This guide is for a support Abaddon, which is the best and most effective way to play him. It focuses mainly on skill and item builds.
---------------- Skill Allocation ----------------
Aphotic Shield 1
Frostmourne 1
Death Coil 1
Death Coil 2
Death Coil 3
Borrowed Time 1
Death Coil 4
Aphotic Shield 2
Aphotic Shield 3
Aphotic Shield 4
Borrowed Time 2
Frostmourne 2
Frostmourne 3
Frostmourne 4
Attribute Bonus 1
Borrowed Time 3
Attribute Bonus 2-10
---------------- Starting Items ----------------
OR
---------------- Core Items ----------------
------
---------------- Item Order ----------------
(Just a general feel that should vary depending on the game)
Don't forget these also:
And if needed:
---------------- Luxury Items ----------------
If you manage to buy all the "core items" mentioned earlier, then I strongly recommend getting this item afterwards. As late game comes around, your usefulness will lessen because your heal and shield's fixed amounts won't be as effective. That's why you need to move towards being able to tank if you still want to be useful to your team.
This item works really well with LoA because it will draw more fire from the other team who now has incentive to take you down. If your team has plenty of survivability already, than i recommend getting this item instead of heart. Also, if things are going really well for you from the start of the game and you find yourself with an abundance of gold, then you might as well go straight for this item. It will completely mess with the other team.
Gives you a lot of survivability against physical damage and gives you attack speed. The auras can be useful also. Get this if the opposing team is very physical damage based. Keep in mind, however, that your armor will already be high due to Shiva's.
---------------- Other Items Worth Mentioning ----------------
Due to your up-close, support, and chasing style, this item is a good choice. I used to get this item but the reason that I don't anymore is because it's kind of expensive for what it does. The aura isn't all that great, the stats are pretty nice but don't add all that much to your survivability, and you already have a speed burst with the phase boots. I prefer just spending the gold towards Shiva's.
Very good item for this build imo. Can block spells like stuns and silences that would keep you from helping your team. This item is pretty situational so if you think you need it, then go ahead.
I personally have not tried this item on LoA but it seems like it could be useful especially when chasing down a hero with your allies. The early mana regen is also nice.
---------------- Items to Avoid ----------------
If you were more of a threat to the other team, then this item would be better for you. However as a support who doesn't dish out much damage, yet is still somewhat difficult to kill, people usually aren't going to target you so the extra seconds on your ult duration isn't much of a threat to the other team.
Same reason I gave for Aghanim's. Also, it costs too much.
Note: In the very rare case that things are going extremely well for you and you manage to get radiance early on (mentioned this earlier), these two items could prove quite useful. Otherwise, forget about it for this build.
The main reason not to get this is because it requires mana to use but doesn't give any back (no mana regen). If you're spending mana to use this item, then it means that you haven't been using your other spells enough. This item is most effective around mid game, which is when you still need mana desperately but don't yet have your Shiva's.
For this build, avoid it. You're going to be maxing coil early on so you need all the hp you can get. In fact, since coil (at level 4) drains more HP than it does mana, it is more important for you to sustain your life than mana in order to continue healing your allies. Also, your shield doesn't block the sacrifice damage this item inflicts on yourself.
The idea is to try to take damage so that your team doesn't have to. Like I said before, the enemy will not make you their primary target, having this item will only justify this even more. Keep in mind that there are rare cases where you should get this item (like the other team has a lot of dps).
---------------- Additional Pointers ----------------
Aphotic Shield 1
Frostmourne 1
Death Coil 1
Death Coil 2
Death Coil 3
Borrowed Time 1
Death Coil 4
Aphotic Shield 2
Aphotic Shield 3
Aphotic Shield 4
Borrowed Time 2
Frostmourne 2
Frostmourne 3
Frostmourne 4
Attribute Bonus 1
Borrowed Time 3
Attribute Bonus 2-10
------- Justification:
- Reasons for pointing a single point on aphotic shield early:
- Reasons for pointing a single point on aphotic shield early:
- Putting your initial point on shield first allows you to harass and last hit/deny more easily because of the protection it gives you.- Reasons for maxing death coil so early:
- Only one point is put on the shield initially because a level 1 shield looks the exact same as a level 4 shield so the opposing team will still hesitate to attack you regardless of what level it's actually on.
- Shield drains more mana than coil.
- Nukes are more powerful early game.- Reason for putting a single point on frostmourne early:
- Every additional point put into coil adds 50 damage/heal whereas the damage dealt to you only increases by 25 per level.
- Low, fixed mana cost.
