DOTA 2 - My first post for 2013

How's everybody? It's been a while. I never had the chance to do some posts even though I kept trying to come back. And now there is DOTA 2. I haven't played it a lot but I'm really liking it. I'm also catching up with the new heroes and items since I last played. There are also a few new game modes. And of course new strategies... This is what I will be posting soon. Till then.. :)

Read more On "DOTA 2 - My first post for 2013"

Dynamic Duo for the Week

Hello guys! Sorry I haven't been able to post some guide lately. I've been busy with work. So to start my first post in like after a year now, is to share with you another dynamic duo. This one is very effective on the latest versions of DOTA.

Our dynamic duo would be Maiden and Axe. This combo is so imba right now...

First is to get frostbite for maiden and Berserker's Call for axe. You can attempt to go for first even as early as level 1. Let maiden use bite on your target hero then while she is attacking, let axe go near the target hero and use berserker's call. It's like an early double stun. It's ok if the enemy hero gets away. At least you have done some damage early on. Don't worry about mana too because when maiden will get brilliance aura right away when she becomes level 2. Axe will get counter helix. Maiden then gets frost nova when she reaches level 3 and axe gets level 2 berserker's call. This time, try attempting for another kill. It's best to go for the hero with disabling spell like stun or slow. If none then go for the hero with lower hp. Most probably int heroes. First is to cast frostbite on the target hero then berserker's call after frostbite is over then cast frost nova while hero is attempting to escape. What makes this combo very strong is first the hero is frozen. Maiden and axe have time to do some normal attacks during this time. Then axe casts berserker's call forcing the enemy hero to attack axe. This time axe has counter helix which deals additional damage to the enemy. This is even better if there are nearby creeps that are attacking axe. And if the enemy hero manages to survive, there is still frost nova to deal additional damage and slow the escaping hero then finish him off with a few attacks. Just keep repeating this process every time your skills are ready and you have enough mana.



At level 6, maiden should have level 1 frost nova, level 3 frostbite, level 1 brilliance aura and level 1 freezing field(you can also get level 2 brilliance aura instead of this. It depends on your current mana and your allied heroes if they are dependent on mana). Axe should have level 3 berserker's call, level 2 counter helix and level 1 culling blade.

Now, this is even better. The enemy hero has no way of escaping this one. After doing the combos stated above, axe can finish off with culling blade. You can do the kill for sure! :D If you have a hard time executing this combo, just keep on practicing. It's not that hard. heh. I recommend axe to have a stout shield as one of his first items. This is so that axe can take more attacks while doing this combo. The rest goes to branches and tangos. Maiden should get a few tangos too and some ironwood branch. I assume this is for 5v5.

What even makes this combo so good is that while you are owning your lane, maiden is also helping the rest of her teammates by giving them mana regen because of brilliance aura(brilliance aura is global!).

Let me know what you think of this one. I hope you guys love this. I expect you to be killing a lot of heroes with this combo soon. :)

Read more On "Dynamic Duo for the Week"

Dynamic Duo for the Week

It's been a while since I made a post on this blog. I have been very busy with other stuffs I didn't even have the time to play DOTA. lol. Anyway, I will start this year's post with a very fun dynamic duo, a classic. My friend and I never get tired of doing this one public games...well, even on LAN games. :)

So our first dynamic duo for the year is the Vengeful Spirit - Goblin Techies combo. Most of you might already have an idea at this point on what will happen with this combo. Some of you might even have used this one a long long time ago but I posted it here anyway because this still works very well until now and it never fails to tick off people when used properly. ;)

First, get magic missile as a first skill for Vengeful Spirit(I will refer to this hero as venge later on) and suicide for Goblin Techies(I will refer to this hero as techies later on). Get boots as a first item for techies and the rest goes to consumables. Get branches and consumables for venge. As soon as you see an enemy hero on your lane, cast magic missile then let techies suicide on the target. And there you have it....first blood! :D Do some normal attacks if there is a few hp left on the enemy hero. If you see two heroes on the lane, choose the one with the lower hp. Don't worry with techies not catching up with the target hero. There's a reason why you bought boots as a first item. heh. At this very early part of the game, you already ticked off your enemy but don't stop there. Keep repeating the same process each time techies gets back to the lane. Be sure to check the enemy's remaining hp before you do the combo to be sure that the target hero dies. Just to be sure, deduct 200 damage from the total damage of suicide and magic missile then compare it with the enemy hero's hp. If the damage is greater or equal to the enemy hero's hp then it is safe to do the combo. I deducted 200 because of the hero resistance. It is not accurate but it is safe and fast to compute.

