Ophelia -- The MMO-Gold Farmer edition

[seanb]

Disclaimer: This is by no means the best guide available. We can all agree that it is in fact the ugliest one possible. This is how I play Ophelia. It may not work for you or in all situations!

I'm not one for fancy introductions. I'm certainly not very good at writing and I'm pretty awful at Heroes of Newerth. I, however, feel that the strategy forum is an invaluable resource to new players. That being said, this is my contribution.




I. Background/General Concepts
Ophelia is an intellect hero. She is a port from the DOTA hero Chen. This means that in order to excel with Ophelia, you'll require the same skillset that Chen players did. This involves:
-Decent Micro
-Patience
-Global Hero Awareness
-A love for the forests outside your base.

Micro:
This hero is very micro dependent. I recommend you be accustomed to hotkeys. I use the following hero/creep hotkey assignments:
1: Ophelia
2: All 3 controlled creeps
3: Ophelia + Creeps
Be able to cycle through them quickly. It is very important that you can use these hotkeys and control your creeps and heroes independently. The creeps are a very important part to your success in the first 30-40minutes of the game and can be a deciding factor in the late game.

Ganking:
Ophelia ganking is a bit different than an average hero. You'll need to be able to micro your creeps and hero while communicating with your teammates. Sometimes the best course of action involves splitting Ophelia from her creeps so they can flank a hero. This is where hotkeys come in handly. You can quickly select all of your creeps to sneak around behind an enemy hero while you send Ophelia in front to distract them. Then you get to create the Ophelia sandwich! Close in with creeps while chasing with Ophelia. If you listened and hung onto those Minotaur creeps you now get 6seconds of stun if done properly! I've yet to see a hero last through that in the early to mid game stage of the game.

Hero Awareness:
Hero awareness can mean two things in the scope of the guide. Firstly, Ophelia's ultimate ability is a global heal for your teammates. You need to be ready to use this at the drop of the hat. Secondly, you are very vulnerable to ganking while neutral creeping. you'll want to note any missing heroes, especially those in a lane near you.


II. Start of the Game (Level ~1-5)
Items: Ward of Sightx1, Monkey Courierx1, Runes of the Blightx2
Skill: Command
Focus: Neutral Creeping (aka Jungling)

***Share your courier with your teammates.***

Ophelia's main strength is her ability to jungle at the start of the game. She is able to farm relatively unimpeded in the jungle. She is able to maintain an even level with the rest of the heroes while allowing 2 heroes on her team to solo a lane.

Begin by planting one Ward of Sight within vision of the nearest rune spawn to your jungle. This varies by map and side. For example, if you are playing the Legion side of Forests of Caldavar you would place your Ward in the river on the right hand side of the map.

You'll then want to stay around there until about the 25second mark, neutral creeps spawn at the 30second mark, then head to the nearest light or dark orange camp. Command the large creep and proceed to let them tank the damage while you toss in some damage. Rinse and repeat. From time to time you'll need to micro(controlling a unit) your low HP pet away from the neutrals. This minimizes the damage it will take and if done properly will allow you to continue attacking with Ophelia.


III. Early Game (Level ~6-11)
Items: Steam Boots(Str/Int)
Commanded Creeps(3): Minotaurs and/or Catmen Neutrals
Focus: Neutral Creeping and Lane ganks

At this point, you should have a feel for the hero. Continue to farm the neutrals. If your bottom or mid lane needs assistance, bring your army of neutrals to bear on those harassing your teammates. You'll notice the Commanded creeps listed as Minotaur or Catmen, this is because they are the highest damage creeps and offer a unique spell that will enhance your arsenal. The AoE stomp! Minotaur off a Stun AoE stomp and Catmen offer the Slow AoE stomp. They are both very high DPS neutrals and can easily solo a hero silly enough to stand near them at this level.

The Steam Boots should be toggled between Int and Str based on the situation. If you are going to gank a hero or feel a gank is coming, toggle them to Str. If you are just farming toggle them to Int for the additional damage.


IV. Mid Game (Level ~11-18)
Items: Steam Boots(Str), Wildflower, Whispering Helm
Commanded Creeps(3+): Minotaurs and/or Catmen Neutrals
Focus: Lane Pushing and Lane/Hero ganks

This is where you should have a rather large margin in items. You've been farming, usually unimpeded, for about 25-30minutes or more. You may even have a hero kill or two. Wildflower is an incredible damage boost and the silence is priceless when facing enemy heroes. You'll also enjoy Ophelia's nuke, Ophelia's Judgement, which can do a very large amount of burst when coupled with the aftereffect of Wildflower's silence and Nature's Wrath.

You should now start to push lanes with your team. You're looking for a team fight at this point, you should have a hero level advantage due to 2 in part to 2 solo heroes. Your neutral creeps are also still putting out quite a bit of damage, which the other team isn't always prepared for. You want to end the game here or at the very least take down a tower or two and a barracks. You are not a carry. You do not scale as well to the end game.


