If I Must... - Bane Elemental

Introduction

Hi all! I am Nightmare_Al and this is my first guide; i hope you' ll help me to improve on make guide and find this guide useful for play Bane =D ( in pub matches ).
Now lets get started!

Hero Information

When the gods have nightmares, it is Bane Elemental who brings them. Also known as Atropos, Bane was born from the midnight terrors of the goddess Nyctasha. A force of terror too powerful to be contained by sleep, he surfaced from her slumbers, fed upon her immortality, and stole his vaporous form from her inky blood. He is the essence of fear. Mortals who hear his voice hear their darkest secrets whispered in their ear. He calls to the hidden fear in every Hero's heart. Wakefulness is no protection, for Bane's black blood, continuously dripping, is a tar that traps his enemies in nightmare. In the presence of Bane, every Hero remembers to fear the dark.

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Bane is one of the most feared hero starting in the early/mid game; a powerful disabler who can gank even the fearest hero, but need team mates for usually ensure the kills.
Most of players see him as a support in all the entire game, but dont understimate his Ganker potential.
Your role is the carry destroyer, after level 6/7, before they reach their carry potential. Where there's an enemy carry who is farming, you must, with the help of your team, kill him, while your carry farm like a BOSS.

When Pick Bane! Pros and Cons!

Bane have, like all heroes of Dota2, something where he is good, and something where he can't do nothing. Lets see in first:

WHEN pick and WHY pick Bane!

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WHEN:

[+] When you face a lot of right clickers heroes;
[+] When you face low health heroes;
[+] When you know your game will be ruined by a single skilled player!
[+] When your team tactics is finish before late game.


WHY:

[+] Thanks to Enfeeble;
[+] Your combination Fiend's Grip / Brain Sap will destroy their health;
[+] Fiend's Grip is a skill who heroes cannot escape without a team!
[+] Bane gain is best in middle game, and with the right team, he can probably end the game in 18/25 min.

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Bane seem so strong , but let see where he may be not the best choice:


WHEN NOT:

[-] When you face a lot of stunners;
[-] When you face a lot of silencers;
[-] When you face a lot of Strengh heroes;


WHY:

[-] If you are stunned, you are useless;
[-] If you are silenced, you can only run away;
[-] Your skills dont makes the difference in damage against someone who have 2000+ health.

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As you can see, Bane is a counter against Agility or Intelligence heroes like Phantom Assassin , Anti-Mage , Faceless Void, but he dont love so much Drow Ranger, Silencer, Death Prophet ecc.
But let see his PROS / CONS!

[+] A great disabling hero for your team;
[+] Good ganking potential;
[+] He dont need much items;
[+] He is an awesome lane partner for a carry.
[+] Usually he will be a great problem to all enemy heroes until Late game.

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[-] Need a team for his ganks;
[-] No escape mechanism;
[-] Burn mana early game;
[-] He can be countered by stuns or silences;
[-] He is always focused first.

Skills & Tips

Here we go! Your weapons of destruction! How & When use them is really important, cause he need only his skills to kill, and items are always focused on gain mana or be more hard to kill, or maybe be helpfull for the team.

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Enfeeble is the skill who usually a Bane player dont max until all of his skills are maxed.
Normally a player can think " Bane best skills are Brain Sap and Nightmare, this only reduce the damage of an enemy hero, is useless max this "


DESCRIPTION:

This skill makes Bane the "right click" destroyer in the Early/Mid game; think on Phantom Assassin / Riki / Ursa ecc. with an attack so reduced.
This skill must be maxed when the enemy team is full of right clickers heroes.

HOW TO USE:

In Mid lane dont max this or take some level if you have right clickers in other lanes for future ganks.


In Bot/Top lanes take at least 2 levels for be sure one of the right clickers ( usually the carry ) will be useless for 20 second.
In both cases, use it when start a gank, or if they start on you and your team mate, but after they start, cause this will reverse the fight and you' ll probably ensure 2 kills for your partner.

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Brain Sap is what make you so feared until lv6, and is really annoying after Soul Ring. Most players know you will max this so they will be care to engage you without some good stun or great damage, but let see what this do.

