Zeromatter
02-06-2011, 08:54 PM
Table of Contents
1.0 Hero Statistics
Overview
2.0 Hero abilities
Tundra Blast
Ice Imprisonment
Chilling Presence
Glacial Downpour
3.0 Game play
Hyper-aggressive
Skill Build
Items
Game play
Babysitter
Skill Build
Items
Game play
1.0 Hero Statistics
http://honwiki.net/w/images/4/4f/Glaciushero.gifhttp://www.heroesofnewerth.com/images/heroes/12/icon_128.jpg
Glacius
Primary Attribute: Intelligence
Strength: 16 + 1.7
Agility: 17 + 1.6
Intelligence: 21 + 2.9
Base Damage: 43 - 51
Attack Range: 600
Movement Speed: 290
Armor Value: 1.44
Overview: Glacius is an incredibly versatile hero, able to fulfill many roles in a lineup.
2.0 Hero Abilities
http://honwiki.net/w/images/1/1b/Glaciusskill1.gifhttp://www.heroesofnewerth.com/images/heroes/12/ability1_128.jpg
Tundra Blast
"Nova"
Range: 700
Radius: 400
Cast Time: 0.5 Seconds
Mana Cost: 100 / 120 / 140 / 160
Cooldown: 15 Seconds
Deals 80 / 130 / 180 / 230 Magic damage and applies Tundra Blast to all units in a 400 radius for 3.5/4/4.5/5 seconds.
Tundra Blast Effects
30% Movement Slow
-20 Attack Speed
Analysis: The effective range for this spell is huge.
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/3343/frostnova.png
Having a 700 cast range in addition to a 400 radius means that the spell has an actual range of 1100 units. The most obvious use is for initiating. Being able to apply an AoE slow from 1100 units gives Glacius and his allies a huge buffer in starting fights, letting him snare a group of enemies to allow his slower allies to enter the fight. (Or to allow his other "skill-shot" heroes to land their spells)
Another common use is for chasing. If an enemy clips a corner, jukes into the fog, or is just really damn fast, you can throw out a nova in hopes of catching them and applying the slow. Practice with clipping enemies with the nova being cast at max range in order to get a feel at how far you can reliably slow someone.
The last, and most often overlooked, use is the reduction to attack speed. While -20 attack speed isn't the end of the world, it is a free nerf to the damage that the enemy's carry does. It means less damage going out to your team, and can just be the difference between victory and defeat.
Oh and this spell also does a good chunk of AoE damage. Pew pew.
http://honwiki.net/w/images/f/fb/Glaciusskill2.gifhttp://www.heroesofnewerth.com/images/heroes/12/ability2_128.jpg
Ice Imprisonment
"Iceblock"
Range: 500
Mana Cost: 115/125/140/150
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Performs a mini-stun on the target and applies Ice Imprisonment for 1.5/2/2.5/3 seconds to enemy heroes and 10 seconds for creeps. When cast on an ally, applies Frosted for 1.5/2/2.5/3 seconds.
Ice Imprisonment
Disarmed
Immobilized
Revealed
70 Magic damage per second
Frosted
Disarmed
Immobilized
Revealed
20/30/40/50% damage reduction
Analysis: An extremely powerful move--like a stun but not.
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/4303/iceblock.png
First off, this spell has an extremely short cast range. 500 units is less than Glacius' attack range, so you need to be fairly close to the enemy to use it. You also need to be aware that the enemy can still cast spells while frozen. That means that some targets are less effective to iceblock than others, within reason. In a team fight, spellcasters are not a good choice as they can still cast most of their spells and still be effective even while locked down. "Blinks" and "charge" spells, however, cannot be cast while iceblocked.
Now that the negative is out of the way, what does this spell do? Well it roots the enemy in place, removes their ability to attack, and reveals them. For the most part, this spell functions as a lesser stun--one that lets the enemies cast. But the revealing part of the spell makes up for its shortcomings.
The last, not commonly used, method of this spell is the damage reduction. Now trading movement for 3 seconds of 50% less damage is rarely going to save you. But there are times where you can utilize this aspect to its fullest. Is Witch Slayer diving your tower to kill your carry? You could freeze him, but then he'll just shotgun the poor defenseless Scout. The solution? Iceblock Scout and laugh as the shotgun does pitiful damage.
