Meepo the Geomancer (Guide for all roles)

Changelogs

14/1/13 - Started this guide unpublished.
16/1/13 - Published this game.
17/1/13 - Edited "Item Build" section and included a new list of items called "Useful Items to consider".
31/10/13 - Huge change, especially for v6.79.
12/11/13 - Added "About the Ultimate Build" under "Item Build".
29/11/13 - Added a new starting item build under "Item Build" while keeping the old build.
22/6/14 - Rewritting this guide (not entirely).

Author's Notes

IMPORTANT NOTE: This guide is more suitable for players who can play Meepo very well. What I mean by that is you can micromanage your Meepo almost perfectly. But, if you're still learning how to use Meepo well, this guide is still going to help a lot.

To know more about Meepo, check it out here.

Meepo's relationship with Runes

Double Damage provides a super significant increase in DPS when you have 5 Meepos marching. Just remember to have your Meepos together when your pick up the rune because "when activated, gives the Hero and any controlled illusions (including Meepos) within 500 AoE +100% damage for 45 seconds."

Haste has no incredible effect on Meepo since it only applies to the primary Meepo except I like to call it "the 522". Of course, you can use it to gank and escape.

Regeneration is only gonna heal your primary Meepo.

Invisibility also has no incredible effect on Meepo since it also only applies to the primary Meepo. Of course, you also can use it to gank and escape. Surprise Poof is a possibility.

Illusion has incredible ability on Meepo because illusions benefit from the 100% stats sharing from Aghanim's Scepter. Illusions of Meepo (including those from Wall of Replica) benefit from stats sharing of Aghamin's Scepter Divided We Stand but do not receive stats from Bonus Attribute. Illusions of Meepo initially have the same current HP as prime Meepo despite having more strength from Divided We Stand. This is probably a bug and if it is, I'm not sure it's fixed yet.

Skill Build

Before we being, I advise players to learn to use Ctrl to add skill points.

Dota 2 has a feature where with a skill point, pressing Ctrl plus clicking or pressing the hotkey of an ability allows you to level the ability. Learning this is important and it makes you more efficient, which will be explained more in this chapter.

Generally, you must add your ultimate whenever possible (at level 3, 10 and 17). At level 1, don't add any skill until necessary (this applies to all heroes, really). You don't know whether you will need an Earthbind or a Poof. Once you need any of them, use the Ctrl key to add your ability. There you go, perfect micro skill.

The general skill build is shown. However, sometimes, you need Poof instead of Earthbind at level 1 because you probably won't be ganking or get ganked yet and you need it to last hit.

The reason to get a point of Geostrike at level 4 is because that's when you have 2 Meepos to provide you with the ability to slow. However, if movement disable is not a problem, then you may add Poof at level 4. Whichever the case is, you should eventually max Poof at level 7.

After maxing Poof, it's logical to max Earthbind as soon as possible.

Gameplay

Since v6.80 (maybe v6.79), Meepo's ability to support has increased. That's the primary reason why I have decided to rewrite this guide. I'm now able to instantly pick Meepo without being afraid of getting countered.

My personal Meepo grouping

F1 - All Meepos except primary Meepo
1 - All Meepos
2 - Primary Meepo
3 and 4 - This 2 groups are used for separating Meepos (usually used for farming).
5 - Illusions
Alt 2, 3, 4 and 5 - Respective clones' own grouping.

Playing as a hard-carry (most probably farming on the safe lane)

Although Meepo is a level-dependent hero, he can afford to be in a trilane because Meepo can catch up in terms of level in almost all the games. So, don't reject a trilane possiblity.

Once you reach level 3, you have few options. You can not add your ultimate yet because you're able to gank your opponent on the lane. If you're ganking your opponent on the lane, you should use Ctrl to add your ultimate as soon as the gank happens. This makes ganking more effective and needs practice. If you're good, you should set up your groupings while doing the gank. Perfect micro skill again.

Another option is to just add your ultimate and have that clone to stack the large neutral camp nearest to your fountain (this is to avoid your opponent from stealing the stacked camp). Once that camp is too full, you can also stack medium and small camps or the other large camps, choose wisely. It's also determined by whether you're on Radiant or Dire.

You need Blink Dagger and Power Tread before you get Aghanim's Scepter. Besides Power Tread, you can get Boots of Travel immediately if your team (or you) decides that you do not join teamfights until you have Aghanim's Scepter. Usually, that would mean that your opponent has too many AoE disables.

