NOTE: THIS GUIDE WILL BE UPDATED OVER TIME!

YMIR OF THE ICE!

SKETCH FOUND ON PUNCHEM IN THE FACE P0larBear

Hello. This is my first guide so please feel free to criticize(not to harsh). Let me introduce my self. Im Xstorm999 and im just your usual DoTA player. Lets get on with this guide

CONTENTS:
1. INTRODUCTION
2. PROS AND CONS
3. SKILLS
4. SKILLBUILD
5. ITEMS
- REJECTED ITEMS
- SITUATIONAL ITEMS
- LUXURY

INTRODUCTION
Tuskar is a great hero. He has three spells all which can turn the tide of battle. What inspired me to write this guide was that most of the games i see with tuskar are wrongly played. People get wrong items for him or do not know how to use his attack properly. He is great because his attacks synergy with all heroes(or almost everyone).So without further ad-do lets go.

TUSKAR:



-STR: 23 + 2.3
His primary attribute. Its strength which is good as he needs to bear close-combats. 2.3 is pretty decent for a strength hero.


-AGI: 23+2.1
WOW. Ymir has pretty good agility as well. Well, that will definitely help in combat.


-INT 18+1.7
Hmmm...18 as starting and 1.7 per level intelligence is almost the average for most strength heroes. He needs a good amount of mana pool to be efficient. We'll fix this on the way.



SKILLS


SKILLBUILD

GANKING AND ESCAPING BUILD:

1. Snowball

2. Ice Shards

3. Frozen Sigii

4. Ice Shards

5. Snowball

6. Walrus Punch

7. Ice Shards

8. Snowball

9. Snowball

10.Ice Shards

11.Walrus Punch

12.Frozen Sigii

13.Frozen Sigii

14.Frozen Sigii

15.STATS

16.Walrus Punch

17 -25.STATS

You can clearly see you need snowball and ice shards maxed out...Frozen Sigii at level 1 is enough. You can max it out later. Take Walrus Punch whenever its available. With this build you can escape, gank and kill at the same time..

ITEMS
You'll be surprised to know that tuskar is not at all much item dependent...He can do lots of damage without many items at all...which means that you can always get your self some extra item to experiment..


CORE:
OR OR

CORE EXTENSION:


STARTING BUILD:


This build focuses on gaining lane control with a nice +3 boost. Take this if you need to farm and keep lane control. The clarities and salves are to keep you alive after killing a hero or getting harrased. It will help you maintain your lane.
HEAL:
-------->

Here you can extend your branches to a wand if u want. The charge is really useful especially if the other team has some spell spammer like zeus, nevermore e.t.c. Urn is also effective because if you are a massive killer then its the thing for you.

Mana Regeneration:
---------->

Ah Ring Of Bassilus. One of the best items in the whole game. So much benefits at only 500 is a bargain. You'll be surprised to know that sobi mask solves all your mana problems in early game. Feel free to extend it to RoB if you have the money. Also, the +2 armor doesn't go wasted too.

BOOTS:

Arcane Boots:
These are always preferred on strength heroes. They give +250 mana and can restore 135 mana around an area. Good for spells.


Phase Boots:
They give +60 movement speed and an additional +24 damage. They also give the Phase ability which means you can get a speed boost for 4 seconds. Very useful for chasing and escaping.


Power Treads:
Power treads give you +60 movement speed, +8 to any attribute(you can change at will) and +25 attack speed as well. Take this if you have problem last-hitting or need some extra attribute boost.

So now, which boots should we take. Arcane boots add a great +250 mana and also allow replenish. Phase boots have that awesome speed boost, allowing you to chase and escape and also that +24 damage, and those power threads give that +8 to selected attribute and a great +25 attack speed as well. Now get a hold of this. If you are a spammer then take arcane boots. If you are a killer then take phase boots, and if you just need some extra life or mana then power threads are for you. I usually take phase boots since I always go for the wise and smart playing style, though I won't hold back the urge to give that one last hit getting your opponent back to fountain.

