Howl at the moon! Updated 12/14/2015

Introduction

Thanks for making this Dotafire's Lycanthrope guide of choice!!

The purpose of this guide is strictly to explain the success that I've had using this hero in pubs. My record with this hero is 135 / 43 as of February 15th, 2013. Feedback is always welcome, but let's pay it forward to the community and keep it constructive, shall we?

My guide also doesn't assume anything of the player, so I try to be as detailed as possible. If you're new or experienced, I still try to line everything up for you in a way that you can understand, or at the very least have some framework on how to play.

You'll find that I will not make reference to optional items in this guide. Optional items should only be considered and interpreted by experienced players who understand how they can come into play, and under what situations. Occasionally, I will comment on posts about particular items and debate its usefulness.

Lastly, I understand there's a lot of content here. I urge you to focus on parts in which you need a better understanding for. As an example, experienced Dota 2 players should focus less on the "Items" section if you feel as if you need a better stride in the jungle. The same goes for someone who feels as if they understand how to jungle well, but isn't sure about what items do and why to get them.

Enjoy the guide! I hope it helps!

Don't feel obligated to rate this (that's my subtle and nonchalant way of asking you to rate this).

Pros / Cons

Pros:
- Great in the jungle
- Reliable
- Can chase just about anyone down
- Hard hitting (around mid game)
- Has a method of escape
- Pusher
- Can solo Roshan early

Cons:
- You really need that jungle
- Not reliable if you can't farm that jungle
- Committing too hard to a chase (we'll get into this later)
- Totally item dependant
- Useless in early game
- Over pushing
- Seriously useless in the early game
- No, seriously, you're useless early game

Lycanthrope's Role(s)

While Lycanthrope may have an array of items to choose from that add to his effectiveness, it's important to first understand what roles he can fill. As you read on, you'll understand the importance of being a jungler, but what else does Lycanthrope need to do to contribute to the team?

Lycanthrope is most effective during the mid-game portion of any match. Mid-game can be defined mainly between the 20 - 45 minute mark. While other heroes mid-game can come online sooner than that, Lycanthrope takes a little more time to get on his feet. You're viable at around the 15 minute mark once you've assembled your first 2 core items (see below), but most effective when his core is fully assembled - and that will take you on average 20 minutes. Sometimes it'll be less, and sometimes it will be more. Rather than argue the semantics of it, I'll let you quote me on the average.

Jungler:

This is a priority role for Lycanthrope. If there's another person on your team who's decided to jungle, I advise against picking this hero. Your job is to farm as much as possible until you have your core items completed. Even when that's complete and the map remains somewhat static, continue to farm the jungle as often as possible without detouring yourself from contributing.

Ganker:

Understand that you shouldn't go and fully roam to make ganks. Doing so would waste time from farming, and can put you in situations where you've overextended. If you see a lane that can benefit from your presence, pounce on the opportunity. If heroes have overextended themselves and are trying to push a lane that you have easy access to, swoop in from behind and chomp away!

Pusher:

What makes Lycanthrope so effective during the mid-game portion of a match isn't always about his damage output. Taking out the enemies tier 1 and tier 2 towers forces them further into their own territory, and gives you the ability to farm more worry-free. Pushing towers is effective when you see your team is engaged across the map and you're not readily available to join in. Do some good and push the towers, but be mindful of your opponents position while doing so. Howl and Summon Wolves can be very effective when pushing a tower.

Carry:

Let's just call this what it is up front - Lycanthrope is a carry that is most effective mid-game. I sound like a broken record, but it's all too true. Unfortunately, you scale off later in the match as people start to come online. In a good portion of the matches I play, I can hit level 25 around the 30 minute mark give or take 5 minutes... but mostly give on that. You're not going to see other hard carries that can meet you mid-game, so the best thing you can do is end the match before they come online. Take advantage of the time you have by suppressing the enemy team and force them to play conservatively.

Durable:

I only agree with the durability aspect of Lycanthrope if you follow my item list. Without Vladmir's Offering coupled with the attack speed, I highly disagree. All-the-same, Lycanthrope can be durable if you're able to stun, regen, and out damage your enemy. Obviously, don't fill the role of the team's tank over other measurably better tank options.

