The Broodmother-in-Law: Post 6.79 (MZ)

Note

I sincerely welcome any comments or suggestions.

All roles and their strategies will be explained in detail within this guide, along with item and skill-sequence explanations. This guide is meant to be thorough and in-depth, for those who are serious about learning the best uses of this hero.

The organization is chronological rather than topical -- I'm taking you through a game, stage by stage, and explaining what it should look like and how it should be played, ideally.

Look for the tag MZ (MikeZulah) for quality, no b.s. hero guides! And have fun!

Thanks and I hope you enjoy!
MikeZulah

Re-Introduction: Getting Acquainted

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Broodmother is a truly unique hero for the simple reason that she modifies the map, by use of her Spin Web ability, to fit her purposes; no other hero has such an ability. The new Broodmother (post 6.79) functions quite differently from the old one, and it's important we take a renewed look at her playstyle -- especially that of the early game.

Since the introduction of the 6.79 patch, the ability Spin Web has become much more useful. Before the patch, Broodmother used her webs for movement speed, regen, and invisibility, but in truth she was hugely dependent on the invisibility. Now, however, her webs give her the unlimited mobility of a flying unit, which is a far greater asset than even invisibility. Kiting, rather than "invis-and-hope", is now the strategy of the day.

So you dusted her? You bought a gem? You picked Bloodseeker and she is at 49% HP? Great. Now all you have to do is chase her over a cliff, through trees, and into the waterfalls before she TPs across the map -- Good luck.

Being freed from her restraints as an invisibility-dependent hero, Broodmother's utility now lends itself to players of higher skill and offers greater reward. She is however, a bit more demanding to play, as proper micro of the hero is of the utmost importance to success.

Broodmother is no longer a good joke so rarely told that it keeps its amusement on the rare occasion it is heard. She is now mobile, adaptable, demanding in skill-level, and, if used correctly, one of the most annoying and hardest-to-chase-down heroes in the game.

Broodmother has great carry potential, but the objective of her use is to dominate the mid-game through relentless pushes and wasted ganking time for the enemy team. Focus on mid-game items until you are far enough ahead that you can afford to be more extravagant. This guide will cover how to carry out this strategy effectively.

Explanation of Skill Sequence

Broodmother's skill sequence is very relative to your game. I change the order of my skill points on an almost game-to-game basis. Spin Web always comes first, but afterward I often choose Spawn Spiderlings instead of Incapacitating Bite, contrary to what this guide tells you; if I see an opportunity for an early gank, for example, I would rather have a nuke handy than a passive slowing effect. You can decide for yourself what best suites you according to your situation.

Notice that your Spawn Spiderlings doubles the damage from level 1 to level 2 -- from 75 to 150 dmg, a 100% increase. Level 3 then adds another 75 damage, from 150 to 225; but this time, the increase is only 75%, meaning the efficiency of scaling lessens as you add more skill points. Between levels 3 and 4, you gain another 75 dmg, from 225 to 300; but this time, it's only a 25% increase.

Your Incapacitating Bite from level 0 to level 1 gives your enemies a 30% miss chance and a 10% slow debuff. Level 1 is great, but level 2 does not scale very well. Therefore, I argue that level 1 of this skill is usually sufficient for your use until you have added points into your other skills, first.

Spin Web starts by giving you 2 webs, and gives you an additional 2 webs with every skill point. It also grants an additional regen of 2 HP/second and a 20% move speed bonus at level 1, plus 5% every level afterward. Though this skill does not scale particularly well, the invisibility and mobility granted by your webs is indispensable. Always make sure you have enough webs available for your current circumstances, and scale this skill according to the size of the area in which you are working.

Broodmother's Role(s)

Broodmother has a variety of roles to fill throughout the game, but if played successfully, she transitions with ease into whatever niche presents itself.

Roles from Early to Late

1. Solo Hard-Laner (Duel Laning also Possible, though Not Recommended)
2. Hard Pusher
3. Ganker/Teamfighter
4. Split Pusher
5. Teamfighter/Carry

Early Game -- Solo Hard-Laner

Strategy

The solo hard-lane (top lane for Radiant, bottom lane for Dire) is demanding, but has become much more feasible since the creep wave has been made to meet closer to the hard lane's tower. The benefit to successful soloing the hard-lane is to free up a teammate to take advantage of your jungle on the safe lane, while giving your carry security in farming. Done well (especially with Broodmother), soloing the hard-lane can also give you an advantage in experience, as you will not have to share with other laners.

Always level your Spin Web first.

