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It's being remade into something new, simpler with different item builds based on my last experiences with SS. If you want to give me any feedback, please keep in mind that the guide will change a lot and anything here may be modified or even removed.

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by �ejaime

Storm Spirit (SS, from now on) is one of my favorite heroes.
He's got damage output, disable skill, ganking power, hard chase potential and a very good escape mechanism, not to mention that he's almost ungankable. He is an above average life saver as well.

The hard part is the mana management. He can go from full to empty mana pool in a couple seconds. He's not newbie friendly and can be hard to play at first sight, but, after you learn the basics and have some practical experience, he turns out easy to control.

(Click to jump)

Is SS a Good pick?

The Hero

Main Roles

Skills Builds

Inventory Builds
Starting Items

Cores

Post Core, Extension and Luxury

Alternative and Situational Items

Rejected Items

Items Comments

Skills Comments and Strategies

Items and Skills Combinations

The Game
The Early

The Mid

The Late

The Hard Part

Notable Synergies

Notable Enemies

Replays and Videos

Changelog

section 1 - top

Think Twice!

- SS is a caster and needs all the mana he can have. Facing Bloodseeker, Balanar, Silencer, Drow, Nerubian Assassin, Doom Bringer or any other silence/mana burners can be a pain. If the enemy team has one of them, think twice before picking SS.

- SS is an active hero with slightly complex skills. If your positioning is bad or if you are not good on predicting others units' moves, SS is probably not the best choice for you. Nothing that some practice can't fix.

- If you have a poor mana management, don't even think about SS, play some AI matches first.

Bring it on!

- Your team has no mobility? SS's fantastic short~mid range mobility will solve your problems.

- Glass enemies? SS can be their worst nightmare.

- Your team lacks disablers/chasers? SS can do a good job preventing enemies from escaping.

- Is your team Gank oriented? You'd fit perfectly.

- You're an hyperactive bouncing ball, If your enemies needs you to stand still, they will need to do force you. Most times they won't be 100% successful on locking you...

- SS is versatile, if he's not a bad option, he's a good one.

section 2 - top

Raijin Storm Spirit Thunderkeg, that's the name of our hero.

It would be really hard to describe Raijin in one word...
Ganker, Chaser? We can't simply ignore his other faces...
If there would be a word for that, it would be Surprise. You know his skills, you know his overall roles and item builds, but when you're facing a good SS player all you can do is wonder: "What is this guy planning?"
You never know when an SS will focus on Ganking or not, on Assisting the Carry, or even Carrying the team under certain circumstances...

Let's go for some of SS's pros and cons.

Pros:

The second highest starting armor among int heroes: 5.08 (Only Dark Seer's 5.68 and Obsi's 5.36 are higher)
Ranged
Almost Juke-Proof ultimate
Blink-like skill
Can Dodge Targeted Stuns and other projectiles
Good Ganker
Disable Skill with dragging potential
Damage skill with really short cooldown
'Blink' with 0 cooldown
Can use all the boots effectively

Cons:

Mid-Low Stats gain per level
Low attack range for a ranged hero
Relatively Low MS Attack Projectile
Item Dependant
Too much casting dependent [Weakness to Silence/Manaburn]
Low str and str gain

section 3 - top

SS's a versatile hero and fit a lot of roles and microroles. He can be a Supporter, a Pusher and Anti-Pusher, a Nuker, a Carry, a Damager, an Initiator, a Disabler, a Harasser and others.
We'll see some of them here.

Ganking will be performed while playing any role, but if you focus ganking, the picture changes a little. You need some extra restauration power, damage output and trapping/locking mechanisms.
Ganker SS Differential:
The Full-Time Ganker can't breath, this is the truth. You have to kill the heroes and use the free area/time the gank created to advance your team's game state, while recovering for the next gank. If you made a successful gank but allowed the enemy team some recovery time, your gank wasn't fully exploited. The after-gank is crucial. If you simply killed a hero and then gone to your fountain as fast as you could you simply lost the short easy-push/farm time and the opportunity to bring towers down.

