Un1t3D_ Presents:

-=-=- Fury of the Storm - Raijin Thunderkeg - The Storm Spirit -=-=-

Changelog:

[09/07/09] - Guide started.
[09/07/09] - Submitted for Approval.
[10/07/09] - Removed/merged some spoilers together - Thanks to gwho.
[10/07/09] - Updated Strategy section, added screenshots.
[10/07/09] - Added Credits & Thanks section, Changed the title.
[11/07/09] - Added Strategy Walkthrough, and other things.
[14/07/09] - Guide Published! Thank you everyone who commented.

Welcoming any comments, suggestions, and/or questions.


Table Of Contents :

• -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
• Foreword & Introduction [#FwI]
• Hero Description & Stats [#HdS]
• Hero Skills & Builds [#HsB]
• Items - Builds & Recommendations [#IbR]
• Strategies & Tips [#SaT]
• Replays & Other Media [#RoM]
• Credits & Thanks [#CaT]
• -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

To use this ToC, Simply CtrL + F, then type in the section code into the bar to find the section.

Section 1: Foreword & Introduction [#FwI]

Author's Foreword:

This is my first guide I have EVER written, so please bare with me. Also, english is not my native language, so I would be glad if you point out any spelling/grammar mistakes you find within this guide. Thank you for your understanding.

Introduction:

Welcome to my storm guide! I have decided to write this because SS is one my favourite heroes in DotA. Within this guide, you'll find strategies, tips, and other assorted things I have learned from my experience of playing storm spirit.

NOTE : This guide is inspired by Ramomar's BeastMaster Guide. Check it out here

Section 2 : Hero Description and Stats [#HdS]

Backstory:



Storm Spirit is a very good hero DotA after the remake. He is superb at ganking and lane controlling, coupled with devastating chasing power. I hope after you read this guide, you will love him like I do.

Hero Page on PlayDotA: http://www.playdota.com/heroes/53

Pros & Cons

[+]Great Ganker/Chaser
[+]Good Int Gain
[+]Excellent escape skill
[+]Huge Mobility
[+]Unstoppable with enough mana

[-]Mana Dependant
[-]Pretty useless when silenced
[-]Weaker early on without mana
[-]Low Strength/Strength gain

Hero Stats:

Raijin Thunderkeg - Storm Spirit

Strength Gain: 17 + 1.5/Per Level
Agility Gain: 22 + 1.8/Per Level
Intelligence Gain: 23 + 2.6/Per Level

Section 3: Hero Skills & Builds [#HsB]

His skills are as follows:

Static Remnant

Description:

Raijin creates a remnant of himself containing his essence. The Static Remnant will release its stored energy whenever an enemy unit comes near it. Lasts 12 seconds.

Skill Statistics:

Level 1: 140 Damage, 70 Mana Cost.
Level 2: 180 Damage, 80 Mana Cost.
Level 3: 220 Damage, 90 Mana Cost.
Level 4: 260 Damage, 100 Mana Cost.

Duration is always 12 seconds, CD is always 4 seconds, and AoE is 260 for all levels.

Notes : This is storm's main damage skill. You cast it, and it creates an "image", sort of like KotL's spirit form. Whenever an enemy unit goes near in a 235 AoE, it will explode, doing damage in a 260 AoE. Main purposes of this skill : Damage, farm. Note that the Remnant has flying vision, and you can place it if you're expecting a gank from a direction.

Electric Vortex

Description:

Storm focuses his energy to rip open vortex drawing an enemy to it. This process slows the Storm Spirit down for a brief period.

Skill Statistics:

Level 1: 100 Units, 1 second duration
Level 2: 150 Units, 1.5 seconds duration
Level 3: 200 Units, 2 second duration
Level 4: 250 Units, 2.5 seconds duration

Mana cost is always 100, CD is always 20 seconds, and casting range is always 300 units.

Notes: This is your main disable. Basically, you will pull an enemy unit for over X amounts of seconds, disabling all action for the enemy. You're slowed 50% while under this effect. Note that Linkin's Sphere blocks this skill, and this skill cannot target spell immune units.

Overload

Description:

Storm Spirit becomes overloaded with electrical energy whenever he casts a spell. The charge is released on his next attack as an electrical burst, dealing damage and slowing nearby units.

Skill Statistics:

Level 1: 30 Damage
Level 2: 45 Damage
Level 3: 60 Damage
Level 4: 75 Damage

Duration is always 0.6 seconds, and AoE is always 300 units.

