Guide to Azwraith - The Phantom Lancer

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
Basic Stats
Pros and Cons
2. Skills Overview
Skill Build & Strategies
3. Items Overview
Required Items
Optional Items
Basic Item Build
4. In-game Strategies
Basic Strategies
Skill Strategies
Item Strategiess
5. Final Notes

1. Introduction
As a precaution to new players, agility-type heroes depend mostly on tactics and skills rather than brute force or powerful spells. Especially so in the case of Azwraith, as this hero depends on deception and mobile offense. Therefore, I strictly advise newbies to the game to consider picking a hero other than the Phantom Lancer.

In this guide, I will focus on my improvised illusionist build for Azwraith, which practically disregards most opportunities to improve basic statistics (agility, attack damage, etc.) but rather focuses on skills and items that will enhance his reputation as a master of deception and tactical combat. Any opinions that I will give refers solely to my build and not Azwraith himself, because, as with any hero, the strengths and weaknesses of that hero are limited only by the skills and choices of the player behind it.


Azwraith
The Phantom Lancer
While his race, background, and motives are uncertain, his abilities with illusion and deception are unquestioned. He confuses the enemy by summoning or creating copies himself, and sometimes disappearing. He's mysterious, tricky, and crafty.

Range: 100
Primary: AGI
Speed: 290
Armor: 1
Damage: 45 - 67
Str: 19 + 2/level
Agi: 23 + 2.8/level
Int: 16 + 1.7/level
HP: 511
Mana: 208

Pros:
Mass illusions great for farming and pushing
Duplicating skills give great tactical possibilities
Can dominate at late game if played properly

Cons:
Extremely low HP
Cannot compete against mob-control heroes
Lacks a true disabling skill

2. Skills Overview

Here I have listed the four basic skills available to PL as of v6.19b, courtesy of DotaPortal.com. More details on the build and effective use of these skills will be covered in the later part of this section.


Spirit Lance (T)
Throws a magical lance at a target, slicing it and slowing it down for 3 seconds.

Level 1 - Deals 110 damage and Cripples for 10%.
Level 2 - Deals 150 damage and Cripples for 20%.
Level 3 - Deals 215 damage and Cripples for 30%.
Level 4 - Deals 310 damage and Cripples for 40%.

Notes:

Not a good skill at early levels, as we should focus first on building up your illusion skills as early as possible. Also, PL lack the mana to be able to cast this skill and DW at the same time. However, this is a must after getting Manta Style, as we need an effective disabling skill to replace the purge by Diffusal Blade.


Dopplewalk (W)
Allows the Phantom Lancer to become invisible for a period of time, leaving behind a duplicate of himself to confuse enemies. 10% movement bonus at all levels.
Lasts 12 seconds.

Level 1 - 150 mana.
Level 2 - 120 mana.
Level 3 - 90 mana.
Level 4 - 60 mana.

Notes:

The most important skill for this build, as this will be your opening skill when pushing and also your means of escape. This is best used defensively unlike Windwalk. It doesn’t give bonus damage at first strike, or a great bonus to running speed, but it does create an illusion at the exact position of the PL before the skill is activated. The transition is so clean that few players can detect if they’re being misled or it is the real PL they’re after.


Juxtapose (X)
Whenever the Phantom Lancer attacks he will randomly create a duplicate of himself. Limit of 8 images.
Duplicates last 15 seconds.

Level 1 - 3% chance.
Level 2 - 6% chance.
Level 3 - 9% chance.
Level 4 - 12% chance.

Notes:

A good complimentary skill to DW at mid game, it spawns illusions at absolutely no cost as long as you keep on attacking. However it is not, by any means, a good pushing tool until you get Phantom Edge.


Phantom Edge (D)
Gives the Phantom Lancer an edge in combat by allowing him to evade attacks and increasing Juxtapose's image generation. Additionally, it enables his images to generate their own images.

Level 1 - 5% evade, 3% chance illusions will duplicate, 2% increase in Juxtapose.
Level 2 - 10% evade, 5% chance illusions will duplicate, 4% increase in Juxtapose.
Level 3 - 15% evade, 7% chance illusions will duplicate, 6% increase in Juxtapose.

