How do I play/gear the predator?

[Woolygimp]

Can someone give me an item layout or gear/layout for the predator, and whether or not that hero is any good?

What about the pyromancer, get list for him too please?

[BLUEPOWERVAN]

most people think predator is fairly weak now. my suggestion would be: start with bracer and some runes(trees). work to get the unholy strength item (armlet of morddrigan) early, the 500$ +damage item and 950 helm from side shop, and jungle/pull to buff exp gain (use creep pull to regain health with lifesteal). get regular marchers (boots) somewhere in the middle of the building armlet, depending on when you have to go back. probably aught to get phase boots then (enhanced marchers), though treads/steamshoes is an option. Build the magic immunity item afterwards, and fill out with whatever damage/atkspd you prefer if you can, or something tankish if your team needs.

max poison leap early, and life steal secondarily. you might get a point of the other skill to suicide. the third skill probably shouldnt even be gotten (in favor of stats), though it's concievably useful if you have magic immunity item early enough for it to be > your attack damage.

[TLSHadow]

I get (in DotA terms, sorry I don't know all the item names yet)

Start gold: 2 branches, 2 gauntlets, 1 set of tangos and a salve.
Then: Helm of Iron Will (from side shop).
Then: Power Treads from base.
Then: Finish Armlet (Blades, gloves, and recipie)
Then: Depending on the situation, I get either Desolater or Blink Dagger, rarely MKB.
Then: Either Heart, Bruiza, or Vlads, usually Heart
Then: How did you farm this much? O.o

[Woolygimp]

I get (in DotA terms, sorry I don't know all the item names yet)

Start gold: 2 branches, 2 gauntlets, 1 set of tangos and a salve.
Then: Helm of Iron Will (from side shop).
Then: Power Treads from base.
Then: Finish Armlet (Blades, gloves, and recipie)
Then: Depending on the situation, I get either Desolater or Blink Dagger, rarely MKB.
Then: Either Heart, Bruiza, or Vlads, usually Heart
Then: How did you farm this much? O.o

I'm sorry, but this does me absolutely no good.

[Avan1]

Can someone give me an item layout or gear/layout for the predator, and whether or not that hero is any good?

What about the pyromancer, get list for him too please?

Just don't pick predator. He's no good at all.

As for pyromancer, if you can get lots of runes buy a bottle. If not just get basic regen items. Some bracers give you health which is very important for int heros (and most noobs overlook). Then you have a choice. Some people choose blink (portkey in HoN terms?) the one that lets you transport a short distance. Good for escapes and getting kills that woudl get away. Others choose hex (support, bottom like on the right) as a silence / disable.

[Netukka]

Translation mode...


Start gold: 2 minor totems, 2 crushing claws, 1 set of runes of blight and a healing potion.
Then: Helm of the Victim (from side shop).
Then: Steamboots from base.
Then: Finish Insanitarius (Punchdagger, gloves, and recipe)
Then: Depending on the situation, I get either Shieldbreaker or Portal Key, rarely Savage Mace.
Then: Either Behemoth's Heart, Flayer, or Abyssal Skull, usually Heart
Then: How did you farm this much? O.o
Tadaaah.

[TLSHadow]

Translation mode...

Tadaaah.

Ya that <3 thanks buddy!

[Riotdante]

Predator...not so good.

I like predator...

I start with either marchers + runes or straight to a lifetube. if things are tough I'll get the +6str+3+3 item.
Then I work towards the black helm (I think that's what it's called) that has a beastheart and a buckler for extra health and armor.

Once you got that work towards the steamboots (marchers + gauntlet + attack speed gloves) that are all around 500 gold for a nice steady improvement.

After that you can either try to get a behemoth heart or something like the shrunken head, something with +str at least, depends on how much money you have. something with life steal is good because it stacks with your skill.

strategy-wise you want predator to leap at enemies that have to skill that can get away fast, the best is if you're teamed up with someone that does damage because of the leap's long slow, enemies cannot run away. it is also great for catching running heroes. The ultimate is very strong, it should tear up any strength hero even really fast, but be sure not to be totally alone, because you dont have any way of running.

[Glorify1]

Finish armlet before treads.

[valiance]

I'd say Armlet ASAP then Treads then Deso. I'd skill Venomous and Reckless to 4 before grabbing his ult. Play him as a ganker early transition to carry type late?

