Pros and Cons

Pros
-Destroys any lane easily
-Super farming capability
-Ultimate which could deal upto 2400 damage.
-Capable of having up to + 60 damage at level 8
-Quite high stat growth per level
Cons
-Dying is very irratating to shadow fiend as he loses his souls
-Weak base damage, almost as low as techies
-Very low starting stats
-Could not gank people easily due to lack of disables
-Low base armor for a agility hero

Shadow fiend has pretty many Pros and Cons, when played properly, you could ignore most of the cons.



1.SKILLS

Nevermore - The Shadow Fiend

Range: 500 | Move Speed: 300
Primary: AGI
Str: 15 + 2 | Agi: 20 + 2.4 | Int: 18 + 2
Damage: 35 – 41 | HP: 435 | Mana: 234
HP Regen: 0.70 | Mana Regen: 0.73
Attack Speed: 0.71 | Armor: 2

Shadowraze (Z)
Gives the Shadow Fiend the power to desecrate regions in front of him at varying distances.
Level 1 - 75 damage.
Level 2 - 150 damage.
Level 3 - 225 damage.
Level 4 - 300 damage.
• Damage type: magical
• When Shadow Raze is learned, three independent skills will be given to Nevermore, each one generating a Shadow Raze at a specific distance in front of him.
• Casting range Z: 200
• Casting range X: 450
• Casting range C: 700
• Area of Effect: 275
Mana Cost: 75
Cooldown: 10
Comment: Incredible Nuke that dominates your lane, but difficult to master and thus take tons of practice. Let me note that you get 3 buttons for this skill Z,X,C. And the cast range is extended. So I would def.play a practice and get the edge of the skill. Once mastered waves of creeps die and heroes fall (So lame)

Necromastery (N)
Whenever the Shadow Fiend kills a unit (both allies or enemies), he stores the unfortunate soul inside of him. For each stored soul he gains 2 bonus damage until his own death releases half of them from bondage.
Level 1 - 16 damage limit.
Level 2 - 30 damage limit.
Level 3 - 46 damage limit.
Level 4 - 60 damage limit.
• Heroes, denies and neutral creeps also provide Bonus damage through Necromastery.
• The more souls Nevermore has, the more powerful Requiem of Souls will be.
Mana Cost: N/A
Cooldown: N/A
Comment: This takes the skill of your last hitting and denying and makes it another boost. Which gives damage and at level 4 is a free sacred relic, so the more charges you get the easier it is to gain more. So also practice last hitting and denying you know.

Presence of the Dark Lord (P)
The presence of such a horrible creature terrifies nearby enemies, reducing their armor.
Level 1 - 2 armor reduction.
Level 2 - 3 armor reduction.
Level 3 - 4 armor reduction.
Level 4 - 5 armor reduction.
• Fully stacks with other armor reduction abilities and auras.
• Area of Effect: 900
Mana Cost: N/A
Cooldown: N/A
Comment: The Assault Curiass enemy passive debuff to armor as a passive which is pretty good, which leads to easier farming (Like it isn't easy enough) but the negative is that it gives off your position so being invis with the wind walk and stuff all they have to do is dust and Bang KKK style, kidding.

Requiem of Souls (R)
Summons evil spirits around you dealing damage to units in the area. Number of spirits is related to the number of souls stored. Lowers movement speed and damage of nearby units. The closer the units are the greater the effect.
Level 1 - 80 damage for each line, 15% reduction, lasts 5 seconds.
Level 2 - 120 damage for each line, 20% reduction, lasts 5 seconds.
Level 3 - 160 damage for each line, 25% reduction, lasts 5 seconds.
• Damage type: magical
• The amount of damage dealt is related to the number of souls captured with Necromastery.
• Requiem of Souls generates damaging lines around Nevermore, 1 per 2 souls stored, for a maximum of 15 lines.
• The closer the targeted unit is, the bigger the amount of lines affecting him.
• Reduces both movement speed and attack damage of units in a 700 AoE.
• This skill breaks invisibility a short time before it's released.
• This skill has a 1 second cast time
• Area of Effect: 1300/1325/1350
Mana Cost: 150/175/200
Cooldown: 120/110/100
Comment: Well this skill is a killer, makes the little persona of heroes flee. Guess thats where the whole KKK thing came around people scared of a brother. Well more down into it, Remember it has a 1 second cast time so that means you can be disabled unless you have a BKB? (Foreshadowing) and placement is key 'cos the closer you are the more damage you do. So that's kind of tough...ranged attack and you want to be as close as possible, but the items will help you with all your problems.