With techies always doing suicide, the experience goes to venge so you should expect techies to be below venge's level. So when venge gets to level 6, techies is still below that. What you should do is plant lots of land mines on a blind spot(or any open spot which is not on the enemy creeps pathway). 5-7 land mines would do. Then have venge position on the land mines and wait for an enemy to swap. When you see one, have venge swap right away then..boom! Enemy dies. If the enemy survives somehow, cast magic missile or even cast suicide. He has no chance at all.

By the way, techies should get suicide and land mines. Get stasis trap later part of the game. Maybe around levels 9-10. Get remote mines when you get to levels 6, 11 and 16. Get lots of void stone for your items so you won't run out of mana. (The rest of the build is not covered on this guide) For venge, I suggest getting lothar's edge. So when you see someone coming your way, just use lothar's edge so he won't see you standing there waiting for him.

When techies reaches level 6, plant 5-6 land mines on blind spots. This will surprise your enemy when he passes by that place. Then use your remote mines to plant on open spots. 5-7 remote mines will do. Then have venge do the swapping again. :) You can even do this during clashes. Specially when defending your base. Plant lots of mines near your tower and when your enemy pushes, swap one to the mines. This will really scare them making them push each other on who will go first.

In case your enemies buy sentry wards, buy sentry wards too. You should have more money than them considering that they always die on the mines/suicide. Do not stop buying sentry wards until they do. Don't ever give them a chance to stop your killing spree. Keep repeating this until their heads explode. :)

Read more On "Dynamic Duo for the Week"

Sven Guide

Sven (Rogue Knight)
A follower of the great God of Order, Paladine, Sven has sworn to uphold the rights of all. Born of a Knight and a Night Elf and ostracized since birth, Sven has lead a solitary existence of meditation and training. He has come out of his wanderings determined to guard the innocent against evil. Armed with his blessed cleaving blade Justice, and harnessing the power to strike down his enemies with the might of God's Strength, Sven's wrath toward the unjust is a sight to behold.(From Warcraft III: Frozen Throne)

Hero Skills

Storm Bolt - A magical hammer is thrown at an enemy unit, causing damage and stunning the target for 2 seconds.

Level 1 - 100 damage.
Level 2 - 150 damage.
Level 3 - 200 damage.
Level 4 - 250 damage.

Great Cleave - Sven strikes with such force that all nearby enemies take damage.

Level 1 - 10% damage is splashed.
Level 2 - 20% damage is splashed.
Level 3 - 30% damage is splashed.
Level 4 - 40% damage is splashed.

Toughness Aura - Sven is here to pump you up!

Level 1 - Increases base armor by 2.
Level 2 - Increases base armor by 3.
Level 3 - Increases base armor by 4.
Level 4 - Increases base armor by 5.

God's Strength - Sven gets pumped up! Adds bonus damage for 25 seconds.

Level 1 - Adds 100% damage.
Level 2 - Adds 125% damage.
Level 3 - Adds 150% damage.

Hero Builds

Semi-MVP Build - This build is best if you have another option to be a primary mvp in your team

• Starting Items - 2 tangos, 1 flask, the rest to branches
• Early to mid game items - power threads, 2 bracers, town portal
  
• Late game items - black king bar, mask of madness, heart of tarrasque
  
• Skill Build : storm bolt, stats, storm bolt, stats, storm bolt, god's strength, storm bolt, great cleave, stats, great cleave, god's strength, great cleave, toughness aura, great cleave, stats, toughness aura, god's strength, toughness aura, toughness aura then the rest to stats.
  

Gameplay :

During lane battles, concentrate on making last hits. Don't worry about denies too much. Let your teammate on the same lane with you worry more about that. It is best that you get most of the last hits(therefore getting the gold) so you can secure your early items. While doing last hits, keep an eye on your enemies if they go out of position while doing last hits or denying or even harassing your lane themselves. At any chance one of them is exposed, cast storm bolt right away then follow up with some spells from your teammate. Always try to go for the kill if this happens but don't go in their tower yet.

Once you reach level 6 or so, go back to regenerate your mana and health. Shop for items too like boots and bracers. Go for power threads if there is enough. Once you have at least 2 bracers and power threads, you are now ready to do some hunting. Try to visit every lane possible and go for the kill. Be aggressive. Sven is very strong early game with just 2 bracers and power threads together with level 1 god's strength and level 4 storm bolt. With good team play, you are sure to get the kill. Make sure that you always come from the blind side for surprise. Always check for rune from time to time. When going for the kill, don't hesitate to use god's strength. At the early stage, one storm bolt and 2-4 attacks kills an enemy with god's strength enabled. Slowly get black king bar and mask of madness while repeating the process. This is very helpful for your team because it pressures the enemies and at the same time you are preparing yourself for middle to late game clashes. Get black king bar first. When you have this item you can now go inside clashes without being interrupted of any disabling spells like bolt or voodoo. And if you have mask of madness, it will just make things quicker for you to kill enemies.

