"Our Blades Are Sharp" ~ Bloodseeker Guide (6.84) ~ UPDATED

IMPORTANT UPDATE 3/17/2016

Recent updates to DOTA 2 have nerfed Bloodseeker to the point where some of the build ideas in this guide are no longer effective (or, at the very least, no longer work against above average players). I am leaving the guide as is, but as a general rule, I do not recommend using Bloodseeker as anything more than a ganker and/or semi-support - position 3.

Bloodseeker Lore

Strygwyr the Bloodseeker is a ritually sanctioned hunter, Hound of the Flayed Twins, sent down from the mist-shrouded peaks of Xhacatocatl in search of blood. The Flayed Ones require oceanic amounts of blood to keep them sated and placated, and would soon drain their mountain empire of its populace if the priests of the high plateaus did not appease them. Strygwyr therefore goes out in search of carnage. The vital energy of any blood he lets, flows immediately to the Twins through the sacred markings on his weapons and armor. Over the years, he has come to embody the energy of a vicious hound; in battle he is savage as a jackal. Beneath the Mask of the Bloodseeker, in the rush of bloody quenching, it is said that you can sometime see the features of the Flayers taking direct possession of their Hound.

Overview

Thanks for visiting my guide on Bloodseeker. I've packed this page full of tactics, tricks, build options, item details, game analysis and more, and I hope you find it useful. I regularly update this guide as I learn more about how to play Bloodseeker, which items work best on him, and how he synergizes with or is countered by other heroes. If you like what you see, give me an up vote! If you find something you don't like, let me know in the comments section.

FYI: The in-game item guide based on this page is called "So Much Blood."

Just in case you're totally new, Bloodseeker is a fast, hard-hitting melee agility carry/ganker/jungler with room for a variety of fun and exciting builds. He excels at early and mid-game ganking and cleaning up low health heroes at the end of a team fight. He can easily snowball out of control and win the game before the enemy hard carries have a chance to get their farm and levels. There is much to discuss, so let's get to it!

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT ALL OF THE BUILDS IN THE TABS ABOVE

Note: I'm not above criticism. I'm learning from my mistakes and trying to become a better player, so please feel free to leave comments, corrections, ideas, and suggestions. I will respond, and I will make adjustments to the guide.

Abilities

BLOODRAGE Q- 25%/30%/35%/40% damage amplification for and against - Lifesteal for 25% of the max health of any units killed (creep, neutrals, heroes) - Low cooldown - Can be cast on friendlies and enemies - Mana cost: 0

BLOOD RITE W- Silences for 3/4/5/6 seconds - Deals 120/160/200/240 damage - Mana cost: 100

THIRST E- Global True Sight of heroes below 25% health - Attack Damage bonus per hero 10/20/30/40 - Move Speed bonus per hero 10%/20%/30%/40% - Bonuses stack - Passive

RUPTURE R- Hero takes a percentage of distance traveled as damage 20%/40%/60% - Duration: 12 seconds - Damage is dealt through spell immunity - Mana cost: 150/200/250

COMMENTS

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Bloodrage

Bloodrage is a wild ability. Most often you'll use it on yourself, to regain health while last-hitting in lane and in the jungle, and for the damage amplification (be sure to activate double-click key for self-cast). But don't forget to cast it on friendly and/or enemy heroes when the situation calls for it!

Blood Rite

Blood Rite is a powerful AOE silence that deals damage. It will cancel channeled spells like Black Hole, Death Ward, and Fiend's Grip. It also grants vision in the area where cast.

Thirst

Thirst is a totally wicked passive ability. This is what makes Bloodseeker so devastating. You simply can't outrun him. There's a reason people call him the Ferrari. Seriously. Check out this video.

Rupture

Rupture is a nasty initiation tool and it makes life miserable for heroes that like to move around during team fights. You can target agility carries like Anti-Mage, Phantom Assassin, and Riki. You can neutralize initiators like Spirit Breaker, Timbersaw, Batrider, and Huskar. You can cast it on heroes who have Black King Bar activated and it will deal damage through it. A lot of players don't realize this.

CHECK OUT THE "TACTICS" SECTION FOR MORE TIPS ON BLOODSEEKER'S ABILITIES

HOW TO LEVEL YOUR SKILLS

As a rule, you'll want to level Bloodrage first, as it allows you to remain in lane and heal from last hits. If your team is planning an early 5-man rune gank, you can Bloodrage an enemy hero, focus down on them as a team, and score an easy first blood. Once you've got your level 1 Bloodrage, you should max Thirst as quickly as possible for chasing down heroes. At level 7, you should have 1 level in Rupture, 1 in Bloodrage, 1 in Blood Rite, and 4 in Thirst.



