IF lvl < 6 action=farm ELSE action=gank

Introduction

Hello internet traveller and welcome to my guide for Bloodseeker. This is a situational build (as is every build) and my personal favourite way to play the hero.

A few things this guide assumes:

• You get a solo lane
• You can last hit effectively
• You know how to gank
• You can position yourself appropriately in fights

First a few statements about this Bloodseeker build.

• He is a semi carry who excels at ganking
• Makes for a poor hard carry unless really fed or the enemy lacks teamplay/skill
• He is a decent initiator with Bloodrage into Rupture (exceptional if the team only has 1 major cc hero)
• He becomes quite tanky and will let you get away with some big plays that a squishier DPS build will not

Pros / Cons

Pros

• Excellent ganker/Chaser
• Targeted silence, basically a free Orchid with one skill point.
• Provides team vision of low heroes (synergises well with heros with global ultimates/teleports)
• Constant ganks will force the team to become scared and group up (split push ftw)

Cons

• Constant ganks will force the team to become scared and group up (makes ganking harder)
• Countered by spending 135 gold :(
• Cant really gank if the enemy are highly skilled/knowledgeable enough to stick together.
• Naturally squishy

Items

Starting items
Pretty standard - if you are solo mid or 1v1 solo side lane you should be able to get away with stout + quelling blade and tango for starting items. However be aware of your low HP early on as you are quite susceptible to ganks. Replace the quelling blade with stats and go for an early magic stick/wand if you anticipate a hard lane.

Mid game
This is where this build differs from many others.

Boots are either Power Treads or Phase Boots. Up to you and how the game plays; I prefer Treads if i'm going to build Blademail to offset the lack of HP, or Phase Boots if i'm going to build Necronomicon to let me run through the Necro units as they love to block you at the worst times. Little extra dmg is nice too.

Blademail is generally a situational item for most heroes, however Bloodseeker can make a case for it being useful early on. The theory is that if you ult someone they either run and die or they stand and fight, which is where the Blademail active comes into play. It also gives you some good armor and mana, who doesn't want that?

• Special mention goes to necronomicon as a first major item (replacing Blademail) as well, it more or less gives the same function with the bonus of giving more HP (+ mana drain and true sight once you reach lvl 3).

BKB should follow up as your second major item purchase, it gives good HP, decent damage and magic immunity to let you live in team fights long enough to get to that squishy support and bring them down.

• A note on BKB and Blademail actives: unless their is a lot of right click on the enemy team, you may want to save Blademail active until after BKB runs out. This is because Blademail also returns damage on spells.

Vanguard can replace BKB if there is little or no CC on the enemy team, which is rare.

Late game and beyond
Pretty much just build what your team lacks. Need more dps? Need a frontline damage soak? Need utility? Need push? Pretty sure you can make that decision from the enemy composition and how well the game is going in general.

A few noteworthy items:

• Orchid Malevolence aka YOU SHALL NOT CAST. 5 second silence and a damage multiplier. Then Bloodrage for 9 second silence. One or two heroes are going to have to find something to do in the next teamfight because they aren't going to be casting any spells. Utility option.
• Heaven's Halberd. A silence for right cliking. Also HP and evasion. Tank/Utility option.
• Dagon. Total pub-stomp item (or is it?). Anti support item. Combine with Force Staff and Rupture for 350 + 360 + 400 damage. Lulz ensure. Burst dmg option.
• Force staff. Probably the best value for money utility item in the game. And it's even better on BS. Utility/Burst dmg option.
• Maelstrom/Mjollnir. Get Maelstom semi early if you don't think you can gank very much and push lanes and farm jungle. Pushing/farming option.
• Desolator. Probably one of the better options for dps on my late game BS. Gives a nice armor debuff that helps your team kill heroes/Roshan/towers. DPS option.
• Heart of Terrasque. Synergises well with Blademail and will make you nigh unkillable late game. Tank option.

Skills

Skill build
Pretty standard

I prefer only one point into Bloodrage until late game, 5 seconds of targeted silence is one of the best one point wonders of the game.

I emphasise Thirst over Bloodbath. The added MS given and the added vision is amazing compared to a little more sustain. Of course adjust if the game requires it.

Skill rupture where possible. Once you get it you should be ganking your *** off. The extra mana from Blademail/Necronomicon will allow you to gank for longer without returning to the fountain.

Skill rotation when ganking will vary depending on the hero being ganked (gankee?). If they have an escape such as blink/invis then lead with Bloodrage into Rupture. Else just rupture and save your Bloodrage for any support they have or the gankee themselves if they have too much burst.

Summary

A good hero for beginners to learn and a fun hero for veterans to stomp with, Bloodseeker is a niche hero for sure. This build attempts to fill some of those gaps in Bloodseeker's kit by providing utility and the mana he needs to be constantly ganking. Played right you should be getting a kill every time Rupture is off cooldown.

Give this build a try. Criticism is welcome and encouraged, I have no doubt that further refinements will be necessary.

Cheers.