DOTA -AP Games - hero selection

[afty]

Gents, now we're finally getting away from -AR (random hero) games when playing within MPUK to something with a less... well... random... outcome, I'm hoping we can try to get some balanced games. It's been a bit frustrating recently to play in AP games and have people choose heros' which just won't cut the mustard when the 5 on the enemy team have top class choices...

So, without further ado, let's get a thread going on "good" choices... stong heroes which are easy to play, or broken in some way that does *not* require arcane knowledge and skills to use:

Leoric the Skeleton King
Bone Clinkz the Bone Fletcher
Jharakal the Troll Warlord
Rhasta the Shadow Shaman
Braidwarden the Centaur Warchief
Shandalzare Silkwood the Vengeful Spirit
Morphling
Rylai Crestfall the Crystal Maiden
Rikimaru the Stealth Assassin
Lina Inverse the Slayer
Furion the Prophet
Crixalis the Sand King
Anubserran the Nerubian Weaver
Rotund'jere the Necrolyte
Atropos the Bane Elemental
Viper the Netherdrake
Kel-Thuzad the Lich
Krobelus the Death Prophet
Lion the Demon Witch
Lucifer the Doom Bringer


Heroes who are overrated, or are hard to play and often played by people who haven't worked it out:
Luna Moonfang the Moon Rider (hard)
Khardel Sharpeye the Dwarven Sniper (hard)
Mangix the Pandarren Battlemaster (overrated)
Gondar the Bounty Hunter (overrated)
Traxex the Drow Ranger (overrated)
Magina the Anti Mage (hard)
Zeus the Lord of Olympia (utterly crap)
Sven the Rogueknight (hard)
Aiusha the Enchantress (crap)
Slithice the Naga Siren (v hard)
Yurnero the Juggernaut (overrated)
Syllabear the Lone Druid (hard)
Magnus the Magnataur (hard)
Rooftrellen the Treant Protector (v hard)
Ezalor the Keeper Of The Light (hard)
Silencer (hard)
Rigwarl the Bristleback (hard/overrated)
Mogul Khan the Axe (hard)
Purist Thunderwrath the Omniknight (hard)
Barathrum the Spirit Breaker (hard / bit overrated)
Leviathan the Tidehunter (v hard)
Mortred the Phantom Assassin (hard)
Balanar the Night Stalker (hard)
Banehallow the Lycanthrope (hard)
Brood Mother (hard)
Terrorblade the Soul Keeper (hard)
Naix the Lifestealer (hard)
Medusa the Gorgon (nerfed)


Let's see some discussion, and hopefully we can have some cracking even games :)

EDIT: added full names for "clarity"™

[Lucifa]

Yurnero (overrated)

I take offence at that! He's the Phantom Assassin of sentinel and should be donoted with (hard). He's one of my favourite characters, but I don't play him that often due to being very hard.

Which one is Krobelus? God I hate people using the first names, I don't know hardly any of them :p

Personally I wouldn't put SA and Bane Elemental into the "easy to play" catagory. SA is just a pain in the ass to play with his positional requirement and Bane does take some skill to play.

One thing I have noticed from our AP cheese games is that no one ever picks Troll Warlord! He is one of the best agi heroes in the game and is probably one of the only heroes that can give a fully pimped out Clinkz a run for his money.

Can we also have less techies please :) It's not nice having the entire system of the game changed for one hero out of 60+
I also solemly swear to stop picking Razor, and pick Centaur Warchief more often. I have great games with the centaur so why do I never pick him?

[Baz]

rhasta is very very hard to play afty, unless you are acustomed with all his skills and how they work together hes a toughy - even after 9 months of dota i usually always repick rhasta.

[afty]

Rhasta. Put wards down, shackle. Done :)

He's also quite good late game, even without tons of cash. But praps you're right, he's not as easy as some.

And Luci, yep - the Troll is utterly utterly broken. I'll be playing him sometime soon in an AP game...

[her0n]

Where is venomancer on that list?!

[Baz]

sven is still far far too good imo, but thats prolly because i played him so much.

[Dan]

sven rocks 8]

Nerubian Assassin is also _really_ good!