Between levels 8 and 14, you'll alternate leveling Bloodrage and Blood Rite (with your 2nd level of Rupture taken at level 11). If you're behind in levels, having survival issues, or prefer to play it safe, level Blood Rite. If you're ahead in XP, getting kills, or are playing with a friendly hero that could benefit from damage amplification, feel free to level Bloodrage. The graphic at the top of the page depicts a balanced choice, which is what I'll often default to. If in doubt, I suggest taking a more conservative approach and maxing Blood Rite before getting your 2nd level of Bloodrage.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths + Excellent last-hitter + Self-sustaining in lane + Fastest hero in DotA 2 + Elite ganker + Massive damage dealer + Dominates squishy heroes + True Sight against low health heroes + Rupture deals damage through Black King Bar

Weaknesses - Easily killed if stunned - Susceptible to AOE damage and global ults - Lacks a stun - Low mana pool - Moderate HP - Can fall off late without proper items - Enemies can TP away from ult - Absolutely not an initiator

Items and Game Progression

STARTING ITEMS 0-5 minutes

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This build, for laning, provides you with +4 stats in all categories, supreme last hitting potential, and puts you on the fast track to completing a Magic Wand. The wand (which you will eventually sell) should be the only mana regen item you need all game. It's possible that you never use the tangos, but you don't want to be caught without them. If you're jungling, build a Poor Man's Shield and consider the wand optional.

Rat Push Alternative: Starting items are the same.

EARLY GAME 5-15 minutes

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vs. vs.

I typically prefer to rush Boots of Travel. It's hard to replace the TP/rescue/ganking potential and the +100 movement speed, which synergizes with thrist. You'll be all over the map, bathing in blood and swimming in gold from all of the creep waves and enemy heroes you flay.

Phase Boots provide +24 damage, which dovetails nicely with your bonus damage from Bloodrage, and if you find yourself stuck behind friendly heroes or creep while chasing an enemy, you can activate the phase boots and pass through it all on your way to a kill.

Power Treads provide some stats and attack speed, but unless the situation calls for it, I prefer the options listed above.

Rat Push Alternative:



Boots of Travel only. It is essential that you be able to bounce around the map to push lanes, take towers, and team fight.

MID-GAME 15-35 minutes

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Once you've got your boots, you'll likely need a Black King Bar or Blade Mail, depending on the lineup of heroes you're facing. Stuns and disables = BKB. Right-click heroes like Ursa or Axe = Blade Mail. You'll also need Blade Mail if you're going up against Lina or Lion. Once, in a ranked game, I actually killed a Lion outright when he used a dagon then and a Finger of Death on me. Note: I do not consider a BKB an essential item. Learn good positioning. Know when to pick a fight.

Silver Edge is an awesome item on Bloodseeker. It provides a nice escape, but the primary reason you buy it is for the passive disable, bonus damage, attack speed, and ganking potential. I've outlined this below in the "tactics" section of the guide.

Note: If you can manage to buy a Yasha or a Skull Basher somewhere in the mid-game in addition to these other items, all the better.

Rat Push Alternative:



Build a Battle Fury or possibly a Mjollnir. Once you have your farming/pushing item, consider some Blade Mail, a Desolator, or a Silver Edge, or all three, if you can afford it.

LATE GAME 35-60 minutes

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At this point, your inventory probably looks something like this:



Or perhaps you bought Black King Bar or a Skull Basher. It's all situational. But what next?



It's simple. Hit harder. Buy an Abyssal Blade or Daedalus. If you're dealing with evasion, you'll want a Monkey King Bar. If you're crushing the game, a Radiance can be a lot of fun, but I wouldn't recommend it in a close one. Bloodrage does increase the damage output of the Radiance burn.

Rat Push Alternative:



Become more durable. Consider a Heart of Tarrasque or an Assault Cuirass (or both). A Butterfly is also an option.

The Rat Push - Alternative Build Details

RAT PUSH BASICS

MORE RAT PUSH OPTIONS

~ RAT PUSH BUILD EXAMPLES IN BUYING ORDER ~

RAT PUSH SIX SLOTTED EX. 1

RAT PUSH SIX SLOTTED EX. 2

RAT PUSH SIX SLOTTED EX. 3

RAT PUSH SIX SLOTTED EX. 4

RAT PUSH SIX SLOTTED EX. 5

RAT PUSH SIX SLOTTED BLEND

RAT PUSH SIX SLOTTED - BATTLE FURY SOLD

UPDATE! I've become such a fan of this build that I use it almost exclusively. It's not even fair to call it the Rat Push. It's just so effective. Bouncing back and forth from tower to tower with your TP boots, pushing lanes, controlling the map, squeezing the enemy, quickly moving in and out of fights, all the while gaining the farm and XP you'll need to avoid falling off if the game goes late.

