Juddernaught's Guide to Azwraith
v. 3.0



Azwraith is a straight forward hero to play, but many people don't understand how to truly make him shine. He is good all game, but strongest during the middle and end of the game due to the sheer strength of his images and his ability to confuse people. He one of the best late-game heroes in the game, yet he takes a little bit of nursing to get there. So how can you become so tricksy? Read on.

This guide will focus on maximizing his image generation and his amazing flexibility. Some heroes are stuck in a particular role and have a hard time reaching the point of fulfilling that role. Azwraith, however, can farm well and easily transition between mid and late-game and succeed in both capacities.

A. Background
B. Stats
C. Role on the Team
D. Skills
E. Item Build
..... Core Items – Semi-Carry/Ganker
..... Core Items – Late-Game Carry
..... Necessary Items
..... Misleading Items
F. Skill Build
G. Strategy
H. Mind Games
I. How To: Images
..... Scouting
..... Drawing Enemy Fire
..... Avoiding Spells
..... Confusing Your Enemy
..... Jungling
..... Slowing Your Enemy
J. Best Allies
K. Worst Enemies
L. Closing
M. Changelog

Although his true name is unknown to his allies, Azwraith's assigned name tells you enough. Like the Angel of Death, Azrael, he fights to rid the world of those who choose to embrace undeath. He is able to appear and disappear at will like a wraith, often appearing in many places at once. Azwraith is more than capable of dispatching the undead using his lance, each blow sending them closer to the spirit-realm. This lance is the source of his astounding ability to duplicate himself, whenever it draws blood he can use their life to create weaker copies of himself.

Starting HP: 492 || Starting MP: 273 || Base Damage: 45-67
Base Armor: 3.2 || Strength: 18 + 2 || Agility: 23 + 2.8 || Intelligence: 21 + 2

Strengths:

• Good attack animation
• Good farming and hero-killing
• Versatile
• Many heroes compliment his abilities
• Mind Games!
• Very strong end game

Weaknesses:

• Fairly easy to counter with gems, dust, wards, etc.
• Susceptible to battle-fury and cleaving attacks
• Fairly weak early game abilities
• Pretty item dependent
  

Azwraith plays a unique role in DotA: image generation. Through his images he is able to crowd control, disrupt offensives, push lanes and confuse enemies, creating openings for both himself and allies. Though his images are powerful, they are primarily used late game because his associated skills, Dopplewalk and Spirit Lance, are very powerful early game for ganking and survival. Azwraith is capable of a broad range of actions from initiating fights (with images) to dispatching enemies either fighting or fleeing. The key to his success is his images so this guide will focus on maximizing his image generation and image strength.

Spirit Lance
Throws a magical spirit from his lance at a target damaging it and slowing it down for 3 seconds. An illusion is created attacking the target.

Casting range: 750 || Cooldown: 7 seconds

Level 1 - Deals 100 damage and Cripples for 10%. Illusion lasts 2 seconds. (125 Mana)
Level 2 - Deals 150 damage and Cripples for 20%. Illusion lasts 4 seconds. (130 Mana)
Level 3 - Deals 200 damage and Cripples for 30%. Illusion lasts 6 seconds. (135 Mana)
Level 4 - Deals 250 damage and Cripples for 40%. Illusion lasts 8 seconds. (140 Mana)

The Good: This starts out as a decent nuke and remains good throughout the game due to image cripple (for chasing and escaping) and generation (more me!). Plus, it has a fast cooldown, so you usually can use it a few times within a battle. The image automatically attacks the target of the spell, making micro-managing unnecessary. The damage is not blocked by Linken's and can’t be evaded by blink or windwalk.

The Bad: It's not that good as a nuke since it only gets to 250. If you have images out and about when you cast this, they will also cast it to "confuse" the enemy. Unfortunately, you cast faster than your phantom counterparts, showing the enemy where you are. See Mind Games section for using this to your advantage. The slow is blocked by Linken's.