2.SKILL BUILD
1. Necromastery
2. Shadowraze
3. Shadowraze
4. Necromastery
5. Shadowraze
6. Necromastery
7. Shadowraze
8. Necromastery
9. Presence of the Dark Lord
10. Requiem of Souls
11. Requiem of Souls
12. Presence of the Dark Lord
13. Presence of the Dark Lord
14. Presence of the Dark Lord
15. Stats
16. Requiem of Souls
17. Stats
18. Stats
19. Stats
20. Stats
21. Stats
22. Stats
23. Stats
24. Stats
25. Stats

3.ITEM BUILD

Empty Bottle (600)
Active: Regenerate
Restores 135 HP and 70 mana over 3 seconds. Effect ends if you take damage. When used, Magic Bottle 3/3 changes to 2/3, 2/3 changes to 1/3, and 1/3 changes to Empty Bottle. Can't be used when Empty Bottle. 0.5 second cooldown.
Active: Rune Capture
Stores a rune in an Empty Bottle. When a rune is used, this item is refilled to Magic Bottle 3/3. Stored runes are automatically used after 120 seconds. Can't be drop if it has a rune stored.
Note: This item is refilled to Magic Bottle 3/3 when near the fountain.



Kelen's Dagger (2150)
Active: Blink
Teleports the caster to 1200 range. Can't be used if the carrier was damaged by an enemy player-controlled unit or Roshan in the last 3 seconds. 75 manacost. 14 seconds cooldown.
Note: can't be held by Butcher or Vengeful Spirit.
Must be Farmed Immediately.


Black King Bar (3900)
10 Strength
24 Damage
Active: Avatar
Gives magic immunity. Duration and cooldown decrease each time it is used. Lasts 10/9/8/7/6/5 seconds. 80/75/70/65/60/55 seconds cooldown.
Ogre Axe + Mithril Hammer + Black King Bar Recipe Scroll
Optional but Works Wonders



Manta Style (4900)
26 Agility
10 Strength
10 Intelligence
15 Attack Speed
10% Movement Speed
Active: Mirror Image
Creates 2 images that deal 33% damage for melee (28% for ranged). Illusions take 350% damage for melee (400% for ranged). 0.1 second animation delay for which you are invulnerable. Lasts 20 seconds. 165 manacost. 35 seconds cooldown for melee (50 seconds for ranged).
Note: Movement speed bonus doesn't stack with Yasha, Sange and Yasha, or Manta Style. Can be disassembled.
Ultimate Orb + Yasha + Manta Style Recipe Scroll
Pushing Power and Killing Power - Best Item

4.EARLY GAME
Okay So We Should Break Down The Brother

The Skill Build if you read it can also be adjusted because many times have I had to help support some ganks so getting a early level of Nevermore’s Ult is acceptable, but remember only do it if you are going to stray from your lane to help with a gank. Very situational, levelling. Just remember to get the kills, because a failed gank is one of the worst case scenarios.

The role is something to justify and Nevermore plays a mean mo’fo of a carry, while playing a reasonable ganker, can demolish a creep wave with 2 of his nukes.

Well let’s get to the infamous Pro’s & Con’s.

Pros: Cow killing son of a shut yo mouth; In other words can kill creeps and heroes very well, due to his nukes, damage, and ult.

Pushes lanes with ease

Free Sacred Relic Bonus Damage

-5 Aura for amplifying damage.

If not best but one of the most powerful Solo mid laner.

Ranged!

Powerful Ult.

Cons: Not the strongest health pool so can be killed easily without the proper items

Thus is item dependent but really just a bottle and the right boots will get him as a great ganker and pusher also a dagger.

No stun

No escape mechanism until dagger.

No Initiation until dagger.

Skills take lots of practice to master


So most of the time you’d pick Nevermore when your team lacks a carry or needs one more, the enemy team doesn’t have the a sufficient amount of powerful disablers and gankers, Which you should capitalize on 99% of the time, instead of trying out the wisp guy dying 3x and rage quitting. But still if your team needs a carry Nevermore is one of those powerful and underrated picked heroes but needs serious practices.


I want to deepen the information on the skills
So first the Shadowraze: Hotkeys Z,X,C. Launch a devastating nuke that effects 250 aoe from varying distances, each one cost 75 mana and at all levels. The nukes are a tricky thing because they are shot from the direction you are facing and only the direction you are facing.

Z – 200 Range Nukes (right in front of you)

X – 450 Range, think if you were standing on top of the river slope it would fire in the middle of the river.

C – 700 Range, Alright think if you were on the top of river slope this time it would fire to the opposite side.

Again even in pictures you wouldn’t get the gist so that’s why I recommend running a solo match to learn the skills.


