Slithice was always a vagabond among the Naga, roaming beyond the boundaries of the sea in search of new things. During her adventures she met and fell in love with a young Orc training to be a Blademaster. Though he was inexperienced he taught her many Orcish fighting tactics employed by seasoned warriors. During their courtship as she was learning how to make traps from a local raider, a swarm of Scourge came and invaded, her love was killed before her very eyes. She used her Naga magics to put the evil to sleep and fled, and now gives her all to the Sentinel, in the name of her love.
Range: 100 | Move Speed: 320 | Primary: AGI
Str: 19 + 1.9 | Agi: 21 + 2.75 | Int: 15 + 1.65
Damage: 51 - 53 | HP: 511 | Mana: 195
HP Regen: 0.82 | Mana Regen: 0.61
Attack Speed: 1.34 (+ 21% IAS) | Armor: 4
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Contents
I. Introduction
II. Abilities
III. Skill Build
IV. Item Build
V. Strategy
VI. Video & Replay
VII. Hero Counters
VIII. Screenshot Tutorials
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I. Introduction
I've worked day in and day out to keep this guide as simple as possible. I find it foolish when someone negatively comments on size, because when you actually look through, it you'll see that the sections are divided off clearly. And yeah, this is my first DotA guide.
So.. why choose Naga Siren anyways? Because she is a..
- Hero Killer
- Pusher
- Counter-Pusher
- Ambusher
- Chaser
- Escaper
- Supporter
- Sexy Beast
Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my... okay, she really is all of those, and the guide will hopefully help you through it.
II. Abilities
Mirror Image
Confuses the enemy by summoning copies of Slithice, which can deal damage. Images take triple damage. Lasts 30 seconds.
Level 1 - Creates 1 illusion, deals 15% damage.
Level 2 - Creates 2 illusions, deals 30% damage.
Level 3 - Creates 3 illusions, deals 30% damage.
Level 4 - Creates 3 illusions, deals 45% damage.
Mana Cost: 85 / 105 / 130 / 150
Cooldown: 60
Comments: This is what makes Slithice a threat. She's an agility hero with low health, but then bam, you've got copies that deal out significant damage. Throughout my strategy I will advise you to not use this ability on farming, unless to counter a push. This is a must save for heroes and for simply surviving against enemy heroes. The cooldown is too long for you to waste this ability.
Ensnare
Entraps an enemy unit in a net, rendering the unit unable to move.
Level 1 - Lasts 2 seconds.
Level 2 - Lasts 3 seconds.
Level 3 - Lasts 4 seconds.
Level 4 - Lasts 5 seconds.
Mana Cost: 75 / 85 / 95 / 115
Cooldown: 15
Comments: Ensnare is your key to killing heroes throughout the entire game (especially early-mid). The range is great, though it's best to make sure you're close so that you can attack the hero while they're ensnared. Remember, a netted hero can STILL ATTACK. This is no stun, it simply disables movement, so be careful. However, it does cancel channeling spells (so if a hero is channeling a spell, and get ensnared while doing so, it cancels it), and goes through magic immunity (i.e. N'aix's Rage).
Critical Strike
Gives a chance to do deal 1.5 times damage on an attack.
Level 1 - 15% chance.
Level 2 - 25% chance.
Level 3 - 35% chance.
Level 4 - 45% chance.
Mana Cost: N/A
Cooldown: N/A
Comments: Does wonders for Naga's damage output, especially because your images have this as a passive ability as well. As you will see I like to mix this up with images early, I just find it works well technically, and it also intimidates a hero when those red numbers are flying up.
Song of the Siren
Slithice sings a tempting song. Enemy units near her are put to sleep.
Level 1 - Lasts 6 seconds, affects 800 AoE around Siren..
Level 2 - Lasts 7 seconds, affects 1200 AoE around Siren.
Level 3 - Lasts 8 seconds, affects 1600 AoE around Siren
Mana Cost: 200 / 275 / 360
Cooldown: 120
Comments: A great ultimate. I can't think of a better one for Slithice. Whenever your images fail you or you get ganked, this one spell is an easy escape route. Also great for saving allies, but you must use it wisely. I prefer not using it to 'set up the enemy', since I always find needs for it to survive or save others. It's still an option, though.