The obvious combo is to iceblock yourself then use your ulti. Personally, I tend to undervalue this method. The whole point of this combo is to reduce damage to yourself while you deal high amounts of damage to your enemies. The problem I have with this is that one interrupt and you're just stuck there for 3 more seconds, doing nothing.
Now that's not to say that there aren't times you can iceblock -> ulti, it's just that most times you would be better off iceblocking someone else. As with all heroes, using your own judgment and experience is key on when you should or shouldn't do something.
http://honwiki.net/w/images/d/d6/Glaciusskill3.gifhttp://www.heroesofnewerth.com/images/heroes/12/ability3_128.jpg
Chilling Presence
"Aura"
Range: Global
Provides 0.5/1/1.5/2 Mana Regeneration
Analysis: Did you really expect a picture for this?
This provides additional mana regeneration to your team when you're alive. You should level it. This makes the laning phase easier on your team (more mana = more spells), as well as providing a good source of mana regeneration throughout the mid-to-late game. 2 mana might not seem like a lot, but it is a lot of mana added up over time.
Put it this way: Every 30 seconds (one creep wave), the aura causes your entire team to regenerate an additional 15/30/45/60 mana. Every two creep waves, that's an extra nuke you can cast.
And the best thing about this spell is that it is a binary increase, not percentage. That means that heroes with low mana regeneration (generally agility and strength heroes) get the same benefit from the spell.
http://www.heroesofnewerth.com/images/heroes/12/ability4_128.jpg
Glacial Downpour
"Ulti" aka "FFS HIT SOMETHING"
Channeled
Radius: 635
Duration: 4 seconds
Mana Cost: 150/175/200
Cooldown: 150/120/90
Spawns an ice shard at a random location inside the radius every 0.1 seconds. Applies Glacial Freeze to targets within 200 radius of where an ice shard impacts and damages them for 105/170/250/310.
Glacial Freeze
30% Movement Slow
-20 Attack Speed
Analysis: Personally, I find this one of the most frustrating spells in the game. That being said, it deals tremendous damage and a properly placed ultimate can change the tides of a team fight.
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/3244/ultimateh.png
The thing about this ultimate is that it is 100% luck based. You could have every shard hit the same enemy for tremendous damage, or you could have the shards miss and miss and miss. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS97i9Q6-ys) That being said, the more targets inside the radius of the spell, the more chance you hit something.
Using this spell on a single target is still better than simply right clicking, but there will be times where the dice just don't roll your way and you end up losing a kill. Deal with it.
Also note that the picture is a bit misleading. The effective range of the spell is where an ice shard can hit. That means that, yes, it is possible for the shard to hit at the edge of the radius and then effect an additional 200 units. The reason it's not in the picture is because, unlike the nova's effective range, it is extremely unreliable.
Because this is a channeled spell, positioning is key. Obviously, you should try to include as many enemies in the radius as possible. Unfortunately, running into a group of enemies and then shouting "I AM SPINNING AROUND DOING A LOT OF AOE DAMAGE LOOK AT MEEEEEEEEEE" isn't an effective tactic.
//more to come
3.0 Game play
Hyper-aggressive
This play style is for those who have an extremely aggressive lane, immediately taking control. It focuses on allowing you and your lane partner to do tremendous amounts of damage, constantly being on the offensive. As such, this style requires a laning partner who has abilities that either lock down an opponent, or does tremendous amounts of damage.
Skill Build:
Level 1: Tundra Blast
Level 2: Chilling Presence
Level 3: Ice Imprisonment
Level 4: Ice Imprisonment
Level 5: Ice Imprisonment
Level 6: Chilling Presence
Level 7: Ice Imprisonment
Level 8: Chilling Presence
Level 9: Chilling Presence
Level 10: Glacial Downpour
Level 11: Glacial Downpour
Level 12: Tundra Blast
Level 13: Tundra Blast
Level 14: Tundra Blast
Level 15: Attribute Bonus
Level 16: Glacial Downpour
Discussion:
Tundra Blast is taken at level 1 because it applies an AoE slow to enemies. Because most enemies will not have Marchers at level 1, the 30% slow is absolutely devastating. Ice Imprisonment suffers from such a short cast range that the 1.5 seconds of "stun" is nullified from the fact that you need to be pretty much right next to the opponent to use it. The 1100 unit slow is much more effective.