DESCRIPTION:

One of the best nukes in the Early/Mid game. Inflict 300 PURE damage and heal 300 hp, awesome until the enemy heroes have a lot of health, but until that, they will suffer a lot from this, expecially after you complete your soul ring, cause this magic will become spammable!


HOW TO USE:

In Mid lane, keep your mana until you have a LV3 Brain Sap
, or use if needed. After your Soul Ring, activate it and spam it, while playing defensively.


In Bot/Top lanes, if your team mate want to ganke before you ve at least a LV3 Brain Sap, try to keep until is too late for the opponent, in the middle of the fight, not at begin of it, cause they will retreat if so.

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Nightmare is what Bane is, and team mates will say this to you, expecially when they will hit the target of your Nightmare with a right click attack. Useful for a lot of things:

• Makes a 2 vs 2 in a 2 vs 1!
• Save you and your allies from being attacked!
• The must for a perfect gank, if Bane must...
• And most important of all, use on allies for teach them to not steal your kills! ( but never on the carry of the team xD ).

DESCRIPTION:


The target hero or unit ( yes you can use this on creeps too ) is disabled for a LOT of time, while taking low damage over time; if attacked, the target is free and the Nightmare go on the enemy hero who attacked him and duration restart.

HOW TO USE:

In Mid lane, use it if you re being ganked or attacked by your mid opponent. Keep it for ganks in other lanes.
After LV6, start a gank with this skill on the enemy disabler while Fiend's Grip your target! If your target go away, Fiend's Grip the Nightmare target.
You are a Ganker at begin, your job is assist lanes! REMEMBER!.


In Bot/Top lanes, use it when you decide a plan with your team for kill an enemy hero, by disabling his partner, making a good 2 vs 1!
If ganked, use it on the enemy disabler, or if there aren't, the source of the most of the damage.
Sometimes i used even on myself for not be a bait, and the enemy team waited near me until duration expire, but was a bite for my team mates who comed to gank, but is an advanced tactic.

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Fiend's Grip is what make Bane the first priority in every fight. Smart players will never engage you without a plan or without at least 3 heroes when they know you may have your Fiend's Grip off cooldown, especially in lane they will be more under tower.
In mid lane, your job start when you have it, and every time cooldown expire, you must go to kill someone!

DESCRIPTION:

The target will be disabled for 5 second ( 7 with Arghanim Scepter ), while take damage over time and mana drain over time, but is channelled, but go through magic immunity!.
Usually you'll never ensure a kill against a full hp hero, but thanks to Brain Sap, the target will be very low to usually ensure a kill.

HOW TO USE:

Use it on the hero who you want to kill, of course, but dont think is always a good idea use it on a good enemy carry with a big damage ( Ursa ? ).
Use it on the big priority target, a carry or initiator for example ( Sand King , who is the real pain of your team, while you Nightmare another.
Sometime is better disable the enemy stunners for prevent teamfight combinations.
Stay sure you will be focused first, so never stand near the enemy, but always far away, cause when you Fiend's Grip someone, all the team will strike you down.

Items & Tips

Here we go in the Dota2 shops!

I am sure everybody know this items well. Bane need this items for bring destructions and nightmares in the enemy team.
Even Bane need money, but not much as other heroes, and usually he build items who give him more mana or items who help the team if he play in Bot/Top lane.
But let see why this items are the best on him, and why some item isn't good.

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Bane need to buy always something for stay in lane much as possible, and need that Iron Branch for last hit and deny creeps. Usually all heroes start with this combination. and in the lane phase is the player skill who makes the difference, but this standard items are good to start.

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This is YOUR GOAL! No matter if you are slow, or if you give all your last hits for your carry. This items makes Bane an hero who the enemy will fear.
Isn't funny for them take 300 pure damage every 20 second!
Someone prefer skip Arcane Boots and buy only Boots of Speed, cause they want to full support buying Observer Ward for the team and Animal Courier, who is good, but before that, you NEED at least your Soul Ring!.

