This is my first guide, so please be gentle.

Contents

1.: Introduction
2.: Skills and stuff
3.: Skill build(s)
4.: Item builds
5.: Strategies



1.: Introduction

Well... What can be said about Tauren Chieftain... He may be hard to play at first, but once you get used to him, he's a very powerful hero, a whole-gamer. His ultimate skill and the stun may be tricky to use sometimes, but they are rewarding. Especially in the late game.

Here are the starting and ending statistics of his (I admit, I stole this from the other guide except the coloring, sorry, I hope the poster doesn't mind):


Stats

Strength: 24 + 2.3
Agility: 14 + 1.5
Intelligence: 23 + 1.6

Attack Range: 128 (melee)
Movement Speed: 310
Armor: 3
Attack Animation: 0.35 / 0.97
Casting Animation: 0.4 / 0.8
Base Attack Time: 1.7
Missile Speed: Instant
Sight Range: 1800 / 800








2.: Skills and stuff

Skills? Pretty awesome, I think. Sometimes hard to use, but awesome anyway.

- Echo Stomp (T)



Calls upon the spirit of his ancestors to join him in an earth-shattering echo, rendering nearby foes unconcious. The spirit and Tauren Chieftain both deal 80 damage in the area, the Spirit dealing magical damage and the physical form dealing physical damage. Unconscious enemies will wake if they get hit. If the spirit is seperated from you, it will still perform its part of the spell. 1.4 second cast time.

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Level 1 - Knocks out units for 2 seconds.
Level 2 - Knocks out units for 3 seconds.
Level 3 - Knocks out units for 4 seconds.
Level 4 - Knocks out units for 5 seconds.

Cooldown: 15
Manacost: 100/115/130/145
AoE: 500 units

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Player comments: This skill is channeling, so if you get stunned or disabled, it'll fail but still use your mana and go into cooldown, so sniper, witch doctor, earthshaker will all be quite annoying, including clockwerk goblin and Luna.

Works with the next skill, called Ancestral spirit, so it's not as problematic to cast it, but if allied heroes hit the stunned enemy heroes, they will wake up, similar to Bane Elemental's nightmare, except that it will not sleep you.



- Ancestral Spirit (C)



The Tauren Chieftain sends forth his guardian ancestor to bring ruin upon his foes. While separate from the Chieftain, the spirit will mimic his movement and damage any unit it passes through. When it rejoins the Chieftain, it grants him bonus damage and movement speed for each enemy it has struck.

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Level 1 - 120 Damage. 3 Attack Damage per creep, 1% speed per creep, 10 Attack Damage per hero, 5% speed per hero.
Level 2 - 160 Damage. 6 Attack Damage per creep, 1% speed per creep, 20 Attack Damage per hero, 5% speed per hero.
Level 3 - 200 Damage. 9 Attack Damage per creep, 1% speed per creep, 30 Attack Damage per hero, 5% speed per hero.
Level 4 - 240 Damage. 12 Attack Damage per creep, 1% speed per creep, 40 Attack Damage per hero, 5% speed per hero.

Duration: 8 seconds
Cooldown: 19
Manacost: 110
Casting Range: 1000 units

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Player comments: This is a good harassing skill, perhaps similar to Pudge's hook, except that it stay's in the field longer, and it's movement is mirrored, so if you move towards it, it will go towards you and enter you, the farther you go away from it, farther it will go. It damages creeps and heroes that it comes in contact with at least once, and the sleep stun can be channeled through it. It is not channeled like the stun.


- Natural Order (Passive)



The Tauren Chieftain uses wisdom gathered throughout the ages to reduce everything to it's most basic level. Removes base Magic and Physical resistance.

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Level 1 – 20%
Level 2 - 40%
Level 3 - 60%
Level 4 - 80%

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Player comments: This skill is quite awesome. It is an aura that lowers enemy's armor and magical resistance, so it's good against agility heroes and those with high armor (Dragon knight, for example), or against those who make assault cuirass.

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- Earth Splitter [E]



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Using his mighty axe, the Tauren Chieftain rends the very earth itself, sending a jagged crack under the feet of his enemies. After several seconds the earth implodes, sending his foes tumbling inwards. Any unit caught in the implosion will take damage based on their maximum life and have their speed slowed for a short time. Implodes after 3 seconds. Deals 35% of a unit's maximum HP.