At level 2, Chilling Presence is taken to help out the rest of your team, as well as your laning partner. From levels 2 and up, spells are starting to be used throughout the various lanes. The extra mana regeneration, no matter how small, helps out your entire team.
From then, Ice Imprisonment is maxed out as soon as possible in order to reach the full duration on its "stun." Because this build is focused on high damage output (with the assistance of your laning partner, of course), holding your enemies in place not only deals more personal damage, but also lets your partner contribute more to the fight.
Chilling Presence is then maxed out for obvious reasons--helping your entire team is pretty key.
Glacial Downpour is taken at levels 10 and 11 in order to maximize it's effectiveness in the team fights to come. (Those levels signifying the start of the game where team fights become more and more common)
Starting Items
:RunesOfTheBlight: Runes of the Blight x6: 180g
:ManaPotion: Mana Potion x2: 100g
:Courier: :FlyingCourier: :WardOfSight: :WardOfRevelation: Monkey/Flying Courier or Wards of Sight/Revelation: 300g
Total Cost: 580
A general rule of thumb for me is that I will buy 300g worth of "support" items for the team. Obviously you need to tailor this to your specific team, and what other supports buy. If no one else buys anything then you end up with a courier and 1 ward, ensuring that you have rune vision as well as a method for items. If we have someone else buying wards, then you can get a courier as well as a ward for your lane to prevent sneaky ganks. And if someone else buys both a courier and wards, you'll have a flying courier as well as a ward in your lane. Overall, these items provide a means to regenerate your health and mana, while providing necessary support to your team.
Tier 1 Core
:stri: Striders: 800g
:CrushingClaws: Crushing Claws x2: 300g
:ManaBattery: Mana Battery: 200g
:HomecomingStone: Homecoming Stone: 135g
:FlyingCourier: Flying Courier: 200g
:WardOfSight: :WardOfRevelation: Wards of Sight/Revelation: 100g per
Total Cost: 1645 + 100g per ward.
You'll want Striders in order to move fast around the map and to set up ganks. The Crushing Claws gives a lot of survivability, and have the benefit of being extremely cheap. The Mana Battery is there because it's such a great item, providing health and mana on-demand. You should always have a Homecoming Stone. No excuses. Your presence at a tower can turn a dive into a killing zone for your team. As usual, you are the ward b*tch. Act like it and buy wards. Lastly, if your team doesn't have a flying courier then you need to buy one.
Tier 2 Core
:PowerSupply: Power Supply: 396g (Taking into account the previously purchased Mana Battery)
:HomecomingStone: Homecoming Stone: 135g
:WardOfSight: :WardOfRevelation: Wards of Sight/Revelation: 100g per
One of the following:
:VoidTalisman: Void Talisman: 1500g
:Stormspirit: Storm Spirit: 2800g
:TabletOfCommand: Tablet of Command: 1950g
:Astrolabe: Astrolabe: 2332g
Upgrading your Mana Battery to a Power Supply is nice for the extra stats it provides, as well as increased charge capacity. But at the same time, it's not 100% completely needed--use your own judgment. You should still always have a Homecoming Stone(s) in your inventory in order to roam around the map. You should also still be buying wards.
Around this time you need to start thinking about your "big" item. Keep in mind that Glacius will not have a lot of farm, and whatever item you buy will probably be the only thing you'll have for the rest of the game. The Void Talisman offers unparalleled defensive capabilities for yourself, allowing you to instantly get people off your face--assuming they're not casting spells at you. It also combos well with Glacial Downpour, especially if your opponents are out of spells. Storm Spirit is an item with multiple uses: taking agro off you, off an ally, CCing something, interrupting, chasing, etc. As such, the cost is extremely expensive--and the build up consists of fairly expensive parts. The Tablet of Command, my own personal favorite, is the cheapest Tier 2 item, and offers a myriad of uses. In addition, the build up is not that hard. Lastly, the Astrolabe is the support item, healing your entire team for a sizable amount as well as having an extremely easy build up.
The choice here is really up to you, and how you like to play as a player. You'll be finishing your Tier 2 Core items around the mid game, and as such it really depends on your team. Stormspirit and Tablet of Command are all around good utility items, while Astrolabe and Void Talisman have much more restricted uses. But at the end of the day, all four items have devastating potential when used and it's up to you to pick one that fits your play style.
