Azwraith

Azwaith The Phantom Lancer

Table of Contents:

• Intro
• Skill Build
• Item Build
• Justification
• Other Items
• Gameplay Walkthrough
  • Early game
  • Mid game
  • Late game
• Strategy
  • Macro tactics
  • Micro tactics
  • Good Supporters

Intro

Phantom lancer is the most underrated hero of Dota. This guide was ment to change that. To prove that cheap talk like: "AOE screws this hero" or "weak early and mid game" are false. I imagine that people will be sceptical about this, but I will upload replays with good players as proof. Of course me playing lancer. I'm not saying that lancer is viable for competative leage. No it's not, but he is a strong pick for inhouse games. If you want to know more about Images read Gray the Grayte's guide in the mechanics section. I made a small video with some nice footage from pubs. Download it here (high detail) or watch it on google.
I hope you will enjoy my guide !

Skill Build

1. Dopplewalk__
2. Spirit Lance__
3. Spirit Lance__
4. Dopplewalk__
5. Spirit Lance__
6. Dopplewalk__
7. Spirit Lance__
8. Dopplewalk__
9. Phantom Edge
10. Justaxpose__.
11. Phantom Edge
12. Justaxpose__.
13. Justaxpose__.
14. Justaxpose__.
15. Stats_______.
16. Phantom Edge

Item Build

Justification

Why 3 wraith bands? Gives 171 hp 117 mana 18 damage and 18 IAS. Hp against nukes, mana for one more spirit lance, damage and IAS for farming and for your illusions. AGI is the only way your illus can get IAS. The only way to incriease the speed of producing illus is to get lots and lots of AGI. Wraith bands are the cheapest possible solution, and they should be enugh to survive.

Why Travel? This item is the best possible for lancer. For a pusher like this hero it is essential to change lanes very fast, since two or more heroes (with or without AOE nukes) can easily screw you. This item also gives great mobility for illus and with it they may reach a second wave when pushing. Also with the 10% MS from dopplewalk we will have a nice speed of 418. I usually use this item instantly when it’s no longer under CD. In most cases you can’t stay in the same lance more than one minute without being ganked and killed.

Why Blade before Travel? At some point of the game lancer will produce all his images. To do this you will have to have one illusion from dopplewalk, two skills on both Justaxpose and Phatom Edge and the 28 AGI from wraiths and Blade. The skills will give you a total of 15% chance on each hit. If you manage to create another illusion, this will increase by 5% (20%) and so on. Blade is needed to have the minimum in AGI for the illusion manufacturing.

Why Yasha? This item can be skipped, but I highly recommend to get it. This item gives good AGI for low price, and the MS boost works on illusions (stacks with dopplewalk too). Your MS will be 399 with travel, and 437 while being invisible. Move speed is always good, since when more illusion reach the next wave they will reproduce faster.

Why Manta so late? The real question here is: why would you get it early in the game? Why would you get it when illus die in milliseconds since they don’t have enough hit points? The 250 hp manta gives is a laugh. It’s an effective 83 hp for illusions. That’s less then nothing in my opinion. You could have bought something useful for the same price! If not for the illusions, then why rush manta? Orb effect? The illusions are weak and probably have low IAS thanks to the rush for this item. The rush for manta will work only in pubs. Of course manta becomes great later. Also since my guide isn’t the “ganker” type I use Diffusal less often than others, but that doesn’t mean that purge is useless. In my opinion purge beats two illusions anytime anywhere. Remember that purge is an ultimate while 2 illusions is a simple skill, so don’t you dare to make manta from a Diffusal that isn’t already empty. Both Manta and Diffusal gives you the orb effect although Manta has a slightly better one.

Other Items

Radiance

Illusion benifit from the burn effect, but they won't get the extra damage. Only one radiance effect can be active on a unit in the same time. Since we are melee we won't benifit too much for having a larger AOE. Of course if we push two lanes constantly the effect helps a lot. Well it may seem that way, but actually it makes the pusher build weaker. Why is that ? Why does PL push alone? That's because if someone kills the creeps lancer can't duplicate. So if the creeps die faster thanks to radiance we will produce less illusions, and loose our bigest advantage: our mass of Phantom Lancers. Radiance is still viable for non pusher builds.

Linken's Sphere

Illusions can't block spells, but they will get the bonus stats it gives. An early void stone helps you spam spirit lance, and RoH is good for staying in the lane longer. Its price is the same as Heart's so it isn't cheap at all. This item helps lane controll but it won't help you to push better. Spaming lance looks like a winner, but why did you pick lancer if you want to spam spells ? Why didn't you pick Zeus or Lina ?

Butterfly

Although you alredy have evasion the one butter gives is still better. Also illus will benifit from the 30 AGI it gives. Evasion won't help you against nukers, so get this item, if you don't face more than one of them or as your last item after heart. Considering the high price that's the only option I see for this item.