The primary difference between this build and the standard build outlined above is that in The Rat Push you'll (typically) opt for a Battle Fury instead of Blade Mail as your second core item (15-20 minutes), as your focus is more on pushing and farming and less on team fights. Then, late-game (35-60 minutes), instead of buying a high DPS item like a Daedalus, you'll focus on durability items, like a Heart of Tarrasque. Mid-game (15-35 minutes), just take stock of what's going on around you. I've outlined a ton of options in this guide. If you're facing Zeus, a Hood of Defiance isn't a bad choice.

HOW TO RAT PUSH

Rush Boots of Travel, use them to move in and out of lanes, fights, and the jungle, get your gold and XP, work towards your Battle Fury. The Perseverance will keep you active. Get a Blade Mail if the situation calls for it, but don't worry about a Skull Basher or Yasha. Your job is to push. Gank if you can. Team fight when needed. If your team can keep the enemy busy while you're taking towers, all the better. Once you've got your TP boots and your Battle Fury, it's a good idea to grab a Shadow Blade for quick escapes and ganks, which you can then upgrade to a Silver Edge, especially if the enemy has strong passive abilities. A Desolator is good for pushing down towers and barracks because of its armor reduction attack modifier. A Butterfly will improve your pushing power and give you added durability. Finally, you can't go wrong by tanking up with Heart of Tarrasque and an Assault Cuirass, but a Moon Shard will absolutely wreck buildings. NOTE: depending on whether you lane or jungle, you'll also have a Magic Wand or a Poor Man's Shield (or perhaps both) which you can sell.

You won't always have a sky-high KDA with this build. It's not suited for going 1 on 1 with enemy carries (at least not early). You'll judge its effectiveness by whether or not you push towers and win the game. I've out-pushed a Tinker and a Terrorblade with this build, losing a single T1 in the win.

In Depth Item Analysis

MAGIC WAND If you're going to lane with Bloodseeker, you'll want to buy a Magic Wand. It provides +4 stats in all categories and will serve as your primary mana regen item until you get Blade Mail or a Perseverance. At only 465 gold it truly is one of the best items in the game. I almost always buy one. And if you're facing spell spammers, it's borderline OP.

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BOOTS OF TRAVEL Early Boots of Travel is an underrated farming tool. Bouncing from tower to tower will ensure that you never lack for creep to last hit. For me, they've become a core part of how to play Bloodseeker, at least at the non-professional level. Plus, the ability to drop into a team fight at just the right moment can't be overrated. These boots can earn you double kills, triple kills, mega kills and rampages. Once you start using them, you'll never want to buy anything else. They also provide +100 movement speed. As of 9/7/2015, in 133 career games with Bloodseeker wherein I've purchased Boots of Travel (typically between the 8-12 minute mark), I have a 69.17% win rate and a 4.71 KDA ratio.

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BLADE MAIL Bloodseeker is a naturally squishy hero, especially with Bloodrage activated. Blade Mail helps rectify this problem. Once you pop it, most players will just run, which gives you 4.5 seconds of unmolested attack time. If they're brave enough to stand and fight, more often than not you'll win the combat. If you cast Bloodrage on the attacker, your Blade Mail will deal amplified damage. Blade Mail provides +6 armor, +22 damage, and +10 intelligence. That intelligence boost will reduce your mana shortages. Blade Mail also scales well into the late-game. If you're facing Lina or Lion, Blade Mail will make them think twice before ulting you. A word of caution: if an enemy tank is sporting Blade Mail, avoid casting your Rupture on them. They'll just activate their Blade Mail and walk around until you die. As of 9/7/2015, in 81 career games with Bloodseeker wherein I've purchased Blade Mail (typically between the 20-25 minute mark, though sometimes later), I have a 67.90% win rate and a 4.60 KDA ratio.

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SILVER EDGE I've described in the "Tactics" section how the Bloograge damage amplification mechanics work with the Silver Edge. Quickly, though, if you activate Bloodrage and then go invis, when you break invis with an attack (provided that your Bloodrage is still active) you'll deal some serious bonus damage. I use this item primarily as an offensive tool. The escape is nice, for sure, but it's easily countered with dust. Detection, however, does not remove the damage bonus or the passive ability disable. Silver Edge also provides +30 attack speed and +32 damage, in addition to +16 strength, so it quietly gives you some added durability. But at 5450 gold, it's a very expensive item, so be smart about when to get one. If the enemy heroes lack strong passive abilities, you might consider a different item, or settling on a Shadow Blade. As of 9/7/2015, in 100 career games with Bloodseeker wherein I've purchased a Silver Edge, I have a 75% win rate and a 5.27 KDA ratio.

