Analyzing competitive plays with Mirana, by Peppo_o'Paccio

Introduction

Mirana is a very versatile ranged Agility Hero who can fit in almost every competitive lineup: her abilities make her a very good choice for both ganking lineups with high burst damage and teams made of strong Heroes with high carry potential. In fact, she can dominate the mid game and scale very well into late game with damage items. Or, alternatively, her five second stun can wreak havoc into the enemy lineup while supporting; you just need a good setup Hero that can work as a support partner, like Shadow Demon or Bane, and the huge arrow hit is ensured.

Competitive players are currently using this Hero a lot, most of the time in the mid (Western scene) or safe (Eastern scene) lane: the wide range of her arrow make her an excellent ganking hero; the Leap ability makes her able to escape from incoming ganks and is excellent for solo laning. Her main problem is killing creeps early on, as her base attacks deal a pitful amount of damage.

Pros and Cons

Pros Good chaser Great Ganker Has got an escape ability Scales well into late game, too High magical damage in teamfights Can be played in almost any way/role Can grant invisibility to the whole team Sacred Arrow is a great initiation tool

Cons Pretty squishy Mana-intensive early on Low base attack damage Needs early kills to scale well into late game

Abilities

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Starstorm is the skill you'll use most in the mid game. Since you won't always get the enemy with the Sacred Arrow, an ability that hits all enemies around you is a better way to dish out some damage. This skill is usually the one you want to max out first: the damage it deals, even though is lower than the one of the Sacred Arrow, is still a sure hit; 300 damage is nothing to laugh at anyway. You can use it to push the lane after you pull out a good gank: a Starstorm and some autoattacks will leave the creeps at very low HP.

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When supporting, this is the skill you'll rely on most of the time: as said before, a good initiation spell like Disruption, Nightmare, Telekinesis or Frostbite will grant a five second stun on an enemy. You can also go dual lanes with these combinations if you want, or if you're playing a more serious match you can perform an aggressive trilane. Sometimes you won't have a setup spell: this is the moment where a good Mirana player shines. You'll have to guess, much like Pudge's Meat Hook, but don't be afraid to do it! A failed attempt is still an attempt; next time you'll have better understanding of the enemy movements. At level 4 the Sacred Arrow not only stuns for a big amount of time if thown from a large distance; it also deals 360 magic damage! As soon as you hit an enemy with it, Leap in and throw your Starstorm. A few autoattacks will be enough to finish the job. This is also a great initiation tool: if you catch a lonely enemy before a teamfight starts, the other team will scramble and lose their good positioning. This is the perfect moment to land a Dream Coil or Reverse Polarity, after which you can follow up with Starstorm and all the rest.

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Leap is what makes mirana a good off-laner, too: the skill itself has basically no casting animation, so it can't be stopped by stuns or disables unless you have to turn back before using it. With levels, the range of the jump and the extra attack and movement speed bonus become higher. Howewer, it isn't enough to justify early points of Leap instead of the other skills. But still, 32% damage and attack speed increase at level 4 is really high; you just won't need it before your team gets good damage items.

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I see many people getting this at level 10 and 11: while I don't think this is always a bad idea, I think it's better to pick it up at 6 first. Some might argue you won't have enough mana to use it in conjunction with the other spells, but a Bottle (or a Ring of Aquila) coupled with a later Drum are surely enough. This skill can save your teammates' lives: always take a look at your towers if the enemies are pushing in, and be ready to activate your ultimate whenever a teammate is in danger. After casting Moonlight Shadow, it takes some time to become invisible: try to activate it before the worse happens, don't let someone die because you were too conservative about your mana! You can use it offensively, too: it works like a Smoke of Deceit, but with two differences: You don't get spotted when walking close to the enemies It lasts a smaller amount of time Whether it's better or worse than a Smoke, it's about its usage: use it for ganking when your Wards have already spotted an enemy and you don't know if they have backup behind; get the Smoke if you have to walk a long path and you're afraid of the enemy Wards.

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Items Explanation: Carry Build

This item build is generally the best one for Mirana: the Bottle or Ring of Aquila will keep your mana high (the latter also improves your pushing power), an early Drum of Endurance gives even more mana plus stats - which you really need - and more chasing power along with a teamfight active. The other items improve your damage and make you able to scale into late game sccesfully. Always try to get damage over survivability unless you're picking auras.

Starting items

Mid Lane

This is the typical "Bottle rush" starting set: the triple Iron Branch is good enough to let you land some last-hits while improving your survivability for a minimal price. Obviously, get a Tango: four charges are more than enough for when you get a Bottle, but you are going to need them without a doubt.

