6.86 "Pro" Abaddon

So I've been watching the Canada Cup lately and I saw Abaddon make a cameo in two really bad losses. As some of you may well know, I like to play Abaddon and was naturally intrigued to see how the hero would pan out in a pro match, only to be disappointed.

The matches in question:
http://www.dotabuff.com/matches/2081336560 (5-Pos Abaddon)
http://www.dotabuff.com/matches/2088860540 (3-Pos Abaddon)

In the first match, Archon ran Abaddon as a 5-position, with the plan being for him to eventually be their frontline hero. The problem was, he was never able to get the all important Borrowed Time, the thing that lets him be a tank in the first place, quick enough to really be the frontliner hero he was needed to be (granted he did eventually get to level 6, but by then the outcome was already decided). Oh and he had pretty no farm (kinda hard to be a tank when you have just brown boots, a wand and no level 6).

The second match saw Infamous utilize a Dazzle/ Abaddon dual offlane with the Abaddon being played as a core which sounded like it would wreck face paper (if Maut and Zyori were to be believed), but long story short, he failed to have an impact.

And it's not just these two matches where I've seen "pro" players fail with Abaddon, even watching streams, there are times I wonder if anyone is aware of the fact that you can manually activate Borrowed Time when you're stunned/disabled (some exceptions but for the most part, it's a solid escape mechanism in addition to being a good tanking skill). Oh and in that first match? Fluff skilled Mist Coil before even touching Curse of Avernus.

Now, Abaddon may not be the most "meta" hero at the moment, but I do feel like he's slowly been getting some indirect buffs with the new items (lens, glimmer, crest) and I think he can become feasible in some instances.

So, what do you guys think of the feasibility of 6.86 Abaddon? Do players simply not understand what he brings to the table? Is it matter of trying to find out how he fits into certain lineups? And seriously, why did FluffnStuff level Mist Coil at level 2? I'll never get over that.

But, let's discuss Abaddon!

Abaddon has a role that cannot be replicated by any hero and very noticeable weaknesses, so I think he will always be a viable niche pick. I mean, no other support is immune to being nuked down (except WK support or arguably Visage)

I would have to disagree with you on this mate - you can be nuked down if Borrowed Time isn't active and you take more than your current HP in a single shot. E.g. you eat Laguna Blade on 500hp. You're reliant on manual activation to protect you from this stuff.

Generally agree with the other points, I find him a bit 'meh' as a 5, mana is a constant issue until you get some levels and items to sort you out. And without mana/items you're just a creep who applies a mild debuff and can be ignored until they decide to deal with you.

3/4 is a completely different matter. He can grow into his role properly with a bit of farm and item scaling is pretty good on him. I'd agree though that he's not a particularly aggressive support or zoner. You might be able to partially zone a weakish solo offlaner, but it relies on having mana for shield, and them not being able to present too much of a threat to you. I like him best as a defensive support with an aggressive laner who gets to play even more aggro - Weaver was mentioned and is a good example.

I tend to build him W-E-Q-Q-Q-R-Q personally - one level in shield is sufficient until you get enough mana to really make it worthwhile. The biggest advantage of points in it is the reduced cooldown. Mist Coil on the other hand can save allies, deal damage (your biggest issue really without items), heal you under your Ult and also deny yourself in a tight spot. CoA is worth a value point I think. Obviously there will be games where you need more points in shield.