When farming, always have only at most 2 Meepos in one group (unless you're farming ancient camp)

After getting Aghanim's Scepter, your team may need Scythe of Vyse and you should get it. If not, you can choose to get Eye of Skadi or Heart of Tarrasque or Ethereal Blade. If you're not sure what you need, think of what would happen in a teamfight.

Heart of Tarrasque - Your opponents aren't tanky but they are able to kill you.
Ethereal Blade - Your opponents are tanky and you're able to survive.
Eye of Skadi - Your opponents are tanky and able to kill you or you're not sure. Usually, if you're not sure, you're probably winning because that would mean they're not tanky and are unable to kill you.

I'm only interested in stats (STR and AGI, not INT) providing item and this 3 items provides you with the most stats. Assault Cuirass is fine, but it's such a waste of an item slot for Meepo, meaning that someone else in your team should get it if your team needs it.

Do Roshan whenever possible, preferably after you have Aghanim's Scepter. If your team has the ability to do Roshan early, then do it. Try to have the habit to record down Roshan's time. This makes sure that your Aegis of the Immortal don't suddenly expire unknowingly and you can also know the next earliest and latest Roshan spawn.

Here's a tip when doing Roshan, while you have to tank the Roshan. To spread the damage evenly to your Meepos, take note of how many Meepos you have. Let's say you have 5, then take 100/5 which equals to 20. This means you should change a Meepo to tank after every 20% of Roshan's max HP goes down. Mathematically, you should be able to spread Roshan's damage evenly to all your Meepos.

Playing as a solo-middle

Meepo can solo middle lane against almost any hero, but he is very disadvantageous against Invoker at mid. This is base on my personally experience. Although that's what I say, if you're against someone like Viper, you need to be careful too.

Since you're playing middle, you're good to buy a Bottle and control runes.

Once you reach level 3, you should bring your clone to roam and look for ganking opportunities. Of course, you can also stack neutral camp occasionally with your clone.

Everything else should be the same as playing as hard-carry Meepo. Except, you're probably gonna farm less since you're not the hard-carry. Hence, you're gonna gank more.

Playing as a solo hard-lane or dual hard-lane

This is not advised, especially soloing hard-lane against a trilane or dual lane that is enough to shut you down. You can afford to not get any farm but getting no experience is madness.

Your gameplay is pretty much like soloing middle.

Once you reach level 3, get your clone to roam or stack neutral camps.

Playing as a support

This is normally the option if your team have another hard-carry or/and the opponent counters you badly such that your teammates can't do much about it. Then, let them counter a support hero.

If you're playing a support, your choice of Boots has to change. You should get Tranquil Boots instead of Power Tread. There are few reasons for this. Firstly, you're not gonna deal a lot of physical damage. Secondly, you need gold for buying what all supports buy, you know what I'm talking about. Tranquil Boots is cheap and provide more MS which Power Tread don't.

Once you reach level 3, you do the same thing, stack neutral camps and roam.

Since you're supporting, you can slow down on getting Aghanim's Scepter. You can get a Mekansm if your team needs it.

If you are doing well as a support, you can consider getting Hand of Midas, I personally won't get it as a carry because you can farm very fast as a carry and it's risky if you get ganked frequently. However, as a support, it ensures your experience and gold are good and like I said before, you can transition to being a carry in the late-game. If you have decided to get Hand of Midas, try to get it early, if not never.

What makes Meepo different from most supports is that Meepo has the ability to farm. This allows you to transition from a support to a carry in the late-game. However, don't steal farm from your carries.

Gameplay for all kinds of Meepo

Whatever Meepo you're playing, you should push whenever possible. Ring of Basillius can help you with that.

Getting an Orb of Venom early on Meepo is also good. It's cheap and effective. You can later upgrade it to Eye of Skadi but that's not the point.

Blink Dagger is a must, you don't walk into teamfights because that's ridiculous.

Here's a tip when pushing. When pushing with Blink Dagger, you can avoid ganks from TP under towers, but blink-poofing away as soon as you see the TP. The casting time of Poof is shorter than the channeling time of TP. This guarantees that you won't get ganked under the tower due to opponent's TP if you blink-poof away immediately after you see the TP. However, this don't save you from other forms of ganking.

