SKELETON KING

This is the CAPS LOCK LEORIC guide written by CrimsonQueso originally posted on PlayDota

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LEORIC, THE SKELETON KING

THIS IS A GUIDE TO LEORIC, WHO IS THE MANLIEST HERO IN DOTA THAT DOES NOT HAVE TESTICLES.

AUTHOR’S NOTE:
THIS GUIDE IS NOT FOR EM GAMES.

THIS GUIDE IS CONCISE. YOU WILL FIND NO WALLS OF TEXT HERE.

A KEY THING MOST GUIDE READERS DO NOT GET IS THAT SKILL AND ITEM BUILDS ARE FLUID. I WOULD ARGUE THAT THERE IS NO SKILL BUILD FOR ANY HERO THAT IS CONCRETE WITH EVERYTHING SITUATION. FOR EXAMPLE, I ONCE PLAYED A GAME WHERE EVERYONE WAS PUDGE. I MAXED FLESH HEAP FIRST, WHICH IS SUPREMELY ******** IN ANY OTHER SITUATION.

THE METAGAME
DO NOT PICK LEORIC IF THE ENEMY HAS PICKED THESE HEROES (THEY ARE ****):
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EARLY GAME
SKILLS
1 HELLFIRE BLAST
2 STATS
3 HELLFIRE BLAST/STATS
-STATS ONLY IF THE LEVEL OF HARASSMENT IS VERY HIGH.
4 STATS/HELLFIRE BLAST
5 HELLFIRE BLAST
6 REINCARNATION. DUH.
7 HELLFIRE BLAST
8 CRITICAL STRIKE
9 CRITICAL STRIKE

OMFG NO VAMPIRIC AURA? THIS GUIDE IS N00b!!!!
VAMPIRIC AURA EARLY IS LIKE A MAN USING OVERSIZED CONDOMS. NOT ONLY WILL IT PROBABLY NOT DO ITS JOB, IT WILL MAKE YOUR PERFORMANCE WORSE. IT IS DANGEROUS FOR YOU AND YOUR PARTNER AS IT WILL PUSH YOUR CREEPS/STDS CLOSER TO THE ENEMY TOWER/VAGINA.

STARTING ITEMS:
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IF YOU ARE A TRUE MAN YOUR FIRST ITEMS SHOULD BE 2 GAUNTLETS. FUCK THOSE MICHAEL JACKSON WANNABES WITH ONLY ONE GAUNTLET. HOWEVER, THERE IS MERIT IN BEING A MICHAEL JACKSON WANNABE AND GETTING A GAUNTLET, CIRCLET, AND A BRANCH. REGARDLESS, ANY COMBINATION OF GAUNTLET, CIRCLET, AND BRANCH IS GOOD. MAKE SURE TO BUY 2 SETS OF TANGOS AND 1-2 CLARITIES. TANGOS FOR HEALIN’, CLARITIES FOR BLASTIN’. EVENTUALLY WHATEVER YOU GOT SHOULD BECOME 1-3 BRACERS OR RECYCLED. DO NOT BUY BOOTS FIRST FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND DO NOT MAKE A FULL BRACER FIRST. BEING MANLY IS ALSO BEING ECONOMICAL AND A FULL BRACER IS NOT COST EFFICIENT.

LANE ETIQUETTE:
DO NOT “HARASS” WITH HELLFIRE BLAST. REAL MEN DO NOT HARASS. THE STUN IS WORTH MORE THAN THE DAMAGE. USE IT WHEN YOU KNOW YOU, YOUR TOWER, AND/OR YOUR CREEPS CAN GET IN A FEW HITS. IF YOU’RE LANED AGAINST A LOW HP MELEE HERO, STAB HIS FACE ANY CHANCE YOU GET.