Strength:
---------->
Bracers are always good for survival in early games. I always buy two for early and mid game. They give a total of 6 strength and 9 damage which is.. 6 + 6=12 9 + 9=18 So.. since strength give +19 hp...
12 x 19= 228 HP

Damage:
----------->

Armlet of Mordiggian is a considerable item for tuskar. Its main synergy is with walrus punch , meaning extra damage on critical strike. If used on half-life heroes then that means a lot of extra damage. Start with the blades of attack then gloves of haste, over to helm of iron will and then the recipe.

Resistance:
--------------->

Hood of defiance is your barrier against those spell dependent heroes. Usually strength heroes have good resistance, but why not take it to its height. It also gives a 8 hp/sec regeneration. Who wants more than that?
You can always upgrade it to Khadgar's Pipe of Insight.

----------->

Battle Furry works great on tuskar. It gives more regeneration, damage and most of all.. Cleave!..The punch in this is that Walrus Punch is counted in cleave which means extra damage to others.

REJECTED


People think that it will work good as walrus punch will do much more damage. But the problem is that walrus punch is not considered a spell, so no use to waste your money on this.



Sange and Yasha are pretty good but its useless on tuskar. Well sange is useful but not yasha.



These Critical items are of no use.
1. You already have a great critical ulti.
2. You don't have much of an attack speed so you only have a chance of 15%/100% to land a critical.

SITUATIONAL


HoT gives you a total of 1060 HP and a pretty good regeneration. You don't need this most of the time but you're tanky-ganking needs are fulfilled greatly. Since you are the first one to initiate this is very useful.


Dagon is good for tuskar. As he is a total killing machine, why not have something to finish off that puny h.p.


This new item is a god sent thing for you. It helps you to maximize your ganking potential as well as escaping mechanisms.


DIVINE RAPIER give you 250 damage, which means you can do approximately 1000 damage alone with walrus punch but beware, once anyone figures you have a DR, you will be badly targeted and it might hurt your ganking chance. It is a game-breaking choice. If you have bought it and the opposing team is reacting as constant-ganks on you


Suggested by many, radiance works well. It also gives a nice 60 damage and the burn passive is also really useful.


If you are having a hard time with those darn spell casters then this is the item for you. Also gives you 34 damage( 10 strength) and 190 HP. The avatar ability is also priceless. You can buy this or buy pipe as you need.

LUXURY
---------------->
Hex after getting some comments, has been moved to luxury. Now that i think about it, It is a little to expensive.


Assault Cuirass in combination with SIGII is much effective. Shivas is also good too depending on what you need.

COMBOS AND STRATEGIES
Tuskar's spells if used effectively can really mess up others in terms of farming. Ice shards are especially annoying. In this section ill show you how to mess them up.

ANNOYING SHARDS TECHNIQUE:
Shards are your main messers for the time being. Carefully use them. I suggest you take a look at the creeps. When to or three of them are at low life just use shards and you'll harras enemies and take a lot of gold. Better yet if you are just about to clear a creep wave the enemy hero would move back. Instantly shard him thus, wasting his time and allowing you to catch up to him. As soon as you shard you can snowball in with sigii and walrus punch. Try to do this on heroes to make them use their heals.

ANNOYING SHARDS TECHNIQUE 2:
This one is much simpler and fun. Attempt this when you have at least one ally. Snowball in and shards at once. Your enemy will try to go out but your ally (and if possible creeps) will have trapped him thus giving you an easy kill.

SNOWSHARDING OUT:
This technique requires much practice and luck. As the name suggests you use snowball on a far away creep to instantly go to him and escape. Shards can be use in the same way. Coming in front of your enemy's way and giving you some time to escape.