Dopple Walk
Allows the Phantom Lancer to become invisible for a period of time, leaving behind a duplicate of himself to confuse enemies. 10% movement bonus at all levels. Lasts 8 seconds.

This illusion lasts 20 seconds || Cooldown: Varies per level

Level 1 - 150 mana. 30 second cooldown.
Level 2 - 120 mana. 25 second cooldown.
Level 3 - 90 mana. 20 second cooldown.
Level 4 - 60 mana. 15 second cooldown.

The Good: This is your primary escape mechanism and it's better than traditional wind-walk because there's no transition time and it creates an image to confuse your enemy (more me!) which is ordered to move 600 units from the direction you're facing at the time. See Mind Games Section for using these images as decoys.

The Bad: It only lasts 8 seconds, so get out quick. It costs a lot of mana at first. It's not that good for chasing because it's only a 10% movespeed increase. You can't stay invisible, wait for it to cooldown, then go invisible again (like you can with Clinkz).


Juxtapose
Whenever the Phantom Lancer attacks he will have a 12% chance to create a duplicate of himself. Duplicates last 20 seconds.

Passive Ability || Images deal 25% damage and receive 400%.

Level 1 – Limit of 2 images.
Level 2 - Limit of 3 images.
Level 3 - Limit of 4 images.
Level 4 - Limit of 5 images.

The Good: This is why Azwraith is so good late game (lots of me!). You can use attack-cancelling to create images very quickly. The 5-image limit doesn't affect images created by runes and Manta Style.

The Bad: The images don't do that much damage on their own and take a lot of damage.


Phantom Edge
Gives the Phantom Lancer an edge in combat by increasing Juxtapose's image generation and increasing magic resistance. Additionally, it enables his images to generate their own images.

Passive Ability

Level 1 - 10% magic resistance, 3% chance illusions will duplicate, 2% increase in Juxtapose.
Level 2 - 15% magic resistance, 5% chance illusions will duplicate, 4% increase in Juxtapose.
Level 3 - 20% magic resistance, 7% chance illusions will duplicate, 6% increase in Juxtapose.

The Good: This helps EVERYTHING: your magic resistance, your image generation, and your images' image generation (whole lotta me!).

The Bad: Not much: additional magic resistance stacks with diminishing returns and it's not that strong without at least 1 point in Juxtapose.

• If your team needs a mid-game semi-carry/ganker, the first build is the way to go.
• If your team needs a late-game carry, the second build is the way to go.

When? This build is intended to be used to have a very strong mid-game presence, but it can also be used as a base to transition into the late game. The focus is to efficiently and quickly bring down enemy heroes one at a time, whether that’s accomplished in team fights or ganks (if you want a pure ganker, pick a different hero). Use this build when your team is intending on ending the game early (<40 minutes) or you already have a late game carry (e.g. Spectre).

Why? The Circlets are a great starting stat booster for Azwraith plus they upwards convert into either Wraith Bands (which is the build followed in this guide), Bracers (which can be helpful if you need a little HP boost), or Nulls (if you are a fan of spamming your lance). The Tangoes and Clarities are necessary because it allows Azwraith to take a few hits when scoring last hits on creeps and offers a little spammability on the lance. These should allow you to survive until you can get your skills up, especially if you're creep pulling and last hitting.

Then the Circlets are then converted into Wraith Bands (the IAS is cheap plus you get stat boosts for mana and strength). Then you get boots because his base movespeed of 290 is very slow. You then focus on getting Diffusal as this will carry you through mid game and into late game. Do not underestimate purge. It helps images (see How To: Images section) but it's purge is perfect for chasing: lance, poke, purge, poke, lance, poke, dead. Get it? It provides Azwraith exactly what he needs and he was made for this item.

MATHCRAFT
Diffusal Blade - Even level 1 of Diffusal is one of the best items for Azwraith because it increases his damage output a lot. Images burning for 20 damage is the same as increasing your damage by 80 (which comes only from Divine). I think that alone speaks for itself. But in case you weren't satisfied, you can upgrade it again to deal more damage and refill your purges.

