[core items] => ===> or
[mentality]

• solo mid laner
• mantain lane control with Napalm
• gank from lvl >=2 if haste rune is found with firefly+napalm
• gank from lvl 6 for assured kills

[purpose for hero]

• tanking but staying alive as well
• dealing as much damage as possible with Firefly+Napalm combo
• disabling key targets in teambattles
• destroying mid lane

[items]

• str treads are there to help you tank
• 3 bracers are easier to build than one Vanguard, they are cheaper and give more hp and they constantly help your tankage through out all of your early-mid ganks
• The early Platemail from Shiva allows you to tank physical damage teams. Shivas Guard improves your tank capabilities and grants you even more aoe at which you already excell at to further enhance your teambattle presence
• Hood allows you to tank/survive against a magic-heavy team
• a or a can be good against certain lineups, a is the best choice in most cases

[counter]

• heavy slows
• mentionable heroes :

[notes about hero]

• Flaming Lasso (ult) goes through magic immunity!!
• 5 stacks of Napalm mean certain death most of the time
• even when you chase with Firefly, don't forget to autoattack from time to time the Napalmed target
• Firefly sucks without Napalm esp. early-game
• 1 early level of Flamebreak to cancel channeling
• effective against :
• insane synergy in teambattles with : (Grave)(Repel, Aura)(Haste,Vaccum, even Ion Shell to some degree...)

[core items] ==> or or
[mentality]

• solo mid laner - solo side lane
• farm & harras with Scream of Pain
• gank a pushed lane from lvl >= 3 if haste or double damage is found
• gank from lvl 7 for assured kills (max Scream of Pain)

[purpose for hero]

• taking out key targets in teambattles
• staying alive
• dealing a lot of aoe damage in teambattles
• being annoying

[items]

• power treads for improved surviability and attack speed + the extra mana pool boost from switching to int. treads when needed
• aghanim scepter to futher improve your aoe damage + it's gradual build increases your surviability/mana pool in your mid game ganks
• guinsso for the extra disable & increased mana pool
• orchid if that silence is more suitable than the guinsso disable

[counter]

• silence
• mentionable heroes : (his range & ult if he's ignored)

[notes about hero]

• Scream of Pain hits invisible units!!!!
• has some dps potential late-game, but caster is the way to go most of the time
• 2x Scream of Pain (lvl4) > Sonic Wave(lvl1)
• ult lvl 1 should be taken at lvl 10 to quickly follow with lvl 2 ult since lvl 1 is so weak and uses so much mana >.<
• 1 early lvl of poison can make the difference between a kill and a failed gank
• not a good hero to pick when the enemy team if full of stunners

[core items] =>
[mentality]

• dual side laner
• easily harrased by range early game
• gank from lvl >=3 if a haste rune is found
• gank from lvl 5 if you have strong laners in your team (disablers &/or nukers)
• gank from lvl 7 for assured kills (max Sprint)

[purpose for hero]

• initiating
• marking key targets with his ult

[items]

• power treads str. are meant to boost your attack speed and give you some tankage
• armlet is used as a quick hp gain in teambattles & a quick dmg. booster in ganks
• even though he has a good str. gain he cannot tank without proper tanking items

[counter]

• teams composed of more than 2 ranged heroes with average damage (opt for instead)
• long range disables and silence
• mentionable heroes :

[notes about hero]

• bad use of sprint will get you killed most of the time
• if used for initiation in teambattles, this hero will die most of the time after his first stun or even before he gets to his target if he is not supported (heal)
• his bash is not as useful as you'd think
• he's bellow average if silenced not bringing much to a teamfight if he can't use his skills
• good synergy with :
• if decently farmed can be effective against :

[core items] ==>
[mentality]

• solo mid laner
• gank from lvl >=3 if haste rune is found
• gank once night comes no matter the level you have
• rune whore as much as possible, double damage is golden

[purpose for hero]

• intimidating/ganking the hell out of the enemy team at night
• silencing key targets
• tower diving
• severely damaging the whole enemy team's levels and gold with his ganks

[items]

• power treads are there to give you some hp & damage/attack speed
• aghanim is there to further increase your tankiness and grant you a big upper hand on enemy teams at night by allowing for proper positioning for your own team against visible enemies

[counter]

• displacement spells and evasion
• mentionable heroes : (his ult can do some nasty things for you esp in a tower dive)

[notes about hero]

• not that useful against a tough team
• farm by day and gank by night but don't hesitate to help at day as well if your allies need you even if you don't have ult
• healers are a nuissance
• silencing the right target can sometimes make the difference between a lost and a won teambattle or gank
• rune whoring is core gameplay for him
• aghanim really gives you the edge against those annoying turtlers that guard their forests with an iron fist
• use ult at night to extend night time
• good synergy with :

