Iron Maiden, Tanky-Agressive Support Guide.

Introduction

Crystal Maiden, one of the best support heroes in the game, will be shown how and when to play with an agressive style, that can lead your team to victory faster and easier than most of you would think. This play style is recommended at Pub-Stomping and even to surprise some weaker players at competitive scene.

When the enemie see this IRON MAIDEN, they will RUN TO THE HILLS while you dance the DANCE OF THE DEATH and will call you forever the WRATHCHILD that have no FEAR OR THE DARK. ;)


Dota 1 6.78 PATCH Update:

Crystal Maiden
- Brilliance Aura mana regen increased from 0.5/1/1.5/2 to 1/1.5/2/2.5
- Freezing Field explosion AoE increased from 215 to 230
- Aghanim's Scepter Freezing Field's attack speed reduction aura increased from -20 to -50
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Dota 1 6.79 PATCH Update:

Crystal Maiden
- Freezing Field AS/MS AoE slow increased from -20/-30 to -30/-30
- Freezing Field Scepter AS/MS AoE slow increased from -50/-30 to -50/-50
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Dota 1 6.79c PATCH Update:

Crystal Maiden
- Crystal Maiden base Intelligence reduced from 21 to 19 (same base damage)
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Dota 2 6.80 PATCH Update:

Crystal Maiden
- Base intelligence reduced by 3

Skills

Crystal Nova - Powerfull area damage and slow with big range and kind of low CD.

Frostbite - >Your MAIN skill during early game and laning phase< Disable with low CD and reasonable damage (70/s)

Arcane Aura - Passive skill with universal range that regenerates allies mana. Your main support skill.

Freezing Field - The GODLIKE **********ING ULTIMATE SKILL, that IF used correctly can turn the tides of a team fight and even win a whole game. Use it wisely. Based entirely on positionament and game notion.


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Skill Sequence:

Q: Why focus on Frostbite?

A: This will be your main skill during early game. This skill is the one that will keep you and your lane partner always on the advantage.

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Q: Are you crazy? Why the **** would I get all those Arcane Aura instead of Crystal Nova?

A: You need mana sustain and you need to keep your support role. You wont need damage when you can give lane survivability to your team.

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Items

Okay, why am I suggesting all those "tanky" items? Simply: to play an agressive Crystal properly, you need to survive. That's the main thing you can NEVER forget: Don't do stupid moves, the only excuse to die is to save the team carry, and thats IT, don't EVER try to save another member of the team if you KNOW you can't get out alive or don't have enought skills to do it.

And that's why I chose those items, to give you an edge against others agressive players and to give you a better chance to save your team and get out alive.

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Q: Why start with Stout Shield ?

A: Simply: You need a plain and strong defense against those "poke" heroes and agressive players. Having the Stout Shield will give you the chance to counter-attack him without taking too much damage.

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Q: observer wards?

A: Basic item for any support player and to prevent ganks. You can play way more agressive knowing that there is no one ganking your lane.

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Q: Vanguard? Are you idiot?! I could be using that money with something else!

A: Yes, you could, but you wont, cause you need HP regen and a decent defense against the enemy.

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Q: No Animal Courier?!?!

A: Nope, ask someone else to buy it. I will be worth it, believe me.

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Now, the Situational Items. How do I know wich item to choose? Well my friend, you will need to have a good "reading" of the game and predict wich one will be more useful. I like specially the combination of Ethereal Blade and Black King Bar, or maybe an Ethereal Blade with Aghanim's Scepter. In that case, you would need to get rid of an item, I would suggest Urn of Shadows since its not very effective on late game.
The worse item in my opinion is Shadow Blade, wich can be countered with a 180g item, Dust of Appearance.

Pros/Cons

Pros:
. Can shutdown pretty much any lane with the proper combination of lane partners
. Fun to play
. Nobody is expecting a "tanky" , so you confuse the enemies on a team fight.
. SHOW NO MERCY, SHOW NO FEAR
. You become as fearless as an spartan.

Cons:

. During late game it gets harder and harder to play, since your "tanky" status will fade away
. NEEDS positioning awarance
. This play style will only improve with training, it's not as easy as it seems

How to Play

Get a partner with slow/or/stun skills (or a roamer like , ) and go to the SAFE LANE.

Early Game:


Ward the jungle, where you normally ward, and go to the lane. Don't push the lane, always leave the farm to the other one. But now here is the tricky part: always be between your partner and the enemies, NEVER BEHIND, and when he comes to poke, farm or deny, HIT THE **** OUT OF THAT **********E, FREEZE HIM, AND ATTACK HIM AGAIN. If you lane partner is smart, he will jump right in the fight and that will give you a free kill. But be aware, don't freeze him when he is in the maximum range of the spell, try to get him as close as you can.

When you get the first kill things will go a little different:

1- They will play on their tower

2- They will try to be more agressive to catch up with you

If they make the mistake to be agressive, just do everything again and get another free kill. If the play back, use the jungle creeps to pull and therefore make them come to you again. But remember 2 important things: ALWAYS KEEP WARDED, as you kill and kill, they will start to gank you as soon as possible, and NEVER LET THEM GET AWAY, if you must, dont leave the kill to your partner, kill them yourself.



Mid Game:

I consider a Mid Game when you already carried the tower you were supposed to. When you finish your job there, start to ward their jungle and to gank the other lanes. During the mid game you can even kill solo a few heroes with the right skill combination and positioning. Focus on getting the Blink Dagger: that will be your main item during late game.


Late Game:

Now you're a "normal" , squishy but you're not weak! Your Freezing Field will come handy right in this game phase. If everything went right during the early and mid phase, late game should be easy and someone will carry you easily. If there is ANY resistance, use your intelligence and DAGGER to slow the enemies ( Crystal Nova) and disable them ( Frostbite) .


Quick tips on how to use the Freezing Field properly:

. If possible, blink to a location with fog or elevations
. DO NOT start the team fight with your Freezing Field, you will be shutdown right after (unless you got Black King Bar, than you can probably start)
. If your team is losing the team fight, dont ult right in the middle of the team fight, use it between the middle of the fight and your team's escape route. If your team is winning the team fight, ult in their escape route.

Allies/Enemies

Allies

Enemies

For allies, you will need someone with a lot of burst damage like Tiny or Centaur Warrunner that can make an enemy disappear in two skills, OR you will need someone with good damage and that get stronger and stronger as the game goes by and with a disabling skill, either stun or slow like Drow Ranger, Ursa, Slark, etc..

When it comes to enemies, you have to pay a big deal of attention on the tanky heroes like Axe or Bristleback because their regen is often too high to cause any major damage as the laning phase goes, and sometimes you get even more damage than you dealt. You should take care when facing enemies that can engage with ease, like Tiny and Tusk and be really carefull when facing bursting enemies ESPECIALLY those who can be invi, like Nyx Assassin Clinkz, Bounty Hunter. For those, you will HAVE to buy a Sentry Ward set and try as much as possible deny his farm and kill him.