Notes:

Ownage at level 3! This skill, combined with Manta Style and effective use of DW and Juxtapose, is the key to owning at late game. It gives a hefty bonus to Juxtapose’s duplication chances, and also gives your illusions the chance to spawn more illusions themselves! Now, you will have no idea how much a pain in the ass a good PL with Phantom Edge is until you have seen it in action. It spits out images by the bucketful, and if your opponent doesn’t have a good area-effect skill or a Battlefury/Radiance handy he is toast. Combined with Diffusal Blade’s purge, and later on Spirit Lance, you can practically overrun almost anything that stands in your way.

Skill Build

Level 1: Dopplewalk
Level 2: Juxtapose
Level 3: Dopplewalk
Level 4: Juxtapose
Level 5: Dopplewalk
Level 6: Phantom Edge
Level 7: Dopplewalk
Level 8: Juxtapose
Level 9: Juxtapose
Level 10: Spirit Lance/Stats
Level 11: Phantom Edge
Level 12: Spirit Lance/Stats
Level 13: Spirit Lance/Stats
Level 14: Spirit Lance/Stats
Level 15: Stats
Level 16: Phantom Edge
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Stats
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: Stats
Level 21: Stats
Level 22: Stats/Spirit Lance
Level 23: Stats/Spirit Lance
Level 24: Stats/Spirit Lance
Level 25: Stats/Spirit Lance

Notes:

Follow the skill build in italics if you wish to focus on pushing instead of hero-killing. The early stats will give more HP to yourself and your illusions. Getting Burize-do Kyanon before Diffusal Blade is recommended if you wish to follow this build.

Why max Juxtapose first instead of getting Spirit Lance for poking purposes?

Sure, it rarely works at the beginning of the game, but the main idea here is to get Juxtapose level 4 and Phantom Edge as early as possible, so once you reach level 7-10, you get 1-3 illusions so that when up against a creep wave it will be easier to farm for cash and experience. Even one or two very fragile illusions can do a lot to divert the attention of harassing ranged heroes and nukers. With a little practice you can keep up with your opponents until you get the more powerful skills and items. PL may have hero-killing capabilities, but there is another totally different build for that. Also, you do NOT have enough mana for SL and DW, meaning if you cast SL even once, you're open to ganking because you do not have an escape skill.

Why are the illusions so essential to farming and pushing?

First, because illusions are basically free tankers; they expire anyway after approximately 10 seconds so it’s best to let them take the damage instead of your creeps. Second, because any kills made by your illusions count as your kills, hence by having more illusions hacking at your opponents increases the chances that the final shot will be yours. Finally, because at mid- to late-game, with overwhelming numbers and improved stats, illusions can make quick work of almost anything that comes your way, except a few obstacles that I will elaborate on in a later part of the guide.

Don’t I need to get a little bit of stats first to boost my PL?

Not really, since we are focusing on a build that maximizes the use of skill and item combinations for PL rather than relying on brute force. We will need the stats later in the game to beef up PL’s mana and health, but early on we must focus on farming by way of mass illusions and hero-killing with guerilla tactics.

3. Items Overview

Required Items

Flask of Sapphire Water (100)
Heals 400 HP over 20 seconds on a friendly unit
Dispels on attack
1 Charge

For what? Always buy around 3 of these early- to mid-game, especially when pushing; late-game, you can use one on a teammate that's low on health. Just be careful not to get hit while Flask is in effect.


Ring of Regeneration (375)
+2 hp/sec regen

For what? Combined with Flasks, this should save you a lot of trips to the fountain.


Power Treads (1530)
+60 Run Speed
+30% Attack Speed
Needs:
Power Treads (420)
Boots of Speed (500)
Gloves of Haste (610)

For what? The use for this item is pretty basic, not to mention obvious. It will give us the additional attack speed boost that we need, and also a nice bonus to running speed that will greatly help when running in and out of combat.


Bracer (1775)
+3 all attributes
+3 Strength
Needs:
Bracer (175)
Gauntlets of Ogre Strength (150)
Circlet of Nobility (185)

For what? This will give us the bonus HP that PL and his illusions so sorely needs at the beginning of the game to survive. The damage and mana bonuses, albeit a bit minimal, are also a plus.