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BATTLE FURY This is the most controversial of all the items in this guide. A Mjollnir is an equally effective farming/pushing item (shocking bolt vs. cleave), and it provides +80 attack speed. The Battle Fury gives no additional attack speed, but it does provide +55 damage compared to +24, and the mana regen from the Perseverance gives you the freedom to spam your TP boots and continually baptize the enemy ****s in Blood Rite. You'll never want for mana and you'll stay incredibly active in ganks and team fights. The Battle Fury is also cheaper, 4575 gold vs. 5700 gold. Which item you choose depends on your preferred style of play with Bloodseeker. I don't view BS as a stand-in-the-fight-and-right-click sort of hero (at least not early on), so attack speed isn't that important to me. He's squishy, especially when using Bloodrage, so if you try that sort of thing, you'll probably be focused down and killed. I prefer to deal a high amount of damage in a single burst. I prefer to always have the mana I need so I can cast Rupture and Blood Rite in team fights. BS also has relatively high base agility (24) and gains +3 agility with each level, so attack speed comes naturally to him. As of 9/7/2015, in 51 career games with Bloodseeker wherein I've purchased a Battle Fury (usually at the 20 minute mark as I normally go for TP boots first), I have a 72.55% win rate and a 4.57 KDA ratio. For more commentary about the Battle Fury, check out the section "How to Use the Battle Fury with Bloodseeker.

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DESOLATOR This is a relatively inexpensive item that offers +50 damage and will tear through towers and structures. The armor reduction attack modifier stacks with Assault Cuirass for a total of -12 armor. If you're pushing lanes alone, this item is a must-own, and if you're dealing with heavily armored enemies, you can't go wrong with the Desolator.

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HEART OF TARRASQUE Bloodseeker has a reputation for falling off as the game goes late. The Heart of Tarrasque goes a long ways in eliminating that problem. +40 strength and +300 HP which translates to +1060 HP overall, plus some fast health regen outside fights. You simply can't go wrong with late game durability. Past 45 minutes, dying becomes incredibly costly, not only in gold lost, but also in buyback costs, lane momentum, towers, and being raxed. Bloodseeker deals damage naturally, so if in doubt, tank up.

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ASSAULT CUIRASS A little bit of tank, a little bit of attack speed. I love the Assault Cuirass, especially when you stack it with a Desolator. You'll get +10 armor, +35 attack speed, and an aura that provides +5 armor, +20 attack speed, and removes 5 enemy armor within a 900 radius. Everything I said about the Heart also applies to the AS. It'll help you survive late game fights and its armor reduction aura will help you cut through your foes.

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ABYSSAL BLADE Normally, for me, the Abyssal Blade is the sort of item that rounds out my sixth slot. It's a phenomenal weapon, to be sure, and the build breaks down nicely (you can build it out of a Skull Basher). It'll give you +85 damage, +10 strength, and in addition to the passive 1.4 second bash, there's an active 2 second stun that goes through spell immunity. NICE. But when you consider the price tag (almost 7000 gold), I'd rather pay a little more and build towards a Desolator and a Heart, Assault Cuirass, or Silver Edge.

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RADIANCE I do not recommend this item. I know it's in the build guide, but only buy it if you're absolutely crushing the other team and you want to have some fun. I have a 100% win rate with the Radiance, and that has nothing to do with actually owning a Radiance.

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DAEDALUS +81 damage and a 25% chance to deal 240% critical damage, which amounts to an average damage increase of 35%. If you stack that with Bloodrage, well, that's just mean. It costs 5500 gold, which is significantly cheaper than the Abyssal Blade. The Daedalus consists of a recipe, a Demon Edge, and a Crystalys.

How to Use the Battle Fury with Bloodseeker

I wanted to provide a more detailed breakdown on the Battle Fury, why it's a solid choice for Bloodseeker, and how to use it effectively. Some of this I've covered elsewhere, but I want this section to be thorough.

A) Farm a Battle Fury after buying Boots of Travel.

Why? Because Bloodseeker isn't the sort of hero that needs to sit back and farm the safe lane while being babysat by supports (like Anti-Mage, Medusa, Phantom Assassin, etc.) He's too good in the early/mid-game for that. Having the early Boots of Travel let's you capitalize on the fact that BS thrives 12-20 minutes in and gives you ferocious ganking potential. Think of the TP boots as buying successful ganks and hero kills, plus, you'll have access to as many creep waves as you want. With this build, I'm typically 2-3 levels above the enemy team.