Dual/Trilane

This is another very common starting set used on a lot of AGI carries such as Gyrocopter, Troll Warlord, Weaver and even Shadow Fiend. It grants you a good start with stats, an early Basilius and good regen. Since you won't be getting a Bottle, you'll need at least a Tango and a Healing Salve; the triple Iron Branch is still here for the extra HP and a situational Magic Wand. You might want to swap out a Branch for a Clarity. A Ring of Protection, as said before, will be turned into a Ring of Basilius which gives extra damage, some mana and little armor.

Off-Lane

This is like the pumped-up version of the previous build: four extra Tangos give a lot more regen and you won't need the two extra Branches since you'll die after a good gank anyway. Same as above: lots of regen, a Ring of Protection for an early Basilius and an Iron Branch you can substitute with a Clarity (though you probably won't need it because you won't be spamming your skills in the off-lane).

Early game items

Get the Bottle as soon as possible if you're mid (and if you're off-laning, maybe): the extra regen and rune control are invaluable for a mid laner, especially for you because you can Leap to the runes if needed. In a side lane, a Ring of Basilius is a quick purchase (325 more gold from the side shop) and, as said before, gives extra damage and something else. Just remember to keep it turned off while laning because you don't want to push the creep wave. Turn it into a Ring of Aquila just after completing your Boots, since they bring more to the table. Phase Boots should be your boots of choice since the extra movement speed and, most of all, damage are really beneficial for your laning phase and mid game; you won't have problems hitting those creeps anymore and you'll be able to follow an enemy if you're ganking. A Magic Wand is the obvious choice for burst mana and heal: sometimes it's redundant, but I think it's really worth picking it up especially if you don't have some sort of quick regen (from a Bottle, for example). Especially if you're laning versus an aggressive duo/trio that tends to spam their abilities, it does a lot of work. And finally, get your Drum of Endurance: start from the Bracer since extra HP is better early on and use this item at its full potential. As said in the introduction, the extra HP is really needed for Mirana and the extra mana and movement speed make ganks so easy; remember to activate the Endurance whenever a teamfight starts.

Core extensions

The Mjollnir is one of the highest DPS items in the game: if you think the numbers aren't correct, that's because you've probably forgot to calculate the amount of magical damage made by the lightning procs. Starting from the Maelstrom, the damage from your autoattacks (which is naturally low) becomes noticeable in the mid game already, plus it also speeds up your farm when jungling. Most of the time, you should pick this item if you're unsure about the outcome of the game: if it lasts more than 30-35 minutes then this is the best choice, but if you're playing a pushing strategy or you're getting towers early on you might want to turn the Mithril Hammer into a Desolator instead. If you're behind, also, get this instead of the Desolator.

This is another very common extension for Mirana: at first I didn't like it very much, but it just melts towers. Buy it for pushing purposes of versus low-armor Heroes like Doom, Alchemist and basically all the STR Heroes that don't build armor. As said before, the earlier you get it the more effective it is: it's still good in the late game, but not as much as a Mjollnir; plus, if you're playing a pushing strategy, you should be able to afford the Deso in little time and push down towers with its armor reduction. If you're fed, it's also better to have a Desolator.

Items Explanation: All-Out Damage Build

I saw this build on Mirana a few times in competitive games, most of which had a losing team that managed to nullify the enemy advantage thanks to a very strong Mirana. The biggest downside of this build is, obviously, the lack of survivability, so make sure you buy a Black King Bar eventually.
The three starting sets are copy-pasted from the previous chapter.

Starting items

Mid Lane

This is the typical "Bottle rush" starting set: the triple Iron Branch is good enough to let you land some last-hits while improving your survivability for a minimal price. Obviously, get a Tango: four charges are more than enough for when you get a Bottle, but you are going to need them without a doubt.

Dual/Trilane

This is another very common starting set used on a lot of AGI carries such as Gyrocopter, Troll Warlord, Weaver and even Shadow Fiend. It grants you a good start with stats, an early Basilius and good regen. Since you won't be getting a Bottle, you'll need at least a Tango and a Healing Salve; the triple Iron Branch is still here for the extra HP and a situational Magic Wand. You might want to swap out a Branch for a Clarity. A Ring of Protection, as said before, will be turned into a Ring of Basilius which gives extra damage, some mana and little armor.

Off-Lane

This is like the pumped-up version of the previous build: four extra Tangos give a lot more regen and you won't need the two extra Branches since you'll die after a good gank anyway. Same as above: lots of regen, a Ring of Protection for an early Basilius and an Iron Branch you can substitute with a Clarity (though you probably won't need it because you won't be spamming your skills in the off-lane).

