GrymM
09-16-2009, 12:33 AM
Maliken
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/Latholorre/Maliken.jpg (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Maliken)
This is my first attempt at a guide, please share your own input, ideas and tactics and together, we can make this the best Maliken guide on the forums!
/Note/ When referring to Sword Throw, "Red" = Sword Throw with Enchanted Flames active. "Green" = Sword Throw with Life Essence Active
/Note2/ Better formatting and pictures coming soon.
Maliken: Skills and Statistics
Attack Type = Melee
Attack Damage = 44-50
Attack Range = 125
Movementspeed = 300
Armor = 1.90
MagicArmor = 5.5
Strength = 18
Agility = 20
Intelligence = 18
Strength per level = 2.4
Agility per level = 2.4
Intelligence per level = 1.7
Sword Throw
http://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/f/fc/Malikenskill1.gif/64px-Malikenskill1.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Maliken)
Target Position /// Enemy Units
Description: Maliken throws his sword, damaging enemies it hits. Maliken may teleport to his sword while it is in flight.
Type: Magic
Range: 700/850/1000/1200
Damage: 80/140/200/260 ///
Level 4 Red: 150/210/270/330 ///
Level 4 Green: 48/84/120/156 ///
Radius: 225
Mana: 110
Cool down: 13 Seconds
Additional effects: Targets damaged by Sword Throw are afflicted with 'Maimed' which initially slows their movement speed by 50%. Their move speed returns to normal over the course of 6 seconds.
Sword of the Damned
http://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/5/50/Malikenskill2.gif/64px-Malikenskill2.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Maliken)
Self Aura /// Passive
Description: Malikens legendary weapon; the Sword of the Damned, is capable of two different attack modes: Enchanted Flames grants him increased damage at the cost of his own health, while Life Essence grants him very high life steal at the cost of reduced damage.
Grants Maliken the ability to toggle on Enchanted Flames or Life Essence.
Enchanted Flame effects:
+10/20/30/40 Melee Damage, 5/10/15/20 True Damage to self per attack
+40/50/60/70 Sword Throw Damage, 25/30/35/40 True Damage to self per Sword Throw
The self inflicted damage will not occur if you are below 15% of your maximum health, nor will it bring you below 15% of your maximum health
Life Essence effects:
-10/20/30/40 Melee Damage, 10/20/30/40 Health restored per attack.
-40% Sword Throw damage, 10/20/30/40 Health restored for each target damaged by Sword Throw, will not heal for more than 300.
These skills can be toggled on or off for free and at your leisure, only one may be active at any given time, the active aura may be toggled off by clicking the active icon or pressing the assigned hotkey.
Hellbourne Zeal
http://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/3/36/Malikenskill3.gif/64px-Malikenskill3.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Maliken)
Self Aura /// Passive
Description: Maliken allows his wounds to fuel his rage; increasing his chance to critically strike his foes based on how much health he is missing.
x% chance for 1.2/1.4/1.6/1.8x Critical Strike.
Chance to critically strike an opponent is increased by 0.75% for every 1% of health Maliken is missing.
At 1% health, Maliken will have a 74% chance to critically strike an opponent.
At 30% health, Maliken will have roughly a 50% chance to critically strike an opponent.
At 50% health, Maliken will have roughly a 35% chance to critically strike an opponent.
At 75% health, Maliken will have roughly a 20% chance to critically strike an opponent.
/Notes/ this skill is actually one of the better 'built in' crit mechanics in the game and is extremely underrated by a lot of players. It's also one of the reasons that ASP is important to Maliken, attacking and critting quicker can put out more clutch burst damage in the situations where you and your opponent are both sub 30% health. The 1.2/1.4/1.6/1.8 damage modifiers, being lower than other critical multipliers also favor faster attacks for smaller criticals rather than the gargantuan criticals you might see on other heroes
Possesion
http://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/c/c1/Malikenskill4.gif/64px-Malikenskill4.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Maliken)
Self Shapshift /// Active
Description: Maliken allows himself to become possessed, transforming him into a full daemon temporarily. While in the form, Malikens attack becomes ranged and he attacks faster.
Mana: 100
Cool down: 90 Seconds
Effects: Attack Type changes to Ranged, with a range of 600.
Attack cool down reduced to 1.4 from 1.7. Additional effects:
Attacks are granted splash damage:
50%/75 AoE
35%/200AoE
20%/350AoE
Enemy heroes with a 400 Radius when Possesion is activated will be afflicted with 'Feared' for 2 seconds, increasing their movement speed by 40%, removing control from their user and causing them to flee at random.
