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Stout Shield
Magic Stick
Tango
Iron BranchIron Branch
Tranquil Boots
Magic Wand
Vitality Booster
Ring of Health
Vanguard
Blink Dagger
Blade Mail
Boots of Travel
Force Staff
Heart of Tarrasque
Bloodstone
Shiva's Guard
Boots of Travel 2
Moon Shard
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2 | 8 | 9 | 10 |  |
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4 | 12 | 13 | 14 |  |
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1 | 3 | 5 | 7 |  |
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6 | 11 | 16 |  |
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15 | 17 | 18 |
Hi,
I have experimented possibily every build on Axe that i have ever thought of. Besides, I "studied" the gameplay of some amazing AXE players like Miracle, Smash,Zai and of course the best team players like Puppey and Baumi!! And taking the best item choices from everyone, their ideas/strategies and made my own builds for different situations.
The builds i have suggested have worked on me, regardless of the game being all melee(Everyone thinks you're a pro) or all Ranged(**** happens...lol). Its all situational.
"IMPROViSE"
http://www.dotabuff.com/players/204970984/matches?hero=axe
I have played over 500 matches with Axe and through trail and error, have come up with my guide...
Here is a sketch i made of Axe Hell Bent.. Hell Bent.. For Ledah!!! in the Pub after the Pub. Blah blah!!!
So......this is my first guide on Axe. I have been playing Dota2 mostly because I love playing Axe. He is arguably the most fun hero to play in Dota2.If you're a regular Axe Player, you probably have tried everything I've written here and developed your own build, which matches your playing style.
This build is mainly for those players who are new to AXE and are confused with which items to buy and when Or which item combos are good. With these builds, I don't assure that you're going to "Carry" your team to victory because remember, Axe is not a carry... though if you play him well, you can be one of the most feared heroes in the game.
Currently i'm editing a video on and off(just mixing some sounds and music from different artists into a game which i tried Battlefury)
Yes...yes... I realised its like getting bash items on Void or Spirit breaker or even better a shadow blade on Rikki... not that it cant be used.. but for the same price u can get a much better item/s.
I will put a link once its done.
Color:All Regen items and Burst Hp/Mana
Color:All Armour items
Color:All Damage Block items
Color:All Hp items
Color:All items giving Strength +Agility +Intelligence
Color:All items helping mobility
AXE is primarily played as a Tank, as a n initiator but has a small AOE and Needs a Blink Dagger to make crucial calls during team fights. A lot of people play him Semi-support while some try to Carry and steal all the kills from the carries and end up making the team loose.
But there is no rule such as how to play. There are many funny matches where Axe supports the carries and in the end, let down just because the carries were ****in NOOBS. Every Axe player has gone through similar ****.
Always Play Axe in your own style... There is nothing wrong with ur playing style as long as the team benefits too.
Below are Pros and Cons of this Divebombing hero.
Pros
Passive 3rd Skill Counter Helix
Tank
Ganker
Durable
Disabler
Easy Jungling if Counter helix is maxed
Melee heroes' Nightmare(at least early game)
Amazing ultimate(Much Better animation than the old Dota)
Cons
kill Steal
Mana Dependent
Cannot Carry a game
Haters say Axe is OP
Too similar to Hell Boy
Early Game Mistakes can be FATAL
Easily Countered by Good Ranged heroes
Impact in game diminishes with Time
"If there's a new way, i'll be first in line"
AXE is a TANK..
"Tanking is My Business...And Business is Good"
If u dont already know what a TANK is, this is called a tank.. This particular model is Leopard 2 A7. After years of producing Crazy war machines.. not to forgetPanzers ... Trial and error,The Germans made this monster. It might not be the most powerful Main battle tank, but it Surely is the best for its price. Ok... Getting back to the organic tank...
As a tank,your team expects you to be in the middle of the action but be sure to keep your eyes on your hp bar.. Remember u are feared.... But if u show signs of fear and retreat it is very easy for the enemy to cut u down.. Stand and fight..
I cant help but compare the Dota2 heroes with the WW2 and Present day tanks and High Tech weapons of Mass destruction.
