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Axe's Advanced Guide in Lane-support & Early ganking roles (Teamplay)

October 22, 2012 by 3HitKO
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Build 1

Build 1: Harrass, Disable and Gank

DotA2 Hero: Axe


Axe

Offense

Damage 49-53

Defense

Armor 1.8

Other

Movement Speed 290

Attributes

Strength 87.5
Agility 75
Intelligence 58

Basic Stats

Health 2145
Mana 988

Purchase Order

Starting

Early-Mid

Core

Situational

Luxury



Hero Skills

Berserker's Call

4 6 8 9

Battle Hunger

1 3 5 7

Counter Helix

2 10 13 14

Culling Blade

11 12 16

Stats

15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25


Axe's Advanced Guide in Lane-support & Early ganking roles (Teamplay)

3HitKO
October 22, 2012

1.Introduction
2.Pros / Cons
3.Skill Discussion
4.Gameplay
5.Item Build FAQ and some notes:
6.Miscellaneous

Top

Introduction

This guide tend to focus on playing AXE aggressive teamplay in Suicide lane and Safe Lane as LaneHarrass/Gank/Initiate.

This guide is NOT for:

1. Jungling
2. Tanking
3. Ownning

This guide FOCUS in:

1. LaneHarrass/LaneSupport
2. BabySitting Carry
3. Initiating
4. Ganking aggressively

Top

Pros / Cons

About AXE:

Pros:

1. Having one of the best crowd control spell in Dota 2(even better than Enigma's Black hole), it can even bypass BKB.
2. Require a lot less farming/last hit due to Counter-Helix
3. Having one of the best DoT spell with low mana cost and low cooldown, while 900 casting range.

Cons:

1. His STR gain and average-low armor gain makes him quite squishy as Initiate/Tank.
2. His hero-killing methods are quite situational.
3. Quite useless throughout the game without the core item, blink blade.

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Skill Discussion

Berserker's Call:

NOTE: In my guide, this skill is maxed after Battle Hunger, while ignoring the Culling Blade and Counter-Helix.

Reasons WHY:

1. It is a very useful disabling spell during ganking with other nukers/gankers, even it is only disabling one hero.

2. Despite the popular's belief, Berserker's Call is NOT suppose to combo with Counter-Helix!

3. By the time you maxed this skill, you should be able to get its synergy item ==> Blink Dagger


Battle Hunger:

1. Max this skill asap for its high damage, long casting range, and spammable cooldown/mana cost.

2. Despite the popular's belief it is a situational spell, it is extremely useful during ganking, 5 sec cooldown is meant for re-cast to those who dispelled it by killing units OR tagging multiple heroes for movement speed boost.

3. Again another great combo DoT spell with Blink Dagger, for chasing low hp heroes.


Counter-Helix:

NOTE: Keep it at LVL 1 till you maxed Battle Hunger and Berserker's Call.
Reasons why:

1. Passive with 17% trigger chance means it is NOT a reliable skill in ganking with Blink Dagger.

2. 3 additional skillpoints only increasing 105 damage per spin, NOT increasing chance triggers nor interval reduction.

3. From above 2 points, Counter-Helix is designed and balanced for Jungling/Creeping, NOT GANKING.


Culling Blade:

NOTE: Putting points into it ONLY IF you maxed Battle Hunger and Berserker's Call. The only exception, however, up this Ultimate ASAP if opposite side having Omniknight/Dazzle in their team.

Reasons why:

1. AXE is LaneSupport/Initiator, early game kills goes to Nukers/Carry.

2. Axe's mana capacity only allow him to spam Battle Hunger early game OR Blink-Call during mid game, spending precious mana to KS for a kill, it is NOT WISE to do that.

3. Its movement speed bonus is only useful in gankings which involving more than 5 heroes. You chase and disable heroes with Blink-Call.