Skill Build
1. Sword Throw
2. Sword of the Damned
3. Sword Throw
4. Sword of the Damned
5. Sword Throw
6. Possession (Don't skip this! It can mean Death or Escape when a gank squad comes calling.)
7. Sword Throw
8. Sword of the Damned
9. Sword of the Damned
10. Hellbourne's Zeal
11. Possession
12. Hellbourne's Zeal
13. Hellbourne's Zeal
14. Hellbourne's Zeal
15. Attribute Bonus
16. Possession
17-25. Attribute Bonus
There really isn't a lot of ways you can avoid this build in general unless you wanted to replace every rank of Zeal with Stats, and I personally wouldn't recommend it. Hellbourne Zeal can shift the balance of a gank initiated by either side for obvious reasons.
It's a simple case of “The more they hurt you, the more you hurt them.”
Item Builds:
You have several options for starting items, A few that always seem to go well for me is starting off with:
1) 1x Runes of Blight(90), Power Supply(494)> Sustainer > Steamboots > Runed Axe
Use this if you intend to avoid ganking in favor of farming for late game luxury or if you're laning with Jereziah ot Swiftblade.
2) 1x Runes of Blight, Punch Dagger/Gloves of Haste(500) >>> Insanitarius >>> Steamboots
Use this if you plan to do a lot of ganking or be an early initiator for team battles.
3) Power Supply > Boots of Speed >>> Insanitarius >> Steamboots
I shouldn't need to say anything else, this is often one of the BEST items to start most ANY character with. It's actual worth varies on who you're laning against, but it has saved me countless times as well as deprived me a kill when one of my enemies used it properly.
What Items and why:
Items are listed in order of importance, top being most important, bottom being least important.
Ganking:
1) Insanitarius
2) Steamboots
3) Assassins Shroud/Brutalizer
4) Elder Parasite
5) Savage Mace/Shield Breaker
DPS:
1) Insanitarius
2) Steamboots
3) Elder Parasite
4) Savage Mace
Laning:
1) Ring of Sorcery
2) Runed Axe
3) Steamboots
I can't say enough good things about Insanitarius. +56 Damage, extra attack speed, bonus health to survive nukes, or just in general, and the best part is that if you're not being focused, Insanitarius will gradually tick up the effect of Hellbourne Zeal without outside influence. I wouldn't recommend ever playing Maliken without an Insanitarius by at LEAST the beginning of mid-game
Damage -
Overall -
http://honwiki.net/w/images/c/ca/Insanitariusitem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Insanitarius)
Insanitarius //// Will tick up Hellbourne Zeal for you, drastically increases your damage output. this is a CORE item for Maliken, no matter what build or items you choose, this should be one of them.
http://honwiki.net/w/images/8/8d/Runed_Axeitem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Runed_Axe)
Runed Axe //// The actual value of runed axe is greater for Maliken than a lot of other heroes. Sword Throw is your bread and butter, so this allows you to almost always have one ready when you need it, also helps counter the self inflicted damage from Sword of the Damned.
Not to mention you'll only need to take about 2-3 swings on any given target before a red sword throw will wipe out an entire creep wave for you.
A great choice for Maliken when not playing designated ganker for your team.
/note/ Runed Axe is like the red-headed step child of HoN, it's very love/hate. But, it IS effective on Maliken for a number of reasons, which are listed above.
Ganking/Initiation -
http://honwiki.net/w/images/2/2a/Assassin%27s_Shrouditem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Assassin%27s_Shroud)
Assassin's Shroud //// Always a great choice for anyone who intends on ganking. Also, if combined with the Active from Elder Parasite, you'll be outrunning the wind itself to get to where you need to be. Often beating the Miss call if combined with Sword Throw blinking to maximize your speed.
http://honwiki.net/w/images/a/a8/Shield_Breakeritem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Shield_Breaker)
Shield Breaker //// A great choice, brings an additional edge to team battles and makes 'In and Out' kills easier..
Ganking/Late game -
http://honwiki.net/w/images/7/79/Savage_Maceitem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Savage_Mace)
Savage Mace //// True Strike to counter evasion, a lot of damage, ministun. Generally a great choice.
Boots -
Overall -
http://honwiki.net/w/images/7/70/Steam_Bootsitem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Steam_Boots)
Steamboots – Maliken benefits more than most from ASP and the 10str is nothing to sneeze at. These are Malikens prime choice for boots as far as I'm concerned, the ASP, Extra Health and Damage coupled with the 70 Movespeed makes these feel like they were built for Maliken.
Ganking -
http://honwiki.net/w/images/1/10/Enhanced_Marchersitem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Enhanced_Marchers)
Enhanced Marchers – With Sword Throw, the phase effect isn't as appealing as it might have been otherwise.
Only get these if you're super intent on ganking, as they give you another edge for chasing AND escaping.