Perhaps the Unrest around the world and the fact that we're standing at the brink of WW3...
Heroes :Comparison
Tank :Heavy armoured Vehicle(Axe)
Nukers :ICBM
Support :Red Cross
Greeps :Infantry
Neutral Creeps:Switzerland(Money/Gold/Cheese)
Carry :Attack Aircraft
Techies :Land Mines
Invisible :Stealth Attack Aircrafts
Stunners :Anti-Aircraft/Bombers
Wards :Radar
Dust :Night Vision Device (NVD)
Sentry Wards :Surface To Air Missiles(SAM)
Nyway, "its just a game".... Thats what we all say...
1.Level up fast or fail
2.Unless the enemy is escaping, give the kill to ur Carry.
3.Never ever Kill steal.
4.If Ur carry is playing like ****, take matters into ur own hands and don't feel bad about Dunking.
5.Everyone has their bad day... Even Axe..Refer to Build 3.
6.Avoid picking Axe if there are too many Ranged heroes in the enemy team.
7.Don't be scared to die if it benefits ur team.
8.Watch "Purge's Guide to ganking".
9.Know ur enemies so that when somebody picks Axe before u do, u can pick any of his counters and Give him/her Hell.
10.Don't waste ur Cull (Ultimate) if u know the enemy is dying anyway.
11.Don't pick Axe if u want to carry.
12.Dota is a situational game.. U don't always have to rush Blink Dagger.
13.Practice against Bots.
14.Watch ur health bar too.. not just theirs.
15.If u don't own a bottle, Leave runes for ur support.
16.Avoid Aghanims if there is no other tank in ur team.
17.Watch replays and analyse ur game. You will make fewer mistakes later.
18.Don't be scared to experiment with Builds.
19.If an ally is low on hp, try and escort him/her to a safe area.
20.Axe is very Mana dependent.. Unless compelled to, avoid team fights if low on mana.
In the skill build, after a level of Counter Helix..I max Battle hunger because it is only really useful in early game and against ranged heroes, u will need this. But the timing is very important. Do not spam it... Nobody is scared of an axe who doesn't know when to put hunger.
The trick is to put battle hunger on whichever hero has lesser hp or the one who is out of tango. At this time like i have said over and over again, most heroes have 600-800hp. Cast a hunger on a hero as soon as the last creep is killed/denied. And run back to ur incoming allied creep wave all the while, watching his/her hp bar headed to "that sorry state". As soon as he tries to last hit, right click on him. Yes.... That will draw creep agro and ur spin will cause him to take more damage and will most likely get killed in the process. Unless ur laning partner or you are being harassed, its OK to delay Beserker's call as it's not easy to on AXE's miserable mana pool.
Counter Helix Now Deals Pure Damage
*IMPORTANT*
HARD LANE AND BACKDOOR
then Rush
I usually go for two iron branches and of course a tango. the earlier u get a magic wand, the earlier u start gaining charges... I don't go for two Stout Shields as it delays the tranquil boots and also buying a poor man's shield on axe is not a really nice idea.. Surely two have more block chance as many axe's fans have already mathematically proven and i have tried both and know well that doing so makes us last longer butthese shields are almost useless against magic heroes. Rather spend 265 more gold and get a Magic wand.
JUNGLE
Stout Shield a tango or 2 and a healing salve(for a quick heal) then rush Tranquil Boots.
MID
Do not buy anything yet ... by the time you walk to mid, bottle will be ready.. Getting mid is the best thing that can happen to Axe. While playing mid, try to get A level of Berserker's call early on. Jungle or Play mid only if ur carry wants to solo the lane or if nobody wants to play mid.I personally feel Jungling is such a waste of Axe's great Lane Harass potential.
ITEM 1
Rush a Stout Shield and remember to play safe till u get it which will be within a few seconds and if u're lucky and pick up the Starting Bounty, u will already have enough gold. This item upgrades to Vanguard.