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Gameplay

Things to do:

1. Early game:

a. Harrass/Kill at Top/Bottom lane: Depending on opposite's hero choices, time your Battle Hunger well to make them suffer or even net a kill.

b. Survive: As you need to get your blink blade ASAP, the ONLY support item you can buy is a pair of observer ward OR a basic courier.

c. Do not roam if your Battle Hunger not yet reach LVL 3, best to roam with LVL 4 Battle Hunger.

d. Use your LVL 1 Berserker's Call to save your teammate even if it meant your doom by diverting multiple heroes' attention to you.

e. Always replenish your mana with clarity, 50 gold for early game Harrass/Kill is too cheap to pass. You will worry about mana capacity problem during mid-game, not early game. Passive mana regen items is pretty useless to AXE.
(A lot of ppl mentioned about URN of shadow, but 875 gold is too much for Axe before a Blink Dagger)


2. Early-Mid, Mid-Late game:

a. After you get blink, you will be experiencing mana problem as Blink-Call + Battle Hunger is quite mana-consuming. Get a point booster for HP and Mana capcity gain.

b. Depend on the game progress, you can either get a Aghanim's Scepter or Bloodstone (Bloodstone always better choice for tanking and absorbing charges for faster respawning since AXE having the higher risk of dying)

c. Always help to crowd control enemy heroes and prepare for teammates to enter the combat. This applies to protect your carry by diverting enemy heroes attention to you, by all cost.

d. Try to get rid of most annoying hero from enemy team ASAP with Culling Blade(mostly heavy support hero such as Dazzle/Omniknight/Invoker). No one will blame you for KS in such situation, but feel grateful for your swift action)


Things NOT to do:

1. NEVER ever using Culling Blade to KS a kill from your teammate unless the situation forcing you to do so(teammates unable to deliver finishing blow).

2. DO NOT get any other core item before Blink Dagger. Without the dagger, AXE is totally useless throughout the game.

3. DO NOT FARM/JUNGLING when ally gankers expecting you to help them in ganking.

Top

Item Build FAQ and some notes:

Q. ZOMG Why no arcane boots if you wanna spam Battle Hunger? Why Tranquil Boots?

A. +80 movement speed is invaluable for chasing/retreating while its actives significantly improves further AXE's decent HP regen. It is better to use the extra 475 gold for earlier Blink Daggers as core item than delay by a support item with lower movement speed. Clarity pots will do the job for mana issues.

Q. ZOMG Why no Vanguard if you wanna Blink-Call?

A. I prefer Vit + Point Booster for extra HP and MANA over Vanguard with almost same gold cost. I worry more on tanking nuking spell on me after the 3-sec-call ends than some damage blocking with lower bonus HP.


Some tips on Situational items:

Blade Mail: Get this when there is a potential hard carry or super nukers in enemy team, OR when you not doing well in mid game. Basically this item allows you to drag your enemy down together with your death.

Heart of Tarrasque: Get this over Bloodstone when your gold above 2.5k after Blink Dagger. Basically transform you into a solid Tank with mana issues though.

Shiva Guard: It is a plus having a slow AOE + slow aura when Blink-Calling, but its cost makes it a situational item to get.

Pipe of Insight: Get this when you facing a lot of AOE/Global nukes. Best combo with Mekansm from Int Support.

Top

Miscellaneous

Feel Free to give comment/feedback for this guide as this is the first time for me to post guide after years of dota/dota2. I will make any improvments on this guide and keep it updated from time to time.

Guide Discussion
Quote | PM | +Rep by xenocide » October 22, 2012 2:28am | Report
Eh, BH does nice damage, but against higher skill players who can land the LH's to cancel it, it definitely loses its allure. I think Axe is probably more valuable as a jungler since it allows him to get a ton of farm, as well as a semi-carry to get a solo lane. It's obviously preference, but I feel like as the skill level of your opponents goes up this builds viability goes down.
xenocide


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Quote | PM | +Rep by Hades4u » October 22, 2012 4:29am | Report
Pretty nice guide, too bad people tend to carry with Axe.

A +1 from me.
Hades4u
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Quote | PM | +Rep by 3HitKO » October 22, 2012 10:41pm | Report
xenocide wrote:

Eh, BH does nice damage, but against higher skill players who can land the LH's to cancel it, it definitely loses its allure. I think Axe is probably more valuable as a jungler since it allows him to get a ton of farm, as well as a semi-carry to get a solo lane. It's obviously preference, but I feel like as the skill level of your opponents goes up this builds viability goes down.


1. It is only true if you BH a hero alone, players will Last Hit and dispel AXE's BH, thus the BH timing I refer is:

Eg: Always rush the enemy hero with ganker, BH it, nuke and make the enemy retreat(psychologically threatening him) if cannot kill the hero, and let the BH doing its job. You can't just BH a decent player and let him LH.

