Opinions on my Parasite [In-Game] Guide

[RufRemraf]

http://www.heroesofnewerth.com/heroesguide_view.php?gid=50275

Looking for feedback, as I recently discovered parasite, and now he is my favorite character. I have tried out several builds, and I find that getting an early storm spirit is invaluable, and gives the character so much utility along with massive mana regen which I find he needs.

Any feedback to the guide itself, or perhaps something that would make me a better parasite player is very welcome :).

[XtaZ`y]

Storm is an ok pick-up I guess, but I prefer to build parasite a different way in nearly every game. Usually I build up puzzlebox 3 or hellflower, as these items give the most utility for parasite, as you can be very useful in teamfights with these. Helps bursting down people, reveal invis heroes, huge silence for hellflower, you can jump into the puzzle box minions etc.

Codex is good for pubs, but apart from bursting someone, won't do much for the rest of the teamfight though. Creeps suggestions are ok, don't forget the catman as the best creep you can get early on, the vagabond leader and the vulture lord are good to clean up the stacks you have eventually made (helps a lot your early farm). Apart from this, seems good, 6.5/10.

[HoRRoR]

^not
codex is always core imo,... u can kill any hero with an upgraded codex, its like a 5n4 in teamfights
even in lategame its so much damage, saying that codex is a pub item,.... ahahhaa :))) lol'd hard

[AntiGravity]

Chalice, Phase boots, Codex/Puzzle box. Any other build is inferior.

[RickJamesB_]

Infest a creep at 0:00.... They spawn at 0:30

[Codex_4u]

Stormspirit isn't an item that synergizes with him very well. He doesn't need a lot of mana. He doesn't really make use of 3 seconds... he uses infest to escape and its not going to go off cd in 3 seconds...

Other items that work well (some already mentioned) Hellflower, Puzzlebox, Codex , and Spellshards... If you like being more elusive Spellshards will decrease your Infest's cooldown while also increasing the damage from his ult and slow.

On the leveling the 2nd level of infest is debatable but ultimately works fine either way.

[Thornum]

Infest a creep at 0:00.... They spawn at 0:30

Fail troll is fail? Or baddy is bad?

@OP: consider not eating that creep. Unable to check atm, but the well heals your mana back regardless of being in a creep or not, and while being in that creep, your movement speed is higher through the Infest buff.

This healing thing also goes for potions etc btw, they continue while in a creep. You can pop a manapot, infest, and the manapot will keep healing YOUR mana.

Other tip I'd give is (when legion at least) go to the most east hard creep camp first, so you can make the 0:55 stack for the pulling camp, after which you could consider pulling at 1:15, guaranteed denied lane. Ofc this only works when it is not warded, but it's very helpful for that solo laner at bot.

[Mr_Rogers]

The point of codex is to get it early so you rape the lanes causing demoralization of the enemy team so they concede before it gets to late game. But even so he is amazing at taking out agi/int carries. A flint/EW are tasty morsels for me. Plus he still hits like a truck because of his third skill so after you blow someone up you can still put out some good damage in the teamfight if you haven't been blown up, just make sure you take out a high priority target with your burst first.

[PrestonLee]

with the way Codex works on Parasite, it's nasty even end-game; 1k damage nuke on low cooldown (w/ Spellshards or Hellflower, or both) is definitely not something to just pass off as a pub item.

and though Parasite can do well with survivability, it's not really something required. even end game just staying in a Catapult until it's time to pop out is very safe unless you got caught by sticking way out for that physical ranged carry to devour you, which means you failed as a melee anyway.

and my personal preference I always get :RingOfTheTeacher: :stri: :ManaBattery: as core, even if I'm aiming for Codex, Striders early just works extremely well with the way Parasite exits Creeps as the charge timer won't reset while you're in one; this allows tons of mobility early game for you to get around and roam gank and do some work with ease (which is how he SHOULD be played). Parasite's one of my most played and from my experience he really does not need a Chalice, the RotT and a mana battery is enough to let him effectively do his job. You may need to buy a mana pot or three but come mid game I really feel Chalice is just overkill and wasted gold.

Stormspirit is never HORRIBLE if used properly, but I just don't see the synergy with Parasite unless you're grabbing Portal key as they work very well with each other as an escape mech.

[Ghidoran]

You don't need Spellshards. You don't need Storm Spirit either, actually. It doesn't give Parasite anything that would make it a core pickup. Codex/Puzzlebox are the better choices. Portal Key also seems highly unnecessary. I would think Shrunken/Hellflower and obviously Kuldra are better choices.