Attribute & Stats Priority

Let's give the Lycanthrope center stage here and breakdown what attribute & stats are most important when building up this hero.

Strength:

Strength is the most important attribute of Lycanthrope's. For every point of strength you have, your health is increased by 19 and your health regeneration is increased by .03 ticks per second. Lycanthrope will also gain attack damage when this attribute is increased. Lycanthrope's base strength is 22 and naturally gains 2.75 strength per level.

Attack Speed:

Attack Speed is the interim period of time between attacks. Items that have + Attack Speed on them such as Assault Cuirass are what we're looking for when I mention attack speed. The agility attribute does contribute to your attack speed, but is not a primary attribute of Lycanthrope - you should not be looking for items to increase your agility. Your attack speed can be determined by taking your base attack time and dividing it by 1 plus your increased attack speed. This can be confusing when percentages come into play, as they do when Feral Impulse is activated.

There are several reasons why your Attack Speed is so important. The first reason is coupled with your lifestealing capability when combined with items like Vladmir's Offering and Satanic. Remember, the more often you are hitting a creep or hero, the more health you are taking back. The next reason Attack Speed is so important is the increased proc of your Skull Basher - your only method of crowd control. The more you hit the target, the more likely you are to stun them in place.

Lifesteal:

This attribute is strictly item dependent. I detail the importance of items in the items chapter of this guide, so please refer to items Vladmir's Offering and Satanic for further information on how they come into play.

Lifestealing from an enemy creep or hero is important for Lycanthrope to his survival and farming capabilities. Survival being the key here, taking health away from something and adding it to your pool will keep you alive longer. There are instances where you can view my videos below and notice that I go into fights against enemy heroes only to come out with more health than I went in with because of Lycanthrope's lifestealing capability.

Armor:

Armor is something that I tend to sneak in with other items. You may notice that I don't go for items that have a high armor rating, nor should you really be trying to craft a higher armor as a primary. Armor is a great attribute to sneak in with other items, but not a great attribute to place above the rest.

Items

Starting Items:

Quelling Blade

Every good jungler needs to start out with a Quelling Blade. Use the ability to rip down trees to get from point A to point B faster.

Ring of Protection

The Ring of Protection is a simple tie in item to help you put together your Ring of Basilius which is an item used to make Vladmir's Offering. Vladmir's Offering is the first item you want to assemble, so once you buy your starting items, throw this on your quick purchase bar.

Clarity x2

I only go with 2 bottles of Clarity and leave myself some left over money when trying to rush Morbid Mask. Use your best judgement when using Clarity in the jungle, but I suggest that you use it after your 3rd camp has been downed and you're on your way to the 4th camp.

Alternate Starting Items:

Quelling Blade

Same as above - Every good jungler needs to start out with a Quelling Blade. Use the ability to rip down trees to get from point A to point B faster.

Stout Shield

I must admit that I've played more games without starting with this item. To say the very least, one could make the argument that this item costs too much when you're rushing Vladmir's Offering and because it's not part of the recipe to assemble that item, it's not worth getting. With that aside, I've grown to like this alternate starting build. It's safer overall, and allows you less of a chance to have to visit the fountain area to regenerate health and mana. Stout shield will eventually serve less of a purpose, but it harmonizes very will with Morbid Mask, which will be the first item you'll want to get. Having the Stout Shield & Morbid Mask combination will allow you to tank in the jungle, and have your wolves add to your DPS without having to micro them.

Tango

I never thought I would suggest getting a Tango to help out with your early jungling, and while I still advise going without it through my other starting items build, having a Tango is essential if you decide to use this alternate starting item build. This alternate starting item build is intended to keep you beefed up early on, and allow you to survive with less trips back to the fountain. As I prove in my videos below, you may not even ever have to make a trip back to the fountain. Tango's can also be used to remove trees that divide camps where you'd have to path around in order to get there. Your Quelling Blade serves the same purpose as well.

Clarity

In order to purchase a Clarity you first need to understand that you won't have the money to purchase it right away. It will take the first 10 seconds or so of the match before you have the money you need (unless of course, you randomed). I recommend going about the jungle the same way by leaving the fountain area after you've used your Summon Wolves ability at the 5 second mark, and either wait to purchase it on your way out or stick it on the courier and have it be shortly behind you while you're on the move. In the long run, it's not going to make a world of difference.