Then Yasha is purchased next. Why? Because Yasha is the cheapest way to increase agility (which translates into extra damage and attack speed for both you and images) and it's fairly quick to obtain. It also gives you and your images better movespeed for chasing (if you're following this build exactly, your MS will be 374). Besides, you can upgrade this later into Manta, which is solid also (SnY is rejected – see below).

When? This build focuses on obtaining late-game carrying status as soon as possible. The plan is to farm like crazy until you can dominate your opponents. As you can see, you will only need two items, but those items are quiet expensive. This is the typical build for most upper level games because it’s effective; however it doesn’t need to be used in all situations (see above).

Starting Items


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You may substitute for if the enemy will be using a lot of spells in lane.


Goal Items

Why? The starting items provide early in-lane survivability to allow some last hitting so long as you’re not harassed too hard. Remember, the focus of this build is to get the Radiance/Vanguard combo as soon as possible so farm as much as you can as often as you can. This means creep pulling and switching lanes if necessary.

This combination works because it maximizes Radiance’s burning aura (which your images also emit without diminishing the damage) by ensuring at least you or one of your images is around to burn the other team. Additionally, it provides a rapid boost to your farming abilities.

However, the downside to this build is that it prevents a lot of the sneaky tactics you can pull with Azwraith (see Mind Games, below). The trade off is up to you.

The order in which you get the items is entirely dependent on the game. I personally go Ring of Health first then evaluate whether I need the additional hitpoints/block damage, additional move speed (boots – see below), or the damage output from Radiance.

Necessary Items

I put the items in the order I usually get them, but there is no "best" order because they all provide excellent bonuses for Azwraith and should all be purchased as the game progresses. YOU must decide which item you need first and follow your gut.

Why? Boots of Travel are necessary for a few reasons: 1) it greatly increases your ability to chase (if you have a Yasha, your MS will be 418), 2) you can farm multiple lanes at once, 3) it's great for pushing/defending, and 4) it's an escape mechanism. After much thought, I have decided to go with Travs over Power Treads because Travs just give you so much flexibility end game you don't have with Power Treads. Plus, images don't benefit from the IAS % from Power Treads but they get all the benefits from Travs (aside from the teleporting).

The Breakdown
Power Treads (in agility form) give you +60 MS, +33 IAS, and 8 damage while giving your images +60 MS, +33 IAS, and 2 damage.
Boots of Travel give you +90 MS and teleport and your images +90 MS.

They are both solid choices for Azwraith, but since this guide is focusing on mid to late-game items which build strong images, having the teleportation is necessary. The difference in price is ultimately only 750 gold, which is easily farmable.

Why? The Butterfly is good for any agility hero because of the strong bonuses to attack speed and agility plus the evasion boost. The downside, it's expensive at $6,000. This can be skipped in favor of other items in this section if you go the Radiance route as your damage output will be already increased.

OR OR

Why? These items make you almost unkillable. You have more HP than you know what to do with, plus if you get Bloodstone, you respawn faster and still gain experience if people die near your grave while you're dead. My choice is the Heart because it's only 450 more than Bloodstone and it gives a lot more surviveability. Skadi is VERY expensive, so I don't like it, but it can be helpful because it boosts all stats. Even though your images can't use the frost attack, you can, which benefits your images because it slows your prey. However, you run the risk of giving away your position.

Why? The new and "improved" Manta Style changes the build up a little bit. It's new bonuses are: +26 Agility, +10 Strength, +10 Intelligence, +15 Attack Speed, and +10% Movement Speed with the ability to make 2 illusions of yourself. For images, this translates into ~6 damage, 26% AS, +10% MS, and a negligible amount of HP/MP. While not nearly as good as it was before, Manta still provides very solid bonuses. Essentially, it's an upgrade of Yasha, which is a core item (see above), and it worth the money. However, regardless of which build you choose, I would only get this after I have Diffusal Blade – otherwise the images are worthless. Also, the ability to Mirror Image is very handy (see below).