Diffusal Blade (3000)
+6 Intelligence, +10 Agility
Charged: Purge
10 Charges 600 Range
4 Second Duration 12 Second Cooldown
Passive: Feedback
18 Mana Burned per Attack to Heroes
Needs:
Diffusal Blade (1550)
Blades of Alacrity (1000)
Robe of the Magi (450)

For what? This will make hero-killing a lot more easier mid-game (until you sacrifice this for Manta Style). The Feedback effect stacks with illusions, and ganging up on an enemy hero will drain their mana in no time. Purge whenever the situation warrants it; I highly suggest that you consume all Purge charges before upgrading to Manta.


Manta Style (5500)
+10 Agility
+6 Intellegence
+250 HP
Passive: Feedback
36 Mana Burned per Attack to Heroes
Active: Illusion
Creates 2 illusions of yourself that deals 40% damage and takes 300% damage
20 second duration
70 second cooldown
165 Mana Cost
Orb effects do not stack
Needs:
Manta Style (1400)
Diffusal Blade (3000)
Vitality Booster (1100)

For what? Escaping and overrun purposes. Use when you're power-pushing; that is, when you're totally dominating a lane with Juxtaposed illusions always at max and want to add even more illusions. The Feedback ability from Diffusal Blade also carries over to Manta. Lastly, it can be used for escaping from Wards and Gems as DW can be detected; use Manta and order all three units to run in different directions.


Burize-do Kyanon (6200)
+75 Damage
Passive: Critical Strike
20% Chance 2.2x Damage Multiplier
Needs:
Burize-do Kyanon (750)
Crystalys (2850)
Demon Edge (2600)

For what? In version 6.12b, the duration of Juxtaposed illusions seems to have decreased and can barely run over from one creep wave to the next. Therefore we need to maximize their damage potential, and we cannot rely on strength of numbers alone anymore. Burize-do Kyanon is the best item for this, the critical effect carries over to your illusions giving them more killing potential. Also, the less time killing off a creep wave means more time advancing, effectively speeding up pushing.


Helm of the Dominator (1850)
15% Life Leech
+10 Damage
+5 Armor
Activate: Dominate Creep
700 Range 300 Second Cooldown 125 Mana Cost
Orb effect does not stack
Needs:
Mask of Death (900)
Helm of Iron Will (950)

For what? This will allow us to make way for Satanic late in the game. However, only get this AFTER you meet the requirements stated below at the Item Strategies section.

Optional Items

Satanic (6150)
23% Life Leech
+25 Strength
+5 Armor
Activate: Death Pact
Self-heals by killing a friendly creep
105 mana cost
Needs:
Satanic (1100)
Helm of the Dominator (1850)
Messerschmidt's Reaver (3200)

For what? If you have the extra cash, get this after you complete the Helm of the Dominator. More HP and armor, plus a 23% Life Steal and Death Pact ensures that you can maintain the pressure on your enemy's defenses while multi-lane pushing without having to go back to the fountain for healing.


Hyperstone (2450)
+55% increased attack speed


Lothar's Edge (3800)
+21 Damage
+10 Agility
Activate: Wind Walk
+15% Run Speed 50 Damage Sneak Attack
9 Second Duration 26 Second Cooldown 125 Mana Cost
Needs:
Lothar's Edge (1400)
Blades of Alacrity (1000)
Claymore (1400)

For what? Obsolete after DW and all the items above? Not at all. This is a slightly better opening move for sneak attacks due to the 50 bonus damage, plus it allows you to reserve DW for evading attacks. Also, consider this a safety net late in the game, in case you get caught scouting around with both DW and Manta Style uncharged.


Boots of Travel (2800)
+90 Run Speed
Active: Teleport
60 Second Cooldown 3 Second Cast Time
Needs:
Boots of Travel (2300)
Boots of Speed (500)

For what? Sell Power Treads and get this item if your team is fairly dominant on pushing on 2 or more lanes late-game. This will make multiple lane-pushing a lot easier.

Basic Item Build

Ring of Regeneration (375)
Gauntlets of Ogre Strength (150)
Gauntlets of Ogre Strength (150)
Boots of Speed (500)
Circlet of Nobility (185)
Circlet of Nobility (185)
Bracer Recipe (175)
Created Bracer
Bracer Recipe (175)
Created Bracer
Gloves of Haste (610)
Power Treads Recipe (420)
Created Power Treads
Blades of Attack (650)
Broadsword (1200)
Crystalys Recipe (1000)
Created Crystalys
Blades of Alacrity (1000)
Robe of the Magi (450)
Diffusal Blade Recipe (1550)
Created Diffusal Blade
Sell Bracer
Vitality Booster (1100)
Manta Style Recipe (1400)
Created Manta Style
Sell Bracer
Demon Edge (2600)
Burize-do Kyanon Recipe (750)
Created Burize-do Kyanon
Mask of Death (900)
Sell Ring of Regeneration
Helm of Iron Will (950)
Created Helm of the Dominator