Notes: This is the skill that makes storm such a great chaser. Whenever you cast a spell, your next attack to an enemy unit will be "Overloaded", meaning it will mini-purge the enemy, and doing extra damage over an 300 AoE.

Ball Lightning

Description:

Storm Spirit becomes enveloped with energy, losing his physical form, and travels until he depletes his mana or reaches his target. While in this form, he deals damage to nearby units based on how far his electrical form has traversed. Damage, speed and area of effect improves per level.

Skill Statistics:

Level 1: Moves the Storm Spirit to the targeted location doing 8 damage per 100 units traveled at 1250 movespeed. 150 AoE upon impact.

Level 2: Moves the Storm Spirit to the targeted location doing 12 damage per 100 units traveled at 1875 movespeed. 225 AoE upon impact.

Level 3: Moves the Storm Spirit to the targeted location doing 16 damage per 100 units traveled at 2500 movespeed. 300 AoE upon impact.

Target : Ground. Cast on the spot you want to move to. This skill costs 15 + 7% of your mana pool initially, mana cost per 100 units traveled: 10 + 1% of total mana pool. Your are invulnerable while in this form. This skill destroys trees.

Note : This is storm's signature move. It allows you to escape ganks with ease as long as you have mana, and this is the skill that consumes storm's mana pool the fastest. You can abuse this skill to chase by combining it with overload.

Skill Builds:

Skill Build [Dual Lane]



Explanation : The point of this build is to support your ally in a lane. Static Remnant is gotten first for damage, then overload for the level of slow it provides. Vortex is maxed first because it is your disable. Ball Lightning is gotten whenever possible for the mobility it provides. This is your basic gank-happy skill build.

Skill Build [Solo Lane]



Explanation: This is the build you should get if your in a solo lane. Static Remnant is maxed first because it is your damage skill, and Overload backs it up. Vortex is not taken in this case because you would not need it if there is no ally attacking at the same time. Vortex is taken before L2 Ball Lightning because it is still needed after the laning stage, when you'll still be ganking.

*~ Make sure to animation cancel his skills, their animation is quite long. ~*
-Thanks to Lycan for this suggestion.

~ Note : Either Skill Build in the end is the same, they are just depending on which kind of lane you have. ~

Section 4: Items - Builds & Recommendations [#IbR]

Item Build:

x3 x1 x1 x1

Justification: Your starting build provides with enough stats to survive early game. Bracers is taken instead of Nulls because you need the HP more than you need the mana early.

Core Build:

| | | --> |

Justification: This build gives you enough HP to survive most battles, and enough mana to use all your spells. Since you're going to be ganking most of the time, bottle is generally preferred.

In depth of why to use bottle:



Items to get after your core:

| | | | |

Why?



Potential Items/Situational Items:

| | |

Short Reasons:

Heart - More survivalbility, the better.
Pipe - If your team is continually dieing from nukes, get this item.
Purge - For Warlock's Infernal, or for yet another slow.
Linkins - For more general survivalbility, or if you feel your being disabled too much.

Items NOT to get

| | |

Why?



And Bascially any DPS item, such as Desolator, Mkb, Buriza, etc.

Section 5: Strategies & Tips [#SaT]

Tips:

• Help your allies, youre a support hero.
• Leave mana to escape with BL.
• Always try to overload hit before casting another spell.
• You need HP has well as Mana, else you would be a glass cannon.
• Have fun

Strategy Walkthrough

Early Game: (Level 1-8)

Choose to solo or not before you start: This is important, as it will change what your skill build is.

Laning: Laning with Storm is easy, as you're ranged. If your enemy is melee, try to scare them by walking up to the creeps. Usually, the enemy will run back, thinking you're about to attack them. This mind game works quite well.

Early Kills: Early killing with storm is also quite easy, due the fact you have a spammable nuke-like skill. If you have vortex, then call an ally to gank with you. Your job is to keep them there long enough WITH vortex so your ally can beat on them. Also, remember to use Remnant in conjunction with vortex to inflict more damage.

Running away from ganks: Before you hit level 6, it's harder to escape ganks as you have no "real" escape skill. However, there are things you can do.

1. Put a Remnant down if you think a gank might be coming. They have flying vision, and can tell you which direction to run/hide.

2. Carry a TP scroll at all times. This is the golden rule of escaping. This can be used in conjunction with the first strategy.

