Io advice

Hello all. Ive begun playing io recently and i was hoping someone might have some advice/advance techniques to share.(most efficient jungling, how to gank without relocate.) Im currently 2-1 on him, but im not sure im really doing much besides keeping my carry in lane. Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

I guess no one here is an Io player? Well, I've played him three times. Only time I won was when the rest of my team stomped, and I was just kinda there. But I'll try to tell you some things I know. Io is a really hard hero to play, and usually the best thing you can do is pair him with good strength carries, especially ones who can gank well( Legion Commander, Tiny, Wraith King, etc.) and some agility carries(The squishier ones still benefit a lot from your damage reduction). The massive attack speed he gives while tethered is no laughing matter, nor is the damage reduction. Get some healing items, because anything you heal is given to your tethered partners. If you and a carry engage, try to bring the enemy into the tether by walking around them. Oh, and dont forget the massive range (1800) on tether. Thats all I can say. Hope it helps.

It would seem not... 8{(

Well, I haven't played him much, but here's my 2 pence on him:-

Rather than trying to get Farm on an Io, I'd rather Stack Jungle Camps for my Carry and leech Exp when he goes to Farm them, although this does depend on which Carry you're paired with. If your Carry can't Flash Farm Stacks then you're going to have to rely on Ganks to get Exp, you won't get much from the Jungle tbh.

Bear in mind though, that you can make it through the 1st 10 minutes with nothing more than Boots of Speed and a Magic Wand. The only exception is when you're running a Dual Mid, in which case, you'll want to get a Bottle asap. Don't worry if you don't have any Farm, you don't need any to be effective as a Support, Io is no exception. 8{)

As for later Items, some people think that building a Mekansm is a good idea on an Io. If possible, let someone else build it. You're a Squishy Support and your Carry will receive the extra Healing from Mek, no matter who on your Team uses it. An Urn of Shadows is much more appropriate for an Io since you'll gain charges while Ganking and it's much cheaper to build.

Later on in the game, focus on Items that will keep you and your Carry alive during Teamfights. Vladmir's Offering is usually a good choice for the cheap +5 Armour to everyone on your Team (plus the other Auras).

As for Ganking without Relocate, you have no choice but to rely on your Teammates to keep whoever it is you're Ganking under control, so you can hit them with Spirits. You have plenty of Damage output but no reliable way of landing them if they have any decent Escape Mechanism.