Axe

An interpretation of the Mighty Axe

Introduction to the Support/Tanker

I have come to a realization that the Axe I knew before isn't the same Axe now. In the past and on up till now, He was built to tank hits, harass enemies, to do advance creeping on a very early stage of the game, and just initiate clashes. To be honest, I think of Axe as a hero that is picked out of fun, who doesn't really pose much of a threat throughout the whole game. But, he is now capable of supporting and tanking all at the same time because of recent updates and changes. He is better at harassing from a far than he was before. And due to new items and new patches, he can now play a support role too. DotA is changing to accommodate new strategies and new roles for many heroes. I will simply lay it out for everyone to speculate. I play pub games but I'm quite sure this build can be used for serious games, too. Sorry for my bad english and my bad guide-making!

Skill Build for Laning/ or Jungling

Level 1: Counter Helix (For farming neutral camps or harassing player controlled enemy heroes)
Level 2: Battle Hunger (For harassing lane enemy heroes and for killing strong Neutral creep)
Level 3: Counter Helix (For damage increase for farming neutral camps)
Level 4: Berserker's call
Level 5: Berserker's call (Essential in supporting a gank)
Level 6: Culling blade
Level 7: Battle hunger
Level 8: Battle hunger
Level 9: Berserker's call
Level 10: Battle hunger
Level 11: Culling blade
level 12-15: Berserker's call, Counter helix and stat
Level 16: Culling blade
Level 17-25: Stats

Skill Priority Explanation:

Counter helix

Has a 17% chance to trigger and deal's physical damage to all nearby enemy units in a 275 AoE radius when attacked.

Only 2 levels should be picked up in order to farm neutral/lane creeps faster and in harassing enemies.
(Extra levels is not advisable because you are still not tanky enough to be over aggressive and also due to the fact that counter helix has only 17% chance proc. This is very low especially when enemy creeps are not around to help it trigger. But If you want to max this out first, then make use of it by being aggressive and farming lots of creeps.)



Battle Hunger

A Damage over time spell that inflicts magic damage up-to 19 seconds when maxed out. Has a move speed buff and debuff, low cooldown, and high damage early on. About 627 magic damage *does not include magic resistance reduction

This should be maxed out first because of it's harassing and farming capabilties. You are now more of a threat and your enemies will get really annoyed by the high poison damage. therefore newbies or players who are intimidated early on will more then likely aim you in a team fight. Congratulations you are now more noticeable.



Berserker's call

His only AoE disable spell. When positioned properly. It can be deadly to your enemies because it will make their hero uncontrollable for 3 seconds.

This is maxed out secondly because of it's ability to keep enemy heroes at one place for 3 seconds.



Counter helix

Counters some blows made to him dealing damage to all nearby enemy units with a 17% chance to trigger on a 275 area of effect.

is low priority and maxed out thirdly because the damage from Battle hunger and the disable from Berserker's call outweighs and is more important for your own team rather than focusing on counter helix and stats.
(Everyone knows the best way to fight against axe is distance. It is a foolish errand and a waste of time to risk a melee fight with him not unless you are sure he will die.)



Lastly, Get Culling blade

His finishing skill that kills low hp heroes under the HP threshold requirement. Instantly kills heroes below it.

Get this whenever you can and leave stats for late game.

Items explanation

Core Items

Arcane boots, Dagger, Vanguard, Mekansm, Cuirass, Shivas

My reasoning

I choose this very exact and particular items for my core because of it's

1. effectiveness

and because of it's

2. cheap-easy-to-get components.

All you need is a short amount of time to farm, in order for you to get into action right away to begin supporting your team.



Arcane boots > Phaseboots.

+ Arcane boots benefits 3 skills on axe.

+ Battle Hunger is now spammable. It does 627 damage over 19seconds, a 5 second cooldown, a 10% slow buff, and a stacking 4% bonus movement speed for every enemy under the effects of battle hunger. That is huge.

+ Berserker’s call can now be spammed to proc more Counter helix on lane creeps. farming in lane is now faster.

+ You will be able to spam Blink dagger as much as you want, and get you as further as you can around the map.

+ You may even support Mekansm mana cost

+ And lastly, This guarantees you a Big role in supporting your team mates with mana issues as Mana is very important in DotA.