During later game, get heart of tarrasque so you can still endure physical damage in case the enemies decide to focus on you with their physical attacks. If you still have extra gold after that, try to experiment what items are best for your gameplay. You can get another heart of tarrasque, sange& yasha, eye of skadi or dagger of escape. Just try it out what works best and it also depends on what are the enemy heroes. If they are blinkers, get dagger of escape...you get the idea. :)

MVP Build - This build is best sven is your primary option for mvp and you really rely on him for the late game

• Starting Items - 2 tangos, 1 flask, the rest to branches
• Early to mid game items - boots, black king bar, mask of madness, town portal
  
• Late game items - heart of tarrasque, sange & yasha (or another heart of tarrasque if you have lots of gold)
  
• Skill Build : storm bolt, stats, storm bolt, stats, storm bolt, god's strength, storm bolt, great cleave, stats, great cleave, god's strength, great cleave, toughness aura, great cleave, stats, toughness aura, god's strength, toughness aura, toughness aura then the rest to stats.

Gameplay :

Lane battles is the same with semi-support build. Sven gets the priority on all kills would it be creeps, heroes or structures. The main difference on this build is sven focuses on farming and securing his items early. He will not go hunting but will stick on the lane. He will also be fully supported with wards and support heroes by his side if really needed. You can go for the kill but on enemy heroes on the same lane. Use your town portal to escape gank attacks and to help your teammates from other lanes if you are absolutely needed or else just keep farming. You don't need threads early part. Boots is enough but you can get power threads if you want. The important thing is to secure black king bar as early as possible then at this point you can help on clashes and then go back to farming your next items. You will come out middle to late part of the game with good items. If done correctly, you will have way better items compared to other heroes making you a very big threat to the enemies.

Note : On clashes, remember to cast black king bar first before casting god's strength. Casting god strength first will cancel it out when you cast black king bar after that.

Read more On "Sven Guide"

Dynamic Duo for the Week

This week's dynamic duo is a fun one. I like to play with this with a close friend specially on public games like battle.net. This is best to use if you play DOTA games for fun and for the sake of doing trash talks with your friends. :)

So this week's dynamic duo goes to Lion and Lina. I think you already see where this leads. heh. But I will discuss it deeply here so you will know how make this combo really work. Thus making your friends very annoyed. :)

First, buy mana regen items for both heroes and starting items that will boost their stats. These are most probably ironwood branches and clarity potions. Other one can also make ring of basilus for mana regeneration on both heroes. The best you can do is equip Lion with the ring of basilus and then have Lina buy sobi mask. This way Lina can spam her two offensive spells, Dragon Slave and Light Strike Array. Lion only needs to cast one offensive spell during the early part of the game which is impale. Let Lion get mana drain too so he can absorb mana from enemy creeps or heroes when he is almost out. At this point, both heroes will have the ability to spam their spells.

During lane battles, always cast your spells in combo. It is important that Lion will cast impale first then Lina will follow it up with light strike array and then dragon slave. Keep doing this to harass your enemies on the lane but be sure that you will have enough mana to cast level 6 when you are almost leveling up from level 5. This way your enemy will be very pressured of getting killed so he has to go back to heal. At this point concentrate on farming while harassing the remaining enemy with seasonal attacks(if there are two enemies in the lane). When you reach level 6, you can go back to the base to purchase items and heal or you can attempt to kill an enemy on the lane with low hp. When both Lina and Lion are level 6, this is the fun part. Choose one hero then let Lion cast impale. Lina will cast light strike array after that for chain stun while lion is doing a normal attack at the same time. Lina will then cast dragon slave then Lion will do the finish with finger of death and if the enemy is still alive, Lina can make sure of it by casting laguna blade. :) The best scenario is if you are able to kill one enemy with only one ultimate like finger of death. If this happens, you can harass the remaining enemy on the lane with normal attacks while getting creep kills and denying at the same time. When Lina has enough mana to cast laguna blade and one spell at least, you can attempt to kill the remaining enemy. Keep repeating this process killing enemy heroes alternately unless they will switch to another lane. lol.

