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Pit Lord - The SAT

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Pit Lord - The SAT

Posted 04-30-2010 at 09:27 AM by Maya
Updated 04-11-2011 at 06:08 PM by Maya
You are now going to take my SAT-format test, which, unlike the real SAT, measures your degree of proficiency in playing Azgalor the Pit Lord.

Azgalor is one of the most underrated heroes in DotA Allstars which is mostly due to the fact almost all players are using him incorrectly and there are a lot of "myths" about him that need busted.

Please answer the following questions without looking at strategic guides or something else. I won't test theory, just the basics of the hero's gameplay. Rely on your logic and intuition in each question. Detailed explanations will, of course, follow the questions. You can see them after each answer or record your answers onto an answer sheet and check it out later. You CAN also cheat and look at the answers ahead of time. No one will catch you and penaltize you. In fact, I will still be happy because you will most likely learn something. It's all up to you. (But you can't do that on the real SAT)


Now, take a deep breath and prepare

Directions: Choose the BEST answer for each question. Do not refer to any additional information.

1. Which of the following best describes the hero's role in the team?
(A) Pusher
(B) Supporter
(C) Semi-Carrier
(D) Ganker
(E) All of the above

Choice (E) is correct. Pit Lord can breeze through creeps with ease thanks to his Firestorm and Expulsion, which makes him an excellent pusher or defender and also makes him able to afford any item. With his high strength gain and base damage, combined with early high-tier damage items, he can also carry the team. Get him a Shiva/Guinsoo/Neconomicon with his high intelligence and durability and you have a decent support hero. And last, but not least, Dark Rift and Pit of Malice offer a great and unique opportunity to instantly gank with multiple allies at the same time without giving your enemies a chance to escape.


2. Which lane is best to start on with Azgalor?
(A) Long lane with a carrier
(B) Solo middle
(C) Short lane with a disabler
(D) Any lane
(E) Jungle

Choice (B) is correct. While many people, including the "pros" think otherwise, Pit Lord is actually a very poor babysitter. Being extremely item-dependent, he needs all the gold he can hog and that's what his early game focuses on. Thus, in choice (A) he will either steal creeps from the carrier or will waste his potential by doing nothing, because he doesn't even have skills to babysit (except saving his partner's ass with Pit of Malice). The middle lane, on the other hand, allows you safe Firestorm spam for lane control and early farm, rune control, and even gank opportunities. It is also the shortest lane, making it the easiest to use Crow to refill your Bottle for even greater Firestorm spam. Choice (C) is awkward. You will still compete with your partner for creep kills and unless the disable is 4 seconds long, it will not benefit your Firestorm enough to net a kill. Also a waste of experience, though it is significantly better than Choice (A). Choice (D) is incorrect, reasons stated already - the only suitable lane is solo middle. Choice (E) may act as a backup plan at best. Pit Lord is a good jungler with Firestorm and Crow/Bottle abuse, but the farm is much slower than in middle, no rune access, and some creeps are even immune to Firestorm, while most will not die from it, making the whole process even slowlier without proper creep stacking.


3. Pit Lord should never:
(A) Solo a lane
(B) Carry
(C) Babysit
(D) Gank alone
(E) Jungle

Choice (C) is correct. Like I mentioned in the previous question, Pit Lord is a horrible babysitter. All other choices are mandatory (A) or acceptable (B), (D), (E).


4. What should you get as starting items?
(A) Bottle
(B) Cheap stats + Regen
(C) Ring of Basilius + Regen
(D) Animal Courier
(E) Ring of Health or Void Stone

Choice (D) is correct. It unlocks the powerful Crow/Bottle abuse, which helps incredibly much early game. Choice (A) is acceptable only in case another team member buys the chicken and shares with you. Otherwise you will have to return to base to get items or refill the Bottle in case you can't access runes, which causes you to lose tons of gold and experience. Choice (B) is not recommended. Cheap stats and Regen will not help in the least like a Crow/Bottle will. Sobi Mask, Branches and Mana Potions are too puny to support Pit Lord's heavy need of mana to spam Firestorm. Choice (C) is awful, yet the most popular one. Ring of Basilius = 39 mana per minute. That's all you can benefit from and it's extremely insufficient. You don't need the armour because you can't suffer from physical harassment while soloing and spamming Firestorm and you don't need the 6 damage to last hit. Terrible item. Never get it on Pit Lord. Choice (E) is also very poor. No hero actually benefits from Ring of Health or Voidstone as a starting item.


5. Which of the following statements are true?
I. Pit Lord is an excellent babysitter.
II. Pit Lord dies easily to carriers.
III. Pit Lord should rush Boots of Travel for better map control and farming.

(A) None.
(B) II only.
(C) III only.
(D) I and III only.
(E) I, II and III.

Choice (A) is correct. Statement I is wrong - Pit Lord CANNOT babysit anyone. Eliminate choices (D) and (E). Statement II is also wrong - Azgalor makes an excellent counter to most carriers with his natural durability that can be further enhanced by a Heart and/or Blademail, which, combined with his AoE abilities (or a Necronomicon) can send even life-stealing carriers into oblivion (provided it's a 1v1 fight - otherwise he can just teleport away and push). Choice (B) is thus incorrect. Statement III is also wrong. Boots of Travel is indeed an excellent item, but it's not good for rushing. While you still have your towers you can safely use TP Scrolls with the same efficiency and meanwhile get your core items, instead of wasting 2700 gold and risk staying with no items during your weak mid game. So choice (C) is also wrong. Thus, choice (A) is the only correct answer.


