When the Sentinel first gathered their forces, The Troll Warriors were considered primitive and unreliable. Their pride wounded, many refused to join, some even considering siding with the Scourge. Only a hotheaded young Warlord called Jah'rakal joined the Sentinel. Known as "Blinding Axe" in troll tongue, both for the blinding speed of his axes and his trademark blind technique, his unstoppable rampages have already made him a legend among his allies. However Jah'rakal fights not for the Sentinel, or even to defend the Ancients, but to show Elves, Men, Orcs and anyone else that trolls are the best fighters in the world.



I will update this guide and add some Screenshots, Images, and Replays in the future. For now, I have some other business like School projects and stuff, so I'm quite busy to add some.

Contents

I. Troll Warlord

1. Stats
2. Pros and Cons
3. Skills
4. Skill Build

II.Item Build

1. Starting
2. Core
3. Situational
4. Luxury
5. Rejected

III.Playstyle

1. Laning Phase
2. Farming/Jungling
3. Roshan
4. Teamfights

IV. Friends and Foes
V. Conclusion
VI. Changelog


Jah'rackal, or as you all call him, Troll, is pretty much a carry hero. To be exact, he's a Hard-carry, or a hero that excels very well in the latest parts of the game that can overwhelm and dominate the opposing team. Because of his power, he is mostly focused on the early parts of the game and hunted to stop him from farming.

Now let's get to the point. Let's just say he can pretty much dominate the opposing team when he gets his core, and only a few heroes (on my opinion, only one) and a few items can stop this bad guy from running around, causing havoc and destruction.

a. Stats

Strength: 17 + 2.2
Agility: 21 + 2.75
Intelligence: 13 + 1

Affiliation: Sentinel
Damage: 38-46
Armor: 1.94
Movespeed: 300
Attack Range: 500
Attack Animation: 0.3
Casting Animation: 0.51/0.3
Base Attack Time: 1.7
Missile Speed: 1200
Sight Range: 1800/800

As you can see, he has a pretty average stats. His Str and Agi gain are normal, save his Int gain which is pretty low. You could say he is not a smart fellow, with his fighting style compensating for it.

b. Pros and Cons

Pros

• One of the best carries in late game
• Has the ability to wipe out the opposing team when farmed enough
• One of the best stun-lockers in the game
• Both melee and range
• Opposing enemies may miss 60% chance
• Solo-Roshaning Ability
• Imba Atk Speed
• He's a badass (;

Cons

• Mostly focused and hunted early game
• No escape mechanism whatsoever
• Very squishy

As you can see, he has a lot of pros than his cons. If you can survive the first 1-20 minutes of the game and get your core, you are pretty much very close to having your Beyond Godlike abilities

c. Skills


d. Skill Build





Now, how do you exactly play Troll? Well, simple enough. Farm up your Treads and HoTD for the first 1-10 minutes of the game, go jungling for a while, looking for that beloved Neutral Creep, then go Roshan! After that you're good to go!

Simple as it may seem, but staying alive during these times are really hard. Because you are a hard-carry, you need to farm up really fast to help out your team win the game.

a. Laning Phase

First and foremost, before you pick Troll, ask yourself..

• Does my team need a carry?
• Can I survive the enemy nuking for the first few half of the game before I farm my BKB?
• Is my team relying on a specific strategy?
• Are my teammates noob or not?

Well, if you're playing pub then its possible that you're teammates will pick shit load of carries like PA, Sniper, Void and when that happens, don't pick Troll! Remember, one Hard-carry is enough for one team. Its like having two Kobe Bryant in the Lakers, you only need one right ?


Now, let's get to the point. First, choose which lane you would pick. Never go to the solo-mid lane, for someone else will benefit from it. Always pick the longer lane, Sentinel Bottom/Scourge Top. If for some reason, you're team goes for a specific strategy and goes Tri-lane at bottom and you end up soloing top, that's fine too. Just be careful because when this happens, most of the time you're enemy will do some kind of combo to food on you.

Now let's say you end up on the long lane, Sentinel Bottom/Scourge Top. Always, under any circumstances, have either you or you're lane mate to pull the creeps. It will let both of you farm and gain exp faster. Just get as many last hits as possible, and don't auto-attack the creeps so you will have in favor of the creep waves.




Of course, every little kid out there needs an assistance from some adult. Let's say you're still a kid at this point, having some few toys to survive. It will be advisable to have a lane-mate like CM, Rhasta, WD, Warlock, or any other hero that doesn't really need any farm and has a certain type of disable. With this, its sure that you can survive the laning phase.

*Note: If you're lane-mate is a noob that picked another carry that needs any kind of farming, ask for a lane change, and if probable, just change lane yourself. If you can't then just go pull creeps and jungle at your own risk.


By level 4 or 5, when you have at least a level of Fervor and Berserker's Rage and you have Whirling Axes ready, call for a gank. If you and you're lane-mate can easily overwhelm the opposing lane opponents, then feel free to do it. With you're slow, you can hold down one of the enemies and have you're lane partner disable him. Then when you get up close, change to melee and have you're axes float around and watch the enemies HP go down.


b. Farming/Jungling



At levels 7 up to 11, go from your lane to the jungle. With this, you can farm faster. When you have a HoTD, dominate either an Ogre Magi or an Alpha Wolf. You're choice, no one's stopping you.