3. If someone is chasing you past the tower, try to kill them by vortexing them. Usually, it'll give the tower around 2 seconds of free smacking on the enemy. Use this with your combo, and you'll probably kill him before he kills you.

Transition Between Early to Mid game/Mid game (Level 8-15)

Ganking: At this stage of the game, you're ready to assist your allies in ganking. Use your combo, and chase. However, storm cannot tank tower, so if you see the only way you can kill him is to run through 2 towers, don't do it.

Getting ganked: Depending on how much mana you have, there are things you can do.

1. With Full mana: Simply Ball away, they can't catch you.

2. With around half mana, not enough to get anywhere with ball, but enough to cast a few spells: Try vortexing then immediately TPing. This will work if you disabled the only enemy who has a stun, or there is ONLY one enemy.

3. With very little or no mana: The only thing you can do at this point is to use the classic juking strategies. Try to abuse fog in your escape, it works quite well.

Farming: Quite easy with storm, simply run into the creep wave, next to the necros. Put down a Remnant, then smack with overload. Repeat process until all creeps die. Alternatively, you can BL into the creeps, which might do enough damage for the Remnant to kill the wave by itself.

Late Game: (Level 15+)

Pushing: During late game, where you have nearly unlimited mana, your are an unstoppable force. When pushing with your allies, you can Ball lightning from a long distance away, simply killing all the creeps through BL.

Team Fights: Ball in, disable the most threatening enemy, such as the DPS carry, or the mass disabler. Combo them, and keep it up. If you see you're team is dieing and there is no way for you to help them, Ball out immediately, to prevent yourself from getting killed.

Defending: Use Remnant to stop pushes, put a couple down as the creeps are coming. When they reach your base, vortex one enemy, and let your team beat on them.

Rune Whoring:

Rune whoring on storm, like most roaming gankers, is quite important. If you think you're going to roam most of early/mid game, then buy a pair of wards, it will save you alot of time checking the runes. Or, have an ally such as tree/weaver, they have skills to put at the rune places, so you won't waste time running back and forth.

Using BL for other purposes:

Ball Lightning is a skill that has quite a few purposes. Most obvious ones are intitating, escaping, and moving faster. But there are other things you can do.

1. Dodge spells with BL : This works just like blink, except it costs a shitload more mana. When you see the projectile fly towards you, BL away, and it will miss.

2. Dodging attacks through motion buffer: BL's movement speed at level 3 is 1850. You can move faster than around ~70% of all projectiles. Use this to your advantage. When you see an enchant Impetus you, BL away as it's about to hit you.

3. Travelling through impassable terrain: Remember, this skill can also be used to get up a cliff, travel through trees, etc. Use this to your advantage when ganking or running away.

Best Friends:

1. DPS Heroes



These heroes will love you when you Vortex the enemies, giving them a free 3 seconds to kill them. After that, you can also keep chasing to give the DPS chance to catch up and rape.

2. Other Gankers



You paired with other gankers equal death for a solitary enemy hero. Storm synergies with all gankers, having extreme chasing abilities.

3. Mana Providers



These heroes provide mana to use your skills. Need I say more?

Worst Enemies:

1. Silencers



These spell death for storm, without his spells, he is pretty much useless, avoid these at all costs.

2. Mana burners



As the same reasons above, a storm without mana is pretty useless. Pugna is the most dangerous the bunch, as ward also does damage as you cast spells. Take caution at these.

Combos

There are many combos associated with storm, and here are some of the more common ones.

Here are some images to help you understand what storm can do.

Ganking with allies



Moving with BL




*~ More to Come, this is just the beginning of strategy ~*

Section 6: Replays & Other Media [#RoM]

On the bottom of the guide.

Game 1:

Sentinel:

- Dundy
- Me
- Joeythegrape
- s0_ill
- G-milf

Scourge:

kain-ak
- RawmanNewdles
- MothMonsterMan
- Djnitrous
- Hell_Raiser336

Comments:

This game was a fun public game by me and my friends. It really doesn't show much other than the basic combos, but it is funny to see CM go beyond godlike.

If you can't watch the replay, here is the replay on DotAparser: http://dotaparser.com/index.php/replay/view/70738/

Section 7: Credits & Thanks [#CaT]

Credits go out to:

• Me, for writing this guide.
• Ramomar, who's Beastmaster guide inspired me to write this guide.
• gwho, who pointed out the guide would look better with less spoilers everywhere.
• Everyone who commented and contributed to this guide.
• PlayDotA for all the icons, information, and other media they provided.

Thanks for Reading!