ITEM 2
(Hp and Mana)
Magic Wand the "Poor man's Guardian Greaves"
Have you ever had that situation where you needed just 20-30 hp or mana for that lucky escape or that satisfying cull? This is the answer.The Circlet and the two Iron Branches u take in the beginning of the match combined with Magic stickwhich u find at the side shop usually is ready at the right time..Slots created!!!! It also gives +4 to all attributes. At max, Magic wand gives 17x15= 255hp and 255mana burst.Specially useful Early game when most heroes just have 500-800hp.And mid game, it is still a very reliable source of mana.
ITEM 3
Yes, Tranquil boots .. the hp regen it gives for that price is unreplaceable. and the +5(minimum)movement speed, more than any of the other boots makes a big difference when u have Battle hunger(+14% movement speed) I'll talk about Arcane boots in Build 2
ITEM 4
=+
+
.. get it in this order.. *Remember*
Vanguard is the best early game item on AXE.. The longer AXE stays in the heat of the fight, the more damage he does thanks to Counter Helix and early game Vanguard.. and only Vanguard.. allows u to play like that.. Personally I prefer getting Vanguard before Blink Dagger as i can Initiate,tank and most of the time survive the fight. I rush it because it's usefulness diminishes till finally it has to be sold. Late game when "The Thrill is gone",sell off Vanguard only when u have another high Hp regen item like a heart or a bloodstone. Surely post-20 mins, it is of not much use but 32 sure damage block is not a joke.... No way Punk!!!
Why i insist on getting Vitality Booster first is because u already have a high Hp regen item in the form of ur Tranquil boots and u don't need another hp regen item.. u need Health Points.. and as u can see, Vitality Booster=+250hp*. And yes whenever ur health bar goes down, run out of the fight but stick around.. near ur Tower or if u're confident enough, stand nearby and as u regen, u gain experience too(avoid hitting or getting hit till ur hp bar is full).. And u're ready for another fight ... Without even realising, u have ur Ring of regen... and wow, "VANGUARD" Now you can Tower-dive without worrying much about ur hp. Or even better.. You can Divebomb like Dimebag Darell... ie, "There is no telling what AXE'll do ... Run head first into traffic" and dont forget to Call once ure in between 2 or more heroes. Sometimes u run in and realise... ****!!!! 100%hp and 5%mana.... time to buy an early game mana item, refer Situational items However late, buy this item.. I have tried and tested different items for the same price but found none. This is ur Clean Underwear... u dont go to work without that.. Feel Tanky?... Of course u are.. to test, stand between heroes(and watch them being torn apart by ur spins)or if u still have no faith in ur own AXE playing ability, stand between creeps and ..... WOW!!! .... so little damage taken..... See??? thats how important a Vanguard is..
ITEM 5
Blink Daggeris your maain initiation tool and if u like to chase enemies down, its great too and though the 3 sec cooldown is irritating specially against enemy spells dealing delayed damage, it is an escape item if used well. I used to rush Blink Dagger in most of my earlier matches but don't do that anymore. I Get Blink Dagger before vanguard only if I play mid or have excess gold 2000+and if my teammates don't need me to keep tanking. Many Axe players get vanguard post 20 minutes(which is almost useless) just because they keep dying trying to farm the blink. Still... it's your choice.
ITEM 6
Blademail deals PURE damage return... In the right hands, a lethal weapon. The biggest question we all ask is "when do we turn on Blademail?"
It's usually after u Call and once ur Bonus Armour is over.. so that you can escape. When Ganking, i usually blink-call, then quickly put on Blademail so that the enemies take return damage. Most of the time it's an assured kill... believe me... it works.. Ur enemies are not stupid... they will stop hitting u as soon as they know u have a Blademail on. But in a teamfight if the enemy is scattered, Blink in-Call-tank and turn on Blademail only when the enemies try to focus u even after ur Berserker's call wears off. Try to save it as much as possible for crucial escapes.
*ps- Get Blademail before Blink Dagger if u are dying too often even after u have a Vanguard.
