Hero Tips and Tricks: Balanar, the Night Stalker

also be used for the same purpose. The important thing though, is to always be alert. When using Balanar, we should not just focus on the enemy we are "hunting." Sometimes, we overkill him/her by casting Void and Fear at the hero, and thus disregarding any other threat in the battlefield.

Balanar is a Team Hero

Let us get rid of the stereotypical Night Stalker that hunts enemies once night falls. No, he should be a team player and should be active during team pushes and clashes, where his disabling spells become most useful. Think of it this way, you only subdue one enemy when you hunt then kill using these spells. But when involved with your team, disabling two heroes at the same time may lead to two or more kills, and more survival for your team.

So next time you get hold of this ugly vampire, analyse your enemies first. Plan ahead. Who do I void? Who do I cripple? And the most important thing--WHEN? Which brings us to...

Timing

This is an important consideration when playing Balanar. As he has a meager mana pool, it is vital to conserve his spells, using them only when they're most needed. How does timing comes to play?

Well, you cast Fear to silence, right? Then never cast Fear after a nuker has just dished out his/her spells. It's useless! After the Fear wears off, the cooldown has ended too so it's nuking spree for him/her again. Bottomline: Cast Fear only when you feel your enemy is about to fight back using spells or make an escape using the same (Blink Dagger, for example).

Void, on the other hand, is used to slow enemies down. Sometimes, it's really fun to watch your Balanar chase hopeless heroes, then Voiding them to oblivion. But this is just plain childish. When you know the enemy has absolutely no means of escape, and his allies are far away, don't waste 145 mana for a finishing Void. Instead, conserve it, in case you get counter-ambushed after awhile.

Also, never, ever cast Void if you are not going for the kill. You pay lots of mana for the slow. If you are not really going to utilize it, then don't cast it. Let your other nuker teammates do the harassing.


2. Darkness


As I've mentioned above, Balanar is a Team Player. He should be one. Therefore, in my opinion, the team should make organized assaults once night falls. Instead of Balanar chasing poor Rylai once the clock hits 18:00, he should join his team and take towers down, or ambush enemies altogether. Yes, not chase loners down. It's good, yes, that you get the kills but believe me, you're doing your team more good if you lead them in battle. Augment your team's power with your Hunter in the Night and Spells. Be a team player.

Conversely, Darkness should be cast during those critical moments for your team. Say, it's still broad daylight and you need to take a base tower down. Cast Darkness then gather your teammates and break into their base. This skill may also be used as a pre-emptive spell--something that will ward enemies away from the center point (the river crossing). There's a psychological effect that whenever you turn Darkness on (what a pun!), the feeders or the "weaklings" among the enemy ranks tremble in fear. Make sure your team benefits from this "effect."

Lastly, browse the section above (Void and Fear) and think of other ways to incorporate Timing into Darkness, then Darkness with Balanar's other skills. Just please, please remember--Balanar may be a hunter, but if he hunts with the team, he'll be more heroic or hero-like. Whatever.

P.S. In lieu of this, I do not recommend Sange and Yasha for Balanar because you pay for the MS bonus here. If your Balanar is a team player, he does more hitting, and less chasing. Remember that in team battles, enemies are compelled NOT to run because if they run, they would just let their team down. So I suggest, get damage dealing and life stealing items to make Balanar the team player he really should be.

Hero Tips and Tricks: King Leoric, the Skeleton King

After having played with or using Leoric, I already memorized how people react to him. If he approaches you then stops somewhere within 600 range, you'd instinctively move back to get out of Storm Bolt's range. But what if Leoric continues towards you without casting Storm Bolt? In that split-second wherein he advances, your brain would actually tell you that he's not going to stun. (He may just be going for a last hit or something).

Wrong. A good Leoric player would not cast Bolt from the maximum range as this would waste at least a second of the stun in getting to the stunned enemy. A good Leoric player would semi-flank the enemy, pretending to hit a creep whereas he's actually going for the hero himself. Before the enemy could retreat, that's when you cast Storm Bolt to maximize the stun length.

Seems basic and easy to pull off, but a lot do not do this. They're so used to the times when they chase enemies wherein they have to cast Storm Bolt whenever possible. No. During clashes, walk towards your enemy first before stunning him. GG.


2. Reincarnation
This is Leoric's signature skill, the ability to come back to life. Good players know how to counter this. A well-timed ambush versus Leoric would waste his ultimate. So any ways to counter these Leoric-counters?

Items

Personally, I am a fan of Kelen's Dagger of Escape, and I feel Leoric needs one, especially once team pushes and team ambushes begin to take place. This scenario often happens: your team clashes with the enemy, the enemy wins and most of your allies are dead or fleeing. You, too, die but with Reincarnation, you are resurrected in the battlefield. But all enemies are now around you--ready to finish you off the 2nd time. So what now? This is why I recommend Leoric to get Blink.

