"I stare also into you" - Guide to Enigma

Introduction

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Enigma is a very flexible and mobile support/disabler hero, who is also able to push and gank quite effectively. Can shut down the entire enemy team with his ultimate Black Hole as well as deal quite a lot of magical damage with Midnight Pulse and disable a single enemy with Malefice, his stun. Enigma is very effective, since he is squishy and mana dependant, therefore requires some items to expand his full potential, however is able to get safe gold and xp in the jungle if not ganked.

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Pros and Cons

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PROS:
Very flexible
AoE disabler
Incredible teamfight contribution
Can get gold and XP needed fast
Great ganker
Good stat growth

CONS:
Very mana and item dependant
Squishy
Can be shut down early game (No farm = bad team contribution)
Requires a lot of team communication
Long ultimate cooldown

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To Pick or not to Pick?

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When you should pick Enigma:
-When your team can deal a lot of AoE damage, e.g. Earthshaker, Sand King
-When your team needs a disable and a good initiation
-When enemy team has one or more carries that need to be shut down, e.g. Phantom Assassin
-When enemy team have a lot of teamfighting power (and need to be crushed straight away)
-When your team has an effective solo laner (you will go jungle)
-When your team needs more pushing power

When you should not pick Enigma:
-When enemy team has a hero who can shut you down, e.g. Doom Bringer, Silencer
-When your team already has two or more support heroes and needs a carry
-When there is already one or more junglers in your team

Skills needed to play Enigma effectively:
-Team communication skills
-A bit of micro
-Initiating skills
-Precise hand to land abilities effectively
-Good map awareness

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Abilities/Skills

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Malefice

Enigma's single target stun. It deals a total of 75/120/165/210 damage. It's not very reliable against heroes with escape mechanisms, such as Anti-Mage, Queen of Pain, Bounty Hunter, etc. since it delivers 3 mini-stuns, one every 2 seconds for 0.25/0.50/0.75/1 secs, giving them enough time time to blink away or go invisible. However it's quite useful against carries with considerable right click damage, as it interrupts their attacks, it's also effective enemies who rely on channeling abilities (e.g. Sand King) as they may try to use them over an over, but instances of stuns will interrupt them. This should be levelled second after Demonic Conversion, as it my help you to get away from an incoming ganker in the jungle or help your teammate Mid or on the Safe Lane to pull off a gank and possibly get a kill. It shouldn't be maxed out very early in the game as one point in it is enough to keep and enemy in place.

Demonic Conversion

Demonic Conversion

Enigma's ability that allows him to jungle and push. It converts a neutral or an enemy unit into three minions called Eidolons under Enigma's command with 180/200/220/240HP and 20/28/38/47 damage. Ability works in mechanical units and units under enemy heroes' control, e.g. Nature's Prophet's treants, but doesn't work on Large neutral creeps, such as Enraged Wildkin. After 6 successful attacks, Eidolons multiply, resulting in six eidolons if all three multiplied, and have their health fully restored. Often to pull off a successful gank, you may need to bring your Eidolons and right click and enemy after using Malefice.

Midnight Pulse

A powerful AoE nuke, which goes through magic immunity. It's favourable that this skill has at least one point in early game to deal some magic damage, if pulling off a gank. Can deal a total of 33%/41.25%/49.5%/57.75% enemies' health as damage, considering normal magic resistance. Should be used in unison with Malefice or Black Hole to deal as much damage as possible. Either Malefice an enemy and place Midnight Pulse in the direction they are walking or place Midnight Pulse right before using black hole to deal the maximum damage in a fight. It's viable to max this skill first, if you plan on getting Aghanim's Scepter as it adds current level of Midnight Pulse to Black Hole automatically. This ability also destroys trees in the area, making it viable in chasing to destroy the juking trees, and great for escaping to destroy some trees, hide in them and TP away.

Black Hole

Legendary Black Hole. An AoE disable that lasts 4 seconds and pulls in enemy heroes at 400 radius. Not only it disables enemy heroes, it also deals a considerable amount of magic damage: 240/400/560 if close to the center and 120/200/280 if far, and can bring enemies down to half of their HP if cast after using Midnight Pulse. Aghanim's Scepter adds the current level of Midnight Pulse to the Black Hole automatically resulting in maximum of 24%/30%/36%/42%HP as damage + 420 damage throughout the duration of [Black Hole. However Midnight Pulse stacks with the damage from Aghanim's Black Hole, which can result in 48%/60%/72%/84%HP as damage + 420 damage max. Black Hole also goes through magic immunity as well as damage from Midnight Pulse, meaning Enigma can still deal damage and disable BKB'd units. It is also possible to use Shadow Blade and Shiva's Guard while channeling. Ultimately you want to catch as much heroes as possible into the Black Hole, however you should focus on those who need to be killed first, e.g. Earthshaker, Witch Doctor, etc. Those who can turn the teamfight in their favour or deal massive amount of damage. You should always warn your team when you're ready to initiate to have an immediate follow up. However you can always stay back and come in later, if there are heroes on the enemy team who can interrupt your Black Hole, e.g. Beastmaster, to make sure not to waste your ult into nothing and get crushed straight after.