Pushing/Laning:
http://honwiki.net/w/images/a/a8/Post_Hasteitem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Post_Haste)
Post Haste – Unless you intend to spend most of your time in the jungle and pushing lanes, I wouldn't suggest these, even if you plan to do tons of ganking. With Sword Throw, it's just plain better to go with Steamboots OR Enhanced Marchers.
Supportive -
Ganking -
http://honwiki.net/w/images/f/fa/Brutalizeritem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Brutalizer)
Brutalizer – Adding a stun to your arsenal makes your enemies that much less likely to escape and also helps in team battles.
Pushing/Laning -
http://honwiki.net/w/images/3/33/Ring_of_Sorceryitem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Ring_of_Sorcery)
Ring of Sorcery – This is where a lot of people give me strange looks, but the value of 135 mana for your team can turn what might have been a lost tower into a counter-push. The value of an extra sword throw when you need it can also be invaluable if you get caught off guard with an empty mana pool.
Life Steal -
This is always a hotly debated topic no matter what hero is in question. If you want life steal, go for it, but you should go for Elder Parasite or work toward a Symbol of Rage while avoiding Abyssal Skull for a few reasons:
Going for Elder Parasite will compliment the way Maliken works very well and also allow you to get places more quickly when used strictly for the speed boost, making you a more powerful ganker.
Symbol of Rage if used properly will give you a second Health Bar to work with in team battles.
Both of these provide more personal benefit than Abyssal Skull, so if you plan on any ganking at all, avoid it.
Situational -
Shrunken Head. (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Shrunken_Head)
Shamans Headdress (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Shaman%27s_Headdress)
Barrier Idol. (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Barrier_Idol)
These are generally tanking items, but can often be worth picking up. Opposing team have Succubus and Thunder Bringer? Is their Devourer exceptionally great at snacking on people? Grab any of the above items if you aren't holding up long enough to be useful..
Be aware though, that Mystic Vestments for a mere 400g can often be enough to keep you going if you have a fully charged Power Supply ready or use Green sword throws properly.
DO NOT's:
Maliken is NOT a tank. Many people argue that he -IS- a tank because he is a strength hero, but being a Strength hero does not make you a tank. Maliken is no more of a tank than Pestilence or Kraken.
Legionnaire is a tank, Armadon is a tank, Zephyr should be built as a tank long before Maliken is.
Items you should avoid as a rule of thumb:
Warpcleft (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Warpcleft) - Though ASP is very important to Maliken, there are better ways to spend 2100g. if you want a pure ASP item, get Alchemists Bones early and use it's CD on Catman Champion, Minotaur, Vulture or enemy Siege Vehicles every chance you get.
Helm of the Black Legion (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Helm_of_the_Black_Legion) - Tanking item, you're not a tank and you shouldn't even get hit by a creep wave more than 3-4 times before you wipe them out if you go with a Runed Axe or Insanitarius instead. and it's effect is minimal once late game rolls around.
Shaman's Headdress (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Shaman%27s_Headdress) - Again, it's a tanking item, only get this if the enemy team is chewing you up, has a lot of strong AoE(Well played Hag+Glacius) or Focus Nukes you (Pyro+Moon Queen) every time. and even then, only buy this if Mystic Vestments won't cut it and nobody on your team is going for Barrier Idol.
Riftshards (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Riftshards) - You have built in crit, and very powerful built in crit at that, this is a waste of your gold.
Slayer (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Slayer) - See: "Riftshards"
Behemoth's Heart (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Behemoth%27s_Heart) - Yes, the 35 Strength is appealing for a lot of reasons, but if you can't think of a better way to invest 5500g, you need to take a look at Savage Mace and Shield Breaker.
Daemonic Breast Plate (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Daemonic_Breast_Plate) - Ridiculously expensive. This is a late game "Wait, don't kill their Shrine yet, I want to finish this item!" sort of affair. Nothing more.
Mock of Brilliance (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Mock_of_Brilliance) - You shouldn't need it's assistance against creep waves, personal DPS OR to finish off runners, so leave this one for Zephyr.
Hack and Slash (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Hack_and_Slash) - Yes, Maliken puts Str and Agi both to good use, and this item isn't the worst choice you could make, seeing as you don't need the additional slowing effect it provides, there are once again, better ways to spend your money.
Tactics:
1) Feinting
You're at 50% life and are being chased down by your enemy, switch to Life Essence, Sword Throw them, making sure to hit as many creep targets as possible (3 mob Neutral packs can be a great help if a creep wave isn't nearby) and turn the tides on them. If you have allies coming to aid you, blowing your ult and leaving Life Essence up will likely be the best approach to achieve your survival and their demise. A fully charged power supply is also invaluable for successful feinting.
