Lycan Guide for Beginners

IMO, it's almost pointless to pick a hero and build him/her in a way that doesn't use his/her full potential. Lycan's strengths is his pushing and chasing power. Howl should always be added to complement this. Necrobook is understandable - beginners might rather not get it. Some people argue that this is just a different way to play a hero. Sure, but if you're going to pick Lycan as a jungler/chaser, you might as well have picked Bloodseeker or Nightstalker (and to some degree, Slardar or Slark). These heroes have similar playstyles to Lycan, but gank/chase so much better. You pick Lycan over these when you want lesser ganking/chasing and more pushing (or if the enemy has a bunch of abilities that Slow). So if you're going to play Lycan this way, don't.

Assuming you don't agree with the above paragraph, I still think 1 value point in Howl is a must. It's definitely better than 2 of each stat. And if your team has ANY minions (spiders, treants, familiars, etc), you'll be missing out if you don't max it. With the sheer number of spiders, or the attack speed of Visage's familiars, the DPS is nothing to scoff at. There is a reason why Lycan was a thing in the past, where heroes who don't farm Necrobook get one just because Lycan is on their team.

Great guide regardless. Love the point about using your wolves to scout or follow the enemy jungler around. Lycan players don't do this enough. It's basically a less mobile Beastmaster Hawk, but with permanent invisibility. Plus, you can annoy junglers by last hitting neutrals with it.

On a right-click lycan , you should also consider deadi for crits without ulti and damage + a few attack speed items

Honestly I barfed when I read howl is trash.

Umm, even if you want this to be a guide for beginners, playing a right clicking lycan, no mkb in situationals?

Are you reading my comment to the end? I said I don't mind that there is no necrobook, the reason is because having active items in your inventory takes a little more effort than having all passive items. That is okay. The main problem with your build is you are sacrificing 50 damage on each allied hero and their controlled units, for 150 more hp and 1 armor. It's just not worth it.

Also, if you do notice, baumi only moved the wolves to avoid killing them. Anyone can do that with a little knowledge. It took my 10 year old cousin 5 minutes to figure out how to do that, when he started first started jungling. In fights, and after he summonned his necro units, all he did was point and right click, and use howl occasionally.

And yet again, no necrobook lycan Is PERFECTLY FINE. Please read this before you start arguing about why you don't want necrobook in this build, because I understand, and I accept it.

Lycan can still dominate pub games if you can farm really well... the only problem would be if you have a clinks / bounty / or rikki on the enemy team that can really give you a hard time in farming...

yes you are right... that is why phaseboots is very important because I have experienced several times that I am chasing enemy hero and my wolves / necro units get in the way... with phase boots you can get the kill easier and faster... with phase boots+wolves+shapeshift+feral impulse+stats you can get the kill even without the howl...

please take time to watch the video that maasaki14 posted ... take note of when he got his ulti... it was even later than what I suggested...

Look at how he played the wolves he is quite good at micro... and look at how he always get last hit...beginners cannot do that... also please take not at when he got his ulti... he got his at level 8... later than what I suggested...

Anyway I get your point... I use necrobook too when I play... I even add helm of dominator to my items so that I can control more units... and really be a pesky pusher... but that build is totally different than what I am suggesting here... again this is not a pusher build... this build is for Lycan to hunt and chase down paper heroes....

Well one problem .
You should take ulti somewhat earlier than you said.it is one of lycan's most powerful assets early game and helps a lot in snowballing which indirectly helps you get fat and end game fast.

This basically sums up my thoughts. Started writing comment. Saw Sandvich's response. Quoted it.

Lycan used to be boss about a year ago. He was top 5 picked and owned the map.

Sadly after they screwed with his Ult i stopped playing him and haven't touched him since...

Also because the Necro's hit harder and faster due to Feral Impulse - A Lycan with an early level 3 Necro and his ulti up kills basically any hero on the map, potentially multiple, and probably any building in short order.

But if OP doesn't think the intended readers of this guide can handle that, so be it. It's probably worth including more expanded skill and item builds so people can transition on the hero.