Tauren, The Earth Splitting Buffalo
The disabler and support way for Tauren Chieftain ^^

Hello all. First of all I'd like to introduce about myself before my guide to Tauren Chieftain - Cairne Bloodhoof.

My friends often call me Kit. I am not a professional DotA player but I have played for more than 2 years. I am a Vietnamese, and Vietnamese don't speak English as second language so plz spare my mistakes (if I have made one ). This is my first time to submit a guide so I'd appreciate if you guys PM me with suggestion or correction as we always want perfect guides for our beloved DotA heroes.
Okay, that's done for my introduction.

(I borrow the outline from some other guides, so plz don't mind me :>)

I) Heroes introduction and Background story (skip this if you don't like it)

The Tauren Chieftain is a strong physical damage dealer who can disable and destroy many heroes at once with his spells. Most of the Chieftain's abilities revolve around the guardian spirit which aids him in battle. Using Ancestral Spirit, Cairne can temporarily separate the guardian spirit from himself. While the spirit is separate, it causes damage to enemies it strikes and mimics the Chieftain's movement and Echo Stomp ability. When the spirit and Cairne rejoin, he gains a boost to his physical damage and move speed, the strength of which depends on how many enemies the spirit collided with. This makes him a very dangerous physical attacker, especially combined with his offensive aura, Natural Order. This ability reduces the base armor and magic resistance of all nearby units, giving the Chieftain's attacks and spells a significant boost to their damage. His final ability is called Earth Splitter, a powerful area of effect spell which can cause severe damage and disable many enemies at once. Since it takes a few seconds to have any effect and is easy to dodge on its own, it's best to combo this ability with either Echo Stomp or allied disabling spells. However, if multiple enemy heroes are hit by this ability, it generally spells their doom.

Since ancient times it has been prophesized by the Tauren elders that a Chieftain will come, strong as the mightiest warriors and wise as the eldest shamans. After many years of wandering the sacred lands, seeking wisdom from his forefathers, Cairne Bloodhoof has proven himself as the long awaited hero. Cairne carries with him the spirit of his mightiest ancestor, and now the ground shakes with the combined strength of the Chieftain and his guardian spirit. No physical nor magical barrier can reduce the power of his enchanted halberd, the weapon used by his guardian in ancient times. Such is the power of this axe that it can split the very earth itself. Seeking revenge for the ravaging of his homeland, Cairne will soon bring his wrath upon the Scourge.


Tauren is a versatile hero. He can fit in many roles such as ganker, tanker, disabler. In this guide, Im gonna go deep into how to play TC as a disabler, ganker and nuker. In the future, I will write about his tanker and DPS way.

II) Advanced statistics:

Tauren (I'd like to call him this) is a Sentinel Strength hero. His main role is Ganker/Initiator/Short-time carry/Finisher. Believe me, seeing him in battle really makes me fear (of course unless I am playing him )



Pros and cons:

+ Pros:
- Good movement speed (310)
- Acceptable starting STR (24) and STR gain (+2.3)
- Good starting armor (3)
- Good casting animation (0.4 / 0.8) and attack animation (0.35 / 0.97 ) (he is a melee hero )
- Well-built, balanced and fearsome skills.
- His role becomes more and more significant in late game.
- He is an animal (and you know the animal team: Ursa, Earthshaker, Bristleback, Pandaren, Barathrum, Crixalis, Broodmother, etc)

+ Cons:
- He is a melee hero.
- Poor AGI and INT gain.
- No instant escaping mechanism.
- Team dependent.

When to pick Tauren:
- You are good at farming and laning early game.
- Your team has nuker(s) and disabler(s) that need (a long) time to do their jobs (channeling for example).
- You have good map awareness and mana management.
- You are intelligent enough to compensate for his low INT gain

When not to pick Tauren: (I have few ideas about this)
- You are not good at farming.
- Your teammates are dummy.
- You are not intelligent.

III) Skills

1) Echo stomp: Tauren's disable skill.



With rather low cooldown and mana cost, this skills is easy to be spammed. Moreover, this creates HUGE fear for its whooping 5-second semi-stunning. However, this is a channeling spell so watch out for stunner and mini-stunner.

