Getting Doombringer up and running sooner

I've randomed Doom a few times now and ended up jungling with him. People have mentioned before that he starts to suffer against hard carries, and I want to be useful to my team earlier on than the standard Radiance or Hand of Midas builds allow.

To start with, I got Vladmir's Offering ASAP, then Phase Boots, gank the lane on 6 with Doom, then get an Armlet of Mordiggian straight after. Heart of Tarrasque after, and was then heading for Assault Cuirass when we won the game.

I found I could do a fair chunk of damage early on, and between armlet and vlad's had enough tankability and life steal to support it. Heart added some damage plus allows you to keep armlet running all the time.

Any thoughts on this build? Could it be improved? And does the damage aura from vlad's stack with alpha wolf?

The game in question was this one, the team seemed to do pretty well regardless, so hard to tell how effective the build was, other than it seemed pretty good. A fair portion of my kills/assists came before 20 btw, it wasn't just a late stomping spree.

That is the old school build you are using.People used to build:

• Vladmir's Offering
• Phase Boots
• Vanguard
• Assault Cuirass
• Heart of Tarrasque
  
  Optionally:
• Armlet of Mordiggian
• Drum of Endurance
• Arcane Boots(yes,they work kind of=>Former arcane ring)
• Sange and Yasha(before there was Manta Style and Heaven's Halberd

Thanks Wolfstan, that's interesting to know. I came up with the build off the top of my head during the game (vlads cos I want to be able to sustain in the jungle, armlet to be effective as early as possible), but didn't think it could be truly original. Once I got up and running I seemed pretty tanky already so skipped the Vanguard and went straight for heart (at least worth some extra damage on top of the massive hp/heal).

Is there a reason it went out of style? Is just a fashion thing, or does it have fundamental weaknesses?

This is purely speculation, but perhaps it just wasn't enough farm fast enough to make doom viable as a late game carry. Midas and Radiance are both items that if you don't them early on you might as well pass, however both of those items are incredible sources of revenue.

I think people stopped jungling as him as much. This is probably because his ganks are weak before 6 and mediocre at 6 (Doom isn't that good).

Vlad's would not help him much in lane. He will not be attacking much for lifesteal to take effect. I think Vlad's is really the most un-meta item in your build, everything else people take on Doom occassionally.

To get Doom up faster, I see people go caster/tank as him, taking soul ring or MP boots. It helps him spam whatever he devoured, as well as his base abilities. Soul Ring on Doom at lvl 6 means that you'll always have mp to cast ult if you can use the ring.

Thanks for the input guys - no doubt Midas and Radiance can both bring you in a lot of income, but they both have a long payoff time/breakeven point - it assumes that the rest of your team can fight 4v5 reasonably well until quite late in the game, and that the enemy carries won't end up able to outcarry him at that point. Both pretty big assumptions?

Doombringer is a funny character in that he's hard to place exactly in a role. His woeful agility limits his late game carry somewhat, but he's a great tank and can do good damage with the right items.

His starting skills point me towards the jungle... Devour...sure it's slightly useful in lane, but nicking the abilities is all about jungle creeps. Kinda the same with Scorched Earth - yeah it can be used for pushing/damage, but you don't want to be using it too much early game in the lane.

Not really sold on him as a caster...yeah Doom can be lethal, used right, but it's not like he's Lina or something. So that kinda leaves him as a situational counter-pick..?

The vlads was a bit of a punt really - thought the combination of Damage/Mana/Armour/Lifesteal would be handy...and as it turned out, didn't see ONE SODDING ALPHA WOLF all game :)

Its only weakness was not exploiting Doom's strength...and that is farming like a *****.The only one that could have matched doom in a farming game was the really old old Alchemist,and the even older Drow Ranger which ultimate gave her a chance of instantly killing a mob,or the Gambler.


And one more thing...Old Doom couldn't jungle,as he had a level restriction to eating the creeps.Though,from level 6 on,he was the best laner ever by picking up the small satyr with the purge,dooming someone,purging for 5 seconds,and then just right click their ***.

If by any chance they would have escaped,Then just go LVL?Death their *** because if it would be lvl 1,presuming you maxed Devour/ Scorched Earth,it would deal +250 damage,which would have meant to many heroes(perhaps not Old Centaur or Tidehunter),their death.