Salty Slug, Slardar Guide

The no bash before 6 is an older holdover back when a lvl 1 sprint was next to useless at 10% MS increase. It's been rebalanced to 20%, so a Slardar with a 1-3-1-1 build now is just as fast as an old 2-3-0-1 build at level 6, so you're equally as fast during a level 6 gank.

Now I find it's ok to get a single point in it in some situations, namely you're paired with a ranged stunner and you're laning against 1 or 2 melee heroes. Everytime the melee guy goes in for a hit attack him once, if no stun procs then just back off. If you proc a stun however stack on the damage. Even if you don't kill him he'll start getting really scared about moving in for CS. If you're against double range though or if you're with a super passive lane partner I don't bother though, but that particular part is just personal preference. You could still justify getting 1 level in bash.

On the topic of his stun, it actually does have a big AOE effect. It hits everything in a 750 unit diameter, consider thta a hero is considered to have a long range at 600 units. If you're playing initiator Blink dagger is a definite core item, if you're playing semi carry it's a justifiable luxury. Positioning during teamfights is extremely important, being able to blink is rarely a useless boon.

However as your guide is catering to Slardar in a Semi carry role it should definitely must have the Armlet in there. That item is beyond godlike on Slardar, I cannot stress enough how powerful rushing it is on a STR hero that benefits from IAS. I would only rush a BKB over it if you were up against a stupidly nuke heavy lineup that's giving you alot of issues early on. Remember rushing a BKB is a double edged sword. Yes you get magic immunity, however by using it early on during ganks you're wasting charges for when you need it most at big teambattles at the raxes. When games go super late you'll often see people take cash out of their buyback account, sell their BKB and buy a fresh one. Having 10 seconds of magic immunity lategame is way more powerful.

I disagree that blink should be luxury. Being an avid Slardar player myself, blink is situational. If your team is doing great, but there's always one bastard that gets away, get blink. If you manage to farm 2k in your first time in a lane. Get blink. My two cents.

Blink Dagger is pointless since you have a sprint + aoe stun in my opinion, Plus if you get BKB while your in sprint it is basically a blink dagger since your invisible and can get to the target area

Overall perfect guide, this is exactly how i build/play slard. however, i like to get a blni kdagger too

BKB + 1st skill = Semi blink dagger.
Also, i don't think his stun have an AoE so larger so he can blink and stun everyone.
IMO Slardar is way more useful ulting people from behind and stunning after someone else initiated. But i can think Blink as a very very luxury item. Maybe...

Like you said having the chance of landing a bash at the early phase is really nice. If the player wants to have bash in the early phase he can get 1 level at lv3. But, again, as you said, in the early phase i dont like depending on luck, and i really think that in this phase you will not even going to need this "luck" if you land your stun correctly (not just in the right enemy, but in the right time) you are not going to need this "luck". As I said, this guide (at least the 1st build) is focused in helping your teamates, some times evem babysitting.

Anyway, some people might want to get 1 level at bash, if they do so i don't see a dramatical change in the build :]
thanks for the feedback!

You rely on luck every time you attack, attacks don't always do an exact amount of damage, they vary in a range from 5 to sometimes 15 damage spread on every swing. What is one more chance? Besides, that early into the game if you couldn't catch him with your aoe stun, you shouldn't be chasing him.

Though I will let it be, some players refuse to get luck based abilities as well. Your guide, your rules.

I understand your point, but still, you would have to rely on luck to prevent an enemy from running away.

That's not true at all, you don't get Healing Ward because it doesn't have a flat healing amount, it is percentage based. Thus why it is amazing later game. Now having that one in ten chance of landing that stun with Bash may seem minor to you, try running it. You would be surprised how often it lands.

In my opinion Bash is not that useful on the beginning, I think sprint is better to be able to catch up the opponent, as opposed to have to rely on luck to land a Bash stun.
It's like getting Healing Ward on the beginning as jugger.

No blink dagger? :<

It is imperative that you always get a single level of Bash in the Beginning. Take it over the first level of Sprint would be my, guess, having that chance to land a stun and some additional damage all game is worth it, besides you wont be making much use of Sprint during the laning phase. It's much more of a Mid-Late game ability.