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9 Votes

Sniper - Not a late game carry!

March 2, 2013 by Gerrit1989
Comments: 22    |    Views: 27716    |   


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E4rl | January 29, 2014 9:22am
When I saw a lifesteal item on this Sniper build, I instantly clicked on -1. Also, consider adding a Slark to the "Worst Enemies". I love how most snipers react when I sucessfully Pounce on their face...
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hubey | March 6, 2013 5:49pm
Don't get Magic Stick??

-1.

Phase Boots give you ms for kiting, so they can get picked over Treads. If the opponents can't focus you easy then MoM is actually really strong (with Maelstrom and MoM you can demolish in teamfights). Of course it's really risky: but if you get properly focused you will usually be dead anyway. Also in pubs you will need to outcarry some stupid Drows or something, so playing it safe is not the way to go.
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Synergy (2) | March 3, 2013 5:34am
Personally, you ought to capitalize on Headshot, and to do that you get more attack speed. Put a crit or Manta on top of that will fill in the lack of raw damage, but to start Mjollnir's chain lightning procs on top of the constant Headshots will give you good early DPS. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't play Sniper much, so this is mostly theory on my part with some info from other guides.
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Gerrit1989 (1) | March 2, 2013 9:46pm
Thx, Ill add your comments in then next time I update as it obviously has great merit concerning the starting item selection.
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xCO2 (72) | March 2, 2013 7:56pm
Gerrit1989 wrote:

Sorry I lied, I wont add the alternative starting items, I dont know to add in recipes to the menu.

Generally you just put in a brackets a side note and add the finished item as a subistitue for the recipe. Ie: I want Wraith Band recipe, so I add Wraith Band to the items then in the title of the section I add: Starting Items (Wraith Band Recipe)
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Gerrit1989 (1) | March 2, 2013 7:45pm
Sorry I lied, I wont add the alternative starting items, I dont know to add in recipes to the menu.
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Gerrit1989 (1) | March 2, 2013 7:38pm
@ Departed : sorry you dont like the guide, but as I said, so far it has owned in 3, no 4 now, PUB games. it does need tweeking but by golly it works. I reject crits because I am focusing my efforts elsewhere, however I have placed Eye of Skadi in the situational items now and will be editing the document on the comments of my brother and others, having play tested it, its quite cool.

@ SourceNinja : Thx for the +1, I beleive thouroughly in Lifesteal as it has saved my bacon in so many games, even in the ones we lost, or the ones I sucked in early on, I swear by Helm of the Dominator. Ive made a sniper who is Mid-Late Game, largely independant of his team mates as I normally have alot of cowards and suicides (esp in Bot Games), so the LS is my healling and a sort of tanky measure late on for those who can actually get near enough to hurt.

@ Sutton, even in a pro match, it is not easy to place dust of appearance, or wards to get an escaping foe, esp since you will outpace them with the activated 20% buff you get when you use Shadow Blade.
I can see the logic from using the Tango but I still prefer the Healing Salve from personal experience.
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Gerrit1989 (1) | March 2, 2013 7:29pm
Ok so im doing my update and Ive read the posts so far for advise.

@ xCO2 : Thx for your defense, I couold not have put it much better. Also thank you for the advise on the alternative starting items, I will include it as an alternative in my Update.

I like the comments about Lifesteal and im sure we could have a healthy debate, I like taking Helm of the Dominator (and dont know why we cant use images as not everyone is as pro to be able to know what "HotD" means, I got a massive learning session trying to figure out what your short codes were :)) because it has SAVED MY LIFE on so many occassions as to not even be funny any more. I'm not a Pro but I have noticed that most other "good-great" snipers have a higher death rate than mine in PUB games and they dont have Lifesteal or Shadow Blade.
Helm of the Dominator has extra armour (yes, I DONT NEED ARMOUR that much but I have needed it, and by golly when you get to Lvl 18, Lifesteal and Armour makes you BOSS with the huge Atk Spd and Mini Stuns.), and extra damage, also if you do dominate a Centuar it is a nice surprise.

@ Peppo_oPaccio : Thank you for clarrifying the reason that you dont take mask of madness... this guide is obviously designed to be played in PUB games, and YOU CANT TRUST YOUR ALLIES in a PUB game, atleast, ive never been able to, they are normally cowards or suicidals.