Misleading Items

Why? Vladmir’s Offering just doesn’t benefit Azwraith enough to be worth the funds. Sure, it techs well and provides some decent bonuses when it’s done, but I would much rather put the 2050 gold to better use by getting any other item mentioned above.

Why? Arcane Boots do provide more than enough mana for Azwraith, however they are rejected because they’re expensive. It is more important for him to farm the best items than just to stock up on good items. The problem with these Boots is that they don’t do much for images as they are giving only +5 more movespeed as Treads and that’s it.

Why? This one is tough. A Bottle provides HP/Mana regen and the ability to abuse runes at a very low cost. BUT, using a Bottle draws Azwraith away from farming the lanes and into the “Ganker” role. This shift will drastically hamper his mid to end-game ability by slowing his farming. Someone else on your team should be bottling anyway as there are other, much more appropriate, heroes for this task.

Why? Soul Ring sounds like a good deal: 800 gold for +3 HP regen, +50% mana regen, and the ability to get mana whenever you want it. However, Azwraith suffers from a pitiful amount of HP throughout the game and shouldn’t be using it just for one spell.

Why? Phase boots are usually good for heroes which have to chase their prey, but not for Azwraith. First, Azwraith uses his spells while chasing, negating the buff from Phase Boots. Second, his images would only get a +6 damage boost. Third, Power Treads give only 5 less MS than Phase Boots but provide a lot more benefits and all for 50 gold extra. If you really want Phase Boots, get Treads instead.

OR

Why? Buriza-do Kyanon (Buriza) is usually good for agility heroes, but it's not that great on Azwraith. First, although getting critical hits are nice, the Buriza is not cheap. In fact, it's less expensive than Radiance (5150 gold) and almost as expensive as The Butterfly (6,000 gold) which are both vastly superior items. Second, since your illusions are doing 25% of your attack damage, boosting damage has a much more diminished return on them than Feedback (see Mathcraft above).

Why? Sange and Yasha (SnY), while usually decent on agility heroes, is terrible on Azwraith. First, images cannot maim! Third, you can already chase with Spirit Lance and Purge, so what do you need maim for anyway? Fourth, attack speed increases don't help out images. Besides, Manta Style already uses your Yasha for better bonuses so there is no point in rebuying a Yasha.

Why? Hand of Midas doesn't help you, or your images out very much. This should only be considered (and subsequently rejected) when playing against Chen to get rid of his creep army. First, and really the precise reason, is that the increase in attack speed doesn't affect images. Since that's all this item does, what's the point? Well, you could argue it makes you create images faster, but spending $1,900 for this seems pointless when you could get a Hyperstone which upwards converts into an Assault Cuirass that has a few more benefits. But even an AC is NOT worth the money. Stick to this build.

Why? The Cranium Basher sounds appealing: You might think, "Sweet! My images can bash too!" WRONG! Images no longer bash due to the recent update on Cranium Basher so why waste your money on something that doesn't help your images? "But you can bash them, holding them in place while your images hit!" True, but you really don't need to bash because you can already chase effectively with Diffusal Blade's purge and your Spirit Lance. You really don't need to hold them in place at all.

Why? The Battle Fury doesn't make your images cleave (even though it looks like they do) and you're already a farming machine. So don't waste your time. The only thing to consider if maybe you need the regeneration, but you’re getting Vanguard, right?

OR

Why? 1) Chain lightning cannot be triggered by your images, 2) Feedback is a much better orb effect, ‘nuff said.

