Viper/Razor Mekansm after 6.82

Is the item as viable as it was? I played a game as Razor and did my standard Mek rush, but I found that I was almost never able to use it because of the huge mana cost that it has now. I haven't had a chance with Viper, but I imagine he has similar issues.

Are they trying to bring this back to being a full support item that's suited best on INT heroes?

What other items can serve as a replacement? I'm thinking grabbing an Urn and Drums could be as good or better maybe.

Yes it is, especially if you go Power Treads instead of Phase Boots and pick up a Bottle if going mid. I've recently seen pro players skipping it though, mainly because other teammates could build it, but their substitutions were either a rushed Agh's/BKB or rarely a Drum of Endurance.

You could also consider the Crimson Guard, but I haven't tested it on these Heroes yet.

It's not quite as good as it was, but it's still going to be standard for as long as that style of hero (tanky deathball mid) is popular. Which probably won't be that long, seeing how they all got nerfed while the majority of playmaker-type mids got buffed.

ok so ... Crimson Guard is LEGIT on those heroes now.

we have been building it on our Razor and Viper and it is amazing !!!!!

Crimson Guard should be amazing on Viper and Razor in theory because it makes them much more tanky. The damage block in addition to the vastly higher HP pool it gives relative to Mek (Due to the +250), and as has been mentioned before - Crimson Guards active is extremely powerful if you get the item early.

Assuming you have another Mek builder on your team, whose given space to farm it, having both up in good time makes you so powerful in mid-game teamfights, if not unbeatable against an opponent likewise without both.

It requires more investment than an early Mek which is an issue with it relative to a Mek build, but given that Razor and Viper can both go without building into early damage due to Static Link and Nethertoxin, and thus want to tank up instead, it's probably worth it all the same.

If you don't have anyone else who can build a Mek, I'd probably still build it on these Heroes, but maybe yeah go with Bottle given it's easier to run one now

Yeah, I haven't had a chance to play with Crimson Guard on them yet. I used it on Bristleback, though, and it was fantastic. I imagine it will be good on these heroes as long as you get it rather quickly. The only thing I don't like about it is how much it slows down your Scepter.

I really think Crimson Guard is an aweful item. If you're playing a mid razor, or safelane I think you skip Mekanism and just go straight Black king bar since that item just makes you invincible.

I never go mek on razor since the nerf to it. I think you just build bkb Ags AC/shivas.

just depends

roro made an excellent video on the crimson guard.

Here is it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9DGLOvu0OQ&list=UUOrqfaaWzpo6ALaVM08rNWA

Feel free to check out his channel, lots of helpful stuff there. and no this is not a paid advertisement :3

I did embed this but it wasn't working :/ meh