Ride the lightning - Updated

Introduction

Razor is an interesting semi-carry which relies more on a tank and mobility build rather than DPS, as his Static Link provides him with all the DPS he needs. He can be very powerful in the early to mid game, but falls off greatly in the late game as he is easily outcarried by a lot of other carries.

With his skills, he can easily out-dps anyone in the early to mid game, be it magic immune or not, allowing him to disrupt the enemy's hard carry easily. Keep in mind that he is relatively squishy, and is best to not be the focus of all their nukes in battle.

I personally enjoy this hero (well, thanks to Dota 2 for making me randoming him frequently) as his play-style is really interesting, and with the proper setup, getting in-lane kills is very easy. (In fact, you don't even need setup for some occasions)


PS : There are probably going to be a lot of unattractive wall of texts in this really basic-format guide, so hopefully you can all bear with it. I will attempt to upgrade it when I have enough resources (screenshots and stuff) but in the meantime, it will be mostly words.

Pros And Cons

Pros [*] Very strong early to mid game [*] Anti-Juke hero [*] Relatively fast mid to late game [*] Does not require DPS items to be effective [*] Hard to shut down once he starts [*] Not hindered by magic immunity [*] Low cooldown spells [*] Really cool character design and voice acting(Personal opinion)

Cons [*] Still item dependent [*] Relatively squishy without the proper items [*] Low movement speed and base damage [*] No disable [*] Lousy stat gain [*] Confusing attack animation

When to pick and when not to pick

Pick Razor when

[*] They have a lot of single point spells
[*] They have a lot of physical DPS reliant heroes
[*] Your team has a lot of setup for Static Link (preferably in-lane)
[*] There is an Outworld Devourer going mid in the enemy team
[*] You understand his attack animation


Do not pick Razor if

[*] Your team has less than 2 supports.
[*] You're against very fast moving enemies or Dark Seer
[*] They have a lot of repositioning abilities that can break Static Link

Generally, Razor is okay for most lineups, and there isn't much true counters to him apart from not relying on physical right-click damage and positioning. Positioning is very important for Razor

Plasma Field

The Lightning Revenant rules the Underscape with plasmatic power.

Plasma Field is your standard nuking ability, which releases a ring of plasma that grows in size and damage, dealing damage when both expanding and contracting.

This is a good chasing ability as the damage of the field is greater the further it goes, meaning that nuking down escaping targets will be more effective than them being near you. It also provides vision which makes it really hard to juke against. It has a considerable mana-cost and cooldown.

In most cases, this skill should be taken on early game. It helps you to burst down fleeing targets to secure kills in-lane, as it has above average damage for a nuke. Towards the mid-game, it is a really good farming and counter-pushing ability, so as long as you can deal the optimal damage to the creepwave.

At all levels, it costs 125 mana and 14 seconds cooldown.

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What to keep in mind when using it
-It follows your movement. You are the center of the plasma field, so that means moving will cause the field to move along with you. This way you can control it to ensure that it hits at the optimal range.

Static Link

Razor's polarity channels electricity into his being, draining the power of his opposition.

Static Link is your bread and butter spell. It creates a link between you and your target, sapping out damage from them, decreasing theirs while increasing yours. This spell is what makes Razor Razor.

At all levels, this spell has a very low mana cost and lasts as long enough for the cooldown to refresh, which means you can use Static Link very frequently while ganking.

I preferably would like to max this skill out first (although most people would go for his other skills) simply because it gives you a lot of killing power in the early game. The damage steal concept of it causes physical DPS-ers to be unable to compete against you, and can potentially turn around duels very easily. Keep in mind that negative values doesn't mean they heal you on hit.

For more effectiveness of this ability, you'll have to learn how to cancel attack animation so you can attack in between periods of of draining attack damage from your target, as well as still keep up.
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What to keep in mind when using it
-It goes through magic immunity: Tired of that Lifestealer free-farming the entire game and nobody could shut him down because of Rage? Well, here's your solution.
-The link can be broken: Therefore you'll have to keep up with the enemy in order to get the optimal damage.
-Invisibility and fog does NOT break the link:
-Being disabled doesn't break the link:

Unstable Current

Attacking the Lightning Revenant is rewarded with shock therapy.

