[Hero] Andromeda

From the Official Heroes of Newerth forum by Moonmage


Note: This build is not the stereotypical Post Haste/Int supporter build. This build concentrates on roaming/ganking or carrying your team if necessary.

Information from myself: I mostly play pubs or set up games with my mates against other premades (I guess thats the majority). So this might not work for competitive players. It works in every game for me though.



Hero Overview:


Note: Andromeda has strong Strength gain for an Agility hero which will make you less squishy if pared with a proper skill build.
In 5vs5 games Andromeda is preferably played as a ganker/roamer. Depending on how lucky you are with your ganking you might end up as carry (might happen in pub games with bad setup) or semi-carry The Aura will benefit your carries greatly.

Skills:



Hotkey: Q

Note: Your bread and butter skill for initiating a gank, saving a teammate or yourself.



Hotkey: W

Note: Long ranged skill which becomes useful when you hit multiple enemy heroes.
Furthermore this skill reveals the area it hits for a short amount of time.

Please take note of the fix which will hopefully make this spell even more useful
http://forums.heroesofnewerth.com/sh...ad.php?t=17439



Hotkey: (passive)

Note: One of the three simple but yet effective damage auras.
The difference is that the percentage is higher (Moon Queen 27% - Arachna 28%) and that
it effects melee units as well making it superior to the other auras even though they stack.

Furthermore the way the aura boots your damage should be considered as well. Your Aura
will not boost the raw damage provided by your items. But it boosts the bonus damage
you receive from bonus stats which are main attribute, which means The damage gained
through + Agility (=1 Damage point for one agility) is boosted as well.
(Information by ElementUser)



Hotkey: R

Note: This spell allows you to initiate a gank on single heroes or prevent them for running away.
Void Rip can be improved by Staff of the Masters. The cooldown will be 10 seconds.
This spell is, as stated, a physical push which means that you can swap with Magic-immune
heroes like Swiftblade or Predator.

Skillbuild

1. Comet
2. Aurora
3. Comet
4. Stats
5. Comet
6. Void Rip
7. Comet
8. Stats
9. Stats
10. Stats
11. Void Rip
12. Aurora
13. Aurora
14. Aurora
15. Dimensional Link
16. Void Rip
17. Dimensional Link
18. Dimensional Link
19. Dimensional Link
20. - 25. Stats

Short Justifications:

Comet: Obvious: Stun spell for initiating and extra burst damage.

Void Rip: Obvious: Your spell for: Initiating ganks, isolating carries, preventing heroes to get away, save your own ass/teammates ass,....

Stats: Will help you out with health and mana which is desperately needed.
Note: Stats will increase your life by 38 hitpoints and 26 mana each level. Therefore it might save your life your or your teammates life by having some spare mana for another stun/swap.

Aurora: Aurora is a great spell for weakening your enemies in team fights: -5 armor and -20% base damage your nothing to laugh about if you hit multiple heroes.
Furthermore its taken once in early game to provide some scouting ability.


Dimensional Link: I do not recommend you to take Dimensional Link before level 12-15. The percentage might be high but you will not benefit as much from it as from stats in the early game.

Itembuild:
Starting items

x2
106g
x1
185g
x2
180g
x2
100g
=571g

Justifications:

Minor totems: Cheap stat increasing

Pretenders Crown: Has the same effect as two minor totems, though you can use this one for a recipe.

Runes of Blight: I prefer those over potions as you can use them when you just lost a few hitpoints and you do not have to back off with them.

Mana Potions: They allow you to use your stun more often (only skill you have at the beginning.

Early Game Type I

x3
2x510g=1020g


1500g


Roaming items


200g


600g


135g each

Justifications:

Bracelets: They'll increase hitpoints and mana appropriatley.

Enhanced Marchers: There's no need for Steamboots now as you gain enough hitpoints by using Bracelets and your steady STR gain.

Bottle: This is your item to refill your mana and health after each gank. Additionally you'll be able to save some useful runes for further ganks.
You might want to consider to buy a flying courier so you are not always rune dependent. Other than that your courier can you bring you some items like homecoming stones.

Homecoming Stone: Always carry one of those as long your are not using Post Haste. In public games these are surely underrated. They allow you to gank, save your teammate & gank on all lanes.

Mid game Game
Depending on your kills you will
finish Steamboots in mid-game


2250g


1850g


2650g


4400g


3400g

Note: Each of those items have a different purpose so you have to consider which one will improve your hero the most.

Slash: It gives you Agility, Movement Speed and attack speed
Should be considered if you need to chase and need more damage.

Whispering Helmet: Gives you Damage, Armor and Lifesteal.
Should be considered if you need more survivability.

Riftshards: Necessary item for Flayer and gives you a stable amount of damage if you consider critting.
Should be considered if you aim for a huge damage boost with Flayer.

Shieldbreaker: Expensive yet very effective damage item if pared with Aurora.
Should be considered if you have no problems with surviving and your enemies stack huge amounts of armor.

Assassin's Shroud: Seems pretty uncommon on her, yet it gives her:

• Another escape mechanism (if you count swap as one)
• The ability to make ganks even more effective.
• You are able to swap the enemy carry into your own team and stealth away into the woods if possible.
• The possibility to run into the group of enemies and swap in your intiator.

For me it is the damage replacement of the blink dagger. It is even more effective in public games where nearly no-one buys wards.

End-game/Luxury items


upgraded Riftshard
max. 5800g


6000g


6150g


6150g

Note:

Flayer: Huge damage boost.

Wingbow: Great damage increase and adds survivability against physical damage.

Frostwolf: Serves with a great stat increase and a reliable slow which might be missing in some setups.

Symbol of Range: Adds a strong toggle-able lifesteal and even more survivalbility through the +Strength

dditional Information and Tactics

Basic Void Rip tactics

Swap for Chasing:
Switch your position with your enemy when he attempts to run away.
Most enemies will not directly realize that they are running straight into your arms.

Swap for Ganking:
Switch your position with the enemy hero when your teammates are ready for a gank. Swapping the positions will confuse them and your teammates can initiate the gank with a stun which can be followed by yours.

Swap in range of a tower:
Switch your position with the enemy hero when there are none/just a few creeps left next to the tower. Followed by a stun the tower beats on the swapped hero as well. Very effective in early game.
Even more effective if you have a lane partner who got another disable.

Swap for saving your teammate:
Your teammate is running away at low hitpoints and is being chased by one or multiple heroes which might have critical hitpoints as well.
Swapping his position with him will not only save him but might give you a free kill.

Swap for saving yourself:
You are being chased or you are trapped. Switch your position with a teammate who is able to initiate a fight with a stun or something similar.

Swap for avoiding spells:
Sometimes you can guess what your enemy is up to, or you'll see the cast animation. If you are fast enough you are able to avoid some spells like that, e.g. Pyromancer's Dragonfire.