2) Sword Throwing/Sword of the Damned
Sword throw should be used early and often when not ganking/initiating. It has a low cooldown, low mana cost, great range and huge damage. Use your Red Sword throw on enemy laning heroes often to wear them down. It's important to resist the urge to blink in and beat on the enemy heroes every time. Instead, wait until the sword is making it's return trip, blink to the creeps and fire up Life Essence and take back your lost health before backing up again.
Most people start backing up themselves when they see a sword coming at them just because of the inherant danger of Maliken blinking in and tearing them up, which means it will be harder to react with any serious damage when you attack the creeps.
Let your enemies get comfortable with this way of doing things, eventually they'll get into a comfort zone and won't expect it when you blink to them and drop the hammer.
It's also a good idea to let the sword come back some before you blink to the enemy hero, because they'll react expecting you to attack their creeps again and turn around. Instead of blinking BEHIND them, blink in FRONT of them, often they'll already have orders being executed, this is especially effective against Melee heroes who will often try to run around Maliken if they were ordered to attack creeps, giving you the same edge as having blinked behind them, but also exploiting the comfort zone you've placed them in, making them less likely to blow their escape skill immediately.
3) Into the trees!
Using trees or ledges to escape an enemy gank or to set up a gank of your own can be a great way to put your Sword Throw to great use.
Obviously, running down the river and teleporting over a ledge out of harms way is a simple, basic use for any blink spell, but placing yourself in certain areas where it will be impossible for you to be seen or detected can be exceptionally devastating to an unsuspecting enemy hero.
The blue dots on the map below indicate the best places to go to set up or avoid a gank. Note that some of these spots require that you immediately issue a 'Hold Position' command in order to keep Maliken from re-engaging his enemies, nearby creeps or simply to avoid the engine making him leave unpathable terrain.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/Latholorre/Hidenogank.jpg
Best Allies:
http://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/d/da/Swiftbladehero.gif/60px-Swiftbladehero.gifhttp://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/4/4f/Glaciushero.gif/60px-Glaciushero.gifhttp://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/2/22/Blacksmithhero.gif/60px-Blacksmithhero.gifhttp://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/f/f3/Demented_Shamanhero.gif/60px-Demented_Shamanhero.gifhttp://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/5/57/Jereziahhero.gif/60px-Jereziahhero.gif
Swiftblade - Almost a guaranteed First Blood if you work together well, your 6 second slow ensures they eat the full duration of Blade Frenzy every time.
Glacius - His aura, disable and slow coupled with your ability to chase and maim are a very lethal combonation.
Blacksmith - His stun and slow, much like Glacius, make the two of you a very monsterous force to be reackoned with. Not to mention Frenzy, which increases your attack speed; enhancing one of Malikens core needs.
Demented Shaman - Who doesn't love laning with this guy? Healing Wave coupled with Sword Throw ensures that not only will you be hammering away at their tower early, but you and your creeps will all go in at peak health. Not to mention he has a Slow and Ministun of his own and his ult has "Double Tap!" written all over it.
Jeraziah - Wear down your enemies with Sword Throw, then blink in and Jeraziah can cast Inner Light on you and end them, another great 'First Blood' laning team. His ult makes Tower Diving a breeze, Protective Charm can pull a gank out of the gutter and Righteous Strike adds a little more AoE to your already dominant Sword Throw
Worst Enemies:
http://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/8/89/Puppet_Masterhero.gif/60px-Puppet_Masterhero.gifhttp://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/7/77/Hammerstormhero.gif/60px-Hammerstormhero.gifhttp://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/0/02/Valkyriehero.gif/60px-Valkyriehero.gifhttp://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/3/35/Pharaohhero.gif/60px-Pharaohhero.gif
Puppet Master - He can hold you in place and with Whiplash easily force you to use your mana for healing instead of damage, his disable is also very troublesome without a dispel in your lane.
Hammerstorm - With his ult, It won't be long before he hits like.. well.. a Hammer, and a sledgehammer at that. His AoE stun is always troublesome and the extra armor and speed he can provide will often ensure you don't get away, even with max rank Sword Throw.
Valkyrie - A well played Valkyrie is always a pain no matter who you are. With her leap she's near impossible to chase, even for Maliken. She can also nullify your own escape with a well placed Javelin of Light and her burst damage with Call of the Valkyrie can be devastating against not only you, but your creeps (And therefore your towers) as well.
Pharoah - Wall of Mummies can make you near useless if used correctly, he'll eat your mana, wear you down and you won't be escaping or chasing anyone. Not to mention Hellfire, Tormented Soul and Wrath of the Pharoah are all capable of putting a very bad hurt on your and/or your partner.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/Latholorre/Maliken.jpg (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Maliken)
This is my first attempt at a guide, please share your own input, ideas and tactics and together, we can make this the best Maliken guide on the forums!