Unstable Current is your passive ability which contributes to your positioning, as well as some survivability. Anyone who casts a single point spell at you will be purged and damaged.

This spell gives you a bonus movement speed which provides extra mobility, as well as the slight survivability from the single point spell purge. The purge helps when fleeing from single point casters, or chasing down single point casters who attempts to stun you in the chase to slow you down.

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What to keep in mind when using it
-It dispels runes: In some cases, maybe against a Haste boosted Tinker, this could be helpful.

Eye of the Storm

Ride the lightning.

Eye of the Storm is your ultimate, although not a really good one, sadly. Although with Aghanim's Scepter, it becomes really powerful.

This skill automatically seeks the lowest HP target, which will usually target creeps if they are present, striking it for damage and reducing armor for every strike.

This spell could be useful once all the creeps are cleared, and taking out the squishiest target in a teamfight. Keep in mind that the armor reduction helps you dish out more damage after your Static Link.

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What to keep in mind when using it
-It deals Physical damage: So it does penetrates magic immunity, and is affected by armor.

Roles and Play-style

Razor is best played a mid-game semi-carry as that point is where he is at his strongest. He could make a solid ganker although his ganking potential is quite questionable as he lacks a proper disable, although is very mobile and possesses huge killing potential.

In-lane, Razor can play aggressively if the enemy does not posses a lot of disables, and can secure a lot of kills with the proper lane-partner. As Razor is pretty item-dependent, he is not fit for the support role.

Razor is also a very mediocre carry, as he falls off late game, although still having the ability to have that extra 228 DPS, but that's just about it. In pub-matches where there is a lack of hard-carry potential in the enemy team, you could snowball out of control though.

As of lately, Razor is mostly picked competitively to hard-counter the ever annoying Outworld Devourer in the mid lane, and to some extent, Lone Druid as the static link affects the bear.

Gameplay

At game start, you get the standard 3 Ironwood Branches, single Tango and Healing Salve build for a reasonable amount of stats and regen to sustain your lane. Grab a Ring of Protection so that you can build your Ring of Basilius in lane. If you've random-ed Razor, you could grab the Basilius early on.

The purpose for building the Ring of Basilius is that Razor is relatively squishy early game, requires mana to be useful and has horrible base damage. The ring provides you with +3 armor for extra survivability, +6 damage for that extra last-hitting power as well as a 0.65 mana regen aura. Keep in mind that Razor doesn't have good base INT or INT gain, so the basi ring will provide more mana-regeneration than a naked Sage's Mask.

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Early Game (Sidelanes)

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Try and last-hit as much as possible in lane. Don't go too aggresive unless you're capable of killing or it will be a bit of a waste where you could be last-hitting instead. Try to get the Ring of Basilius from the side shop, and progress to your Phase Boots or Power Treads as fast as possible. Grab a Magic Stick if the enemy is doing a lot of low cooldown magical harass.

Save your Plasma Field for the killing blow, or you're wasting 125 mana for nothing. You could use Static Link to do some harass in lane.

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Early Game (Mid-lane)

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Every time it's off cooldown and the enemy seems relatively close, use your Static Link, as it will increase your last-hitting ability and hindering theirs. It has a really low mana-cost so don't be afraid to spam it whenever it is off cooldown. Even if you get just 2 ticks of damage, it's +14 damage to you and -14 to them which is a HUGE difference (That's more than what a blades of attack can provide) Once you get your Bottle, you can start harassing a bit with Plasma Field. Make sure to get lasthits while you're doing it!

If you're against an Outworld Devourer, always grab Unstable Current at level 2, as it punishes him badly for spamming his Astral Imprisonment on you, giving you an extra tick of Static Link damage drain.