- Low cooldown.
- Coil is a more reliable support skill than shield. A heal is always a heal. However, a shield may or not be used properly depending on your teammates and could end up being a waste of a cast.
- Since every point put into coil adds to the damage it deals to you when you cast, it makes it MUCH easier to deny yourself when there are more points on it.
- The extra damage on yourself also synergizes well with your ult.
- The increased ms that it gives you is constant from level 1 to 4.
- The tiny slow amount also makes it so that you aren't completely useless at chasing early game.
- I have tried many games with and without putting a point on this skill early on and the difference is very noticeable. I can't live without it personally.
- The reason you don't max this right away is because you are playing as a support which means you need to max coil and shield asap.
---------------- Starting Items ----------------
OR
- I prefer the first build because it gives the same amount of +damage for last hitting as the second one but it also gives +3 to the other stats, not just strength. In essence, you get more for your money. However, the branches don't synergize with anything later on.
- The reason that there aren't any items for your mana is because you're not going to be dependent on your shield, which takes up more mana than coil. Also, your ult does not cost any mana.
- The reason that there aren't more health items, is because the next item you get is a ring of regeneration. Also, your shield should allow you to get enough last hits to get the ring with relative ease.
- The reason that there aren't any items for your mana is because you're not going to be dependent on your shield, which takes up more mana than coil. Also, your ult does not cost any mana.
- The reason that there aren't more health items, is because the next item you get is a ring of regeneration. Also, your shield should allow you to get enough last hits to get the ring with relative ease.
---------------- Core Items ----------------
------
- It's your job to support your team both defensively and offensively. On offense, this usually means helping to chase.
- Phase boots works way too well with frostmourne for you to not get it. The problem with frostmourne is that in order for you to start perma slowing an enemy, you have to get up close to them first to hit them at melee range. Phase boots gives you that extra burst of movement speed to get to an enemy to slow them down. Once you've hit them once, chasing them down gets a lot easier.
- Phase boots also helps chasing because you can go through your allies instead of blocking them.
- The extra burst of movement speed also helps you get to your ally quicker to save their life with a coil and shield. It can make the difference between life and death.
- Phase boots works way too well with frostmourne for you to not get it. The problem with frostmourne is that in order for you to start perma slowing an enemy, you have to get up close to them first to hit them at melee range. Phase boots gives you that extra burst of movement speed to get to an enemy to slow them down. Once you've hit them once, chasing them down gets a lot easier.
- Phase boots also helps chasing because you can go through your allies instead of blocking them.
- The extra burst of movement speed also helps you get to your ally quicker to save their life with a coil and shield. It can make the difference between life and death.
- In order to continue healing and supporting your team, you need adequate replenishment for yourself. Urn can both heal you, and your allies. So let's say you have low health, it would be wiser to use urn to heal your ally then coil (because coil hurts you). Or you could use coil on the ally, and then urn yourself. In essence, urn helps take some of the pressure off of yourself.
- Also gives decent mana regeneration to help cast your coil and shield.
- Also gives decent mana regeneration to help cast your coil and shield.
- Vlad's is simply a great item to have for any team so it should be your responsibility to get it since you're the support and you will be supporting mostly at melee range. Even if someone else gets it, I recommend getting it anyways.
- Helps with your health regeneration (if you're low on health start attacking some creeps and laning).
- Helps with your mana regeneration (it has a mana regeneration aura).
- Helps with your health regeneration (if you're low on health start attacking some creeps and laning).
- Helps with your mana regeneration (it has a mana regeneration aura).
- You or may or may not have time/gold to get this item but at least get plate mail first (usually).
- Great item that increases your armor/survivability.
- Works very well with your role as a supporting chaser. The slow helps you and your team catch up to your enemy and it stacks with frostmourne.
- Gives you a lot of intel/mana which you will find to be quite useful when spamming spells.
- Great item that increases your armor/survivability.
- Works very well with your role as a supporting chaser. The slow helps you and your team catch up to your enemy and it stacks with frostmourne.
- Gives you a lot of intel/mana which you will find to be quite useful when spamming spells.
- Basic item you should have on you at pretty much all times.
- You are a support who doesn't need a lot of gold/items to be effective so you should be buying wards.
---------------- Item Order ----------------
(Just a general feel that should vary depending on the game)
Don't forget these also:
And if needed:
---------------- Luxury Items ----------------
If you manage to buy all the "core items" mentioned earlier, then I strongly recommend getting this item afterwards. As late game comes around, your usefulness will lessen because your heal and shield's fixed amounts won't be as effective. That's why you need to move towards being able to tank if you still want to be useful to your team.
