Unusual Support: Sven

Introduction

Although not unheard of, Sven support is still a bit unpopular compared to his carry counterpart. As a designated support player, I decided to explore Sven as a support hero. Up until a few months ago, his support potential was low. However, with the addition of an Aghanim's Scepter upgrade to his ultimate, his potential as a support hero has increased somewhat. The new Aghanim's Scepter upgrade for God's Strength alters Sven's Ultimate from a self cast ability to and Aura ability that increase's your allied unit's base damage by 100% at level 3 within a 900 radius of Sven when cast.

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Analysis

This guide focuses on true support Sven. I do not recommend playing a transitioning support Sven (where you begin the game as a support but transition into a carry by the mid to late game). The reasoning behind this is simple. Despite his Great Cleave, Sven doesn't have the capability to increase his farm rate while still achieving the necessary functions and goals of a support hero. If you want to play him as a carry, then do so. If you want to play him as a support hero, then play him as a position 4 (farming priority support) for the entire duration of the game. Considering the fact that Sven's support capabilities largely consist of applying buffs to your team mates, you're usefulness as a support wont fall off during the late game.

The good news is, support Sven is very basic. You stun when the time is right. You buff your allies's armor and move speed during teamfights, and you pump everyone full of steroids with your ultimate during a fight as well. The bad news on the other hand is without an Aghanim's Scepter, this heroes ability to support drops dramatically. God's Strength will only apply as an aura to your allies so long as you have an Aghanim's Scepter. Without this, your team is missing out on one of the largest damage buffs in the game. As such, you will need to find farm in any way you can.

Sven's Aghanim's Scepter upgrade only increases the base damage of your allies. it will not however increase the damage a hero gains from flat damage items. Therefore, Sven support benefits carries that are naturally prone to purchasing stat items instead of your typical DPS items. If you want to maximize Sven's abilities, draft Sven as a support when your carry prefers buying stat items. Medusa, Morphling, Terrorblade and Chaos Knight are some prime examples of heroes that will purchase stat items over damage items. The God's Strength Aura will not apply to illusions!

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Skills

Storm Hammer

This stun is Sven's most important tool early in the game. It allows him to set up ganks easily and it a significant source of your total damage output during the laning stage. Once you have a Soul Ring, it can be used to farm neutral camps quickly and for no cost. Max this skill first in almost every situation.

Great Cleave

This skill has very little use for a support Sven. It allows you to farm your luxury items later in the game and push lanes with more efficiency. Do not however prioritize this ability above the rest. If you want to farm a little more quickly early in the game. Trade a level of God's Strength or Warcry for this instead.

Warcry

Warcry has a wide variety of uses. Level this ability second, then proceed to alternate between leveling Storm Hammer and Warcry in the early stages of the game. Use the Armor buff to help defend you teammates from ganks and increase their chances of success during a gank of your own. The speed increase can be used to quickly engage and disengage from and enemy. Use it wisely, it has a short duration!

God's Strength

You can level this skill in one of two ways. The first is to level it whenever you get the chance. Use it in ganks to secure kills. If however you don't find yourself auto attacking your enemies frequently, you may want to level Great Cleave instead in order to help you farm luxury items more easily. In either case, if you are near to purchasing your Aghanim's Scepter, begin devoting levels to this ability.

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Item Choices

Starting Items

Clarity

No amount of branches will solve Sven's pitiful mana problems. As an alternative, go to lane with a multitude of clarities. If you intend to remain active on the map, you will need as much mana regeneration as you can get your hands on.

Smoke

Sven's "easy mode" stun makes him a fantastic ganker. Bringing a Smoke of Deceit to lane with you can open up a whole world of potential ganks.

Early Game, Mid Game and Luxury Items

Soul Ring

Soul Ring allows you to cast Storm Hammer once for no charge. It is crucial that a support can cast multiple times in a fight. Soul Ring enables Sven to do that.

Power Treads

Power Treads allow you to farm neutral camps in the jungle with greater ease. Since farming is important to a support Sven, Power Treads is a reasonable purchase. You can also use the active ability to conserve some mana. If you find yourself playing a ganking role, Tranquil Boots are a suitable alternative.

Blink Dagger

If you are one of your team's primary initiators, then Blink Dagger allows you to initiate and fallow up with swiftness and should be your go to item. If however you are not in charge of initiating during teamfights, consider picking up a Force Staff instead. It offers similar initiation abilities and provides a wider range of utility.

Aghanim's Scepter

Besides the obvious stats, this item grants a huge buff to nearby teammates when you activate your ultimate. Once you have obtained a Aghanim's Scepter, use God's Strength in the same way you would use a Pipe of Insight. Either use it counter initiate during teamfights or use it to buff your team preemptively before your team goes in for the kill. Make sure you are within range of your core heroes before activating it!

Scythe of Vyse

One of the best support items in the game. Gives a wide range of stats, a powerful disable and some much needed mana regeneration. You can't go wrong.

Heaven's Halberd

Yet another great disable for dealing with those pesky enemy carries. On top of that, Heaven's Halberd is a great source of strength for a strength hero like Sven.

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Advice

Don't forget you are playing a support Sven. You wont be building like a carry so you wont have much in the way of sustain (lifesteal,tank, etc.). With that said, during a teamfight use Warcry to kite around the edges of a fight while Storm Hammer is on cooldown. Be sure to remain in striking distance. Storm Hammer has a very short cooldown and once its off cooldown, jump back into the fight. You are still tanky enough to take few nukes but you can't afford to draw all the enemy fire power. Watch your positioning and be ready to come to the aid of your front line.

As much fun as support Sven is, hes not the best pick for every situation. There are some heroes in the game which can fit into any draft. Sven support is not one of them! Play this hero as a position 4 support only in the event that your core heroes benefit more from Sven's steroids than they would from a traditional supports capabilities.