In this guide, Dark Seer would be played mainly as a support, and to some extent, a ganker. He has the pubstomping potential, but smarter players would know better to counter him. Each of his spells can be gamebreaking, but requires precise timing and positioning. He is a fun hero to play and I hope this guide would be able to help you.
DISCLAIMERS
1. This is my first guide, so it may not come out pretty.
2. English is not my native language. If you find typos (which I try not to make) and/or grammar mistakes, let me know.
3. I'm not really a pro at DotA so weird pointers may appear. Comments, suggestions, harsh criticisms and feedback are always welcome.
4. Since the third warning, stated above, facepalms, wtf moments and insta-0/10 ratings may appear (yes, I know the minimum rating is 1).
5. Quite a lot of tabs. Though, it should be better than walls of text, right?
* If you prefer harassing, max Ion Shell first instead.
If you went to a solo lane, take Ion Shell and Surge in between until you maxed Ion Shell, after Ion Shell max Vacuum.
Starting items:
Skill build:
Level 1 - Ion Shell
Level 10 - Surge
Level 2 - Surge
Level 11 - Surge
Level 3 - Ion Shell
Level 12 - Surge
Level 4 - Vacuum
Level 13 - Wall of Replica
Level 5 - Ion Shell
Level 14 - Wall of Replica
Level 6 - Vacuum
Level 15 - Stats
Level 7 - Ion Shell
Level 16 - Wall of Replica
Level 8 - Vacuum
Level 17 - Stats
Level 9 - Vacuum
Level 18+ - Stats
Starting items:
[]
Core items:
Luxury/extension: ->
Optional: /
Quick tips:
Early game:
Place wards if you have any, buy a courier if your team needs.
When jungling:
Gank if your team wants to, scout for runes, pull creeps if you can and use Ion Shell on yourself when killing neutrals.
When laning:
Cast Ion Shell on creeps to harass, help your partner if you can and don't spam your spells too much.
--------------------
Mid game:
Gank with your allies frequently. If an ally is fighting a melee hero, cast Ion Shell on the ally. Use your spells correctly and always remember to keep a TP scroll with you.
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Late game:
Be careful not to die. Push a lot and stick with allies. Help you allies whenever possible and avoid killstealing, a thing you should always try to avoid.
In teamfights:
Cast Ion Shell on melee heroes, use Vacuum then Wall of Replica to maximize the illusions created, and use your items when needed.
Pros:
[+] THE highest starting Intelligence among all heroes (29) and moderate int gain (2.7)
[+] Pro support in the right hands.
[+] Good combined starting stats (63) and stat growth (6.2).
[+] 3rd highest starting damage (60-66), with an average of 63, being the 3rd highest (the first two are strength heroes).
[+] Good base armor (5.68), the 4th highest in DotA (the first three are all agility heroes).
[+] Item independent.
[+] Flexible playstyle.
[+] Multipurpose spells.
[+] Strong hero from early to late game.
Cons:
[-] Melee.
[-] Ultimate effective in (almost) only teamfights.
[-] Takes time to master.
[-] Low starting agility (12) and agility gain (1.2).
[-] Ugly.
Attributes:
Strength
Agility
Intelligence
22 + 2.3
12 + 1.2
29 + 2.7
Want moar?
Affiliation
Attack animation
Damage
Casting animation
Armor
Scourge
0.59 / 0.58
60 - 66
0.4 / 0.67
5.7
BAT (base attack time)
Movespeed
Missile speed
Attack range
Sight range
1.7
305
Instant
128 (melee)
1800 / 800
Thought by some to be among the most cunning and manipulative among the Scourge's varied champions, the dark seer Ish'kafel, living in exile from his people, is also the most secretive, for he speaks to no one but the Lich King himself. His unconventional talents, which lie in augmenting himself and allies with a variety of both defensive and offensive supportive castings, are quite unusual and versatile, often capable of turning the tide of battle before it even starts.