V. Late Game (Level ~18-25)
Items: Steam Boots(str), Wildflower, Whispering Helm, Shieldbreaker, Daemonic Breast Plate and/or Behemoth's Heart
Commanded Creeps(3+): Minotaurs, Catmen, Aura Neutrals
Focus: Lane pushes, Team fights, Hero ganks

This isn't a phase of the game you want to proceed into without the upperhand. Hopefully you had a successful mid game and took the lead, otherwise you're in for a nail biter. Continue doing what you were doing in the mid game. At this point you should expect all fights to be a team fight. Use your Wildflower to silence a nuker (Pyromancer, etc) or support (Demented Shaman, etc). You'll want to put Nature's Wrath on the main target for the slow and additional damage when it wears off. Use Ophelia's Judgement to finish off low HP heroes.

Your commanded creeps at this point aren't your damage output. They play the role of aura support (movement speed, attack speed, and damage increase) or AoE stun. This doesn't mean they are useless, but they should be used in a support capacity as opposed to sheer damage. They make excellent obstacles to block pathing of enemy heroes as well.


VI. Skill Placement
1. Command
2. Nature's Wrath
3. Command
4. Nature's Wrath
5. Command
6. Ophelia's Touch
7. Nature's Wrath
8. Nature's Wrath
9. Ophelia's Judgement*
10. Ophelia's Judgement
11. Ophelia's Touch
12. Ophelia's Judgement
13. Ophelia's Judgement
14. Stats
15. Stats
16. Ophelia's Touch
17-24. Stats
25. Command
*: You may want to spend one point in Ophelia's Judgement before level 9 to teleport heroes and creeps to the pool.


VII. Item Progression
This is the order in which I purchase my items. Remember to use your courier to get them to your hero in the jungle! Anything that speeds up your creeping is a good thing.

Steam Boots:
-Marchers
-Gloves of the Swift
-Bolstering Armbands
-Recipe

Wildflower:
-Steam Staff x3
-Apprentice Robe
-Scarab
-Apprentice Robe
-Scarab
-Apprentice Robe
-Scarab

Whispering Helm
-Hungry Spirit
-Helm of the Victim

Shieldbreaker
-Warhammer x2
-Recipe

Optional Items:

Daemonic Brest Plate - Higher dps for Ophelia and teammates.
-Warpcleft
-Plate Mail
-Ring Mail
-Recipe

Behemoth's Heart - Larger HP pool to survive burst oriented teams.
-Axe of the Malphai
-Beast Heart
-Recipe

Shaman's Headdress - Magic armor to avoid magic burst.
-Mystic Vestments
-Helm of the Victim
-Trinket of Restoration x2

[seanb]

I might make it look better with colors and better formatting in the future. Who knows!

Reserving this though. :]

[FuzzyWuzzy]

Nice item build :D

/sarcasm

[Vadi]

Thanks, I'll try giving this a try. Personally I find micro here harder because the camera jumps upon you changing the unit selection - it's somewhat disorienting.

[FuzzyWuzzy]

Thanks, I'll try giving this a try. Personally I find micro here harder because the camera jumps upon you changing the unit selection - it's somewhat disorienting.

Please do NOT try this guide at home kids :) Even if you are in a pub game.
Go for Meka, Codex, Puzzle Box, anything else than the items suggested in this guide. Even a Nullfire Blade is better to Purge opposing heroes.

Ophelia is a support hero. Play her as one, don't try to dps with Wildflower and Shieldbraker. If you wanna kill heroes in pubs, at least get Codex and go insta-gib everyone.

[DnaK]

About to give this a try, I've been wanting to learn to play Ophelia but I gave up pretty quickly.

Not the best looking guide, but it gets the information across so who cares? :D

Edit: Just read the post above me, and I'll keep that in mind too. You comment on the items but do you find the general skill build alright?

[FuzzyWuzzy]

About to give this a try, I've been wanting to learn to play Ophelia but I gave up pretty quickly.

Not the best looking guide, but it gets the information across so who cares? :D

Edit: Just read the post above me, and I'll keep that in mind too. You comment on the items but do you find the general skill build alright?

Skills build for Ophelia don't have a lot of variety due to the fact that you have to get Command and the slow early on.

So yeah, the build is fine, even though I think Command now gives you regen on the creeps for more stun/slow, so I think level 4 should be taken (double check the tool-tip)

[Glorify1]

The information just screams bad player, and in all honesty if you're looking to improve following this guide is not the way to go. If you're looking for the lulz though, you could use it.

[DnaK]

Skills build for Ophelia don't have a lot of variety due to the fact that you have to get Command and the slow early on.

So yeah, the build is fine, even though I think Command now gives you regen on the creeps for more stun/slow, so I think level 4 should be taken (double check the tool-tip)

Thanks for the tip, about to try and five Ophelia a quick try. I took the items with a grain of salt when I saw the hellflower. I actually scrolled up to see if it was still the Ophelia guide I was looking at.

[Kynth]

Yo, dps chen, get some... oh crap, it's buriza in DotA x2.2 crit with her judgement and her nuke with a codex and some steamboots for the atk spd is gg them with ophelia's high normal dmg. Course this isnt a support chen, you'll need a good support team that can go without you going support. Since your not getting the nuetral creeps, get some stats+ instead of the control, for some hp, max your judgement and then nuke. Probably not too hot in competitive, but it's fun in pubs.

