UTILITY

[PSA U-U-U-UTILITY PART ONE] (self.DotA2) by FortyeniN Momentum has always been one of the core elements of DoTA. Because of this DoTA has always been a game that favors aggressive play, whichever team gains more momentum will dictate the flow of the game. In order to support this there are several items in DoTA specifically tailored for providing more utility in ganks and in teamfights, my previous post (http://www.reddit.com/r/DotA2/comments/n53fw/psa_support_items_and_you/ ) covered the big three support items that help shape teamfights. In this followup post I will be focusing on four low tier utility items (Arcane Boots, Urn of Shadows, Ring of Basilius and Medallion of Courage) and the benefits that they provide not only to yourself but to your team. In my next post I will focus on offensive utility items (Forcestaff, Euls, Orchids and Guinsoo).

Arcane Boots (Cost 1500)

Benefits: WHY YOU SHOULD GET IT
 * 65 movement speed
 * 250 mana
 * Active: Replenishes 135 mana in a 600 aoe. Costs 25 mana to use, 45 second cooldown.

Arcane boots not only helps solve the mana issues of heroes who are either A) extremely dependent on mana for their spells or B) have a constrictively low mana pool but provides a general aoe mana boost to everyone within range.

In the early stages of the game 135 mana equates to an extra spell cast on almost every hero and added with the magic stick/magic wand charges that they might have reduces the likelihood of an enemy hero surviving a gank attempt. Not only this it the constant mana replenishment allows you and your team to be more liberal with their spellcasts which is extremely beneficial during early pushes or heroes who have difficulty controlling the lane otherwise.

Arcane boots provide immense sustainability in pushes and out of lanes in general in the early to mid game where teams opting for all in pushes shine. Not only that the extra 250 to your mana pool on some heroes will give you enough mana to support other items (such as a Mekansm or a Pipe of Insight).

WHO SHOULD GET THIS

Arcane Boots are viable on almost every hero (bar those who have little need for mana like Centaur Warchief or carries with the exception of Necrolyte whom Arcane Boots is a viable option). Ideally most teams will wind up with at least one hero who is capable of fielding Arcane Boots simply as a means of supporting their own mana costs. However unlike most supportive items Arcane Boots's effect stacks so having two on one team will allow up to a 270 mana boost for your entire team. If your hero is particularly spell intensive or has a limited mana pool then consider picking up Arcane Boots as it will allow you to translate into a more aggressive early/mid game.

Urn of Shadows (Cost 875)

Benefits: WHY YOU SHOULD GET IT
 * +6 strength
 * +50% mana regen
 * Active: Soul Release. Whenever an enemy hero dies within 1400 you gain 1 charge (2 charges if there are 0 charges on the Urn already). Each death can only charge one of these items within aoe.
 * Negative Soul Release: Expends an Urn charge to apply a 150 DoT to an enemy hero over 8 seconds. Damage taken is lethal (will kill a target if their hp is lower than the Urn DoT). 10 second cooldown, 950 cast range.
 * Positive Soul Release: Expends an Urn charge to apply a 400 hp heal to an allied hero (or to yourself) over 8 seconds. Healing effect will dispel upon damage from any other source other than Radient/Dire Creeps or Neutral Creeps.

Urn of Shadows is one of my favorite items in DoTA because of the immense utility it brings to any hero or to any lineup. Because of its ability to double as both a DoT to help finish off enemy heroes or as a heal it thrives on aggressive ganking heroes such as Night Stalker or Pudge who can use the Urn charges to heal themselves and continue roaming. For all intents and purposes it acts as a self replenishing healing salve so gankers can easily transition from lane to lane with little downtime needed to heal up or to go back toward the fountain.

Not only does Urn benefit yourself but it can also help out your team by dropping a heal on them after the gank or even during. Players who are able to utilize good positioning and juking can use an Urn charge to heal themselves while being chased by an enemy and to unexpectedly turn the tide. Heroes like Venomancer and Dazzle who have abilities that will drop a hero to 1 hp but will not kill them (Poison Nova and Shallow Grave) have a useful way to finish heroes off without expending unnecessary attacks/spells. The high cast range of Urn allows you to use it on low hp heroes that are fleeing just out of range and the 1400 aoe needed to collect charges means that should you arrive too late to assist in a gank you can dispense heals to those involved in it.