2) Ancestral spirit: Tauren's initiate and nuke skill.



Low mana cost, damage done, cast range and MS and damage increase make you LOVE ths skill. This is also a skill to locate your disable because if you use this then Echo Stomp, both Tauren and the spirit will do the spell (approximately double the AOE of the disable). However, the rather long cooldown time may make you frustrated.


3) Natural order:



This makes your attack and spell do more damage, and this is really useful in mid and late game.

4) Earth Splitter:



This is one of the most powerful skills in DotA. 35% of max HP and 3/4/5 seconds of 30/40/50% slow. Low mana cost and acceptable cooldown. Perfect for initiating/finishing. What do you want more??

IV) Advanced discussion about Tauren's skills and role:


Okay, now you have looked at his skill sets. I will explain more about his role. With Echo Stomp, he is a fearsome disabler, especially if he's laning with nuker with high burst damage (Lina, Lion, Akasha,...) because magic damage WON'T make them awake (beware, your physical attacks do, but towers' and creeps' won't). So if enemies are chasing you early game, and they are being targeted by tower (or a lot of creeps), use Echo Stomp, and you can score an easy first blood (Echo Stomp DO damage the enemies, and 160 damage (about 100-140 after reduction)) is lethal early game.

Ancestral spirit is his only nuke. Despite is long cooldown, its effect is really envious. Use this near yourself, then Echo Stomp, you can nearly wipe out a creep wave. Moreover, if enemies hero(es) is (are) pushing with LOTS OF CREEPS, use this in a way that the spirit touches as many hostile units as possible (you can move a little) then Echo Stomp (make sure it hit the opponent hero(es)), then your ultimate. By the time you come near them, they will have been reduced to orange health, and your damage is dramatically boosted. (I have used that skill combo against Broodmother pushing my 2nd top tower with about 20 mini spiders and some creeps. Guess what, I instantly got more than 200 golds, and my bonus damage rose from + 23 to +431, and two more hits sent the Broodmother to heaven).
Natural order reduces enemies' base physical and magical resistance. This makes AGI late hero fear you because you have high damage from Ancestral Spirit, and their extremely-high resistance are reduced to only one-fifth!! So you can be a short-time carry, short-time but very efficient!

Earth Splitter is Tauren's ultimate skill. Because of 3 seconds delay after its effect comes to play, it needs to be targeted carefully or after Echo Stomp. If you don't have enough mana to combo, try to ask a disabler to stun the opponents for you, then... You know what to do next This skill is perfect for initiating, but sometimes it can be used to finish multiple running heroes (I have got an Ultra kill by using this skill alone). 5 seconds of 50% maim is great for your team's carry to finish the crippled enemies.

V) Skill build:
1) Ancestral spirit
2) Echo Stomp.
3) Ancestral spirit
4) Echo Stomp.
5) Ancestral spirit
6) Earth Splitter.
7) Ancestral spirit
8) Echo Stomp.
9) Echo Stomp.
10) Natural order
11) Earth Splitter.
12) Natural order
13) Natural order
14) Natural order
15) Stats
16) Earth Splitter.
17-25) Stats

Ancestral Spirit is taken first for the nuke. Next is Echo Stomp for the disable. Take Earth Splitter as soon as possible, because that's what makes you shine gloriously in team clashes. Natural order is taken the last because it doesnt have many effects in early and mid game.

VI) Item build:
1) Starting items:

The branches are for damage/HP/mana, and for the Magic wand. 2 clarity potions are for mana regen and Ring of regenation is, of course, HP regen, and you should get it at side shops (rarely see Tauren goes mid). This item build is suitable for all situation, early gank or solo or dual lane, helps you farm better and stay longer in your lane and survive in team gank in contrast. They come out in 609 golds altogether.

2) Core items:


The Wand for HP/Mana burst heal. The power tread grants you increased MS and AS, plus 10 additional attribute. I myself always switch it into Intelligence for the 130 bonus mana. You can switch it back to Strength in late game when you have spare mana to spend.
The Hood makes you look more like a tanker, and it greatly increases your durability in battle (remember disablers are always the ones to be focused in fights).