Early game items

If mid, buy your Bottle as soon as possible for obvious reasons; getting runes is invaluable for such a good ganker. The Ring of Basilius, the choice for when you're in a side lane, adds a bit of survivability, damage and mana regen. As always, keep it turned off when you're laning but turn it on when pushing. Phase Boots will always be the best choice for Mirana, no matter what: the extra damage is just too useful for getting better last-hits and being able to chase enemies is a key feature of this Hero. Then, finish your Ring of Aquila (if you already have Basilius) and think about your next move: you can still go for the safer build if you're having a good time.

Core extensions (2 of them)

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This is probably the best item you can get for an AGI Hero for such a low price: more attack speed, damage, agility and mostly movement speed. I almost always make sure one of the two items is a Yasha because it costs very little and I like the benefits it gives.

Talking about attack speed, the Maelstrom is a component of probably the highest DPS item (including the lightnings) in the game: with it you can also farm more quickly and some lucky procs might get you kills.

I don't realy like this item itself, but it pairs well with the extra attack speed from the Yasha and costs just 100 more gold than it. Taking it with a Maelstrom is also decent since, even though they won't give you much mid-game advantage, having a Mjollnir and a Daedalus in late game is something incredible. The crits from the Crystalys itself are quite good too since you're building a lot of damage.

Late Game Items

I think the Black King Bar is one of the most useful items in the game: unless the enemy team is full of carries, always consider buying it. The extra HP, though it's not much, makes it very appealing for the damage-oriented build and the active ability makes you dish out all the damage without worrying about magical nukes.

This is one of the best choices: a Manta Style gives you extra movement speed, a bunch of agility and extra damage plus some stats from the Ultimate Orb. The two illusions are also great, but not quite as much as the other stuff you get. You can use its active ability to remove debuffs, in fact it is the best counter to many items including Orchid Malevolence, Diffusal Blade and Dust of Appearance. It's really worth its price against those kind of items.

This item is even considered core on the more balanced build, and there's a valid reason behind it: the extra damage from the Desolator destroys towers, Heroes with no armor and Roshan. If you've having troubles pushing, this is the item for you. You can get all its components from the base, so it's very accessible; its components cost a lot but not as much as the ones for the MKB, Daedalus or Butterfly.

Another core item for the main build: turning a Yasha into a Manta Style is something you should always do if you have the time, because Mirana needs the stats from the Ultimate Orb and having a "big" item in your inventory (thus maximizing the efficiency per item slot) is something you should always look for. The illusions, as said before, are pretty good, but what you really need are the stats and extra movement speed with damage.

If you have to hit harder, the MKB is what you need! First, it completely nullifies the usefulness of a Buttefly; then it also breaks channeling spells. This is probably my favourite DPS item, even more than the Daedalus or the Desolator: that's because it improves your damage by quite a lot and can't be countered by evasion.

This is the secondary choice for when you're building items faster then the enemy does: get a Butterfly instead of the MKB in this case. People say it's not very cost-efficient for what it gives, and I agree, but the extra evasion makes it a very good pickup if the enemies can't counter it. In fact, it's built on almost all the AGI carries.

The Mjollnir is one of the highest DPS items in the game: if you think the numbers aren't correct, that's because you've probably forgot to calculate the amount of magical damage made by the lightning procs. You can build this item from a Maelstrom or, if you're already into late game, you can start from the Hyperstone so that you can finish it from your own base.

As said in another guide, I think the Daedalus is good on very few Heroes: while I don't think Mirana is one of them, pairing it with a Mjollnir or some stacked agility is really dangerous for the enemy team. Just make sure they don't build evasion, you don't want to waste your money on crits instead of an MKB. Most of the people start building it from the Demon Edge, but if you already have plenty of damage you can start from the Crystalys.

The Assault Cuirass is very good for two reasons: first it's an aura, and as a #2 or #3 (which are usually the roles Mirana take) getting auras is your job; in second place, more attack speed for yourself (and the whole team) is fantastic but not as much as the armor reduction. Yes, the armor reduction: it can really cripple carries and it affects towers, too! People usually start building it from the Platemail, but since Mirana is an AGI Hero I'd suggest starting from the Hyperstone.

This item is one of the best things you can buy to get more survivability. Its orb effect slows enemies and can make you land easier Sacred Arrows, but remember it doesn't stack with the Desolator. Consider buying this if you're having a good time (i.e. if you get fed) and your damage is already high.: stats will make you truly indestructible.