Mid Game:

Vladmir's Offering

In every Lycan build I've ever done, this is hands down the most essential of all of the items, and for that reason we build it first. I'll explain why this is so important, especially so early on. Vladmir's Offering increases your bonus damage by an additional 15%, and allows you to lifesteal 16% of your damage output. The mana regen is a notable runner-up when it comes to your stat increase, but you'll find you wont be too mana tapped as time goes on - still a nice stat to add to your arsenal since we wont be chasing other items with your mana pool in mind. Vladmir's Offering also adds an aura that will help keep your wolves alive. Detailed in the "Creeping / Jungling" section of my guide, you'll find more on why your wolves are essential to your gameplay with Lycanthrope.

Power Treads

In most cases, Vladmir's Offering can be built before the 11 minute mark, and now it's time to move onto your boots. Power Treads are important for a few underlying reasons. The first reason is the base stats you receive. Adding 8 strength to your stats is a big increase that doesn't scale off at any point. More importantly is the speed increase. Your movement speed is increased while your Shapeshift is activated, making you more versatile in the field with all of your core roles. Lastly, I highlight attack speed as being the most important aspect to this hero - especially as we hit mid game and have our next item. And that leads us to...

Skull Basher

I'm going to couple the explanation of this item right on par with attack speed. First off, let's note that there's a 25% chance to stun an enemy for 1.4 seconds. Since Lycan has no other means of rooting an enemy in place, or stopping them from controlling him, this is perfect and essential to your core. For the stun alone, this is why I suggest focusing on your farm until this is completed. Moving about the map while ganking and joining in on team fights will be a lot more controlled. You're adding 40 damage with this one as well, so add that to your base stats.

I seriously can't stress enough how important your attack speed is. Coupled with the lifesteal from Vladmir's Offering and the stun from Skull Basher, you're looking at downtime where you can output damage and keep yourself alive. Remember your lifesteal is 16% of your damage output, so the more you're hitting, the more you're taking. The faster you're hitting, the more you're stunning.

Late / End Game:

Assault Cuirass

There comes a point in time in the match where you do need to think about your armor protection, but because there are other important attributes like attack speed and lifestealing, the Assault Cuirass makes a great addition in your inventory. The aura extends to any summoned units, allied heroes, and the negative aura applies in reverse for the opposing faction by lowering their armor by 5, putting a maximum of 10 armor difference between the two factions when they are in range.

Black King Bar

Adding this will allow you to do what you do best at this point in the game. If you become a hassle for the enemy team, rest assured you're going to be the target of choice. Activating Black King Bar will foil most of the plans that they have for you when it comes to controlling you. Although I hate not being as detailed as possible, the priority of the Black King Bar and Abyssal Blade really comes down to the match itself. I prefer Black King Bar over Abyssal Blade because it's active ability is longer and more universally applied. These items are equally as important depending on the match itself. If you feel like you've announced your map presence to your opponents, Black King Bar is a further slap in the face and will couple very well with Satanic.

Satanic

I've come to love this item, and I'm tinkering with trying to implement it earlier into a game if possible (although unlikely to happen over the other essential items). Satanic adds 25 strength, effectively increasing your damage, health, and a touch of hp regeneration. It also adds another 20 damage, which is also important to your stat growth. I think more importantly however is that the lifesteal from Satanic and Vladmir's Offering stack, thus making your lifesteal percentage even greater. The active ability, Unholy Rage which increases your lifesteal by 175% for 3.5 seconds and is great if used with Black King Bar allowing you not to be controlled for that time period, will keep you alive in a bind. Satanic is essential for games that go over the 45 minute mark if you want to continue to contribute to your team, and far more effective when coupled with Black King Bar.

Abyssal Blade

Mainly we're working for this item since we've already built it in part by putting together the Skull Basher. Your kills will start accumulating quickly, so the cost of the item wont seem all that daunting as time goes on. Ideally, you want to have this item built, but it's worth noting that it's not as important as a Black King Bar may be if the other team is filled with heroes that can disable you. The item is most important because of the damage output, but also notable for the 2 second stun that will go through a Black King Bar. If the enemy team lacks stuns, then you can feel free to skip the Black King Bar and go for this item. If the enemy team has the ability to incapacitate you for extended periods of time, make sure you go for Black King Bar instead of the Abyssal Blade.

