Clinkz as a mid in the current metagame

With the current meta focusing on semi-carryish mids that can transition well into the late game, I was wondering if Clinkz would make a good mid.

Advantages:
1. Great ganking potential, can roam around and get pick offs during the mid game.
2. Benefits greatly from both levels and farm.
3. Can be a solid carry late game.
4. Easy last hitting with Searing Arrows.

The main disadvantage I can see is that Clinkz is pretty darn squishy. With the current meta of supports roaming early, it is possible that he might have a hard time surviving. However, with a 1-1-3-1 build, he gets more than enough movement speed to outrun Dust of Appearance, and unless the enemy supports chain their stuns, he can survive.

Given this, wouldn't he be a great midlaner? I can see him with the gank potential of a Storm Spirit or Queen of Pain during the midgame, with the ability to transition well into the late game.

He is a mid actually. He is poor hardlaner and not a good carry.

But overall Clinkz is IMO a poor ganker and hero overall because if you have a stun, you just throw it and TP out. Bye! :)

Not to mention he needs a lot of items to function well, a disable, manaregen, some sort of survivability, and a damage booster. Quite a lot for the result while he is still focused on solo target and is so much less useful than basically any 1 vs 1 carry.

if we look at the current top tier picks in the pro scene we see heroes that actually are quite tanky have good dps and provide a more mid game oriented semi-carry utility spot. heroes for example like:

Razor
Viper
Death Prophet
Brewmaster
Tiny
Ember Spirit

and now

Legion Commander

they are more inclined to survive fights and give a lot more to a core strategy and/or a counter to opposing strategy.

Clinkz fits into the Glass Cannon slot.

he requires farm to be effective but doesnt farm fast enough due to his woeful attack animation, missile speed and horrible base damage and using Searing Arrows to farm just leaves him mana starved.

the only way he gets farm is by killing heroes. this is countered by the fact that until he gets damage or disable items he doesnt have the ability to kill a smart player player quick enough before they either stun tp out or just plain tp out. so he kinda finds himself in a tight spot. either he finds enough pickoffs to get damage items to get more pick offs or he is useless.

As mid he doesnt provide enough team utility in current meta to be useful.

he has no lock down.
he is item and level dependent.
he is countered hard by stun, dust and tp scrolls.
he loses mid to most nukers or tanker mobile cores.


though in saying all that the current meta is all about greed so since the game goes long enough now i guess he will eventually find the farm.

i actually have an idea about a roaming support duo of Clinkz Ancient Apparition

with a stun in every lane say ...

Sven Safe lane.
Centaur Warrunner offlane
and any of the above heroes.

get searing arrows and AA's cold feet then rake in the gold.

with aa's magical damage increase buff his slow and diasable and a reliable stun in every lane the damage output and map control would be insane.


meh anyway thats my thoughts

The biggest problem with putting Clinkz Mid, is when the other Mid can Flash Farm. It's easy to Farm and Push the Creep Wave under the Tower with most AoE Nukes, e.g. Crypt Swarm, Overwhelming Odds, Thunderclap, etc.

It's effective because:-

1. You don't need to be near the Creep Wave for very long, especially if you're getting 2 or more Last Hits in one go by Flash Farming, meaning it's harder for Clinkz to contest Farm an gives him less chances to Harrass.

2. Pushing the Creep Wave under the Tower makes it harder for Clinkz to Farm as he has to contest the Tower for his Last Hits.

3. It gives the other Mid plenty of space to Roam, and secure Runes with Supports/Offlaners, or for said Supports/Offlaners to move into position for a Gank. Tower Diving isn't as risky if you have 3 or 4 people to quickly Secure a Kill.

4. An AoE Nuke can both Last Hit and Harrass an opponent at the same time, usually from a longer Range than an Auto-Attack for even more Damage

---

This is what makes most strong Mids so damn strong. Clinkz can certainly do more Right-Click Damage, with Searing Arrows, but this isn't going to help his Farm that much. He has no real way of controlling the Creep Wave and he needs to Farm his Orchid Malevolence in order to Gank as he has no Lock-Down.

Imo, he's better off as a Safe Laner, and should only go Mid if he's against a weak Laner who can't stop him from Farming, e.g. Pudge, Night Stalker, Nature's Prophet, etc.