[SuperSeahore]

Wow at people saying he's bad lolz... He's crazy good imo a leaping dmg spell that also slows, centaur double edge, naix feast and 10- armor in pretty big aoe and +100 atk speed...

last game I had hyperstone, hack n slash, power treads and buriza (probably bad build but armlet + desolator sounds better w/e).. Just jump in use ulti and then hit hit hit and double edge for final blow... very good solo killer and hard to kill if u eat ur health back fast.

[BLUEPOWERVAN]

Finish armlet before treads.
this is basically always true...

[TLSHadow]

Treads before armlet EVERYTIME. I've never ever seen a good DotA player play N'aix and get armlet first. Treads gives more damage due to the faster move speed and gives bonus hp as well. Having armlet at a low level gives you only a little bit of damage since you won't be moving or attacking as often, just each hit is harder, and a lot of health is sapped per second. Treads before Armlet 100%.

[Justin]

Treads before armlet EVERYTIME. I've never ever seen a good DotA player play N'aix and get armlet first. Treads gives more damage due to the faster move speed and gives bonus hp as well. Having armlet at a low level gives you only a little bit of damage since you won't be moving or attacking as often, just each hit is harder, and a lot of health is sapped per second. Treads before Armlet 100%.

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/2204/naixarmletfirst.jpg

Fear must be bad?

[TLSHadow]

One game out of 5,000 N'aix replays. GG
Every other player gets treads before armlet and doesn't lose to alchemist carry.

[Woolygimp]

predator sucks ass....

madman is better in EVERY way.

[Justin]

One game out of 5,000 N'aix replays. GG
Every other player gets treads before armlet and doesn't lose to alchemist carry.

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/7521/naixarmlet2.jpg

I literally looked at 2 6.59d replays from top teams only. That's 2 in 10,000? What are the odds?

brb buying lotto ticket

[HellbirD]

Thanks WHODA, you made my day with this. :)

FearDarkness is gosu.

[Beast_Pete]

Nah, those examples don't matter that much anyway. :P The players bought armlet first because they were farming/killin in their own lane mainly I suppose so they didn't need movement speed much (especially Fear at level8 without Boots even).

Treads is better first item generally but with a Helm of Iron Will helping your laning phase first. So HoIW -> Treads -> Armlet. After that it's all up to game situation. You may even buy a Guinsoo if you're a pervert. :P

[BLUEPOWERVAN]

Nah, those examples don't matter that much anyway. :P The players bought armlet first because they were farming/killin in their own lane mainly I suppose so they didn't need movement speed much (especially Fear at level8 without Boots even).

It's just dumb, treads is only like +10 or what +15 move over basic boots. all the arguments for treads first revolve around move speed, but it's neglible, particularly since naix has such a nice slow. It would have to be a very long chase and close fight for +15 move speed to matter. The dps gain (and health/survivability gain for that matter) for treads is neglible compared to armlet.

HoN armlet is noticably worse due to cooldown handling, but in dota certainly armlet+boots is >> treads.

[TLSHadow]

Nah, those examples don't matter that much anyway. :P The players bought armlet first because they were farming/killin in their own lane mainly I suppose so they didn't need movement speed much (especially Fear at level8 without Boots even).

Treads is better first item generally but with a Helm of Iron Will helping your laning phase first. So HoIW -> Treads -> Armlet. After that it's all up to game situation. You may even buy a Guinsoo if you're a pervert. :P

Thanks BP :)
Gogo write HoN Clinkz guide!! lol

p.s. KuroKy gets Guinsoo

[m]

I never get a lifesteal with Predator...get something to increase your attack speed--S&Y (H&S) works well -- and so does a Warpcleft(?name correct? secretshop item 2100)

Predators passive lifesteal is awesome mid/late game. it is enough to neutral creep as long as you increase that shitty attack speed

[Woolygimp]

The new predator is beeeeeeastly.

He rapes magic heroes due to his magic immunity. It's awesome jumping on a moonqueen and watching her pop her ulti as you take 0 damage.

And his ultimate fully charged up makes him like a madman temporarily, except with more damage and a lot of lifeleech.

[Sindaga]

The new predator is beeeeeeastly.

He rapes magic heroes due to his magic immunity. It's awesome jumping on a moonqueen and watching her pop her ulti as you take 0 damage.

And his ultimate fully charged up makes him like a madman temporarily, except with more damage and a lot of lifeleech.

Explain the new predator? Is there a patch today?

[Woolygimp]

Explain the new predator? Is there a patch today?

