I Love When a Shadow Razes - Nevermore Right Clicker Guide (7.02)
TheBoyWhoDied
February 12, 2017
Introduction
Hey EveryBody !
This is My first guide in dotafire and I would be really grateful if you found any mistakes or had any suggestions about this Shadow Fiend guide.
Let's take it as quick as possible cause I know many players don't have time to read a long guide so I try to be as quick as possible. Although cause I want to make a complete guide I try to explain every issues that you may find playing Shadow Fiend - Nevermore.
If you found this guide helpful and had any questions I try to answer them, so please ask.
If u need a very complete guide for 
Shadow Fiend I suggest http://www.dotafire.com/dota-2/guide/betray-your-prophets-by-goo-23885. Really nice authored but it's long and my guide is more for people who find troubles when on SF. I'm not teaching How To Play SF or What is SF. I'm talking about How To Win with SF and how to solve my problems when on it.
Have Fun.
** NOTE : This guide is under publish. Please be Patient !
Thanks !
What Makes Shadow Fiend a Scary Hero ?
Shadow Fiend is a hero that used to be played as core hero in almost EVERY game in Dota 1. Actually all the team picked every thing to match-up with SF if they had one. But Why ?
I think the most important reason is its very high farming capability, alongside with its Early to Late game effectiveness. For example Sven and Anti Mage have a very nice farming rate too but they need TIME to farm their core items and be useful in teamfights and deal damage. But Shadow Fiend can farm quite quickly from level 5 and can deal a nice amount of damage since then, and with the game goes further, your farm and damage output goes better and better. Actually if you are not Top in net worth in your game if your are playing Shadow Fiend, you are not having a good time in the game.
However I have to mention that most Hard Carry heroes can out-carry SF very late game, so you need a late game Hard-Carry in your team, OR you have to finish the game before it reaches THAT awkward moment, and I have to say Especially in higher brackets it won't be that difficult cause everyone knows heroes' capabilities.
Pros / Cons
Let's talk about Shadow Fiend Pros / Cons.
Pros:
High Damage Output from Early to Late game.
High Farming Capability.
Nice Agility gain.
Capable to deal both Physical and Magical Damage.
Few heroes can face him midlane.
Nice Aegis Holder.
High Base Movement Speed. (315)
Varity of choices for How To Play SF.
Fun To Play.
Very Useful Talents.
Cons:
Low Base Attack Damage.
Low Mobility.
No Built-in escaping Mechanism.
BKB need Hero.
Difficult to comeback with SF.
Can be outcarried Late Game.
Needs Babysitting if enemy comes a Dual Lane Mid or gets ganked.
Difficult To Master, both for its spells and item choices.
Quite Squishy.
Nevermore's Best Friends.
Shadow Fiend IS actually a teamfighter hero !It means if u go with your team as 5 you are much more powerful and much more effective. So I talk about especial heroes that can help you a LOT in teamfights.
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Not mentioning his Q and E, his W (  Ice Vortex ) makes your spells really hurtful.
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Axe is a great tank in front of any carry. But if he can taunt more than 2 enemies, it means u have 2 or more guaranteed kills with your ult. I usually go  Blink Dagger if I have Axe in my team.
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Not Mentioning  Penitence that makes your damage output a real nightmare and the auras that his creeps grant you, his ultimate can save u a lot in teamfights and as SF, sometimes you really need that some extra HP to get the fight !
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Actually a real tricky way to get 8 FREE souls early game and fu** enemy midlaner is cogs. The trick is easy. tell your Clockwerk to make  Power Cogs, your support to attack a cog and you attsck once more: A free deny. But i'm talking about  Hookshot that can guarantee a kill for your ult. Again u can think of Blink Dagger! As I already said, better initiation your team does, more dangerous your hero can be.
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The Movement Speed Dark Seer can grant you is really good. But i'm talking about  Vacuum that can make u deal a nice damage to all enemy team with your razes and ultimate, also Dark Seer is e fast  Mekansm offlaner that is obviously nice for you as Shadow Fiend .
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This bitc* can help you a lot in fights. Her passive  Precision Aura and your passive  Presence of the Dark Lord make both of your physical damage output really hurtful and her slow and silence is really what your hero needs : YOU DO LACK MOBILITY.
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You can kill everyone if u have enough items.
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Everyone knows the Wombo Comco ! Behold the horn of Magnus and SF !
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Yes! She has to sleep the enemy team. You have time to choose which one you want to kill and Boom. Just don't piss it off !
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Last time I lost as SF with Omniknight in my team, I don't remember ! He gives you everything you need. Just don't fight 2 vs 5. You may seem really powerfull but, 2v5, enemy team can escape really easily! (Guess what? TP)! and u just fu** Omni's ult. So even with Omniknight, You need someone's initiation.
