Not an Interesting Guide for Nature's Prophet (Don't Read)

Pre-Reading

Hey There! It's me, FroschTheFrog again. Now, in my 2nd build guide i would like to present Nature's Prophet. Before you start reading, there are few things you might want to consider

1. Are you looking for pubstompers guide? because this isn't one
2. Are you the type who farms like a train and wouldn't leave your comfort zone? this hero isn't played like that
3. Can you respect the way the other play or build it?
4. English isn't my native language

If things above are considered, then you can start reading this guide. Feel free to leave comments and advises because it will improve this guide better. Try to hit the like button if you feel this guide is good

All contents inside it is based on my personal builds and thoughts. I'm also taking points from few other guides as well and put it in one guide.

Also i'll add commonly asked questions alongside with its answer on the corresponding topic

Introduction

Nature's prophet is an all-built-in hero, with capability of fulfilling almost any roles. If played well, he could be a constant threat, especially to unguarded lanes because his pushing capability is too good

Nature's Prophet mostly picked as a side carry, taking the main jungling and pushing routine, and often missing from the map. Playing this guy needs a lot of map awareness, a little micro management(multiple units command), and a bit of luck.

Nature's Prophet is a dependent hero, meaning he can get farm by his own. He doesn't need to babysitted, just the wards thing. Playing this hero also means you will gets busy as the game progress, taking your role as pusher, carry, and ganker at the same time

In this guide, i'll show you how to build him, to jungle him, to play him with a little tricks, and *how not to lose with him

*not guaranteed xD

Role

If asked about Nature's Prophet role, people will argue about it. Some say he's a carry, some say he's a pusher, jungler, or ganker. Some others would even say he is an escape or support.

But which one is true? All of them are. But generally and mainly you will build him as a pusher, with a semi/side carry presence. Jungling is a thing that you would want to do, because most of your gold comes from there. However, taking the hard lane, or easy lane, or even mid isn't a bad idea too.

Role Conclusion = Pusher, paired with Jungler and Carry.

Q: Can i build him as the main carry?
A: well, you can, but you shouldn't. He's not really equipped with the right tools. I'll explain it later

Q: I can't really jungle well, can i play him by the lanes instead?
A: Up to you. In this guide i'll show you how to jungle with him. Relative easy.

Do We Need him?--Pros & Cons

Pros Great pusher and ganker Carry-able Global presence Best early jungle capability, equal to Enigma Powerful Farming level, outmost almost any heroes

Cons no "real" escape ability average stat gain constant push is needed to get upper hand

Which skill Dad?--Skills Explanations, Usage, And tricks

(for explanations you can highlight the icon)

Sprout

• can be cast on ground or heroes directly.
• magic immunity will prevent you from casting it directly to the hero, though you can still cast it on the ground near him. Blocked by linken sphere
• the trees spawned is a normal trees, can be destroyed by any skills or items that can destroy trees.
• double clicks will have it sprouted to yourself automatically
• provides flying vision(unobstructed = you can see through trees and cliffs). Im not sure about how far, but it is enough to spy roshan's pit
• blocks enemy vision, as long there is no enemy's allied unit on the other side.
• you aren't very safe inside it. It just blocked the enemy's vision so it can't target you directly

Your first skill in the set. A pseudo disable which also works as a lifesaver. How can it be? it can be casted on both enemies and allies, means you can purposely "trap" any of them. Use this skill with conjunction with Teleportation, provided you have enough mana to use them both. It isn't a real disable by the way, just locks the enemy in place. However, it has a very long duration(3s by the first level, 5.25s by the last).

Q: Why only level once at sprout?
A: One level of sprout is already enough. 3 seconds were enough for you to teleport out if not interrupted. Further levels on it will increase it's mana cost, draining your mana in the early times. Though the cooldown decreases, further points at stats will be better

Teleportation

• has 3s of delayed action, not channeling. If interrupted, the cooldown won't tick and the mana cost preserved
• double click will target your fountain automatically
• creates a sign at the minimap similiar to using Town Portal Scroll, visible only to allies.
• however, creates an effect in the target location, that is visible to the enemies as well
• can be cancelled by pressing stop action ("S" by default)

Your main arsenal throughout the game. Gives you a global presence on the map, growing fear to your enemies anywhere. Use this skill to teleports yourself to and from the fountain, in and out of combat, enter and leave lanes, anything. With constant mana cost and decrease cooldown for every levels, this is the perfect tool to gank and push as the game progresses.