[Joey[kins]]

Sentinel - Morning Tavern
Zeus the Lord of Olympia (int, med ranged, nuker) Difficult, Underpowered
Raigor Stonehoof the Earthshaker (str, melee, ranged stun) Difficult, Average
Yunero the Juggernaut (agi, melee, healer & excellent 1v1 ulti) OK, Powerful late game
Rylai Crestfall the Crystal Maiden (int, ranged, ranged semi-stun & nuker) Easy, Powerful
Aiuthsa the Enchantress (int, ranged, healer & hero killer) Quite difficult, Can be powerful
Shandalzare Silkwood the Vengeful Spirit (agi, short ranged, ranged stun & hero killer) Average difficulty, Totally Overpowered
Slithice the Naga Siren (agi, melee, ranged semi-stun & copies & area sleep) Very difficult, Underpowered
Rikimaru the Stealth Assassin (agi, melee, blinkstrike & area silence & perma-invisible) Difficult, Powerful
Syllabear the Lone Druid (agi, ranged, summoner) Difficult, Can be powerful
Morphling (str/agi/int, ranged, ???) Difficult, Can be totally broken in the wrong hands
Sven the Rogueknight (str, melee, ranged stun & area dmg & quad-damage ulti) Moderate, Very powerful
Lina Inverse the Slayer (int, ranged, nuker & instagib-ulti) Moderate, Powerful if not stopped

Sentinel - Sunrise Tavern
Ezalor the Keeper of the Light (int, ranged, healer & insta-mana-regen & summoner) Moderate (just keep spaffing illuminate for free money-cash), Powerful
Darchrow the Enigma (int, ranged, ranged stun & area damage/hold) Moderate, Powerful
Furion the Prophet (int, ranged, teleport to anywhere & ranged semi-stun & summoner) Fairly easy, Powerful
Aggaron the Ogre Magi (int, melee, ranged stun) Very difficult, Moderate
Rooftrellen the Treant Protector (str, melee, area stun) Very difficult, Very effective support hero
Azwraith the Phantom Lancer (agi, melee, copies) Quite difficult, Moderate
Boush the Tinker (int, ranged, nuker & insta-refresh) Quite easy, Very powerful
Tiny the Stone Giant (str, melee, insane damage & ranged area stun) Difficult, Powerful
Ulfasaar the Ursa Warrior (agi, melee, insane damage & speed/attack rate boost) Quite difficult, Overpowered
Squee and Spleen the Goblin Techies (int, ranged, land mines & area stun mines) Very difficult, Powerful (changes the entire approach of the enemy team)
Nortrom the Silencer (int, ranged, summoner & area damage & healer) Quite difficult, Very effective support hero

Sentinel - Daylight Tavern
Kardel Sharpeye the Dwarven Sniper (agi, very long ranged, hero killer) Easy, Powerful
Rhasta the Shadow Shaman (int, ranged, ranged disable & ranged hold & nuker) Moderate, Very powerful
Magina the Anti-Mage (agi, melee, mana-burn & magic resist & blink) Very difficult, Very effective against int heroes
Knight Davion/Arc Honist the Dragon Knight (str, melee, melee stun & insane hp regen & ranged ulti) Quite difficult, Powerful
Purist Thunderwrath the Omniknight (str, melee, healer & hard to escape from) Moderate, Powerful
Traxex the Drow Ranger (agi, ranged, area silence & frost attack & money farmer) Moderate, Powerful
Gondar the Bounty Hunter (agi, melee, wind walk) Quite difficult, Moderate
Mangix the Pandaren Battlemaster (str, melee, melee area slow & "emergency" ulti) Difficult, Moderate
Jharakal the Troll Warlord (agi, melee/ranged, insane attack rate) Easy, Very powerful
Braidwarden the Centaur Warchief (str, melee, melee area stun & insane HP) Moderate, Powerful
Luna Moonfang the Moon Rider (agi, short-ranged, nuker & excellent 1v1 or 1v2 ulti) Difficult, Powerful
Rigwarl the Bristleback (str, melee, insane attack rate) Moderate, Powerful

[afty]

Originally posted by her0n
Where is venomancer on that list?! Venomancer is in neither... he's fairly strong, but not easy to play. Sits in between the easy list and the shytlist. :)

[afty]

Originally posted by Dan
Nerubian Assassin is also _really_ good! Nerubian Assassin is *VERY* hard to play for a newbie.