Level 1 - Dopplewalk
Level 2 - Spirit Lance
Level 3 - Spirit Lance
Level 4 - Dopplewalk
Level 5 - Spirit Lance
Level 6 - Dopplewalk
Level 7 - Spirit Lance
Level 8 - Dopplewalk
Level 9 - Juxtapose
Level 10 - Phantom Edge
Level 11 - Phantom Edge
Level 12 - Juxtapose
Level 13 - Juxtapose
Level 14 - Juxtapose
Level 15 - Stats
Level 16 - Phantom Edge
Level 17 - Stats
Level 18 - Stats
Level 19 - Stats
Level 20 - Stats
Level 21 - Stats
Level 22 - Stats
Level 23 - Stats
Level 24 - Stats
Level 25 - Stats

Why? Dopplewalk is picked first because having an escape mechanism is very important at the beginning since some people like to triple-team a lane for first blood. Plus, it's very rare when you'll need a nuke at the beginning (unless maybe you're triple-teaming a lane for first blood). Then Spirit Lance should be maxed out over Dopplewalk since it will provide damage for nuking and chasing. Although Phantom Edge is a great ultimate, it's skipped early because it's better to have Dopplewalk and Spirit Lance maxed out first. Phantom Edge just doesn't provide enough benefits to make it worthwhile. Part of it benefits your images, so shouldn't you be spawning images before you get it? I thought so.

You should be well on your way to through either item build around the time you hit level 11. By that point you will have image generation from Juxtapose and 2 levels of Phantom Edge. From here on out Juxtapose is the way to go so you can really create images.

Then all the skills are maxed out before getting Phantom Edge at 16 then stats all the way. There isn't much point in getting stats sooner because you can escape with ease and if you're following my strategy, you shouldn't be focused on too much as the enemy won't know where you are.

Quote:

Why not only one point in Dopplewalk then go stats instead? I use Dopplewalk both offensively and defensively, so I enjoy the shorter cooldown. Plus, that leaves more mana for Spirit Lance (or alternative for Dopplewalk escapes). If you're using Dopplewalk only defensively or rarely using it, you could consider stats. Although stats are great, I think Dopplewalk is a fantastic skill. It allows you to be more flexible in your gameplay. You can invis-in and out of combat. Besides, your images aren't going to be that strong without Diffusal Blade anyway, so it's better to stay alive and confuse your enemies early game. Azwraith's strength lies in his late-game ability. Few heroes can withstand his strength. You want to focus on the end game: so stay alive.

Early Game: Azwraith's primary goal early game is to stay alive because he's very squishy. Fortunately, Dopplewalk is there to save you if you get in trouble, but it costs a lot of mana, so just stay back and last hit creeps (if you can). The problem heroes here the ones that dink you to death: Viper, Veno, Clinkz, Bounty Hunter, Huskar, Warlock, etc because you'll have to spend time using tangoes or running home (not recommended). If you're really having a problem, switch lanes because you need to get some levels and items on you before you can become a threat. The good thing about Azwraith is that he really doesn't need a babysitter since he can run away easily (provided he has the mana) and this "early game" only lasts until roughly level 11, when your farming should be in overdrive and you prepare for the end game.

I can't stress this enough - FARM FARM FARM – until you have either core build complete.


Middle Game: The middle of the game is the make or break point. You should be starting to get strong now and you can use him for hero-killing, ganking (Spirit lance for nuking and slowing and Dopplewalk for sneaking up and escaping) and pushing (lots of me!). Plus, if you're following my item/skill build, you should have Diffusal or Sacred Relic here - really tilting the scales in your favor.

If you're worried about being ganked, use Dopplewalk to scout both runes and the jungles and pay attention to the global combat. Since that image lasts 20 seconds, you can cover a decent amount of the map. Or, if the enemy doesn't have true sight (dust/gem/track/amp damage etc.) or can chain disable, you could save Dopplewalk for times when you get ganked. Don't worry too much if your teammates are getting hurt because you have to farm in order to get strong. Azwraith is very item dependent and needs the time and money to get very strong. You can also play around in the jungle for easy money using your images to tank the mobs and scout.

Your focus during the middle part of the game is to get as much gold as you can, either from heroes or creeps. Azwraith requires some pretty expensive items to be strong because his abilities enhance the items’ massive power. Just play smart and you should make it to the end game successfully.


