Guide to Alleria the Wind Runner

Table of Content

1.Initial Stats & Skills

2.Pros & Cons

3.Skill Build

4.Explanation & usage of skills

5.Skill Synergy

6.Item Build

7.Game Strategy

8.Replays & Videos

Initial Stats & Skills

Strength Agility Intelligence

15+2.5 17+1.4 22+2.6

Shackleshot:

Alleria fires an enchanted arrow using wind magic that binds the target to an enemy unit or tree behind it.

Powershot:

Windrunner winds up her bow for up to 1 second to perform a single powerful shot. The arrow travels up to 1700 distance, dealing damage and destroying trees in its path. The damaged dealt is greatest to the first target it hits and is reduced by 10% with each other it passes through.

Windrunner:

Imbues her body with the essence of wind, increasing her movement speed by 50% and giving her the ability to evade all physical attacks for a short period of time. Additionally, the gusts of wind around her impairs the movement of nearby enemies, slowing their movement speed in a 300 AoE around her.

Focus Fire:

Alleria channels wind throughout her body to surge an excess of adrenaline, giving her maximum attack speed on one target. Damage is reduced in this state.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

High range hero
Has a quite reliable nuke with a high range
Great farming ability
High Attack Speed

Cons:

Fragile Hero
Vulnerable against nukes
Low starting HP
Low starting MP

Skill Build

Though Alleria's skill build is versatile,this one is suited best in most game:

1.Powershot
2.Shackleshot
3.Powershot
4.Windrunner
5.Powershot
6.Shackleshot/Focus Fire
7.Powershot
8.Focus Fire/Shackleshot
9.Windrunner
10.Shackleshot
11.Focus Fire
12.Windrunner
13.Shakleshot
14.Windrunner
15.Attribute Bonus
16.Focus Fire
17-25.Attribute Bonus

Powershot is always maxed first.It gives high damage and has a long range.
After this shackleshot is leveled.If targeted properly it shackles the opponent for 3.75 seconds when maxed and also gives a 0.75 seconds ministun.
One or two levels of windrunner are always useful to escape/chase.
With descent damage you can take out towers with ease with Focus Fire.
If your opponents have more ganker heroes then leveling up windrunner first is essential.
If the opponents have a strong defense and/or you are needed more to defend than push then it is advised not to take Focus Fire but instead max shackleshot/windrunner.

Explanation & usage of skills

Powershot

Unlike the Meat hook & Elunes arrow,Powershot is not cancelled on collision with allied or enemy units.The Damage outcome is reduced whenever powershot collides with an opponent.Thus giving maximum damage to the first enemy unit it collides with.Travels a maximum of 1700 distance.Damage type is magical.

Correct Powershot:

Wrong Powershot:

Targeting the powershot as such that it will directly hit the desired target without colliding with other units is the correct powershot.Whereas if your powershot collides with many units before actually reaching the desired target will give less damage thus making it the wrong powershot.

Shackleshot

Alleria fires an enchanted arrow using wind magic that binds the target to an enemy unit or tree behind it.This skill if used properly can shackle one-two units for 3.75 seconds at a max level,leaving them completely disabled.
Even if not shackled the units will still get ministunned for 0.75 seconds.
This is a great skill for ganks and has a long casting range of 600.Can also be very useful to escape.

Correct Shackleshot:

An example of a correct shackleshot.The target should not be too close to a tree/unit nor too far away from it.Just the right distance and he will get shackled.

Shackleshot+Powershot:

Once you land a correct shackleshot you can either hit the target for a few seconds and just before the shackleshot is going to end use the powershot
OR
If you are confident enough,Hit the target till the shackle ends making full advantage of the shakleshot and once it has ended take precise aim and lock the powershot on the target.

Windrunner

Increases the Movement Speed of Alleria by 50% and gives complete physical damage evasion for a short time.Slows enemies in a nearby area by 30% when maxed.Lasts 5 seconds at level 4.
An excellent skill to escape.Will slow enemies near you and also give 100% evasion from all incoming physical damage.Can also be extremely useful to chase down and kill enemies.Gives max MS.

Tips:Projectiles targeted before the skill is activated will not be evaded.
Magic Immune units are affected by the slow.