Lastly, there's the Satanic: Mirana really needs some survivability, but most of the time a Butterfly or a Cuirass are enough. If you're desperate and don't need an Eye of Skadi (maybe because the enemy Hero has too much lifesteal), getting this can turn the tides of a fight. As for Skadi, don't buy it with another orb effect like the Desolator. It does stack with Skadi though, so you can buy them both (though I don't recommend doing so).

Items Explanation: Support Build

You don't usually see a supporting Mirana, but it's a pretty legitimate pick for this role: provided you have a Hero with a good setup (which is always needed when you're playing support Mirana) - usually another support - ganking will be really easy. Quick kills might get you a fast Mekansm or Drum of Endurance which, in turn, lead to an easy mid game and a fast win. If you're having a hard time and the game gets prolonged, you can try to get a big item like a Scythe of Vyse or a Heaven's Halberd.

Starting items

Courier + Observers

In coordinated games there's always that support that spends 300 gold on Animal Courier and Observer Wards: that's the case for a support Mirana unless the other support is even less item-dependent ( Crystal Maiden? Bane?). Though you won't need the extra stats from the Branches, you'll need some kind of regen: Tangos are a mandatory because you'll need them to eat the trees on the Radiant side if you want to creep pull; a Healing Salve is sometimes wasted but you'll probably use it (either on you or on a teammate). A Clarity, at least one, is needed because Mirana tends to waste a lot of mana with her combo.

Smoke + Sentries

This is pretty much the same build as the previous one (the gold spent is exactly the same), but it's more oriented towards a safe trilane where you'll need Sentry Wards to remove the wards from your pulling camp if it gets blocked. The Smoke of Deceit is also a must-have since a support Mirana gets most of her gold by ganking. As said above, you'll need the extra regen. Tango, Healing Salve and Clarity are the best items to get with the previous two.

Early game items

Since you won't have enough gold to afford a Ring of Aquila, Arcane Boots are the best source of mana for a support Hero. On average I get this item at ~12 minutes, usually not more than 15 anyway. Next, take a Magic Wand: getting the Stick before completing your boots is also a good choice because having burst HP and mana is so useful; 10 charges are enough until you can afford your Arcanes.

Mid game options

Probably my favourite item to get on a support Mirana: its price is really high, but it pays off if your ganking phase goes well. I usually start building it from the Buckler because I really like the extra armor, but you might start from the Headdress too if your gold is low.

As this is one of the most cost-efficient items, why don't you buy it on a support Mirana too? It's also good on the main build, so you can't go wrong with it. Most of the time another teammate will build it, but if nobody does - and there's someone who's already building a Meka - go ahead and take it.

The Ghost Scepter will save you in a lot of situations: as the Leap is a one-way skill, getting back might be very difficult unless you can escape from physical damage. The item costs a lot and isn't made from cheap components, but you should be able to afford it without problems if your ganking phase goes well.

I really like this item: it's cheap, it helps in killing Roshan and amplifies the physical damage of your teammates. The extra regen is really welcome and some armor is never wasted on low HP Heroes. Definitely get it if you're going to Rosh, since a five second arrow and negative armor are very useful for fighting him.

I don't like this item on many supports but, since Mirana already has an escape mechanism and both HP and mana are really useful for her, the Necronomicon is not a bad choice at all. You should be able to farm it after the Arcanes if you pull out a lot of good ganks; after the first Necro you'll get the rest of it a lot more quickly.

Late game items

If the game is dominated by a carry you can't kill, try to disarm them! The extra HP and evasion are also very useful for a support; the Maim will eventually proc if you manage to get someone with a Sacred Arrow and try to kill them.

An item that's not related to Mirana herself but boost the team a lot: again, it's a good item for killing Roshan but it's also a huge aura for your allies, especially if they have good items. Provided your team doesn't have two Vladmir's Offerings, this item made of cheap components is worth its price.

The Scythe of Vyse is one of my favourite items: it doesn't matter who you get it on, it will always be worth it (I even saw a competitive match in which a Shadow Fiend picked it up and won!); on supports, if they can afford it, the extra disable from Vyse wins teamfights. It also removes the evasion from those Butterfly-carriers, so keep that in mind.

Eul's would be a pretty bad item on Mirana if not for the fact that, wich a Cyclone you can land a perfect arrow on a target Hero. If you can calculate the timing of the cyclone, then this is the right item for you.

A pair of Boots of Travel can make the difference when you have already destroyed some barracks and all your Tier 2 towers are down; being able to teleport from a part of the map to the other is invaluable and can be really unpredictable for the enemies.