Some people who enjoy chasing may get this. But personally I think it is not as good as INT Power Tread in early and mid-game since Ancestral Spirit gives Tauren much more than Phase boots do. But if you like permanent stats and are good at mana managing you can choose this one instead of Power Tread.

3) Core extension:
Get this if your opponent team has disabler/ganker, and you are focused a lot. The additional stats and regen are really good for Tauren.
Tauren has lots of mana late game, and his skills don't cost much. So what are you waiting for?? I always get one Refresher Orb, and save it for a big team fight. Who don't love a 10 seconds disable, approx 600 damage, two-time damage and MS boost (actually the duration gets extended, not the bonus) and a whooping 70% MAXIMUM HP cut for your opponents??? You can use the combo once for initiating, and one more time to finish the battle, quickly and handsomely.
They haven't died after your combo yet?? More simply, you can use it right after Echo Stomp without fear of they waking up, because this deals magical damage. There are also INT and damage boost.
The only DPS item, I think, that Tauren needs. It gives good HP and mana regen, and furthermore cleave damage doesn't wake knocked out units up.
Luxury:
No heroes do not love a 3.5 seconds Hex, and the big bonus to the manapool and more additioal bonus.
This is the best luxurious item for almost all DotA heroes. 980 bonus HP, +40 bonus damage and a handsome 2% HP regen.
You need to slow your running opponent for your ultimate?? You need more mana and armor to survive in team fight?? This is the right choice.
If you need more mobility and MS, and if you farm extremely well, exchange Power Tread for this one.

4) Rejected items:

Well, Tauren is not a DPS-er, so plz don't waste your money.

This may seem attractive for the AS boost and armor reduction aura, but you already have Natural order and a 5-second slow, don't you?

VII) How to utilize Tauren in a DotA game:

1) Early game: try to farm for Wand, and Power Tread. You can score a kill or two if you lane with an adequate nuker and you two can synergy well. Use Echo Stomp when the enemy gets too close to the tower or being attacked by many creeps, use Ancestral spirit to locate the stun. Or if he/she gets close to you, use Echo Stomp, and let the tower do the jobs. After that, use Ancestral Spirit or even Earth Splitter to finish the red health escaping hero.

2) Mid-game: after getting Power Tread, gank a lot. Your combo makes everyone fear you. Remember to save at least 175 mana for various situations: finishing (Ancestral Spirit and Earth Splitter), escaping and help teammates escape (Echo Stomp), join a fight (Ancestral Spirit, remember the MS and damage boost?). You can really turn the tide of the battle if you can use the right skill at the right time.

3) Late game: If you can get the luxury items, things get much easier. Use double combo with Refresher Orb to double your usefulness/deadliness. If you can't get these things, try to go with your team's nuker and disabler, and your assistant can be deadly to enemies even if you are under-leveled and under-farmed.
Remember, Tauren is NOT a late/carry hero!!!

****THE WAY TO USE HIS ULTIMATE****

Well, he has an excellent ultimate skill that everyone (especially you, heavy tankers ) fear being hit by it. So I will explain 4 uses of Earth Splitter here.

1) Initiating combat: Yes, use your ultimate to cut your opponents HP before they know what's happening. To do this correctly, you must have good line of sight, provided by ward (or scout units). Timing is crucial, because it takes 3 seconds after casting for the spell to take effect, and mostly all hostile heroes will try to evade this as soon as they see the rift extending toward their owns. A successful initiating Earth Splitter must hit at least 2 enemy heroes, and with good timing/scouting/planning you can hit all of the pushing team. (Sorry for lack of example, I promise that I will add them later)

2) During team combat: Your team decide to push but the cooldown isn't over yet? Okay, you can anticipate well with Ancestral Spirit and Echo Stomp. When the cooldown is over, throw an epic combo and let your frieng finish the enemies.

3) Finishing running foes: If you are really good at mindgame and have a keen sense of positioning, this is when you shine the most brilliant. (Yes, I myself scored an Ultra kill while finishing the enemy team ). The ultimate affect a really long way, and it exploded (nearly instantly) after they had traveled for 2400 units, and the speed is 900 per seconds. Make sure that the end of the crack must reach the foe that he cannot evade the hit. Practice several times and you will find this not as hard as you think. (Practice makes perfect, I hate this saying but sadly it is always true).