Q: Why maxing teleport first?
A: needless to say, decreasing its cooldown. Gives you more frequent teleportation, that sometimes needed to gank or push

Nature's Call

• can be casted on trees made by Sprout.
• creates treants as many as there are trees in the highlighted area.
• treants itself gives 14-20 gold bounty, and 30 exp when killed

Your jungling and pushing tools. Treants act as a vanguard for you, taking damage from creeps and towers. They itself has their own attack damage, possibly aid in taking down creeps and towers.

Q: Why only three levels of Call instead of maxing it?
A: actually, level 3 call or 4 Treants is already enough to do jungling and pushing. Maxing it wasn't a bad idea though, as in some games i'm also maxing it first.

Q: Can i build a teleport based build, leaving nature's call for mid game to level?
A: YES YOU CAN! this Nature's Call based build is centered around early intensive jungling, and if possible, early push. You can build it teleportation way if you're going mid with a dagon core, making yourself a bad*ss ganker. The same goes for the sprout build for laning or ganking. Balanced build is viable too

Wrath of Nature

• will not hit enemies out of vision
• has a global range, but will bounce to the nearest target next to the previous one
• each hit beyond the first increase the damage, possibly allows you to last hit with more power at the last target
• maximum damage: 386/497/621 or 490/663/869 by aghanim

Your one and only direct damaging spell. Provided with mediocre cooldown and decent damage + global range, this acts as another of your pushing tools. This also can be used to last hit enemy heroes, especially on very low HP and out of reach. The trick on using this is to firstly cast at the furthest units from your target, and hoping there's enough number of bounces before it hits your expected target. Try to cast it every time it's off cooldown, as it can provid around 300 gold or more if properly casted

How to Spend Gold?--Items

If you paying attention, Nature's Prophet items isn't one that will improve him greatly, but rather that will aid him and give a carrying capability. For example, an Armlet of Mordiggian on Wraith King or Lifestealer will impact very good on them than armlet on slardar. Second example, one day i was fought a team with a carry Keeper of the Light(?). His items were Shadow Blade, sctyhe of vyse, Eye of Skadi, Mjollnir, and Divine Rapier. That makes him a badass hitter carry.

So, based on those two example, anyone could be carry with the right item. But there's few hero who can synergize very well with just one item rather than the other hero, but Nature's prophet isn't one of them. He's just a humble, non-carry-skill-equipped carry, but he is a supreme farmer.

Because of that, i can't justified which item is right and which item is wrong. So, i'll just suggest and discuss the items for him with you guys (yes you!).

Q: Do i really need Hand of Midas?
A: Absolutely. What is the reason you buy midas? because it doubles your already good farm. If you looking for only attack speed, you can invest the gold for midas in hyperstone

Q: Shadow Blade or Blink Dagger?
A: Up to you. Looking for better right click? go get SB. Looking for more "surprise madafaka" or better escape? go get dagger. It is based on the situation

Q: how do you plan on getting inventory full with items you'll need?
A: never plan it. Go based on the situations. But usually i picked an item from each group, giving a balanced inventory

Q: why Maelstrom?
A: simple. 25 IAS, 24 damage, plus chain lightning. Near perfect farming tool

Q: what's with Desolator?
A: an old build, still effective though. I recommend this for new players, since relative easy to get, improves your right click alot, and really aid in tower shredding

Q: can i opt for Necronomicon?
A: go for it, if you're intending to become total pusher, or trying to counter invis enemy. I rarely go for it though, since it well suited for a farmed support

Q: rush for Aghanim's Scepter?
A: your call. Improves your ulti and overall stats. A pretty good item

Q: a simple item set plz?
A: Hand of Midas + Shadow Blade + orchid malevolance + Mjollnir(build from Maelstrom) + Scythe of Vyse + Phase Boots. Later you can sold the midas for Daedalus or Monkey King Bar

Q: what's with the side items group?
A: wanna have a fun game? or you played on a 5 party teamfight? if you can trust and communicates with your teammates, this items really worth to try.
imagine saving friends with Force Staff or Urn of Shadows, or even become a surprisingly tanker by Heart of Tarrasque + Shiva's Guard

What Do I Do Now?--Gameplay

How to start
Get RoB and 2 Clarities. When the gametime hit 00:07, create 2 treants near base, and stay in base for a while to regen your near-half mana. Move along with your treants to the jungle camp (any camp would be no problem, but i suggest start with the easy one). Dont go inside the camp or stay too near to it before 00:30, because jungle creeps wont spawn if there is unit inside their camp. When the first jungle spawned, i already calculated the treant's cooldown already reached 0 (if u used it right at 00:07 or earlier). Use Call if your treants overwhelmed with the creeps or if the duration goes down.