This item works really well with LoA because it will draw more fire from the other team who now has incentive to take you down. If your team has plenty of survivability already, than i recommend getting this item instead of heart. Also, if things are going really well for you from the start of the game and you find yourself with an abundance of gold, then you might as well go straight for this item. It will completely mess with the other team.
Gives you a lot of survivability against physical damage and gives you attack speed. The auras can be useful also. Get this if the opposing team is very physical damage based. Keep in mind, however, that your armor will already be high due to Shiva's.
---------------- Other Items Worth Mentioning ----------------
Due to your up-close, support, and chasing style, this item is a good choice. I used to get this item but the reason that I don't anymore is because it's kind of expensive for what it does. The aura isn't all that great, the stats are pretty nice but don't add all that much to your survivability, and you already have a speed burst with the phase boots. I prefer just spending the gold towards Shiva's.
Very good item for this build imo. Can block spells like stuns and silences that would keep you from helping your team. This item is pretty situational so if you think you need it, then go ahead.
I personally have not tried this item on LoA but it seems like it could be useful especially when chasing down a hero with your allies. The early mana regen is also nice.
---------------- Items to Avoid ----------------
If you were more of a threat to the other team, then this item would be better for you. However as a support who doesn't dish out much damage, yet is still somewhat difficult to kill, people usually aren't going to target you so the extra seconds on your ult duration isn't much of a threat to the other team.
Same reason I gave for Aghanim's. Also, it costs too much.
Note: In the very rare case that things are going extremely well for you and you manage to get radiance early on (mentioned this earlier), these two items could prove quite useful. Otherwise, forget about it for this build.
The main reason not to get this is because it requires mana to use but doesn't give any back (no mana regen). If you're spending mana to use this item, then it means that you haven't been using your other spells enough. This item is most effective around mid game, which is when you still need mana desperately but don't yet have your Shiva's.
For this build, avoid it. You're going to be maxing coil early on so you need all the hp you can get. In fact, since coil (at level 4) drains more HP than it does mana, it is more important for you to sustain your life than mana in order to continue healing your allies. Also, your shield doesn't block the sacrifice damage this item inflicts on yourself.
The idea is to try to take damage so that your team doesn't have to. Like I said before, the enemy will not make you their primary target, having this item will only justify this even more. Keep in mind that there are rare cases where you should get this item (like the other team has a lot of dps).
---------------- Additional Pointers ----------------
- Try to take as much damage as you can away from your allies without dying. It may actually be difficult to take damage because this build makes you somewhat ineffective at dealing damage and being a threat. That's why you your positioning should often times be near the front of a fight.
- Always use coil to save your ally instead of dealing damage unless you know for a fact that all of your allies are safe or that killing an enemy will save your ally.
- Before a battle starts, shield yourself then move up to the front to take damage. If your ult is up, you should almost never hesitate to do this.
- Wait until your ally is stunned, slowed, etc before you use shield on them (unless they are going to die without it).
- Spam coil at all times on your allies whenever in a battle.
- Always keep an eye on all your allies and their HP levels, keeping an especially close eye on your carry.
- If an ally is getting chased, a lot of the time you can save them while still preserving your own life. Phase towards your ally, cast coil first (it has a farther cast range than shield) then wait for them to get stunned/slowed before you cast shield (unless they are in dire need of it right away). Then start attacking the enemy to slow them.
- Always have the mindset that it is your job to keep all of your teammates alive.
- Always use coil to save your ally instead of dealing damage unless you know for a fact that all of your allies are safe or that killing an enemy will save your ally.
- Before a battle starts, shield yourself then move up to the front to take damage. If your ult is up, you should almost never hesitate to do this.
- Wait until your ally is stunned, slowed, etc before you use shield on them (unless they are going to die without it).
- Spam coil at all times on your allies whenever in a battle.
- Always keep an eye on all your allies and their HP levels, keeping an especially close eye on your carry.
- If an ally is getting chased, a lot of the time you can save them while still preserving your own life. Phase towards your ally, cast coil first (it has a farther cast range than shield) then wait for them to get stunned/slowed before you cast shield (unless they are in dire need of it right away). Then start attacking the enemy to slow them.
- Always have the mindset that it is your job to keep all of your teammates alive.
Abaddon the Lord of AvernusAuthor: Hujiba
Map Vers.: 6.72c
Compact Guide to Lord of Avernus
Skill and Item Build
Last Comment:06/06/2011
Total Votes: 0
Current Rating: 0.00
Views: 3121