Dagger is very self explanatory.

+ It is core on axe to assist his Initiating, Positioning and Escaping capabilities.



Vanguard vs Hood of defiance.

+ Vanguard gives you 250+ Hitpoints, 6/sec hp regen, and a 70% chance to block 40 physical damage.
(Now Axe being a Melee hero has to be right in the middle of a clash to soak up damage for the team.)

+ This item also synchronizes very well with Counter Helix spins. The longer you can survive, the more spins you can get off.

+ Vanguard also provides raw 250hp for soaking up magic damage which a Hood of defiance also gives. Now getting hood is better against magic. But Vanguard can do both.

+ Main point: Vanguard can absorb both Physical & Magical damage because of raw 250HP.



Mekansm vs Pipe

Axe is a good Mekansm holder because of the following:-

+ Mekansm provides axe with bonus +7 armor. Blocking a variable amount of physical damage depending on your maximum health pool.


+ It provides a small amount of Stats which is a bit good. 5 str, 5 agi, 5 int. So that’s an additional 95hp & 0.15hp/regen, 0.7 armor & 5 attackspeed, 65 manapoints & 0.2 mana regeneration

+ It has an active 250 hp aoe heal and a passive Aoe 4/hp regen per second

+ It does half of the job a Pipe of insight is capable of. Although Pipe is superior in magic damage resistance, A Mekansm is good enough

+ Benefits both you and your team



Assault Cuirass

+10 armor (Highly increases your EHP on physical hits and tanking potential)

+35 attack speed (not really wasted when you can auto attack)

-5 armor aura (syncs very well with Counter Helix & pushing towers

+5 armor and +20 attack speed aura (slight benefit for you and team mates)



Shivas Guard

If you manage to reach this point of the game. Then you have been really successful and you’re enemies are messing up big time.(I consider items as stages of success and not by the minutes)

+ Shivas gives axe an amazing +15 armor (EHP increase)

+ 30 INT (That is 390 mana & 1.2mana/regen per second. You should be able to sell of Arcane boots for travels as Shivas Guard can compensate for the mana costs of skills. Synergizes very well with low INT tanker heroes)

+ A -25 attack speed aura. (A small increase in physical EHP)

+ Artic blast - an incredible active spell which does 200 magic damage and slows enemy movespeed around axe for for 40% in 719 aoe for 4 seconds. Quite spammable for 30 seconds of cooldown

The Strategy

Early game

These are my starting items




My reasoning

Hell, you will be taking up jungle for yourself! Your life is easier and all you have to worry about is farming so that means less help for the poor guy who will solo his lane. get the word "solo" in your head because he will single-handedly solo all the harassment and tower defending by himself. So the least you could do for the team is buy a courier. That's like an extra tango & clarity potion for your team mate who would've bought the courier.

Your job is to Farm, Harass, Survive and occasionally support a skirmish. Nothing else.

Mid Game

Your items should contain this





You should be ganking the side lanes and Supporting a push. after you have secured your Arcane boots and Blink dagger. That's it.

Where is vanguard you might ask?

Around mid game your HP should already be around 900+ and you should prioritize accordingly.

Arcane boots > Dagger > Vanguard


Late Game





The item progression should be all of the core items mentioned in my item explanation.

Other Items could be:-

- Replacement for vanguard

- Replacement for Arcaneboots

- If focused fired a lot

- If needed to counter heavy AoE nukes

- Always useful on any occasion

- Has always been useful in many ways

- Useful as well if you plan to gank often and if nobody has picked it up

- I don't recommend this but if you want to troll around and just play like it's a joke. This can be useful for initiating and escaping. LOL

- To counter shadowfiend or negative armor auras in a team fight (I really don't recommend it but the aura is so damn good especially the armor)

Reminders

Just keep doing what you should be doing.

Tanking ✓
Supporting ✓
Harassing with Battle hunger & Counter helix ✓
keeping your enemies pinned down with Berserker's Call ✓

just be present and that's all you need to do.

and lastly, never steal from your carry unless the circumstances calls for it.

Godbless you. And have fun playing DotA!


THANKS AND CREDITS

All the thanks are directed at

www.playdota.com For it's awesome site.

The pub players of dotA.

And IceFrog for creating such a good game.