KILL SEEKING:
This is just a simple use of a mere walrus punch. Wait for your enemy to have a low life. Once he is, just walrus and take the pot of gold and experience. Keep doing this and you'll be beyond godlike in no time.

COMBOS:
1. SIGII-------SNOWBALL-----SHARDS-----WALRUS PUNCH
2. Shards------Snowball-------Sigii----Walrus punch

The first one would be better if attempted with an ally. Whereas the second one focuses on letting your ally feast on the enemy with your slows and stuns.


GAME-PLAY:
EARLY GAME:
Early game is not exactly your era of ownage but it is your road to victory. Choose your lane wisely as it will affect your mid and late game. Bottome for Sentinal and Top for Scourge. Try to last-hit as much as you can. If you are facing a hard-time from harrasing, just try to soak up some experience or call for a gank. Start from a pair of boots and finish up your boots first. They are the most important.Then look on the game, are you a bit squishy(you have to admit you are fat) buy some bracers to tighten yourself up. As soon as you get at least 2 Bracers and Boots, start ganking. For tips at ganking, refer to the ganking section. Again, after a few ganks take a look at the game. Are you winning? Does the other team have escapers or some darn nasty spell casters?Do you need some regeneration or do you need to push. Depending on this start making your items. The item build suggested above is just a mere build for a usual game, but don't hesitate to change your items a bit.

MID GAME:
Mid-game is where most of your ganking takes place. If you are having problems ganking then simply gank the weakest hero in the opponent's team. You can rate them by checking their level, number or kills, deaths e.t.c. You can even solo someone but beware of getting ganked. This is where your armlet comes in. It will help you maximize Walrus Punch and also do some painful auto-attacks. Late-Game drops in as soon as your carry gets one luxury.

LATE GAME:
Everyone is at their best. No need for an ally. Solo heroes, take out roshan and most importantly finish your guinsoos and battle furry. Lifesteal can come in the end. Now its time for luxury and ownage.

FOOD, FUN AND DISASTERS:
FUN:

Earthshaker is really your medicine to heavens. With his ultimate and your roll you could own all the time. His enchant really pays off the cooldown of snowball. Also his fissure is the ultimate trap for you. Once you have sharded he just need to use fissure to trap the enemy. It will be wise to first let shards end then fissure.


Meepo needs a special mention. His clones really beef up your steak. His earthbind really help you with walrus punch, and his poof is just an instant life-drainer. Once you are both at lvl 6 , you can start the era of division and multiplication.


Juggernaut also slices your enemies. Its just roll and blade dance and kill. Not much to say.


Tiny is your brother in arms. With his stun and toss, your opponent willbe upside down before you know it.


Leoric is another great ally. With his vamipric aura and hellfire blast, you could surely knock anyone out.


Centaur is like your mighty BODY GUARD thingy. His stun is just too good for you and your WP's slow is perfect for him to catch up and restun any enemy.


Magnus is your mighty "KILLER". His ultimate is too powerful. and can take out multiple enemies at once.

FOOD:

This guy is your fresh meat and feeder. He has nothing against you in early game. Feed on him to level up.


Zeus in the hands of merlini is a true god, but not everyone can do the merlini. His spells can't do much except for shock. Pick him when his spells are on cooldown.


He can do nothing to you. His spells require charge, his light form isn't a nuke. He has low hp.

DISASTERS:

You need to get close to kill. So does he. One dismember plus rot x hook and you're floating away. Take an ally with you or silence him somehow.


As much as he is your ally, he is your enemy as well. You can't trap him because even if you do he just need to spin his way out.


And doom. Your doom and everyone's doom. The counter to every counter of a counter to a counter in a counter for a countbla bla bla. Once you are doom, he can chop you down like lamb chops. Try to silence him before he silences you.


CREDITS:
DoTA community for inspiration.
DoTA for being such a good game.
DoTA for being dota.
Written by: Xstorm999
Idea by: Xstorm999

Replays will be added soon. I had a few good ones but i forgot to save.