/Note/ When referring to Sword Throw, "Red" = Sword Throw with Enchanted Flames active. "Green" = Sword Throw with Life Essence Active
/Note2/ Better formatting and pictures coming soon.
Maliken: Skills and Statistics
Attack Type = Melee
Attack Damage = 44-50
Attack Range = 125
Movementspeed = 300
Armor = 1.90
MagicArmor = 5.5
Strength = 18
Agility = 20
Intelligence = 18
Strength per level = 2.4
Agility per level = 2.4
Intelligence per level = 1.7
Sword Throw
http://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/f/fc/Malikenskill1.gif/64px-Malikenskill1.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Maliken)
Target Position /// Enemy Units
Description: Maliken throws his sword, damaging enemies it hits. Maliken may teleport to his sword while it is in flight.
Type: Magic
Range: 700/850/1000/1200
Damage: 80/140/200/260 ///
Level 4 Red: 150/210/270/330 ///
Level 4 Green: 48/84/120/156 ///
Radius: 225
Mana: 110
Cool down: 13 Seconds
Additional effects: Targets damaged by Sword Throw are afflicted with 'Maimed' which initially slows their movement speed by 50%. Their move speed returns to normal over the course of 6 seconds.
Sword of the Damned
http://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/5/50/Malikenskill2.gif/64px-Malikenskill2.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Maliken)
Self Aura /// Passive
Description: Malikens legendary weapon; the Sword of the Damned, is capable of two different attack modes: Enchanted Flames grants him increased damage at the cost of his own health, while Life Essence grants him very high life steal at the cost of reduced damage.
Grants Maliken the ability to toggle on Enchanted Flames or Life Essence.
Enchanted Flame effects:
+10/20/30/40 Melee Damage, 5/10/15/20 True Damage to self per attack
+40/50/60/70 Sword Throw Damage, 25/30/35/40 True Damage to self per Sword Throw
The self inflicted damage will not occur if you are below 15% of your maximum health, nor will it bring you below 15% of your maximum health
Life Essence effects:
-10/20/30/40 Melee Damage, 10/20/30/40 Health restored per attack.
-40% Sword Throw damage, 10/20/30/40 Health restored for each target damaged by Sword Throw, will not heal for more than 300.
These skills can be toggled on or off for free and at your leisure, only one may be active at any given time, the active aura may be toggled off by clicking the active icon or pressing the assigned hotkey.
Hellbourne Zeal
http://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/3/36/Malikenskill3.gif/64px-Malikenskill3.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Maliken)
Self Aura /// Passive
Description: Maliken allows his wounds to fuel his rage; increasing his chance to critically strike his foes based on how much health he is missing.
x% chance for 1.2/1.4/1.6/1.8x Critical Strike.
Chance to critically strike an opponent is increased by 0.75% for every 1% of health Maliken is missing.
At 1% health, Maliken will have a 74% chance to critically strike an opponent.
At 30% health, Maliken will have roughly a 50% chance to critically strike an opponent.
At 50% health, Maliken will have roughly a 35% chance to critically strike an opponent.
At 75% health, Maliken will have roughly a 20% chance to critically strike an opponent.
/Notes/ this skill is actually one of the better 'built in' crit mechanics in the game and is extremely underrated by a lot of players. It's also one of the reasons that ASP is important to Maliken, attacking and critting quicker can put out more clutch burst damage in the situations where you and your opponent are both sub 30% health. The 1.2/1.4/1.6/1.8 damage modifiers, being lower than other critical multipliers also favor faster attacks for smaller criticals rather than the gargantuan criticals you might see on other heroes
Possesion
http://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/c/c1/Malikenskill4.gif/64px-Malikenskill4.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Maliken)
Self Shapshift /// Active
Description: Maliken allows himself to become possessed, transforming him into a full daemon temporarily. While in the form, Malikens attack becomes ranged and he attacks faster.
Mana: 100
Cool down: 90 Seconds
Effects: Attack Type changes to Ranged, with a range of 600.
Attack cool down reduced to 1.4 from 1.7. Additional effects:
Attacks are granted splash damage:
50%/75 AoE
35%/200AoE
20%/350AoE
Enemy heroes with a 400 Radius when Possesion is activated will be afflicted with 'Feared' for 2 seconds, increasing their movement speed by 40%, removing control from their user and causing them to flee at random.
