Substitute or not

Trying to learn to play Earthshaker.

I've seen many builds suggesting to get blink dagger fast. I was just wondering if force staff would be a nice replacement for dagger.

I like the regen and increase in the manapool. But, is it viable since with Earthshaker you need to use fissure a lot and can block your escape route.

thnks for the answer

Force Staff is a good option, but it's not as good and as cheap as Blink Dagger. You must jump inside the fight and initiate with your ultimate. You can't do that very well with Force Staff, but it's a good pick overall.

Blink is better in pretty much all cases. ES's manapool is fixed with manaboots, and you won't need much beyond that.

Forcestaff is viable if it's clear you will not be able to afford blink in a reasonable timeframe, since it can still help placing Echo Slam, and is easier to build than blink. Don't get forcestaff if you can afford blink.

Blink Dagger is awesome if you can get the Gold for it, i.e. lots of Kills + Assists, but you probably won't have enough for a Blink before the 30 minute mark, especially if you are playing Support. Observer Wards, Sentry Wards, Town Portal Scrolls, etc. will drain your money, so saving up 2150 can take a long time, and all it takes is one unfortunate death to set you back from getting it for another 5 minutes.

IMO, you should only get a Blink Dagger if you're doing really well and have a lot of Reliable Gold, otherwise, go Force Staff. Even if you do get a Blink Dagger though, a Force Staff is still worth it as well 8)

I do see why a force staff would work and there are good points that have already been made, but I suggest the Blink Dagger because it is easier to aim where you are going (to me at least) and es needs a lot of good positioning

Force staff is okay, it does give him mana, but for Earthshaker's initiation, it would be hard to pull it off with a force staff. Usually you blink in the instant the enemies are clumped together and ult, and they usually don't stay clumped long. With force staff, you have to get closer, and they can see it coming, and it's not as instant.

The Force Staff is superb against people that will make you have the dagger unusable( Radiance, Zeus, Templar Assassin blinking over you etc).If that happens and you have dagger, you can't escape/initiate/couter-initiate. But with the Force Staff things become easier against that kind of a line-up.

Wisdom and experience right here ^