Offensively, Kelen's Dagger of Escape has its uses too. It can chase down enemies with ease, distract enemies and support your allies who may be in danger.

Another item that owes perusal is Manta Style. With Leoric's High Hp Pool, 3 Leorics are actually something when teams clash. Not only would this provide you with extra bit of Mana (for Storm Bolt and Reincarnation), but this also discourages enemies to focus fire on you, making you more useful to the team.

Offensive Uses

Reincarnation has an uber long cooldown especially at Levels 1 and 2. But more often than not, even good players do not fully utilize this cooldown. Meaning, they play too safely that the Reincarnation is put to waste. Of course better safe than sorry, but sometimes, Leoric really has to push his weight around (and let himself die) for the good of the team. Besides, if you have your Skeleton King equipped with Kelen's Dagger of Escape, you need not worry much about dying the second time.

- Tower Pushing - Let Leoric tank to take down that tower once and for all! (Same applies to creep-producing buildings)
- Hero Chasing behind enemy lines (a red hero managed to escape your friends' wrath but you happen to be in the vicinity.) Go chase him, land your storm bolts and grab the kill. If enemies are around, think twice, but be practical. What's your ultimate for? For display, only?
- Roshan - in dire situations, you may have to give up your utlimate just to crush this ugly Golem.

Lots of other situations but the bottom line is this: that ultimate of Leoric is meant to be USED. Don't let it go stagnant. Think quickly but rationally. Use this skill wisely. And please, please, get Kelen's.

Dota Tips and Tricks: Rexxar, the Beastmaster

But good players know the importance of this skill.
- The Hawk is for surveillance.
- The Quillbeast is for slowing enemies down (has both offensive and defensive uses)

For those who hate micromanagement (maybe because they can't properly do it), I can only advice -- Practice Makes Perfect.

Anyway, with its cheap mana cost, Rexxar's summons are really something we could not pass up. When I use Rexxar, or when my team has a Rexxar, I often share units or ask the Rexxar to share units so others could avail of the Hawk's scouting powers. The Hawk can patrol the woods, rune areas and act as a very mobile observer ward. So maybe for those who can't micro well, just share units with a friend who knows how to micro, and let him use the Hawk for you.

Also, I have to stress this point. I know many players prefer Beast Rage over Summons (all players get Wild Axes, I suppose), but early game, is Rexxar really able to attack his enemy three to five times in a row to really benefit from the attack speed bonus? What then does this skill do if Rexxar doesn't get this opportunity...? NOTHING. So that's another reason why his beasts have to be learned early.


2. Wild Axes
This spell is so intuitive. A no-brainer. Many players, in fact, have already mastered how to aim this properly to hit the most creeps and enemies. But what I'd like to point out here is the spell's ability to cut through trees! Yes, you should cast Wild Axes on forested areas while awaiting an enemy push just to check if they're hiding out there, preparing an ambush. You may also use this skill to reroute creeps or awaken neutrals. The possibilities and their benefits are endless. Think outside the box!

Dota Tips and Tricks: Lucifer, the Doom Bringer

When you devour an enemy creep, the enemies see you wherever you go, while you're chewing on the beast. Unfair, huh? Well, you can actually play with your foes with this trick. When you're a little short of health, you're down to 600/1500 Hp, go eat a creep then proceed to the forest. Tell your allies to be around the area for backup. Now, pretend to go neutral creeping. If your enemies are greedy enough, they'll send two or three to ambush you, since they hate you so much. When they come, your allies should be ready. You Doom one, then fight on. If you planned it all well, the enemies would all end up dead.

P.S. If you think this idea is too risky or far-fetched, let me be the first one to tell you that it IS not. Greedy enemies often feel confident, as if they're all Supermen. They'll be off guard when your allies appear to counter ambush them. If you guys are not convinced, I'll put up a replay here soon illustrating this trick. But in the meantime, try it. If you pull it off, you'd surely ROFL.


2. Scorched Earth


I won't go remind everyone again that this is Doom's way of pushing. I won't remind everyone to spam this skill mid-to-late game.

Forest Fire
But I'm here to remind everyone that this spell wipes out trees. So what's the best way to prevent campers from loitering in the woods? This skill. You know they're waiting for you there. Cast this then use that element of surprise to launch a counter-ambush. With proper timing, you'll be able to send them all to hell.

Forest Fire Part 2
What happens when there's a forest fire? The beasties run! When you know there's going to be a clash in the woods soon, get ready to cast this spell on the havens of our furbolgs, satyrs, trolls and whatnot. With them joining the fray, your team might be able to secure victory. Just make sure you position this spell correctly so the creeps won't come for you! Anyway, the added creeps to the screen would also distract your enemies and make the cuss... WTF who let the creeps out?