B) Buy the Perseverance first.

The mana regen from the Perseverance means you rarely have to return to the fountain. You'll be able to gank and team fight whenever and wherever you want. However, because at this point your inventory consists of Boots of Travel, Perseverance, Poor Man's Shield and a Magic Wand, you will need to pick your spots in fights and be smart about when to initiate against an enemy.

C) Use teamwork.

Bloodseeker gets targeted in team fights. He's an easy kill if you just rush in right-clicking. You'll be stunned, disabled, and crushed. And without teamwork, Ruptured enemy heroes can just TP away. So make sure you communicate. Don't charge in like an idiot. Activate your Bloodrage, Rupture a select hero, lay down your Blood Rite, consider Bloodraging an enemy, and then, after you've blown through your spells and your team is engaged, that's when you strike. Try to position yourself such that your cleave damage hits multiple enemies. Note: Cleave damage is 35% of your physical damage, which can be amplified by Bloodrage. Bloodrage does not amplify cleave damage itself, but rather, boosts the physical damage from which the 35% is calculated.

D) Now you've got your Battle Fury.

Focus on objectives. Push lanes, take towers, control the map. Basically, play like a Tinker. And play it smart. Don't go too deep. You're still squishy. Soon, you'll begin buying the items that will add to your survivability during fights. Blade Mail, Silver Edge, Heart of Tarrasque, Assault Cuirass and so on. If the game goes late, you'll be fine, because you'll have the farm and items you need stay relevant. I've won a lot of hour + games with Bloodseeker.

E) When NOT to buy a Battle Fury.

Don't buy a Battle Fury if it looks like your team is going to need some extra right-click damage in the early/mid-game fights. If that's the case, you might get Blade Mail and then pick up a Yasha or a Skull Basher.

Don't buy a Battle Fury if you prefer a more guns-a-blazin' style of play. If you want to rush into the middle of fights, get Blade Mail, Power Treads, and a Black King Bar.

Late Game Bloodseeker

Bloodseeker has a reputation for falling off if the game goes late. I think this is overblown. He counters late game heroes like Anti-Mage and Phantom Assassin when he locks them down with Rupture. His Bloodrage damage amplification keeps Thundergod's Wrath relevant even against the tankiest of heroes, especially if Zeus has a Refresher Orb and an Aghanim's Scepter.

I think the reason he's gained such a reputation is that players have traditionally spent a large percentage of their gold on Sange and Yasha, Radiance, Mjollnir, and Daedalus without either 1) adopting the sort of play-style that a squishy hard-hitting hero requires or 2) buying the necessary durability items you'll need to survive fights.

If you want to be an effective late game Bloodseeker...

A) Know when to pick a fight. You're the cleanup crew, not the initiator. Think like a Riki, not like a Faceless Void.

B) Learn good positioning and timing. If you don't have Black King Bar and the enemy has stuns and disables, don't rush in headlong. Be patient. Spam your spells from a distance.

C) Always communicate with your teammates. Be on the same page. Have a good coach, a good leader, or an initiator that everyone on the team is willing to follow into fights.

D) Don't overlook durability items. This is a major reason why Bloodseeker falls off. A Radiance and a Monkey King Bar can be fun, but if you're dead, they don't matter.

Tactics, Special Items, and Unique Scenarios

Bloodrage + Silver Edge Combo

Step 1. Cast Bloodrage (must do this first)
Step 2. Go invis
Step 3. Find a squishy hero laning alone or jungling
Step 4. Break invis with an attack

You will deal 225 bonus damage from the Silver Edge plus 40% from your Bloodrage. That's 310 bonus damage in one hit, in addition to the damage from stats and other items. For example, at level 17, with no items, your base damage is 108. If you add the 40% from Bloodrage, your damage becomes 151. If you include a Silver Edge, Yasha, Wand, and Blade Mail, it becomes 128 (base + stat gains from Yasha and Wand) + 54 (damage from Yasha and Silver Edge) + 40% (from Bloodrage) = 254. 254 + 310 = 564 damage in one hit. Another example: Let's keep everything the same except this time you're level 25 and you've purchased a Daedalus. That's 168 + 54 + 81 + 40% = 422. 424 + 310 = 734 damage OR MORE in one hit. I've landed shots close to 1000 damage in experiments.

Silver Edge vs. Phantom Assassin

Silver Edge is a ferocious counter to PA. Use the method I describe above and break your invis with a right-click attack. You cannot miss the strike, and it will disable her passive abilities ( Blur, Coup de Grace) and reduce damage output. If you're afraid she'll blink away, you can always Rupture her.