SHOULD I HAVE A LANING PARTNER?
UNLESS THE ENEMY HAS 4+ MELEES AND THERE IS NO OTHER CARRY ON YOUR TEAM, I.E. WHEN YOU ARE PLAYING A TERRIBLE PUB, YES. ALSO FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, THE PARTNER NEEDS TO EITHER HAVE A DISABLE OR BE RANGED

GANKING ETIQUETTE
HELP YOUR WEAK AND PUNY ALLIES WHENEVER YOU CAN AND ARE SURE OF A KILL. AS THE MANLIEST CHARACTER ON YOUR TEAM, YOU SHOULD ALMOST ALWAYS THROW YOUR HELLFIRE BLAST FIRST IN A GANK AND TANK THE TOWER IF NEED BE.

REINCARNATION ETIQUETTE
IT IS CUSTOMARY TO QUOTE ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER WHENEVER YOU DIE.

MID GAME
SKILLS
10 CRITICAL STRIKE
11 CRITICAL STRIKE/VAMPIRIC AURA/REINCARNATION
-DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH MANA YET? IS THERE A ********** MANA VAMPIRE ON THE ENEMY TEAM? IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.
12 REINCARNATION/VAMPIRIC AURA/CRITICAL STRIKE
13 REINCARNATION/VAMPIRIC AURA/CRITICAL STRIKE
14 REINCARNATION/VAMPIRIC AURA/CRITICAL STRIKE
15 REINCARNATION/VAMPIRIC AURA
16 REINCARNATION/VAMPIRIC AURA

ITEMS TO GO FOR:
ASK YOURSELF THIS FIRST:
AM I PLAYING LEORIC?
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YES: GET AN ARMLET
NO: GET AN ARMLET

BUT I’M TOO NOOB TO ACTIVATE/DEACTIVATE IT
WHAT THE FUCK, YOU HAVE ONE ACTIVE SKILL YOU DUMB SHIT.

TREADS OR PHASES
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EITHER. BUT NOT BOTH DESPITE THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE TWO FEET. (COMMON MISTAKE) FINISH BOOTS AFTER ARMLET FOR MOST GAMES AS THE +15/40 MS IS OUTWEIGHED BY ALL THE SEXY THAT ARMLET GIVES YOU.

NOW ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS, AND PICK THE ONE THAT YOU CAN SAY YES TO BEST
ARE MY ENEMIES CASTING A LOT OF SHIT IN MY GENERAL DIRECTION? GET A BKB
IS MY TEAM ALL MELEE BECAUSE COLLECTIVELY WE HAVE A LEARNING DISABILITY? GET A VLAD’S
DO I WANT A GOOD ITEM THAT I MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE? GET AN ASSAULT CUIRASS
DO I WANT TO CARRY? GET A STYGIAN
DO I HAVE A PING OF 9000 AND CANNOT LAST HIT? GET A BFURY
DO I FEEL LIKE TIN MAN FROM WIZARD OF OZ? GET HEART
DO I WANT A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF LIFESTEAL? GET A SATANIC
DO I HAVE POCKETS FULL OF GOLD/ENEMY IMAGES? GET A RADIANCE
AM I A BALLER? GET REFRESHER ORB
DOES MY TEAM HAVE NO DISABLES? GET A SANGE
AM I SEEING MORE RIVER/MANA LOSS ACTION THAN TOM SAWYER? GET A BOTTLE
AM I SEEING MUCH MANA LOSS ACTION AND WANT TO BE HARRY POTTER? GET A MAGIC STICK
FOR YOUR LEARNING PLEASURE, THE ITEMS ARE TIERED BY WHAT YOU SHOULD GET

BALLER TIER
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ITEM AFTER ARMLET TIER

ITEM AFTER ITEM AFTER ARMLET TIER (SITUATIONAL)

ONLY IF I CAN GET 6 OF THEM TIER

WHAT DO I DO IN A TEAM FIGHT?
1. LOCATE CLOSEST ENEMY THAT DOES SOMETHING IN THE FIGHT
2. ACTIVATE ARMLET
3. HELLFIRE BLAST HIM.
4. STAB HIM.
5. IF HE IS DEAD, GO TO STEP 6. ELSE, REPEAT 3 AND 4
6. GO TO STEP 1. IF THERE ARE NO ENEMIES LEFT, GO TO STEP 7
7. DEACTIVATE ARMLET.