Optional & Alternatives:

Phase Boots

I go for Phase Boots when I feel like someone is trying to outrun me. With the right combination of other items, Phase Boots are a good alternative. One of the real reasons you're taking this is to phase through enemy units because, as we know, part of the active ability is to move through units for 4 seconds.

Desolator

This is good when you've assembled your Assault Cuirass and you're pushing lanes and towers. Couple this in when you're at a loss for items to get, or you need to break through some enemy armor, but overall I very rarely suggest you go for a Desolator.

Necronomicon

This is a great item when you're wealthy and your team doesn't require you in team fights because they're already working well together, or they're matching up 4v4. You become a pusher in this role, and your objective is to take down the tier 1 and 2 towers while farming up a bit. This is easily done as long as you have your eyes on the map and know where your opponents are. If you do want to get this item, I recommend getting it after your core item list.

Armlet of Mordiggian

The on again, off again Armlet of Mordiggian (no pun intended) is back on my optional items list. Personally, I don't approve of this item but there are others, particularly people who have made comments on my guide, who swear by it. To do the item it's due diligence, it's the toggle feature coupled with Vladmir's Offering that makes this item viable. If you're attacking a creep or a hero while this is activated, Vladmir's Offering will counter-act the 40 hp per second loss. If you are comfortable with this item, I suggest building it into your core after Power Treads and before your Skull Basher to get the most out of it. All of the stats on this item are great for Lycanthrope, so my beef with the item itself only comes up because it interferes with getting your Skull Basher by the 20 minute mark of the match, and remember that the 20 - 45 minute portion of the match is the most important for Lycanthrope. My argument against this item is not against what it does or even so much how it works, but the lack of crowd control you get with it (none at all to be precise). Of course, I have more arguments against the item, but I will hold my reservations for the time being unless someone wants to have a go in the comments section! BRING IT ON!!

Divine Rapier

I have only played a handful of games where I've been able to get the Divine Rapier so don't assume you're going to get your hands on this. You need a lot of kills, perfect farming, and about an hour to get this item. I really only suggest this item if you're dominating the hell out of the other team and your team refuses to end the match and / or the other team is valiantly defending their base.

Item Summary:

The list is short for a reason; we're talking about one of the most straightforward heroes in the game. Yes, you're clearly item dependent, but with good reason. I encourage comments as I check quite often and I understand the community will always have much warranted input.

Jungling / Creeping

***Important Note***
Patch 6.79 brought about camp changes. It is much better to understand what smaller camps look like than to know their location. Over time, you will understand where and how they spawn. While the camp spawns have changed, the idea to hit the easiest camp whenever it is available is the same.

It's important to remember that your wolves last for 55 seconds. It's the same duration through all levels, and that's a great reason why we dive into this talent first.

I stay by the base until the game literally starts. When the clock hits 0:05 (after the start, not before), I stay in the base, summon the wolves, and then take a stroll out into the jungle. Do yourself a favor and tell your team that you're not going mid ahead of time. I usually go up mid about half way, sit a little off to the side, then go when the jungle spawns. Save yourself the heartache of being yelled at "INVOKER MID MAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" or "PUDGE MID!" or even "ME MID!" - just communicate that you're going to jungle early on.

I can't stress enough that the first 15 minutes of the game is crucial for Lycanthrope. It's important to get through the first few camps as soon as possible because getting to level 5 is going to make your life a lot easier for farming. The wolves are weak until rank 3 (which is what you should be speccing into at level 5), so you have to get your camps right.

I don't always suggest microing your wolves early on, but again I find that to be a preference. Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don't.