1.0 Hero Statistics
Overview
2.0 Hero abilities
Tundra Blast
Ice Imprisonment
Chilling Presence
Glacial Downpour
3.0 Game play
Hyper-aggressive
Skill Build
Items
Game play
Babysitter
Skill Build
Items
Game play
1.0 Hero Statistics
http://honwiki.net/w/images/4/4f/Glaciushero.gifhttp://www.heroesofnewerth.com/images/heroes/12/icon_128.jpg
Glacius
Primary Attribute: Intelligence
Strength: 16 + 1.7
Agility: 17 + 1.6
Intelligence: 21 + 2.9
Base Damage: 43 - 51
Attack Range: 600
Movement Speed: 290
Armor Value: 1.44
Overview: Glacius is an incredibly versatile hero, able to fulfill many roles in a lineup.
2.0 Hero Abilities
http://honwiki.net/w/images/1/1b/Glaciusskill1.gifhttp://www.heroesofnewerth.com/images/heroes/12/ability1_128.jpg
Tundra Blast
"Nova"
Range: 700
Radius: 400
Cast Time: 0.5 Seconds
Mana Cost: 100 / 120 / 140 / 160
Cooldown: 15 Seconds
Deals 80 / 130 / 180 / 230 Magic damage and applies Tundra Blast to all units in a 400 radius for 3.5/4/4.5/5 seconds.
Tundra Blast Effects
30% Movement Slow
-20 Attack Speed
Analysis: The effective range for this spell is huge.
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/3343/frostnova.png
Having a 700 cast range in addition to a 400 radius means that the spell has an actual range of 1100 units. The most obvious use is for initiating. Being able to apply an AoE slow from 1100 units gives Glacius and his allies a huge buffer in starting fights, letting him snare a group of enemies to allow his slower allies to enter the fight. (Or to allow his other "skill-shot" heroes to land their spells)
Another common use is for chasing. If an enemy clips a corner, jukes into the fog, or is just really damn fast, you can throw out a nova in hopes of catching them and applying the slow. Practice with clipping enemies with the nova being cast at max range in order to get a feel at how far you can reliably slow someone.
The last, and most often overlooked, use is the reduction to attack speed. While -20 attack speed isn't the end of the world, it is a free nerf to the damage that the enemy's carry does. It means less damage going out to your team, and can just be the difference between victory and defeat.
Oh and this spell also does a good chunk of AoE damage. Pew pew.
http://honwiki.net/w/images/f/fb/Glaciusskill2.gifhttp://www.heroesofnewerth.com/images/heroes/12/ability2_128.jpg
Ice Imprisonment
"Iceblock"
Range: 500
Mana Cost: 115/125/140/150
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Performs a mini-stun on the target and applies Ice Imprisonment for 1.5/2/2.5/3 seconds to enemy heroes and 10 seconds for creeps. When cast on an ally, applies Frosted for 1.5/2/2.5/3 seconds.
Ice Imprisonment
Disarmed
Immobilized
Revealed
70 Magic damage per second
Frosted
Disarmed
Immobilized
Revealed
20/30/40/50% damage reduction
Analysis: An extremely powerful move--like a stun but not.
http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/4303/iceblock.png
First off, this spell has an extremely short cast range. 500 units is less than Glacius' attack range, so you need to be fairly close to the enemy to use it. You also need to be aware that the enemy can still cast spells while frozen. That means that some targets are less effective to iceblock than others, within reason. In a team fight, spellcasters are not a good choice as they can still cast most of their spells and still be effective even while locked down. "Blinks" and "charge" spells, however, cannot be cast while iceblocked.
Now that the negative is out of the way, what does this spell do? Well it roots the enemy in place, removes their ability to attack, and reveals them. For the most part, this spell functions as a lesser stun--one that lets the enemies cast. But the revealing part of the spell makes up for its shortcomings.
The last, not commonly used, method of this spell is the damage reduction. Now trading movement for 3 seconds of 50% less damage is rarely going to save you. But there are times where you can utilize this aspect to its fullest. Is Witch Slayer diving your tower to kill your carry? You could freeze him, but then he'll just shotgun the poor defenseless Scout. The solution? Iceblock Scout and laugh as the shotgun does pitiful damage.