Avoiding Physical Hits:

Focus Fire

Alleria locks a single target and hits with maximum Attack Speed.While hitting the target with focus fire 50%/40%/30% Damage is reduced as per skill level.
The skill is excellent for razing as it can also be targeted on Buildings.Great for taking down towers if you have good Damage.

Tips:While Focus Fire is targeted you can still move and again hit the targetted unit/building with Focus Fire still on.
This can be of great use to avoid getting hit by incoming evadable projectiles.
Focus Fire can also be targeted on Magic Immune opponents.

Skill Synergy

Shackleshot + Powershot

Shackleshot + Focus Fire + Powershot:With a perfect shackleshot and focus fire.It will deal massive damage and when the low HP hero has just gotten free you can Powershot to give the final blow.

Shackleshot + Windrunner:One of the best escape combos.You can shackleshot one target(most probably the one who has range nuke) and then use windrunner to escape.

Item Build

Basic Item Ideology for Wind Runner

Though WindRunner is an Int hero,her gameplay style is that of an Agi hero.More than High Int giving items,Alleria needs High Damage,IAS items.Her Gameplay Strategy is more inclined towards that of a DPS hero.Hence making High Damage Items for Alleria is Adviced.

Core Items

Early Game

With two mantle of intelligence and an ironwood you get descent start game damage.

Power Treads are an excellent item.Farm fast in lane and buy these.If your lane has more melee units/less harassers then keep them on int otherwise on str.

Phase Boots can be used as an alternative for Power Treads.While windrunner is activated you can use Phase to make full use of the Max MS and run without unit collision.The choice of deciding which boots to make remains completely yours though.
Note:Use windrunner before activating phase or else phase effect wont work.

Mid Game

By now with a good attack animation,high damage skills you shouldve managed to farm a bit.Complete an oblivion staff and your Null Talismans.Also buy another quarterstaff for the second oblivion staff.With this high damage & Attack speed you should be able to take almost every creep in a wave.

Alternate Item Build:

Helm of the Dominator is preferred by many on Alleria.Many prefer some Mid Game lifesteal and later upgrade it to a Satanic.

Late Mid Game

Complete Orchid Malevolence One of the most suited items for Alleria.It gives High Attack Damage,IAS,Mana Regen and Silence.Can be well used in team battles as well as solo duels.Try to finish this item ASAP.After that farm a Helm of Dominator fast.This will later be made into a Satanic.

Late Game

Monkey King Bar!An extremely important item as with true strike Alleria will never miss in Focus Fire.Satanic will help a lot with survivability.Just activate Satanic and lock Focus Fire on an enemy unit.Assault Cuirass along with Satanic and its High Lifesteal can be used to slice through opponents armor like butter with a butter knife and Drain all their life within seconds.Also gives armor bonus.

Six Pack Items

The full 6 pack Inventory.You can replace the Divine Rapier with any other non Orb Effect item.

Other Items

Black King Bar:When the Avatar is activated along with windrunner gives you invulnerability.Can be a great counter against a match full of nuke opponents

Force Staff:Great support item.If your playing a support windrunner then this is the item which you should get.Force allies and help them chase opponents while you can target a powershot further reducing their HP.

Aghanims Scepter:With an Aghanims Scepter Focus Fire's cooldown is reduced to 15 seconds.You can make full use of your ultimate.

Blade Mail:Alleria being a fragile hero,Blade Mail can help a lot in team battles.Also gives damage bonus.

Luxury Items

With high attack speed from Assault Cuirass and combined armor reduction,every opponent is paper.Can be used as a substitute to Satanic.
Note:Will not trigger if true strike is active.

If your opponents have fast MS,then this is the perfect Orb Substitute.Slow them and wickedly laugh at them as they are trying helplessly to run but can't.
Note:Will not trigger if true strike is active.

Another Disable in your arsenal.

Another Substitute for Satanic.Gives good damage and IAS.
Note:Will not trigger if true strike is active.

High Damage+High Attack Speed along with critical strike never fails.

Rejected Items

Manta Style:A big NO for this item! 3x Is not needed for you!1xMax Attack Speed is enough and with a skill like windrunner you dont really need MS.