Last is Presence which doesn’t take any skill but only should be gotten later because in the early it won’t benefit at all. Also to note for all the WIN walkers who buy that blade if you have presence your aura is still shown so they know your there just not exactly whre. The skill is better around that 11 -14 range because the -5 will be a toll on most heroes.


Finally, the Ultimate in other words Requiem. An ult that can get team kills if done correctly but the Ult. Is only as good as your Necromastery charge so without any charges your ult is dirt poor, so get those charges. But landing that ult is difficult because the way the Ult. Activates is from where Nevermore is standing and he shoots it out in a 675 aoe, again it’s difficult to learn and with a .gif you would only get the activation, so I highly recommend going into a solo match and messing around with all his skills, ESPCIALLY Requiem.

Right when the timer starts and you pick nevermore. I would start with these items:

I'll rate the ones IMO, and the typical starters.

9/10 - Regen, mana regen, and dece stats.


4/10 – The regen is good, and the stats but the queller loses it’s useful ness because of necrominion but if you have a hard time getting the last hits and denies than go for it.


6/10 – Basic regen, and more stats, and help to build wraiths


7/10 – you may have to adjust the skill build to getting Shadowraze first (It’s been done and works) Usually to get out early harassment and really make sure SOMEBODY buys courier. Or you’ll purely rely on getting runes.



MOST IMPORTANTLY IS A COURIER!



BUT ASK IF A SUPPORT or SOME (NOT OTHER CARRY) HERO WILL BUY COURIER.

If not then you buy it ‘cos (SARCASM AHEAD) Crystal Maiden def. Carries and surprisingly I’ve heard a lot of people say leviathan can carry all he need is S&Y + Hyperstone GG! Right?

If they do tell them to share it, ‘cos it’s pointless if not, but if they are nice enough hto have 2 heroes toss 200 for a flyer that would be great, But if you get stuck with buying it (What nubs right?); which is a real shame but buy tangos, health pot, 2x clarity, 2x GG branches. I typically go this way, unless somebody buys a courier.

If you get stuck with courier I'll go this build or are too scared to ask; for fear of letting your team down. 7/10 the courier really helps.


Head to SOLO MID, and don’t stand around next to the tower at your base but walk out to scout out the rune. Be careful because anyone else can be smart enough to scout out the rune so bring another hero or someone who is going top or bot to just walk you out (Cute).

But Soloing Mid is your lane choice, you are strong enough to and it’s awful to see Nevermore on the side lanes I cry sometimes; it’s a lot of wasted potential.

The Lane Advantage and Disadvantages

Solo Melee: Ex: Beastmaster. Get a good number of Creep Kills and Creep Denys and then get the bottle spam the Shadowraze, and get some early kills, beware of ganks. Rune control should be somewhat easy

Solo Ranged: Ex: Drow. Your nukes will definitely be powerful. With their lacking health pool abuse the nukes, just watch out for them harassing you back. Ganks are highly suspect if you are dominating the lane. Rune control shouldn’t again be as big of a thing. Just remember 2 minutes and don’t worry if you feel you’ll lose the exp. ‘cos you can easily farm it up with two nukes.

Melee & Ranged: Ex: Witch Doctor & Crixalix. I’d definitely be careful of a team like that, 2 stuns are devastating and practically a fatality to Nevermore. So definitely play more passive and call for ganks if you need some assistance. The courier is your best friend! (Bestiality) You’ll definitely be out levelling them so your nukes will eat chunks of their health but don’t play too aggro.

Ranged & Ranged: Ex: Veno & Tortured. Again be extra careful on a team like this but they’ll be lighter and easier to take down. So nukes will be deadly to them and just lane safely maybe playing passive will be good too.

And I know a lot of people don’t abuse the courier ‘cos they’re members of P.E.T.A.
->
Still use the courier to deliver you your BOTTLE which is incredibly necessary, on Nevemore to spam his nukes to harass and get the creep kills that helps the necromastery. It would also be reasonable to have somebody upgrade the courier for faster delivery, and remember the divine shield Button it saves the couriers life. In a situation if nobody does than don’t whine I’ve had to buy the courier and never upgraded it, still if you feel you need the flyer than go for it.


But use the courier to take your bottle to the fountain or scout out the rune, thus having some friends or support hero WARD the top/bottom river rune spawn area would be much appreciated to gain rune control and incoming ganks. Warding is incredibly underrated and must be done.

Also the runes are a deciding factor to Nevermore and gaining control over these will help you and the lane and thus the whole team (no pressure). So learn the runes and power of each one and remember every two minutes the rune spawns.

