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[Turbonium]

Mek on OD is pretty good, because it's an item you can rush by 5-10 minutes and because against most mids an OD solo lane is pretty close to having free farm - if you're not winning pretty handily, you're doing something wrong. It's an item he can abuse the active on because he has the mana to sustain it, and he has the teamfight ability to make the most use of it. The reason pros get Mekansm on OD is because straight after they group up as 5 and try to force teamfights and pushes as a team. In a pub it's highly situational - if you have a lineup with decent early-game presence and you have the coordination and everyone understands what's going to happen, go ahead. Otherwise, just scrap it. Go for a forcestaff or something that will increase YOUR damage output.

This is news to me (the Mek thing), but I definitely hate depending on allies (which is why I go semicarry even as a support hero a lot of the time, if the hero allows it - I get yelled at for stealing farm a lot of the time, it's tiring).

Anyway, my playstyle is a bit "different" (although I don't claim it would work vs. pro level players, but it certainly does in pubs).

With OD, I go 2 mantles, 2 branches, tango and healing potion at start. I go straight to Power Treads (intelligence) after. Then I get 3 intel staffs (wizardry), followed by a vitality booster to finish Rod of Atos, after which I finish Aghs. Then I usually just fill up remaining slots with Mystic Staffs. It's hilarious because you can literally one-shot most heroes with your ult, if you know how to use Astral properly.

I've gotten Force Staff a couple of times, but I don't find it necessary since I'm positionally strong, so I rarely get caught with my pants down to have to escape. And in terms of its offensive potential, I just don't ever find myself wishing I had it often enough to justify getting it (I totally get that's it's a great item, but I rather have another 15 intelligence via Mystic Staff; it's probably not the greatest build, but it works for me in pubs, for now anyway).

If you're wondering, back when the skill tier thing worked, almost all my games were in the High bracket. Not saying I'm pro, but I'm not playing versus total noobs either.

 

[Zeze]

Mek is core on OD because he has ZERO natural healing compared to other carries. This is crucial because without Mek, his HP just doesn't go up.. AT ALL.

He loves:
Mek (must)
Forcestaff (near a must- allows him to autoattack more)
BKB (a must)
Hex
etc...

Your traditional carries heal fine with either Bfury (Ring of Health), lifesteal, passives & active skills (Dragon's Blood, Chemical Rage, Shadow Dance, Death Pact, etc).

OD really needs Mek.

 

[Turbonium]

Weird. I've never used Mek on him, like ever. These are High tier games too. I do fine.

Maybe I'll try it.

 

[Zeze]

Weird. I've never used Mek on him, like ever. These are High tier games too. I do fine.

Maybe I'll try it.

Further more why Mek is good on OD :

* Mek is a great item in general
* A sickening +5 armor AND +2 armor when activated (7 total)
* 250 HP heal = free vitality booster (not to mention allies)
* 150 mana cost is NOTHING on OD when he lobs auto attack at 100 mana each
* Super easy build up after treads or even after brown boots
* OD cannot lifesteal or get Heart or Linken as core item

Frankly speaking my 'Very High' games still consist of really really... bad players if I get lower to middle end of the matchmaking.

VH is only like top 15-20%? That's still a HUGE skill gap and tons of players (70,000 online players out of typical 350k).

Top 5% still sucks, even top 1%. And no I'm not being an elitist, these people still don't buy BKB as next core, ward & smoke doesn't stay out of stock, don't know how to pull/stack efficiently (including next-camp double pulls), etc.


I think about top 0.1 to 0.01++ is when people are good. And they're still just average pubbies.

 

[Turbonium]

Further more why Mek is good on OD :

* Mek is a great item in general
* A sickening +5 armor AND +2 armor when activated (7 total)
* 250 HP heal = free vitality booster (not to mention allies)
* 150 mana cost is NOTHING on OD when he lobs auto attack at 100 mana each
* Super easy build up after treads or even after brown boots
* OD cannot lifesteal or get Heart or Linken as core item

Frankly speaking my 'Very High' games still consist of really really... bad players if I get lower to middle end of the matchmaking.