This is the Skill Build I've worked out for this guide. It has yet to fail me since, but it is of course subject to change at any time. This skill build gives you the general guidelines you should take so that you can follow the strategies for the rest of the guide effectively. You may have to make a few small changes depending on your situation, such as getting Song of the Siren earlier due to frequent ambushes.
1 - Ensnare (Level 1)
2 - Mirror Image (Level 1)
3 - Ensnare (Level 2)
4 - Mirror Image (Level 2)
5 - Ensnare (Level 3)
6 - Critical Strike (Level 1)
7 - Mirror Image (Level 3)
8 - Ensnare (Level 4)
9 - Critical Strike (Level 2)
10 - Song of the Siren (Level 1)
11 - Mirror Image (Level 4)
12 - Critical Strike (Level 3)
13 - Critical Strike (Level 4)
14 - Song of the Siren (Level 2)
15 - Attribute Bonus
16 - Song of the Siren (Level 3)
17-25 - Attribute Bonus
1. Ensnare - Maxing out Ensnare as the primary skill since it is just so damn useful. This causes a hero to be unable to move up to five seconds, and vulnerable to damage, which makes this useful in many ways. Use it early game for saving yourself, to kill an enemy hero that is escaping with a small amount of HP (that happens frequently in early game), and even net a hero near the tower.
2. Mirror Image & Critical Strike - Now for the Mirror Image and Critical Strike abilities, I like to mix those up mostly, but placing Mirror Images higher up the ladder than Critical Strike. Why? Because the extra damage you get from critical strike, even in early game, can give you the little extra damage you need to finish off the hero. I rank Mirror Image higher than Critical Strike because you gain an extra image per level for the first three levels of Mirror Image, and the more images you have the more damage, and it'll overwhelm your enemy.
3. Song of the Siren - I don't get Song of the Siren until level 10 (on all of my skill builds for naga, no matter how I mess around with the others earlier) because it just really isn't needed. I don't find myself getting ganked so hard during those first nine levels of early game. And if I do get ganked in some way, I have the high level of Mirror Images to use, so that the enemy doesn't know which naga to target. And if a hero still keeps on chasing, I have Ensnare to hold him down for my escape.
IV. Item Build
End Result...
Simple item build, with items I find easy to obtain. I go through for a complete 6-item build, although I doubt you'll get pass the 'Linken Mark'. I just decided to include items afterwards since there is always the chance you'll get there.
Item Build Order: Robe of Magi, Boots of Speed, Blade of Alacrity, Diffusal Blade, Blade of Alacrity, Boots of Elvenskin, Yasha, Vitality Booster, Manta Style, Yasha, Ultimate Orb, Boots of Travel, Perseverance, Linken's Sphere, Messerschmidt's Reaver, Vitality Booster, Heart of Terrasque, Eaglehorn, Quarterstaff, The Butterfly
Early Game Item Options:
-AP: Ring of Regeneration and 2 Ironwood Branches/1 Flask of Sapphire Water OR Start with nothing, buy a Ring of Health when you can afford (this will help you eventually towards Linken's Sphere)
-AR: Nothing, buy Ring of Health when you can afford OR Boots of Speed and 4-5 Ironwood Branches/2 Flasks of Sapphire Water OR Ring of Regeneration and 5 Ironwood Branches/ 2 Flasks of Sapphire Water (I never like getting more than 2 flasks, a waste of money, and you'll be selling the Ironwood Branches back)
Item Build Explanation:
The key items in Slithice's item build are the Diffusal Blade and the Manta Style. Feedback (mana burning) makes you a much more effective hero killer, especially against intelligence heroes, since your images also have feedback.
Diffusal Blade helps you earlier in the game with the Purge ability, allowing you to finish off heroes with ease if they escape your ensnare. Manta Style helps you later in pushes, since you gain a second image casting ability.
Boots of Speed (500): A neutral item, though I find it useful when using ensnare, since you can reach the target hero more quickly in order to get some hits in. It also makes trips to the fountain quicker, which you may be doing often since Slithice usually douses all of her energy in one combo early in the game (low mana pool).
Diffusal Blade (3000): This item is extremely useful on Slithice, especially if you use Purge at the correct times. The mana burn takes care of just about every hero (especially intelligence), since your images also gain the feedback ability from this item. Check my strategies below for tips on how to use this correctly.