3. Level Death and Doom
These skills are very easy to use so I would not go into much detail with them. I just want to remind everyone that during team games, these skills can be more helpful if the one controlling Doombringer would prioritize certain heroes as targets. LVL Death is coupled with a mini-stun so it can be used to cancel channeling skills. Doom, of course, has silence. But with regards to Doom, I think it should be cast first on (with decreasing priority):

a) Heroes who entirely rely on spells to deal damage and disable (Rhasta, Enigma, Rylai, Necrolyte)
b) Damage dealers who rely on spells to be efficient and to survive (Gondar, Bone Clinkz, Mortred)

When you are Lucifer, weigh things beforehand. Know your enemies and analyse first. Who could be the biggest threat? Who among the enemies should I Doom to weaken their team most? Ask questions like these early in the game so when the need arises, you know what to do. Don't be like the other Doom players who merely Doom the feeders or the easy kills so as to get the kills themselves. This is a selfish attitude and bear in mind that by adopting this disposition, you are NOT at all being helpful to your team.

Dota-Allstars 6.52d is a Stable Map Now!

If you check getdota.com, you can say bye bye to 6.48b and welcome the Dota-Allstars 6.52d as the new stable map. this means a lot. The competitive game/ tournament of Dota-Allstars will use new map (even tough some of them already are). And a new stable map means RGB/LazyFiend will make us another AI map!

Hero Tips and Tricks: Razzil Darkbrew, the Alchemist

He is the most low-profile of all heroes. I have not seen anyone in weeks use him except in All Random matches, or when a hero got him from availing of a random hero. Why is he this unpopular? Was it because of the 6.43 “nerf” on him? A lot of people say he is really weak, but I beg to differ. I strongly disagree with this claim, because for me, the Alchemist is a strong team player—a pusher, a farmer, an offensive and defensive supporter, and a potential late-game killer.

Pusher – Razzil is a good pusher mainly with his Chemical Spray skill, which allows him to clear out an entire wave of creeps in seconds. Secondly, his ultimate, Chemical Rage, which regenerates HP in huge amounts, allows him to stay indefinitely in a lane, allowing him to dominate that lane.

Farmer – Chemical Spray and Goblin's Greed theoretically make Razzil DotA is best farmer because of the simple fact that he gets more gold per kill. Being the farmer he is, he can amass gold faster than the others, giving him access to good items—for himself, and maybe for his carry teammates. (It is really wise come late game for Razzil to farm Level 4 recipes for the carry heroes in his team.)

Support – Chemical Spray and Unstable Concoction are two very good skills, and even “imba” if really used in conjunction with the team. I will go into detail with these two skills later.

Late-game killer – When properly equipped, and in his Chemical Rage, Razzil Darkbrew can slice and dice enemies with ease. Combined with the help of his stun and the armor reduction from the chemical spray, he can match most agility and strength heroes in hand-to-hand combat.


1. Items
I am not making an Alchemist hero guide here but I feel I must include an item build for readers to have a better idea on how to use Alchemist.

Early game, I suggest an Arcane Ring and some Stat Items to boost make him last longer in a lane. Next he should aim for “all-around items”, items which raises many hero aspects, in contrast with items which focus on one aspect alone. (Compare Eye of Skadi and Heart of Tarrasque).

Some items I recommend are Sange and Yasha, Eye of Skadi, Battle Fury, and Linken's Sphere. These items buff him out, and also give him damage bonuses and some point regeneration. While building these items, it is advisable to get Kelen's Dagger of Escape. It helps him get into position. Note that when you cast spray, enemies often flee backward to avoid it. The dagger enables Razzil to blink right next to enemies and start hitting them before they can flee. Dagger also works well with his stun. After stunning, blink right next to enemy to avail of the free hits.

It is also good to get Assault Cuirass when the game drags on. The armor bonus helps Razzil a lot, while the attack speed aura makes the team more powerful as a whole.

How about his footwear? Treads or Travel? It depends on what role you are performing for the team.

If you have become a seasoned pusher already, pushing lanes to their limits, then farming, get Travel, to improve your game.

If you have decided to join your teammates in ambushes and in team pushes, get Treads, since you would be attacking more often.
However, in my opinion, Travel is usually the better choice because I am assuming Alchemist would have no money problems. Late game, Travel always makes a difference.


2. The Chemical Spray
This is your bread-and-butter skill, if you are that Ogre-Goblin team. By mid-game, you should have enough mana regen to be able to spam this. However, at this juncture, I would focus on its role in team clashes (to justify my claim that Razzil is a good supporting hero).