(YOUR ACTUAL EXPERIENCE MAY VARY. YOU MAY NEED TO BKB OR REINCARNATE SOMEWHERE IN THAT AREA)

VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THIS, THANKS TO DEPTRAINHATMANG

1. LOCATE CLOSEST ENEMY THAT DOES SOMETHING IN A FIGHT.
IN THIS CASE, IT’S A FULL HP MEEPO ASSAULT TEAM CHASING MY ALLIED VIPER AT SENT TOP LANE. VIPER HAS ACTUALLY DONE A GOOD JOB OF EVADING A TOTAL OF 4 EARTHBINDS WITH ONLY ABOUT 40 HP, BUT HE’S NOT OUT OF DANGER YET. KING LEORIC (me) HAS MARCHED FROM MID LANE THROUGH THE SECRET SHOP ROUTE TO SENT TOP LANE TO COUNTER THE MEEPOS AND DRAW THEIR ATTENTION.

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2-3-4. ACTIVATE ARMLET, HELLFIRE BLAST, AND STAB HIM.
LUCKILY, ANOTHER ALLY HAS ARRIVED ON TIME, NAMELY ADMIRAL PROUDMOORE, TO ASSIST IN THE OBJECTIVE OF PROTECTING VIPER AND RETURN THE MEEPOS TO WHERE THEY TRULY BELONG, NAMELY THE SCOURGE FOUNTAIN. WE MANAGED TO CARRY OUT AN IMPRESSIVE COUNTER-ATTACK OF HELLFIRE BLAST + GHOST SHIP + TORRENT.

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THERE’S NO BETTER NAME FOR THIS IMAGE THAN “ROYAL MEAL”
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AND THE NEAT CRIT TO FINISH WHAT THE MEEPOS HAVE STARTED. A GANK.
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5-6. IF THERE IS ANOTHER STUBBORN ENEMY AROUND, REPEAT STEP 3 AND 4.
STILL IN THE SAME GAME. IN THIS CASE, AT SENT BOT LANE NEAR THE RIVER, AN ENEMY SHADOW PRIEST GETS SUBDUED AFTER A FEW STABS AND HELLFIRE BLASTS, EVEN THOUGH HE HAD SHALLOW GRAVE.
A RAGING (WITH HORMONES) LEORIC. I CALL THEM BONERSTERONE.

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NOTE THAT I SHIFT-QUEUED A TASK ON DAZZLE’S HEAD. ITS PURPOSE IS FOR KING LEORIC TO AUTOMATICALLY STABS HIM AFTER CASTING HELLFIRE BLAST. VERY USEFUL IF YOU WANT TO SAVE TIME.
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THE MEEPO ASSAULT TEAM SUDDENLY FOUND THEMSELVES SURROUNDED BY VIPER, OMNIKNIGHT, ADMIRAL PROUDMOORE AND KING LEORIC. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THEY ATTEMPTED A FUTILE EFFORT TO ESCAPE FROM THE KING’S IRON FIST. (DOUBLE KILL FOR ME )

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7. DEACTIVATE ARMLET. ABSOLUTELY. BUT SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF VERSION 6.58, THIS STEP SHOULD BE SKIPPED IF YOU HAVE HEART OF TARRASQUE, THEREFORE MAKING ARMLET A PERMANENTLY ACTIVE ITEM.

DOES SILENCE STOP ME FROM REINCARNATING?
NO.

AM I A BALLER?
DO YOU HAVE REFRESHER ORB?

I GOT A DIVINE RAPIER AFTER MY REFRESHER ORB
YOU ARE NOW BALLING OUT OF CONTROL

LATE GAME

SKILLS
16-25 WHATEVER THE FUCK IS LEFT

WHAT ITEMS SHOULD I GET?
CONSULT THE CHART. DO NOT GET BOTH STYGIAN AND SANGE THOUGH. IT’S AGAINST THE RULES.

I FOLLOWED YOUR GUIDE AND I DIDN’T WIN!
BLAME YOUR TEAM.