Gameplay Walkthrough

Early game

The key word for this part is survival. I highly recommend pairing up with a nuker or stunner and going to the Top or Bottom lane. Don’t try anything if you aren’t close to full health! Lancer is very weak at this point of the game. His base damage is high and his attack animation is also good so concentrate on last hitting. Since your own creeps will be closer to you it’s safer to hit them, so deny, deny, deny. For a ranged hero deny is more painful since they get ¼ of the XP while you get half of it. Always look after your mana pool. If you can manage well you can use spirit lance twice in a short amount of time. This spell has great damage, but don’t use it until it gets on lvl3. Also use dopplewalk in emergencies, or if you want to taunt your enemy. It’s better to sacrifice an illusion than to receive some nasty nuke or stun. You never know whether the enemy will take the bait or not. The best you can do is act with the illusion as you would do with your hero. The enemy must know that you are currently controlling the unit he sees. Make some fast moves, and after that go for the enemy, but before you reach it retreat. He might think that he is about to be ganked and cast on the illusion. Look out for wards, and buy some if they become too annoying. Remember that enemy creeps will attack you if they see you, and that neutrals won’t spawn if there’s a ward close by. After you have the three wraiths you will be able to use your spells more freely. Also since dopplewalk’s mana cost is lower now you can use it to farm. Neutrals for example: hit the units one to get all of their attention, than cast dopplewalk and come out of invisibility with a hit. Since neutrals have seen the illusion he will tank most of the damage. Your worst choice of neutrals would be the ogres due to frost armor. That thing really hurt the illusions damage. Also remember that some units will use their spells that they normally wouldn’t if they are surrounded by more than two heroes (illusions). Also you can’t produce illusions while hitting ancients.

Mid game

This starts from the point, when you completed Travel. The tactic is simple: Teleport to the lane that is currently free, and push as long as possible. If you push one lane the enemy will be attracted to you, so another lane will be free. Teleport to that one before the enemy can confront you, or farm neutrals as long as there aren’t any free lanes. Your teammates (all of them) should push mid constantly! If only one hero is standing against you, and his other teammates are currently occupied, than try to kill him. One hero shouldn’t be enough to stop you. After you are finished with him continue your push. The goal for this strategy is not to ram the towers. If the enemy won’t come for us we will destroy the towers, but the real purpose is to occupy enemy forces as long as possible. One hero can’t stop lancer for long so at least two heroes will come for you. Of course we will teleport away before that happens, but the enemy will still have to deal with our illusions. If we can occupy two heroes than our team pushing mid has to deal with only 3 heroes. If the enemy won’t come after us, than we can push the towers down. Avoid the enemy all times and especially avoid your teammates, since if someone is killing the creeps in your lane you can’t produce illusions. Lancer is weak without them, and he has no use in team battles either. The only thing he has is spirit lance, and a melee hero he dies pretty quickly. Remember that our outmost goal is to destroy frozen throne/world tree so even if our teammates feed we can win with this sort of play style. When you complete diffusal don’t start ganking others. Do the same as before, and use purge when you meet a lonely hero or when you are in a pinch.

Late game

When we complete heart or illusions will survive one or two nukes. That’s great since this way they can reproduce themselves longer. The strategy stays the same as before, but if your team manages to push mid than help them as much as you can. If you are close to the enemy base, than instead of using travel use dopplewalk to get to the closest lane. Try to push all 3 lanes this time and the enemy will surely loose if you can keep up with it. You can try to get some kills since you are no longer as helpless as before. How to say? You can have a little fun, but don’t get too lightheaded.

Strategy

Macro tactics

When we talk about macro we refer to the commands we given to multiple units. In this case the ones give to illusions. Using hotkeys for better illusion control is out of the question. They disappear and reborn too fast. This means we will select the groups’ real time. When pushing use the attack command, and command your whole group to attack in the direction you wish to go. Don’t concentrate your attacks on a single target since that way your illusions will inflict less damage before they disappear. That also means that they won’t produce as much illusions as they would otherwise. Of course this isn’t true, when you face an enemy hero. When that happens, you have to decide to engage it or to retreat. If you engage the enemy attack with your illusions and use any slow possible (lance, purge). If you choose to retreat than separate your team into two groups. One that retreat with you and one that remains to hold back the enemy. Fleeing alone is dangerous. Also if you happen to meet an AOE nuker use your forces in two groups so that only one of them receives the damage. This way the enemy still won’t be able to tell which is the real hero, and can’t focus you. If the place where you fight is narrow you can try to wedge the enemy. Manta can be really helpful when you wish to do that.

Micro tactics

Micro refers for using an illusion or your hero individually for a purpose that cannot be completed in a group. For instance sneaking under invisibility or using an illusion to take some spells. Micro has lots of possibilities. You can separate one illusion from the attack group and make him retreat. There’s a good chance that the enemy will go after it since they think that it’s the real hero. Until they realize their mistake you can push down a tower or kill an unlucky hero. So, one way is to use an illusion as a hero. The other less common possibility is to use the hero as an illusion. If you can convince the enemy that you’re an illusion they won’t use their high class spells or even ignore you. To make you look like an illusion use the hold key or make unrealistic movements. Remember that dopplewalk in true sight paints a bullseye on your head, while it gives insane move speed.

Good Supporters

Morphling

Actually this guy isn't the best choice for early game, but later his abbilities becomre pretty usefull. I'm talking about his ultimate. I suggest getting it on lvl 10 and 11, and make a duplicate off lancer. The level 2 duplicate lasts pretty long, and can multiply the same way as lancers own illusions. What's better than 8 lancers, who burn mana and have nice damage? 16 illusions of the same type of course.

Vengefull Spirit

He has an early game stun, and later can incriease base and stat damage. His aura won't incirease the damage of illus, but since we will only have pure AGI items the damage incirease for the hero will be significant. Same goes for morphling if you have one! This hero is the identical choice for early game as a lane partner. Lance and stun, has great damage together.



thx to 1st post nekdolan@dota-allstars.com