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This items makes you a better Bane , colming all is weakness and giving more power for the team and his skills. Lets see why:



You have trumbles with Riki, Bounty Hunter, Clinkz?
Here we go your portable Gem of True Sight!
This little demon babies are the best Bane friends!
The big one can show you, and all your team, invisible men who are planning to kill you, and if someone kill him, the aggressor takes 600 damage!
The little one is a Robin Hood who want became an Anti-Mage, cause he have learned to burn mana with his attack and his skill!




If before you was the main target in team fight, now, with this little staff, you will be THE FIRST PRIORITY EVERYTIME THEY SEE YOU!
Think on a lycanthrope forced to stay disabled for 7 LONG SECONDS while you drain mana from him and he takes a lot of damage over second!
Is awesome against strengh heroes, cause 2 second more are 540 extra damage to them!
But stay sure they will focus you first, in this case, maybe a Black King Bar is a must.




Bane cannot escape from ganks, cannot escape in team fight after they will focus you, and cannot escape from enemy Flying Courier!
For make Bane run away with style, this item can save your life and your team mates life too! Never understimate this items.
PS. For players who usually dont like use a lot of click items, start to learn to use them, you NEED to understand all this game and his mechanics.




You have seen this item a lot of times, and works for every support.
For Bane , this item can help to save a team fight, but there are better Mekansm carry.




Nobody usually buy this, cause they prefer items who give stats or good effect.
This item can be a MUST if you face often the enemy right clickers.
This could save your life against Chaos Knight Riki Ursa Drow Ranger Anti-Mage ecc.
Buy if need it!

Skills Synergesis & How to Play

Here we will see what Bane must do during the game, from:
Early Game - Middle Game

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Early Mid Lane
In your mid lane, focus always on last hits and denies like every hero.
Keep your opponent in fear by harrassing him with auto attack and Brain Sap. Never be really aggressive, play without put yourself in a big risk, and know what your opponent can do or not can do.
Your goal is level up fastest as possible without leave that lane until level 6.
If you manage right, and after your Soul Ring , you will see your opponent without consumables and forced to go to base.
Against an hero with a bottle, you must compete for rune control, if not, focus on level up.

Early Bot/Top Lane

Here the game is different, cause you are facing 2 heroes at same time, but more important, you need your Soul Ring , but your lane partner will be probably a carry who need money more than you; in this case focus on denying all creeps you can.
When your parter is ready, start with a good Nightmare on the enemy disabler and attack the other hero; if ensure the kill, you can face the other without problems, depending on how many health you have.

Middle Game

After level 6, you must always keep this in mind:
You must kill! You need to be everywhere! like a true nightmare who want to take his prey into his world! Go Top, Bot and even jungle, to help kills every single hero, especially the enemy carry! But not alone...
See where is the team, stay with them and always plan ganks everytime your ultimate is ready!


This game is playied by players with a mind, and feelings too, and you must create in them this nightmare.

You are the most fearful of all heroes in this macht! When the enemy see you, they are already disabled and killed by you and your team! In every fight, you will be the one who they fear most! Cause you can disable every single hero who stand in your way!



Bane isn't so strong and you know too well.
He is easy to put down if enemy manage to stop your Fiend's Grip! But they must think this! If they fear your ganks, everytime you re not in lane, they will stay more undertower! They will lose experience and money! And your team will win!

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REMEMBER!

Always start to Nightmare the annoying hero and Fiend's Grip your target.
If there aren't disablers, Enfeeble is better than Nightmare, reserve that for when they are escaping, by stopping them and putting yourself and mates troward the enemy only escape route, always if you dont have killed them first!

Teamfight - What to do and why

TEAMFIGHT is the fight who decide the team who prevals on the other, in a bloody 5 vs 5!
Bane isn't good in teamfight, cause , like Pudge, prefer ganks lane, and is better dont face more than 3 hero with a team, thanks on his skills.
But what happen when you face 5 heroes simultaneously? Let see:

[+] He can disable 2 of the 5 enemy heroes;
[+] He can reduce the attack of 1 right clickers hero;
[-] He can be interrupted more easily;
[-] He will be the main target if you are doing well;
[-] Usually you will DIE.