Placement is important. Place your web right in the middle of the lane, so that one side of it runs into the shop and the other side into the trees across the lane. The web is large enough to give you plenty of space to run around, and also to allow you access to the shop without losing invisibility. The small group of trees in front of the shop, as well as the trees across the lane also provide you excellent escape routes. The placement of your second web is more situational; you can place it further up the lane or further back, depending on how the lane is tending to push. Always make sure to place it over some sort of impassable terrain, to provide yourself with an escape route for emergencies.

Here's where you should start:
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Correct play requires attentiveness and fast reaction. It is critical that you constantly check the inventories of your laning opponents; if they buy a Sentry Ward, you need to know about it. Contrary to the previous Broodmother, who counted on invisibility, the new Broodmother can still do well even when the other team has detection -- simply run into the trees. Indeed, you can even benefit from the enemy's having detection, because they are more likely to try to attack you when they see you, wasting time and mana. You just have to make sure their attacks are in vain. Constantly stick as close to the trees, your escape route, as possible.

Broodmother's role here is to sap all the EXP possible, while getting last hits whenever they present themselves. Don't be overly aggressive, but do pay attention to whether the enemy is playing overly aggressively, as they likely will -- you are often out of sight, and therefore out of mind. Harass as much as you safely can, and communicate with your teammates if you see that a gank may be possible.

Items

Your items should be a Stout Shield, and a Ring of Regen. Since your webs give you heightened regen, a Ring of Regen usually does the job -- with it, your regen sits at 4.8 HP/sec while under your web. Even though this is half of a Tango, it's a constant heal and nets you more HP over time. Also, by skipping a Tango, you save 125 gold: the recipe cost for a Soul Ring. You don't need mana yet, except to spin your webs, and you have enough for that.

Next, aim for either a Soul Ring or Power Treads.

Soul Ring - Buy before Power Treads if you see offensive opportunities. I recommend Soul Ring first if possible, as it will enable you to spam your Spawn Spiderlings more, giving you great last hitting power plus a decent nuke.

Power Treads - Buy Power Treads first if you want more survivability. You don't necessarily need the movement speed of boots at the beginning -- your webs give you an increase already, you will be working in a relatively small area anyway, and, come on, you can run across trees and cliffs!

Hard Pusher

Strategy

If everything goes according to plan, you will have won your hard lane.

Now take note: "winning" your hard lane does not mean you have devastated your opponents. It's called the hard lane for a reason. If you have not died, have successfully leveled up on par with your opponents (or even with an advantage) and your tower still stands in good health at around 7 minutes or when roaming begins, then you've done your job. Now keep doing it.

Make sure you have a network of webs weaving over a large area covering your side of the lane, in the jungle next to the tower and even in the lane behind it. This gives you plenty of room to juke and maneuver over impassable terrain.

Your webs should look something like this:
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For your safety -- DEPEND ON YOUR MICRO, NOT ON INVISIBILITY! It cannot be stressed enough. Invisibility is a great asset, but one easily countered. Your mobility is much more reliable.

Begin building Spiderling armies as soon as you have a sustainable manapool. Keep in mind that your Spiderlings give about 20 gold each when killed, so be aware of enemies that have AEO nukes and can use your minions for flash farm; this is perhaps Broodmother's greatest weakness, so be very cautious about your use of Spiderlings.

On the other hand, Spiderlings are wonderful tools for pushes. Though their damage is pitiful, they take 3 to 4 shots from a tower to die. This gives you time enough to allow your creeps to build up a few waves and storm the tower. You can damage it yourself when no enemy creeps are present, but remember that your own creep wave does much more damage to the tower than you could do yourself; therefore, it's best to break off 3 or 4 Spiderlings and send them up the lane to delay the enemy creep wave, letting your creeps attack the tower. Keep a web up anytime you are behind enemy lines that provides you an escape route through the trees.

If enemies push back hard, as they likely will, just do your best to kite them. Communicate with your team to determine whether it's better to have them come down to assist in the push and risk a team fight, or to continue pushing and farming other lanes.

The longer you stay present in your own lane, drawing enemies but not allowing them to kill you, the better. This distraction will give the other lanes a great advantage.

This strategy followed, a good resulting scenario will be the two enemy towers in your lane destroyed, you thoroughly farmed and with a positive K/D ratio, and hopefully a farm advantage for the rest of your team. But that last advantage depends largely on the skill of your teammates.

In some cases, your push will be countered effectively by the enemy team. If this happens, consider switching to another lane or even going to the jungle to farm. Though dedicated jungling at 10 minutes or later is not ideal, it's better than feeding. Always carry a Town Portal Scroll to defend lanes, support in fights, or escape ganks if need be.