Notable items:

This item is a ganker's heaven. It makes you and your allies invisible for some time, for enough time.

MS and mobility, always key factors when ganking. Your ultimate gives you a lot of mobility, but it doesn't mean that more mobility is not necessary. Boots on this hero are important, specially to the ganker SS.

section 4 - top

The Classic Build:

Static Remnant

Electric Vortex / Overload

Overload / Electric Vortex

Electric Vortex

Electric Vortex

Ball Lightning

Electric Vortex

Static Remnant

Static Remnant

Static Remnant

Ball Lightning

Overload

Overload

Overload

Stats

Ball Lightning

The strong point of this build is that you max your disabling/slow time. As more disable time in most situations means more damage and survivability, this is the most effective and flexible build.

section 5 - top

In the following sub-sections we'll discuss the Item builds and configurations, as well as a little about the order you acquire them and other stuff.

Make sure you choose your Starting items while thinking of your intended core build. The Core is what you need to be fully successful in a match, if you can make it come some minutes earlier you'll feel the advantages for sure.

section 5.1 - top

The starting build... It's one of the important things on a match, but it isn't something you can train or practice... If you are not good on last-hitting creeps, you can practice. If your map awareness is bad, you can work it out. If you have no idea of why you get three ironwood branches on every single match you don't really know what you're doing.
Try to think of the benefits the items will grant you, choose carefully or make your own starting items configuration.

Here, I'll show some possible builds.

The consumables are flexible, take what you prefer. If you think Saves are more reliable, get two, or two tangos or whatever you find better.

This build focus on maximizing the time without returning to the base. It gives a little extra survivability with the Branches and the consumables, while makes it unnecessary to return to the base to pick-up items and replenish consumables. The three Branches shall be used to build a wand later.

section 5.2 - top

Here we'll discuss some possible cores.
Some of the proposed cores are versatile but some extremely effective by one side but not effective enough on others (We'll call these radical builds as HardCore builds).

The core you'll use most part of the time is the one called Usual.

Versatile Builds:

7'639 or 7'734

Choose between a Bottle and the Null Talisman.
Bottle: Great regen, you can sell it for 300 after you think it's not scaling anymore.
Null: A bit extra HP early and +9 dmg helps a lot on last-hitting early as well. Choose this if you think of extending your core with a Dagon.

HardCore Builds:

8'089

This build is a bit expensive, but very effective.
The problem is it's hard build-up phase, as you need to farm a Guinsoo with only a handful of items... If you are not good on escaping from tight situations or you're bad at creep last-hitting and farming you'd better go for Disabler 1 build over this one.z

section 5.3 - top

After you successfully built your core, you should think of what to do with your gold. The most obvious option is to get items that are not part of your core, but are present in other cores. The second option is to get items that are not present in any of my core builds, but are still very good on SS. The third option is to save it for possible buybacks.

Let's list some items.

These items fits SS very well in any situation. If you don't have them already, they're always an extension option.

section 5.4 - top

Almost all the items in the cores can be replaced with others.

Perseverance and Soul Ring can be used as equivalent with different prices. The problem is Soul Ring can't be upgraded.
Boots are complex, if you think one don't fit, replace it. Not much to say here.
Linken's and Bloodstone, they both have a similar role on this hero's inventory and almost the same price, so they're interchangeable to fit your match's condition. If you think that Linken's Spell Block is just useless against your enemies, get BS. If you think Spell Block will help you more than BS, get a Linken's.
Eul's Scepter, Force Staff and Dagon, They have completely different skills but can replace each other very well. Just make sure the one you're replacing the original with is really a better option, and make sure you know why it is.
Null Talisman, can always be replaced with a Bracer if you need the HP.
Linken's and Black King Bar, If the problem is spell immunity, sometimes linken's is not enough... Consider getting a BkB instead.
, can be a good acquisition

section 5.5 - top

Yes, I know, the mana regen looks so appealing, but don't even think about it.

You won't really use any orb effects that are applied to your attacks, you attack basically to use Overcharge...

Attack Damage Boosters... Ok, you attack a little, but it's not worth it!