2. AXE farm and be a semi-carry? You need to re-define of your values of a SEMI-CARRY.

3. In late game, you might say his BH and Helix not longer effective as in early game, but his blink-call ignore BKB and his culling blade is still able to kill INT support, both of these skills are indispensable even in late game.
3HitKO


Posts: 4
Quote | PM | +Rep by 3HitKO » October 22, 2012 10:49pm | Report
Hades4u wrote:

Pretty nice guide, too bad people tend to carry with Axe.

A +1 from me.


Yea, a lot of people failed to perceive what makes a carry, or even a semi-carry. AXE has none of scaling ability fit as semi-carry, at all.

Thanks for the feedback.
3HitKO


Posts: 4
Quote | PM | +Rep by wilddeonpwn » October 23, 2012 12:39am | Report
Nice guide, simple and effective, +1
wilddeonpwn


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Quote | PM | +Rep by 13o13 » October 23, 2012 8:13pm | Report
why would you tend to support w/ axe? he needs a lot of xp to be more effective... if you'll use him as a support..he'll be level gap and loses his effectiveness.. also, he'll be delayed to get the blink dagger..
13o13


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Quote | PM | +Rep by Mrs Warboys » November 8, 2012 10:23am | Report
I highly disagree with skipping Culling Blade. It's a ridiculously strong ability that helps you snowball like crazy. Axe sucks without a level advantage because Culling Blade is so strong (and seriously suffers if enemies outlevel you).

Btw for Counter Helix, 105 damage per spin is a lot of damage... and while the chance doesn't increase with leveling, the interval between spins improves. This gives you more damage. It is also a great lane ganking ability which can be made reliable with good timing and intelligent creep aggro management. Axe without Counter Helix has no threat so players can remove Battle Hunger (by getting a last hit) and are not punished by trying to do so.

The reason Battle Hunger is so strong is because Axe can force you to choose between removing Battle Hunger and taking a ton of Helix damage, or taking a ton of Hunger damage. Without maximizing Helix and taking Cull, you're reducing all of Axe's threat early game.
Mrs Warboys


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Quote | PM | +Rep by Tyrodemacia » November 8, 2012 11:59am | Report
Dear god wtf is this
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Quote | PM | +Rep by 3HitKO » May 14, 2013 12:42am | Report
13o13 wrote:

why would you tend to support w/ axe? he needs a lot of xp to be more effective... if you'll use him as a support..he'll be level gap and loses his effectiveness.. also, he'll be delayed to get the blink dagger..


He is a semi-gank/semi-support instead of hardcore lane support. You can use him to farm till Blink dagger, but his skills can not allow him farm any longer than that.
3HitKO


Posts: 4
Quote | PM | +Rep by 3HitKO » May 14, 2013 12:49am | Report
Mrs Warboys wrote:

I highly disagree with skipping Culling Blade. It's a ridiculously strong ability that helps you snowball like crazy. Axe sucks without a level advantage because Culling Blade is so strong (and seriously suffers if enemies outlevel you).

Btw for Counter Helix, 105 damage per spin is a lot of damage... and while the chance doesn't increase with leveling, the interval between spins improves. This gives you more damage. It is also a great lane ganking ability which can be made reliable with good timing and intelligent creep aggro management. Axe without Counter Helix has no threat so players can remove Battle Hunger (by getting a last hit) and are not punished by trying to do so.

The reason Battle Hunger is so strong is because Axe can force you to choose between removing Battle Hunger and taking a ton of Helix damage, or taking a ton of Hunger damage. Without maximizing Helix and taking Cull, you're reducing all of Axe's threat early game.


Culling Blade is very situational, as Axe is not the nuker/carry type of heroes which need more golds and levels to survive.

For your info, higher level does not really improves the interval a lot until it poses a huge threat on enemy heroes, it only aids Axe to farm NC more on GPM early/mid game.

Battle hunger is STRONG only if you combo with other stunners/nukers in same lane, a good player with decent Last Hit skill can basically ignore your helix and Last Hit the creep, if AXE is ALONE facing the player.

Geez, all your points are taken from easy pub games and easily countered by decent teamplay.
3HitKO


Posts: 4

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