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Mid-Game

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At this point, you could possibly leave your lane to do some ganking, or you could just continue to push the lane in order to pressure their hard-carry, and force fights to happen. Use your ultimate at the start of every fight, and try to use Static Link on the slowest hero, or most physical DPS reliant hero to shut them down in the fight, as well as being at your peak. Just warn your allies not to kill the target you're draining attack damage from before you get the optimal amount. Use Plasma Field at a particular distance from the fight in order to catch all your enemies with the maximum nuke damage, which can help a lot in the fight. If the fight lasts over 10 seconds, you can use Plasma Field again to kill off fleeing heroes. Also, grab a point in Unstable Current early on as the purge helps against certain types of enemies.

Make sure to get your core items, Black King Bar and Aghanim's Scepter as fast as possible. Black King Bar is a no brainer core item for heroes like Razor, as he needs to survive as long as possible to do anything useful in a fight, and you cannot afford to be locked down in a fight. Aghanim's Scepter increases the strike rate of your ultimate, which makes it a very powerful tool in a teamfight. In the past I used to consider it a situational and not so good item, but now I start getting it more on Razor, as it helps him to do significant damage and armor cut, as well as helps with the pushing as it effects buildings as well. Try and get it before you hit 16 to give your level 3 ultimate a great boost! (0.35 strikes per second is really painful)

And a reminder, always ALWAYS carry a Town Portal Scroll. You never know when you need it!

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Late-Game

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This is where you start to lose effectiveness. 228 damage can only do so much to help right now. Your ultimate's damage will be very mediocre at this point, although the armor reduction could still help. Your only saving grace at this point will be Refresher Orb. Make sure to clear most of the creepwave with Plasma Field and most of the AOE from your allies, the use the double Aghanim's Scepter boosted Eye of the Storm to deal the most damage. Try and get a double Static Link off if possible to significantly reduce the physical damage the enemy is dealing. If possible, try to stay alive for winning fights, as your ultimate can help destroy the enemy barracks easily.

Situational and Luxuries

Situational items for Razor which can be obtained early-mid includes the following :

It may look like an item the #4 support should get instead, but it's a great item for Razor if you can get it before the 10-minute mark, as it provides a lot of sustainability, some decent stats and great teamfight presence with the burst heal. It loses effectiveness later on so if you're planning to get it, get it early!

Hood of Defiance and Pipe of Insight can be very useful if the enemy team has a lot of strong magical nukers AND there isn't a viable pipe holder in your team. Magic immunity may seem better, but it only lasts for so long, and you have great sustainability due to the 11 HP regeneration per second. Like the Mekansm, if you're planning to get this, try to get it early as you need time to focus on your core items later on.

This is an extra slap to the face for physical DPS-ers, as not only will they be hitting for damage that is practically non-existent, they won't be hitting at all! The stats from it helps to your survivability, and it comes with a nifty evasion! The maim won't seem so useful, but it is still a good situational item to get!

If you're struggling and really far behind, you could always get this to help a bit. It's not entirely useful, but it helps!

If you feel like you're still a bit lacking and most of the situational early game items has been purchased by the supports, a drums would be good. It provides great stats for survivability, your mana pool and gives extra movement speed and attack speed, something that Razor greatly benefits from.

Razor is one of the few heroes who can benefit a lot from what this mediocre item provides. It isn't exactly great and you could get better items, but if you're confused on what to get/quite far behind, you could always get this as the components are cheap and it's easier to build up. (You could always disassemble them later)

This used to be a great item for Razor, until better alternatives came out. It is still okay, although the damage block is pretty wasted as armor helps more than the ranged damage block. Still, if you want to get this, get it before the 15 minute mark or it won't help at all.

If you feel like you're being focused down a lot, and have quite a lot of hit-points, you could always grab this item. Otherwise, it's not so good on a fragile hero like Razor

Not entirely a great item, you could get it as an extension to Yasha which helps Razor a lot, and could help in confusing single target spell users. But since you could just punish them for casting single-target spells on you, and the illusions do not benefit from Static Link bonus damage, it isn't really something you want to get. It's a great item, but not good on Razor

It's really funny to steal damage and go invisible then watch as the enemy struggle to deal with you, which they can see but can't exactly hit. It is a great item to mess around in low-level pubs, but in higher-levels, people will almost always buy detection so it's not something you want to rely on so much.