End of Starting Items n' Mandatory Items*IMPORTANT*
Don't be an "Uncle Scrooge"!! if u are one, still buy Town Portal Scrolls and look for wherever the action is and if ur allies need help, even if it is in the start of the game, Tp there!!! But don't leave if ur lane needs you or if ure going there just for a kill steal.. if u do that .. shame...
Oh yes
Observer Wards!!!! Ward the area u are fighting/farming/jungling also ward the areas if ur teammates are being ganked a lot.They will appreciate it.. most of the times u will get kills too.
And u know well too how much better a game is when everyone's happy. They wouldn't mind if u "Accidentally" Kill Steal. But be lavish only if u have too much gold. I like to ward whichever area of the map i am pushing or fighting often. Which means my alies get a free vision of the area. Besides, u get 100 experience for each kill that happens in the ward's radius.
Get Dust of Appearance and Gem of True sight to reveal and kill those pesky Invisible heroes. i usually Buy Dust as it's much cheaper and does not drop on death. Gem, i carry, only if my team wants me to.
"No Escaping AXE"
End of Situational Items..
7th
Situational*
(If u get *Force staff, it's safer to get it after Blademail)
AXE Dota2 by Leoshark (Deviant Art)
Rush Stout Shield and finish off ur Magic Wand. Then, Get a Ring of regeneration or Boots of speed according to ur current need.Soon, u have this...Tranquil boots Now get a Vanguard i have said about it in the Chapter above. And a Blink Dagger Then a Blademail. Your Core is ready!!! Now Get a Force Staff if needed or just get the next item... Boots of Travel.. Lets talk about it Below.
Get Boots of Travel ASAP if none of ur teammates is pushing.It frees a slot. U also don't have to spend 75gold every few minutes on Town portals. Now u can Gank wherever u want in a matter of milliseconds. AXE can Split-Push much efficiently now.
Manta style?? Yes, +10 to all attributes and 26 to agility.The reason i pick this item is because of the useful illusions which last 20 seconds, spins when attacked and Deals 33% damage and take 350% damage.. Try to use each of ur illusions to the max. After u get this item, Whenever u Backdoor or push lanes, Just after u finish the enemy creep wave, use Manta and leave one of ur illusions there to fool the enemies and also finish the wave, which gives u gold. and send ur other illusion to the enemy jungle to scout enemy units coming to gank u secretly. Now Teleport somewhere else to gank or push another lane. When u gank a lone or 2 heroes, Blink in-call-Activate Blademail-Enemy takes a lot of damage-After 4.5 seconds, Activate Manta style and select ur illusions and make them hit the enemy heroes. that makes the enemy creeps attack u and that means more spins. U don't need to be Great at multitasking to use this item effectively.
Bloodstone is an item which gives us everything we need!!! You will never need to go back to the base for anything.
9hp regen,
200% Mana regen,
475Hp ,
425 mana
and the "Suicide option"
]Heart Of Tarrasque is the best item Axe can have.Do read about it if u don't already know. The regen if unbroken, is crazy!! Totally Worth it. Once u get this u can always Initiate by doing a Blink-Call-Tank-Tank-Run away-Regen4.7% per sec and Re-initiate. Remember, If u have a Heart, its also useful to get any mana regen item like a Soul ring or Perseverance or A Bloodstone as u will most of the time be running low on mana while having full hp. And that sucks.. *Do not Sell off ur Vanguard till u get this item*
7th slot Purchase and consumeMoon Shard if u have AXEcess gold and have already bought ur Late game items and out of slot. But if u just have a few thousands gold, then save for buybacks.
Force staff is one item which is very fun to play with. I tend to get this item right after Blademail. Compensating on valuable hp or hp regen items but Increasing ur mobility and the 10 intelligence is an added bonus. This item is Very Useful against Ursa,Lifestealer,Aoe Heroes and Slippery Long Range heroes. When there is a Good Venomancer In ur enemy team, get this before a Blink Dagger for undisturbed Blink-Call.
End of Build 1..