At this point, Lion and Lina are near or about level 11. Get dagon for both heroes as their next items. This is will make them more deadly doing chain stuns and then making sure that the target hero is dead because even though the enemy has higher health points at this point because of item and level, Lion and Lina have additional offensive which is dagon and if they reach level 11 their ultimate is deadlier. With both heroes having dagon, always go together for the kill. Visit enemies who have been farming for long to kill them and waste a portion of their gold. Push every time you killed a hero. You don't want the game to take so long that the enemy will have the time to recover and the mvp heroes will get their desired items.

If the game lasted long enough to reach level 16 or more, get aghanhim's scepter and refresher orb for both Lion and Lina. This will make their ultimates' damage even greater and also reduce their cooldowns. And with refresher orbs, Lion and Lina can cast dagon, minor and ultimate spells twice ensuring death to the enemy. :) If you still have enough gold, experiment with other items. You can buy heart of tarrasque if you have problems on staying alive during clashes or you can buy guinsoo to increase damage, mana, mana regen and to be able to disable a target enemy making chain stun even longer. You can also choose to upgrade dagon to max level at this point.

Note : For advanced gameplay, you can get dagger of escape for proper positioning, good element of surprise therefor executing attacks effectively and for escaping death.

So there we go. I hope you like this week's dynamic duo. Now try it out with your friends or against your friends. :D

Read more On "Dynamic Duo for the Week"

DOTA Lane Control Guide

Today, I was going to post a comprehensive DOTA guide to lane control but I found this very good guide by Blaow which pretty much said it all and it is complete with screenshots and advanced techniques. But the you must have at least a basic understanding of DOTA to fully understand the guide. Here is a part of it :

Preface: This is a guide to early game lane dominance. I assume the reader has a basic knowledge of DotA and can refer to other sources to look up heroes/items/abilities. If I use an abbreviation or term you do not understand please refer to Malle's excellent DotA game commands and common abbreviations list. I will be focusing on non em since lane control in em is less important, although I will try to point out some points for em as well. If you disagree or have something to add please post and back up your points with a valid argument, I'll try to include other's view points with credit if they are good even if they disagree with me. Sometimes there is more than one right way, or different things work in different situations. Please post your comments, opinions, and disagreements, constructive criticism is welcome! Anyway, on to the guide.

What will I learn from this guide?
This guide is an effort to comprehensively cover every aspect of lane control and early game strategies within reason. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of lane control I suggest you read all of it. However more advanced readers will certainly be familiar with some or many of the ideas covered so if you belong to that group feel free to skip sections. If you wish to explore a certain aspect of lane control use the table of contents - hit ctrl-f and type in the section you wish to go to.

Brief Table of Contents

1. What is Lane Control?
2. Your Hero
3. How to Build a Lane Controller
4. Choosing your Lane Control Style
5. Harassing
6. Map Awareness and Ganks
7. Creeps and Towers
8. In-Depth Scenarios
9. Secret Paths and Juking
10. Replays and Other Reading Material

To read the rest of the guide, visit this link. This guide is very helpful. I assure you that it will improve you lane gameplay when you read this guide.

Read more On "DOTA Lane Control Guide"

Dynamic Duo for the Week

This week's dynamic duo, which is one of my favorites, is Omniknight and Tormented Soul. The reason that I like this combo is because it is strong on lane battles, very good for early push if you that's your team plan, they are a strong combo during clash and they are also strong on any part of the game even during late game. Maybe the only drawback on this combo is it is not very good when it comes to ganking heroes on the map. That is compared to other hero combos where you have double stun combo, etc.

From the start to the last part of the game, Omniknight will play as a full support hero giving his all out support to Torment Soul while Tormented Soul will act as an mvp(most probably secondary mvp because of the usual case of having a main str hero or agi hero). During lane battles, Omniknight will just keep getting xp from a distance letting Tormented Soul spam his skills on the creeps and enemy heroes so get mana or mana regen items. When creeps go up to the enemy's side, let Omniknight pull the neutral creeps from the nearest creep camps to fight with your next creep wave(also known as creep pulling). That way, the enemy creeps will go again to your side balancing the control of the creeps and at the same time getting more experience than the opponent because Tormented Soul gets the experience on the lane while Omniknight gets experience from the neutral creeps and your enemies will not get that much experience because some of your if not all creeps will be killed by the neutral creeps. At this point, you are on the advantage during the lane battles. Just keep doing this and let Omknight heal Tormented Soul once in a while if needed.

The important items for Tormented Soul on this combo are Aghanhim's Scepter and Linken's Sphere. You can get the next items of your choice. I suggest boots of travel and dagger of escape then items to boost your health points to stay longer on clashes. If you still have extra, get guinsoo to increase your damage, increase mana, increase mana regeneration and to disable a target enemy. Omniknight might have boots and mass bracers because he won't have that much gold due to dedicating full support giving creep and hero kills to teammates and at the same time providing sentry and observer wards during the game.