The obvious combo is to iceblock yourself then use your ulti. Personally, I tend to undervalue this method. The whole point of this combo is to reduce damage to yourself while you deal high amounts of damage to your enemies. The problem I have with this is that one interrupt and you're just stuck there for 3 more seconds, doing nothing.
Now that's not to say that there aren't times you can iceblock -> ulti, it's just that most times you would be better off iceblocking someone else. As with all heroes, using your own judgment and experience is key on when you should or shouldn't do something.
http://honwiki.net/w/images/d/d6/Glaciusskill3.gifhttp://www.heroesofnewerth.com/images/heroes/12/ability3_128.jpg
Chilling Presence
"Aura"
Range: Global
Provides 0.5/1/1.5/2 Mana Regeneration
Analysis: Did you really expect a picture for this?
This provides additional mana regeneration to your team when you're alive. You should level it. This makes the laning phase easier on your team (more mana = more spells), as well as providing a good source of mana regeneration throughout the mid-to-late game. 2 mana might not seem like a lot, but it is a lot of mana added up over time.
Put it this way: Every 30 seconds (one creep wave), the aura causes your entire team to regenerate an additional 15/30/45/60 mana. Every two creep waves, that's an extra nuke you can cast.
And the best thing about this spell is that it is a binary increase, not percentage. That means that heroes with low mana regeneration (generally agility and strength heroes) get the same benefit from the spell.
http://www.heroesofnewerth.com/images/heroes/12/ability4_128.jpg
Glacial Downpour
"Ulti" aka "FFS HIT SOMETHING"
Channeled
Radius: 635
Duration: 4 seconds
Mana Cost: 150/175/200
Cooldown: 150/120/90
Spawns an ice shard at a random location inside the radius every 0.1 seconds. Applies Glacial Freeze to targets within 200 radius of where an ice shard impacts and damages them for 105/170/250/310.
Glacial Freeze
30% Movement Slow
-20 Attack Speed
Analysis: Personally, I find this one of the most frustrating spells in the game. That being said, it deals tremendous damage and a properly placed ultimate can change the tides of a team fight.
http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/3244/ultimateh.png
The thing about this ultimate is that it is 100% luck based. You could have every shard hit the same enemy for tremendous damage, or you could have the shards miss and miss and miss. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS97i9Q6-ys) That being said, the more targets inside the radius of the spell, the more chance you hit something.
Using this spell on a single target is still better than simply right clicking, but there will be times where the dice just don't roll your way and you end up losing a kill. Deal with it.
Also note that the picture is a bit misleading. The effective range of the spell is where an ice shard can hit. That means that, yes, it is possible for the shard to hit at the edge of the radius and then effect an additional 200 units. The reason it's not in the picture is because, unlike the nova's effective range, it is extremely unreliable.
Because this is a channeled spell, positioning is key. Obviously, you should try to include as many enemies in the radius as possible. Unfortunately, running into a group of enemies and then shouting "I AM SPINNING AROUND DOING A LOT OF AOE DAMAGE LOOK AT MEEEEEEEEEE" isn't an effective tactic.
//more to come
3.0 Game play
Hyper-aggressive
This play style is for those who have an extremely aggressive lane, immediately taking control. It focuses on allowing you and your lane partner to do tremendous amounts of damage, constantly being on the offensive. As such, this style requires a laning partner who has abilities that either lock down an opponent, or does tremendous amounts of damage.
Skill Build:
Level 1: Tundra Blast
Level 2: Chilling Presence
Level 3: Ice Imprisonment
Level 4: Ice Imprisonment
Level 5: Ice Imprisonment
Level 6: Chilling Presence
Level 7: Ice Imprisonment
Level 8: Chilling Presence
Level 9: Chilling Presence
Level 10: Glacial Downpour
Level 11: Glacial Downpour
Level 12: Tundra Blast
Level 13: Tundra Blast
Level 14: Tundra Blast
Level 15: Attribute Bonus
Level 16: Glacial Downpour
Discussion:
Tundra Blast is taken at level 1 because it applies an AoE slow to enemies. Because most enemies will not have Marchers at level 1, the 30% slow is absolutely devastating. Ice Imprisonment suffers from such a short cast range that the 1.5 seconds of "stun" is nullified from the fact that you need to be pretty much right next to the opponent to use it. The 1100 unit slow is much more effective.