Yasha (2050): Overall decent item for Naga Siren, since it helps out your images as well. Why? It gives a direct bonus to your agility, which means benefits for the images, along with the movement speed increase. The images don't gain the IAS, though +5% is nothing to get excited over. This item is very affordable, with the items and recipe, so obtaining this is one easy step at a time. It's perfect for that time gap where you're trying to milk the Diffusal Blade for all it's worth (the ten charges).
Manta Style (2500): An amazing item on Slithice, mainly because you nearly have unlimited images. While one is cooling down you can use the other, or you can use both Mirror Image and Manta Style at the same time for a total of 6 nagas. =D This item heavily upgrades Slithice has a pusher, since you can easily overwhelm buildings. Look below in the SS Tuts for more information on how to do this.
Yasha (2nd one) (2050): Another? Yep. It is very affordable, and your images are benefitting from the agility(the Movespeed doesn't stack, but that doesn't matter). This ranks above the Butterfly because of the bloody cost of Butterfly, and you need to be moving on to buffing up your images' HP. If you reach a very late point in the game when your build is complete, you can trade in a Yasha for a Butterfly.
Linken's Sphere (5700): Okay, you're at the 'after Manta Style' point. With Linken's, if the real Slithice gets hit by a spell, it will most likely be blocked, allowing you to cast an image spell (you have two now) to fight back, or cast Song of the Siren. Mana bonus allows for more imaging (and that ultimate is so dang costly), and you get an Agility and HP bonus to your images.
Upgrade to Boots of Travel (2200): You're doing this mainly for the TP (teleport). With this you can defend your towers and push quickly late game. Those images are overwhelming, especially in a surprise attack. And even if you're not strong enough to counter a push, you have Song of the Siren to disable them so allies can reach the structure in time.
Heart of Terrasque (5500): Again, very huge bonus to your HP, so now it's even harder for the enemy to destroy your images. With the regeneration of this and your Linken's, that makes +17 HP/sec. regen. You should be living at the enemy's base. =P
Trade a Yasha in for The Butterfly (5950): First off, it's unlikely you'll reach this mark. I don't get The Butterfly earlier because of the insane cost of Eaglehorn at 3400. Ridiculous. The small-cost items in Yasha are way easier. Anyways, the evasion and agility from butter will really help out you and your images, since HP isn't always everything. +9 more agility for you compared to the Yasha.
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Optional To Linken's Sphere: Soul Booster This item works fine as an optional item to Linken's Sphere, since Soul Booster costs 2400 less gold. Linken's Sphere helps out more in the long run, but if you aren't getting cash fast, I'd suggest you give Soul Booster a try. Quick info screenshot I got from DP's item database:
Order of orbs? It depends. Are you running out of mana more often, or health? If it's one or the other, get Vitality or Energy Booster. If it's both, grab the Point Booster.
So why Linken's Sphere over Soul Booster in the first place? Well, images don't benefit from the regeneration from either of the items, so scratch that off and look what you've got. Linken's Sphere: +15 All Stats. Soul Booster: +450 HP (I'm disregarding mana since images don't even use it). The plus to strength from Linken's gives you 375 HP, not too far from the Soul Booster bonus. It also gives you the plus to agility (15% IAS, +15 Damage, +2.1 Armor), Naga's main attribute. And the HP and mana regeneration (affects real naga only) is much higher from Linken's than SB. So I find Linken's to be a much better item, even if it is more costly.
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Why Not Other Orb Effects? Okay, the feedback orb effect is your best bet on Naga in any game. Feedback is the ONLY orb effect images can have. But hell, let's go over the others anyways.
- S&Y: A small percent chance for maim, while Purge on Diffusal is a definite chance. Plain and simple, you don't get anywhere as much benefit from S&Y as you do from Manta Style.
- Cranium Basher: Images don't have extra damage or bash (creates a 'fake bash' where you see the animation but it doesn't really do anything).
- Battle Fury: Images don't have extra damage or cleave.
- Satanic: You gain more HP bonuses from Heart of Terrasque, and images don't gain life leech anyways.
- Burize: A +damage item does not benefit images. Sure, the images will get the crit, but it is unnecessary when you already 45% crit.
- Eye of Skadi: Takes forever to farm this item, and the images will not even have the frost attack. Not worth it at all.