During clashes, cast repel on Tormented Soul then he can just go in the middle of the battle spamming all skills while having pulse nova activated. With Aghanhim's Scepter on your inventory, this can deal quite an amount of area effect damage. If you also have Linken's Sphere, you automatically counter the enemy's chance of dispelling repel through Medusa's purge and Diffusal Blade. If the enemies focus on you with their normal attack, you have Omniknight to cast Guardian Angel. This will drive them crazy taking away their hope of winning the clash. lol. But remember to keep Omniknight on a safe distance and guarded by the other heroes. This is very crucial because if they are able to cast Eul's or worst kill Omniknight first before he can even cast Guardian Angel then this combo won't work. Don't worry about Omniknight a being few distances away from Tormented Soul because level 16 Guardian Angel has a wide affected area and ha a 9-second duration(this might change on next versions).

Do the same during pushes. If the enemies just wait from a distance, cast diabolic edict on the structures(most probably tower) then go back to Omniknight before repel wears off and have it casted on you again then keep repeating until they're forced to engage in a clash. Tormented Sould should not be afraid being alone in the front line for a while because he is immune to magic and you have Guardian Angel if they do physical attack so there is a little chance of killing you and you will have your teammates to back you up anyway in a flash when the enemies go near. :)

Read more On "Dynamic Duo for the Week"

Spectre Guide

A darkness who was ancient even in the early days of the world's existence, Mercurial is the embodiment of rage and vengeance in the souls of those long dead. Haunting her enemies with relentless fervor, she is able to throw a dagger-like projectile that allows her to chase her prey beyond physical boundaries, and the fear and the desolation struck in the hearts of those who have the misfortune of encountering her alone is a pain impossible to withstand. Spectre's thirst for destruction is insatiable, and the upcoming struggle seems to be just what she was waiting for.

Hero Skills

Spectral Dagger - The Spectre launches a deadly dagger that trails a Shadow Path. Deals damage to the targets in its path. Units hit by the dagger will also trail a Shadow Path. The Spectre becomes phased (gains zero collision) while on the path.

Level 1 - Spectre gains 5% movespeed, enemies lose 5%. Deals 50 damage.
Level 2 - Spectre gains 9% movespeed, enemies lose 9%. Deals 100 damage.
Level 3 - Spectre gains 14% movespeed, enemies lose 14%. Deals 150 damage.
Level 4 - Spectre gains 18% movespeed, enemies lose 18%. Deals 200 damage.

Desolate - Deals bonus damage that cuts through armor when attacking a hero that has no nearby allied units. Works on Illusions.

Level 1 - 15 Bonus Damage.
Level 2 - 25 Bonus Damage.
Level 3 - 35 Bonus Damage.
Level 4 - 45 Bonus Damage.

Passive

Dispersion - Gives Mercurial a chance to avoid damage and disperse it to an area around her. Has a minor stun effect. Can only disperse for as much hp as she has. 400 AOE.

Level 1 - 4% chance.
Level 2 - 8% chance.
Level 3 - 12% chance.
Level 4 - 16% chance.

Passive

Haunt - Creates a haunting image beside each enemy hero. These images are uncontrollable, take 200% damage, deal 50% damage and each of them will attack only its pair. Cooldown goes down with level.

Level 1 - Lasts 4 seconds.
Level 2 - Lasts 5 seconds.
Level 3 - Lasts 6 seconds.

Hero Builds

MVP Build I - This is best if your role is the main mvp of the team and you are being given priority by your teammates when it comes to items. This includes letting you farm as you can at the same time protecting you as much as they can so you can secure your items.

• Starting Items - 4 tangos, 1 flask, rest to branches
  
• Early to mid game items - power threads, 2-3 wraith bands (or vanguard), sacred relic
  
• Late game items - radiance, sange & yasha or(manta style), butterfly
  
• Skill Build : dagger, dispersion, dagger, dispersion, dagger, haunt, dagger, dispersion, desolate, dispersion, desolate, haunt, desolate, desolate, stats, haunt, rest to stats
  

Gameplay :