Bloodrage vs. Linken's Sphere

Bloodrage is an easy way to pop Linken's Sphere.

Rupture + Blood Rite Combo

Step 1. Rupture
Step 2. Blood Rite

If they move, they take damage. If they stand still, they take damage and become silenced. Be sure to Rupture your enemy first. If you Blood Rite first, they'll move out of its AOE without taking damage or becoming silenced, and if you can't finish them off 1v1, they'll just wait out your Rupture and walk away.

Bloodrage + Ults

You can cast your Bloodrage on teammates. This works particularly well with...



Note that the Bloodrage + Global Ult combo has been nerfed:

Bloodrage amplifies all three damage types the bloodraged unit deals and takes. Amplifies for half the value when the dealer and receiver are 2200 range apart from each other. [From the Dotafire.com Bloodrage page]

However, Bloodrage should still grant the full +40% damage if any of these global heroes are in the thick of the fight. And +40% to Lion, Lina, Phantom Assassin, or Earthshaker will still serve your team quite well.

Something else to consider: Spirit Breaker could take advantage of Bloodseeker's global vision and charge low HP heroes for easy kills.

Bloodrage vs. Enemy Tanks

If your team is trying to take down a tanky hero like Huskar or Centaur Warrunner cast your Bloodrage on them. They will take between 25%-40% more damage from all incoming attacks. Be careful, though. You're definitely playing with fire!

Eul's Scepter of Divinity + Blood Rite Combo

Since he doesn't have a stun, the easiest way to escape Bloodseeker is to Town Portal home. A Eul's stops that dead in its tracks. You can also set up enemy heroes for your Blood Rite. Just pop the Eul's Scepter of Divinity, thrown down the spell, and when the cyclone stops they'll have no time to escape the AOE. Eul's also grants you +40 movement speed, +10 intel, and +150 mana regen. If you're facing a Tinker, you'll probably need to buy a Eul's, or at the very least, a Skull Basher.

Orchid Malevolence + Bloodrage Combo

If you're dealing with some nasty mid/late game ults, like Medusa's Stone Gaze or Tidehunter's Ravage + Refresher Orb, an Orchid of Malevolence can be a effective way to gain the upper hand in a teamfight, gank, or tower defense. In addition to Blood Rite, you'll now have two methods of silencing the enemy. You can't really go wrong with an Orchid, given that it also grants you +30 attack speed, +30 damage, and 150% mana regen, +25 intel, and 30% damage amplification on top of your Bloodrage.

Heaven's Halberd

If you're up against an enemy carry that's better farmed and hitting harder than you, Heaven's Halberd offers the ability to disarm your opponent. Plus, you'll get 25% evasion, +20 strength, and +25 damage. When you consider its price tag (3850 gold), it really is one of the better items in the game.

Thirst and the Buyback Rampage

Bloodseeker's speed and damage bonuses from Thirst make him particularly well-suited for buyback ganks. Don't be afraid to buy back and use your Boots of Travel to portal in and clean up enemy heroes weary from a team fight.

Bloodrage and the First Blood Rune Gank

If your team is setting up for a first blood rune gank, be sure to Bloodrage the target enemy. With 5 heroes right-clicking, they'll melt from the +25% bonus damage.

IMPORTANT: Don't overload on utility/tactical items. If you have a Eul's, an Orchid, a Heaven's Halberd, a Silver Edge, and a BKB or Blade Mail, you're going to have a difficult time effectively using all of those items while right-clicking and using your abilities. You have teammates and supports for a reason. (Again, speaking from experience).

Synergy with Bloodseeker

FRIENDS

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As a general rule, Bloodseeker needs support (as all carries do). Don't compete against him for last hits or kills. He can utterly dominate a game if you help him. If you can scatter an enemy team with AOE damage, BS can come in and finish everyone off. That's his strength. Play to it.

Below are some heroes that have great synergy with Bloodseeker. Pick them if you've got a BS on your team.



Silencer - Global Silence allows BS to run around slicing and dicing his enemies.

Shadow Shaman- Shackles makes life easy for BS. Free kills! Get your free kills!

Necrophos - Necro and BS can dominate a lane, especially if your Necro is willing to pull creep. BS's Bloodrage ensures he never goes back home, and Necro's Heartstopper Aura keeps enemies away from the creep wave. The only drawback: You might make someone rage quit.