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Items

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Starting items:

You should buy an Animal Courier if there isn't one on your team, but really, as a support it is you job to get it and upgrade it later.

You can also buy Observer Wards if nobody bought them. Preferably you should buy the wards and let the other support get the Courier, so you can place them at the bottom, to see if there are any incoming ganks towards you. Don't forget to buy wards throughout the game non-stop.

Clarity is essential for you if you're going to the jungle. It provides you with the mana regen needed to jungle continuously. Don't hesitate to buy one or two more when you ran out of them.

Ironwood BranchYou should get these only if you bought a courier and wards. They give a bit more mana regen and stats, which are useful early game. You can later make them into a Magic Wand, Headdress for either a Pipe of Insight or along with Buckler for Mekansm.

It provides you with more mana regen needed to jungle, along with bonus damage and armor for you and your Eidlons, helping you to jungle, as well as push with ease.

If you want to, you can buy more clarities and Sage's Mask instead of Ring of Basilius. It still gives you bonus mana regen and you can later upgrade it into a Soul Ring, skipping Ring of Basilius.

Early game:

Soul Ring is a great item on Enigma solving early game mana problems, as well a giving him bonus HP regen.

Really, it doesn't matter which boots you buy on Enigma, because all of them work fine. You can go Arcane Boots if there isn't one on your team to give everyone decent mana regen, or if you skipped Sould Ring. Tranquil Boots give Enigma higher mobility, which is important for an initiator, allowing him to use his abilities effectively before Blink Dagger, also provides with HP regen, if you find yourself constantly going to base, it's quite effective if you chose to buy a Soul Ring. Power Treads are good, as they give you more right-clicking potential with provided attack speed and damage. Should be you item of choice when you find yourself constantly pushing the lanes.

You should always carry at least one of them. If you see an opportunity to push or a possible teamfight, as well as need to defend, you can easily get there without losing much time. Essential for Enigma at all times.

Obviously.

Upgrade the Donkey!

Core/Mid game Items:

A must have on Enigma! It provides you with higher mobility, allowing you to jump into a teamfight unexpectedly and drop a Black Hole. It also gives you an escape mechanism, needed for a squishy hero like Enigma and adds more to your ganking potential. Usually when I get uninterrupted jungle farm, I rush it as a first item before boots and Sould Ring as it allows to gank straight away. Try to gank the Safe Lane straight after you get Blink Dagger and if it's successful, push the T1 down. This gives your team an advantage in gold and XP, and forces the enemy into defence, giving your team more freedom.

You should always try to get Black King Bar right after Blink Dagger. The problem with Black Hole is that it is easily interrupted, however Black King Bar removes chances to interrupt your Black Hole, removing pressure from your shoulders. It also gives you more survivability as an enemy team will try to focus you down, and giving the magic immunity provided by a BKB, you can always escape with a Town Portal Scroll after activating it.

Luxury/Late game:

You should only get Aghanim's Scepter if you need to deal more damage to the enemy team. As described before it will allow you to deal 48%/60%/72%/84%HP as damage + 420 damage maximum, but you need to ask yourselves, whether you need more damage or longer disable. If it's the second one, then get...

Refresher not only allows you to double Black Hole resulting in an 8 second AoE disable, but also allows you to contribute 200% more in teamfights and push more efficiently and faster. You can pull off some good combos with Refresher Orb, e.g. < Midnight Pulse, Black Hole, Refresher Orb, Midnight Pulse, Black Hole> resulting in 48%/60%/72%/84%HP as damage + 840 damage + 8 second disable and you can also Malefice two different enemies, taking them out of a fight for sure. And if you have an Aghanim's Scepter damage dealt with the combo above would be 108%/120%/144%/168%HP as damage + 840 damage, which will kill anyone in the Black Hole. If you have Boots of Travel and Necronomicon, you can teleport to an enemy tower, use Demonic Conversion and release Necronomicon, use Refresher Orb, then Demonic Conversion again, tower should fall pretty quickly, after that you can teleport away with Boots of Travel (You do not resummon Necronomicon because currently summoned ones will just die). However that trick is pretty expensive and Refresher Orb not being present may lose you a teamfight, so I suggest only do it, if you just won a fight without using Refresher Orb.

A good item on Enigma if you need more damage done inside a Black Hole, enemy carry hits too fast or enemy team has a fast hero, who you can't catch. Fun fact: You can activate Shiva's Arctic Blast while channeling Black Hole. With Refresher's Orb, you can deal a total of 400 Shiva's damage + maximum of
840 damage from Black Hole. Its passive Freezing Aura is also good against heroes such as Phantom Assassin, who don't have huge attack speed, but rely on right click damage. Also armor it provides is useful to give Enigma more survivability.