End Game: The end game is where Azwraith truly shines. By now you should have at least Diffusal/Yasha or Vanguard/Radiance and something from the alternative core build. You can push lanes for farming while using images to scout runes, jungles, potential ganks, etc. You are truly a farming machine - not many heroes can keep up with your farming ability. If you have boots of travel, you can farm a lane, teleport to another one, and let your images continue to work while you're not there. Also, your Spirit Lance still (and purge if you have it) provides the slow you need to effectively chase people. When the big team battles ensue (which they always will) you shouldn't just charge in. You're not a tank. Dopplewalk and use that image as a distraction so they think it's you waiting there and run behind their front line (usually full of tanks and creeps). Once the two lines clash, begin decimating their casters. Usually, they won’t have time to react before you're all over the place thanks to your images. If they start figuring out which one is the real you, activate Manta and continue the punishment. If you're in real trouble, Dopplewalk and get out safely. Fortunately, you'll be doing hefty damage so you might bring down one without getting too hurt and you can begin chasing.

Your images will be duplicating themselves at both the front line and the back line, confusing your enemy. Your job is to focus on one hero, kill him, and move onto another. Your images will act as fodder.

Images are your best friend: they do a lot of work for you and are expendable. They can be used for a variety of purposes:

Scouting
The image created by Dopplewalk lasts 20 seconds, that's more than enough time for you to get to a rune or to scout the jungle. You can scout with your Juxtapose images, but each only lasts about 7 seconds. They are best used when you're jungling and want to scout out an area since you can start them running in different directions, covering lots of ground. They are also helpful during pushes because once you have killed the creep wave and you have left over images, send them in different directions (into the jungles, Rosh, behind you, ahead of you, etc). They won't survive until the next wave anyway, so you may as well put their sight to good use.

Drawing Enemy Fire
Azwraith gets dominated by chain stuns and focus-fire due to his fairly low HP. The way to counter this is to go out of your enemies' sight (behind trees, up cliffs, around corners, out of range, etc.), Dopplewalk, and control that image like you would control yourself. If played right, enemies will fire away on that image. This is especially the case when you think they are coming to gank you as they are very eager to get a kill. I have successfully drawn Rooftrellen's mass entangle, Rexxar's roar, Lion's finger, Bane's grasp, and a bunch of stuns with my illusion. The trick is to make your enemy think it's you since they can't tell a difference. Although this may not seem like much since you're not killing anyone, you just made them waste their precious mana with (hopefully) their strongest spell. Now they are less of a threat to both you and your teammates. Plus, you can trash talk a little. Go on, you earned it.

Avoiding Spells
In a related concept, since Dopplewalk has no transition time into invisibility, you can use it to avoid spells. Although this isn't really "using your images," one is created in the process, so I stuck this here. For example, if you have a storm bolt coming at you, activate Dopplewalk or Manta. The spell will fail and you will be unharmed. Additionally, the enemy, anticipating the stun will hit, will likely come in after you. They will attack the illusion, diving towards you, potentially offering an opportunity to hit back.

Confusing your Enemy
As mentioned earlier, when you cast Spirit Lance, your images mimic you but shortly afterward. By casting the lance, you give away your position, but this can be used to your advantage. First, make sure you can Dopplewalk. Second, cast your lance. Third, Dopplewalk. You know that "real" one your enemy was looking for? Well, he's a fake one now. You can run around searching for an opening to strike or bail if you have to.

Jungling
Images play an important role in jungling because they allow you to tackle creeping earlier and harder. It's like having a friendly hero with you but better because they don't leach your experience. The basics are: go in and attack, creating some images, then you back out a little while your images do most of the work. Some people recommend moving on to another creep camp once you've spawned a few images, but I prefer to stay at one until it's over. Why? Well, 1) that ensures you get the experience, 2) if enemies come to gank you, you already have duplicates to confuse them, 3) if only one enemy shows up, you already have a ganking squad, 4) you can use your 7 images to scout the area after the camp is dead. What camp you can kill depends on the creep strength and your items. Once you get Diffusal Blade most of the creeps will be easy pickings but with Manta or a Vanguard, creeps should be trembling in fear (except Rosh, who eats your illusions like a fat kid eats cake).

