Night Hound fail

[pilf]

Skillbuild HAS to be blink/cloud.
You may leave cloud at level 1 or 2 and max backstab then, but Blink (pounce) has to be maxed ASAP coz THIS is your source of damage and escape in the early game.

And don't ****ing get steamboots. 13 agi = 13/26 extra damage, OH GREAT. What a bullshit.

Get Phasers. They provide you 12 damage but also 30 IAS, and (the best thing) phaseability. Thats what night hound needs: movespeed to chase em down.

Nullfireblade is a MUST.
You can add a single slash if you need even moar movespeed and a little damage.

After that you may buy Manta style(geometers bane) and plz, dont ever ever ever get shitty items like Sustainer and runed axe. You DONT need that mana/hp regen.
Nullfire provides more mana than you'll ever need.
And DONT get Abyssal Skull. It reveals your location because of aura.

Skills:
Pounce
Cloud
Pounce
Cloud/Backstab
Pounce
Invis
Pounce
Cloud/Backstab
Cloud/Backstab
and so on...

Items:
Iron Shield (MUST!! Start with 2x Duck Boots and get an Iron Buckler from the Sideshop. Iron Shield helps you reach level 6)
Power Supply (MUST!! Gives you the mana/hp in teamfights that you may need for another blink/cloud)
1-2 Soulscream Rings
Phase Boots (MUST)
Nullfire Blade (MUST)
Slash (optional)
Geometers bane (optional, only if you purchased Slash. But provides good Hitpoints, survivability due to illusions and extra damage)
Wingbow (super luxury lategame)
Beastheart (you may add one, if you need a cheap HP boost and use it for Behemoth's Heart later (super luxury lategame))
Flayer (super luxury lategame)


Dont ever get:
Sustainer (provides no stats... You dont need the ****ing reg coz it wont save you in fight)
Runed Axe (too expensive. sustainer sux. waste of money and provides no damage)
Abyssal Skull (reveals your position. Let a teammate buy this for you, if you need)
Steamboots (you need agi, okay, and 13 Agi for the price is good but Phasers are just way better. Dont ever get Steamboots)

[[AxQ]Stillwater]

I used to play him a lot (in Dota really) and I used to go for:
.Slash (Sasha)
.Steamboots (I played him before the nerf, so u might want to change his for enhanced marchers)
.Nullfire Blade
.Lifesteal (usually Abysall skull)
.Buriza (that axe that gives u chance of x2 critical)

I do not worry much for HP because u r not gonna be a tank anyway and if u r spotted and focused u'll probably end up dead.
Of course u could get a Shaman if getting nuked, and it might sound ridiculous but a Bound Eye can come out handy for spotting wards.

[Narrenils]

I usually level up pounce and backstab first, with 1 level in smoke.

I buy 1 health potion, 3 runes, 2* 2 soulcream rings, steamboots (yes, I buy them over phase...), slash&hack, nullfire, and then whatever feels right in the game. I see above, not everyone's cup of tea, but worked well for me so far. (yes yes, in pub games).

[LightRain]

@pilf, you mention one thing steamboots does and the three things enhanced does. steam also gives you armour, more passive speed that doesn't break invis, and you can toggle it between health, damage, and mana. Whether that balances out or not I don't care, but make a complete comparison.

[Iceburns]

Enhanced Marchers, Hack and Slash, Abyssal Skull, DotA's equivalent to Butterfly.
Well, the trick is getting as much as agility and damage as you can.

[Harkon]

If there is a scout on the other team getting a bound eye is essential. It shows you his electric eyes and the scout. This will stop him using his electric eyes against you and makes him unaware you're about to pwn him.
EDIT: It doesn't really matter which boots you get, enhanced marchers will break sleath for night hound so they aren't too good.

[[N0S]Kowzorz]

I'm pretty psyched about the upgradeable shield they put in. I usually start with 2 duck boots and a shield. Soloing as NH works splendidly. No stupid stun combos and you can get to lvl 6 for invis asap and start your ganking spree.