A good pushing item. Used along with Demonic Conversion can provide fast pushing ability. Also it gives more teamfight power as Necronomicon creeps have pretty high damage. It counters heroes who rely on AoE damage as well, because they will be in a constant worry to cast a spell and accidentally kill themselves or just sacrifice themselves for some damage, which is still in your favour as you will fight 4 enemies instead of 5. Really it's a situational item, however very late in the game, when teams rush to push after a teamfight, I find it a great help to destroy racks quickly and back.

Gives another great disable to Enigma. It should be in your inventory if there is a hero on the enemy team who can outcarry your entire team, or generally turn the fight around, e.g. Faceless Void, Earthshaker. It also counters heroes who are durable due to their passives and need to be dealt with quick, e.g. Faceless Void, Phantom ***s[color=#0080ff][/color]sin, Tidehunter. It also provides great stats, a lot of mana regen and exapnd your mana pool enormously.

Situational:

Gives you high mobility and global presence around the map. You should get it when the game either turns into "Who pushes faster wins", allowing you to push globally and prevent enemy pushing by TPing to the pushed lane and defending; or when you feel like you are always at the wrong place and can't get to the teamfight fast enough.

Mekansm is a must have item on the team. Enigma isn't the hero who you want to have it on, since he is distant from the rest of the team, staying back before jumping in, but if nobody wants to build one, as a support it's your duty.

A great item against the enemy team who rely on magic AoE damage, e.g. Lion, Sand King, Earth Spirit. As Mekansm, Enigma isn't the best choice to have Pipe of Insight built on, however if you feel like you need to, do it.

A good item if you need another escape mechanism, perfect if there is a Radiance on the other team resetting cooldown on your Blink Dagger, allowing you to Force yourself away and then Blink. Also viable if you feel like there is a hero who is focused down in your team, who you can save using Force Staff, or you need more mana and HP regen.

If you feel like you need a disable to keep an enemy in place, but can't afford Scythe of Vyse, buy it. It surges well with your abilities, as you can Tornado an enemy, catch up to him and use Malefice or put Midnight Pulse under him, or even Black Hole him. Can be used to escape if you have a Blink Dagger as well. Also gives you more mobility and a load of mana regen, with Eul's Scepter of Divinity, you can last with just Boots of Speed.

Very situational item on Enigma. Even though it provides you with enormous mana regen, you should try to get Scythe of Vyse instead. However if you can't and there is an enemy hero who deals a lot of damage with their abilities, e.g. Earthshaker or someone with an escape mechanism - Anti-Mage, feel free to get it.

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Jungling with Enigma

To successfully jungle, start with a Medium or Small creep camp and use Demonic Conversion on the largest creep there, use a clarity and attack the rest of the creep camp. When one Eidolon takes a lot of damage, micro him to the back, so the neutrals attacks the next Eidolon. Repeat the process until all creeps are dead and move on to a Large or Medium camp and kill off the largest neutral first. Rinse and repeat.

Notes:
-You should be able to use two Demonic Conversions with one clarity if you don't get it dispelled.
-You should always stand away from Eidolons as some creeps may use abilities and dispel the clarity and deal damage to you.
-You can scout runes or territory with one Eidolon.

Friends and Foes

Friends:

Chain Frost + Black Hole can kill off the entire enemy team or the least force them to flee.

If done properly, can deal huge amount of damage. Black Hole + Echo Slam, following up with the Fissure can keep the enemy team disabled for 6-7 seconds.

Death Ward with Aghs + Black Hole = GG.

Vacuum can bring the entire team in one spot, following up with Black Hole and Wall of Replica can pretty much ruin the enemy team's chances of winning a game.

Farmed Sven will Rampage with his Great Cleave if you Black Hole all five enemy heroes.

If he casts his AoE abilities properly, it's an easy fight.

Other combos with Enigma:

Elder Titan, Magnus, Warlock, Omniknight(Who needs a BKB anyway?), Crystal Maiden, Shadow Fiend, Ancient Apparition, Phoenix, Sand King, Kunkka, Disruptor.

Foes:

Doom BringerBeing Doom'ed right after you cast a 4 man Black Hole or just blink in sucks so much.

He doesn't need to be close, he can always fly in with his Hookshot and disrupt your ulti. Also if he activates Battery Assault before you Black Hole, will also be annoying. Power Cogs make it generally hard to cast a good Black Hole.

His ultimate Primal Roar, stuns through BKB for 4 seconds. Range also allows him to do so without walking into the Black Hole.

Black Hole, Global Silence... Well, ****. Also Last Word forces you to rush a Black Hole, which is exactly what you don't want to do.

They can just keep you perma silenced throughout the teamfight. They can also prevent you from escaping them and keep you in one place.

Other heroes who you should be scared of:

Faceless Void(Chronosphere over Black Hole and your teammates can't even get close), Legion Commander, Anti-Mage, Disruptor, Skywrath Mage, Rubick(How about a taste of your own medicine?), Earth Spirit, Naga Siren, Puck.

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Thank you!

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Thank you for reading my first guide! Tell me what you think in the comments, anything I can improve on and I'll be sure to edit it as quick as I can.

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