Anti-Mage (The Cookie Cutter Build and the Backup Plan)

So as of late I have been playing a lot of Anti-Mage. Ever since the release of 6.84 I've seen this hero as one of the best mid/late game carries in the current meta. The sheer amount of mana dependent heroes with massive nukes such as Queen of Pain, Lina, and Leshrac make easy targets for a skilled anti-mage to deal with.

So lately I've been running a multitude of item and skill builds to work out what builds work most effectively in the current meta.

1. Battle Fury

This build focuses a lot on the traditional cookie cutter item build. Stout + Tangos + Quelling Blade. Get brown boots from the side shop, and from their build up your Battle Fury. After BF is done you have some leway in what you want to build. My personal favorite being.

Power Treads -> Manta Style -> Skull Basher -> Black King Bar -> Heart of Tarrasque/ Butterfly -> Abyssal Blade -> Boots of Travel

of course this isn't set in stone. You are welcome to get the BKB before Basher if you are getting blown up by a lot of magic nukes.

But sometimes you don't have enough support in your lane to secure the farm that you need for an on-time battlefury (That being between 13-17 minutes). In the case that I don't have enough support I choose to go.

2. The Backup Plan

Power Treads -> Vladimir's Offering -> Maelstorm -> Manta Style -> Black King Bar -> and so on.

So what do you think of going Vlads/Maelstorm if and when you can't possibly get a Battle Fury in a reasonable time?

-BK

Can you even use Maelstrom if you skill Mana Break? You can't AFAIK. The classic 'fightin' Mage was usually going Vanguard into Manta Style.

I do like that you get a BKB on him sometimes - I really don't get why people don't when you're getting locked down in fights. Sure you have Manta Style to debuff, and don't take much nuke damage, but sometimes that's not enough.

Yes Maelstrom works on Anti-Mage. But when the chain lightning procs the mana break doesn't.

-BK

I think I'd still go for battlefury if I was having a bad game. Sure, you're not going to be as effective, but at least you can splitpush and catch up. Even if you're going for an alternative build you're going to be underwhelming in fights. I personally go:

Start: 2x Tango, Healing Salve, Stout Shield, Iron Branch
-> Power Treads, Ring of Health and Quelling Blade
-> Then farm your battlefury
-> If you're not very far behind and can afford to farm a lot vladimir's offering
-> I you have to fight early Manta Style

I remember Kuro build Vlad's before Treads.

Yeah kuro noticed his team had a ton of space so he went vlads and straight into the jungle to free up a lane of farm for his team.
In a situation where you are under no pressure this is the most efficient way of building am for your team. You don't need much movespeed because of blink and can just farm.

I dont believe it was because of that, his lane was pressured a lot so he just went into the jungle ASAP.