However, Broodmother is not meant to TP frequently around the map helping in ganks and team fights, at least not in the early game. Her skill set is formidable, but her reliance on her webs slightly anchors her down to one area at a time, at least until the mid to late game. For this reason, it is possible that you can do extremely well in your lane, yet find your team losing significantly. Help where and when you can, but be aware of your limitations, and consider playing Broodmother more in games where you can have confidence in your team.

Items

Vanguard - Once you have your Soul Ring and Power Treads, start moving toward a Vanguard. I'm aware that this item is not well-loved by the DOTA community in general, but I believe there is great justification for it in some heroes, especially since the change made to Tranquil Boots, somewhat limiting regen for actively attacking heroes. The damage block of Vanguard is very underrated, and the regen provided in tandem with that of your webs, plus the early mana provided by your Soul Ring, is enough to sustain you throughout the game, making it unnecessary ever to go back to the fountain. With Vanguard plus level four Spin Web, you can easily sustain over 16 HP/Sec regen while in your webs. However, be aware that when you go for a Vanguard, it should be relatively early, as the impact of its damage block is much more useful mid-game (10~25 minutes).

Armlet of Mordiggian - This is an item to be considered as an alternative to Vanguard but never in tandem with it, simply because getting both would delay your item progression way too much. Armlet is a powerful tool, giving damage, attack speed, armor, and a massive boost of strength, as well as HP regen even better than that of Vanguard; but it does lack the 80% chance to block 40 damage, which is not to be underestimated in the mid-game, when attack damage is still around 100-150. If you do choose to purchase an Armlet of Mordiggian, be aware that its HP drain can be very dangerous to you, and you need to be able to pay good attention to toggling it on and off. Also take note that when you toggle the Armlet, your invisibility will be broken and you may be seen by enemies.

Drum of Endurance - Though not the flashiest of items, it provides the basic stats and buffs that help you attain an early edge over the enemy team. It also gives you some extra mana regen, attack speed, and movement speed, which synergizes well with your natural skill set and supplements your deficiencies. Take care to activate it at the correct time.

Vladmir's Offering - In addition to its standard benefits, Vlad's is especially useful to Broodmother and her Spiderlings, both of whom become more survivable through it. Plus, it's pretty cheap. Check your teams inventories before buying, because it doesn't stack.

Orchid Malevolence - Though this item is a little more expensive, it can be incredibly useful for teamfights. Consider it if there are heavily spell dependent casters on the enemy team, such as Bane, Lina, or Invoker. It can also be used well in ganks, preventing escapes from heroes such Weaver, Storm Spirit, or Anti-Mage. One huge plus to the Orchid Malevolence is its mana regen, allowing you to dispose of the Soul Ring earlier and clear up an inventory slot. Orchid is a great tool, but it's not for every game -- consider the enemy composition first.

Black King Bar - This item is almost a necessity for Broodmother, especially if there are a lot of stunners and disablers on the enemy team. The biggest question about the item is simply whether to get it sooner or later. You decide; take into account the enemy team's skill set (looking for stuns and disables) as well as how much real fighting you are doing as opposed to pushing, or even farming in some rare situations.

Teamfighter/Ganker

Though ganking and teamfighting are two different things, the stage at which you will do either one of them usually comes at around the same time: when you finish your core mid-game (at least Vanguard and Drums).

Teamfighting

It often happens that your pushing pressure draws massive early team fights that make your lane the main focus of the early/mid game. That's okay, but try to make sure there is at least one other carry taking advantage of the free farm all around the map. In this situation, it's up to your and your team's micro skills to make the best out of the fight/push.

In such a situation, it's important that you gauge your opponents skill sets, as mentioned before, in deciding what item to get for the fights. Vladmir's Offering for general teamfight sustainability, Orchid Malevolence if there are heavy casters, and Black King Bar if there are several reliable stuns.

Mask of Madness - This is a risky item that is usually not recommended. However, Broodmother's ultimate synchronizes very well with it, making it viable in some situations. Be careful when using it and ensure you will not get stunned with it activated.

Broodmother is not necessarily the strongest teamfighting hero, and she needs the right items and a bit of a lead to be a real threat. However, your mobility, invisibility, and even Incapacitating Bite can be huge assets for your team. Kite around and play smart, nuke low HP enemies, draw attacks, then dart into the trees or over a cliff for some fast regen.

Ganking

If you have been haunting the hard lane, and doing a good job of it, spin a couple webs into the enemy jungle and make periodic trips into it, looking for jungling heroes. This way, the enemy will be denied a huge source of farming. Even if you don't get many kills, the pressure will often be enough to limit the enemy team's jungling significantly. It's all about mind games, much more than most players realize.