Your very first camp: The Green Camp

I'll state the obvious; if you're on The Dire, stay on your side. If you're on The Radiant, stay on your side! Now that's out of the way...By the time the first camp is up, you should have about 20 seconds left on your wolf duration. The mobs at the camps are not always the same (in appearance), so if you are a new player, don't panic when you don't see the same mobs every time. A good rule of thumb (but not always true as you'll come to find out) is that the smaller they look, the easier they are. The same can be said for the amount of mobs. If there's 5 mobs and most of them seem pretty small, it's a good indicator to start stabbing away. That's more than enough time to down the camp and move onto the next small camp. If your wolves die for any reason (either the mobs kill them or the duration runs out), don't panic and don't resummon them if you don't have to (which you shouldn't have to). After the first camp is down, you may not have full HP, but you should have full mana. Don't summon your next set of wolves until you get to the next camp.

Once you feel like you have the timing down on this camp spawn, try to get this camp killed before the 1:00 minute mark, or pull the start to pull the camp away from where it spawns at the 0:55 second mark. If done correctly, this camp will respawn and allow you to do this first camp twice. I HIGHLY recommend this, as Lycanthrope thrives off of this camp the most in the early-game.

Your second camp: The Yellow Camp

Again, if you read above, I really recommend this to be the third set of jungle creeps you should attack if you did the first camp twice via my recommendation. With that having been said, this will be the second camp you move to.

By the time you get here, you should at the very least have full mana. Let's say you ignored me about my advice on the first camp and said "Screw you Zurek, I'm summoning more wolves to take these guys down!" Well, to you I say, hurry it up broski! That duration is ticking away!

Now let's assume you followed my advice.

This camp is the same a camp 1 really, but with different mobs. Summon your wolves just as you're ready to attack and make sure they attack first. If your wolves die, do not resummon them while you're on this camp (unless you're getting your butt kicked and need the padding). Ideally, our goal with this camp is to only have to summon wolves once and finish the mobs on our own if they die. It's likely you'll get hit a few times and be around half HP when this camp dies. Ideally you're level 2 at this point and ready to move on. When this camp is dead, take your first Clarity.

Your third camp: The Green Camp

While your Clarity buff is still ticking and you have enough to summon your wolves, summon them. You should be able to regen enough mana while you're at the third camp to summon another set of wolves before you head back to the fountain.

You'll notice that every time you summon wolves early on in the game, you're using over half of your mana. This is the reason that I encourage you to make at least 1 trip back to your fountain. My theory crafting has proven that you gain more money running back to regen the mana and HP after this third camp over buying other items.

The third camp is the toughest of your first three camps, so if you get close to dying while trying it my way, don't be afraid to run away! I promise you, it's better to play it safe than sorry. I'll admit, I've been killed by the neutral before while testing things out. Embarrassed and red faced, I always type "Omg, this lag is terrible!"... but you and I both know that's not true.

So with the third camp, you're going in with wolves and having them tank while your Clarity finishes off. I usually micro my wolves on the third camp by letting the wolf that's getting attacked run out and back in. This is going to take some time to master, and I still screw it up from time to time, so don't throw your keyboard across the room. My insurance isn't going to pay for that!

If your wolves die, do what you can before you have to step out and try to kill the mobs. I don't have issues anymore, but like I said it takes time to master.

So you killed your third camp and you're not looking so hot! You're low on HP and you have little to no mana! God you're despicable! Head back to the fountain and get some health!

The jungle after your third camp:

First thing's first - when I'm back at the base at this point, I usually have enough to buy my Morbid Mask. This is the largest single expense when putting together Vladmirs Offering and it's just downright helpful.

Treat this visit to the fountain just like you're starting the game over again. Everything is going to be the same one more time around. You're going to summon your wolves at the fountain, regen that mana, and head to the same few camps again until you get to level 5.

Level 5 - To Infinity and Beyond:

With time and practice, you'll get the first few minutes down. It's always the hardest part of the game is mastering that, especially when there's so many factors that come into play that can stop you from being able to carry on normally.

You shouldn't have to take any more trips back to the fountain once you've assembled Vladmir's Offering, but when you're pubbing people don't always buy and / or upgrade the courier. Expect your time to extend by a few minutes if your team didn't get and / or upgrade the courier! Once you're level 5, you can start hitting some of the larger camps like the centaurs and ursa looking mobs. Power Treads are your next goal, and when you've put those together you have more options available to you. For more experienced players, try going to Roshan. For people who like to play a little more conservatively, stay in the jungle but keep your eyes pealed for team fights that may be breaking out. You're faster than most when you use your ultimate, so be advantageous when using it. Get your Skull Basher together and you're going to be way more of an asset. Hell, if people are still laning and you have all of those items together you're likely to get some good ganks in.

