Bristleback Mid

So, I really dig Bristleback as a character. His skills, his gameplay and his story (he's just a brawler) but as we all know, he can't go toe to toe with most carries however, he is a prick on mid (lol, pun intended)
Here's my reasoning -
1)Level dependent - BB is really more level dependent then anything else. Items really help him but getting to level 6/7. Quill spray and snot really hurt mid game and warpath is great. Rush power treads for tank and damage then go into AC as your first core item. Even if it's going bad, Medallion is not a terrible early item.

2)Laning - His last hit is decent, his quill spray is very spammable and his damage reduction stops a lot. Nothing better then seeing a meld strike from TA barely make a scratch.

3)Ganking - He shoots snot. The Armour reductions and slow is brutal and helps your carry get those kills. The only thing he doesn't have is some way to avoid wards but not many do.

Has anyone else tried him mid and what are your thoughts?

I've never tried him mid (actually I've only used him two or three times), but this idea should work: much like Timbersaw, that everyone wanted to play in dual lanes but I always played mid or solo, I think he can't be in the carry's place and can be played mid even more easily than Juggernaut or Slark. His lane control, especially against melee mids ( Quill Spray), is decent and his ganking potential is high: add a Bottle and you have a durable semi-carry that can win the mid game.

If I remember well, I played him mid, I was against a Timbersaw. I won the lane easily and then crushed everyone with my level advantage.

So the more and more I play him there, the more fun I'm having.
My starting items have generally been a bottle and stout shield (thanks to my wife who essentially pools me a bottle while I buy her courier and regen) This is pretty much the ideal setup if you have a support who's happy to lose 250 gold (so maybe not solo cues)
Even if you only have the normal 602 gold, stout shield and a set of tangos lets you rush bottle fairly quickly still.
Following this I go straight into Power treads. Then like any decent hero, it depends. I played a game last night where the whole team relied on nukes. First item was BKB. Another game I went straight for Helm of dominator into Satanic. Other games where we've had someone else grab vlads first item has been AC. Sort of depends on the game. Late game heart is always good, even more so on strength heroes.

As far as skills, first point in viscous goo, then switch between Quill spray and Bristleback grabbing warpath whenever you can. Warpath is awesome. Seriously. Use it for pushing towers by spraying on every cool down even if there aren't creeps around. When there are creeps around, drop a viscous goo on them then go back to the tower for more damage.

While he isn't an initator, he wants to be the second person into a team fight. As much as he is tanky, he can still be bursted down very quickly.

Having a lot of fun with him. So far I've taken down multiple TA's, couple of QoPs, a timbersaw and a CK (don't know why) on mid. Even goo is enough to stop them attacking you for that little bit of harrass.

All shall face the might of Bristleback in the midlane :D

I'm curious how someone who's good at mid would go with him there.

Trixi from fnatic.eu actually has played Armidon mid in HoN, so has H4nni, if you dig through the old honcasts he was an unstoppable machine. Armidon is the hon-port of Bristleback, basically they got so far ahead in they just steamrolled teams, picking up radiance, heart, and AC ending the game rather efficiently, there was a clip of trixi diving a team in fountain and team wiping them without hitting half health.. So a good mid playing BB well, is an utter wrecking ball

Seriously, I've yet to lose mid with him. I made a drow rage quit after she failed to gank me with a dd rune.

The only big mid hero I haven't versed is batrider who I know can screw me.

I guess you won't do anything against Outworld Devourer also. Bristleback have low mana pool, while being mana dependent to stack quills and ulti.

Actually, BB has a pretty huge mana pool, especially for a STR hero.

Though basically no one can counter OD in mid anyway, aside the unconventional Sniper, Lone Druid and dual mid, all of which are extremely awkward.