VH is only like top 15-20%? That's still a HUGE skill gap and tons of players (70,000 online players out of typical 350k).

Top 5% still sucks, even top 1%. And no I'm not being an elitist, these people still don't buy BKB as next core, ward & smoke doesn't stay out of stock, don't know how to pull/stack efficiently (including next-camp double pulls), etc.


I think about top 0.1 to 0.01++ is when people are good. And they're still just average pubbies.

I don't understand why you say Linken's isn't a good item. I got it maybe twice before on OD, and it worked. Is if just that it is wasteful, given his virtually endless manapool?

Also I agree that even Very High tier games are trash quite often. I was just saying that I'm not playing vs. complete morons some of the time.

 

[Zeze]

I don't understand why you say Linken's isn't a good item. I got it maybe twice before on OD, and it worked. Is if just that it is wasteful, given his virtually endless manapool?

Also I agree that even Very High tier games are trash quite often. I was just saying that I'm not playing vs. complete morons some of the time.

There's been tons of posts on why Linkens is inferior to BKB (sans obvious Linken-block ultimate cases).

In short, BKB grants you straight-up GOD MODE with zero fear to do whatever you want (even if you are countered by anti-BKB spells). Linken only blocks ONE spell and is negated in any medium++ skill teamfights.

In super high level games, Linkens is only gotten when the hero also has secondary escape spell to compliment it. Linkens alone is simply not good enough:

Weaver: Linkens + Sukuchi (invis and max ms) + Time Lapse makes it a good Linkens candidate. Even THEN, you see pros making BKB on Weaver

QoP & Storm: Blink & Ultimate allow them to eat 1 skill for free and kill. Even then, Orchid is preferred (enemy can't cast ult like Blackhole) and BKB (god mode).

Morphling: Linkens is great for passive regen and eating 1 spell allows him to attack more. Waveform + escaping with Replicate compliment Linken. High-tier players just skip Linkens and spend $$ on cheaper transition items (bottle and Aquila) and straight into Ghost Staff -> Ethereal.

Medusa: fits her Mana Shield perfectly in both tankiness and regen.

 

[Turbonium]

There's been tons of posts on why Linkens is inferior to BKB (sans obvious Linken-block ultimate cases).

In short, BKB grants you straight-up GOD MODE with zero fear to do whatever you want (even if you are countered by anti-BKB spells). Linken only blocks ONE spell and is negated in any medium++ skill teamfights.

I know, I've read them. You just made it sound like an OD specific thing.

I still get Linken's, but only situationally and if the enemy isn't that good or we've already won. BKB is easily better, and cheaper.

 

[Turbonium]

Btw I need to learn how to use Ghost Staff properly. I never am sure when to get it.

 

[Zeze]

Btw I need to learn how to use Ghost Scepter properly. I never am sure when to get it.

Unlike Force Staff & Halberd, Ghost's usage is rather very specific with far less utility.

You basically just get it on supports (CM, Lina, whoever) so it pisses off enemy carries (Ursa, PA, any right-clickers) and you survive just a bit more to waste their time and you cast more spells.

This of course could make all the difference.

Just be sure to use it RIGHT BEFORE their attack lands or in the middle of it- so you absolutely waste full 4 seconds of their time (+ their time invested to walk all the way to you).

See last panel for Ghost Scepter, LOL:

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Just wondering, anybody tried e-blade + dagon Tinker? I'm really tempted to try it out, I worked out if you max intelligence with items you could do 2000 damage in 1 salvo with laser, rockets, dagon and e-blade. Then you could do it again...and again...and again

 

[Turbonium]

Yes... its that one...

These are the rares I am willing to trade:

Tribal Megadon Mask (Witch Docotr)
Craniomancer (Dark Seer)
Spectral Light (Spectre)
Crystalline Initio (Rubick)
Ruling Sword (Sven)
Star or Silence (Silencer)

There's nothing there I don't already have or am otherwise interested in, except maybe Craniomancer. What's your Steam ID?

Then you could do it again...and again...and again

That's what she said.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

There's nothing there I don't already have or am otherwise interested in, except maybe Craniomancer. What's your Steam ID?