The Dark Seer is a master of manipulating the positioning of allies and enemies and causing confusion in battle. His Vacuum ability drags all enemy units a wide area to a central location. This spell is very deadly when combined with allies who have strong area of effect spells. The Dark Seer's primary damage source is Ion Shell. When cast on an allied unit or the Dark Seer himself, Ion Shell continuously damages all adjacent enemies, making it the natural complement to Vacuum. Ion Shell is powerful when cast on allied melee heroes who like to be in the thick of the fight. To aid his allies and to make sure Ion Shell is in range, the Dark Seer uses Surge, a powerful spell that makes a target ally move at maximum speed for a short period of time. This ability is useful in any situation, and due to its low cooldown period and mana cost it can be cast quite frequently. The Dark Seer's final spell, Wall of Replica, summons a shimmering barrier which duplicates any enemy hero that passes through it, creating an illusion of him. Wall of Replica is great at causing a lot of confusion during large battles, especially combined with Vacuum. For players who like a more strategic playstyle and can quickly determine the flow of battle, the Dark Seer is a good choice.
Creates an abyss upon a chosen parameter, pulling in and damaging foes in the area.
Level
Mana Cost
Cooldown
Casting range
Area of Effect
Duration
Allowed Targets
Effects
1
100
16
550
275
N/A
Enemy units
40 damage
2
130
16
550
375
N/A
Enemy units
80 damage
3
160
16
550
475
N/A
Enemy units
120 damage
4
190
16
550
575
N/A
Enemy units
160 damage
Notes:
• Damage type: magical
• This ability will interrupt channeling spells and items.
• Drags units over 0.3 seconds.
• Destroys trees in the center of the AoE.
Awesome skill that pulls enemies into the same point. Can be used to stop enemies from escaping, especially from those AoE ultimates. Nevermore's Requiem is an excellent example. Can also be used to push away enemies when you/your ally is escaping. It also interrupts channeling spells so this is really useful.
But keep in mind that, at level 4, it costs a whopping 190 mana, so you won't want to spam it until you have your mana problems fixed.
Before:
After:
Ion Shell
Ability type: active
Targeting type: unit
Surrounds a target with energized spellwork, creating a shield that causes damage per second to enemy units who come in contact with it.
Level
Mana Cost
Cooldown
Casting range
Area of Effect
Duration
Allowed Targets
Effects
1
70
10
600
250
20 seconds
Any units
30 damage per second
2
90
10
600
250
20 seconds
Any units
50 damage per second
3
110
10
600
250
20 seconds
Any units
70 damage per second
4
130
10
600
250
20 seconds
Any units
90 damage per second
Notes:
• Damage type: magical
• Doesn't damage the target it is cast on.
• Damage is dealt in smaller amounts every 0.1 second.
• If cast on a unit that already has Ion Shell on it, the new Ion Shell will replace the old one.
Cool harassing spell, used with Vacuum and you've got a fleeing enemy. Use on creeps and they will all stay back from it, somewhat like Abaddon's Shield.
Remember, cast this when you see an ally fighting other heroes, it can hurt your enemies greatly if left unchecked.
Here's how Ion Shell looks like.
-> Surge
Ability type: active
Targeting type: unit
Floods a target with excess power giving it maximum speed for a brief period of time.
Level
Mana Cost
Cooldown
Casting range
Area of Effect
Duration
Allowed Targets
Effects
1
20
12
600
N/A
3 seconds
Self / Allied units
Gives maximum speed
2
30
11
600
N/A
4.5 seconds
Self / Allied units
Gives maximum speed
3
40
10
600
N/A
6 seconds
Self / Allied units
Gives maximum speed
4
50
9
600
N/A
7.5 seconds
Self / Allied units
Gives maximum speed
Notes:
• Can be autocasted.
Ah, a lifesaving skill. Used on allies to escapes ganks, to chase heroes and even to snatch that rune/Aegis for teh lulz (which I'm not suggesting that you always should).
Also, note that even if you can autocast Surge, it seems that you can't autocast on yourself, and will usually be casted on creeps instead (and also interrupting your actions, as it won't let you continue what you was doing before casting Surge), therefore, avoid autocasting Surge.
This is what it would look like when you cast Surge.
