Item: David's Sling -- a range increase item

Melee heroes have the cleave of Battle Fury, so the idea is a similar mid-game item that increases ranged heroes' attack range, meant for gankers and carries. The range-increase could be an Active or a Passive. Here is my suggestion, inspired by David and Goliath:

David's Sling

Materials:
Oblivion Staff - 1675
Crystalys - 2150
Gloves of Haste - 500
Total - 4325

Bonus:
+6 Intelligence
+75% Mana Regeneration
+45 Damage
+25 Attack Speed

Passive: David's Luck
Grants you a chance to deal critical damage on an attack.
Proc chance: 20%
Critical Damage: 175%

Activate: David's Strength
Increases your attack range by 250 and for 8 seconds.
Range increase does not work with melee heroes.
Cool Down: 40


This is a suggestion. I'd really like a range increase item to "balance" the melees' cleave. It could be a passive too, as said, maybe with a different item than Crystalis and without the crit. Thoughts?

Supplementary idea:

The range increase is a buff that can be cast to buff yourself or a team mate, OR cast on an enemy (ranged) hero to decrease their range by 100 for example, forcing them to close in. This creates a viable item for supports to counter enemy ranged carries like SF, Sniper, Drow, etc. Something like:

Active ability: Range Increase/Decrease
Unit Target, Self/Friend/Enemy

Cast on self/friend: +200 attack range for 8 seconds.
Cast on enemy: -100 attack range for 8 seconds.
Cool down: 60

i am a bit confused.. when/who should i buy this item on? do you have examples of scenarios/hero pools that might benefit from this item?

p.s have you thought of an item that adds splash damage?been thinkin' this one for a long time

^ you can buy this item on drow, making her a bloody monster to deal with.

You can make it on any short ranged hero and use the active to mess with other people. eg. Huskar.

Or TA. Or Ench. That would hurt a lot with her ult.

Thinking about this idea of a range-increase item, I have come to really like the second solution: Sort of like Medallion of Courage, its active ability works like a (de)buff that you can place on yourself, a team-mate or an enemy. Friendly target gains attack range, enemy target loses range.

I have grown into thinking that it would be awesome if it was viable as a situational pick-up for support heroes, gankers and carries! I've gone away from my first suggested materials, which made it a carry item, and my favourite suggestion for the build materials is now the this, making it more of a utility item that is easy to build up, even for supports:

Oblivion Staff - 1675
Wraith Band - 485
Recipe - 440
Total - 2600


I imagine four ways this item will be useful:

1. Increasing the range of a ranged carry, allowing him/her to stay further away from the centre of the battle and thus be safer.
2. Similarly, decreasing the range of an enemy ranged carry, forcing him/her closer to the battle. It also helps heroes with long range (e.g. Lina or Sniper) to kite enemy ranged heroes.
3. Increasing your (team-mate's) range to get off those last hits on a fleeing enemy.
4. Increasing your (team-mate's) range to be able to attack a tower outside its range of attack.

Reason no. 1 makes it good for any ranged carry that relies on staying away from the fight, like Enchantress (definite core, I imagine), Drow Ranger, Sniper, Weaver, Luna etc. It can be picked up by themselves to be stronger mid game, or by a support to buff them in the later stages.

Reason no. 2 makes it a good item counter to the same heroes as mentioned above. It will most likely picked up by a utility support that can stay close to the fight, like Ogre Magi or Silencer.

Reason no. 3 makes is good pick-up for ranged gankers - Templar Assassin, Clinkz, Shadow Fiend, Invoker, Sniper to name a few.

Reason no. 4 is rather obvious: Safer push - good for Nature's Prophet or others.

Das a nice idea, though i suggest making it dispellable.

^Yes, agreed.

Although this is a phenomenal idea, I personally just don't feel like a range increase item has a place in the game. Not that it wouldn't be useful on a lot of heroes, it'd be great, I just think it can take a hero far away from their origin and can make, say, Sniper even less important.

A splash damage item I can get behind though. I'd just like to see what making Battle Fury give splash to ranged heroes would do. I don't know why I feel differently about range and splash damage, I'll be watching the thread to see if I change my mind.

By the way,welcome to Dotofire Swixcap! It's always nice to see new people contributing, other than Unscathed, Kody, and Smuggels making all the comments :P (no hate to you guys)

^Hehe, thanks ^^ I'm usually very active in the beginning when entering a forum, and dabber off eventually, but I'll try to keep it up.


About Splash: It would of course be a direct equivalent to Cleave and it fits magical-projectile heroes, but splash damage from arrows and glaives..? It works, but it's not very realistic though. And, since you mention Sniper, splash is Dragon Knight's speciality ;)

I agree that an increase-range item could diminish the unique-ness of Sniper for example, if it was a passive range increase. As a buff though, that can be used on enemies, I really think the possibilities and utility value outweighs this.