Playing Commander Rylai

Loving the guide and how it's written so far! I'll favorite it and check back when it's finished. Oh, and sorry for asking, but how do I get this into the game? I'm kinda new to this site! :P

Soul ring is admittedly very situational which is why I didn't actually include it in core. I don't use it and even put that you shouldn't do it unless you're feeling manly. My friend does it occasionally by skipping wand and grabbing a fast soul ring/tranq so I tossed it in the guide.

Also I will go back later today and be more specific about the mek/drum thing. I said "whichever you prefer in the situation" if you picked up a bracer already (whether in place of urn or just for extra health) jumping to a drum is only going to cost ~1200g where as starting a mek from scratch costs almost double that. Also your situation should dictate that if your team already has a mek don't get another.

While Soul Ring + Tranquil Boots is a great combination for those heroes that benefit from spamming spells, such as Phantom Lancer, I feel that it is kind of wasted on Crystal Maiden.

First of all, you have to consider that Soul Ring + Tranquil Boots costs a whopping (for a support, anyways) 1825 gold. Even if you get lucky with a few early game kills and assists, it is highly unlikely that you will have both Soul Ring + Tranquil Boots by level 6, especially since you will most likely be buying both the courier and wards for your team. Assuming that you max Arcane Aura second after Crystal Nova, you shouldn't really have any mana problems at that point either.

Now, I'm not saying that the items are bad for her; Tranquil Boots is pretty much her best boot choice, while Soul Ring is a very good (if situational) pickup. However, if you want to nova spam in lane, I recommend picking up a raw Sobi Mask early, which can later be turned into a whole multitude of items that CM can benefit from.

Also, if your team doesn't have a Mekansm carrier, then Mekansm definitely has a much higher priority than Drums of Endurance. If your team does have one however, then Mekansm shouldn't even be considered, since they don't stack. Saying that the choice between the two is preference-based will often lead to multiple Mekansms on the same team (or none at all).

But overall, not a bad guide. Keep it up.

Never tried Soul Ring. Other item choices are good though.

Likely going to +1 this when you get a bit more done.