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And as for the Luxury items you can get in the mid-late game

Having a lot of movespeed and global presence helps a lot, but it comes at a heavy price. Grab this once you've finished with your other items and have no space for a Town Portal Scroll.

The lifesteal that comes with this has great synergy with your stolen damage, making it harder for you to be killed. It also gives you tons of HP for extra survivability.

Having this gives you a whopping 1060 HP, and a 2% maximum HP regeneration which increases your sustainability significantly.

It gives you A LOT of armor, and attack speed as well as the armor aura which helps your teammates and hinders your enemies. Since you're mostly being a hindrance to physical DPS-ers, this is a good item to grab to increase you AND YOUR TEAMMATES' survivability against them, as well as decrease theirs.

Gives you A LOT of attack speed, damage and some armor as well as the evasion. If you're not getting a Heaven's Halberd, this is a good item to grab unless the enemy is building an Monkey King Bar, as it increases your survivability greatly.

As it counters evasion, and most of your damage comes from the stolen damage (although your ultimate does it as well), it is good to grab this if the enemy has evasion, and also probably powerful channeling ultimates as it comes with a nifty mini-stun.

Has great synergy with your Eye of the Storm, and your DPS from Static Link. The -7 armor also helps a lot in pushing.

You do not benefit so much from its stats, but it never hurts to get more lockdown, especially since Razor has no disables.

It is better to grab the Assault Cuirass over this item, but it does help hinder the enemy DPS and also comes with a good AOE nuke-slow.

(Credits to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSGTXkS1CxQ&list=TLHsnG5eFDInwuIQdgvRg-rYKEBUu-4Yht&hd=1) Having to use your ultimate TWICE literally melts any enemy that dares come close (Even buildings!). If you're in a spot where the enemy team are all really tanky, grab this if you can as it has excellent synergy with your Aghanim's Scepter upgrade. (Make sure to grab the scepter first!)

Notable Heroes regarding Razor

Some heroes that are relevant to Razor

Outworld Devourer

This fella here is one of the few reasons Razor would get picked or banned in competitive play. Razor is one of the best counters to a mid-lane Outworld Devourer, as Static Link has almost nonexistent mana-cost and does a great deal in harassing in the mid-lane. Unstable Current punishes the use of Astral Imprisonment, allowing an extra tick of Static Link if you've got it off already.

As Lifestealer is a really popular carry hero in the meta, Razor is one of the better heroes to shut him down as Static Link goes through Rage's magic immunity and renders the ugly looking thing useless in teamfights except for a lifestealing slow. If he chooses to use Infest while you're draining damage, his team or himself is going to have a really bad time.

You can steal damage from the bear, which makes it almost useless unless the player goes full root-lord mode.

Having the ability to lock down a single target for a really long time without killing him proves very useful for Razor. These heroes are his buddies as they have the ability to disable a single target for a VERY long time.

Doom Bringer

I know this fella is a universal counter to every hero in the game, but if you can manage to get your Eye of the Storm and Static Link off earlier on, you won't be hindered that much apart from being unable to use items and Plasma Field, as well as taking some high DoT damage, but you still could do some things in a teamfight. (Keep in mind that until he is 6 slotted or doing utility build, Doom on his own is a very useless hero, and his Doom ability doesn't turn fights into 5v4, but 4v4)

Author's Notes.

Remember, all item and skill builds are fluid. Dota is a game that is ever-changing and to be good at it, one must be able to adapt to the situation and do what is needed in that situation. Don't go for a static build, but be more flexible and look at the synergy with your team and the counters to enemies.

Generally, I find Razor a very flexible hero in terms of item build, and you could experiment with some other different items to see how it works on him.

24/10/2013
EDITED : Reworked the guide a bit, fixed some item builds and the such.