Ice Queen Traxex

The Ice Queen cometh

Traxex is a fun hero to play, and can send opponents running the moment they see her on their screen if played right. Yet there are several things that set the Drow Ranger apart from other hard carry heroes. Just to start, you may notice that she is classified as -only- a carry (there are others like this, but they are few and far between). In the early game, this means you might find yourself underpowered and the focus of a lot of ganks. With no real way to escape other than map awareness and MIA call outs by teammates, she can be difficult to play for the beginner.

The goal of this guide is to set out some basic tips and best practices for anyone who wants to play a hard carry role, but is unfamiliar with what they should expect.

What to do and what to avoid

What to do

• Focus on farming creeps or jungling (build that gold up asap)
• Work with teammates to draw out and gank enemies
• Keep your eyes on the minimap for missing heroes, as this is usually an incoming gank
• Be patient and wait for situations in your favor

What to avoid

• Pushing too far ahead or trying to chase enemies
• Trying to take more than one enemy at a time
• Walking around solo -- again, you are vulnerable on your own
• Getting impatient and putting yourself in a bad situation

Items

Starting/Early Game

Your starting gold should be spent on:

• 3x Slippers of Agility
• 1x Iron Branch
• 1x Healing Salve

This will leave you with 0 gold to start. Don't worry, this actually gives you an edge over enemies in the early game (especially if you take stats first). Two of the slippers will be sold later in the game, and one will become a Wraith Band. Your Iron Branch will need to be upgraded to a Magic Wand -- this is critical and should not be overlooked. Many people decide they want to avoid investing money in this item, but it has saved my *** countless times. Finally, you'll want to buy some Boots of Speed to make up for your lack of escape abilities.

Mid Game

Your next few items should be:

• Power Treads
• Crystalys
• Shadow Blade

The first thing I buy in the Mid Game is Power Treads. The extra five movement speed doesn't help much, but the +8 agility and +30 attack speed really sets you up for your Late Game. As soon as you finish Power Treads, you should push for a Crystalys blade. This immediately causes a huge boost to your damage output, which will be noticed by your enemies (hint: ganks come shortly thereafter). Because you will now be seen as a threat, it's time to get tricky. This is where the Shadow Blade comes in, which should be one of those items you learn to love quickly. Not only can you use it to escape from a bad situation, but the additional damage/attack speed makes you an even bigger threat. Practice using this item as much as possible when you are safe, and keep it ready for when you need it.

Late Game

Your final purchases should be:

• Daedalus (upgrade from Crystalys)
• Ring of Aquila (upgrade from Wraith Band)
• Butterfly
• Vanguard

This is a loose interpretation of the Late Game and can be modified to fit your needs. I often times will go for Daedalus first, for that extra oomph of damage, but on occasion I will shoot for Butterfly's 35% evasion if I am being targeted by the enemy team. The Ring of Aquila is a cheap upgrade for an Early Game item, and the aura range is the same as your Trueshot Aura, so it makes you even more helpful to your teammates. Lastly, I will buy Vanguard. Why Vanguard's 70% chance to block over Poor Man's Shield 100%? Because at this point in the game, you should be roaming with your teammates and using range to your advantage. It is only as a precaution, and the +250 health isn't anything to scoff at. I'd rather take extra health with a small chance of taking an additional 20 damage, than an extra 20 damage mitigation all the time.

Situational

Items you may consider buying under certain circumstances (these do not fit into my standard build and should be tested for your own games):

• Diffusal Blade
• Mjollnir
• Monkey King Bar
• Phase Boots
• Helm of the Dominator
• Assault Cuirass

Conclusion

Traxex is an excellent hero to play for beginners, and can see you through co-op vs AI matches on hard mode easily. There isn't a whole lot to think about with her -- you attack, you keep your distance, and you assist teammates with ganks. Other heroes have skills they focus their play around, but for the most part our Ice Queen is an auto-attacker, through and through. Lastly, if you have any ranged teammates that can take advantage of Trueshot Aura, make sure to follow them around!