Play safe during early lane battles specially if your enemies on the lanes are very strong and aggressive. Hopefully you have a good support hero with you early in the game(like lich and warlock) so you will feel secure. Concentrate on getting gold on last hits. Don't let your enemies attack you freely so only get close when you will do last hits to get gold or else keep distance. Use your dagger wisely. Use it only when you will go for the kill or to run away. You can use it to cross trees to escape death. Other than that, reserve your mana. Don't use it to spam. Recharge your health and mana when you reach level 6. Be sure you have enough for haunt in case your teammates ask for it. That's the beauty of spectre. She(yes, mercurial is a girl) can help early game offensively anywhere on the map while still farming on the lanes unlike other mvp heroes. Get items when you recharge on the fountain at level 6 or so. Get boots and wraith bands(or vanguard). Buy wraith bands if you are going to be aggressive on killing enemies early. Specially when your game plan is to cast haunt always and go for the kill. If you fele you're going to have any difficulty on the lanes or you might resort to farming on the creep camps, buy vanguard. Buy power threads after that. Power threads is very important to mercurial whether for farming or hunting for kills. After that, concentrate on farming for relic. Your priority from this point on is to get sacred relic. This is only the hard part. Once you secured radiance, it will be a lot easier later on. You can get your next items easily and you will now be a big threat to enemy heroes. Haunt along with desolate will hurt them badly once you have radiance specially if you got it below 30 minutes in the game. Whenever your teammates or opponents do a push, just farm on the free lane then cast haunt during the clash and go there when haunt is almost finish to sweep your opponents. Always target the weakest and most vulnerable heroes first(these are usually the support heroes or could be the mvp hero with low hp). After that, go back to farming. This is what you will always do. Go to a free lane or go to creep camps. You will only join your teammate during clashes through haunt. This is the reason why mercurial is one of my favorite heroes. She can push a different lane by herself and when your teammates need you, you can go there just in time.

Your next items would be Sange & Yasha(or manta style). Assess carefully which item is best. Manta style is best if most enemy heroes rely on mana or crucial enemy heroes are dependent on mana just like Skeleton King for reincarnation. Other than that, buy Sange & Yasha. It will boost your attack speed, health points and damage. Then buy butterfly after that so you will have higher damage and you will attack very fast which will make haunt very effective. You can experiment what item you want next. I like going for refresher orb. Two haunts will hurt your enemies very much. hehe.

MVP Build II - Do this build if you are not the main priority for the team when it comes to item meaning you are not given that much time and protection to farm for relic early part of the game. Use this build too as an alternate build for MVP Build I if you are having a hard time securing radiance.

• Early to mid game items - power threads, 2-3 wraith bands(or vanguard)
  
• Late game items - sange & yasha(or manta style), butterfly
  
• Skill Build : dagger, dispersion, dagger, dispersion, dagger, haunt, dagger, dispersion, desolate, dispersion, desolate, haunt, desolate, desolate, stats, haunt, rest to stats
  

Gameplay :

Almost the same as MVP Build I except you will not go for radiance. You will directly go for sange & yasha(or manta style) instead of getting radiance first. The good part on this one is you are flexible middle part of the game unlike the first build on which you will really come out late game. You can be actively hunting with this build middle game. This is also your best alternate solution if your enemies keep killing you. So instead of waiting for sacred relic, just go for sange and yasha instead. The drawback on this build is your items won't be as fast as the build with radiance and most likely you won't be as strong as the first build late game.

Read more On "Spectre Guide"

Dynamic Duo for the Week

I will be posting once a week what I call as dynamic duo. They are two good combo heroes. It could be that they are a good pair during lane battles, during clashes, etc. So our dynamic duo for the week is sven and chen.

It's not because they are both knights(rogue knight and holy knight ^_^) but it is because they really a very good pair in every aspect of the game. They are good during the early part which is the lane battles. Chen should get possession and sven should get storm bolt at level 1. As soon as the creeps spawn on their side, chen should get 1 creep immediately. The best creep to get is the centaur or the fulborg. Both have area effect stun so when sven throws a storm bolt, the creep should immediately go and follow up a stun. This is a very good combo and can get hero kills most of the time. Specially when chen has penitence too which makes the enemy take additional damage and slow him at the same time making it hard to escape. If there is no fulborg or centaur, get satyr as second priority. It helps a lot because it can cast mana burn up to 4 times which burns 100 mana and damages 100 health. Imagine how much it would hurt the enemy being drained 400 health and 400 mana so early in the game.

During clashes, chen and sven provide a good chain stun. By the time chen should have around 3 stunners so when sven storm bolts a hero. Those creeps will get near to that hero stunning alternately for maximum effect while sven attacks with god strength on him. Sven should have a black king bar by this time so he can go to front lines without worrying of being disabled or casted high damaging spells. And if sven has low hp, chen can cast mekansm then hand of god to heal him. :)

Read more On "Dynamic Duo for the Week"

Viper Guide

Viper (Netherdrake)
A malicious Drake tamed by the Lich King himself, Viper is a fierce, acid-spitting beast whose speed and agility surprises the most hardened of warriors. Cursing himself into a maddened rage, Viper charges into battle without regard of his own safety. His salivary glands produce stinging poison that causes enemies to writhe in pain, severely damaging their nerves. Be careful when facing this powerful monster...its dark silhouette may be the last thing you will ever see.(From Warcraft III: Frozen Throne)

Hero Skills

Frenzy - Increases attack speed for 20 seconds, at the cost of taking additional damage.