Skill Build
1. Sword Throw
2. Sword of the Damned
3. Sword Throw
4. Sword of the Damned
5. Sword Throw
6. Possession (Don't skip this! It can mean Death or Escape when a gank squad comes calling.)
7. Sword Throw
8. Sword of the Damned
9. Sword of the Damned
10. Hellbourne's Zeal
11. Possession
12. Hellbourne's Zeal
13. Hellbourne's Zeal
14. Hellbourne's Zeal
15. Attribute Bonus
16. Possession
17-25. Attribute Bonus
There really isn't a lot of ways you can avoid this build in general unless you wanted to replace every rank of Zeal with Stats, and I personally wouldn't recommend it. Hellbourne Zeal can shift the balance of a gank initiated by either side for obvious reasons.
It's a simple case of “The more they hurt you, the more you hurt them.”
Item Builds:
You have several options for starting items, A few that always seem to go well for me is starting off with:
1) 1x Runes of Blight(90), Power Supply(494)> Sustainer > Steamboots > Runed Axe
Use this if you intend to avoid ganking in favor of farming for late game luxury or if you're laning with Jereziah ot Swiftblade.
2) 1x Runes of Blight, Punch Dagger/Gloves of Haste(500) >>> Insanitarius >>> Steamboots
Use this if you plan to do a lot of ganking or be an early initiator for team battles.
3) Power Supply > Boots of Speed >>> Insanitarius >> Steamboots
I shouldn't need to say anything else, this is often one of the BEST items to start most ANY character with. It's actual worth varies on who you're laning against, but it has saved me countless times as well as deprived me a kill when one of my enemies used it properly.
What Items and why:
Items are listed in order of importance, top being most important, bottom being least important.
Ganking:
1) Insanitarius
2) Steamboots
3) Assassins Shroud/Brutalizer
4) Elder Parasite
5) Savage Mace/Shield Breaker
DPS:
1) Insanitarius
2) Steamboots
3) Elder Parasite
4) Savage Mace
Laning:
1) Ring of Sorcery
2) Runed Axe
3) Steamboots
I can't say enough good things about Insanitarius. +56 Damage, extra attack speed, bonus health to survive nukes, or just in general, and the best part is that if you're not being focused, Insanitarius will gradually tick up the effect of Hellbourne Zeal without outside influence. I wouldn't recommend ever playing Maliken without an Insanitarius by at LEAST the beginning of mid-game
Damage -
Overall -
http://honwiki.net/w/images/c/ca/Insanitariusitem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Insanitarius)
Insanitarius //// Will tick up Hellbourne Zeal for you, drastically increases your damage output. this is a CORE item for Maliken, no matter what build or items you choose, this should be one of them.
http://honwiki.net/w/images/8/8d/Runed_Axeitem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Runed_Axe)
Runed Axe //// The actual value of runed axe is greater for Maliken than a lot of other heroes. Sword Throw is your bread and butter, so this allows you to almost always have one ready when you need it, also helps counter the self inflicted damage from Sword of the Damned.
Not to mention you'll only need to take about 2-3 swings on any given target before a red sword throw will wipe out an entire creep wave for you.
A great choice for Maliken when not playing designated ganker for your team.
/note/ Runed Axe is like the red-headed step child of HoN, it's very love/hate. But, it IS effective on Maliken for a number of reasons, which are listed above.
Ganking/Initiation -
http://honwiki.net/w/images/2/2a/Assassin%27s_Shrouditem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Assassin%27s_Shroud)
Assassin's Shroud //// Always a great choice for anyone who intends on ganking. Also, if combined with the Active from Elder Parasite, you'll be outrunning the wind itself to get to where you need to be. Often beating the Miss call if combined with Sword Throw blinking to maximize your speed.
http://honwiki.net/w/images/a/a8/Shield_Breakeritem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Shield_Breaker)
Shield Breaker //// A great choice, brings an additional edge to team battles and makes 'In and Out' kills easier..
Ganking/Late game -
http://honwiki.net/w/images/7/79/Savage_Maceitem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Savage_Mace)
Savage Mace //// True Strike to counter evasion, a lot of damage, ministun. Generally a great choice.
Boots -
Overall -
http://honwiki.net/w/images/7/70/Steam_Bootsitem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Steam_Boots)
Steamboots – Maliken benefits more than most from ASP and the 10str is nothing to sneeze at. These are Malikens prime choice for boots as far as I'm concerned, the ASP, Extra Health and Damage coupled with the 70 Movespeed makes these feel like they were built for Maliken.
Ganking -
http://honwiki.net/w/images/1/10/Enhanced_Marchersitem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Enhanced_Marchers)
Enhanced Marchers – With Sword Throw, the phase effect isn't as appealing as it might have been otherwise.
Only get these if you're super intent on ganking, as they give you another edge for chasing AND escaping.