[PrestonLee]

there's a HUGE DPS burst difference between having a Spellshards and no Spellshards, along with a pretty significant cooldown reduction (you'll notice the difference as you can spam Q much more often, and your ult AND Codex sometimes even more than once per teamfight) ; with that said, I agree in certain situations it's not needed. Imo better to pick up items like::AbyssalSkull: :Puzzlebox: :Hellflower: :SolsBulwark:, hell :FrostwolfsSkull: :FrostfieldPlate: :KuldrasSheepstick: :DaemonicBreastplate :Mock:. Shrunken, meh, why? Yes, Situational if you're gonna disintegrate after you jump in, but not really necessary otherwise. and Imho if you're grabbing Hotbl on Parasite you're playing him wrong, but that's just my opinion.

[RufRemraf]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I think I am going to try some different builds out and see what I like. I like building ghost marchers early because I can split it to finish codex 1000g earlier, but I might give striders a try some game and see how I like it. I have actually never built codex first, but I might try that as well just to see what happens.

I really like the early mana regen that building a stormspirit gives. Once I have +10 int, scarab, and ring of the teacher I never have mana issues even if I am dumping mana into ganking like once a minute. Leveling W or E at level 4 depends on how the game is going and who I am ganking. If I feel I can kill them without the extra damage from E I just go more W for faster jungling. At 9 I am always 4/2/2/1 though, however I level before that.

I find stormspirit changes games so often though (Especially early). My favorite use for it is when valk lands a 5 second stun on my carry, and I prevent him from dying with it. Makes him less of a 1-trick pony IMO. With this build almost every game, I am sitting at an 80% win with him; albeit at around the 1700 range.

On a side note, this guy makes me not want to play anything else, he is just too much fun. He went from like 0% played to 15% played for me in like a week.

[S3LO]

I always rush codex, I see para as a nuker, if u dont instantly takes someone down you are useless.
Then I would get puzzlebox for more survivability / rapeage with minions / push

[Codex_4u]

On the boots, am I the only person that builds phase into codex then makes steamboots? You all realize he gets extra movement speed from infest + his ult is a gap closer + his slow (which increases your speed and slows enemies)..... phase boots are probably the last boots I would pick for him.... striders i can see as a roaming tool.

[HoRRoR]

why steamboots, u ve enough mana with chalice/codex

its much easier to roam/gank with phase, ur not 24/7 in a creep, and also if u slow, u get more attacks out with phase, then with steamboots.

[Codex_4u]

why steamboots, u ve enough mana with chalice/codex

its much easier to roam/gank with phase, ur not 24/7 in a creep, and also if u slow, u get more attacks out with phase, then with steamboots.


You get the steamboots and put them on STR... it's pretty much the only HP item you get for this guy.
Phase will move you quicker, but you dont need the extra boost to speed with parasites skillset.
Steamboots actually gives you more attacks as you hit faster and you can withstand a little more punishment from the enemy. They also increase the speed at which you clear jungle camps.

[RufRemraf]

You get the steamboots and put them on STR... it's pretty much the only HP item you get for this guy.
Phase will move you quicker, but you dont need the extra boost to speed with parasites skillset.
Steamboots actually gives you more attacks as you hit faster and you can withstand a little more punishment from the enemy. They also increase the speed at which you clear jungle camps.


Parasite's base attack speed is about once every 1.54 seconds (.69 attacks per second). At level 6 (Around when I complete boots in an average game), he has 25 agility, and 65 average attack damage with no items. The formula for attack speed is (1 + (Agi + IAS) / 100) / base attack time.

Steam Boots on Strength nets us:

1.50 / 1.54 = .97 attacks per second
65 damage * .97 = 63 DPS

Phase Boots nets us:

1.25 / 1.54 = .82 attacks per second
(65 + 24) damage * 73 DPS

So the concept that you are doing more damage, or clearing jungle camps faster (While in a creep neither boots matter anyway) is completely flawed. Even if you put the steam boots on int you are doing the same exact damage as if you had phase, but you are slower moving, lacking unit walking, and do less damage per attack (Matters against buckler/helm). Still a matter of preference, but I find parasite's strength gain of 2.6 (Which is higher than about 1/3rd of the Strength Hero pool) to be sufficient at giving survivability.

Steam Boots on Int nets us:
1.50 / 1.54 = .97 attacks per second
(65 + 10) damage * .97 = 73 DPS

[Rkey]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAKPqpN85-I

Go children, play like never before.