Wall of Replica
Ability type: active
Targeting type: target point
Raises a wall out of pure mana across the landscape. Enemy heroes who attempt to pass through it will take damage and have images of themselves emerge from the wall to serve under the Dark Seer until the wall's duration is up.
Level
Mana Cost
Cooldown
Casting range
Area of Effect
Duration
Allowed Targets
Effects
1
200
100
500
1000
15 seconds
Enemy heroes
Illusions take 300% damage and deal 70% (100%*)
2
300
100
900
1000
30 seconds
Enemy heroes
Illusions take 300% damage and deal 80% (120%*)
3
400
100
1300
1000
45 seconds
Enemy heroes
Illusions take 300% damage and deal 90% (140%*)
Notes:
• Damage type: magical
• When the Wall creates an illusion of an enemy, it deals 150 damage to the affected hero.
• Does not create illusions from other illusions or Geomancer copies.
• The wall is created perpendicular to the line between the Dark Seer and the target point.
• Area of Effect specifies the length of the wall
• Can be improved by Aghanim's Scepter (* show the improved value)
Gamebreaking and cool. In teamfights, this spell could cause chaos as enemies will try to focus on your allies, the illusions made by the spell can be really annoying. And it hurts too, with each illusion dealing up to 90% damage (140%, provided you have Scepter).
Here's what your ultimate would look like...
Here is how your illusions appear to your enemies (move your cursor to the picture!).
As of 6.73, your illusions now appear as semi-transparent to your enemies, rather a nerf because they used to appear like any normal illusions, not transparent and stuff.
But, this nerf comes in useful if your team faces a Rubick. Go figure (or go to Worst Enemies section).
Skill build justification:
An early level of Surge is for escaping/getting first blood. Maxing Vacuum first helps a lot since it has a large AoE on level 4. Ion Shell is maxed next and finally Surge. Wall of Replica isn't as useful as in late game, so it's taken last. Naturally, you take stats afterwards.
Skill build justification:
Taking Surge at level 1 helps with chasing and/or escaping, then take one level of Vacuum, in case of ganks/first blood attempts/decided to switch to support build. If you decided to stay with the harassing build, then max Ion Shell, then Vacuum, Surge, and go for Wall of Replica after all those spells as it'll be effective at that time. Finally, take stats.
Skill build justification:
Yeah, I said he'll be played mainly as a support in here, but Dark Seer going solo is also viable. Take Ion Shell and Surge in between, max Ion Shell, then Vacuum, and then Surge. Wall and stats, again, are taken after all the spells are taken.
Skill build justification:
Surge is taken at level 2, since having Surge at level one isn't going to help you with jungling. Max out Ion Shell to ease up your jungling, then Vacuum, and finally Surge. Then Wall is taken, starting from level 13, where it is starting to become more useful at that point. Lastly, take stats.
You might've noticed that the builds differ mostly in the early-mid skill builds. Well, the order of those skills in that stage of the game matters a lot.
Item Build
Dark Seer, again, is very flexible, and there are many items being useful to him. I came up with a list of possible items for him, which the item combinations/the "situational" tag or whatnot does not need to be followed completely (though I hope you do).
Justification:
Branches for cheap stats and a good game. Mantles for the intelligence boost and later, for Nulls, if you plan to make them. Moving on...
Harassing/solo build:
Justification:
Since you should be the aggressive one, you should do a lot of harassing and attacking, which leads to getting a Stout Shield, to fend off attacks. Branches are gotten to help you in general, and even to upgrade to Wand later. Tangos for the heal and the Clarity for the mana replenishing.
Justification:
Stout Shield is taken to help you survive against the neutrals' attacks, then take Tangos for heal and to destroy trees. A Salve to heal you in times of need and a Clarity to help you with your mana, as you might be using Ion Shell a lot.
Alternative:
Justification:
Some say this build is better for jungling. IMO it's not as good as the first build, but if you are really sure what you're doing, go for this build.
No other supports in the team?
Nobody cares to buy?
Too much cash on your hands?
Buy these items if you must do so. If you do wish to buy them, think carefully what other items should be given up for them.
Just remember to share your courier, unless your teammates are retarded.