Batrider- Rupture + Flaming Lasso combo

Pudge - Rupture + Meat Hook combo

Vengeful Spirit - Rupture + Nether Swap combo

Zeus - Bloodseeker and Zeus synergize on so many levels. There's the global ult + Bloodrage trick, but don't forget about Bloodseeker's Thirst bonuses. All of those low health enemy heroes will have you zipping around like a race car.

Invoker - Thirst will give Invoker vision for Sun Strike.

Spirit Breaker - A great initiation tag team. Rupture some poor hero and let Spirit Breaker charge in. Plus, Thirst will give SB vision for Charge of Darkness.

Crystal Maiden - BS and CM can be a devastating duo in lane. Cast Frostbite on a low level hero and let Boodseeker hack away at them. If you've got a level of Blood Rite, they can't escape it. Easy kills.

EFFECTIVE AGAINST

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Bloodseeker is a powerful counter to several popular heroes. Here's a growing list. If you have others you'd like to add, let me know in the comments.



Sniper - Use that Silver Edge tactic I described. If you've got the items, you can easily kill Sniper in 1 or 2 hits. Bloodseeker also does a good job going mid against Sniper. His long range harassment doesn't make much of a difference because of the Bloodrage heals. And once you get to level 6, Sniper becomes a sitting duck.

Bloodseeker is effective against heroes that rely on blinks, jumps, movement, or speed to escape or attack:

Queen of Pain - I've seen so many QoPs kill themselves while Ruptured.

Spirit Breaker - Bloodseeker can be a good counter to the Space Cow. If he tries to Nether Strike while Ruptured, he'll probably kill himself. And he obviously can't charge away. Be aware, though. The Space Cow is always a pain for squishy agility heroes. So tread lightly!

Mirana - Rupture counters her Leap and you'll have True Sight on any low health invis heroes.

Slark - Rupture counters his Pounce and you'll have True Sight on his Shadowblade.

Phantom Assassin - Bloodseeker is the purest of counters to PA. He's a natural Silver Edge carrier and Rupture takes her blink ability right out of the picture.

Gyrocopter - You can outrun and chase down Gyro with Thirst. You can focus him with Rupture in a team fight. Bloodseeker isn't a perfect counter to Gyro, but he's pretty good.

Centaur Warrunner - It's hard stampede your enemies while Ruptured.

Timbersaw - You'll take Timbersaw right out of the fight with Rupture. He can't Timber Chain without taking massive damage.

Leshrac - If Lesh can't run towards the fight, his Pulse Nova won't have much of an effect.

Anti-Mage - No blink for you!

Huskar - If he tries to Life Break while Ruptured, he'll jump to his doom. Plus, he really thrives at low health, and that's just how Bloodseeker likes 'em.

Batrider - Batrider can't fly around laying down flames with Firefly when he's Ruptured.

Bloodseeker is effective against heroes that rely on invis:

Riki - A double-whammy. No invis, no Blink Strike.

Bounty Hunter - Even though you do counter Bounty's invis, a roaming BH could cause issues if you find yourself jungling with low HP. Even if he's not roaming, you'll still be paranoid.

Clinkz
Nyx Assassin
Broodmother
Invoker
Sand King
Weaver

Countering Bloodseeker

FOES

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So, the enemy team picked Bloodseeker, eh? Well, ****. Now you've gotta counter this sum*****. Generally speaking, you need to harass him early. If he starts snowballing, it's over. You need to commit as a team to crushing Bloodseeker. Don't solo offlane against him. Don't let him jungle in peace.

Below are some heroes that counter Bloodseeker. If you find yourself going up against BS, pick them. If the enemy team has these heroes, you should avoid picking BS.



Ursa - Ursa will make quick work of BS if he can close in on him, and with the re-worked Enrage, Blade Mail is useless.

Windranger - Her disable + DPS can be a real problem for Bloodseeker, especially if the game gets long. If she can blink or force staff in and shackle shot BS, she can kill him before he has a chance to react.

Storm Spirit - Rupture simply doesn't work against Ball Lightning. He is probably as pure a counter to BS as there is.

Tusk - He can basically one-shot BS with Walrus Punch, and his Snowball avoids BS's Rupture + Blood Rite combo. He's a great choice if you want to play aggressive and harass Bloodseeker in lane.

Lina - If she catches BS with his Bloodrage activated, she can Light Strike Array, Dragon Slave, and Laguna Blade him into oblivion. The same goes for Lion and his stun + ult.

Zeus + Rubick - This is probably my favorite counter.

Step 1. Steal Bloodrage with Rubick
Step 2. Wait for a team fight
Step 3. Cast it on Zeus
Step 4. Zeus gets within 2200 range
Step 5. Confirm Bloodseeker has his Bloodrage activated
Step 6. Zeus ult for +80% damage on BS

Zeus is also good counter without Rubick. If you're facing Zeus, buy a Hood of Defiance.

