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Here is Yautsuna again to present a guide based on a not-so-used hero...
Sprint
Sprint now has a cooldown of 28 seconds instead of the previous 40
Nothing major about this. Only that you can use it more often in running, chasing and initiating.
Bash
Bash is now a physical effect instead of a magical one.
Very crucial. Since it is now physical, it can be amplified by Amplify Damage, making this even more of a must. Now, Maelstrom and/or Hyperstone is core for Slardar.
- Yasutsuna
Merits:
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Demerits:
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Bash Amplify Damage |
Sprint is Slardar's chasing, fleeing and initiating skill. It does enable you to run faster, potentially dodging spells like Sun Strike if you know when to use it. There is nothing much to say about this skill except that it does have a backlash where you take more damage when it is active. If you were to dive into a fray using a hit-and-run tactic, it is suggested you activate Sprint and wait for a few moments and charge in and do your buisness. If you need to escape using Sprint, it is there ready for you. As good as it is, you need to be caution when using it.
Slardar's one and only stun, Slithereen Crush. The stun is very realiable but know that the range in very limited. When using Sprint to catch up, never use Slithereen Crush when you're behind or beside the target. This is due to the 0.5 second delay of the skill and will result your target to run away, setting you at a disadvantage of having a skill under cooldown. In early game, although it might seem like a good idea, it is not advisable to spam this since you'll run out of mana pretty soon and when you need to start a gank, you have no godly slam. I'll put up a picture of what I was talking about in the next update. His third skill, Bash, stuns the target upon use. However, it is not as reliable as Jinanda so treat this skill as it doesn't exist in fights. If it procs, then count yourself lucky and just put the stun into good use. Never rely on this skill to help you in fights due to its uncertainty of triggering. It is pretty self-explainable apart from this One of the best debuffs in the game. Amplify Damage reduces your armor by 20 at level 3. This will cause even one single hit to be very painful. Coupled with Desolator, it will be even worse. NEVER PUT THIS ON AUTOCAST. I don't know why, but it seem to only proc on creeps and not heroes. In a teamfight, always target heroes that are reliant on Shadow Blade or heroes that can go invisible like Riki and Bounty Hunter. Even if you become invisible, the debuff will still remain on you. |
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Phase Boots is good for Slardar since when you're surrounded, you need some way to cut through them and using Sprint is not much of an idea since the extra physical damage taken will definitely wipe you out.
Armlet of Mordiggian is one of the most core item on Slardar thanks to the active. Unholy Strength will give you an extra boost of STR which provides you with damage and hit points. Knowing when to on it and off it will give you a surefire way to run back to base without getting kill, unless someone with Divine Rapier or a Coup de Grace hits you. REMEMBER TO TURN OFF WHEN NOT IN USE! Vladmir's Offering is quite important to Slardar. Although his attack damage is very high, especially if your enemy is hit by Amplify Damage, he hits slow, this results is much chasing and tower-diving. Thanks to the lifesteal based on the damage, you can up the lifesteal by hitting our enemy harder so you won't die accidentally. Daedalus, the item that provides critical and damage. It is important to deal as much damage as possible to minimize the chasing. Although he have a Bash, it should be pretended it never exist. You up it, but don't take it for granted because Bash doesn't seem to proc when you need it to. Desolator is a good orb-effect. It cuts your targets armor by 7, which also means that you can reduce a targets armor all the way up to 37. It also gives +60 damage. If you don't like this item, you can always get a Helm of the Dominator and a Satanic and replace Vladmir's Offering with something else. |
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Personally, I don't really like Vanguard. Although it looks good with good stats, it will delay the core of any hero too much. However, for this case, it is crucial for you to get Vanguard to soak up the damage before you accidentally get yourself killed. It also allows you to dive level 1 towers without the fear of being raped.
For me, my sequence of buying Vanguard for Slardar is: -> -> The health boost will make you tankier as you're suppose to. Black King Bar is pretty much crucial to every initiator. It blocks most spells off you so chances of you getting bound down and providing them a free kill is lower. It also gives STR and damage which can be used by Slardar. Instead of using Vladmir's Offering like in my previous build, as an initiator I would prefer to use Helm of the Dominator simply because it gives your armor. As as initiator, you need to soak up the damage so having a thing that can give you armor is quite good. When upgraded into Satanic, you can grantee you can't die during initiating. Blink Dagger is explained below. |
FRIENDS |
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As Slardar player knows, he is quite easily harrassed during the early stages of the game. This is where harrassers like Viper and Zeus comes in and help ol. Slardar. Those who have buffs or passives that provides additional damage are also good. Such examples are Luna and Magnus. Those who reduces the armor of enemies are also Slardar friends since they will allow him to kill his targets faster. Such are Shadow Fiend and Naga Siren. At early game, mana-givers are good for him, allowing him to use Slithereen Crush more often. The main mana givers are Crystal Maiden and Keeper of the Light. That aside, Slardar has also make a lot of enemies over the years. His major ones are those can can easily harrass him in someway like Viper and Zeus. In a sense, his worst enemies are also right-clickers. If he use Sprint at the wrong time, right-clickers will no doubt take this chance to slaughter him, such as Phantom Assassin. In early game, those that can drain mana are also his enemies. He is already mana-starved as he is. Draining away his mana will make him in an even worst condition. These characters are Keeper of the Light and Anti-Mage. |
FOES |
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Haste: Early game, this is defitnetly your rune. Because you are still a tad squishy, you can't use Sprint to effectively initiate without killing yourself.
Illusion: Don't touch this. Illusions doesn't benefit you at all and only procs a fake bash.
Invisibility: This is you rune. It allows you to land a good Slithereen Crush, especially when Blink Dagger and Shadow Blade is not yet available.
Double Damage: Definitely take this. You can hit your enemy harder and more painful.
Regeneration: Grab it when you need to.
Well, this concludes my guide, codenamed, "Slam And Death - A Guide to Slardar".
All comments and upvotes/downvotes are welcomed. This is never a one-man show and everybody's effort to make this guide better is accepted! Thanks in advance!
A special thanks to:
- Myself! (For thinking of this guide.)
- Dr. D for his formatting guide.
- Nubtrain for his guide-writing tips.
-Yasutsuna
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