That's what she said.

Damn, should have seen that coming.

 

[Turbonium]

I just had a discussion with an okay pub player (better than average, if not having a huge ego, but this is normal for Dota I figure). He said I should have used Shadowblade as WD only after I ult (the game we played, half the time I did it to get good positioning for a great cask/mal combo before I ulted, and only after my team initiated, so their initial stuns were still on cooldown - it was effective in every fight but one, where I didn't time it right). Basically, what I'm saying is that while the ult followed by shadowblade is obviously a powerful combo, it is not always the best choice at every stage of a match.

Agree/disagree? I think Dota 2, at least at the non-pro level, is flexible in that you can do your own thing, within reason, as long as it makes sense and you play it well. I think it's a bit rigid to think you should always do X, as what is/can be effective often depends on the situation (your team's and enemy's heroes and skill level, etc.). Obviously I do the ult THEN invis combo a lot, but not all the time.

Sidenote: nothing like a BKB+cask+mal+lvl4ult+shadowblade combo when you find the enemy heroes all clustered up. This happened recently when we found the enemy roshing lategame.

For the record: I'm nowhere near pro (just a decent pubber imho), but anyway, I don't always get shadowblade on WD. I only get it if I feel like being a solo ganker, and only really if we have no other invis on our team. It usually works well.

 

[CalebRockeT]

I'm surprised you have time to play, as much as you enjoy discussing it.

Seriously though, you seem very into it. Good on ya. Wish I could be as passionate about anything.

 

[Turbonium]

I'm surprised you have time to play, as much as you enjoy discussing it.

Seriously though, you seem very into it. Good on ya. Wish I could be as passionate about anything.

Who? Me?

I need a job.

 

[Peter Nixeus]

Anyone is welcome to add me and que in for games:

SteamID : nixeustech

DOTA 2 Name: nixeus.MonkeyKing

 

[Turbonium]

If anyone wants to play with me sometime, lmk. steamid: tridentboy

How good are you?

Anyone is welcome to add me and que in for games:

SteamID : nixeustech

DOTA 2 Name: nixeus.MonkeyKing

How good are you?

 

[Destiny]

I just had a discussion with an okay pub player (better than average, if not having a huge ego, but this is normal for Dota I figure). He said I should have used Shadowblade as WD only after I ult (the game we played, half the time I did it to get good positioning for a great cask/mal combo before I ulted, and only after my team initiated, so their initial stuns were still on cooldown - it was effective in every fight but one, where I didn't time it right). Basically, what I'm saying is that while the ult followed by shadowblade is obviously a powerful combo, it is not always the best choice at every stage of a match.

Agree/disagree? I think Dota 2, at least at the non-pro level, is flexible in that you can do your own thing, within reason, as long as it makes sense and you play it well. I think it's a bit rigid to think you should always do X, as what is/can be effective often depends on the situation (your team's and enemy's heroes and skill level, etc.). Obviously I do the ult THEN invis combo a lot, but not all the time.

Sidenote: nothing like a BKB+cask+mal+lvl4ult+shadowblade combo when you find the enemy heroes all clustered up. This happened recently when we found the enemy roshing lategame.

For the record: I'm nowhere near pro (just a decent pubber imho), but anyway, I don't always get shadowblade on WD. I only get it if I feel like being a solo ganker, and only really if we have no other invis on our team. It usually works well.

I agree with you that you should only get Shadow Blade for WD to cast your Ultimate ONLY when no one on your team needs Shadow Blade for their core build - otherwise the other team will carry dust/gem/wards to counter you.

But if your team mate tells you that - then your team mates are not doing their job. Basically someone on your team is suppose to initate and your other team mates follow through, causing the opposing team to use all their stuns or disables to stop the onslaught while your Witch Doctor waits behind - only coming in to cast his ultimate when the other team used all their disable skills... in this scenario one or two team mates will die - BUT your witch doctor's ultimate should team wipe or win the fight. But if you are playing with people that care TOO much about K/D ratio and not destroying fountain, then you may have to get a BKB or Shadow Blade to ensure execution of your ultimate... Witch Doctor is not a tank, and should be the last person entering the team fight.