If I missed your advise I thank you for it to and will read it after my update.
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xCO2 (72) | March 2, 2013 12:13pm
Sutton wrote:

Peppo_oPaccio

It's as popular as there are morons not using sentries and dust against invisibility. That's not a point. 30% is surely a bad thing, nothing to argue about here. But I doubt anyone would buy bkb against lifesteal, there are far better items to counter Sniper (like hex, for example). My point is that ubreakable attack and speed bonus for 13 (if I'm not mistaken) seconds is better for both fighting and chasing.


xCO2

Looks like you don't quite get the point of impossibility stacking Orb effects, which makes Mjollnir's passive useless. Why not take MoM + for example, mkb? Both higher speed and higher damage, as well as very valuable stuns, that have their own extra damage.

You make an accent on 30% extra damage being taken, yet say, that Sniper is not supposed to take any damage. Kind of inconsequent. Sniper is a character, that gets almost insta-killed, if gets attacked. Regardless of having active 30% of extra damage or not. That's why it's not a point.
What important is a really noticeble improvement of attack and movement speed, that make it easier in all aspects. As for roaming around - MoM has both higher speed and lower mana cost. One has a far higher chance of having less than 75 mana, rather than 25. Another little, but sometimes really noticeble point.

They only undisputed advantage of Shadow Blade is initial +150 bonus to damage, that can sometimes kill an oponent before they can react (if not ganked alone, of course), but if you have a battle, where you have to shoot more than 8 times, it proves being inferior ot MoM. Also, certain damage becomes less powerful over time unlike attack speed. I know, that it's a semi-carry guide, but one shouldn't sacrifice future power for uncertain instant effect.

Personal experience: If I play mid, I can get PT and MoM within 11-13 minutes (if nothing bothers too much), which provides me with enough power to gank early.


You like to read bits and pieces don't you? Quite the lazy reader.

I touch on the fact that Sniper will take a nuke or two from ranged casters. He can also be susceptible to invisible assassins like Nyx Assassin, and if you have MoM activated these effects will add a 30% boost in crazy abilities like Nyx's Ult. However if you had Shadow Blade, which I can assure you that an assassin hero with not have a Dust or Sentry ward and the supports will not be in range to activate/place these, then you could easily activate Shadow Blade to dodge projectile nukes and/or to make a quick escape before they have time to activate their second ability. I also don't see how you're gonna be low on mana unless you're being harassed by a Difusal orb or someone like Nyx / KoTL.

For future reference, maybe you should do more research on the orb effects and buff placers: PlayDoTA
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Sutton | March 2, 2013 12:00pm
Peppo_oPaccio

It's as popular as there are morons not using sentries and dust against invisibility. That's not a point. 30% is surely a bad thing, nothing to argue about here. But I doubt anyone would buy bkb against lifesteal, there are far better items to counter Sniper (like hex, for example). My point is that ubreakable attack and speed bonus for 13 (if I'm not mistaken) seconds is better for both fighting and chasing.


xCO2

Looks like you don't quite get the point of impossibility stacking Orb effects, which makes Mjollnir's passive useless. Why not take MoM + for example, mkb? Both higher speed and higher damage, as well as very valuable stuns, that have their own extra damage.

You make an accent on 30% extra damage being taken, yet say, that Sniper is not supposed to take any damage. Kind of inconsequent. Sniper is a character, that gets almost insta-killed, if gets attacked. Regardless of having active 30% of extra damage or not. That's why it's not a point.
What important is a really noticeble improvement of attack and movement speed, that make it easier in all aspects. As for roaming around - MoM has both higher speed and lower mana cost. One has a far higher chance of having less than 75 mana, rather than 25. Another little, but sometimes really noticeble point.

They only undisputed advantage of Shadow Blade is initial +150 bonus to damage, that can sometimes kill an oponent before they can react (if not ganked alone, of course), but if you have a battle, where you have to shoot more than 8 times, it proves being inferior ot MoM. Also, certain damage becomes less powerful over time unlike attack speed. I know, that it's a semi-carry guide, but one shouldn't sacrifice future power for uncertain instant effect.

Personal experience: If I play mid, I can get PT and MoM within 11-13 minutes (if nothing bothers too much), which provides me with enough power to gank early.
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xCO2 (72) | March 2, 2013 9:51am
Sutton wrote:

One of the senseless guides, really. Dominator + Mjollnir? Really?
Wrath band - to hell it, if you need some instadamage, better take some slipers or branches.
Salve - I think it's better to take leaves, since you can use salve only once. While leaves 3 times. So that not to waste the salve at once you won't use it until you have very low hp. That leaves you open to ganks. Well, or you use it instantly and don't have any heal at all, which is hardly better.