He still has leap and carnivorous. Reckless blow was replaced by a 6 second magic immunity and +20 armor self buff on a fairly short cooldown (uses a good bit mana so you HAVE to get mana regen), and his ultimate was replaced by a +30 attack speed buff (targeted so you can cast on teammates) and everytime they are hit it puts 1-2 charges (1 for creep, 2 for hero) and for every charge it gives another +2 to attack speed (rank 1) and stacks up to 20 times.

He excels at jumping on magic heroes (glacius/pyromancer/moonqueen) and raping them while they can't do anything for ~6 seconds except auto attack or run. He's still pretty bad at running people down though, I think post haste is going to be very necessary.

I have no idea how to gear him though. I was thinking shieldbreaker / abyssal skull (for mana regen and more vamp)

[Woolygimp]

I take everything I said back. He's still ****ing horrible. Damage output is WAY too slow, movement speed too slow... and he just doesn't have the tools to catch and kill anyone.

Sure leap is cool but predator isn't killing ANYONE in the time it takes for leap to dissipate as he has very little burst.

I think a lot of his to do with how leap works. You leap in on a running target and you swing first as part of the leap animation to apply the poison, but they are already moving albeit 40% slowed...but by the time the leap animation is over they are already out of range. So you have to run to catch up. Stop and swing. They out of range. Run and catch up and stop and swing.

Even with steamboots and rank 4 leap, you're only getting ~3 hits in on a running enemy which sucks because his attack animation is SOOOOOOOO SLOW that you can't get more than 1 hit in at a time before your enemy is out of range.

[kyneS]

remstar gets armlet before treads too

i agree with armlet before treads also
for naix, mostly because its important to burst farm early as naix and armlet items are good for increasing your time in lane more so than treads do

i would go treads if you predict yourself moving around alot and getting into more early fights

if you buy guinsoo your not a pervert you deserve a facepalm

[xahxah]

Armlet = > Treads = > Deso = > Destroy.


Predator is not really a killing machine, he just annoys the heck out of somebody while never dying.

[vaccine]

I played him today but got farmed by Scout. Couldn't even face off vs him at even level with max lifesteal ability.

[Aegd]

I've tried this hero. I did horrible. I asked people what they thought about him. They said he was horrible. I tried to figure out a good item combination. I still did horrible.

Problem is, this hero has low damage output unless he is hit. He has no decent slow or stun (poison leap duration is far to short and the slow isn't good enough).

I think a quick fix that is needed is to lower the poison leap cooldown to around 10 seconds OR increase the slow duration and slow % so he has a chance to get some hits in.

I also think that the ulti needs to be reworked. You can't have a hero that's built around chasing to be forced to get HIT in order to deal more damage.

He's a horrible farmer too and have no tools for farming and his base damage isn't fantastic so last hitting isn't all that easy (allthough there are worse heroes for that).

This is a hero who doesn't really know what he wants to be :(

[SWARM_THEM]

predator doesn't kill heroes 1 v 1 too well. he excels in bigger fights, he turns on his magic immunity and armlet, and instantly takes down the most important enemy to low life, then his teammates finish the enemy off.

he's not a kill stealer like scout or something.

[xahxah]

predator doesn't kill heroes 1 v 1 too well. he excels in bigger fights, he turns on his magic immunity and armlet, and instantly takes down the most important enemy to low life, then his teammates finish the enemy off.

he's not a kill stealer like scout or something.


Exactly.

[raiz265]

predator sucks ass....

madman is better in EVERY way.

how surprising.

[ma5]

I get (in DotA terms, sorry I don't know all the item names yet)

Start gold: 2 branches, 2 gauntlets, 1 set of tangos and a salve.
Then: Helm of Iron Will (from side shop).
Then: Power Treads from base.
Then: Finish Armlet (Blades, gloves, and recipie)
Then: Depending on the situation, I get either Desolater or Blink Dagger, rarely MKB.
Then: Either Heart, Bruiza, or Vlads, usually Heart
Then: How did you farm this much? O.o
^ this guide.

Except I finish armlet before even getting boots unless I happen to die or something (its all situational, just get your treads and armlet first).

[Travakh]

Predator isn't a viable pick at the moment, needs too many items.

I also now recommend a vanguard to expedite his ult, since you'll want to be leaping into creep waves to quickly stack your ult to 16.

Armlet Vanguard Treads HotD Heart Skadi Satanic

[Snicla]

Get treads here first imo. Predator can't infest.