Justification:
The core isn't really expensive, as he is item independent. Treads for cheap hp boost, Mek for burst heal, Urn for the heal/damage and provides a bit mana regen. Also, Vanguard to help you survive better.
If you team faces many spellcasters, replace Mek with Pipe.
Like ganking? Love smoking? Buy Smoke, if your team decides to gank enemies a lot.
Got a pesky Rikimaru trolling you? Techies' mines screwing your team up? Try buying Sentries and Dust, but don't bother buying these too much.
Remember to keep placing those Observer Wards around, so you could avoid some ganks and would help a lot in general.
TP scrolls are really important. Get one of these on you all the time.
The boots argument
Okay... I haven't thought of that while writing this guide, but actually, it seems that I really should put this in, so here it is.
This is my boots of choice. It comes in small, cheap pieces which gives you a handy hp boost, some attack speed and slightly increases your movespeed. It's pretty all-around so I recommend (strength) Treads.
And you can switch forms to give you agility or intelligence instead, pretty handy.
Inb4 lazyfags.
Recommended!
I've considered this as the alternate choice of boots for Dark Seer. Gives you nothing but mana, except for movespeed. 65 movespeed, 250 mana and an AoE 135 mana replenish.
Well, if your team needs to do a lot of casting, whereas they didn't buy Arcane Boots, nor Soul Ring; you don't think the bonus 8 strength/agility/intelligence makes that much of difference, or other possible reasons, you could buy Arcane Boots over Treads.
Situational.
No, please, no.
Well, Phase Boots are rather "meh" for Dark Seer.
60 movespeed? Dude, Arcane Boots give 65, BoT gives 100 and Treads give- uh, well they give you stats, especially the extra hp from Strength Treads.
Phase active for chasing/walk through creeps like a boss? Well, it's a handy active, yes, maybe you got surrounded by creeps, yes. Then, try using Vacuum/Ion Shell, kill those creeps then continue what you might be doing. For chasing? Use Surge, derp.
24 damage? Dude, like you would hardly attack enemy heroes. Attacking creeps? Dammit, get a Quelling Blade.
Rejected.
Yes and no.
The yes: it's viable for him. Refer to late game items section (it's right below here!)
The no: early/mid item? No. There are other items that is worth buying at that time.
Rejected at early/mid game, recommended at late game (see below).
Now that Tranquil Boots got some buffs, as well as finally able to be disassembled, I'd say you can get this on Dark Seer now, as 80 movespeed is really something you'd want early game, and the extra heal never hurts.
Though, I'm still not a big fan of this item (or at least for Dark Seer), so I'd brand this a situational item.
Justification:
Yes, Scepter still remains, but lemme say something about it first, as of 6.74.
The nerf on Dark Seer is quite ugly. No more illusions for allies is pretty crap, and they now receive some more damage (from 250% to 300%). The only plus of this is that now they can deal more damage, after getting Scepter, from 70/80/90% to 100/120/140%.
But still, Scepter is a nice item for Dark Seer. With stats and some improvements to Wall of Replica (after all those nerfs, at least having Scepter would make it less worse), it's an item worth getting for him.
BoT is gotten, as your allies might need you in many places, and you can't just assist them using illusions (if you have any, that is), right?
Sheepstick - decent stats, decent some mana regeneration, and the invaluable Hex, which greatly helps, especially if your team lacks disables.
Justification:
Heart helps any hero that gets it, and Dark Seer is no exception. Bonus strength, bonus hp and a nifty hp regen.
Shiva's is an excellent item on Dark Seer. -AS aura to counter DSP'ers, intelligence and armor which he needs, and Arctic Blast that deals damage and slows. Use it along with Vacuum, and it'll be inescapable.
Assault Cuirass gives bonus attack speed, armor and decreases armor for enemies, get it if your team have DPS'ers.
Radi is also a nice item, it synergies well with your Ion Shell which can deal a massive damage if left ignored. Though this item isn't necessary, as you won't attack others much and the 60 damage would be wasted.
Orchid amplifies any damage taken by the target, an useful item overall.
Justification:
Look for what you need, those items might be useful, depending on the situation. Don't try to get these items too much, as you have more important items to buy.