WHO SHOULD GET IT

Honestly just about every hero in the game bar carries is viable to pick up an Urn. Even certain semi carries like Skeleton King or Kunkka benefit from having an Urn for the passive benefits. However the heroes who truly benefit are highly aggressive heroes who after a certain point in the game will transition to a heavy ganking/roaming role. Heroes who like to dive and play extremely aggressively like Night Stalker and Batrider benefit extensively from an Urn to heal themselves afterwards and traditional support heroes like Witch Doctor and Dazzle can always use another heal. If there are multiple heroes who can get Urn be sure to prioritize toward the most aggressive hero. It is generally MUCH better for the active Night Stalker to get an Urn as opposed to the Dazzle pulling and stacking creeps in the safe lane.

Ring of Basilius (Cost 500)

Benefits: WHY YOU SHOULD GET THIS
 * +6 damage
 * +1 armor
 * Armor Aura (toggleable +2 armor to creeps and/or heroes)
 * Mana Aura (+.65 mana regen in a 900 aoe).

Ring of Basilius is one of the most cost effective items in the game. For the low low cost of 500 gold you are getting +6 damage and +3 armor AND above all else the +2 armor aura that can work on creeps. The reason why this is so useful because it provides immense benefits for both laning and pushing, if you need to push a lane forward to take the tower then toggle it on (the tower needs 1-2 more attacks to finish off a creep). The +6 damage early on helps you last hit and the armor on yourself and your laning partner will help you shrug off a lot of physical harass. On a ranged hero the +2 armor is comparable to the melee stout shield, especially on ranged heroes with low armor (Witch Doctor/Dazzle/Lina/Lion).

WHO SHOULD GET THIS

Like Urn of Shadows Ring of Basilius is a viable pickup on almost every hero (even a lot of ranged carries benefit from the armor and mana regen). Outside of essential laning items (regen/wards/courier) starting the game with a ring of protection is always an excellent idea as you can upgrade from the outpost and assist both yourself and your laning partner. Just make sure that you do not have two in the same lane (if you're playing a ranged semi carry do pick one up to help out the underfarmed support in your lane). Heroes who do not benefit from Basilius are ones that are mana independent (e.g Huskar isn't an ideal Basilius carrier). Later on in the game feel free to sell the Basilius for space.

Medallion of Courage (Cost 1075)

Benefits: WHY YOU SHOULD GET THIS
 * +6 armor
 * +50% mana regeneration
 * Active (Valor): Target enemy and you lose 6 armor. Lasts 7 seconds. 7 second cooldown 800 cast range.

Medallion of Courage provides for 1075 gold, the same benefit of a Stygian Destolator. Armor in DoTA is a critical component of what is known as EHP (Effective Hit Points) which is how much damage you actually need to deal to kill a hero. EHP is calculated by adding a hero's innate magic resistance (25% + more if they go for a planeswalker's cloak/hood of defiance/pipe of insight or if they have abilities i.e Spell Shield/Null Field) armor and any other multipliers (Dispersion/Bristleback/Sprint). Because of this if a hero's armor falls into the negative values, any physical damage they take is amplified. In the early to midgame most heroes (barring agility heroes or rare exceptions like Night Stalker who has a base starting armor of 6 or Dragon Knight with his passive) have less than 7 armor. Medallion will cut through this and when coupled with other armor reducing abilities (Amplify Damage, Howl of Terror, Weave, Presence of the Dark Lord, Swarm) will cut heroes without high armor to pieces.

WHO SHOULD GET THIS

Medallion is rarely a staple pickup outside of heroes like Lycan who benefit from the cheap increase in dps. Because of this Medallion is much more dependent on what heroes the opposition have and what sort of lineup your team possesses. Negative armor strats can benefit from having a support hero pick up a medallion to compliment the negative armor capabilities of other heroes. Heroes like Dazzle really benefit from Medallion as the mana regeneration is always helpful and its low cost means that it is affordable on a ward buyers salary. If you find yourself up against a team with low armor picking up a Medallion is rarely a bad idea. If there is a midgame orientated semi carry on your team getting an urn will allow them to peak in their dps quicker or if you are finding it hard to farm your traditional core on semi carries like Weaver or Slardar, getting a Medallion can allow you to securely gank and pick up kills on squishy heroes.

So there you have it, four extremely cost effective items that bring a lot of utility toward your team. Because DoTA is a game where many variables constantly differ from game to game, flexibility and adaptability are key traits in any good player. However knowledge of alternatives tends to be the first barrier. So the next time you're in a game, regardless of what hero constantly be on the lookout for the little details and the little pickups for yourself and your team that might give you the edge.