Total items cost: 22,125

Our final inventory should be (in order of the most important to the least):
1 - Manta Style
2 - Burize-do Kyanon
3 - Power Treads/Boots of Travel
4 - Helm of the Dominator/Satanic
5 - (Hyperstone/Optional Item)
6 - (Lothar's Edge/Optional Item)

Notes:

From here on farming for gold should be easy as pie. You can get any item after these, preferably those that give additional damage and slowing/disabling properties. As we have already occupied all 6 item slots, in case you wish to buy a new item, just sell an existing item that gives similar but inferior benefits (for example, if you want a Divine Rapier, sell Burize-do Kyanon). Also, try to replace the items that are of low importance first before replacing the top-tier ones.

Feel free to switch around the item sequences if you feel an urgent need for a particular item.

What's with the Bracers?

These are my substitutes for Perseverance. However, you need to be more careful early game because even though you're getting around 200 bonus HP, you're still fragile and a well-placed nuke can still knock you down into critical health. If you didn't save up enough for Flasks, that will put you into a very precarious position.

Why is Butterfly not in the list?

Butterfly isn't really that practical for Azwraith. It costs more than Burize-do Kyanon, and the only significant boosts that we get are about 45 bonus damage and 50% additional attack speed. Evasion, Butterfly's best feature, doesn't really count, as your Phantom Edge already gives an evasion bonus (although 10% lower). As an optional item, Butterfly won't fit in since you should have already ended the game even before you get the chance to buy it.

Is it good to get Cranium Bashers?

Illusions do not get bash. The special effect is there, but the stun is not. Basher's aren't such a bad idea considering that the real PL itself still gets a nice disable. But considering that PL isn't about pumping up the hero itself but rather about powering up your illusionary capabilites, there are a lot of other items that are more useful and cost-efficient than Bashers.

4. In-game Strategies

Basic Strategies

-The best game mode for using PL is 2v2 or 3v3, especially with short mode activated. You can try playing more than 3v3, but you're in for a hard time since there's a good chance that you will be up against 2 heroes at a time in one lane.

-If possible, start the game with at least one hero-killer on your team. You will need them to take care of enemy mob-control heroes at late game.

-When you’re attacking with illusions and are about to level up, make sure you stay away from enemy heroes, or at least have Dopplewalk/Lothar's Edge or Manta Style ready. The resulting special effect from leveling up will give away the position of the real PL.

-Don't worry about Sentry Wards or anything with True Sight. They can't tell which are illusions and which is real. Only worry about wards when you're in the red and you've Dopplewalked to retreat, this is about the only time that you're most vulnerable.

-Always try to get the last shot. For the newbies' information, getting the last shot on a dying enemy unit/structure means you get the bonus gold that comes with it. This is a basic skill in playing DotA, so I do not need to elaborate on this any further. Just practice this a lot, as the timing for this skill varies with every hero. Late game, you can just order all of your illusions to attack creeps one at a time and you’ll almost always get the last shot.

-Use the shortcuts whenever possible. Stay away from the main lanes when you're not pushing. When your opponents are aware of what you are capable of late-game, they will hunt you down whenever they find you. So stay out of sight, especially when you're alone. This should be pretty easy with Dopplewalk.

-Practice deceiving the enemy using your illusions. Usually the enemy hero, when confronted by mass illusions, will look for one that a- moves around a lot, b- stays farther from the battle than most, and c- reacts when hit. So to fool your enemy into thinking that one of your illusions is the real PL, try micromanaging it. Order the illusion that he's attacking to run around. It will make him think he's found the real PL and he might waste a spell on it, plus you get in a few more free solid hits while he's running around.

-Do not engage enemy heroes early into the game! They can, and will, kill you if you give them the chance. Avoid hostile heroes at all costs, especially disablers and heavy nukers. I cannot stress this enough. Dying early game is a huge drawback for any hero, and especially so for PL. Focus on avoiding direct combat, taking pot shots, absorbing experience, and trying for the last shot if the coast is clear. Retreat to your tower whenever you’re being chased. Do not worry about not being able to go near the enemy towers just yet, there will be a time for pushing once you get the necessary skills and items.