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Doesn't need explanation. All his levels are just good for you, especially  Bloodlust.
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You have heard of Illusion push. You can be very powerfull attacking high ground with illusion push and SD. Much more better if u have aegis. But there are more about these two demons! He can use his  Disruption to buy time for your ult (Please Notice the timing) AND his BKB Piercing slow is just so good for you. In addition, his damage output increase Soul catcher is a great matchup for you. May you sleep with this hero in hell !
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A great initiator, exactly what you need and his ult can multiple the damage output you can deal, which your hero is the master of. Furthermore, he can help you with  Hurricane Pike usage even if enemy is in fog of war, so as  Track.
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He can help you in lane from everywhere he is and his ult, IS, a great combo with yours.
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I Wonder to Make It an Utility or a Right Clicker.
There is no certain answer for this question because it depends on many factors. For me playing as an Utility hero is more fun but not every game lets you this. As Shadow Fiend lacks mobility and survivability, this makes your choice even harder. But I will make a guide for those who want to play an utility SF.
Although there are some certain situations you'd better make your hero Utility:
1. Your team has nice Crowd Control.
2. Your team has enough physical damage output and lacks magical damage.
3. There are more than 2 
Blade Mail carriers in enemy team.
4. You can't kill enemy heroes with your right clicks. ( They are too tanky or have escape mechanics.)
5. Enemy team is focusing you and you don't survive long enough to attack. So you maximize your survivability (cyclone e.g.) and make it a magicer.
6. Fuc*ing Axe in enemy team.
What Does an Utility hero do is a Question that I will answer in the respective guide.
Enemy Team Has ..., What Should I Do Against Them ?
The Guide by Goo that I mentioned above has great advices for this question. But here I want to add some more heroes which can really hurt SF in the new meta.
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Anti-Mage is really not a problem for you early to midgame since it is squishy and you can kill him with some good disables. It's better to finish the game before he reaches his most unstoppable power and making an early  Orchid Malevolence is a really good way to ensure he can't escape. But, in case he got his items, you will need to buy a  Butterfly and a  Monkey King Bar so MAYBE you can man-fight him with some helps.
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Oh God this hero can eat ya like a cheese. You are a very favorable target for a good Axe player and you really don't have many choices. One option is an utility Shadow Fiend so you don't kill yourself by Blade Mail . Another option is getting a lifesteal or  Eye of Skadi. However, very skilled players buy Orchid Malevolence so they silence Axe when they see him but it's not reliable and even they sometimes are not fast enough to do so. I suppose, against axe when you want to make a classic carry out of Shadow Fiend, lifesteal is the most reliable way.
In teamfights though, u must ask your supports to use their Mekansm or heals or use  Eul's Scepter of Divinity on Axe. I don't know what's your plan. If you die with a single initiation, the fight won't go in your team's favor.
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YES! BONE FLETCHER. He is a real bullsh*t hero that can stomp the game if he snowballs early. Since he has a heavy physical damage and tends to buy a fast Orchid Malevolence, you don't really have a chance against him with equal net worth. (Not even TP would work). So when you have a Clinkz in enemy team, ALWAYS go for an early  Manta Style and then you can say to bit*ch : "Surprise Motherfuc**r !" .
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This Slave is also a sh*ty hero for you to deal with since you are a hero with low armor and a hero that is also reliable on spells, which Lifestealer is not afraid of. Your choices are easy: Early game TP and escape. Manta Style is again a very good pickup and Hurricane Pike is also very useful. But if you ever wanted to man-fight him, I suggest you buy an Eye of Skadi and do what  Medusa players do with melee carries. attack and back attack and back. he will never reaches you 1v1.
however in teamfights if he doesn't focus you, he's probably dead from your heavy damages.
Butterfly is also a good pickup against him if he hasn't rushed for a Monkey King Bar.
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outworld devourer |
In this new meta, OD players don't max their  Arcane Orb early game and maximize their  Astral Imprisonment. which, I believe is good for you! I mean in this meta, OD players tend to astral you whenever you want to take last hits, but the point is OD has a low range just like you do but you 3rd raze has more range, so whenever you saw OD getting near you to astral you or harass you, you can easily use both your 3 and 2  Shadowraze to harass him AND last hit. So in this meta, Shadow Fiend can win mid against outworld devourer, and with  Magic Wand you may get an easy kill from him as well. (If OD is smart and decides to go for classic build (max Arcane Orb), you can check Goo's Guide. He has explained really well.