The Butterfly:Your gameplay Style might be that of an Agility hero but at the end your NOT an Agility hero.Extra agility does not help you with Damage!And windrunner gives you 100% physical evasion.Dont ever think of making this item for Alleria.

Kelens Dagger of Escape:Again you have windrunner and dont really need a dagger to escape.As for the Assassination part,powershot has enough range and you dont really need to blink to kill.

Extra Stuff:

Game Strategy:

General Strategy,Gameplay Style & Tricks

General Strategy:
When playing Alleria you are supposed to kill as well as raze as well as support.This is where playing Alleria gets interesting.You will have to farm quickly early game and then help your team take towers and gank.Alleria is a semi-carry hero.She needs to farm to own.But the better part is she is a n early,mid game ganker/killer too.Thus you wont really have to rice farm for 34 minutes of the game and miss on all the action.For the first 10 minutes stay in lane.Call your allies to gank the lane.Try to last hit farm and get as many kills as possible.It is advised that getting a good lane partner and having a great farm early game will prove much of a benefit later on.

Some good lane partners for Alleria:

Rhastha:While he shackles you hit and powershot.He can also hex opponents.With Hex,Shackle & Shackleshot you have a powerful disable combo.

Crystal Maiden:She can freeze giving you a perfect powershot.Mana regen will help you spam more.Her Crystal Nova and Windrunner combined can greatly slow the opponent.

Furion:While he traps the enemy in Trees you can give a perfect powershot and shackleshot.

After about 10 minutes of farm you should atleast have power treads and maybe a Quarterstaff,Robe of the Magi.
At this time you should gather all your team at one lane and take down the tower.Mostly with maximum attack speed(Focus Fire),Descent Damage you will get the last hit on the tower.Later on keep ganking the enemies and taking down every first tower in each lane.Then proceed to take down the rax on atleast one lane and later on to the Tree/Throne.

Gameplay Style:
When playing Alleria you need to farm and gank.This is why Alleria is more interesting than most of the heroes.You get to farm and carry the game as well as gank and enjoy killing.Most of the time you will see pro Alleria players making a DPS Inventory.This is because Alleria's gameplay style is highly inclined towards the Agi Hero.Even though she is Int,with High Damage Invent and a good shackleshot+Focus Fire+powershot you can bring down almost any opponent.Alleria's gameplay includes most of the gameplay styles.She is a High DPS Pusher with Focus Fire.She is a semi-nuker with Powershot.She is a support hero with shackleshot.

Tricks:
Focus Fire & Crits:If you have targeted Focus Fire on an enemy unit and you manage to give a critical strike in that time(Cristalys or Buriza required) then the critical strike damage will be reduced by 50%/40%/30% as per skill level.

Slowing & Killing:As Alleria is a high ranged hero,even when she shackles an enemy most people stand far away and hit the target.Later on they use windrunner to chase the target.If the target has High MS he might escape.So instead when you shackleshot go near him and use windrunner.The enemy will get slowed and will give you an upper hand at chasing him.

Powershot Farming:When all creeps are low HP it is better to use a powershot.This will guarantee you all creep gold and also rather save the time.This is advised early game as that time the damage output and Attack Speed are rather low.

Early Game

Alleria is a semi-carry hero.Which means a good early game and descent farm can declare the whole game of Windrunner.If you are Sentinel then go Bottom lane.If you are Scourge then go Top lane.
As you have early game High damage skills,Good start Damage if you synchronize well with your lane partner you can easily manage to get 2-4 kills in the lane itself.Try to last hit.Even though it may be a bit rude you have to do it.Against any descent opponent aiming the powershot is a bit of a challenge.They will move to dodge your arrow.You will have to hit with a bit of judgement of where your opponents are going to move to.Try to aim it such that even though the enemy will move he will still come under the AoE and die.After farming power treads,farming will be much easy.Until you get atleast 1 level of windrunner play much cautiously.

Objectives of Early Game:

Last hitting farming
Trying to get as many kills as possible
Spamming Powershot to take out creeps and Damage heroes.
Attaining Total late domincance
Farming up Power Treads+Oblivion Staff
Taking down lane tower

Things to Avoid:

Avoid death at any cost.
Do not let your ally get the kill just because he was hitting from start.
Try not to miss on shackleshots.