Creeping / Jungling Conclusion:

The jungle is your best friend pretty much throughout the duration of the game. You want to be out of sight and out of mind until you see a team fight come up and you've assembled your mid game items. Once that happens, flow to the group and get ready to kill! You'll be doing some cleaning-up for the rest of the crew, and really that's your job. As the carry, you NEED that kill shot, but don't whine if you don't get it. You may not be the only carry, and because you're also durable there are other harder carries out there. Sometimes, you'll find heroes like Zues or Lina (and others alike of course) try to take the kill shot. Remember, you're pubbing and people tend to have a huge ******* for having their names displayed across the screen for 7 seconds. This is also another huge reason I go for attack speed. It'll make you more viable overall.

Hit the big camps when you can, but I only tend to do that when I'm going back to jungling after a team fight or if I just happen to be close by. You're going to spend more time traveling there, then back to the primary jungle - as a result, you're generating less cash for yourself.

For video of me jungling, be sure to check out my videos here! If you can make it all the way to the end, I just want you to notice that I end up with just about 8000 gold with my core items assembled. At about the 40 minute mark, I'm taking on people 2v1 and killing people in 2 to 4 hits.
Play Video Play Video Play Video
Still not sure what the heck I'm talking about with camp sizes? Click here for a wiki guide to creep mechanics, art work, abilities, and more!

Jungling / Creeping Summary

If you have a short attention span, then this section is for you. I'm going to list how to play with some bullet points using my build:

1. At 0:05 after the game starts, summon your wolves while at the fountain
2. Head to the 1st jungle small camp
3. Kill the 1st jungle small camp
4. Head the 2nd jungle small camp
- Summon the wolves when you get there
- Do not use a Clarity until this camp is dead or you know you wont be hit
5. Use your 1st Clarity and go to the 3rd camp
- As soon as you have the mana, summon your next set of wolves
- Use your Quelling Blade to make easier paths by tearing down trees
6. Have the wolves tank the 3rd camp while Clarity finishes its duration
- If your wolves die, resummon if you are able
- Micro your wolves if you are able
- Don't be afraid to run away if you can't kill them
7. After the 3rd camp is dead (or you had to run), head back to the fountain
- Buy items you need on your shopping list
- Patiently wait if you are close to an item
8. Repeat your camps to level 5
9. Assemble your mid game items (see above)
10. Continue to jungle
- Include larger camps
- Roshan for experienced players
11. Join in on team fights
12. Jungle as often as possible
- Keep an eye on the minimap for potential team fights or ganks
- Watch out for missing roamers and absent lanes
13. Assemble Late / End Game items
14. Win!

Bullet point 14 is clearly the most important. Feel free to do whatever it takes to get to 14, even if that means tweaking this build. I've lost before, and hell, it's been my fault at times too! We're all capable of making mistakes, but I feel confident in telling you that if you follow this guide you'll have more of a chance to get to bullet point 14!

Friends & Foes

Friends:

Disruptor

Disruptor's ability to potentially lock an enemy in a short space with Kinetic Field and teleport an enemy hero back to where it was 4 seconds ago will give Lycanthrope the ability to be more mobile, and attack heroes that are unable to flee.

Crystal Maiden

Crystal Maiden's ability to slow a target with Crystal Nova is a great pair with Lycanthrope's ability to Shapeshift and get in front of fleeing enemies. If an enemy hero isn't trying to flee, then Crystal Maiden's ability Frostbite will keep them in place and prevent them from attacking at all for 3 seconds, as well as deal 70 damage per second. This is a friend you want to keep close by.

Dazzle

Dazzle's ability to slow a target, and eventually stun them with Poison Touch is particularly effective. Shallow Grave also gives Lycanthrope extra time to survive with his lifestealing abilities should he continue to attack during that duration. Also, Shadow Wave will heal Lycanthrope's wolves as well as himself, and a heal is always useful.

