Anti-Mage's passive Mana Break allows him to deal extra damage and deplete a spellcaster's supply of mana. As he grows into his powers, his Spell Shield makes him more resilient against magical attacks. Meanwhile, Blink gives him the ability to teleport across short distances for superb maneuverability. Seeking out weary casters, he uses Mana Void to inflict immense damage on those who are low on mana. Although Anti-Mage is disadvantaged against casters in the early game, his powers grow quickly, and there is no one better suited for destroying the greatest spellcasters at what ought to be their moment of triumph.
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Sven's skills allow him to deal Area of Effect damage to several enemies at once. Storm Hammer, a powerful damage spell, stuns the target and surrounding units for several seconds, allowing Sven to catch up and strike them with his sword. Warcry gives Sven and nearby allies a temporary movement speed and armor bonus so they can charge quickly and fearlessly. Sven's foes must be wary of his powerful physical attacks, for God's Strength pumps his damage up to very high levels, while Cleave turns every attack into an Area of Effect strike. Although his strengths are straightforward, they are not to be underestimated. The best course of action when faced with a fully pumped Sven is to run.
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Beastmaster is a well-rounded fighter, with many tactical options available for all types of combat. Although his physical attacks are melee, he can throw his axes at long range to slice through enemies, dealing lethal damage. His Primal Roar can turn the most organized defense into chaos, allowing Beastmaster and his allies to move in for the kill. His summoning skills serve as effective support for his blitz-style combat. Beastmaster's agile Hawk flies above the battlefield scouting for enemies, and the powerful slowing abilities of his Boar's spines give him time to finish off fleeing foes. A skilled Beastmaster is a deadly foe, capable of fighting any enemy on any terms and crushing them to a pulp.
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Lina is one of the deadliest offensive spellcasters, capable of killing fragile heroes with one combo of her spells. Her two main offensive spells provide a powerful Area of Effect combo. Dragon Slave fires a quick fiery projectile which deals good damage over a long range. Light Strike Array is Lina's stun spell; however, due to her relatively slow cast time it can be difficult to hit moving enemies with this spell. Many Lina players cast Light Strike Array immediately after an ally has cast another stun, making the spell much likelier to hit and prolonging the total disable time. To support her offensive gameplay style, Lina has a passive skill called Fiery Soul. Every time she casts any of her other spells, she gains a temporary movement- and attack-speed boost, allowing her to chase down fleeing enemies. Lina also has the most damaging single-target spell in the game: Laguna Blade. This devastating blast of energy is one of the best ways to finish off injured enemies. Often heroes who think themselves safe are blasted into oblivion by a single Laguna Blade.
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Loved by aggressive players everywhere, Puck is one of the best heroes for starting fights. Puck's highly flexible skill set is useful in any situation, making Puck a great hero in both support and offensive roles. Illusory Orb functions like a regular line damage spell--yet at any point along its course, Puck can use Ethereal Jaunt to instantly teleport to Illusory Orb's position. This makes the spell useful for both attacking and escaping. It also meshes perfectly with Puck's offensive spell, Waning Rift. Waning Rift deals damage and silence in an area around Puck, making it the natural choice for use after an Illusory Orb and Ethereal Jaunt. Puck's final offensive spell, Dream Coil, can be used either before or after this combo with great effect. Trapping enemies in a small area, Dream Coil forces them to remain near the target point or take damage and get stunned. Phase Shift, meanwhile, renders Puck invulnerable for several seconds--a highly useful skill on the frequent occasions when Puck ends up right in the middle of the fray. Puck is a relatively easy hero to pick up, and a highly rewarding one to master.
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Although his name seems fitting at first, over time Tiny the Stone Giant grows both in size and strength. His immense strength allows him to grab the closest enemy and hurl them at a target unit. This, combined with his Avalanche spell, gives him the ability to do incredible Area of Effect damage. However, Tiny is also extremely dangerous in one-on-one situations. With proper timing, Tiny can seize an enemy who is afflicted by Avalanche, and Toss them back into the Avalanche effect to take double damage. While this is often enough to instantly kill the more fragile heroes, tougher heroes must also be wary of engaging Tiny. His Craggy Exterior can stun close-range attackers, giving him time to escape or punish them with his crushing blows. It is best to keep this mobile mountain at arm's length.
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Vengeful Spirit is so driven to seek revenge against her foes that she will sacrifice herself if it gives an advantage to her team. Her Magic Missiles stun and damage targets. Releasing Wave of Terror, she exposes an oncoming enemy while shredding its armor and dulling its ability to damage. Her lust for vengeance is contagious: nearby allies feel compelled to deal more damage. Even though she is not a particularly tough or agile hero, she will Swap her position with a key enemy or allied hero in an instant, disregarding her own safety for a promise of sweet revenge.
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Faceless Void is a master of time and space, often bending it to his will. He can Time Walk short distances, effectively jumping forward to a new location while slowing the movement speed of enemies near his destination point. This allows him to both surprise attack more effectively and escape situations where other heroes would be doomed. He is also able to passively revert quickly to a past moment to avoid damage, and to stun enemies by locking time on them so he can bash them without missing a beat. For his ultimate weapon, Faceless Void can create a Chronosphere in space time that halts all units inside it, except for himself. This can sometimes trap allied heroes as well, but deals no damage. Once his enemies are immobilized, he can then wreak havoc as he pleases. While he is initially weak, you should never underestimate a hero with great damage potential that also has the ability to stop time. Never.
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Nature's Prophet is an unusual intelligence hero. His only damaging spell is his ultimate, Wrath of Nature, which is most effective when cast as far as possible from its intended victims. Instead of offensive spells, he relies on his physical attack and his allies to take down enemies. With his summoned army of Treants, he is a great lane pusher. His main advantage is his amazing mobility. Using Teleportation, he can jaunt anywhere on the battlefield at will. A player with good map awareness is invaluable help to his allies, since he can potentially join any battle, anywhere on the map. With Sprout, he can trap enemy heroes and then finish them off with his strong physical attack and allied help. He can summon an army of Treants with Nature's Call and quickly destroy enemy towers and structures before the enemy can regroup to retaliate. His final spell, Wrath of Nature, can be used to soften up targets across the map while drawing large amounts of gold from enemy creeps. Whether you wish to play Nature's Prophet, or effectively oppose him, map awareness is key.
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Although she is an intelligence hero, Windrunner's gameplay style resembles that of an agility hero in many ways. Most of the time she relies on her physical attack. Her archery skills are powerful to start with but also enjoys a steadily increasing rate of fire. Deadly Power Shots not only pierce the nearest target with massive damage, but continue on to damage any units in the line of fire. Due to its exceedingly long range, Power Shot is also excellent for picking off injured heroes as they flee. To stop enemies from fleeing in the first place, Windrunner has Shackleshot--one of the best single-target stuns in the game. Shackleshot allows Windrunner to shackle a target either to a tree or to another enemy unit, potentially stunning two heroes. Her third skill, Windrun, allows her to escape dangerous situations, position herself for good Shackleshots, and catch up to fleeing enemies. If Powershot isn't enough to take down a target, she can use Focus Fire. This powerful ability makes her attack a single enemy at the fastest possible rate; while it reduces her total damage, it has a long duration. Focus Fire is also highly effective against buildings and other stationary targets--and woe to the enemy hero who is first hit by Shackleshot, since they are now essentially a stationary target themselves.
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