 

[Turbonium]

I agree with you that you should only get Shadow Blade for WD to cast your Ultimate ONLY when no one on your team needs Shadow Blade for their core build - otherwise the other team will carry dust/gem/wards to counter you.

But if your team mate tells you that - then your team mates are not doing their job. Basically someone on your team is suppose to initate and your other team mates follow through, causing the opposing team to use all their stuns or disables to stop the onslaught while your Witch Doctor waits behind - only coming in to cast his ultimate when the other team used all their disable skills... in this scenario one or two team mates will die - BUT your witch doctor's ultimate should team wipe or win the fight. But if you are playing with people that care TOO much about K/D ratio and not destroying fountain, then you may have to get a BKB or Shadow Blade to ensure execution of your ultimate... Witch Doctor is not a tank, and should be the last person entering the team fight.

Unfortunately, I often find myself initiating fights as WD. Damn pubs.

 

[Turbonium]

I've been going Mek lately as OD. It's quite good. I just feel it's not always necessary in pubs. Instead, going pure damage as fast as possible is fun. But it's easy to farm, that's for sure (like anything with OD... even before his orb is gotten, my LHing is very good... I find his animation is easy to use).

 

[{bad}]

after a long time had such a good game.. got owned badly early game. we had only dk as carry other team had naix, bb and viper.. they took all t2 towers and were killing us anywhere we go.. finally they came 2 mega and we somehow killed them and def.. we did it few times again finally they killed us and mega 2 sides.. their carries got six pack and we didn;t knew wat to do... but some how we kept defending 3rd mega and at around 64 mins we killed them all and did 1st mega

we were taking their mega creeps 2 our fountain for like 30 mins finally they got 5th rosh of game and came 4 mega. they ignored us and went straight for throne with our mega at 200 hp we def and tped their base and won


match id 343341609

 

[Juddog]

Further more why Mek is good on OD :

* Mek is a great item in general
* A sickening +5 armor AND +2 armor when activated (7 total)
* 250 HP heal = free vitality booster (not to mention allies)
* 150 mana cost is NOTHING on OD when he lobs auto attack at 100 mana each
* Super easy build up after treads or even after brown boots
* OD cannot lifesteal or get Heart or Linken as core item

Frankly speaking my 'Very High' games still consist of really really... bad players if I get lower to middle end of the matchmaking.

VH is only like top 15-20%? That's still a HUGE skill gap and tons of players (70,000 online players out of typical 350k).

Top 5% still sucks, even top 1%. And no I'm not being an elitist, these people still don't buy BKB as next core, ward & smoke doesn't stay out of stock, don't know how to pull/stack efficiently (including next-camp double pulls), etc.


I think about top 0.1 to 0.01++ is when people are good. And they're still just average pubbies.

Interesting - you have another convert on Mek on OD the next time I play him.

 

[Juddog]

I had a pretty good weekend; sold some more crap from having my computer automatically watch online tournaments, used it to buy some keys, and got the Obsidian Golem; pretty cool looking model for the Warlock. I can't believe how much money I've made off of selling tournament prizes on the community market - it boggles my mind that people pay so much money for this stuff.

Literally every single ticket I have bought has paid for itself, and then some. Either I get steam bucks, or I get some high end players looking to trade for items generated from something they did; for example watched a Russian tournament and this dude was willing to trade anything in his inventory for the godlike streak item that I received.

 

[smackababy]

Can Russians even get Godlike streaks? I can't imagine what would happen when a team of feeders go up against a team of feeders. >_> Russian and Brazilian jokes are lost on the rest of the game world.

 

[Juddog]

Can Russians even get Godlike streaks? I can't imagine what would happen when a team of feeders go up against a team of feeders. >_> Russian and Brazilian jokes are lost on the rest of the game world.

This was Russian on Russian action, for what it's worth. The downside to buying tickets like that is that they don't have any English casters and these types of matches usually start at like 1 am and run through the middle of the night. It seems that the DOTA2 scheduled events usually doesn't show the correct times of when these start / end either, if it's even on the event calendar at all.