Personally I take two slippers and tango. It provides me with enough damage to last hit and heal. And around 200 gp for buying boots. You can also buy a band of elvenskin, that makes you buy pt sooner, but delays you buying boots. It's up to you.

Escape item. I doubt that Shadow Blade is that useful. It's easy to put a ward or two or use dust (and cheap) and your escape means is cut off. Blink dagger and force stuff are also useless for sniper, since they take too much money without giving any useful stats. That leaves us with Sniper, that has no escape mechanism. Personally I use MoM, since it gives both movement and attack speed, as well as often life-saving vampirism. As for 30% pf additional damage - it's compensated by high attack speed and consequent regeneration. Besides, Sniper is not supposed to be a hero, that withstands blows.

Diffuse is also useless for Sniper, since he's not supposed to take damage and has to damage himself, not to burn mana. Better have some kind of mkb or crystalis.

Eul's scepter of divinity is also unneeded, it's support's job to get such items.

All above was imo, personally I use perma-busher guide, changing it according to situation.

Overall I didn't like the guide.


Sounds like overall you didn't read the guide. Dominator and Mjollnir are two common pick ups on carries. Mjollnir only overrides when it procs and gives you damage and attack speed that you need. I do agree that Dominator is a bit questionable, but it has its use, ancient stacking and disables for ganking early on.

Shadow Blade works great on Sniper, not only is it a potential escape mechanism, but it allows you to roam for kills. Which is a very centric part of Sniper over most other carries. It gives movement speed on activation, as well as passive attack speed and damage.

You criticize him for Eul's but you pick up a Mask of Madness. Sniper is a hero that doesn't require lifesteal, he's not supposed to be in the middle of combat. Granted, you'll eat a nuke or two from the casters but you shouldn't be caught out against the melee heroes or any of the carries. Mask provides a little spontaneous attack speed and movement speed at the cost of boosting those occasional nukes you'll take, while Eul's is under situational and is recommended as a cheap disable and constant bonus movement speed.

depparted wrote:

-1
Sorry, but starting with wraith, getting lifesteal so early on and rejecting crits AND BoT makes this guide suck.
And OoV on ranged heroes suck, only get it if you're going skadi as your next item


If you read some of the guide you'd understand he's making an early game semi-carry, which you clearly didn't because you just downvoted his guide based off a few items in his build.

He rejects those items for a reason, for one, you shouldn't be buying Crystalys if you're buying Boots / Shadow Blade / Manta / Butterfly / and an orb. He doesn't say not to get them, he says there's better stuff to get in the purchase list. The other being BoT, he's not using Sniper as a split pusher, he's using him as an anti-hero.

OoV provides a percentile slow for under 300 gold, just because the melee version is better, doesn't mean it isn't cost effective and well used.

Gerrit1989 wrote:

Welcoming all advise.


I do advise you drop the Dominator, you make no use of the lifesteal or the bonus armor, and early on you need that quick DPS. A safer pick up would be a Drum, it'll give you early mobility to chase and run in ganks and paired with your OoV early on and Sniper's range, you'll be able to kite anyone out of lane and safely chase them.

For spawn items, I recommend a Circlet, Wraith Band Recipe, Ring of Protection, and either a set of tangos if its a ranged carry (Like Drow) or a Salve (If they have nuke casters). This way all you have to do is purchase Slipper of Agility and Sobi mask in the side shop and your Aquila will be on you without going back to base or using the courier.

Skill build, pick up one point in Shrapnel at level one for running away from an early gank under tower or for getting firstblood.
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Peppo_oPaccio (70) | March 2, 2013 6:46am
Sutton, Shadow Blade is actually the most "famous" way to build Sniper in pubs: even though I follow the same reasoning of yours (when the enemy team has a Sniper I always buy Dust and Sentries/Gem so that he can't even do one single kill) most people don't even mind about him if not in late game, so they underestimate the Shadow Blade and end up feeding him.

About Mask of Madness, sorry to say that but in my opinion is one of the worst items for Sniper: I've already said why he doesn't need any sort of lifesteal, but the 30% damage amplification is just too risky for one of the squishiest carries of the whole game. Also, if you fight against decent plyers they will start buying Black King Bars and Ghost Scepters which make MoM useless or a free damage increase for them.
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