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Phantom Assassin is a hero that almost every dota 2 player hates to be in their enemy line-up. Since dealing with her is difficult in every bracket. You may need a lot of items in your team to stop PA from dominating you but she can kill supports or squishy heroes with a single  Desolator like they never exist! Thanks to IceFrog for representing  Silver Edge, while she has no  Black King Bar you can kill her quite easier. So this is your aim when you have PA against you. get a Silver Edge ASAP. However, especially as SF, dealing with Mortred is not that difficult for you since she will jump to you and you have requeim of souls that will deal a TON of damage to her if she has no Black King Bar. But if she is smart, she will buy a  Skull Basher so it is certain death for you. The solutions you have in front of you are :
1. Stop her early game by  Smoke of Deceit ganks and shut her down so she can't farm well.( Thanks to your heavy nukes and with help of your supports it won't be difficult for you.)
2. A single Monkey King Bar is not enough to counter her because if she has good farm and she  Phantom Strikes on you. You die before you can attack her with your Monkey King Bar. So a Hurricane Pike and a Butterfly (if she has no true strike) or another defensive build like  Satanic or Eye of Skadi or  Assault Cuirass is a must. Phantom Assassin is a pub stomper but as Shadow Fiend you can stop her. Especially because you have higher farming capability than she does.
3. You may find it stupid but i have tried and it worked. Blade Mail is something that will panic a Phantom Assassin player. So it might be a good choice as well.
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Everyone knows that Pudge is a real nightmare for squishy heroes if played in right hands. A Core Pudge (Which is not currently so favorable right now in higher brackets) can kill Shadow Fiend once he gets level 4  Meat Hook easily and yet a support or pos.4 Pudge can kill Shadow Fiend with help of his teammates as Pudge is one of the scariest initiators in the game. (Not SO reliable though). Some people say in higher brackets Pudge is not a counter for Shadow Fiend but i personally don't believe that. Even a very good player may be hooked and a very good player can be stunned by  Dismember and Shadow Fiend IS squishy early game so that he can be killed easily by another hand. So what can you do against a Pudge?
There are some solutions in general. Like strengthening your map awareness, attack and move trick to dodge Meat Hook (Which is something that everyone who wants to play Dota better should learn to master, it may be hard though in the beginning but it is considerably a good way to improve your gaming skills. It's not just about playing against Pudge though, it's something you have to do in EVERYGAME and it has to be your habbit.), buying wards and so on ...
But what can YOU do as a Shadow Fiend player ? Probably the most reasonable way is a  Linken's Sphere because if Pudge can't use his ult on you, you probably can rekt him in 2 seconds if he has no Blade Mail, but if he has some friends with him when he hooks you, you a Black King Bar is a must. There is another choice to get away from Pudge and that is Hurricane Pike, which is not THAT reliable and also a Eul's Scepter of Divinity is a good pickup.
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You may think i'm crazy but i can assure you, in a bracket that supports tend to do something to secure their carries' lives, Sniper is a real NIGHTMARE for Shadow Fiend if he has some items. As you well know, Sniper is a hero that MUST BE KILLED in every fight before any other hero and for this important task, you need a very good initiator to catch-up sniper and you as the main damage dealer or a nuker kill finish him up, this is not possible in every match though and if sniper has good positioning and he has some deffensive items or some supports to babysit him in fights, he can counter-initiate you and now the fight will change ti their will, and believe me, even as Shadow Fiend you can't man-fight with Sniper BUT you ensure to do the crucial things I list below :
1. You DO need a Silver Edge if you want to man-fight him. You may ask why? The reason is :  Headshot . This under-estimated skill is the main reason you can't man-fight him. You won't have the Attack Speed to deal damage to him and if he is a good player, you won't even reach him with the help of his Headshot. So you need to break this ability and if he has a Manta Style or a a Black King Bar to debuff break. That will be a nightmare for you since you have to use BKB to kill a little sniper or you are dead.
2. You need Monkey King Bar or  Daedalus. Since he tends to have one, and you have can't man-fight a Daedalus carrier if you don't have it.
3. Probably some lifesteal may help, or another deffensive item like AC or Eye of Skadi .
4. In my opinion, it's probably a bad idea to buy a butterfly against Sniper since he tends to buy true strike. However if you have a very better farm than he does, rushing it for a fast finish might be a reasonable idea.
5. Never underestimate Sniper. always finish him down with your ult when you had the chance. Try to gank him a lot and ask your supports and initiators to kill him ASAP.
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There are more heroes that really can hurt
Shadow Fiend which I didn't mention above nor Goo in his perfect guide. But I have tried to give you general ideas to face against them, and this is back to your own experience and game awareness to decide what you can do when you face a foe like
Terrorblade or
Lycan,
Slark or a well farmed
Faceless Void.
Wraith Band
Iron Branch
Tango (Shared)
Bottle
Power Treads
Ring of Aquila
Infused Raindrops
Clarity
Town Portal Scroll
Shadow Blade
Bloodthorn
Boots of Travel
Moon Shard
Enigma 
Black Hole or 
Duel (which CAN be countered by Linkeln's Sphere, Magnus 
Reverse Polarity AND 
Weaver or 
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