Thoughts about Alchemist

Well, it depends, what's your skill build?

- If you max Acid Spray and Unstable Concoction, you're playing a pure ganking Alch with no farming. So yes in this case Crimson Guard makes sense to help you fight HOWEVER it doesn't use the farming ability of the hero which is the only decent part about him. Support Alch is outdated as hell ; there are far better early gankers, so just play Midas Venge or something.

- If you max Acid Spray and Greevil's Greed, you are a pretty good farmer but since you have no stun, you can't gank. So building a fighting item like crimson makes no sense whatsoever since you're useless in fights, With that build the only thing you can do is hit creeps, so you should be going Maelstrom instead.

- If you max Unstable Concoction and Greevil's Greed (what I always used to do back when I played him), you're a pretty good ganker still but you need a farming item to clear creeps otherwise greed does nothing, so again maelstrom.

Besides Acid Spray is a pretty poor farming skill honestly. I remember having experimented with it back in the days, and I came to the conclusion that taking stats was better than skilling it (this was back when his stun and ult were good skills though).

CG solves his early armor and ****py health gain. as you said get 0-3-2 build and whenever you see an opportunity, you take it.

I do get your point that his core still his maelstrom.

You cant regen yourself out of death you know.

1 point in Acid Spray for the -4 armour on creeps (which helps you get some farm) and heroes (to deter them from fighting in the laning phase), 1 point in Greevil's Greed for extra income, and max stun. My skill build after that depends on the game. If I have to go extra aggro, then max Acid Spray. If the pace of the game is fairly slow and I'm finding free farm, then max greed. If I have to farm ancients a lot, then I put another point or 2 into Acid Spray.


Even if Acid Spray deals very little damage, the minus armour effect is too strong to pass up. Even if it's only -4 armour at level 1, it makes some difference when neutral and lane creeps have little to no armour, so it still accelerates your farm, albeit slightly. But throwing down an Acid Spray between the pull camp and medium camp in the radiant jungle really accelerates Alch's farm, and you might even stack the pull camp while the creeps are fighting you. And at max level, it's -7 armour, which is basically a Medallion's worth, so I wouldn't skip the ability for stats. If you actually bought Medallion of Courage as well, that would be -14 armour. So, Acid Spray is still good if you wanna farm/play aggressively as Alch.

Well said sir. Alchemist farms his Vanguard for 5-6 minutes, that's still really quick. Everybody agrees that Mjollnir and Assault Cuirass are still his cores but now we have to put here Crimson Guard, too. I don't agree that Unstable Concoction should be maxed if you are playing as position 1 - hard carry in safe lane. It's just too much nerfed. Greevil's Greed should be maxed out and one support should stack neutrals.
Thanks to all people that came here with an idea and tried to offer solution because it gave result. Alchemist carry (only in pubs) is back![/b]
For the people that think we are writing bull**** here: Think out of box, play matches as Alchemist and you will understand.

I knew this would work out! Thanks to everyone who participated in this discussion, and special thanks to Kyphoid for the item suggestion :).