[6.86f] Neckrow's Linken's Sphere Guide

Introduction

Aye lads, it's me Neckrow.
Yes, i wrote that guide to Tiny
Check it out and give me some feedback!. I put a lot of effort into it :)

I wanted to make this guide because there's never really been a guide on this item, and to give clarification when and when NOT to get it. I will give some examples with team formations as well!

Linken's Sphere

This is the Linken's Sphere, which most of you are aware of. On some heroes it's considered a "Core" item. The definition of a Core item is that you should get it in pretty much every game, except if there's obvious reasons. That's not what this item is. Linken's Sphere is a very good item in the right circumstances. In other situations, it's worse than Black King Bar. First off, let's look at the stats this item provides.

+15 All Stats
+6 HP Regeneration
+150% Mana Regeneration
+15 Damage

That's definitely better than good old Black King Bar. More strength than BKB + other stats, Mana/HP regeneration and a bit of damage. Not as much damage as BKB, but it's out there.

The passive ability however only blocks single target spells, on a shorter cooldown of 13 It's active transfers the passive to an ally for 16 seconds.

So the Pros & Cons:

Pros / Cons: Linken's Sphere versus Black King Bar

Pros

+Short Cooldown
+Passive can be transferred to an ally
+Better stats than Black King Bar
+Nice sustain
+Good buildup

Cons

-Only single-target spells are blocked, making it more situational
-Can only soak up one spell, Black King Bar soaks up most spells for a duration
-Very expensive, making it a meh first item

Examples

Versus

Should Storm Spirit get Linken's Sphere?
-Definitively, no. The only thing he would actually be able to block is Frostbite... And Bristleback is easily able to break it with his insanely low cooldowns. None of the spells of Sand King, Ember Spirit and Slark interact with Linken's Sphere. He should, however, definitely get Black King Bar.

Should Ember Spirit get Linken's Sphere?
-Yes. A multitude of reasons. Visage is not easily able to gank you with Grave Chill so he can't really chase you. Same for Phantom Assassin, no slow means no kill, even with Phantom Strike. And Necrophos won't be able to solo gank you. Radiant should go as a team, and even then, Ember Spirit can easily use his Fire Remnants to escape.

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Versus

Outworld Devourer

Should Outworld Devourer get Linken's Sphere?
-Nah, get Black King Bar. Their nukes are so dangerous, and Chen can easily break it with Penitence. You are easily bursted down, so just get BKB. Everything that isn't blocked by Linken's Sphere, is blocked by Black King Bar. Also, Black King Bar blocks Desolate, which is nice if you get picked out.

Should Weaver get Linken's Sphere?
-Not neccesary. Sure, you can block Astral Imprisonment and Void, but who cares? After you get hit by either of these spells, you can easily use Shukuchi or Time Lapse and get the hell out of there.

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Versus

Should Shadow Fiend get Linken's Sphere?
-Yes. Not as first item though, but blocking Flaming Lasso is life-saving. The only other spells that would be able to break it are Lightning Bolt and Mystic Snake. They won't be able to get in range for Mystic Snake before you can escape, but watch out for Lightning Bolt's long range however!

Should Medusa get Linken's Sphere?
-Yeah. Blocking Doom's Doom is so important. The only way to break it is through Shadow Word or Moon Beam. Even blocking Shadow Word is so nice, easy 500+ magic damage blocked.

Conclusion

This guide is updated per patch! However, meta changes and so do team compositions.
So remember:
-ALWAYS think before you buy it. Please do.

Any questions or advice? Ask in the comments.