-Hero-hunting usually starts at level 7-10. DO NOT ENGAGE IN HUNTING DOWN HEROES JUST YET. You're too weak at this stage to be of any use, even with teammates. Instead, when the enemies gang together and pushes on a lane, leave your teammates to hold them at bay, run to whatever lane is abandoned and farm as much gold and experience as you can. Get your levels up to around 14-16 before you hunt down heroes.

-Learn how to swarm. You do this by simply covering all your enemy's escape routes with your illusions. With a little practice, even fast runners or the toughest heroes cannot escape. Sole exceptions are those with Wind Walk, Blink and Teleport, or any variant of those skills.

-Do multiple lane-pushing late in the game, if your friendly lines are more than halfway through to the enemy base. Create a lot of illusions in one lane; just before the enemy heroes arrive, use Dopplewalk/Lothar's Edge and run to another lane (or if you have Boots of Travel, retreat PL back into the fog and teleport to another lane) and start pushing again. Repeat this cycle and your opponents' base will eventually fall if their heroes can't move fast enough to keep pace.

-At late game (around level 20+), the only things that can stop you are heroes with mass-damaging/disabling skills and attacks, so avoid them as much as possible. This is where your hero-killing teammates come into play. Have them hunt down strays while you push lanes, or if your enemies play as one big group, stay at the front line while your teammates back you up.

Heroes to avoid at all costs:
Heroes with Cleave damage, or a Battle Fury e.g. Sven (The Rogue Knight)
Heroes with mass-damaging skills e.g. Leshrac the Malicious (The Tormented Soul)
Heroes with mass-disabling skills e.g. Rooftrellen (The Treant Protector)

Preferred allied heroes are:
Bone Clinkz (The Bone Fletcher), Kardel Sharpeye (The Dwarven Sniper), Traxex (The Drow Ranger), or any other capable hero-killer, preferable ranged. Also, it is highly recommended that allied heroes DO NOT have/use a powerful mob-control skill. When pushing, you need the enemy creeps for yourself so that you can spawn more illusions.

Skill Strategies

-Reserve your mana and use Dopplewalk the instant you find yourself the target of a superior enemy hero. Run to a position with an escape route, far enough to be out of range of the enemy, but close enough to gain experience. Be careful not to place PL in a position that’s prone to ambushes by other enemy heroes.

-When facing a nuker early-game in your lane, constantly monitor your enemy's mana. You should also be familiar with the approximate mana cost and cooldown rate of that hero's nuke skill. That way you can time your Dopplewalk at roughly the same time his skill becomes available. Order your illusion to attack the enemy hero, and chances are he'll panic and use his nuke as soon as it becomes available. Also, monitoring your enemy's mana allows you to fight or flee at the proper time, e.g. Leshrac with mana is deadly for PL, but without mana he is just another free kill.

-Juxtapose, when triggered, creates a small special effect on PL. This will usually not be a problem in a huge battle; however it will give away your position to attentive opponents, so always try to keep Dopplewalk/Lothar's Edge or Manta Style handy in case your opponents do notice and attack you.

-Don’t depend upon your illusions before you get Phantom Edge; they have very weak attacks at this stage and will die from one or two tower hits, plus they respawn VERY slowly. Use them to mislead the opponent instead. Trick your enemy into following an illusion away from the battle, or use your illusions to chase away spellcasters and cause them to waste mana on an expendable target. Be creative.

-Avoid activating Dopplewalk when you’re in a battle and still have around half of your health; you’ll need it charged and ready to be able to escape once you’re in the red. And remember not to activate either of them when near a tower, as an attentive opponent will see you faded out and focus fire on you.

-By level 6 you should have Phantom Edge. It greatly improves the spawning rate of your illusions, and you can now farm creeps with more ease. Unfortunately, your illusions are still not tough enough to take on towers, but they can serve as extra damage sources. Just trail behind a group of friendly creeps and once the enemy creep wave appears, use Dopplewalk and order PL and the resulting illusion to attack. Hopefully between the two of you, you can spawn enough illusions to take on the next creep wave in the same fashion. You can get lots of cash this way.