The active skill is really really awesome, magic dmg amplification and all, but don't buy this...
Maybe ask Someone else to get this...

Avoid getting this, as you don't need that much HP to survive. If that's the case, go for a BloodStone, BkB or Shiva's instead.

section 5.6 - top

Here I'll comment items individually, I'll focus the important ones.

It's a great item if the situation asks for it. Specially if you need to assume the initiation position you should try to get this.

Build Up:

-> Recipe.

Shiva's is a great item on SS. The intelligence does wonders, as well as the armor. The active ability can be used to create an easy team-chasing with your ultimate, just activate it while traveling.

Build Up:
It doesn't really matter. If you need the armor [Your enemies reduce yours or have too many physical attackers] get Plate Mail first. If that's not the case you should consider rushing that Mystic Staff.
Rushing Mystic Staff gives you room to give up on Shiva's and build Guinsoo, if you feel like.

Bloodstone has been the Classical item to SS some time ago, some players still use it as a core item. It grants the so necessary Mana/Mana Regen while the extra benefits of survivability and the passive skill. Lots of players have already replaced this by Linken's in their usual core build. If you are dominating the game and getting kills, Bloodstone will be very useful. The charges will grant you extra mana regen as well as the lower Respawn time and the team heal on death makes this a great item when you don't need Linken's at all.

Build Up:

What makes Linken's so expensive and awesome is its complex Spell Block passive. The stats grants you Mana (195) and HP (285) as well as respective regen, atk damage and other stats stuff.

As SS is kinda vulnerable to directly cast disables and skills like Doom, Magic Missile, Crippling Fear [...] this item can define your performance on every match, depending on your enemies.

If you want any information on Linken's interactions with skills, try this guide.

Build Up:

-> Recipe.

:
If you already have enough mana regen with other items like Eul's and is in need of some HP recovery, consider buying Ring of Health first. If you do not need the hp regen due to bottle or any other regeneration, go for Void Stone first.

This item is as good as possible on SS. It's build-up is also good as it allows you to grab a Void Stone early and keep it while farming other stuff.

Build Up:

(rushed) ->

If you are in need of some survivability, swap Mystic with the Ultimate Orb.

This item grants you your so needed Mana/Mana Regen, while granting extra attack damage output with Extra damage and AS. This item fit SS perfectly, specially if the enemy team has acquired magic protection.

Build Up:

(rushed) ->

A relatively cheap disable item that allows you to chase better while granting you your Int and Mana regen. Sometimes I think this item was created while thinking of Storm Spirit...
It can make your life really easier when landing an Static Remnant or recovering your Remnant's Cooldown, while it helps your teammates with their own positioning and escaping.

Build Up:

-> Recipe
If you are unsure whether you'll get Eul's, Dagon or Force Staff, get Staff of Wizardry first.

This item can be great, SS is a chaser but sometimes some help is welcome. For that, you can simply rush an ally forward after a Vortex or force yourself. This item is really versatile on any hero, so it is on SS.

Build Up:

-> Recipe
If you change your mind, use the Staff of Wizardry on an Eul's/ Dagon and, if you bought it already, the quarterstaff on an Oblivion.

The damage burst is awesome and SS can use it very well. As it can be cast while Ball Traveling, you don't even have to stop waking to cast, not even for a minimal moment.

Build Up:

-> Recipe, Recipe, Recipe [...]

This item is great at mid game, but it doesn't really scales. But that's not a problem at all! This item can increase your Ball's max travel distance. If you need to blink as far as you can and after that use vortex, all you have to do is target the ball far away in that direction and, after you properly landed you activate your ABoots and use the vortex (can be done with shift queuing, unless you're unlucky enough to have less than 25 by the end of the travelreally unlucky).

You should get arcane boots when you have plans on getting a BS later on, but for now you need the MS and Mana/Mana Regen. You buy boots and booster, they assemble, you use it for as long as you need, you disassemble, BoT + BS.