At level 2, Chilling Presence is taken to help out the rest of your team, as well as your laning partner. From levels 2 and up, spells are starting to be used throughout the various lanes. The extra mana regeneration, no matter how small, helps out your entire team.
From then, Ice Imprisonment is maxed out as soon as possible in order to reach the full duration on its "stun." Because this build is focused on high damage output (with the assistance of your laning partner, of course), holding your enemies in place not only deals more personal damage, but also lets your partner contribute more to the fight.
Chilling Presence is then maxed out for obvious reasons--helping your entire team is pretty key.
Glacial Downpour is taken at levels 10 and 11 in order to maximize it's effectiveness in the team fights to come. (Those levels signifying the start of the game where team fights become more and more common)
Starting Items
:RunesOfTheBlight: Runes of the Blight x6: 180g
:ManaPotion: Mana Potion x2: 100g
:Courier: :FlyingCourier: :WardOfSight: :WardOfRevelation: Monkey/Flying Courier or Wards of Sight/Revelation: 300g
Total Cost: 580
A general rule of thumb for me is that I will buy 300g worth of "support" items for the team. Obviously you need to tailor this to your specific team, and what other supports buy. If no one else buys anything then you end up with a courier and 1 ward, ensuring that you have rune vision as well as a method for items. If we have someone else buying wards, then you can get a courier as well as a ward for your lane to prevent sneaky ganks. And if someone else buys both a courier and wards, you'll have a flying courier as well as a ward in your lane. Overall, these items provide a means to regenerate your health and mana, while providing necessary support to your team.
Tier 1 Core
:stri: Striders: 800g
:CrushingClaws: Crushing Claws x2: 300g
:ManaBattery: Mana Battery: 200g
:HomecomingStone: Homecoming Stone: 135g
:FlyingCourier: Flying Courier: 200g
:WardOfSight: :WardOfRevelation: Wards of Sight/Revelation: 100g per
Total Cost: 1645 + 100g per ward.
You'll want Striders in order to move fast around the map and to set up ganks. The Crushing Claws gives a lot of survivability, and have the benefit of being extremely cheap. The Mana Battery is there because it's such a great item, providing health and mana on-demand. You should always have a Homecoming Stone. No excuses. Your presence at a tower can turn a dive into a killing zone for your team. As usual, you are the ward b*tch. Act like it and buy wards. Lastly, if your team doesn't have a flying courier then you need to buy one.
Tier 2 Core
:PowerSupply: Power Supply: 396g (Taking into account the previously purchased Mana Battery)
:HomecomingStone: Homecoming Stone: 135g
:WardOfSight: :WardOfRevelation: Wards of Sight/Revelation: 100g per
One of the following:
:VoidTalisman: Void Talisman: 1500g
:Stormspirit: Storm Spirit: 2800g
:TabletOfCommand: Tablet of Command: 1950g
:Astrolabe: Astrolabe: 2332g
Upgrading your Mana Battery to a Power Supply is nice for the extra stats it provides, as well as increased charge capacity. But at the same time, it's not 100% completely needed--use your own judgment. You should still always have a Homecoming Stone(s) in your inventory in order to roam around the map. You should also still be buying wards.
Around this time you need to start thinking about your "big" item. Keep in mind that Glacius will not have a lot of farm, and whatever item you buy will probably be the only thing you'll have for the rest of the game. The Void Talisman offers unparalleled defensive capabilities for yourself, allowing you to instantly get people off your face--assuming they're not casting spells at you. It also combos well with Glacial Downpour, especially if your opponents are out of spells. Storm Spirit is an item with multiple uses: taking agro off you, off an ally, CCing something, interrupting, chasing, etc. As such, the cost is extremely expensive--and the build up consists of fairly expensive parts. The Tablet of Command, my own personal favorite, is the cheapest Tier 2 item, and offers a myriad of uses. In addition, the build up is not that hard. Lastly, the Astrolabe is the support item, healing your entire team for a sizable amount as well as having an extremely easy build up.
The choice here is really up to you, and how you like to play as a player. You'll be finishing your Tier 2 Core items around the mid game, and as such it really depends on your team. Stormspirit and Tablet of Command are all around good utility items, while Astrolabe and Void Talisman have much more restricted uses. But at the end of the day, all four items have devastating potential when used and it's up to you to pick one that fits your play style.