjollnir does the job even better. The cooldown isn’t all that and the Scepter does not provide the damage he needs.
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