Never, ever cast this before your team engages the enemy. This will pre-empt the fight causing enemies to fall back, wasting your spell. Cast this when the first few spells have been cast—like stuns, disables, ultimates. Then jump into the fray and start slicing enemies. If you cast this a few seconds AFTER the fight has begun, enemies will be at a quandary. Will they turn back or will they fight it out? This is good. You have confused them. The cowards might pull back, enabling your teammates to focus fire on the remaining heroes, ensuring you victory for that clash.


3. The Unstable Concoction
As I have said above, Spray is not an initiator. Unstable Concoction IS the initiator. It is one of the most controversial spells in DotA. Many claim it is useless, but after it was improved in 6.43b, I will be the first one to tell you that this is a very underrated spell—its role in the team is very vital. True, it is hard to master, but again, practice makes perfect. It is one of those spells that really require skill on the part of the player. But I assure you, it IS a strong skill.

Show-Stopper

If you see someone channeling a spell, just cast this one and release immediately. Cancels teleport, Epicenter, Freezing Field, Black Hole and so on.


Early Game


Honestly, this is the first skill I get when I use Alchemist. Why? Because it is a nuke-stun. So go partner with another stunner/disabler/nuker, and go for First Blood.

Timing is the crucial thing to master with this spell. To get the maximum stun length, Razzil has to channel for five seconds, which is crazy, as some people would say. Actually, it is not. So here is what you do: After a creep wave defeats the opposing creep wave, stay behind your creeps and wait for the enemy hero to come in sight. Once he does, start channeling. Chances are, he will continue moving forward, thinking his creeps are there to back him up. Once the stun is released, your lane partner should start availing of the free hits, then following up with another disable/nuke/stun. Razzil, after channeling should jump right into the fray too.


Ambushes/Ganks
This spell is a very useful ambush tool. Just go to the woods then find a spot that overlooks the spot where the enemy is. Tell your ally to engage the enemy while you start channeling this spell. Chances are, by the time your ally has begun attacking your enemy, the latter is stunned for five seconds. Jump into the lane and aid your friend. An easy kill.

But what is not easy is timing the channel. I do not think I can enumerate concrete steps on how to get the timing right. It really is a matter of skill, so just practice. Your efforts will pay off.


Team Battles/Defending


When a team battle is about to start, pick someone for your team to focus fire on then aim this spell on him. While you are channeling, your teammates should engage the enemy to officially start the battle. Once the guy you are aiming at is stunned, focus fire on him, and do not forget to cast Spray! If your team play is perfect, you would cause disarray among your enemies, making them indecisive. Because you initiated the fight with this subtle stun, chances are they would not anticipate it.

When defending, the same principle should be applied. Use your higher ground advantage (in case you are defending the base towers already). Anticipate the moment when your enemies will storm the tower. Channel Concoction 5 seconds before that so the target would be stunned at a spot where he is really vulnerable. The 5-second stun makes a difference—that I assure you.

Alchemist can also choose to hide among trees outside base and channel from there. After the stun is released, he back stabs the enemy and pours his chemicals all over the place. That way the enemies are somewhat sandwiched, making some of them think they are going to lose the battle. This is good, because if they start retreating, that means you did a great job.

Hero Tips and Tricks: Mirana Nightshade, the Priestess of the Moon

Leap
The common mistake of some players is either to Leap too soon, or too Leap too late when Mirana is fleeing. Here's a quick tip. When facing enemies who have stuns, disables or has a Blink (including Dagger), try to Leap after you've seen them cast their spells. This would at least ensure you that after you leap, no one can catch up.


The Moonlight Shadow
Her ultimate is often underrated by many, because they think all it does is rescue her or her allies from immediate danger or sure death. True, this is a very important defensive use of her ultimate but what many players don't know is that it can be used offensively too.

Mirana's ultimate basically lends everybody in her team temporary invisibility. So just pretend your whole team has gotten the Invisibility rune. What do you guys do? You ambush the enemy.

In short, Moonlight Shadow can be used to set up an ambush. It can be against the whole team or just a couple of enemies.
But for this to be effective, your allies have to know what they have to do. Your team has to be coordinated. Once you get into your position, everything should go like clockwork. Your enemies would never know you were there.

Once you've used this tactic once or twice, you can now actually use another tactic against your enemies.

I call it the "missing ruse."

Tell your allies to go missing, meaning they leave their lane and so on. If your enemies are pushing down one lane, they might back off a bit, because they might think they will be ambushed. This actually wastes their time. Now they have to decide whether they should reorganize their push or fall back in to the woods. Once you see them take action, then just return to your lanes or get ready to defend.

If you didn't get the significance of this ruse, I'll explain it in simpler terms-- One aspect of DotA is fooling your enemies into doing things they really don't have to do. By making them think they'll be ambushed, you're actually undermining their push, giving your team a slight edge.