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Level 1 - 30% Maim for 3 seconds duration.
Level 2 - 40% Maim for 4 seconds.
Level 3 - 50% Maim for 5 seconds.

Cooldown: 100
Manacost: 175
AoE: 325 units (width) / 2400 units (distance)

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Player comments: A very powerful skill, especially good against tanks and a good enemy of the whole enemy team, especially good with ulties of Rooftfellen (the tree), Void, Enigma and Warlock. It is sometimes hard to hit with it, but if you stun with your spirit + stun combo, they'll be caught in it for sure. It can be used as an escape ulti, if you go through a choke point, like parts of the river and the run over it so they follow you. I once killed Riki like that because he was following me across our tower.

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3.: Skill builds

Level 1: Echo Stomp/Ancestral Spirit
Level 2: Echo Stomp/Ancestral Spirit
Level 3: Ancestral Spirit
Level 4: Echo Stomp
Level 5: Ancestral Spirit
Level 6: Earth Splitter
Level 7: Ancestral Spirit
Level 8 and 9: Echo Stomp
Level 10: Natural Order
Level 11: Earth Splitter
Level 12 to 14: Natural Order
Level 15: Stats
Level 16: Earth Splitter
Level 17 to 25: Stats


Player comments: Echo stomp at first level can (if there are no serious stunners) save your teammate at level 1 first blood ambushes, if you are in a pair. If you are alone in lane, then you may pick ancestral spirit first if you want. Stats are not necessary at low levels, which I will explain about it more in item builds later. You will require longer stun for stun + ulti combo. The armor lowering aura is needed more in late game than earlier, so that's why I usually build it at later levels.



4.: Item Builds

- Starting items:

- Ring of Basilius (not needed if you're in lane with Rylai or your teammate has it, then go for boots, bracers or belt of ogre strength)
- Healing potions/Tree eating item

or

- Mana potions

Starting items comments: Mana regeneration is essential, so that's why ring of basilius and possibly healing potions are necessary. If Rylai or someone else has mana regeneration aura, then you may get belt of giant strength, bracers or boots for speed, mana or hit points.



Later in early to mid game:
- Strength Power Threads
- 2x Bracer
- Vanguard
- Bloodstone/Battlefury/Hood of Defiance/Black King Bar/Vladimir's offering


Player comments: Depending on the enemy team and your style of play. If enemy team has a lot of nukers, hood of defiance and bloodstone come first. Bloodstone helps you stay in the field longer because of more mana and mana/hp regen, hood of defiance protects you against enemy spellcasters. Black King Bar is only necessary if they have many annoying stunners. Battlefury will give you additional melee damage, although it's not necessary, since you get a lot of damage from throwing Ancestral Spirit skill into enemy heroes and creeps. Vladimir;s Offering gives additional damage, some armor, life steal aura and mana regen.


Late game:

- Heart of Tarrasque, Assault Cuirass (not tested if it works with the Tauren's aura yet, the lower armor part), Linken's Sphere, Refresher's Orb (If you have bloodstone)


Player's comments: Hit point regeneration (and more of them, too!) and possible protection from enemy skills. Linken is possibly needed earlier in game too, depends from the enemy team. Refresher's Orb with Bloodstone is a powerful tool in Tauren Chieftain's hands. Imagine 70% hit point damage in just a couple of seconds to all enemy team.



5.: Strategies

- If the team plays well, Tauren Chieftain is one of the best team heroes ever made. His AoE ulti goes quite well with Rooftellen's ultimate and Enigma's ulti, and with many other skills as well.

- His ganking power is enormous as he can catch and stun enemy heroes that are trying to run away. It may be hard to get used to it at first, but it's possible.

- His stun is very good for starting team fights, since he can do it from a distance. Once he uses Ancestral Spirit + Stun combo, his ulti can easily "hunt" them down, followed by example by Enigma's or Roof's ulti.

- Beware of mini stunners, like Luna, sniper, clockwerk, and other stunners/disablers/silencers/hexers. They may interrupt your stun. It is best if you stun them from a safe distance before they stun you. Perhaps let others stun/disable them first.


Well, this is about it... I think. I hope it helps you.