- Maelstrom: No. Images don’t have chain lightning. No.
- Stygian Desolator: It is a thought, lowering the hero's armour so that there’s more wailing on him with images... No. Images just don’t benefit because it is a +damage item.
- MKB: I just added it here since people still ask about it. The images don't get the +damage, and they don't have the ministun, they just create a 'fake bash' like cranium basher.
V. Strategy
This section will be brief due to the fact I am using visual aid in my next post through Screenshot Tutorials to teach the Naga Siren strategies.
To give an overview, this guide's use of Slithice makes her a very effective hero killer, pusher, supporter, all around. There are a few combos to learn through the SS Tuts, and once perfected you'll come to see Slithice as a great hero.
Basic Combo: Ensnare, Mirror Image, Attack. or Mirror Image, Ensare, Attack.
The first is more surprising, but in the latter you have no delay of casting. I use the latter when working with allies, and the first when I am one versus one. After they are ensnared, run up so that you are touching the hero, then you cast Mirror Image, so that you sourrosurroundo give the images attacking room.
Purging Combo: Ensnare, Mirror Image, Attack, Purge (when ensnare wears out), Attack.
This combo can of course only be used if you have Diffusal Blade, and is very deadly. The Purge is very useful since net usually doesn't last long enough, you just need to cast these spells at the right time. Cast Purge after ensnare wears out, not during it. And when you cast purge, move your images ahead of where the enemy is retreating, then attack, almost like creating a wall, and so that you don't fall behind.
Warning: For heroes that have channeling AoE spells, use purge first so that you can use ensnare to cancel that spell.
Image Surprise (they should make an ice cream for this): Attack, Mirror Image (Ensnare)
Tricking a hero is always effective. First be sure that only one enemy hero is present. Now what you do is get in a little fight with them and don't use spells. Maybe use ensnare to make them think you're serious or think you don't have any mana. Once you're down to about half HP or a little less, use your Mirror Image and ensnare if you have it. Surprise! This trick takes experience though, because you have to be very careful. The hero could the same to you, and not use their spells until you've reached about half HP. In which case you're screwed, since you have low HP. I use this most when I'm in a solo lane and I get in one of those one on one battles early.
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Early Game: You are weak. Do not expect to own, even if you are a pro. During this time you need to concentrate on levels, using the 'last-hit' method for gold. Make sure you stay back and take as little damage as possible. If you expect to have harrassing enemies, save out for a RoH first. There is not much you can do on the offensive, except for a useful trick I picked up. Ensnare a hero when they come in range of your tower (make sure they have only 1-3 enemy creeps with them), and with luck the tower will target them, along with you yourself. Don't expect a kill (unless they were low in the first place), but it'll keep your hero's HP down for later on, and also put up the intimidation factor.
- Farming Alone (without images): You will need to use the 'last-hit creep' method in order to farm this way. Generally easy with Naga, especially once you start putting points into Critical Strike. Just wait for red HP on the creep, and attack. You are a melee hero though, so you'll have to anticipate when the creep will have the smallest amount of HP. If he is being attacked by most of your creeps, you'll need to attack sooner. If only 1-2 creeps are attacking it, you'll be attacking later. You get the idea. Keep in mind that the mages do more damage than the melee creeps.
- Farming With Images: Earlier in the game when you only have a few levels in Mirror Image, you'll still need to use the last-hit method (almost guaranteed now with images, you don't have to wait as long). However, you'll soon reach the point where you just attack one creep with all your images. Doesn't matter if you are even alone against a creep wave with your images, you always attack one creep at a time with ALL the images.
Late Game: Big items, big damage, nasty images, what are ya going to do? Attack the base. When Slithice is in a push, at least one building is taken out. Save your images for the tower/rax when pushing, and your enemies will be overwhelmed. Naga Siren is an overwhelming hero. A useful strategy if you have Manta Style by now is to make copies of yourself for one building, then again for the next. Double-imaging is also an effective counter-push, though I'd suggest not to attack from behind since your images really don't have much HP to play around with.
Also in pushes, I stress the use of Song of the Siren (this is explained in the SS Tuts, but I'm mentioning it here). Once the enemies have arrived at the structure you're targeting with your allies, use Song of the Siren to completely disable your foes so that they can watch helplessly as you destroy their building.
Guide taken from here.
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