[zozem]

I'm trying to learn how to use Night Hound. Sadly, I'm quite aware he pales in comparison with Scout so instead of bellyflopping on the bandwagon, I wanted a breath of fresh night-light air. (BAD PUNHOLYSHI-)

Obviously, I first get a rank one cloud and go with the Blink/Backstab build until level 8/9(?). I'm quite confused with his item build, since I don't really know the best competitive build (not pubstomper, y'all Codex users). I tend to get a Poor Man's Shield [whatever HoN name it is], Steamboots, then I quickly rush for the Purgestick. After that, I'm lost with the item build.

TLDR: I don't want to use Scout. I get a Purgestick, is it correct? What is the correct item build? What is the correct competitive skill build, not the pub-stomping build?

First of all Nigh Hound owns scout in every way since scout is the worst hero in game.

Now ill continue with the item build.

1. Marchers
2.2 wraith bands
3. steam boots
4. Yasha (i think its called slash here)
5. wingbow
6. sange (hack?)
7. any more agi items u can afford
8. lifeteal.

the reason for the agi is well ofcourse lifesteal, with about 150 agi u do like 300 dmg from behind ever hit, which is awesome since u will have awesome atk speed.

Then for the skill build

1. blink strike or whatever its called, u ALWAYS take a skill for runnin with any hero u use.
2. backstab, use thata gi u have, even if its just lvl 1 it makes a huge differance when hunting ppl.
3. smoke
4. pump that blink.
5.stabb.
6. invis.
7.pump blink and back stabb.
8. lvl the smoke.

Then as the gamestyle, keep hidden, dont reveal ur position to hit as u do with other heroes, wait till they are about 50% hp smoke, blink 2 hits, the hero u atk are out of smoke, u blink again then just chase: ur enemy is dead.

DO NOT DIE WITH NIGHT HOUND, thats the most important rule, if u have about 4-0 in stats at 10 u will own late game and save the game, dont play rambo and sacrifice urself for the team, if u need to save any1, just smoke around them and hope they can get away.

there you go, a good guide to night hound to enjoy, u can pwn any hero with night hound if u can play it right

[[Muff]feedtheid]

You can't be more wrong about scout

[Zethos]

Backstab is marginal damage, in the beginning since you haven't stacked enough agility to make it really beneficial. Take cloud/blink with just one level of back stab to help with last hitting. Once you get level 7 or so feel free to max out back stab as you'll be able to use it to the fullest.

Cloud allows you to harass your enemies freely with one or two strikes (or a blink strike) once you get to level 6. Since most people don't get dust/wards you can usually either harass or make last hitting easier with the cover of cloud.

Steam boots vs. Enhanced marchers is more along the lines of preference. I know myself that I'd go steam boots as the two benefits (phase and IAS) are not as awesome as the extra STR and armor you'll need early game if people buy wards/dust or if you make a mistake and get caught out of invisibility. Attack speed doesn't work out well with your backstab animation as well, so once you get winged bow you don't really need to have it constantly stacked. Just my opinion though.

[[EHE]rockchalk]

Calling out pubstompers and playing night hound. Just sayin.

[evotech]

Scout owns nighthound any day

[Hurfdurf]

He's fun, but it seems like I can't help myself but save pounce to grab kills

I went AGI Steamboots, two Soulscream, Nullfire(amazing item for him O_O) and then Wingbow. Most of the games end before I get Wingbow or right afterwards.

Smoke is way too good to not get before 6 if you ask me.

[Ranx]

Steam boots
2 soul scream rings
Nullfire blade
Dominator (with a minotaur you're unstoppable - Cloud, Stun, Purge).
Wingbow

1. Cloud
2. Blink
3. Cloud
4. Blink
5. Cloud
6. Ult
7. Cloud
8. Depends on how good you're farming (some people get backstab early, but you don't really have agi so its a waste really - better use on cloud and the static dmg from blink).
9. Cloud