Avoid roaming around the map too much in search of ganking opportunities. Stick to an area that your webs can generally cover. A spider waits for its prey to come to it; just take advantage while waiting by farming and pushing.

If ganking is proving effective, or if you are really set on it, Orchid Malevolence can be incredibly powerful. With it, you are a great counter to a lot of mid-game jungling heroes, such as Lifestealer, Alchemist, Phantom Assassin, and Anti-Mage. All of these heroes rely on auto-attacking, which your Incapacitating Bite hard counters. When also silenced, these heroes are just bags of money and EXP ready for your taking.

Note: Incapacitating Bite does not go through Magic Immunity; therefore, Lifestealer's Rage and any hero with a Black King Bar may present problems. However, forcing a BKB charge in a 1v1 jungle fight is almost as good as getting the kill in the first place.

Split Pusher

Strategy

While pushing is very effective, it is not the best strategy in every game. I often find that when I have an advantage from a good early game, buying a more aggressive item, such as the Orchid Malevolence, is far more effective. It's up to you to determine the best play style in your game, but don't be overly cautious and play too passively.

If the game is going longer and seems to be closely matched, or even if your team has a slight disadvantage, it may be time to start split pushing. Broodmother has the ability to do this by herself.

After you have Boots of Travel, you can start pushing one lane and build up a small army of Spiderlings and Spiderites. This can be easily done with just three casts of Spawn Spiderlings, since each cast makes 4 Spiderlings, and each Spiderling can create a Spiderite. After your army is big enough, TP to another lane and repeat. You can push out lanes very quickly this way.

However, be very cautious of feeding gold with your Spiderlings. Enemies with AOE nukes will be very happy to encounter a wave of 15-20 of your pretty little babies. I hear their roasted bodies go for around 20 gold/Lb. this time of year, and taste better than chestnuts.

Items

Vladmir's Offering - A great tool if you are pushing, as it gives lifesteal and armor to you, your minions, and creeps, and teammates. However, I rarely get this item, as I find my pushes are strong enough without it, and rushing an Orchid Malevolence instead greatly enhances Broodmother's killing potential.

Radiance - Radiance also deserves a mention for its pushing power, but the fact is that it is a much better item when you get it earlier, and you need too many other items early to make a go for Radiance. However, you may still find it viable in certain situations.

Necronomicon - One of my personal favorite items, it is widely under-appreciated. The third level comes with a minion who gives true sight, and another who acts as a Dagon blast to whomever kills it. It's pushing power is unparalleled, as the minions help make short work of towers. The only problem is finding a place for it in your build-up; it can be hard to squeeze into your item progression, unless you are focusing specifically on a pushing strategy. This is a guide, however, not a rule book -- you can build your hero how you like, depending on the situation you encounter.

Teamfighter/Carry

Broodmother isn't the hardest carry, but she still holds her place among the top -- provided the mid game went okay for her. In the right hands, she has the dexterity to run circles around the enemy team, making her formidable even if unable to directly engage the enemy team's hard carry.

Strategy

Incapacitating Bite, however, is a direct counter to a lot of right-click carries. At the top level, it applies a miss chance of 60%, a rival for even Phantom Assassin, and far superior to any Butterfly wielding carry. Take note that this skill does not go through Magic Immunity.

Your late game is a summation of the roles you have played throughout the early and mid-game, and your final build will depend upon how you have adapted. There are several possible items that benefit Broodmother that have not yet been discussed:

Items

Butterfly - In combination with Incapacitating Bite, this item will make you truly fearsome, and you will find yourself much less limited by the range of your webs.

Assault Cuirass - Always a good choice for a hero that wants to give a benefit to the team just by being near. Get this especially if the opposing team has armor reducing items.

Manta Style - Always a great option, providing illusions. Also can dispel certain debuffs, namely silence, and can be activated to dodge projectiles if timed correctly. NOTE: Manta Illusions do not gain any bonuses from your webs, meaning they do not have increased regen and movement speed, and do not go invisible or gain unobstructed movement.

Abyssal Blade - Incredibly good item, but the most expensive in the game. Only take it if you are dominating the other team, or absolutely need a way to stun an enemy carry the has Magic Immunity. The Skull Basher is beneficial as well, but you need substantial attack speed to really take advantage of its bash chance.

Broodmother's Brothers (and Sisters)

Broodmother is great in that she doesn't require any babysitter in lane. However, she is also not likely to draw first blood, either (though it can definitely happen).