First row:
Lack mana? Lots of spellcasting to do? Consider buying Soul Ring, removing 150 hp for 150 mana where you can maybe cast that gamebreaking Vacuum. Not a great item as it drains your hp, but not a bad item either.
Optional.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Item that provides great hp, mana, hp regeneration and mana regeneration. With the recent buff of Bloodstone, it now starts off with 5 charges, making it a better item. But and then, if you're dying too much but somehow you still have a lot of gold, get this item.
Also, keep an eye on Bloodseeker. Bloodstone, geddit? Okay, so it was a bit lame...
Situational.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Push your enemies to their doom. Black Hole, Techies' minefields, etc. Also, for livesaving situations and other miscellaneous reasons, like "oh, cuz i cba to walk too long an surge iz in cooldown".
Recommended!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ah, Linken's. Great for screwing Doom up, and "blocks most targeted spells once every 20 seconds". If you're getting focused a lot in teamfights/you're facing Doom/[insertreasonhere], get this item. Else, not really needed. Although the stats and the regen is useful, hey, it costs 5175 gold!
Situational.
For more information about this item, visit this guide instead.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Got a team with 5 melee heroes (including yourself)? That noob Viper wants to buy it but doesn't want to get flamed? Consider buying Vladimir's, with a bunch of nifty auras. But it's not really needed, so think for yourself.
Situational.
Second row:
In older versions, this is needed for Guinsoo's. Now, it's regarded as a cheaper, alternate version of it. The extra movespeed is also helpful. Though, it's not like you should spend 2800 gold on it, where at that point you'd be able to finish 2/3 of Guinsoo's (maybe, Ultimate Orb and Void Stone).
Situational.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Quote:
Originally Posted by ex-Skyforger
Wo-ho-ho.
Necronomicon. You know, those little bitches burning mana and shit.
Get Necronomicon, and you'd be able to screw up those invisibility heroes. No more Rikimaru trolling you. No more Techies with his mines that fuck your team up. Nope, no more invisibility... ...just Chuck Testa!
Besides, with their great abilities (speed aura, active mana burn, passive Last Word (deals damage to the one who kills the unit with Last Word) and passive mana burn), it can serve as a multi-purpose item.
Recommended!
For more information about using this item, visit this guide.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Got N'aix facing your team? Overfed Mortred kept hitting 1000s on you? Get a Ghost Scepter.
Not recommended if spellcasters like Lion is picked by an enemy.
Situational.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
It's not a great item on Dark Seer, your skills are already awesome enough, but if you really want the double Wall of Replica, double Soul Burn (from Orchid), double Shiva's, etc, then get this item, if you really want to.
Situational.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Useful 250 hp, nifty 25 intelligence and handy 50% slow for 4 seconds.
But don't get fooled by the nice stats. It costs 3100 gold, something you don't always have around. You already have the chasing power, and with 3100 gold, you can probably buy some other more useful items with similar bonuses.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this item is not worth buying, but since you just don't get 3100 gold from the ground, I'd brand this a situational item.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Personally, I'm not a big fan of Quelling Blade on Dark Seer. Though, after "careful" consideration, I guess Dark Seer is suitable to buy Quelling Blade, lets you juke, last hit better, etc.
Optional.
Third row:
It's not like you can benefit greatly from (the active ability of) Veil, but it'd certainly help that Lion or Kaldr a lot. And to think of it, it gives you armor, hp regen and intelligence as well. Sounds good. Recommended!
Janggo provides stats, speed aura and an ability to give more AS/MS to nearby units.
It's a nice item, but it's rather overkill for Dark Seer. If all of your allies really need the speed bonus badly, and/or nobody bothering to buy and told you to get one, you could consider getting one.
Though, if you got Janggo, don't bother replenishing charges. You have Surge, remember? Situational.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Lots of fighting to do? Needs that quick boost of hp and mana? You could buy Bottle. Keep in mind that you should never start with Bottle, for obvious reasons. Optional.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Lots of spammers against you? Want to act pro and say something like:
(sees Wand gaining a charge)
"noob mirana i kno u just casted spell, ahahhaa"
"omg, reported for maphack"
...and you might want to get Wand. The burst heal is really helpful, but against heroes like KING LEORIC THE SKELETON KING, who only has Hellfire Blast to cast, you might not want to get this.