Level 1 - 25% increase, 5% damage taken increase.
Level 2 - 50% increase, 10% damage taken increase.
Level 3 - 75% increase, 15% damage taken increase.
Level 4 - 100% increase, 20% damage taken increase.

Poison Attack - Coats Viper's attack with poison. Slows movement and attack speeds and lasts 2 seconds.

Level 1 - Slows speed by 10%, deals 6 damage per second.
Level 2 - Slows speed by 20%, deals 12 damage per second.
Level 3 - Slows speed by 30%, deals 18 damage per second.
Level 4 - Slows speed by 40%, deals 24 damage per second.

Corrosive Skin - Viper's body is covered with poison. Any unit that attacks it becomes infected. Reduced movement and attack speed and minor damage for 3 seconds. The poison also absorbs some of the damage from spells.

Level 1 - 5% reduction, 5 damage per second. 5% magic reduction.
Level 2 - 10% reduction, 10 damage per second. 10% magic reduction.
Level 3 - 15% reduction, 15 damage per second. 15% magic reduction.
Level 4 - 20% reduction, 20 damage per second. 20% magic reduction.

Viper Strike - Strikes with a vicious bite, slowing movement and attack speeds significantly and dealing poison damage over time.

Lasts 5 seconds.

Level 1 - Deals 60 damage per second and slows speeds by 40%.
Level 2 - Deals 100 damage per second and slows speeds by 60%.
Level 3 - Deals 145 damage per second and slows speeds by 80%.

Hero Builds

Semi-Support Build I -This is best if you want viper to hunt around the map looking for kills early game

• Starting Items - 2 tangos, 1 flask, the rest to branches
• Early to mid game items - dagger, boots of travel, dagon, wraith bands(not necessary if you have gained lots of gold)
  
• Late game items - Sange and Yasha, Monkey King Bar
  
• Skill Build : poison attack, stats, poison attack, stats, poison attack, viper strike, poison attack, corrosive skin, stats, corrosive skin, viper strike, corrosive skin, frenzy, corrosive skin, stats, frenzy, viper strike, then assign the rest.
  

Gameplay :

Keep harassing the enemy hero/es on the lanes. If you are with an mvp hero, give the creep kills to the mvp hero and concentrate on denying your own creeps. When you reach level 6, attempt a hero kill by using viper strike. When you reach level 7, go back to base and shop for items. You should be able to buy boots of travel by this time if you were careful or if you made the hero kill. If not, buy boots, some circlets and town portal then farm for your boots of travel. Be sure to watch out for enemies trying to kill your teammates. Always help them when you have the chance by using your town portal on the nearest tower. You can also earn lots of gold if you are lucky and were able to kill a hero when doing the rescue.

When you already have dagger, boots of travel and dagon it would be a lot easier to kill enemy heroes. You can even do a combo attack like when you have a teammate who is a stunner, make him stun the opponent while you travel on the creeps near to them. By the time the enemy recovers from stun, you will be there and cast viper strike on him then attack him with poison attack. If the enemy can almost escape, cast the dagon on him. lol. Just keep doing while slowly buying your next items. This is a good way of supporting your mvp heroes because you divert the enemy's attention on your constant visits and killing attempts. You can also help anywhere on the map as long as there is a structure to creep to use your boots of travel on. Your hero is still very useful late game if you got Sange & Yasha andMonkey King bar(or perhaps more).

Semi-Support Build II -This is best if you want viper support the team's mvp hero on the lane

• Starting Items - 2 tangos, 1 flask, the rest to branches
• Early to mid game items - dagger, power threads, mekansm, wards(if needed), wraith bands(not necessary if you have gained lots of gold)
  
• Late game items - Sange and Yasha, Monkey King Bar
  
• Skill Build : poison attack, stats, poison attack, stats, poison attack, viper strike, poison attack, corrosive skin, stats, corrosive skin, viper strike, corrosive skin, frenzy, corrosive skin, stats, frenzy, viper strike, then assign the rest.
  