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Dont expect Bane will survive in every teamfight. His job is use every skills you have and Fiend's Grip their carry! But doing this, you will be focused in a matter of second, BUT! Your carry, maybe a good Ursa for example, will be free to destroy the enemy team while they are focusing you!.
Remember to keep your Fiend's Grip not always for the carry.
Facing a Lifestealer will force you to disable him for example, but an incoming Lifestealer AND Sven will force you to think which is the most source of damage, cause HE is the target of your Fiend's Grip.
See their inventory,see what they have and how many damage they do and make your choice.
Always Enfeeble someone before the fight, a carry or semi-carry, cause his range is very huge.
Your job is Nightmare the other source of big damage or the initiator before they act; without them, your team can attack safetely against 3 enemy heroes.

KEEP IN MIND

When your Fiend's Grip end, if you are still alive, remember to use your Brain Sap to finish weak opponent and heal yourself, and Enfeeble, with only 10 second cooldown, can be used again on another hero.
If you are focused Force Staff away, then come again to use your skills and your items.
REMEMBER ALWAYS to use your Mekansm to heal your team mates and before Fiend's Grip, unleash the power of your Necronomicon!

Friends & Foes

Bane love disable enemy heroes.
His friends love deal BIG DAMAGE to innocents targets. Let's have a look at them and why:


This BIG GUY is exactly what Bane need more!
Ursa only need someone who take from behind an enemy hero while he cut his face with his fangs!
While you Fiend's Grip your target, after Nightmare his partner, nobody will stand in Ursa way.


This evolution of the Flying Courier give you the damage you need to finish your opponent faster than you can imagine!
Bane and Outworld Destroyer can disable with Enfeeble Nightmare Fiend's Grip astral imprisonment, while he give big damage to the only 2 heroes remaining ( and 1 of them is Enfeeble ).
His Sanity's Eclipse can destroy all the enemy team even while they are disabled!.

Other than them, Bane loves who do his same type of job.
He works so good with other disablers. Lets see some heroes:


He have a triple chin! Bane have quadruple hand!
Other than that, togheter you have so many disabling tool to keep someone useless for a lot of time! Enfeeble Nightmare Fiend's Grip Earth Spike Hex.
His Finger of Death with your Brain Sap can demolish everyone at LV6!


They have the same smile!
Like Lion , Shadow Shaman is a great disabler who lack in damage at begin, but when they reach LV6, their power come at light! ( or in the darkness... ).
Mass Serpent Ward give great amount of damage while your 4 disabler ( Nightmare Fiend's Grip Hex Shackles ) make sure nobody will escape from you two!

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But there are heroes who Bane hate much, and if Bane have his own nightmares, they are this!

doom bringer

These ladies & gentlemen will ruin your game with skills who keep you with only your auto attack and items! Dont pick Bane if there are these guys or you will be interrupted everytime you Fiend's Grip someone!
If you still picked Bane, after your Soul Ring and Boots of Speed, rush for a Black King Bar is a MUST!.
Always activate it before engage them or at begin of the team fight.
Remember to buy the ] Force Staff too for escape safetely.

skeleton king

These guys, all in the strengh heroes list. are the hardest for Bane to kill, and all have at least a Crowd Control who can stop your Fiend's Grip easily, or have too many health for you!
In this case, play as usual, but be care to use your Fiend's Grip because there are better hero who want die from it.
Still, if they are the main problem for your team, feel free to disable them before they give too many problems.

A Victory For Nightmares! - The End.

Thanks all for have read this guide! =D
I Hope you enjoyied this travel on my Bane experience and to find useful it! =)
I am only a normal player who really enjoyied write this, and i must thanks Dr.D (Guide , because it gived me the inspiration for this guide!
I want to share a song who i listen when i play Bane and a screenshot of an old match i have done, really before this guide.
The song: Play Video And the screenshot:
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<!GOOD NIGHTMARES TO EVERYONE!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>