Very situational but overlooked items for Axe
Aghanim's Scepteris one item i always have as Luxury. I usually dont get this item on Axe.. i don't need it. But of course get it if ure doing Very Well or if ur team has enough tanks. *There is a Huskar in the enemy team? Get this item right after u get ur Blademail and target only him... and keep killing him in every Team fight or every Gank he makes or every time u Gank him... Your Allies will Love you... A good Huskar can easily destroy 2 or 3 heroes in a team fight... But to do that, he has to get his Hp down(His 3rd skill) which is very convenient for u to CULL(400) him... and with an increased Killing Threshold 550,U can destroy him over and over again... Aghanim's also make ur Ultimate's cooldown to 6 seconds. So when u have enough Mana, Keep practicing ur Culls on creeps... And with a Bloodstone u have a crazy amount of Mana.
No, I dont hate Hate Huskar, In fact i think he is the most aggressive fighter next to AXE and i think he is a good combo with Battle hunger if both are in the same team.I play Huskar too (Nowhere well as i play AXE) And i know what is good against him and also what he's good at. I remember being destroyed by Huskar in my earlier Axe matches. And after so many Fails and Wins, i realised, i was missing This item... *Again, if there is a Huskar in your Opposite team, Get This item.
[/img]
Not satisfied with what's going on? Get these.. its funny.. an upgrade even after boots of travel? Yes.. But with these, u can do some crazy damage with Nature's Prophet. Let him Teleport(2nd Skill) to any part of the map.. and u Tp as well... with his Treants*, u can do some crazy pushes... He will feel safer because ur're around. "Space created". Don't forget to run away as soon as u have a feeling that the enemy is coming.
Dont Forget ur 7th item if u have AXEcess Gold.
End of Build 2...
Having a Bad Match and Everyone in ur team is calling u a NOOB??? Even the enemy team???
GET ITEMS IN THIS
...If trying to getVanguard feels like trying to farm a Heart Of Tarrasque, Test this build...
Its ok.. **** happens..Just read through the section below and Say Goodbye to ur "Noob" Days..
Not really.. But u will play better thats for sure.. There is nothing worse than a team mate who feeds.. and if u are being the Feeder, of course the team will call u NOOB.. They will flame you.. thats ok, Everybody gets called noob... not a big deal.. if it goes on too long,ignore everything and concentrate on the game.. Dont waste your time arguing with some Dumb**** who probably does not even know what "NOOB" means... or even a kid who hasn't even... u know what i mean... So, relax and play safe till u get ur core items... Before u Reach ur core items, Remember u have to get Magic Wand, Tanquil Boots and Vang.. Aaaaahhhhgg!!! "AXE dies".... if this keeps happening, stop feeding..
Buy a Bracer or even 2 in case ur enemy is owning you too much. Usually 1 Bracer is enough to sustain till Vanguard. It will be later combined with a Robe of the Magi to make Drum of endurance.
Ahh!!! Finally Vanguard.... "Vanguard.. post 20 minutes?" ha ha joke of the day right? But thats better than being remembered as "that feeding Axe"... I have explained about Vanguard in Starting Items n' Mandatory Items, the section above.
Crimson Guard, the Ultimate Damage Block item. When activated, it gives u and ur alies around you 55 Damage block from all incoming damage for 10 seconds. Which is very valuable in a team fight. Use it just before a teamfight.
Now Upgrade ur Bracer to a Drum Of Endurance and get +9 to all attributes.. Use the active to chase or Run. want to know more about it? here is a link. Drum of Endurance details
Mekansm will help u heal urself as well as ur allies at crucial teamfights. This can upgrade to Guardian Greaves. Read about this item in this link here
Mekansm details
Got A Blink finally??
Now Finish off Ur Guardian Greaves and if u have enough Gold.. and then consider Getting The Heart of Tarrasque.
*Buy Wards and Dust.. it will change games....
End of Build 3...
Hi,
Thank you for your time.
I have edited this guide after the latest update 6.87.d
Axe has been buffed..... Good news.
His Counter helix now deals Pure damage.
And Axe players have been having the Time of their life
CORE (Blink-call-spin-blademail-spin-run out ASAP-hide- enough HP+ mana? reinitiate/retreat)
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