A Guide to Slark- Hit and Run

well, Slark doesn't scale well into the late game, he isn't a hard carry, just like Vanguard There are other bonuses to getting Sange and Yasha too, It doesn't just provide stats, but it also gives you a chance to slow enemies, and gives you some extra movement and attack speed.

Vanguard is a poor choice for Slark, and on mostly anyone. Instead of Vanguard, build something else that gives HP, such as Rod of Atos. I usually skip getting a tank item early and rush Power Treads, Orb of Venom, and Yasha. Skull Basher is incredibly powerful on Slark, and it's good to see you included it. Diffusal is also amazing, the mana burn+Essence Shift makes anyone who needs mana cry. Soul Ring is pretty unnecessary, if you're having mana problems, a Sage's Mask alone should be fine, and switching the power treads to intelligence before casting something, agility while invisible, and strength while taking damage is very important. Switching to intelligence before casting is probably what you should be trying to do most, you'll find yourself being able to spam pounce a lot more than before. Armlet of Mordiggian is also very, very strong on Slark. The attack speed, 40 damage, and bonus health are super strong on Slark, who has a massive amount of regen to counter-act the health drain. I'll try to dig up a replay of a game I played as Slark where Armlet toggling and/or Tread switching really paid off. Another note, try only getting 1 rank of Dark pact at level 2 or 3, and neglecting it until later, leveling Essence Shift and Pounce instead, I used to level Death Pact over Essence shift, but honestly the 300 damage and lower cooldown doesn't help as much as you'd think.

Not necessarily stat wise. It's a cheap item with a cheap buildup that gives you good stats. The problem lies in the fact that it doesn't accomplish much besides giving you a bit of agility and strength, as well as movespeed. There's always something better you could be purchasing.

I appreciate the input. I really just threw down my playstyle onto this guide based on my success with slark.

Interesting guide. I might try this out when playing Slark.

Vanguard is quite the inefficient item, and this remains true on slark. There is no point in wasting money on a ring of regen, as a few tangos and a salve should keep you alive until you hit 6, then you have no need for any health regen. The damage block is okay, but it scales horribly and is essentially useless 20+ minutes into the game. A regular stout shield and a vit booster should be enough to tie you over.

Consider adding Orchid into core, it's a great item and allows you to gank extremely efficiently. It also solves all mana problems. I do like the soul ring suggestion however, as it is much cheaper and lets you have enough mana for a nuke combo before you finish orchid.

Sange and yasha is one of the least efficient items in the game, stat wise.

Pro:
Full vision at night.

Decent guide, but not how I'd play Slark.