*Note: A good tip while jungling during this time. Get the Alpha Wolf for it increases your damage by 30%. Also, if you're team haven't warded the area of your jungling, then a good advise is to make your dominated creep act as a "Sentry" for you. Have them stand or patrol at an area, so if an enemy hunting for you comes, you can either counter-gank him or return safely to the fountain.

c. Roshan



By this time, when you got your HoTD and at least an Ogre Axe, and you have both Fervor and Berserker Rage at level 3, then you can start taking on Rosh. Dominate a Neutral Creep, either an Ogre and Alpha Wolf (again) and take on Roshan.




d. Teamfights

After you farm up your Core items and get Aegis from Rosh (assuming your enemy didn't get it first), you can stop jungling and join the teamfights. Remember this, though... DON'T BE THE FIRST ONE TO GO IN AND RAMBO AROUND THE ENEMIES IN A TEAM CLASH. Let your initiatiors do their job first, coz if you went in first you're just going to die/lose your aegis quickly. So go into the clash last, or be the 3rd one to go in for safety.

1. 
2. 
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4. 

This is the list of the high priority-->lowest priority heroes/roles in a teamfight.

1. Initiators: Depending in the situation, if the enemy initiatior goes in first, then obviously you will take them down first after you awaken from their disable.
2. Spellcasters/Supports: If your initiatior does his job well, then if possible, take out those spellcasters or supports hiding in the background. With them unleashing havoc with their spells and disables, it might be hell for you, except if you have gotten your BKB, then you can take them down easily.
3. The Rival Carry: After that you got to deal with the rival carry. IF they are well farmed and fat as you are, then 99% of the chance you will win, except if you're against Void. Remember, only a well and equally farmed void can take out Troll.
4. Tanks: Lastly, after you take out the enemy carry, you're going to deal with the tank last. Why? Well, their specialty is tanking the whole damage for his team, so if his team is dead and he is still alive, more likely than not you won the teamfight. That's why you gotta take him out last, if you can ignore him the whole teamfight. Happened once when we ignored the Bristle on the other team and just focused on the others, we won the team clash easily.

More likely than not, that will be the priority in a teamfight. Always remember that THIS IS NOT THE CASE ALWAYS, and some teamfights will go differently than you may expect it and you will have to focus on other heroes and you won't have to follow that list. Remember: its a matter of instinct and experience to win a teamfight.




Not all team clashes will be the same. In one, you may have the favor, in other you may not. Sometimes you will be focused on, sometimes you won't. Now let's get to the point. Using BKB. Sometimes, by accident or threat, you click that BKB right away. Because of that, you start going in and go rambo inside enemy lines so that that magic immunity won't go to waste. Don't ever do that without assistance, for you will just go down in that fight.

Using BKB is all about instincts. Once you guys start the clash and you aim/focus on a certain hero, don't hesitate to use BKB. With that, you will be safe from spells in a good 5-10 seconds. If a small clash occurs and you're in it against spell casting heroes, then don't hesitate to use BKB. You bought that item to be used, right ?

Possible screenshots in the future

Not all clashes will go in your favor. If by any chance your whole team dies except for you, and you know you don't stand a chance in taking out the remaining heroes of the other team, then retreat! You're an important key to winning the game, so if possible, escape! Wait for your team to revive. If the other team is on the verge of destroying your 3rd tower and barracks, and you know you don't stand a chance, then just let them destroy it. You do know that even if one or two lanes are pushed, you can still win?

When your team revives and the other team is still pushing, then go have revenge for the lost teamfight earlier. More likely than not you will have the favor in that clash.


Friends



They hold your opponent down in place for easier whacking.



Steroid givers. They pump you all the way up.



They ensure you safety and security.



Your free BKB.


Foes



Everyone's doom.



They just don't care about your BKB.



They make your farming phase a torment.



Becoming a weak, little chicken is the worst for you.



He makes your life a living hell, with those mines scattered in Roshan's cave and other places.



No matter what, they will own you until you have the right items to take revenge and dominate on them.



(Credits to Lycan) This man, or rather, skeleton in dress will slow you down as hell, as his Frost Armor slows down your MS and AS when attacking in melee form. He also have Dark Ritual, which will make you under-leveled when laning against him.



The rival carries. You want to be the best and they want to be the best.




(Credits to Lycan) He just keeps on ramboing on you until you get tired of laning and go to the jungle. Similarly, a greater farmed Bara with a superior AS will keep on bashing you and you will have a hard time in a 1 v 1 situation against him. Keep out until you have a better item, or a good support.




Your stun-lock brother. He is the only guy that has the power to take you down. If the both of you are equally farmed, you're in trouble.




As much as this gives you the power to own your rivals, it also gives them the power to own you.



(Credits to judd1515) These will keep you from attacking an enemy unit, and will give them a chance to run away. Just stick to the enemy and after the duration runs out, punish them for making you wait long enough (;



In conclusion, this is not the only way to play Troll. This is only to give you an idea on how to play him. Hope this guide has been a help, and thanks for reading! Don't forget to live comments to help improve this guide.

This guide will be updated in the near future, for screenshots and replays.


VI.Changelog

• Started guide on 7/16/2011
• Edited Item Build, and added Skill Build and Playstyles on 7/17/2011
• Edited Item Build, and finished the Teamfights column on 7/22/2011
• Added Friends and Foes column, and mostly finished the basics of the guide on 8/01/2011
• Guide is ready for posting on 8/01/2011
• Added a few screenshots, Yasha and Manta to Core, explanation on some Rejected Items, and a few more heroes and items that counters Troll on 8/07/2011