Build Up:

This item is good early. If your partner is your team's carry and the hero really needs survivability, you should consider getting this item, as it will only cost you the Ring of Protection. Later on, you disassemble it and retrieve your sobi mask so you can use it on an Eul's or on an Oblivion Staff. The overall cost is 88 gold when you disassemble and sell the RoP, it's quite low.

Build Up:

(Starting Item) ->

If you did not get RoP as a starting item, get Sobi first.

This item is great but should be considered when you did not upgrade your boots while in early-mid and ended up with naked Boots of Speed.
If you built Arcane Boots earlier and now is going to get yourself a BS, consider BoT specially, as late game chasing is not as effective as in early-mid.
There's only one possible Build Up, Boots -> Recipe.

PhBoots are the most situational ones, I personally don't use it very often, but it can save you a lot of mana when chasing by erasing the need of Balling to pass through creepwalls.
Build Up:

x2
If you're having trouble last-hitting and know you'll build PhBoots, you may consider changing the natural build up.

Treads are probably the best boots to use on SS. You'll pass 90% of the time with int-treads.
Build Up:
Gloves must be the last item.

Soul Ring is a great item on SS, if acquired early it gives you the mana regen and the HP regen to stay in line comfortably.
Sacrifice can grant you an extra Vortex/Remnant, sometimes extra kills. Try not to kill yourself tho.

Build Up:
Doesn't matter, think like this: What do I need NOW? mana or HP?

Well, there's not much to say... Instant MP/HP recovery with some early game stat boost, really cheap... Great!

and

Dudes, have you ever, ever, seen a Panda using a Sword or a Hammer? No, you haven't... Ok, BrewMaster uses, but he is always Drunk. Just ignore these shops, ok? [:
If the late game bring the winter, maybe the Eye.

section 6 - top

The basic use of your skills is:
Ball -> Attack -> Static Remnant -> Attack -> Vortex -> Attack -> Static Remnant [...]

Let's go for some comments on each skill.

Static Remnant is one of the best skills when you consider Damage and Cooldown, the mana cost isn't that high as well. The problem is landing it, no one will wait to get hit... You have to force them to get hit!
Some basic strategies to land an easy Remnant:

Use Eul's and place a Static Remnant where the enemy will fall.

Vortex, Attack, Remnant, Attack...

Fog Remnant, do it when you're fighting in the jungles or anywhere it is possible.

Allied Disables, learn how to predict your mates and you'll know how to use it.

Place a Remnant right on the enemy's only escape route.

If you're Ganking, place 1 or 2 Remnants where the enemy can't predict they'll be and will run to them. It's a bit hard to learn how to do this, but it's almost the same thing you do with Techies' mines, but ephemeral. Abuse Ramps and trees.

section 7 - top

Here, aside from Soul Ring and Arcane Boots, the comments are in general.
There'll be a lot of situations where you'd better make different uses of the skills and items.

The Soul Ring and Arcane Boots used together with Ball Lightning can increase its max range, as it gives you an emana amount bigger than 100%.
Soul Ring can be cast before the BallI wouldn't recommend, unless you can heal yourself right after, while Arcane must be cast after you start flying.

section 8 - top

In the following subsections, we'll discuss some points of the gameplay itself, what to focus, what to do, things that deserve special attention.

section 8.1 - top

The early game is from the game-start to the levels 6~8 (are you soloing?).
As for most heroes in the game, specially gankers and roamers, SS's Early is heartbreakingly important. It's this phase that tells you if you'll pass the mid-game killing, ganking, pushing and assisting effectively or if you'll be just trying to clean up your own mess so you can get up on your feet again.

Pay special attention to last-hitting, as you know you will need the gold to get your wand and bottle asap. Do not forget to use Static Remnant to farm. If you can farm good enough, you'll do great later on. Be careful though, if you're not your team's carry and you're laning with him, please, guarantee he has got all the farm he needs and focus a little more on denying and harassing while a little less on last-hitting.

When you're on level 4 or more, start paying attention to ganking opportunities. If the enemy team has got someone missing and you and your ally (or allies, in trilanes) get into the enemies' fog in an unsuspicious way, consider taking a walk in the jungle to surprise the possible enemy or to another lane with no supporter so you can have a good gank chance.

