Hero Discussion: Windranger

Hi guys!

If I can count right, this is the 10th discussion that I've started! Yay!

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Everyone know Windru- uh, Windranger.

What do you think?
What items do you build and when?
What skill build do you use?
Who are your favourite allies?

Windranger to me, is a very flexible hero that I spam in pubs, because it doesn't really matter which heroes are picked on my team, I can support and carry.

I mainly go for cheap items (since I end up supporting most of the time).

Boots of Speed >> Null Talisman >> Bottle >> Ring of Basilius >> Phase Boots

From there on it get's funky.

If we're getting crushed (which happens a lot):

Vladmir's Offering >> Force Staff/ Rod of Atos >> Aghanim's Scepter

Vlad's is picked up for the damage and counter-push, and it builds from a basi and has small parts.

If we're slightly ahead: Maelstrom >> Force Staff >> Aghanim's Scepter

Maestrom is really good with Focus Fire, and I don't feel like the damage reduction and long cooldown is worth the Agh's purchase in the early game.

If we're far ahead: Blink Dagger >> Aghanim's Scpeter >> Black King Bar

Note that BKB is completely situation since no one at my level picks anyone with stuns. (Honestly, the last stun I've seen in a pub game on the opposite team was Reaper's Scythe.) But I do pick it up if there's a single stun on the other team.

Skill build:

2-4-1-0
4-4-1-2

Favourite allies: Drow Ranger. so much damage.... :D

Offlane Windranger is a thing to consider too.
I don't really get the Vladimir's Offering in my opinion there are other items that offer more than an offering. Excpet if you have a lot of melee carries.
I sometimes go Slasher's way which is ridiculous if you can pull it off
Aghanims Scepter into Critalus.
Slasher's way all day.
Favourite ally: Natures Prophet so many stuns....(without fancy italics)

Oh, I forgot to add the extension items!

A choice of:

MKB, Abyssal, Daedalus, Hex, you name it!

Windranger is a totally viable single target DPS-er, aghs with a crit stick/deso/mkb hurts a LOT. I like giving her mid or offlane farm for that reason, I think it's been buffed enough that dps WR is better than blink/force/utility stuff

She's just a versatile hero. Like, she does nothing exceptionally well, but nothing bad really either (Except being tanky to magic damage, but hey, can't have everything), like;

She's a strong laner and really be in any kind of lane without difficulty.
She has a lot of versatility in role, being able to go anywhere from 1-4, and be a comfrotable in all those positions
She's can push and split push really well.
She's has an amazing stun.
She can have a really high damage out-put without requiring a huge amount of farm, and thus has the ability to man-fight carries even into the late game.
She's a core that synergies extremely well with utility items.

I actually don't like the Maelstrom build as much anymore except in very specific games (Like against PL say), I prefer going Ag's MKB or Ag's Crit-stick, and just bursting you down with physical damage. Because the crit is really scary amounts of damage with the amount of procs you get).

EDIT: WOW that's a lot of math, so prepare yourselves!

Attacks per second = (100 + IAS) x 0.01 / BAT

Windranger BAT: 1.5

(100 + 500) x 0.01 / 1.5 = 4 attacks per second.

Maestrom = 25% proc chance = ~1 proc a second

Crystalys = 20% proc chance = ~0.8 procs a second

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Maelstrom proc damage: 90 (after 25% Magic Resist) x 4 (targets) = 360

Level 11 WR auto attack damage with Phase, Null Talisman, Basi, Maelstrom = 82 + 57

WR DPS with Maelstrom + Focus Fire = (139*0.6)*4 = 336.6+ 360 = 696.6

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WR damage at 11 with Phase, Null, Basi, and Crystalys: 82 + 63

Focus Fire damage reduction = 40 % (at level 11, with level 2 ult) 145 * .6 = 87

Crit damage: 175%. (87*1.75)*.8 (procs a second) = 121.8

WR damage output at level 11 with Crystalys = (87*4) + 121.8 = 469.8 DPS

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WR damage output at level 11 with Crystalys = (87*4) + 121.8 = 469.8 DPS
WR damage output at level 11 with Maelstrom = (139*0.4)*4 = 222.5 + 360 = 696.6


Maelstrom > Crystalys.

I like that you've got your maths hat on :-{), however it does lead to a special part of pedantry corner my young padawan...

Such as, the Maelstrom would average out at about 426 against a single target, so it's lower, and costs about 500 gold more. It also doesn't scale with your damage like a Crystalys. But it's horses for courses, 'strom is better for farming and varying your damage type, Cryst is better late game.

WR very flexible hero, she can do almost anything, and is great against any team which relies heavily on auto-attacks to damage. Bad against magic damage though, and blocking spells like Fissure which her escape can't bypass.

I kinda hate how people build her with no HP against magic heavy teams, you really need a Rod of Atos or something there.

:D

Maelstrom also increases your DPS outside of focus fire. :D

Yes, with Agh's and Atos, you have a decent HP pool to play with. Maybe even a BKB in there.

Wind major weakness is magical damage, and we are in the middle of the patch of magical damage, and i think she needs a new damage item, maelstorm is nerfed hard, orchid always sucks ( noob build), and Daedalus only worth late game

Linken's Sphere isn't half bad either.