-At Phantom Edge level 2, you can start taking on towers with no problem whatsoever. Force your way to an enemy tower by the method I mentioned above. Attack creep waves as soon as they appear to build up your numbers, then resume attacking the tower. Having a Crystalys by that time makes it a LOT easier, because it allows you to kill off the creeps faster and gives your illusions more time to attack the tower before they expire. Just make the creeps your priority because Juxtapose and Phantom Edge will not trigger when attacking structures, and a PL attacking without illusions is a dead PL.

-DO NOT CAST SPIRIT LANCE WHEN YOU HAVE ILLUSIONS AND ARE IN COMBAT. It will most definitely give away your position. Save Spirit Lance for fleeing heroes, or as an opening move. Or at least make sure you have Dopplewalk/Lothar's Edge or Manta Style available.

-When dealing with enemies with a Gem of True Seeing or Sentry Wards, don't use Dopplewalk to run. Instead, when you're in the red, select all of your illusions and make them all run away at the same time, preferably at different directions.

Item Strategies

-Use Flasks to restore when you're nuked, but for slight damage, hang back and heal yourself back to full health with Ring of Regeneration.

-If you’re up against heroes with ranged attacks/skills at the start of the game, or simply have extra cash, invest in about 3 Flasks of Sapphire Water early on and switch to a less heavily-defended lane. The flasks costs a measly 100 gold per shot, and can save you a few trips to the fountain. The extra advantage in experience that you can get when you don’t make that trip, while your opponent does, is invaluable. In fact, get around 3 Flasks whenever you have extra gold, any time into the game.

-If it all went passing well at the early game, you should have a Crystalys and Diffusal Blade around level 16. These are the items crucial for hero-killing with PL. You probably can’t take on a hero alone just yet, but with some illusions and friendly creeps you can dominate any hero that comes your way. Simply sneak behind a hero that’s attacking your creeps, and just before you come into his field of vision, use Dopplewalk and order your illusion to attack the hero. He should either fight or make a break for it if he’s low on health. If he fights, immediately order PL to attack; to him it will seem that your illusion is the real PL and you’re a spawned duplicate. If you run out of illusions, use Dopplewalk again and run at a random direction, away from hostiles. But ideally you can create more duplicates before the first one dies or expires, and he should be a little bit short of mana due to Diffusal Blade’s Feedback property. If he continues to fight, he’s dead; if he bolts, alternately cast Spirit Lance and Purge and go after him. You should be able to get in enough Spirit Lances and Purges before he reaches the safety of his base, usually that is enough to take down most heroes.

-If you’re not all that interested in hero-killing, try getting Burize-do Kyanon before Diffusal Blade and focus on pushing. It will make farming a lot easier, but renders you almost unable to pull off hero kills alone due to the lack of Purge.

-After getting Manta Style, you can use it to cancel out enemy attacks. One way an opponent can determine which is the real PL is by observing each duplicate; the real PL regenerates mana and health faster, has a higher rate of attack, takes less damage and deals more. So during a push, when you have lots of illusions and by skillful observation (or sheer luck) your opponent attacks the true PL, use Manta Style to cancel out his attack so he'll have to check them all out again. Manta Style can also cancel out tracking spells like Barathrum's Charge of Darkness, Slardar's Amplify Damage and Gondar's Track.

-Get Helm of the Dominator only after you're finished overrunning the enemy base's defenses. This is the time when the enemy heroes are too busy defending their base from your creeps from at least 2 sides (usually after successful multi-lane pushing). This way hero encounters will be minimal, and you can proceed with overriding Manta Style's Feedback with the Helm's lifesteal. A passive lifesteal works well with Phantom Lancer, allowing you to heal yourself while your enemies are distracted by your illusions. And more health means more durable illusions; it's a combo cycle that ultimately gives you a lot more than what you paid for.

-Preferably, use the Dominate ability on ranged/support creeps, dominating melee creeps only clogs up the lanes leaving you with less room to maneuver. However, this is a minor issue. I myself do not use the Dominate ability; I always reserve my mana for Manta Style/Spirit Lance/Dopplewalk.

5. Final Notes

As a general rule, play cowardly. Don't engage enemies without friendly backup. Don't be a hero and rush in with half life or no mana. Don't face the opponent head-on; backstabbing a weakened hero the best way to score some kills. Or better yet, forget about the enemy hero and focus on overrunning his base's defenses. Always make sure you have a means of escape before you attack. Keep the illusions constantly pouring in and you'll be near-unstoppable.