If you are rushing mana regen, abuse your 3-skills combo. Try not to get yourself killed in the process. Rushing mana regen will probably delay some things, so, be careful.

If your learning vortex whenever you can (you probably will be) abuse tower pushing, try not wasting any opportunities of doing it.

section 8.2 - top

The mid game consists of period between the moment everyone has got their ultimates lvl1 to the one where everyone starts to get their ultimates lvl 3, assuming everyone is at the same level.

As of now you probably got at least two of your core items. Try intensifying your ganking and return to the fountain only when really necessary. If you have a courier and a bottle, you should give special attention to the bottle refilling, as your post-gank regen tells the time you'll lose between them. Remember to abuse Ball Lightning to dodge projectiles and skills of any type.

By the end of the mid game you'll have already chosen your extension and, hopefully, have one or more of the items necessary. If you didn't manage to farm that well, no panic.

section 8.3 - top

This is where your life starts getting harder. Your skills damage output is not as effective as 10 minutes ago. If you got good items you'll still be very good, so don't worry. Guinsoo will start making it's magic, shiva's will be a blessing and Dagon will be a piece pf crap if you didn't upgrade it. Linken's will still be pissing your enemies off.

Focus on pushing and, when in team fights, disabling and staying alive.
When taking creepwaves, abuse Remnant, as your mana regen will probably be enough to recover it in some seconds. Just save some mana so you can Ball to safety if necessary.

section 8.4 - top

The Hard Part of the gameplay is when you couldn't farm enough and ended up under-leveled without all the items you need. You were probably laning against hard harasserslike Venomancer or Necrolyte in early game or got unluckily pwned a couple times...

If for any reason you couldn't farm well and now you see yourself in mid game with only a half of your core, you'll be just a walking disable with blink. As you weren't lucky, you won't want to gank enemies with your poor items, as you would only get yourself killed, we need alternatives. Get all the free farm you can get. Try anti-pushing those super creep waves, spam Remnants and charged attacks so you can last-hit most of them. Try the neutrals to get some gold and exp. Make sure you are with your team every time they're pushing and/or fighting, so you can grab an extra bit of exp.

Focus a little more on disable and defensive items like Eul's, Blade Mail.
Consider Necronomicon.

section 9 - top

It's fantastic to see how these heroes benefits from your Vortex and the subsequent slow. They can deal massive damage by themselves, but with an SS by their side, this capacity is increased.

Easy skill landing.

Special Mentions:

X -> Remnant + Ship -> SS Attack -> Vortex -> Torrent + SS Attack [...]
Any questions?

Vortex can draw enemies into stacked mines and/or hold them to the suicide squad.

Vortex gives WD the positioning time, as well as an easy maledict land.
If you decide to use Vortex after WD used maledict, it's even better, just watch Death Ward disintegrate the poor soul...

section 10 - top

Any hero with a good silence skill. They're your nightmare. Linken's can and will be great in some cases, in targeted cases. When the silence is AoE, you'll have to do Ball Evasion.

Disablers, specially AoE ones. Linken's can protect you from targeted, but you'll have to train really hard the Ball Lightning spell-dodging. You're all about mobility: SS - mobility = Standing Punching Bag.

Mana burners... We hate them.

section 11 - top

Aeon.Nick[MUFC] silvercross as Raijin v6.68c
This replay shows a pretty solid SS play.
Shows well how to use remnant/overcharge to farm (this guy is a great farmer).
Good kill/assist.

Special mention: ES, it's not a shaker guide, iknow! But his fissures are worth mentioning!

WE.i-rocks.Fnty as Raijin v6.72c
In this game Raijin plays nicely, but it's good to see what happens when you face a hero that's a direct counter to you (BS, int this case) while playing mid solo-solo lane in early game and, specially, how to react to it.
Smoke Bottle ganking.

Great escapes, great team synergy.

Replay 1 - YamateH @ WDC, Ver 6.69c

Replay 2 - ZSMJ, ver 6.67c