Gameplay :

When you choose this build, you are most probably with another hero(most likely an mvp hero) in the lane. Just keep harassing your enemies with poison attack while denying your own creeps. Give all the creeps kills to the mvp hero as much as possible...even the hero kills. If you are constantly ganked in your lane by enemy heroes, provide wards. Keep your mvp hero safe while maintaining a safe distance so the enemy heroes can't attack you directly with ease. When you already have dagger, it's time for you and the mvp to be aggressive. Always try to go for the kill whenever you have your viper strike ready. And when you already have the mekansm, you can even hunt the enemy even if he is hiding behind his team's tower. You must have town portal with you every time so you can also support your other teammates. With mekansm, you save them lots of time and yourself too specially that you have your dagger. If you play this very well, you can buy Sange & Yasha, Monkey King Bar and others later on and still become very useful late game.

MVP Build -This build is best if you will rely on viper to be a strong killing machine on your team

• Starting Items - 2 tangos, 1 flask, the rest to branches
• Early to mid game items - relic, power threads, wraith bands(if you have hard time getting relic but go for relic after this)
  
• Late game items - Radiance, Sange & Yasha, Heart of Tarrasque or Black King Bar(if enemy has lots of stunners and/or very damaging spells), Monkey King Bar
  
• Skill Build : poison attack, stats, poison attack, stats, poison attack, viper strike, poison attack, corrosive skin, stats, corrosive skin, viper strike, corrosive skin, frenzy, corrosive skin, stats, frenzy, viper strike, then assign the rest.
  

Gameplay :

Farm for items from early game to mid game. Even in late game depending on the sitution. Focus on getting your items specially relic because this is the most difficult part. When you have radiance, it will be easier after that. Always get the creep and hero kills and ask for your teammates' help if you are having a hard time. You can even switch lane or go to creep camps if that is what it takes to get your items. Always bring town portal so you can use it to escape enemy attacks. You can also use it to help your teammates from other lanes but only do this if there is a little chance that you will die specially if you can kill at least 1 enemy enemy hero when you go for the rescue. Aside from that, just keep farming. You will come out later on....very strong. :D

Read more On "Viper Guide"

DOTA Heroes Guide Part I

I will start my guide on hero builds and strategy. This is very important because before you can actually play together with a team, you must at least know what hero to use and how to use it effectively. This guide will not only help you teach the best strategies but can also help you decide what hero suits you best. Are you better as a support hero? Or an MVP hero? You will know.

Here is a list of heroes that I will include in part I of my heroes guide. They will not be posted in the same order but their guide will be posted first before the others that are not listed :

1. King Leoric (Skeleton King)
2. Kel'Thuzad (Lich King)
3. Sven (Rogue Knight)
4. Rigwarl (Bristleback)
5. Nortrom (Silencer)
6. Mercurial (Spectre)
7. Razor (Lightning Revenant)
8. Viper (Netherdrake)
9. Demnok Lannik (Warlock)
10. Leshrac the Malicious (Tormented Soul)

I will also be posting a team strategy guide like team lineups, team lanes, etc. in between hero guides so just keep checking.

Read more On "DOTA Heroes Guide Part I"

What is DOTA?

So, what is DOTA anyway?

DOTA, short for Defense of the Ancients, is a custom map made for Warcraft III: Frozen Throne. DOTA is a team strategy where players can choose sides and his own hero. There are two sides on the games, Sentinel and Scourge. Players on the same side fight the other players on the opposing side to win the game. The objective of the games is to destroy the opponents’ base together with AI controlled units called creeps. Heroes start at level 1 and levels up to level 25. Heroes level up during the game while killing opposing heroes and creeps. Heroes gain skill when they gain additional levels. DOTA can be played as starting 1v1 up to 5v5. This could be against human players or AI controlled heroes which can be played on DOTA AI maps.

DOTA was originally developed by a mapmaker named Eul. There were different DOTA variations that time. The most popular one is DOTA All Stars which was developed by Guinsoo. When Guinsoo retired, IceFrog took over as the main programmer for the map.

DOTA is more on strategy than individual play. Even though players have their own heroes, it is their teamwork that is very important to winning the game. Although factors like individual skills also matter, a very good player with team mates that doesn’t care a lot about the team can’t just win by himself against all his opponents(unless of course he’s far too good and his opponents are new to the game).

This blog will be about DOTA all stars and the different strategies to win the game. All will be discussed here from individual strategies to team strategies… best items for individual hero to best items for the same hero but this time for teamplay… different roles of each heroes in a team like who is the mvp type hero or the support hero… the different team lineups with their own unique combo or counter lineups for another lineup… well, just anything that I can share and think of.

I’m also open for comments and suggestions so feel free to say what you think about my posts.

Read more On "What is DOTA?"