Cba to complete Wand? Go buy Stick, which is just about the same. Though, Wand gives 3 to all stats and has a 15 charge limit, whereas Stick allows 10 charges and gives to bonuses.
Optional, but compared to Bottle, I would prefer Wand over Bottle.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Another useful item to counter DPS'ers like Mortred, and also to counter heroes that can deal huge damage quickly, where Lina or Lion comes to mind. With this item activated, whoever damages you, they receive the same damage. Useful in cases like where Techies is going to blow you off with 1000 Remote Mines (yes, he receives the same damage as you do). But keep in mind that you also receive the damage normally, so you're gonna die anyway, in some cases.
You don't need them, you have better items waiting to buy, if you go buy a Skadi for Dark Seer, I'll personally send you a facepalm.
Okay, too lazy. If you got one, click the spoiler below.
Damage items
Like above, you want to cast spells and to support, not to be a DPS'er.
Others
Give it to those fatass hard carries instead.
Support, not KS.
Support, not KS.
Support, not KS.
Geddit?
So you bought a Ghost Scepter. So you just happen to have an extra 3300 gold. So you think upgrading it would be cool.
No. Waste of money, and you have crap agility. Since it also makes you Ethereal (eg: 40% spell damage amplification), a random Lion's combo would make you dead in no time.
Lolwut.
Seriously. I saw somebody with Lothar's once. He said that it'd be awesome if you can damage everybody with Ion Shell unnoticed (he should play Weaver, derp).
Then he casted Ion Shell after he walked into 5 enemy heroes.
Well, back to rejecting the item. You're not a DPS'er, you got an escape mechanism (sort of) and I can't really think of any reason to get this.
Use Vacuum carefully, waste it and that first blood attempt may just slip away.
Jungling:
Check if the creep camps are warded (no neutrals in there after 30 seconds, etc), otherwise you might want to go laning
Use Ion Shell on yourself while killing neutrals
Scout for runes if possible
Pull creeps once in a while, but never overpull
Help your allies when possible, eg: ganks
If you're not familiar with jungling, visit this guide
Mid Game
Stick with your team whenever ganking, you're valuable to them!
Help out allies anywhere, especially your carries
Cast Surge on allies if they need to chase or to escape, and even Vacuum, with correct positioning
If your teammate is fighting enemy hero(es) in close range, remember to cast Ion Shell on him
Abuse Vacuum, use it when escaping, chasing, juking, ganking, etc.
Late Game
Push along with your teammates
Participate in teamfights if possible, you will help a lot
In teamfights, Vacuum is extremely important. Aid that Nevermore casting Requiem, Magnus casting his ultimate, etc.
Also, cast Wall of Replica quickly after Vacuum, where the horde of illusions can be really dangerous
Again, avoid stealing your carries' kills, intended or not, they need the gold more than you do
Allies and Enemies
Allies
Basically, all heroes benefit from the goodies that Dark Seer provides, but well, here are a few examples.
AoE maniacs
1. Cast Vacuum.
2. Watch your allies cast Requiem/Ravage/Epicenter, etc.
3. ???
4. Profit!!
Illusion heroes
Wreck havoc as you cast your Wall. With their illusions and your Wall, it can cause chaos in teamfights with illusions everywhere. Illusions get purged? Walk into the Wall again and troll that guy with Diffusal/Medusa.
Cleave heroes
In late game, these heroes should have massive damage (hopefully), right? Just cast Vacuum, give Ion Shell to them and let them do the rest.
But at early/mid game, probably not so much damage to cleave.
Special mentions
Earthshaker
1. Cast Vacuum.
2. Cast Wall of Replica quickly after the Vacuum.
3. Wait for Earthshaker to blink in.
4. He casts Echo Slam.
5. ???
6. Pwnzor'd.
Enemies
Of course there must be some haters everywhere where they gotta keep hatin', or maybe they're jelly of your awesome skills, or they just hate your face - just look at him, he's plain ugly.