Mid Game

By Mid game you should have a descent farm with atleast two Oblivion Staff.If you got many kills/towers and managed to farm well then rush your Orchid Malevolence.At mid game you should make full use of your ultimate which is ofcourse by Taking Towers.With the help of your team try to take every first tower.With the gold complete your Orchid Malevolence.Start using it in ganks.Mid game is the time when the actual War starts.Shackle opponents,gank them,Kill Steal with powershot(except when its your carries kill).Gank the opponents carry with your disables/Damage skills.With max Attack Speed you will mostly get every tower.With a good farm,A top tier item,Some enemy towers destroyed,you and your team will get an advantage in the game.

Objectives of Mid Game:

Gank as much as possible
Take as many kills as possible.
Take down enemy towers.
Try to push more than defend.
The reason for pushing more than defending is the fact that you need a good inventory and for that you need gold which towers give.

Things to Avoid:

Not getting last hit on towers.
Not landing a perfect power shot.
Whole team death.

Tips for Mid game farming:
Many times at this point of the game you encounter a situation where you have taken two enemy towers and your enemy is together defending your creep push together.At such a point some of your teammates might have gone to heal/to buy items/Defend other lanes.At such a point you can neither push nor gank.So the best and most easiest way to farm is by using the Defend & Farm strategy.While you also defend you manage to farm quite good.You also give a fair push though you should not go in too deep or you are certain to be ganked.
You can do this till your team regroups and are ready for another Push.

Late Game

One of the most versatile period of a game.Late Game can change the whole game.Winning teams end up losing while the feeders win just because of one farmed carry.By this time you should have atleast got 2-3 Top tier High Damage,Attack Speed items.Monkey King Bar & Stygian Desolator are preferred late game items.With the Monkey King Bar you will not miss a single attack.This will enhance your ultimate to its full potential.Take down the enemy towers and Rax and make atleast one lane Mega Creeps.With High Attack Speed and Damage you will solo take down 2-3 opponents.Often use the silence while in combat.

Your opponents will die easily.You will often get Triple kills,Ultra Kills.Finally with an Int hero who is equal to an Agi carry,you will lead your team to victory.

Objectives of Late Game:

Try to make atleast 1-2 lanes Mega Creeps.
Stick together with your team and kill as many as you can.
Make top tier items to show off.

Things to Avoid:

Death!

Dying late game can decide games.As you may not have the gold to buy back and have quite a long time to revive.

Your Friends:

Nessaj:Either he stuns first or you do.Beat the opponent then before the first stun fades you again stun.If at all after this lethal combo the opponent still escapes he can Reality rift and you can Powershot.

Slithice:When she nets an opponent you can kill him with a Focus Fire or just keep hitting and when the net is over just shackleshot.

Bradwarden:No doubt the Centaur Warchief is one of the best tankers in DotA.While he tanks the enemies creeps you can Focus Fire and take the enemies tower.

Dwarven Sniper:With a perfect shackleshot you both with High Attack Speed can DPS the opponent,You can powershot while he locks his assasinate.

Stunners:Stunners are always Alleria's best friends.A stun+Shackleshot combo is very effective in single ganks.Since shackleshot already has a long range and duration,another stun is almost a sure kill.

High DPS Heroes:If you manage to land a perfect shackleshot,they can take down the enemy within seconds with their high damage and attack speed.

Your Enemies:

Drow Ranger: With her silence and High DPS+Slow you are as good as dead.

Batrider:If he manages to pull you with his lasso before you get out and use windrunner you would be ganked and slaughtered.

Murloc Nightcrawler:If he manages to give a perfect pounce,even with windrunner you wont be able to escape while dark pact will still damage you.Also if he uses his ultimate wisely and you have no vision he will still catch up with you with his high MS and manage to kill you.

Nerubian Assassin:He comes.He sees.He kills.With a backstab,stun,Mana Burn,Dagon combo he is your most feared opponent.

Silencers:Alleria is mostly a skill dependent hero atleast till she farms top tier items.A silence can mess everything up.You cannot use windrunner to escape nor can use any skills to attack.

Nukers:Even in windrunner you will be completely affected by magic damage.With their high damage click to kill skills,they pose a high threat to you.