Tinker - Rupture won't bother him as he can easily TP away, and if he uses Laser, Heat Seeking Missile, and dagon while you're Bloodraged, it's over.

Legion Commander - If LC blinks on an unsuspecting Bloodseeker, she'll almost always win the duel, especially if he's Bloodraged.

Spirit Breaker - This is a risky choice, since Blood does counter him in a number of ways, but the Space Cow is very effective early at harassing BS and keeping him out of lane and away from last hits. Be relentless. Keep charging.

According to dotapicker.com, the following heroes rate as the most effective counters to Bloodseeker:

Core
Ursa
Wraith King
Troll Warlord
Brewmaster
Legion Commander
Storm Spirit
Faceless Void
Slardar

Utility
Omniknight
Undying
Techies
Zeus
Shadow Shaman
Crystal Maiden
Necrophos
Lion

Specific Items vs. Specific Heroes

Note that there may be some overlap in this section. I will add to this list as I learn more (don't be shy about leaving comments!)



Phantom Lancer - Battle Fury or Mjollnir
Phantom Assassin - Silver Edge and Monkey King Bar
Windranger - Blade Mail, Monkey King Bar, Black King Bar
Axe - Blade Mail
Sniper - Silver Edge and Blade Mail
Riki - Monkey King Bar and Dust of Appearance (Don't just rely on supports to buy dust. You'll need it.)
Brewmaster - Monkey King Bar
Zeus - Hood of Defiance and Heart of Tarrasque
Lina - Blade Mail
Lion - Blade Mail

Bloodseeker at The International 5

The following is a brief list of some successful Bloodseeker games during the The International 5 in Seattle, Washington in August of 2015. Note: Bloodseeker was picked 56 times in total. He finished with a win rate of 41.07%.

EG.Fear W 7-2-3
- Power Treads
- Hand of Midas
- Sange and Yasha
- Mjollnir
- Black King Bar

MVP.FoREv W 13-0-10
- Power Treads
- Blade Mail
- Hand of Midas
- Sange and Yasha
- Skull Basher
- Black King Bar

Virtus Pro > God W 14-0-7
- Power Treads
- Black King Bar
- Sange and Yasha
- Eye of Skadi
- Abyssal Blade

Empire.yoky- W 6-1-6
- Power Treads
- Black King Bar
- Sange and Yasha
- Solar Crest
- Hand of Midas
- Butterfly

Results

Here's a hell of a game. Our team was a 3 stack + a 2 stack. I was Bloodseeker, and Zeus and Anti-Mage were my mates. Wraith King and Ursa were a couple of losers who got caught and killed going for a level 1 Roshan. They got killed again in lane, whined a bit, and then abandoned the game before the 5 minute mark. But my buddies and I, we've got grit. We stuck it out. And we pulled off the 3 vs. 5 victory. Here's the trick. Zeus bought a Refresher Orb and whenever our opponents would push high ground, I would Bloodrage him and he'd get within 2200 range and ult -> refresh -> ult. It'd flat out kill 2 of them, and the other 3 were sitting ducks for me and AM. Just brutal.

Changelog

5/25/2015 - Guide published, several graphics changes made.
5/26/2015 - Corrected the "Tactics" section to make note of the nerf to Bloodrage on global ults.
5/27/2015 - Sections added, "Friends and Foes" and "Specific Items vs. Particular Heroes."
5/31/2015 - Expanded "Friends and Foes" to include Timbersaw and Storm Spirit. Added Riki to "Specific Items vs. Particular Heroes." Added "Hero Difficulty Rating" section. Added "Character Lore" to the "Snapshot" section. Added more numbers to the "Bloodrage + Silver Edge Combo" section.
7/9/2015 - Created "The Rat Push" section. Removed "Hero Difficulty" section. Made a variety of small changes, and added more heroes to "Friends & Foes."
7/12/2015 - Reorganized the builds, added "Buyback Rampage" to the "Tactics" section.
9/6/2015 - Added "Bloodrage and the First Blood Rune Gank" to the "Tactics" section. Made adjustments to "The Rat Push" section, added Rat Push details to the "Items and Game Progression" section. Began work on the "In Depth Item Analysis" section and introduced plans for a "Bloodseeker at TI5" section.
9/7/2015 - Made a variety of updates and tweaks throughout the guide. Continued work on the "In Depth Item Analysis" section.
9/11/2015 - Major additions and revisions.

A thank you to all of those who comment with suggestions and corrections!