DOTAFire is a community that lives to help every Dota 2 player take their game to the next level by having open access to all our tools and resources. Please consider supporting us by whitelisting us in your ad blocker!
Want to support DOTAFire with an ad-free experience? You can support us ad-free for less than $1 a month!
Go Ad-Free
Animal Courier
Observer Ward
Tango
Faerie Fire
ClarityObserver Ward
Flying Courier
Boots of Speed
Energy Booster
Observer Ward
Town Portal Scroll
Point Booster
Staff of Wizardry
Ogre Club
Blade of Alacrity
Observer and Sentry Wards
Black King Bar
Aghanim's Scepter
Arcane Boots
Urn of Shadows
Town Portal Scroll
Observer and Sentry Wards
Shadow Blade
Aghanim's Scepter
Arcane Boots
Observer and Sentry Wards
Town Portal Scroll
Aether Lens
Guardian Greaves
Linken's Sphere
Octarine Core
Shadow Blade
Arcane Boots
Aghanim's Scepter
Linken's Sphere
Observer and Sentry Wards
Town Portal Scroll
Glimmer Cape
Ghost Scepter
Black King Bar
Shadow Blade
Silver Edge
|
1 | 3 | 5 | 7 |  |
|
4 | 12 | 13 | 14 |  |
|
2 | 8 | 9 | 10 |  |
|
6 | 11 | 16 |  |
|
15 | 17 | 18 |
This is my favorite Item build, Skill build plus brief Guide for Pub games.
I don't want to copy/paste anything.
For official numbers and facts please check in game.
This guide should serve to pick basics of the hero.
WitchDoctor is one of the support hereos with ability to do some damage or help to turn game, even thought he wont do much and will be easy to counter without proper items.
Support items for team should be above all.
*Itembuild images were edited. Itembuild now include more midgame options, low to extra winning lategame item options just to give options usually u would not get any of these, and options for ulti use included as well.
*small edit again I removed some small items from starting buy list, I started to benefit from conserving as much as money as possible and (after getting support items) aiming first for Boots of Speed than Arcane Boots asap.. than point booster.
*new
one Faerie Fire comes handy in early stages when You might push hp to limit, or at last help a bit to get deny, even thought I am just testing it and it seems to have more benefit than usually miss used mango.
I wanted to delete ultra luxury items ... but I left them for fun of custom games...otherwise they are quite irelevant, well if you manage to get one of them sometimes for normal late game you will be lucky ;-)
Try to listen to team, even if they might sound rude, they are usually only in a rush, they will appreciate things when you bought them.
for your items:
1. Arcane Boots
2. Aghanim's Scepter
3. Shadow Blade
4. Additional mana / defense items
(schematic purchase order is specified above)
After purchasing Aghanim's Scepter, You will have to decide between getting Shadow Blade fast or some additional mana regen items. If Teamfights will be quite frequent I would rather go for Shadow Blade.
Even though If you play against good oponent you will have to go straight for BKB, shadowblade might only work once.
If game goes extra late, I personally quite like Linkens, ability to prevent stunts comes quite handy during ult.
*updated:
Aether Lens is still great item to extend death ward placment options and cask reach, I whouldnt considern this a core item but its great to have if You see place for it ingame.
Hints:
- give ward to teammate at start (Ctrl click) (or buy only one ward for bot)
- use Arcane Boots as soon as they come out of cooldown unless its not favorable for teammates
- if needed inform team of Arcane Boots ready
- buy wards remotely at base during game, than drop them or buy/place at Courier
- if you are being targeted give 
Gem of True Sight to someone else (ask to take it back in late-game - it would block slot more needed for other player)
- use quick buy(shift) / don't sit on money
- it team asks for something inform them how much you need to get it for them
- keep eye on team items don't duplicate aura items which don't stack
Voodoo Restoration early is for emergency use only, it will drain your early, even mid game mana. - don't use it long on line mate rather give him Tangos.
*update: one point of restoration at some point after malerict + cask can be life saving for you or Your teammate. - I do skill it most of the times .. only if owning oponents i go even for more maledicts it helps team usually more than cask levels.
For late game its great when pushing!- get enough mana to keep it long time on.
Hint: - if you have sufficient mana trigger voodoo before team fight, if stunned or silenced it will stay on.
Paralyzing Cask:
best on two heroes, don't use it often early in lane enemies will get grip on it and will avoid getting into wrong position. - max it asap.
Time your stunt carefully, don't duplicate with team stunts.