Pushing/Laning:
http://honwiki.net/w/images/a/a8/Post_Hasteitem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Post_Haste)
Post Haste – Unless you intend to spend most of your time in the jungle and pushing lanes, I wouldn't suggest these, even if you plan to do tons of ganking. With Sword Throw, it's just plain better to go with Steamboots OR Enhanced Marchers.
Supportive -
Ganking -
http://honwiki.net/w/images/f/fa/Brutalizeritem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Brutalizer)
Brutalizer – Adding a stun to your arsenal makes your enemies that much less likely to escape and also helps in team battles.
Pushing/Laning -
http://honwiki.net/w/images/3/33/Ring_of_Sorceryitem.gif (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Ring_of_Sorcery)
Ring of Sorcery – This is where a lot of people give me strange looks, but the value of 135 mana for your team can turn what might have been a lost tower into a counter-push. The value of an extra sword throw when you need it can also be invaluable if you get caught off guard with an empty mana pool.
Life Steal -
This is always a hotly debated topic no matter what hero is in question. If you want life steal, go for it, but you should go for Elder Parasite or work toward a Symbol of Rage while avoiding Abyssal Skull for a few reasons:
Going for Elder Parasite will compliment the way Maliken works very well and also allow you to get places more quickly when used strictly for the speed boost, making you a more powerful ganker.
Symbol of Rage if used properly will give you a second Health Bar to work with in team battles.
Both of these provide more personal benefit than Abyssal Skull, so if you plan on any ganking at all, avoid it.
Situational -
Shrunken Head. (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Shrunken_Head)
Shamans Headdress (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Shaman%27s_Headdress)
Barrier Idol. (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Barrier_Idol)
These are generally tanking items, but can often be worth picking up. Opposing team have Succubus and Thunder Bringer? Is their Devourer exceptionally great at snacking on people? Grab any of the above items if you aren't holding up long enough to be useful..
Be aware though, that Mystic Vestments for a mere 400g can often be enough to keep you going if you have a fully charged Power Supply ready or use Green sword throws properly.
DO NOT's:
Maliken is NOT a tank. Many people argue that he -IS- a tank because he is a strength hero, but being a Strength hero does not make you a tank. Maliken is no more of a tank than Pestilence or Kraken.
Legionnaire is a tank, Armadon is a tank, Zephyr should be built as a tank long before Maliken is.
Items you should avoid as a rule of thumb:
Warpcleft (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Warpcleft) - Though ASP is very important to Maliken, there are better ways to spend 2100g. if you want a pure ASP item, get Alchemists Bones early and use it's CD on Catman Champion, Minotaur, Vulture or enemy Siege Vehicles every chance you get.
Helm of the Black Legion (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Helm_of_the_Black_Legion) - Tanking item, you're not a tank and you shouldn't even get hit by a creep wave more than 3-4 times before you wipe them out if you go with a Runed Axe or Insanitarius instead. and it's effect is minimal once late game rolls around.
Shaman's Headdress (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Shaman%27s_Headdress) - Again, it's a tanking item, only get this if the enemy team is chewing you up, has a lot of strong AoE(Well played Hag+Glacius) or Focus Nukes you (Pyro+Moon Queen) every time. and even then, only buy this if Mystic Vestments won't cut it and nobody on your team is going for Barrier Idol.
Riftshards (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Riftshards) - You have built in crit, and very powerful built in crit at that, this is a waste of your gold.
Slayer (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Slayer) - See: "Riftshards"
Behemoth's Heart (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Behemoth%27s_Heart) - Yes, the 35 Strength is appealing for a lot of reasons, but if you can't think of a better way to invest 5500g, you need to take a look at Savage Mace and Shield Breaker.
Daemonic Breast Plate (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Daemonic_Breast_Plate) - Ridiculously expensive. This is a late game "Wait, don't kill their Shrine yet, I want to finish this item!" sort of affair. Nothing more.
Mock of Brilliance (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Mock_of_Brilliance) - You shouldn't need it's assistance against creep waves, personal DPS OR to finish off runners, so leave this one for Zephyr.
Hack and Slash (http://honwiki.net/wiki/Hack_and_Slash) - Yes, Maliken puts Str and Agi both to good use, and this item isn't the worst choice you could make, seeing as you don't need the additional slowing effect it provides, there are once again, better ways to spend your money.
Tactics:
1) Feinting
You're at 50% life and are being chased down by your enemy, switch to Life Essence, Sword Throw them, making sure to hit as many creep targets as possible (3 mob Neutral packs can be a great help if a creep wave isn't nearby) and turn the tides on them. If you have allies coming to aid you, blowing your ult and leaving Life Essence up will likely be the best approach to achieve your survival and their demise. A fully charged power supply is also invaluable for successful feinting.