4) Helping escaping team: Well, in an unfortunate push, your team all get sliver red HP and running away, you can save all of them with Earth Spliiter. You can use it nearly in the same way as Earthshaker's Fissure. But there is a difference. The spell only affects after 3 seconds, so you should position the spell that as soon as the crack implodes, your team has (at least) reached the crack. And, if enemies are caught (invisible units are affected), you are lucky and your teammates are smart enough, turn back for kill (35% is a considerable percentage, especially to tankers like Kunkka, Axe, Centaur,...). If there is a blink enemy, he will sure be raped because he may not be hit by your ultimate, but there is slim chance of success in 1v5, even in chasing situation. Your ultimate simply separates him from the safety of his teammates. However, in most cases the enemy team will avoid the crack, and your team can escape safely then.


Beside from this, using Refresher Orb can double your power. To use double Earth Splitter correctly, you should not place two ES parallel with each another. Instead, hit it in a X-shape that the enemies are in the conjunction. When the first ES explodes, they will try to move sideways and that's the reason why your second ES will definitely hit them. If you are not confident yet, so use your second ES after the newly-refreshed combo Ancestral Spirit + Echo Stomp.

VIII) Friends and foes.
Friends:
Tauren synergies extremely well with Earthshaker (yeah, the couple cow and buffalo). Use your Echo Stomp to allow Earthshaker make a perfect Echo Slam (yeah, double Echo combo).

Nukers and disablers, just LOVE THEM!!!

Carries with burst damage that need stun.

Foes: Well... All disablers and heroes with stun and mini-stun restrict you a LOT!!! So I don't need to list them here, because mostly are listed above. Moreover, watch out for them:
(yeah, all spell casters are afraid of mana-burners).

IX) Tips and suggestions:
- You are not a carry nor a late hero, so often let your teammates have the kill. Moreover, don't hesitate to sacrifice yourself if your team's nuker/disabler/carry get reduced to red. Your role is to die for them then. They just have more important role than you, especially in late game. However, if you have your ultimate, use it to protect your teammate if you see that it's reasonable.
- Don't use your ultimate against 1 hero, unless you are sure that he'll get hit and killed/your teammates are chasing him/he's a late carry/you are not gonna join teamfight in the next 100 seconds. Otherwise, save your ultimate.
- (If I haven't mentioned this before), Use Ancestral Spirit to position your Echo Stomp. Put the spirit in front of the enemies when they're pushing and in the rear of them when they're running. Try to hit as many units as possible!!
- Because of Echo Stomp's pseudo-stun effect, use it to counter with enemies' channelling spells that take longer time to cast (Pugna's Life Drain, Warlock's slow, Pudge's and Bane's ultimate, etc)
- Try to judge the number of creeps to decide whether to use Ancestral Spirit or not. I am emphasizing this because the damage of the skill alone is insignificant mid and late game, only the MS and damage bonus benefit you (of course beside the fact that this skill helps positioning Echo Stomp )
- You should be extremely map aware, because Tauren has an escaping mechanism, but it needs 1.4 second channeling and a stunner or two can render it useless. So watch out for teamrape!!!!
- Never mind the ones with Hood of Defiance and the fact that your skills deal mostly magical damage. Natural order just solved the problem handsomely (for you, of course )
X) Replay and screenshots:
- Well, I am really in short of time so I will add this part later. Please accept my apology. In the future, I will add screenshots to explain the advanced uses of Tauren skills. I would be grateful if someone can support me with those stuff.

Thanks IceFrog for making such a great game.
Thanks Floor for the Phase boots mention.
Thanks PlayDota for giving us a friendly community.

If you want to contact me for suggestion or correction, feel free to PM me or contact me via my email address: kit_nnh@yahoo.com. I can read and write English and Vietnamese (no other languages, sorry). Feel free to translate my guide to another language, just remember to add my name in the credit.

Thanks for reading my guide.