6. Which of the following items should you get as Pit Lord?
(A) Power Treads
(B) Blademail
(C) Dagon
(D) Kelen's Dagger
(E) Perseverance

Choice (B) is correct. Blademail is usually a situational item for most heroes and is gotten against powerful, fragile carriers. Not in Pit Lord's case, when he can easily farm it and is further favoured by his bottomless health pool. Blademail can actually counter almost all nasty heroes, not only carriers. Heroes like Lich, Earthshaker, Goblin Techies, Sand King... the list goes on. Choice (A) is not good. The extra 10 stats can be good, but the attack speed is wasted. Boots of Travel also provide much greater benefits. Choice (C) is good in joke-level public games, but I've found Necronomicon far superior. Yes, you can have a 400-damage nuke and net a handful of kills early game, but you don't really need the gold from hero kills and it won't make up for Dagon's price. Kelen's Dagger (Choice (D)) is good on almost every hero, but Pit Lord's awkwardness prevent him from utilising the full potential of the item by blinking and casting his spells. Besides, his spells have insane casting range, making Kelen's even less necessary. Choice (E) is trash. Remember this simple rule: NEVER GET ANY RINGS ON PIT LORD. Ring of Regeneration, Ring of Health, Ring of Basilius, Arcane Ring, Soul Ring - no! None of them works good on Pit.


7. Amongst the following items, which is BAD on Pit Lord?
(A) Necronomicon
(B) Battle Fury
(C) Radiance
(D) Guinsoo's Scythe of Vyse
(E) Assault Cuirass

Choice (B) is correct. First of all, Battle Fury involves a ring and you already know that every ring is bad on Pit Lord. Secondly, neither of the bonuses BF provides are good on Pit Lord. The cleaving attack is next to useless because you already have enough AoE power to annihilate every creep. A simple Voidstone would make up for the mana regeneration with Pit Lord's high intelligence, and that Voidstone can be later turned into a useful item like Guinsoo's. The damage bonus is extremely cost-inefficient and far inferior to Necronomicon or Radiance. And you should ask yourself what you need to kill with that bonus damage. And it's certainly not heroes. All other items are either highly recommended (A, C, D) or at least situational (E). Nobody says you need to get all of them in the same game.


8. When should one put skill points in Dark Rift?
(A) Levels 6, 11 and 16.
(B) Levels 6, 24 and 25.
(C) Levels 9, 11 and 16.
(D) Levels 9, 24 and 25.
(E) Levels 23, 24 and 25.

Choice (A) is correct. Despite Dark Rift's insane cooldown, it is invaluable as a team teleportation (can be game-breaking) or an escape mechanism/mega push. You don't want to delay non-channeling AoE Boots of Travel.


9. Which group of heroes makes Pit Lord's deadliest enemies?
(A) Netherdrake, Bounty Hunter, Venomancer
(B) Nerubian Assassin, Keeper of the Light, Anti-Mage
(C) Troll Warlord, Ursa Warrior, Faceless Void
(D) Demon Witch, Slayer, Doombringer
(E) Sand King, Enigma, Shadow Fiend

Choice (B) is correct. These heroes can quickly deplete your mana pool and eliminate you as a threat because without your powerful spells you are just meat. Magina is especially annoying with his Blink. Nerubian Assassin can give you nightmares early game, and Ezalor pushes nearly as good as you, which makes him a solid counter. And don't forget Mana Leak... Choice (A) is incorrect. You just pop up Blademail and watch them die, or pound them with your spells and Necronomicon because they are very fragile. You are also nearly ungankable with Dark Rift. Choice (C) is also incorrect if you add your Blademail. They will just die before they realise what has just happened. Only Void is annoying with his time stopping and blink. Choice (D) is wrong. They cannot nuke your enormous HP pool and they shouldn't focus on you. Well, in case they do that, you pop up Blademail and Necronomicon. Voilą! Choice (E) is also wrong because of your Expulsion preventing these dangerous ultimates from proceeding.


10. Which group of heroes makes Pit Lord's best allies?
(A) Netherdrake, Bounty Hunter, Venomancer
(B) Silencer, Rogue Knight, Dwarven Sniper
(C) Troll Warlord, Ursa Warrior, Faceless Void
(D) Shadow Priest, Omniknight, Lord of Avernus
(E) Sand King, Enigma, Shadow Fiend

Choice (E) is correct. These ultimates, combined with your Pit of Malice and AoE damage are apocalyptical. Other choices just don't combine so well as this one.



Your result:

Raw score: (Number of correct answers) - 0.25*(Number of incorrect answers). Answers left blank do not count towards the raw score.

Scaled score (200-800) - calculate your raw score and use the following table:

10 - 800
9 - 770
8 - 720
7 - 660
6 - 610
5 - 550
4 - 480
3 - 400
2 - 340
1 - 270
0 - 210
-1 and below - 200
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