Slowing your Enemy
WARNING: Uber-micro Required! Having a hard time catching that speedy Strygwyr or Barathrum? Spirit Lance and Diffusal Blade slow. Well, so can images. After casting Spirit Lance, your enemy is crippled for a decent slow. If you plan it right and can chase. After casting the spell, quickly tell your real hero to attack the enemy and take control of your image. Then, have your image, who runs at your speed, run in front of their hero. Use that image to block the enemy as you would your own creeps. You can catch up and initiate the beating. However, this is very difficult to do and I don't have the micro skills necessary so don't expect a replay (if you can and want to submit it, I'm all for that!).

As I said earlier, images are your best friend. They not only do damage, but they can be utilized for a variety of purposes apart from hacking away.

Images, although very helpful and strong, are picky about what they will and won't benefit from. Note: These two sources are where I got my information. I did not test these as it's taken me long enough to write this out!

See Play DOTA Mechanics

Images will not benefit from:

• Raw damage or armor
• HP or mana regeneration
• Orb effects (except Feedback on melee illusions)
• Cleave
• Bash (it works in some rare scenarios, but it’s not worth going into), this includes the interrupt on Monkey King Bar
• Damage block
• Spell resistance from Planeswalker's Cloak, Hood of Defiance or Khadgar's Pipe of Insight
• Backstab
  

Images will benefit from:

• Evasion
• Critical Strike (it should be noted that the red number is before the illusion reduction)
• Feedback (only works on melee illusions)
• Movement speed (flat and percentage)
• Attribute bonus (Strength, agility and intelligence)
• Flat HP or mana
• True Sight
• Radiance burn aura (the aura still will not affect units already affected by a different Radiance aura)
• Endurance Aura (includes for example – Yasha, Inner Beast, and Jango of Endurance)
• Spell resistance from abilities, and base spell resistance
• Quelling Blade's Demolish

Morphling is a great partner for Azwraith because of his ability to copy Azwraith. What's better than having one mana-burning, image-creating hero? TWO mana-burning, image-creating heroes! The good thing about Morph is that his image copies don't affect your image count.

Crystal Maiden is another great ally because she disables with Frostbite, slows with Crystal Nova, and provides a mana well for you with Brilliance Aura. Once her aura is leveled to 4, you can pretty much spam your skills. Additionally, her Freezing Field causes chaos during team fights by flooding the screen with particles, making it difficult for enemies to discern which Azwraith is the real one.

Rooftrellen also provides multiple benefits for you. He slows the enemy with Leech Seed, provides armor and HP regen with Living Armor, hides you with Nature’s Guise, and holds the enemies with Overgrowth.

Rooftrellen is also one of the most annoying heroes to go against. He is a monster tank without much mana to burn (meaning not a lot of extra damage). His ultimate not only roots you to the ground, but will more than likely kill all images that are around, making it obvious which one is the real you. He can also easily hide whichever hero you are focus firing, preventing your kill.

Earthshaker’s Echo Slam gets stronger the more images you have around him, giving him a lot of damage. He also has a very wide long-range stun which gives you less room for error when attempting escapes. Fortunately, if you have a Radiance, you can mitigate his Blink Dagger by always scouting with images since their burning aura will disable his Blink Dagger.

Leshrac not only tanks any damage you throw at him, but dishes out massive AOE damage. He has no problems blasting through all of your grouped images while damaging you at the same time with his Pulse Nova. You want to stop his progression early in the game if possible (the Diffusal/Yasha build is good for this).

This is my first guide and post so please feel free to critique. In closing I hope this has inspired you to play Azwraith more. He's very fun because he's so tricksy and there’s no hero like him. The important thing is understanding that his illusions can be very strong with the right items. You should focus on the long-term as he's one of the strongest heroes in the game. Good luck and happy hunting!

3/2009 - Minor changes
8/2009 – 6.61c update
10/2011 – 6.72f update