[core items] =>
[mentality]

• tri/dual side laner - roamer
• gank from lvl 1 or 3 any lane you think you can kill
• be willing to tank some tower hits/enemy skills for some of your weaker allies in tower dives and such
• carry some clarity potions with you to reduce fountain time

[purpose for hero]

• ganking
• and later initiating with blink dagger
• taking towers down with ult

[items]

• power treads work well most of the time
• blink is need to improve sven's mobility later on and help him initiate
• armlet is there to improve the dmg. from your ult and give you some hp when needed

[counter]

• displacement spells, slow
• mentionable heroes :

[notes about hero]

• great ranged stun, allows setup for harder to aim skills
• might die sometimes after his initiation
• semi-carry potential
• good synergy with :
• not that effective at anything else than roaming with another hero

[core items] ===>
[mentality]

• solo mid laner
• lvl 2 hook can be deadly early game
• get that lvl 7 fast and gtfo from the lane and start roaming

[purpose for hero]

• make the enemy team buy wards
• annoy the enemy team as much as possible with his hooks
• force enemy teams engage in disadvantageous positions
• hook out key targets (allied or enemy)

[items]

• a ganker needs mobility, esp. someone like pudge, phase are godsend on this fat-man
• 1 null talisman to give you a bit of a boost on that silly mana pool you have
• aghanim is there for your ult and tankiness, as usual

[counter]

• wards and any skill that gives vision
• silence, armor reduction skills/items, mana burn and crowds
• mentionable heroes :

[notes about hero]

• if a pudge gets a good mid lane => fast level 7 he will be very effective at keeping the enemy team down with his ganks
• ganking with lvl 4 hook is important, size matters for pudge
• has shitty armor and mana pool, be careful when you pick him
• lategame, when he forces teamfights, he might die shortly after his hook, if he had a bad early game
• if he had a good early game he turns into a annoying tank

[core items] ==>
[mentality]

• woods hero
• focus farming until you get your core
• don't hesitate to help the lane you're next to, at lvl 6

[purpose for hero]

• help pushing with his howl
• get at his full potential before most of the other carries do
• destroy magic dependent teams

[items]

• power treads are the obvious choice but if you're scared of getting stuck by your own units, don't hesitate to get
• vladimir's is there to help your woods time and give you that extra mana/armour from basilius
• bkb is a absolute must on this hero, without it his speed and damage will be negate by disables

[counter]

• early roamers if the team's wardbitch does not ward
• teams consisting of tough heroes :
• heroes with disables that go through bkb :
• mentionable heroes : can be a nuisance due to his thirst and ult esp if mid

[notes about hero]

• high mobility due to his ult
• can farm a lane and the woods in the same time later on, due to his wolfs
• wolfs can be used in many ways: scout, deny rune, piss on supports, push, farm

[core items] ==> or =>
[mentality]

• solo mid or dual/tri side laner
• abuse your range/attack animation and take advantage of your aoe slow on the lane
• once you get your 7 &/or treads go help the others IF they seem to be in trouble, otherwise continue farming

[purpose for hero]

• help pushing with shrapnel & his range
• eliminate/annoy squishies
• staying alive

[items]

• power treads for the increased attack speed & the extra hp/dmg
• manta for the increase speed from yasha and the stats from ultimate orb + illusions

[items - this game is going bad]

• phase boots is there for the speed boost
• push staff is there to help you and your team through the hard game, it's mostly an escape mechanism and you can also save your teammates with it

[counter]

• just about anything really ...
• mentionable heroes :

[notes about hero]

• effective in a team which already has long range nukes :
• the most important thing as a Sniper is first staying alive and second dealing damage
• proper positioning is core to his gameplay
• semi-carry hero with a supportive potential
• requires mobility to stay effective : or

[core items] =>
[mentality]

• tri/dual side laner
• mantain lane control with quills starting at level 3 or 5 depending on enemy

[purpose for hero]

• killing/harrasing enemy lane with quills
• tank like a boss for his team
• deal his aoe damage in teambattles
• push

[items]

• treads for the obvious hp boost
• hood is the very core of bb, the hp regen and magic reduction is just too good for him
• platemail, which can be later turned into a shiva, just complements his lack of armour as a tank

[counter]

• armour-heavy teams/heroes :
• armour reduction before he gets platemail :
• mentionable heroes :

[notes about hero]

• only useful when enemy team has 3 or more heroes that deal magic damage (casters), when hood is really necessary
• can be a lane destroyer with a proper lane-mate
• likes the regen aura from :
• can be quite tough to kill on the lane against 2/3 heroes but he will fail most teambattles without his hood
• can prepare setups for combos lategame, if he manages to bait the entire enemy team attacking his back
• ult is only useful for speed boost :-( since you won't be turning your back too often to slap people
• 1 early lvl of goo for some disable capability