The Rune Advantage:

Regen: Great for just exhausting all your mana and getting creep kills and then sitting back to regen and you can shoot out free Shadowrazes as long as you don’t get hit and while you’re not full.

Double Damage: Powerful for lane control meaning that last hits and denies are easier to get, and can lead to a possible first blood if coordinated with a team mate. Decent rune.

Haste: One of the best runes out there for first blood, just use it wisely and land the nukes and attack animation cancelling to get some more hits.

Invis: One of those runes that I’ve used and levelled my ult. at 6, which is great for helping with a gank, still you got to be positive and confident to do it and never forget coordination.

Still remember always to bottle them for the fill up.

So if you can’t gain rune control then just use the courier to fill it up at the fountain. Still you won’t be getting the help of the rune power ups while the delay of the delivery will not be as effective as just rune-ing it.

Well when it comes to buying your items you should buy the bottle and then work on your boots and when it comes to what Boots. It differs in all ranges, but maybe more suited on how well you farmed and the team.




Power Treads: Gives the attack speed, and 65 ms, and 10+ in stat of choice, I’ve seen it and it does well and you can go for the power treads ‘cos they are great if you want to rush your other core items, I would say the better choice if you are more focused on getting your KILLER items.



Phase Boots: The plus 24+ is good for damage and you can chase through creeps and it’s helpful for getting the ms when chasing which can always happen to be the case. Works alright too but behind power treads.



Boots of Travel: One of the greatest ganker items to help you get across the map and push the lanes and to get you to each of the team battles to help. And helps chase, I’d only get this if you really did a good job of farming it up, still one of the best boots.

The new boots aren’t even mentionable on Nevermore.

Just if you didn’t want to read that: Boots List

1. BoT – If you are farming soo legit, it’s like the Madoff scandal. Only go for these if you pull the 2700 in the first 10 minutes or something, or 15 just around that. Still if you want to pull that gold into getting those late game items just go to the treads.

2. Power Treads – They are the usual choice of boots if your farming has been alright but if you find yourself in the situation to want to go GG items already.

3. Phase Boots – Iffy-est boots they work alright, I’ve tried all three and I would say these are the best order, phase doesn’t offer as much as you’d like since you SHOULD be going dagger.

4. Arcane Boots – They don’t have your size, so find something else.



So your boots should definitely be correlating with whatever is the situation.

I’d immediately farm up for the Dagger which is the best item on Nevermore.

Can help you get right where you need to be to cast his ult, it’s only a 1s casting time so it happens devastatingly fast before enemies could react.

The dagger helps you chase down heroes to nuke them down, where you can get off each of your nukes. So practice is necessary if so you can land around 800 damage with just nukes.

The nukes have a quick cool down too so shooting off another one is still possible.

So practice on shooting the nukes, they’re essential to get kills and the killing creeps.

So definitely get in some ganks and farm up.

I’d build my items around this: I would expect to be around this point but one of the more crucial alternatives would be Black King Bar, sometimes it’s better to get than going for Dagger right away.



Why you ask? Well let me rant about it. BKB gives you +10 Str. & +24 Dmg not appealing that much but gives the too legit to quit AVATAR ability.

Avatar ability is when Nevermore’s charcter model’s size goes up but that’s not just it you gain spell immunity, if you know Omniknight’s Repel it’s practically that. So that means no allied spells will help, but better is no enemies spells will work, and you remove all buffs on yourself. You are free from being cockblocked spell blocked, so you can get your ult. off safely and continue to thrash for the duration (which changes), be careful of Superior magic spells.

The thing about Avatar on BKB is that the Avatar duration goes down as you use it.

So first time you get a 10 s of rape. The cool down first starts around 80 but that also go down as you use BKB.

So 1st use = 10s & 80s CD
2nd use = 9s & 75 CD
3rd use = 8s & 70s CD
4th use = 7s & 65 CD
You get it right?

So BKB can be the game CHANGING choice, so yeah use that so-called intuition.


If you did well then you should be building on the Manta Style. I like to go yasha more of the time, but if you find the stats provocative enough and if the boot fits (worse cliché ever and I used it wrong) then go Ultimate Orb. Also if you farmed it well enough you can buy that dagger and start a BKB, or vice-versa go the BKB than the Dagger, than manta but whatever you feel is needed.


So Items of early game if you got a legit farm - would be Also take change into case if you need BKB instead of dagger go that way. Or you got BoT instead, or you might go for the Mithril Hammer instead of the Manta Style buid. So their might be an ult. orb or yasha or an orge axe or mithril hammer.


Intuition is key.

Well then this means Early Game is now up, so please exit the Safari Zone. (Nobody get it?)