2) Sword Throwing/Sword of the Damned
Sword throw should be used early and often when not ganking/initiating. It has a low cooldown, low mana cost, great range and huge damage. Use your Red Sword throw on enemy laning heroes often to wear them down. It's important to resist the urge to blink in and beat on the enemy heroes every time. Instead, wait until the sword is making it's return trip, blink to the creeps and fire up Life Essence and take back your lost health before backing up again.
Most people start backing up themselves when they see a sword coming at them just because of the inherant danger of Maliken blinking in and tearing them up, which means it will be harder to react with any serious damage when you attack the creeps.
Let your enemies get comfortable with this way of doing things, eventually they'll get into a comfort zone and won't expect it when you blink to them and drop the hammer.
It's also a good idea to let the sword come back some before you blink to the enemy hero, because they'll react expecting you to attack their creeps again and turn around. Instead of blinking BEHIND them, blink in FRONT of them, often they'll already have orders being executed, this is especially effective against Melee heroes who will often try to run around Maliken if they were ordered to attack creeps, giving you the same edge as having blinked behind them, but also exploiting the comfort zone you've placed them in, making them less likely to blow their escape skill immediately.
3) Into the trees!
Using trees or ledges to escape an enemy gank or to set up a gank of your own can be a great way to put your Sword Throw to great use.
Obviously, running down the river and teleporting over a ledge out of harms way is a simple, basic use for any blink spell, but placing yourself in certain areas where it will be impossible for you to be seen or detected can be exceptionally devastating to an unsuspecting enemy hero.
The blue dots on the map below indicate the best places to go to set up or avoid a gank. Note that some of these spots require that you immediately issue a 'Hold Position' command in order to keep Maliken from re-engaging his enemies, nearby creeps or simply to avoid the engine making him leave unpathable terrain.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/Latholorre/Hidenogank.jpg
Best Allies:
http://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/d/da/Swiftbladehero.gif/60px-Swiftbladehero.gifhttp://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/4/4f/Glaciushero.gif/60px-Glaciushero.gifhttp://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/2/22/Blacksmithhero.gif/60px-Blacksmithhero.gifhttp://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/f/f3/Demented_Shamanhero.gif/60px-Demented_Shamanhero.gifhttp://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/5/57/Jereziahhero.gif/60px-Jereziahhero.gif
Swiftblade - Almost a guaranteed First Blood if you work together well, your 6 second slow ensures they eat the full duration of Blade Frenzy every time.
Glacius - His aura, disable and slow coupled with your ability to chase and maim are a very lethal combonation.
Blacksmith - His stun and slow, much like Glacius, make the two of you a very monsterous force to be reackoned with. Not to mention Frenzy, which increases your attack speed; enhancing one of Malikens core needs.
Demented Shaman - Who doesn't love laning with this guy? Healing Wave coupled with Sword Throw ensures that not only will you be hammering away at their tower early, but you and your creeps will all go in at peak health. Not to mention he has a Slow and Ministun of his own and his ult has "Double Tap!" written all over it.
Jeraziah - Wear down your enemies with Sword Throw, then blink in and Jeraziah can cast Inner Light on you and end them, another great 'First Blood' laning team. His ult makes Tower Diving a breeze, Protective Charm can pull a gank out of the gutter and Righteous Strike adds a little more AoE to your already dominant Sword Throw
Worst Enemies:
http://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/8/89/Puppet_Masterhero.gif/60px-Puppet_Masterhero.gifhttp://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/7/77/Hammerstormhero.gif/60px-Hammerstormhero.gifhttp://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/0/02/Valkyriehero.gif/60px-Valkyriehero.gifhttp://honwiki.net/w/images/thumb/3/35/Pharaohhero.gif/60px-Pharaohhero.gif
Puppet Master - He can hold you in place and with Whiplash easily force you to use your mana for healing instead of damage, his disable is also very troublesome without a dispel in your lane.
Hammerstorm - With his ult, It won't be long before he hits like.. well.. a Hammer, and a sledgehammer at that. His AoE stun is always troublesome and the extra armor and speed he can provide will often ensure you don't get away, even with max rank Sword Throw.
Valkyrie - A well played Valkyrie is always a pain no matter who you are. With her leap she's near impossible to chase, even for Maliken. She can also nullify your own escape with a well placed Javelin of Light and her burst damage with Call of the Valkyrie can be devastating against not only you, but your creeps (And therefore your towers) as well.
Pharoah - Wall of Mummies can make you near useless if used correctly, he'll eat your mana, wear you down and you won't be escaping or chasing anyone. Not to mention Hellfire, Tormented Soul and Wrath of the Pharoah are all capable of putting a very bad hurt on your and/or your partner.