Items

The Choice of Boots

Power Tread - This is the standard boots of choice as a carry.
Tranquil Boots - This is the preferred boots as a support.
Boots of Speed - This is what you should get eventually, most probably after you have full items.

The core items

Blink Dagger - You need this for ganking and teamfights, you can't possibly walk into teamfights.
Aghanim's Scepter - This is a must for Meepo if you want to maximize DPS and survivability.

The best stats providing items

Eye of Skadi - +25 STR and +25 AGI, has the ability to slow.
Ethereal Blade - +10 STR and +40 AGI, has an active ability that combos with Poof and can deal significant initiate damage with high AGI.
Heart of Tarrasque - +40 STR and +0 AGI. Sadly, its passive only works on your primary Meepo but +40 STR is 760 HP.

Here's some quick math. 2 Eye of Skadi > 1 Ethereal Blade and 1 Heart of Tarrasque in terms of stats, that is 10 AGI difference.

Situational Items

Orb of Venom - This can combo with early levels Geostrikes and it's cheap.
Ring of Basillius - This is another cheap item. It allows you to push more effectively and efficiently.
Bottle - This allows you to control rune especially playing as solo middle. You can also use the bottle charges on your clone so it's really good if you can make full use of it.
Hand of Midas - As I mentioned previously, you should only get this as a support. As a support, it ensures you can buy Observers Wards, Smoke of Deceit, etc.
Aegis of the Immortal - You acquire it if you are playing as a carry (especially the hard-carry), if not, leave it for someone else.
Scythe of Vyse - This item counters all heroes that counter you. It doesn't provide you with nice stats but if you're farming well, you should get it before you can't deal with your opponents.
Manta Style - Illusions can use Geostrike. Some people claim that it's a bug, until it's a bug, you have the right to use Illusions. This item also provides you with a small amount of stats.
Heaven's Halberd - I would rather get Scythe of Vyse. I only put this item into the list because it's cheaper than Scythe of Vyse and provides +25 STR.
Medallion of Courage - I rarely get this item but it's fine for countering physically tanky heroes. It cost only about 1000. This also allows you to do Roshan more quickly.

Heroes that counters Meepo

Technically, any hero that has AoE movement and attack disables as well as silence counters you because your clones can't do anything about them except avoiding them. Next, carries that can do high DPS Cleave such as Sven, Kunkka and Ember Spirit and AoE ranged attack abilities such as Split Shot and Flak Cannon.

When you're dealing with the latter counters, the best you can do is to avoid them during teamfights or make them your team's first target priority. Kill them before they can even touch you. Scythe of Vyse helps with this. The problems with players who use those heroes to counter you is that they require farm. You can farm much faster than them. By the time they are fat enough to deal with you, you should have Scythe of Vyse already.

When you're dealing with the former counters,the best you can do is also to avoid them but most of these counters aren't carry which makes thing easier. Non-carry counters are generally less tanky which are easy to kill. Find the right time to jump into teamfights and you should be fine.

Here are the list of exceptionally strong counters that you should be afraid of.
Sven, Kunkka, Ember Spirit, Medusa
Disruptor, Tidehunter, Riki, Invoker.

The second row of counters are exceptionally strong because they have multiple AoE disables. I'll explain.

Disruptor's Static Storm and Kinetic Field prevents you from casting spell and attacking if your opponents kite you well.

Tidehunter's Ravage has a big AoE which guarantees to hit all your Meepos and Anchor Smash can decrease your physical DPS by about 60% given the fact that your physical damage comes from AGI, not raw damage.

Riki's Smoke Screen silences and blinds your Meepos, that's 2 counter in one spell.

Invoker's Ice Wall can kite you, Deafening Blast and disarm you, EMP is as good as silence in the early game because your mana pool is low.

Here's what your allies can do to help you against these counter. Heroes with AoE healing abilities can help you. Omniknight is one of the best. Dazzle is also another one, he is able to do AoE damage with Shadow Wave. Witch Doctor is the lesser of Dazzle, he has Maledict that combos with your Poofs.

As long as your team has heroes that can help you survive in teamfights, it's as good as countering heroes that counter you.

Closing

Please tell me what you wish to be included in this guide. I'm having trouble thinking of how to make this guide better, I need your help.

Credits

neversaynever from PlayDotA with his Meepo guide which inspired me to play Meepo.
My Meepo fans from Dota 2.