Avoid them if you can.
Mana burners
Everybody who uses mana hates these guys, and since you use mana, you should hate them too.
Thankfully, though, they are usually squishy, and you might be able to defeat them in a gank.
Silencers
Again, you cast spells, they stop you from doing that, therefore you should hate them right?
Though, silencing is, in a way, better than getting all your manapool burned, so in ganks or teamfights, remember to cast the spells you need to cast before they get a chance to silence you.
Special mentions
Silencer
This guy screws your combo up. Period. It's worse than those normal silencers, this Silencer is a pain in the ass.
Focus him first. Ask allies to stun him and/or silence him, or if you have Orchid, cast it on him. That way his Last Word is disabled and you can cast your combo in peace, before getting silenced again.
Doom Bringer
Everybody's worst enemy, as said by everybody. Oh wai-
His Doom is one thing you, and everybody else, hates. But he is not hard to defeat. Linken's screws him up big time, and with his low armor and agility gain, a few hits from you and your allies should do the trick.
Rubick
Guess what, you can suck everybody into the same spot, he can too. You use Surge to escape? He uses Surge to chase.
You cast Ion Shell on ally? He casts Ion Shell on his ally.
You cast Wall to mindfuck kids who really thinks there are four, real Naga Sirens that every one of the illusions are the same as the real hero? He uses Wall to bring you down as well, and you won't even know if you casted Wall or he did, until you get owned. Seriously, screw this guy.
But, a big but, it's the spell stealing part that gets annoying. Keep an eye on him, if you see him steal a spell, alert your team. Make sure their team will still panic over your spells before your team does, and you should be fine.
Thankfully, perhaps the only good thing, the illusions created by Wall of Replica appears as semi-transparent to the caster's enemies, so you can see what's happening better if he stole your Wall of Replica.
Best enemies
The "create-a-lot-of-units" heroes
What, I'm not good at making up names.
Anyway, these guys can create a lot of lesser guys. With Earthshaker I mentioned earlier in Allies section, he blinks in, casts, Echo Slam, and see these heroes rage.
Additional Pointers
Vacuum
To chase...
...or to escape...
...or to destroy trees! Note that only the center of the Vacuum AoE destroy trees, not the whole area.
I wonder what Terrorblade was doing, alone in the forest...
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Here is an extract from the DotA movie DotA - The Truth made by hex0r, featuring himself and Kev.
Nevermore blinks in...
Dark Seer casts Vacuum...
Wait for it...
Owned.
And here is another extract, from the DotA movie DotA - Luck is no Excuse, another DotA movie made by hex0r.
Dark Seer is played by Kev (again) and hex0r as Earthshaker.
It's a bit unclear, as I took the pictures in fullscreen (although I'm watching it in 720p). You may want to refer to the video for some more details of what was going on.
The whole scene starts at 2:29 and where I started was about 2:41, where Dark Seer arrives.
Earthshaker, after killing Spectre, runs away with 40-ish hp, with some help from Dark Seer's Surge. Meanwhile, Rhasta manages to grab a Haste rune and Shackles Earthshaker!
Kev to the rescue, saving Earthshaker with only around 20 hp remaining.
Self-explanatory.
Ion Shell
Cast on creeps to harass enemy heroes.
Use it on yourself when engaged in 1v1 situations...
...or if you see an ally who needs help.
Looks like Abaddon can manage by himself.
Surge
Use Surge to save allies...
Poor Abaddon probably got ganked...
Dark Seer to the rescue!
...or use it for chasing.
Wall of Replica
A few screenshots to show where you can cast to make better use of it.
And this shows the sight range of the wall (my hero is moved far away enough from the wall, so it won't affect what is shown here).
Notice that the wall has flying vision, so you can see what's happening in eg: Roshan's lair without having to go inside.
Dark Seer is really a fun hero to play, with his cool spells and a flexible playstyle. I hope you'd enjoy playing him as much as I enjoyed writing this guide.
Okay, so I didn't really feel like a boss when I wrote this guide, but I sure hoped that you enjoy playing Dark Seer.
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Ish'kafel the Dark Seer