[Blu3]

Nice guide but Ophelia is currently a pain to play because of the 'not-so-good' way you can group your minios/hero. There have been countless threads about this issue but no confirmation. I hope S2 plans on changing that. For new DotA/HoN players, it's nearly impossible to play her efficiently atm because of that problem.

[DnaK]

Nice guide but Ophelia is currently a pain to play because of the 'not-so-good' way you can group your minios/hero. There have been countless threads about this issue but no confirmation. I hope S2 plans on changing that. For new DotA/HoN players, it's nearly impossible to play her efficiently atm because of that problem.

Yeah, I've been trying her a bit now but it's a little tricky to keep up with minions, especially get them to work together. I usually tab through them and get them at least close to each other, then select them all that way. I didn't really see an option under controls to select them all automatically, but please tell me if there is one :confused:

[seanb]

I said it wasn't for everyone. I enjoy my dps Ophelia. I also mentioned that I was terrible at HoN. The support Ophelia is far more boring to play. I would be more than willing to list an alternate item list for one if you would prefer.

Also for those crying "pub baddie", first off, yes. Secondly, I wouldn't play Ophelia in an inhouse or an arranged game. There are better picks for those types of games.


The information just screams bad player, and in all honesty if you're looking to improve following this guide is not the way to go. If you're looking for the lulz though, you could use it.

The fact that you said lulz makes me want to ignore this post so much. Instead I'll humor you, following the train of thought that there is only one way to play a hero is a silly notion. There may be a way most people have success with, but it is hardly the only way you can play a hero. Some people want to play the game to have fun, playing new builds is an excellent way to do that. I understand if you can play the same ~40 heroes in the same fashion every time you get them, but I can't. The game gets far too boring.


Nice guide but Ophelia is currently a pain to play because of the 'not-so-good' way you can group your minios/hero. There have been countless threads about this issue but no confirmation. I hope S2 plans on changing that. For new DotA/HoN players, it's nearly impossible to play her efficiently atm because of that problem.

What do you specifically have the problem with? It feels very similar to the WC3 grouping. You still have to tab through your minions, but that really isn't a problem. The only annoying part is how you can't arrange them within the control group, so it leaves you stuck with whatever the game decides is best. Regardless, if you have 3 minotaurs(which is the only option imo) then it really doesn't matter. They should all reach melee range at the same time and then you can begin the Q+Tab cycle as needed. :]

[Kietharr]

Item build is somewhat poor, personally I go:
start with ring of the teacher and runes of blight

farm to astrolabe,and get the standard couple of bracers and marchers. Astrolabe is the one item I always get no matter the situation, the heal is essential to your creeps and helps support pushes, and as ophelia you should be encouraging your team to start pushing earlier, get a wolf commander for the damage aura and two other good creeps and you eat towers alive.

After your core build, decide which of these to get based on situation:

Puzzlebox if enemy has any invisible heroes

Totem of Kundra if they don't have invis heroes and it's a close game, the disable when properly used can really turn the tide of teamfights

Codex if you're destroying them anyways and want to KS more

Also buy wards, you're very item independent and you'll frequently be ganking and jungling so you'll constantly be near the ward spots.

[Sw4n]

i assure you support ophelia is much more fun to play. farming is not fun. you should be having so much fun that you never even come close to farming any of those items.

[rhodric1]

I like this build...for pubs.

[seanb]

i assure you support ophelia is much more fun to play. farming is not fun. you should be having so much fun that you never even come close to farming any of those items.

In no way is it tough to farm the items I listed, maybe I'm just used to it? After farming the Steam Boots and Wildflower I spend a lot more time ganking. Nature's Wrath + Wildflower silence + Nuke and regular damage takes down a lot of heroes very quickly. Not to mention a very strong 6s of stun from minotaurs.

I used to play Chen as support, however I enjoy playing Ophelia offensively.

[j00sh]

yeah, jungle ophelia really can farm at ridiculous speeds, and you can easily set up ganks here and there just with her slow spell and 3 strong creeps.. money isn't a problem

I pretty much always had this same playstyle as chen except even while playing extremely offensive I still got mek and sheepstick asap

[Kitsunesama]

I honestly go for Ring of Teacher, then work towards finishing the skull with the AE life tap aura.

Then I get Whispering Wind helm asap to get the 4th creep.

Nothing ganks harder than a 4 mino chain stun.


I play with a Nymph who knows how to perfectly teleport in and stun with her Zeal, so I don't even really have to worry about positioning the pets for a flank.

I do that to double up on people in a lane when they least expect it. If I come from the forest, scare them towards their tower, but Nymph teleports in first and stuns, it's game over for them.


Getting one wolf is good for a creep charge. We won a game earlier because, although our foes were on average 7 levels higher, including a 24 Mad Man, I built up a massive creep army from the south lane while my two allies played decoy in the middle.


Ended up with about 15 creesp + my 4 pets all being buffed by my wolf and mino aruas and my life tap, armor, et all auras. Obliterated their towers and base in about 30 seconds.