I put the Assault Cuirass last because it's not an item supports should get: it costs a lot, some components are difficult to obtain and if the support dies first the aura stops affecting your teammates. But still, since a support Mirana can get a really big gold advantage early on, it's stil an option. Situational, but an option.

Skill Builds

Mirana's skill build is pretty standard: maxing Starstorm first is mandatory, though some people prefer getting two points in the Arrow and maxing it by level 8 or at 7 without the ultimate; the Sacred Arrow is next as the stun duration stays the same and there's no reason to max it first. Then, after taking Moonlight Shadow at 6 (or 10, if you really want to), 11 and 16 you can finish maxing out Leap by level 15 - just remember to take a point early on so that you can jump away if needed.

Sacred Arrow
Leap
Starstorm
Starstorm
Starstorm
Moonlight Shadow
Starstorm
Sacred Arrow
Sacred Arrow
Sacred Arrow
Moonlight Shadow
Leap
Leap
Leap
Stats
Moonlight Shadow
Stats

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When you're playing the support role, you might want to max out the Sacred Arrow first: there are some downsides about it (no teamfight damage, failed gank attempts without an arrow hit...) but as long as you're ganking with a teammate that has a setup spell you're fine. After all, if you manage to get early kills as a support your team should win fights even without your Starstorm.
Some players still prefer going for the max-Starfall build, and I think it's better in certain occasions (teamfight-oriented team, setup Hero with no follow-up etc.), but if you're playing with a coordinated teammate this is better most of the time.

Sacred Arrow
Leap
Starstorm
Sacred Arrow
Sacred Arrow
Moonlight Shadow
Sacred Arrow
Starstorm
Starstorm
Starstorm
Moonlight Shadow
Leap
Leap
Leap
Stats
Moonlight Shadow
Stats

Which Build Do I Use?

As there are four builds, you might be shocked at the variety of items you can buy; don't worry though, choosing the right build is very simple:

Semi-carry build:

• Lots of movement speed
• Good amount of survivability and extra mana
• Early sustainability thanks to the Bottle/ Ring of Aquila
• Lots of damage for the mid-late game
• Good scaling into late game and good mid-game presence
  
  
• Sometimes, not the best build if you're fed
• If you can't get levels, the lack of "early" damage will leave you behind in farm

All-out damage build:

• Provides lots of DPS
• Scales amazingly well into late game
• A better choice if you're behind in levels or feeding
  
  
• Leaves you really fragile throughout all the game
• Doesn't always work
• A last resort if you don't have farm at all (i.e. if you're off-laning)

Support build:

• Perfect if you need to support (duh)
• The Sacred Arrow deals huge damage even at low levels
• Makes the most out of your Moonlight Shadow
• Can potentially make you scale into late game with damage items
  
  
• Relies on roaming and getting kills consistently
• You might (not always) and up underlevelled if you don't get early kills

Hard carry build:

• A good choice if you're trilaning (or dual laning) versus a solo Hero
• The best way to make Mirana scale into late game
• Both sustainability and survivability in one item ( Linken's Sphere)
• Hand of Midas can make you outcarry "harder" carries
  
  
• Mirana is not the best hard carry
• Makes you half-useless in the mid game
• Not encouraged unless you have enough room to farm a Linken's without interruption

In other words, follow these little steps to choose the build that suits you best:

• Are you behind in levels and farm before finishing your Drums/Linken's? Use the all-out damage build
• Does your team have enough room for you to farm a Linken's in a trilane? Use the hard carry build
• Does your team need you to carry but focuses on the mid game? Use the semi-carry build
• Does your team need you to go mid or off-lane? Use the semi-carry build
• Does your team need you to support? Use the support build

Friends and Foes

As said in the introduction, Mirana fits in most lineups: se can basically play the mid, off-lane, trilane and even support role, even though I wouldn't put her as a #1 carry (the one who gets most farm).

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But anyway, the list of Friends can be summarized in just one category: the supports that grant you good arrows, whether they're supporting you or you're supporting with them. The second line is for gankers that usually don't support:

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Besides the usual chainstunners and silencers that counter everyone, Mirana's enemies are those that can prevent her from using her ultimate effectively. They don't really counter you but just make your ultimate useless:


The first line is for disspellable (with a Manta Style) or temporary Heroes/abilities.

Update History

27-05-2014: Slightly changed the items in the first build according to the 6.80-6.81 meta.
28-01-2014: Added the Which Build Do I Use? chapter.
23-01-2014: Added the hard carry build in the builds section.
29-12-2013: Added the max- Sacred Arrow skill build in the "Skill Builds" chapter.
28-12-2013: Added Outworld Devourer between Mirana's friends.
27-12-2013: Written the first part of the guide.