She works best alone in the hard lane, but if you find yourself in the safe lane with support, get the support to pull properly, zone the enemy heroes out of the lane, and try not to sap your EXP or take last hits. This is all pretty standard stuff.

Otherwise, heroes that have reliable stuns or disables work well with Broodmother; after she is level 6 and has Insatiable Hunger, initiate on the hero, activating your Ultimate. Then have your support quickly stun the opponent, and continue your onslaught, saving your Spawn Spiderlings nuke for a finisher, most likely as the enemy hero is running away.

Try to initiate while you are close to trees that under your web, so if things go awry, you have a quick escape route. Make sure to communicate with you support teammate, as well, so they aren't unexpectedly left out in the cold. If you go for a kill, don't over commit and die trying. Remember it's a victory just to force the enemy out of the lane for a minute or so.

Broodmother's Bullies

Broodmother doesn't take kindly to her children being bullied around. Be aware of enemies who have AOE nukes that can burst down your spider-children's crusade for some serious gold. For better micro, set your hot-keys to select your main hero, your minions, and both.

For example, I play with my 1 hot-keyed to Broodmother, my 2 hot-keyed to all units, and my 3 hot-keyed to just minions. Play around and find out what works best for you.

Other enemies of Broodmother are heroes that have built-in detection.

1. Bounty Hunter - His Track is your enemy. Always pay attention to his casting when playing against him.

2. Slardar - His Amplify Damage gives the enemy team true sight of you. However, at least you will be aware when it has been cast on you.

3. Alchemist - Any hero that kills your Spiderlings is a menace, but Alchemist's skill Greevil's Greed allows him to farm them for truly scary amounts of gold. Don't leave him alone with your children.

4. Earthshaker - Earthshaker's ultimate, Echo Slam uses the number of units around the area to determine the amount of damage it does. In the presence of you and 15 Spiderlings and 5-10 creeps, Echo Slam is pretty much a big ol' spider-squashing boot.

5. Bloodseeker - Bloodseeker is even worse than the other two, especially since his updated Thirst gives global true sight of any enemy heroes under 50% HP. What's even worse is that he now seems to be rising in popularity lately. So, if there is a Bloodseeker you have three options.

- Don't pick Broodmother (probably best, in all honesty).
- Hope Bloodseeker is on your team.
- Pick Broodmother and play smart.

The presence of Bloodseeker doesn't render Broodmother useless -- remember, her invisibility is now just a plus. The real benefit is the unobstructed movement. Pay attention to your HP, and play smart, always aware of when you can be seen.

Special Consideration: Jungling

With Broodmother's new free-movement capabilities now make it viable for her to jungle from the beginning. The trick is to use the edges of cliffs and trees surrounding jungle camps in order to attack the creeps without being attacked. Skill your Spin Web ability first, then level up Spawn Spiderlings. After level 3, you can jungle normally using your Spiderlings.

Na'Vi.Dota 2 has made a great video explaining the strategy in more detail. They claim you can achieve a Hand of Midas in 6 minutes, and 2k gold and level 8 in 10 minutes. However, since Broodmother is such a powerful lane presence, I would not recommend going this route with her, unless your team is uncooperative and you can't find a good place in your lanes. Otherwise, it seems to me a waste of too much potential. You can always go jungle later if you find yourself forced out of your lane.

The Skill Sequence is up to your judgment after level 3, as well as the items after the Hand of Midas. Feel free to apply the principles in this guide to your post-jungling game.
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Play Video

Web Placement Tips & Micro Examples

Web placement matters a lot. Don't underestimate the ability to run over impassable terrain, where no other hero, save Batrider, and he only briefly, can go. Always cast your webs partly over trees, cliffs, and on the edges of the map for quick escape routes.

The Roshan Pit deserves a special mention for opportunity it presents Broodmother. If either you or the opposite team are making a go in the Roshan Pit, a web there can make all the difference. Run from mid lane or Secret Shop to the cliff above the pit, and even down and into it for quick access and escape. Take advantage and try to steal or deny the Aegis, or ambush enemies when they though they were safe.

Here is an example of how to use a web both offensively and defensively, to secure a kill and get out alive. Keep an eye on the Venomancer (please forgive the terrible video quality):
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Play Video /dota-2/hero/bloodseeker-63 Play Video
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This example is from one of my Broodmother games where I survived a situation that would have been certain death with most other heroes.

Though I didn't do particularly well in the fight beforehand, the idea is to show how difficult it can be to kill a Broodmother when she is running up and down cliffs, even when she is detected.

(Video COMING SOON)