If you're asking for the route, try the easy camp first if you are not familiar with jungling start. If you already understand it, hard camp won't be a problem. Then to the next of it.

Early times
I assume you're doing good on starting, now we go to the early game for Nature's Prophet. By the time, i suggest you do an intense jungle, keep jungling actively. Buy Gloves of Haste first, with another clarity if u want. If you're lucky, Hand of Midas is at your hand around 7 minute (10 minute is still okay). If the time hit 15:00 and you still didn't have midas, i suggest start building another item, leaving the glove of haste for power treads or maelstrom.

However, do not ignore the map.
A simple help possibly can: 1)turn the tide of a lane clash, 2)last hitting fleeing heroes with low hp 3)sniping courier 4)helping friend by trapping the enemy hero inside sprout 5)push the undefended lanes.

Mid-Game
"NP push here!, NP push there! NP kill him! NP def! NP blablabla"
This is the busiest time of playing Nature's Prophet. Lets say this time is around 15 to 30 minutes mark. At the time all you do is push, defend, then push again, then snipe courier, then push again, and so on. Your item should be boots, midas, a defensive item, a pushing item, and a ganking item (like the list of set items i suggest).

Late-Game
"Here Comes Nature's Prophet!"
So you've got your list of dream items? Can solo a tower in a single push? Triple kill by yourself? or even Turning the tides of clash with your coming? Very well! you've get a hold on the game. This means your team depends on you for a couple or two things. Haven't done any good deeds yet? Don't worry, time will reveal the perfect moment for you.
But remember, you're not the hard carry (unless you're the only one). Try to give the kills for the main carry, and the towers for you. By doing this, your team got a clearer path for victory.

Extended Late Game
"Give Up!"-"Never!"
Gametime hits the 1 Hour and still both of you got complete racks? or even both only got their ancient tower standing briefly amongst the creeps? This is the game of the gods. I always said this to my friend "never give up on dota2", and this means you can say it too. When the game extends, teamwork is all you got. Regardsless of the result, teamplay is what makes dota2 is fun to play.

Who Are You? --Friends and Foes

Kunkka is obviously one of your enemy. Admiral got Torrent that can be casted on ground, making you a easy prey when you're inside ring of trees. Tidebringer can clear treants wave in a single swoop, along with the creeps. X Marks the Spot returns you after teleporting, and ghost ship is torrent combined with tidebringer.
However, this admiral also can be your ally, placing well torrents and ships with the help of sprout. and by using teleport-return, you can trick the enemy team to set up empty ganks.

Pudge, Skywrath Mage, Lina. Similar like kunkka, basically sprout makes whoever inside it alone to become a soft prey. They can hit you easily, or together create a perfect ganking setup.

Together with lycanthrope, pushing becomes daily meals. 5 treants powered with howl, along with both of you can take down tower in seconds

Tusk got a trick to play with Nature's Prophet. I found it on YouTube. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd1q183kNDg]

Zeus or Spectre can create a global vision, possibly allowing you to kill or hit enemy heroes, normally or by ult.

Endings And Summaries

Used Your Instructions And Lost

Then you are seriously Noob!!!

Just kidding. Take a look back at the game results. Is it their Gold Per Minute is higher than your team's carry? Or someone's bought the wrong items? it's okay. As they say "practice makes perfect" you could just play Nature's prophet again. Try another build, a different lane with different hero composition, anything that can improves you.

I'll let you know if i found another interesting things to try to play Nature's Prophet


In the end, what matters is fun you got while playing with this hero, not some an ill-frustrated on your teammates for their mistakes. Maybe there's some regrets, but that is not justification so you won't play this guy again. Complaining what has been lost won't make it return by itself, and playing by yourself wont make you win the game. Sayonara!

"Tryhards Don't Lose. They just got their ancients destroyed"