[Joey[kins]]

Scourge - Midnight Tavern
Kel'Thuzad the Lich (int, ranged, nuker & insta-mana-regen & excellent ulti) Easy, Very powerful
Mortred the Phantom Assassin (agi, melee, blinkstrike & insane crit ulti) Moderate, Broken late game
Terrorblade the Soul Keeper (agi, melee/ranged, copies & life drain & excellent ulti) Difficult, Powerful
Leshrac the Malicious the Tormented Soul (int, ranged, nuker) Difficult due to low HP, Powerful support hero
Lesale Deathbringer the Venomancer (agi, ranged, poison attacks & insane ulti) Moderate, Very powerful
Lion the Demon Witch (int, ranged, ranged disable & instagib ulti) Easy, Very powerful
Anubserran the Broodmother (agi, melee, invisible in webs) Very difficult, Powerful
Banehallow the Lycanthrope (str, melee, insane ulti) Difficult, Very powerful
Magnus the Magnataur (str, melee, area damage) Difficult, Underpowered
Visage the Necro'lic (int, ranged, summoner) Quite difficult, Moderate to Powerful
Nessaj the Chaos Knight (str, melee, copies) Quite difficult, Powerful
Krobelus the Death Prophet (int, ranged, nuker & area silence) Moderate, Very powerful

Scourge - Evening Tavern
Balanar the Night Stalker (str, melee, very powerful during the night) Difficult, Moderate to Very powerful depending on time
Viper the Netherdrake (agi, ranged, poison) Easy, Powerful
Leoric the Skeleton King (str, melee, ranged stun & lifesteal & insane ulti) Easy, Overpowered
Darkterror the Faceless Void (agi, melee, area stun & bash) Difficult, Moderate
Lucifer the Doom Bringer (str, melee, evil) Moderate, Very powerful
Razor the Lightning Revenant (agi, ranged, fast-moving & money farmer) Easy, Very powerful
Na'ix the Lifestealer (str, melee, lifesteal & avatar) Difficult, Very powerful
Akasha the Queen of Pain (int, ranged, blink & nuker) Moderate, Powerful
Thebis'Ra the Nerubian Assassin (agi, melee, ranged stun & invisible backstab ulti) Moderate, Very powerful
Bone Clinkz the Bone Fletcher (agi, ranged, wind walk & insta-heal) Difficult, Insanely powerful
Saladar the Slithereen Guard (str, melee, area melee stun & sprint & damage amplify) Moderate, Powerful
Medusa the Gorgon (agi, ranged, multi-shot) Easy, Powerful

Scourge - Twilight Tavern
Leviathan the Tidehunter (str, melee, ranged slow & area stun ulti) Moderate, Powerful
Atropos the Bane Elemental (int, short-ranged, lots of disable) Moderate, Powerful
Mogul Khan the Axe (str, melee, insane dmg) Easy, Powerful
Anubserran the Nerubian Weaver (agi, ranged, wind walk and "rewind" - very difficult to kill) Difficult, Broken beyond all reason
Nevermore the Shadow Fiend (agi, ranged, free divine rapier) Easy, Very powerful if you don't die
Crixalis the Sand King (str, melee, ranged stun & area nuke ulti) Moderate, Powerful
Barathrum the Spirit Breaker (str, melee, silly stun) Very difficult, Very powerful
Pugna the Oblivion (int, ranged, nuker & insane life drain) Moderate, Moderate
Rotund'jere the Necrolyte (int, ranged, melee area nuke/heal & instagib ulti) Moderate, Very powerful support & str hero killer
Pudge the Butcher (str, melee, ranged "hook" & insane hp) Moderate, Moderate

[Lucifa]

I never thought much of Venomancer, as shown by the fact I repicked him at stratlan (along with calls of WTF YOU REPICKED??).
To me he's an average agi hero with the typical low hp that comes with it.
Vulnerable to ambushes having no escape ability.
His only defining factor is the good chasing ability of shadow strike and his ulti, but even the ulti isn't that good and only has a few levels in which it is effective, much like the Lich's ulti and the old SA's death ward. Evil early-mid game but a non factor late game.
The lothar's edge in the middle of the enemy and use nova is a good trick, but what does that mean? You are now stuck in the middle of 3+ heroes and all their creep with no way of getting out.
See you at the fountain in 60s time.

[Joey[kins]]

Yeah so anyway that's my view on every hero, the ones highlighted in blue are the ones who i'd class as suitable for those who are fresh and new.

[Dux0r]

meh and i was enjoying playing as zeus.. go noob skillz!

[D0c]

Zeus is a good early irrantant as is any nuker, but once you get to about level 14/15 his spells are a bit poo and can be shaken off easily by most heroes. Wrath of God is again a good killsteal ability and annoying but if you dont get enough kills mid game with lv2 you will never be able to keep up with other characters (unless you go for cheese Aghanim's which makes him useful to L18, but still never a late game hero)

[Kaution]

Raigor Stonehoof the Earthshaker (str, melee, ranged stun) Difficult, Average

I'd say he was rather more on the Powerful side, not an Average character thats for sure, the ammount of stuns he has that do high dmg with a really great ultimate, right item set and he goes insane.