[core items]
[mentality]

• solo mid/side lane
• farm and harras with rocket
• punish enemies for making mistakes with battery assault and cogs
• gank whenever your ult is ready starting from lvl 6

[purpose for hero]

• disruptor in teambattles with battery assault, ult and cogs
• destroy heroes with silly cast animations :
• gank gank gank !!!
• annoy enemy pushes with rocket
• and later on, initiate

[items]

• boots are the obvious choice, you can go whatever you want from that, for mobility, for hp and for more mobility if you can farm it, don't forget to get a if you don't go arcane early game
• basilius gives him some armour which he lacks and good mana regen to mantain harras on lane
• alternate your items depending on enemy & on how the game goes on :
• he is very flexible item-wise

[counter]

• displacement spells
• long range high damage heroes like :

[notes about hero]

• his power fades lategame when carries start taking over
• since his lategame is not as awesome, the best thing to do with this hero seems to be tanking and persisting with your skills as much as possible in teambattles, good hookshots coupled with cogs can easily weaken enemy teams isolating 2-3 of heroes from their teammates allowing your own team to deal more easily with the others while you hold off a part of them
• silly manapool for early game ganks
• will most of the time be sacrificed for initiation lategame
• 2 rockets is a easy way to severly cripple one push
• rockets are good to cancel enemy daggers if you know where they are
• rockets can also sometimes get that last-hit on a getting away dying enemy
• good synergy with :

[core items] =>
[mentality]

• woods hero
• don't hesitate to gank at lvl >=3 if allied lane is gankable with lvl1 open wounds
• get your core and you're good to go

[purpose for hero]

• take down high hp enemies fast
• mess up magic-depedant teams with rage
• carry &/or tank for the team
• achieving a big part of his potential as early as getting armlet

[items]

• power treads for the obvious hp/dmg boost | he also has a easier time woodsing once he gets those gloves of haste
• armlet works too well on this hero to be passed

[counter]

• high-damage low-hp heroes like :
• teams comprised of mobile heroes like :

[notes about hero]

• cheap carry which lacks mobility, get a to fix that if you really need that blink
• can go woods from lvl1
• hard to gank properly due to his rage
• hard to take down due to his lifesteal mechanic and good hp pool
• just like most slow heroes positioning is key with him as well as timing
• he does not care about Doom as long as he has something to hit
• in order to take a tower down faster activate armlet & rage in the same time whenever rage cooldown is off cd, that way you don't waste any of the dmg from the armlet & you degen less hp than normally. I like to call this a mini-God's Strenght (Sven)
• he can handle if he meets up with her, but he cannot keep up with her in teamfights, if she does however decide to face him, the massive damage that he inflicts on spectre will be a problem to his own team due to dispersion, so he's like half-good against her
• devours stuff with high hp and low armour like :
• devours disablers that are not mobile like : with his rage and dmg
• mobile heroes are not a true counter to this hero but they do decrease his effectiveness significantly

[core items] =>
[mentality]

• solo mid hero
• mantain lane control with orb
• gank from lvl 5 with 0 cd on orb

[purpose for hero]

• staying alive
• deal as much damage as possible
• keep back those positioning dependant heroes (like most melee)

[items]

• power treads for the hp/int gain & movement speed
• yasha is there to complement your lack of movement speed, can later be turned into manta

[counter]

• displacement spells, a tp
• mentionable heroes :

[notes about hero]

• movement speed nerf makes it harder for this hero to dominate his lane early on
• he is quite squishy and he is one of those heroes that are useful by just being there due to his nethertoxin, so tank up as much as possible after that yasha
• superb ganker with semicarry potential
• effective against : on the lane it will depend on player skill level, in teambattles viper's ult stops him from fireflying but once he gets his blink/push staff, he will most probably initiate on viper, so be careful
• a boot makes ganks easier as well as any rune

[core items]
[mentality]

• solo mid/sidelane hero
• farm and harras with axes
• gank from lvl 6 for assured kills
• gank from lvl >= 3 with at least lvl 2 call of the wild if possible

[purpose for hero]

• being ungankable on his lane due to his call of the wild
• stop other pesky gankers from killing his other lanes, with the vision from his hawk
• buff up those heroes with silly attack animations with his aura
• initiate teamfights and ganks
• scout woods with hawk for wood-ganks

[items]

• treads because we need the hp boost on our mighty beastmaster
• from there you can either go for if you have a early heay-push team or simply tank and prepare for late-game with items like since bm is one of those heroes good to just have around at all times due to his aura, items like also work on him

[counter]

• nothing specifically counters this hero since a big part of his early-mid is based around ult and call of the wild, best thing that could counter him would be a silence before he gets his ult out...

