Magmus Item Builds?

[JimmyD]

I've so far taken a great liking into Magmus. But I do not know how to build him to be the best he can be. I'm currently using Bottle into Enchanted Marchers then depending on the other team (whether magic heavy or whatever), I would get either Shrunken Head or Helm of the Black Legion. I would then get something to increase Attack Speed or Mana Regen (for skills). I don't know how to use Portal Key correctly which is why I don't get it. But what are your Magmus builds?

[Ajay]

Enchanted Marchers and some Fortified bracelets early on then Portal Key + Shrunken Head + Sacrificial stone/Behemoths heart. I feel portal key is very important for making sure you get your ulti of in team battles.

[ackwell]

I played around a bit with items and since I didn't feel like my ulti was that important in a game today I didn't buy portal key. Anyway, got farmed like hell and with all the money I just bought some "fun" stuff to make me "invincible".

In the end I WAS basically invincible, had my phase boots (name?), sacrifical heart, behemoths heart, symbol of rage, shamans headdress, and helm of the black legion. Really not the best items with Magmus but since I had alot of money and was the only str hero in my team, aswell as being unexperienced with Magmus, I decided to try it. Fun stuff, was able to fight against moon queen at lvl 25 with 2 towers shooting at me, and my health wasn't really dropping.

This wasn't really a tip for items for Magmus, and for that I'm sorry, but I just wanted to share this fun story with you.

[Testknight]

Ajay summed it up pretty well, although I'm iffy on using Sac on Magmus for even semi-serious games.

[JimmyD]

Well, I don't know how to use Portal Key correctly.

[Venguy]

learn? channel the 2 seconds -> port in. takes practice but it's incredibly effective and almost needed (some exceptions) to get your ulti off against competent people

[elNiuBi]

Shrunken head.

Yeah, that's it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRtMdPWvP8A

[JimmyD]

Well, I can't activate it while channeling and I can't queue it correctly for some reason.

[elNiuBi]

Press SHIFT while you click on your destination, to be teleported as soon as you stop casting.

[Novacain]

went insane late game and i could keep it up permanently

[JimmyD]

Well, when I start casting, the Portal Key goes blue & unable to be clicked.

[Ziffy]

Well, when I start casting, the Portal Key goes blue & unable to be clicked.

More than likely you were out of mana - portal key only blues out when you're out of mana. If you trigger it's deactivation it will start counting down from 4.

Enhanced Marchers + Portal Key + Shrunken head is core. Everything beyond that is fluff. Since he does tend to have a pretty good farm mid-late game I suggest behemoths heart over sac stone as your goal is not to take kills from the carries, but to soften everything up/stop them from running.

If the other team is VERY stun light (unlikely in anything except very pub games) you can skip the shrunken head. It's only purpose is to make sure you don't get insta-stunned when you portal in and they just run. If you can ulti -> blink -> stun before they can stun you then it's relatively unimportant.

[JimmyD]

Hmm. Okay. I'll try to remember to get a Portal Key. Thanks for the tip Ziffy.

[adrift]

Portal Key is also amazing for chasing and escaping. Especially early-mid game when your stun still does high damage.

Usually I will make an arcane ring before portal if my team doesn't have one already. Little extra armor + it lets you farm blink really fast and support your team.

[Nedrapter]

Starting the game

Get these:
-Mark of the novice: 150
-Pretenders' Crown: 185
-2x Runes of Blight: 180
-Mana potion: 50

You need this item for some regeneration both HP and MP but mostly HP since you are a melee and after stunning you will be next to the enemy.
Mark of the novice and Pretenders' Crown for Talisman of Exile.
You need Talisman of Exile cos mana capacity is important to Magmus, he needs to cast his spells in battle, maybe all of them, you must have mana to do that, not regeneration. (avoid manatubes and other mana regen items apart from bottle/pots)

After these your aims are :
Get a bottle -1
Get Portal Key -2
Get Enchanted Marchers -3

1- Why? you will be roaming for gangs anyway, so good regen from runes and helping you stay in battles for longer.
2- That's a portal key. Bullshit. In magmus that's the KEY TO VICTORY.
Why? Stay out of enemies range, about 900-1000 range from where you expect the battle to occur. Click your ultimate (animation starts) press SHIFT, then click Portal Key and blink inside.
Dont get worried if he doesnt blinks immediately and certainly DONT CLICK IT A 2ND TIME. Your Magmus will blink inside right after the starting animation of his spells, wasting none of the pulses and making your enemies unable to stop you. No further need to explain, do these and see the results.
3- The best way to improve your boots. After blinking inside with Eruption, click EM and follow your enemies. Stun if needed too.

If the game isn't over yet, it's clearly your team's fault (ofc if you gang correctly and do the above).

Now get Daemonic Breastplate -4
Get Frostfield Plate -5
Get Mock Of Briliance -6 (sell Mark of Novice)

4- Why not Heart? once you do the Initiation (ulti-blink-stun etc), you are no longer much of a threat to the enemy, attacks wont focus on you. So Daemonic Bp will help your allies too and yourself ofc. Even if you get focus, it adds the best armor possible so dont be afraid.
5- Frostfield Plate will help you slow the enemies after Initiating dealing more aoe dmg, and adding you even extra armor, while increasing your mana capacity for tons of stuns and blinks.
6- You reached the point that a 6th item is needed? Holyshit! Either your team sucks, or your enemies are quite a match. Basically you will be in 45 min + not to say 55+ so the game is at very late stage, heroes are all getting fat. Usually such games are won by pushing strategically (or lost by not doing that). Mock of Brilliance will help you push extremely fast a lane. Your best chance to win.