Beastmaster

Beastmaster is my personal favorite hero to couple Lycanthrope with. I typically play in a style where I'm pushing lanes in mid game, especially when I have the enemy team in my sights. Beastmaster has an aura that naturally increases your attack speed and it's called Inner Beast. Primal Roar is great for rooting an enemy for you, while call of the wild's bird can grant the team more sight in strategic places.

Foes:

Bounty Hunter

Bounty Hunter's job is to sneak up on you and take you out. Because Bounty Hunter has the ability to Shadow Walk starting at level 1, he can easily slip into the woods and gank you during your early game jungling farm. Lycanthrope often gets low on health before assembling Vladmir's Offering and is tapped on mana for the majority of the early game. This makes Bounty Hunter one of your worst enemies, especially if he singles you out early on in a match.

Clinkz

Clinkz ability to Wind Walk is essentially the same as Bounty Hunter's ability to Shadow Walk. Clinkz is deadly for the exact same reason's as Bounty Hunter, but his range is ultimately what will make him deadly. He can unload quickly out of stealth by using Strafe and Searing Arrows, taking you down quickly if you're already low on HP in the early portion of a game.

Spirit Breaker

Spirit Breaker can arguable be the most mobile of any hero in the game. Empowering Haste will keep him on your heals, and with Mask of Madness he'll be sure to catch you. What's worse is his ability to stun you in place, taking away your ability to attack to regenerate your health, or flee using Shapeshift. When caught off guard, Spirit Breaker can keep you rooted for far too long. A Black King Bar is essential against this hero.

Night Stalker

Night Stalker is either a hit or a miss when it comes to being a true adversary. At night time, he runs fast and can match Lycanthrope's map mobility (even outmatch it when Shapeshift is on cooldown). If he catches you off guard, any good Night Stalker will silence you with Crippling Fear, which notably causes 40% of your attacks to miss at night time, and take away your ability to Shapeshift, then attempt to nuke you with Void.

Conclusion

For this section, I'd like you to picture me sitting by a warm fire, a bearskin rug under my feet, sitting on a cozy chair, and smoking a pipe.

Got that image in your head? Perfect!

In all the sincerity I can muster, thanks for taking the time to read this. Lycanthrope is a seriously easy hero to play, and very enjoyable when you're doing well... but let's face it; things are always more fun when you're doing well!

Follow these steps and you'll be howling at the moon in no time!

Update Log

4/2/2013
- Updated detail on jungle camps. Included link to jungle wiki page

4/5/2013
- Updated Rosh detail
- Updated Mid Game item list

4/12/2013
- Updated Title
- Updated Mid Game section under Items
- Removed experimental items from lists

4/17/2013
- Removed Armlet of Mordiggian from item list
***Note on change*** Armlet of Mordiggian interrupts core item build, and because it becomes less viable as time moves on; it's less desirable over other items

4/29/2013
- Removed Medallion of Courage from item list
***Note on change*** Medallion of Courage doesn't add much to the core of Lycan's play-style, and clogs up your inventory after the 20 minute mark when you should be chasing other items
- Added Necronomicon to item list
- Update "Optional & Alternative" item explanations
- Re-Organized the "Items" section
- Added "Lycanthrope's Role(s)" section

5/27/2013
- Added jungling video guide

5/28/2013
- Updated jungling video guide introduction paragraph

5/29/2013
- Added Alternate Starting Items
- Summarized Alternate Starting Items section
- Added Armlet of Mordiggian back to Optional & Alternative items list
- Added Satanic to Late / End Game items list
- Modified build order for Late / End game items list
- Moved Divine Rapier to Optional & Alternatives items list
- Added Attributes & Stats Priority chapter
- Added Friends & Foes Chapter

7/2/2013
- Adjusted camp recommendations and rotation

10/4/2013
- Updated Guide Title
- Further updated jungle section

***Intended Update***
- Add screenshots detailing jungling camps
- Add screenshots detailing jungling pathing
- Add screenshots detailing lanes to push / gank
- Detailing abilities section

3/13/2014
- Changes made to jungling section on camp locations and spawns

3/14/2014
- Updated banner image
- Completed jungle guide after implemented DOTA changes

12/14/2015
- Removed out of date map for jungle guide
- Updated service record