I don't know the precise timings but i can be thrown to teleporting enemy and it will travel along all the map to place where he appears. (if it lands first tp cancels)
Maledict:
First I need to mention theres a weird delay before skill gets applied, You will be able to move along as skill gets applied ..just try to practise it I cant explain it properly :)
People use to say that it is a must before death ward, well its great if u manage to do so, even better in early stages of the game (if heroes are low and unable to escape well than don't use it)
Hint:
- lots of players doesn't know how curse works - use it to your benefit
- sometimes is better to apply Maledict before stunt (especially when unseen) stunt usually triggers escape - which means less time for damage taken
Death Ward:
Remember you are not durable u have to use teamfight chaos to team benefit by placing the ward when u will not get killed in 2 secconds standing still while casting.
Set it up under stunt or in ongoing fight otherwise it will result only in hero spread (can be sometimes good for emergency tower defense when alone against few).
* new Dont place it in to chronosphere, just carefully close to it, pulses will go through! (even though you might look stupid kindly inform Void NOT to place chrono over your deathward!)
don't get stunned! hide in bushes ;)
hit BKB before,
hit Shadowblade right after,
tell your teammates to attack don't let hem just stare at glowing tree.
And of course ward can be controlled what is extremely useful to target low hp hero. Just be careful not to cancel it by your movement, select ward properly and hit target, it switches automatically.
And of course ward will not target units in a fog of war.
Build alternative:
If you are under pressure or you are paired up with crazy low running 
Huskar invest one point to voodoo restoration early.
With Ursa & team you can easy do really fast level 1 Roshan, first level goes to Voodoo restoration of course and you should get some clarity bottles not to be completely mana drained when going out of a pit.
I deleted second build tab You will see along gameplay which skill You will benefit more each game is different.
In a lane with carry hero You should deny and bother enemy with simple attacking heroes, just to make them little bit lower on hp, it works fine to make you look stupid and harmless, before striking coordinated devastating stunt attack finished by long right-click throw to to get a kill, (if carry doesn't want to run under tower) surprise...
If enemy has a silence or stunts be aware of them, use Deathward in their cool-down otherwise its useless.
You will need to pick some farm during game, game with WD without ags would be mostly loosing game. Due to You finishing some core items You would probably need someone else to buy mid game wards.
Keep eye on the minimap, especially other lanes missing un-reported heroes which will jump on you.
Ward everything, early stages especially your area. With Pudge,Slark,.. in opposing team extra careful.
Gameplay hints in chaotic order:
- you have no escape mechanism, go with someone
- alone, you are magnet, if opposing team players are not complete mentals you will be jumped on and dead
- don't get into **** with Shadowblade on cooldown
- lock your courier if you like it ;-) *it seems there are courier swaps in this update
- give wards to teammate at start (Ctrl click) buy wards at base during game -drop them or buy at courier
- communicate when needed, but concentrate on game
+ nice "aoe" stunt
+ great looking aoe ultimate
+ aoe curse
+ emergency aoe heal
+ decent damage
- high mana drain
- average/low hit points
- items dependent
- none escape ability
- only a emergency doctor
favorite allies: Void, Enigma, or any hero with stunt or attention drawn to him.
foes: heroes with long silence- Silencer, stunts (even ministunt is enough), Slark or other sthealth - heighdamage stuff
Pub and competitive pick-rate for wd is now rising, which goes in hand with winrate getting lower in pubs.
I have seen some great performances in competitive matches recently, theres lots of flexibility in gameplay, with good team Maledict can be great tool, leaving ultimate behind in a dangerous luxury position.
In connection with this keep in mind support nature of hero It might happened u will carry out the game but usually its not your skill, only low skill of opponent.
its not good for game because your team real carry needs farm more than you.
This guide did not cover anything about good support gameplay,
please search for guides for warding, de-warding, camp stacking ..atc.
(I will add some links here in future)
Well there you have it.
as a last I really like some of the WD outfits it has
and I hope new frog looking Deathward is coming (check it out in steam workshop)
introduction
short guide
for fun:
short competitive preview:
Don't watch game-play commentary for long hours, rather try it out with bots, or contact me for some pub game.
I will add if somethings comes to my mind, please feel free to ask /comment.
please keep in mind this is a pub guide for beginning players
Good luck in game and thanks for reading.
DOTAFire is the place to find the perfect build guide to take your game to the next level. Learn how to play a new hero, or fine tune your favorite DotA hero’s build and strategy.
Copyright © 2019 DOTAFire | All Rights Reserved
Quick Comment (7) View Comments
You need to log in before commenting.