[notes about hero]

• can effectively mid-lane against without fearing death due to his awesome pig
• hawk can really shutdown if used properly

[core items] =>
[mentality]

• solo mid/side lane or dual/tri side lane
• farm and harras with plasma field
• be active with the hero as much as possible, watch the minimap and tp in to help allied lanes in case of ganks
• haste rune is a bitch on this guy, so abuse it

[purpose for hero]

• countergank and later gank
• semicarry his team and tank like a boss with hp and speed (or kite as some would say)
• being annoying

[items]

• power treads for the tankage, keep them on strenght
• vanguard for more tankage
• after those 2 you can either go or for more tankage depending on how the game goes

[counter]

• aoe-targetable disables since they don't trigger his unstable current purge
• mentionable heroes :

[notes about hero]

• you don't just sit and farm with this hero, you fricken kill ppl and push towers if you have to
• no dps items required on this hero except in very special cases, tankage is the way to go and sometimes hp items > hood
• he's quite annoying with his ult since it still works even when hexed
• static link is very situational so don't worry if you can't get it to work most of the time
• a razor with is a good pusher
• some status may be taken before maxing out static link

[core items]
[mentality]

• solo mid later or dual side laner
• against a weak laner (mid or side) attack him sometimes when he gets in bad positions
• gank from 6, or earlier if haste is found, with charge and ult

[purpose for hero]

• gank
• be annoying to a team lacking many disables
• instantly take out 1 enemy hero with his combo
• buffind his allies with his aura
• disabling the enemy disablers
• later on, semicarry

[items]

• power treads on strenght for hp and damage
• after this, it really depends on how the game is going, you can either go more tankage with or you can get some damage with and a or get for a more spamable ult and/or if you think ur getting disabled too much

[counter]

• illusion heroes and banish spells
• high mobility teams
• mentionable heroes :

[notes about hero]

• he can mid lane only if the enemy has a weak mid-laner, like : , but he can lane against harder heroes as well : if he needs his levels fast to gank
• he is a bad hero to pick if enemy team has lots of stuns since they can just cancel his charge
• he's not such a good hero to be tanking with since he's so much more good at slapping people rather than just keeping his allies buffed with his aura
• main charge targets of this hero should be enemy disablers
• he can handle himself rather well against most carries except illusion carries
• smart enemies will counter you by tping the moment they see your charge buff on their hero
• aura has priority over every other skill, charge comes second
• most people don't know but everytime you bash something or push something aside by charging through you get a temporarly +3/6/9/12 damage depending on the level of your aura
• can be annoying to a lothar trying to ult due to the fact that his charge pushes invisible units aside as well, delaying his channeling
• he can be considered like the big brother of since they kinda both work against similar teams except bara is more capable of handling bitchy teams composed of heroes like : ,due to the fact that he doesn't care as much about slows and will always make it to his target with charge and instatly tp to it with ult
• he is a balistic hero as a friend would put it

[core items] ==>
[mentality]

• solo mid laner or dual/tri side laner
• farm and harras with awesome attack animation/damage and blast
• gank whenever you allies need you starting from lvl 3 if the lane is really bad, otherwise start at 6 or 7

[purpose for hero]

• deploy his lvl 4 ward in safe spots and win teambattles/ganks with it
• make good use of that decrepify with allied casters
• attract attention on himself and/or deal a lot of damage with ult and blast
• mess up enemy caster-heavy teams
• mess up enemies lacking nukes that relly on autoattacks with decrepify
• push

[items]

• power treads for the obvious hp boost since you will be getting some heat
• aghanim to for extra tankage from the hp boost and spamable ult which makes enemies either waste stuns on you trying to cancel it, or ignore you while you deal shitload of damage with it
• some bracers are not bad if you need some extra hp early on

[counter]

• scouts that sneak behind your lines and take out your ward
• just about any kind of concentrated fire can kill you if you're not careful
• mentionable heroes :

[notes about hero]

• fast hero with a good attack animation and damage
• staying alive with him is more about individual skill level rather escape mechanisms, so a generally bad player will make a generally bad pugna
• his ward destroys heroes like :
• ward also degenerates mana which hurts low mana pool enemy heroes
• 1 level of decrepify should be enough early game
• recklesness to use decrepify when your whole team is focusing an enemy can cause great problems and can even make you lose teamfights if that happends to be a key target like say a earthshaker
• sometimes it's better to max out the ward first other times the blast, it depends on the type of enemies you are facing and for what kind of gameplay you want to go for, ward for a more defensive safe play (even though the ward can be his most offensive spell if used right) or blast for a more pusher/nuker type of gameplay
• aghanim on pugna makes him into some kind of semi-tank, ofc, nothing too fancy, he still goes down fast to big dpsers but it does improve his survivability and usefulness in a teambattle by quite a lot