Shadow Shaman Lane Gainin'

Introduction

This is my guide on how to play Rhasta the Shadow Shaman, one of my favorite Support Heroes.

I first experienced Rhasta when i went Ursa in a public match and got laned together with Rhasta. Once i saw how powerful Rhasta is as a support hero i decided to make this guide. Rhasta, in my opinion, is one of the best and safest lane pushers in the game if you play him careful. He can take a tower solo with his ultimate easily and you don't even have to be there to control the situation. Even if you didn't take the tower, chances are you took out a good chunk and are safely out of harms reach.

In this guide i will hope to show people a safe yet effective way to play Shadow Shaman, but also a much needed asset during team fights.

PROS

Great support hero.
One of the safest/fastest tower destroyers in the game.
Great crowd control with a long stun and hex.

Squishy just about the whole game.
If player doesn't pay attention or play safe, could feed/get ganked.
Often the target of fights first.

Background Story

Born in the Bleeding Hills, Rhasta was just a starving youngling when picked up by a travelling con-man. For two pins of copper, the old con-man would tell your fortune. For three, hed castrate your pig, for five, hed circumcise your sons. For a good meal, hed don his shaman garb, read from his ancient books, and lay a curse upon your enemies. His strange new youngling, part hill trowle, part¦something else, worked as assistant and lent an air of the exotic to the con-mans trade.

Always one step ahead of cheated customers, one town ahead of a pursuing patronage, the two trekked across the blighted lands until one day the con-man realized that the little youngling could actually do what he only pretended at. His ward had a gifta gift that customers valued. And so the youngling Rhasta was thrust before the crowds, and the trade-name Shadow Shaman was born. The two continued from town to town, conjuring for money as Shadow Shamans reputation grew. Eventually, the pairs duplicitous past caught up with them, and they were ambushed by a mob of swindled ex-clients. The con-man was slain, and for the first time, Rhasta used his powers for darkness, massacring the attackers. He buried his beloved master, and now uses his powers to destroy any who would seek to do him harm.

Skills

We want to take Shackles first, the reason is because this skill is both a initiator and denier. Unless your team made a huge mistake early on, your lane should have first blood at level 3. By level 3 you should have 2 in Shackles and 1 in Ether Shock. When going in for the kill, i always make sure the target is about 3/4ths health, this guarantees (almost) that when you stun, your teammate will be able to run in and get that kill. If you find that your stun is about to end and your teammate might not be able to finish the job, get ready to use Ether Shock.

As a support you don't want to kill steal or take last hits, especially if you are laning with someone very item dependent (Ursa, Bloodseeker), but if your lane partner can't finish the job, make sure you do so that skill/mana/time doesn't get wasted.

While in the lane, make sure you harass as much as possible and deny, your main job is to make sure that the other team's health stays low enough that either they are wasting consumables or not able to harass your lane partner. This also helps when you are ready to start a fight.

Your Ultimate is what makes you push lanes hard and even have a stonewall defense. The Serpent Wards are great DPS against a tower and can take a wave of creeps out with ease. If you practice enough and get good you can trap enemies in the middle of your wards. This is great because it is almost like a 3rd crowd control.

Playstyle

Know when to push and when your team needs you, don't cost the game because you didn't do your main job of supporting.

Play back, stay behind your lane partner unless you are confident that you won't get hit.

If you are not sure where enemies are, stay by tower or just go back.

Harass every chance you get early game, the harder time the enemy has the better for your team later.

Use hit and run tactics if you are going to take a tower solo, better safe then dead.

In team fight place wards first and stick by them, placement is everything.

Force the enemy team to stop taking your towers, because you are taking theirs.

Which Boots?

All items are pretty self explanatory. I did want to detail about which boots to choose and why.

Phase Boots
I recommend getting these if you are experiencing harassment, ganks, or you feel your DPS isn't enough to help your teammate get a kill. These are also cheaper to buy then Boots of Travel.

Boots of Travel
If you are getting good farm, and lot of kills then shoot for these boots. The speed is most welcome, plus the ability is what makes you great for support. This will help you get around the map and push tower while the enemies are still trying to walk half way across the map to stop you. It can also get you back to base or out of a tight spot. It is basically a free teleport scroll, who doesn't love free scrolls?