Use it to harass in lane, secure last hits, pull neutral camps or disrupt any pull attempts by your opponents. Scales throughout the game as it does damage based on the affected enemy`s max HP. Once maxed, you can chain slow a target almost indefinitely. Multiple dagger do not stack and just refresh the duration.
In lane, use it to secure the ranged creep if your core isn`t able to and to harass and trade with your opponents. Combo it with your Wheel of Wonder to Fear people in it.
Put a value point in it as early as level 2 if you need it to survive. Combine it with Blink Dagger to cast all your spells and retreat safely or save an ally. Be careful not to grief your teammates as it prevents them from attacking and using items or spells while trapped inside the box.
Place it behind your opponents and use Tame the Beasts to fear them into it. Amazing teamfight spell to be used as a follow up to your teammates to provide further damage and crowd control. Use it to control an area or zone your opponents.
Take the other level 15 talent over this suggested one if your team lacks damage and you can provide it with Impalement Arts in teamfights.
Starting
A consumable for sustained HP regen in the laning stage. Helps you trade your HP with enemy heroes and heal back up without having to go to fountain. Provides double HP regen when eating a tree planted using an Iron Branch.
A consumable to do damage and slow enemy heroes for a small cost of your HP. Especially useful to chase and finish off enemy heroes.
Start with it if you expect a high frequency of spells from enemy heroes on the lane.
A consumable for a burst of HP. Especially useful to surprise enemies when you are at low health to survive an engagement. Also provides some useful damage in the laning stage.
The most cost efficient stats item in Dota 2. Useful in the laning stage to have an HP, mana, and damage advantage against enemy heroes. Can be used together with a Tango for double HP regen.
An item that lets you see enemy wards and invisible heroes in its AoE. In the laning stage, it helps you block and unblock pull camps.
Early Game
A core item to increase your movement speed to get in position to save your allies as well as initiate fights with your aggressive spells. Builds into Arcane Boots later in the game.
An aura item that provides mana regen for yourself and your team. Builds into Arcane Boots or Vladmir`s Offering later in the game.
A core Boots of Speed upgrade to have mana sustain to spam your spells while fighting and farming. Can be upgraded to Guardian Greaves later in the game.
Start with Magic Stick if you expect high frequency of spells from enemy heroes on the lane.
An early to mid game item to defend against bursts of magical damage. Also provides some useful mana regeneration.
Mid Game
A defensive item that lets you or a teammate become invisible and get out of trouble. Also helps defend against magical damage with the barrier.
A core item to increase your cast range to use your spells from further away. Particularly useful to save your allies with Escape Act without exposing yourself. Also provides some much needed mana regen.
A core mobility item to stay back in fights and save one of your allies with Escape Act without getting caught yourself at the beginning of the fight. Also lets you become an initiator for your team with Wheel of Wonder and Tame the Beasts.
A core item to decrease the damage output of the enemy team with the miss chance on anyone caught under the Spotlight. Also reveals invisible enemy heroes in the AoE and does massive damage to illusions.
Late Game
A core item that massively increases your AoE damage in teamfights by shooting Impalement Arts daggers at the end of Escape Act. Also gives you another charge of Escape Act.
An upgrade for rod to lock down multiple enemy heroes and make it easier to follow up with your Wheel of Wonder into Tame the Beasts combo on all of them. Also increases the AoE of all your aggressive spells.
A late game pick up to have an instant lockdown against elusive enemy heroes to follow up with your Wheel of Wonder into Tame the Beasts combo on them. Also provides mana regen to spam spells.
A late game pick up to maintain your save potential and teamfight prowess on the map more often by reducing the cooldown of all your spells.
Situational
A powerful early to mid game item against heavy healing lineups to reduce their HP regen and tankiness. Also makes you significantly more tanky and improves the HP sustain of your team after fights.
An early to mid game item to improve your mana pool and buff yourself or your cores against physical damage. Builds into Solar Crest later in the game.
A mobility item to close the gap on an ally and save them with Escape Act. Also lets you push yourself or an ally in and out of fights. Can also be used as an initiation tool to lock down enemies with Wheel of Wonder and Tame the Beasts.
An early to mid game item to buff one of your cores against physical damage while boosting their attack speed and mobility. Can also be cast on yourself to gain a physical damage barrier.
An aura item that improves your impact in teamfights by buffing your whole team with HP and mana sustain. Also lets you dispel yourself on cast.
A powerful defensive tool to reflect single target spells. Also provides a dispel on cast and makes you tanky with armor.
