SUPPORT

[PSA SUPPORT ITEMS AND YOU] (self.DotA2) by FortyeniN DoTA is a game that often boils down to which team makes more mistakes than the other. Even at the competitive level a single mistake can lead to a teamwipe and a GG. This is compounded by the fact that there are five members in your team (yourself included) and that the skill level will almost always vary so mistakes are bound to occur.

However the worst type of mistake one can make is a 'strategic' mistake, which is a mistake in item build/skill order/hero role etc. One of the most common strategic mistakes in pub games is the lack of support items on any team.

A support item (Mekansm, Pipe, Jango, Forcestaff, Urn of Shadows Guinsoo, Vlads, Medallion, Arcane Boots) is an item that provides immense benefits not just to yourself but toward your team during all phases of the game. Mekansm, Pipe of Insight and Jango of Endurance (otherwise known as Drums of Endurance) form the holy triumvirate of support items that should be in just about every single game.

Why? Because the benefits they provide will mean the difference between a won teamfight and a lost one.

1) Mekansm (cost 2306)

Benefits: Heal: Heals 250 hp and provides +2 armor in a 750 aoe A 250 aoe heal for every member of your team means that the enemy needs to deal 1250 more damage to your team. The parts are cheap and easily affordable with a fantastic buildup. In the early game the heal is the difference between life and death and even in the later stages of the game the heal is always helpful. Never go into a teamfight without one. All support heroes (provided they are getting the gold). However since most support heroes tend to not have much gold from buying wards and etc there are several other viable heroes who can get it.
 * 5 all attributes
 * 5 armor
 * 3 healing aura
 * Heal (active)
 * WHY YOU SHOULD GET IT:
 * WHO SHOULD GET IT:

Venomancer (Arcane boots -> mek means you've solved both your mana problems and your hp pool problems)

Windrunner (The most common mek holder in the competitive scene because of her ability to farm safely and her relative item independency).

Obsidian Destroyer (He has a massive mana pool that is constantly replenishing and the Effective Hit Point bonus from Mek helps him out a lot. This is of course assuming no one else on your team is getting it).

Pugna (Similar to OD and Windrunner. Pugna is EXTREMELY squishy with low armor and hp pools so mek helps him tank up while benefiting the entire team).

Meepo (Core on him. No exception. You are squishier than a wet carrot and there are four of you).

Necrolyte (You carry by building team support items that boost your EHP. Get it).

2) Pipe of Insight (cost 3628)

Benefits: Barrier: Gives ally units within 500 aoe a 400 hp spellshield that absorbs magic damage.
 * 11 HP per second
 * 30% Magic Resistance
 * Barrier (active)

Lasts 10 seconds (60 second CD). Lets just take a minute to look at the numbers alone.
 * WHY YOU SHOULD GET IT:

400 magic damage mitigated... FOR EVERY MEMBER OF YOUR TEAM. (Granted the actual damage rolls to around 280ish because of natural resistance and etc). A 2000 EHP boost to your team against high damage aoe nukes.

That Lich that is wrecking your team? Neutered

That Venomancer ult dropping you all like flies? Gone

That Lina nuking down your creep waves as you push to rax? No worries

Pipe should be picked up (preferably not on the same hero that bought Mek) in just about every game unless if for some reason the enemy team damage is mostly physical. Outside of bad pub picks (quad carry sup) or -armor strats most lineups will have a generous helping of magic damage (whether aoe or single target) and pipe is a fantastic pickup because of this. Unlike Mek Pipe is a viable pickup on a lot more heroes.
 * WHO SHOULD BUY THIS:

Anyone that is a viable Mek carrier is naturally a viable pipe carrier but because Pipe tends to be a bit more situational depending on the enemy lineup you can pick pipe up on a lot more heroes (just make sure not to build 2, same with Mek). Natural Hood of Defiance carriers can translate into pipe carriers because the 1500 gold difference means a lot more survivability for your team.

Several unusual pipe carriers are:

Viper (In comp games when there is no one else with a high enough farm priority to get a pipe you will see a viper pick it up because he is dependent on staying alive).

Dragon Knight (In the Chinese scene DK's build only survivability items like Vanguard/Pipe before going toward AC. Not ideal but not bad either. If you're having a bad early game as DK and don't think that you'll be able to pick up farm for the conventional carry items then a Pipe certainly isn't bad if no one else is getting it).

3) Jango of Endurance/Drums of Endurance (Cost: 1725)

Finally we come to the last piece of the support triforce, the vastly underestimated and underrated Jango.

Benefits: Swiftness Aura (Active): +10% AS/MS boost (ontop of the original 5%) comes with 4 charges. For the low cost of 1725 gold you are getting a cheap boost to stats, movespeed and attack speed for your entire team. An ultimate orb costs 2100 and gives only +10 to all stats. Jango gives +9 with an extremely easy buildup. For less gold you are getting far more bang for your buck and on a support hero this is crucial. Support heroes tend to buy bracers for cheap survivability and a Jango is an excellent upgrade to it. The AS/MS boost (15% for both) in teamfights is extremely useful, especially against melee carries. Because they can only do damage when they are in melee range the MS boost from Jango (about the same as a phase) will let you run the hell out of range or beat on a target faster. For comparison an Assault Cuirass gives a 15% AS aura. Phase boots gives a 16% MS boost. Jango for a fraction of the cost give BOTH those benefits to everyone on your team. Any hero bar carries.
 * 9 to all stats
 * 9 to damage
 * 5% AS/MS boost to everyone in 900 aoe (Swiftness Aura)
 * WHY YOU SHOULD BUY THIS:
 * WHO SHOULD BUY THIS:

It's that good and that cheap a pickup that honestly just about any hero can pick it up without delaying their core by too much. Unlike Mek or Pipe having two Jangos on one team isn't necessarily the end of the world because the cheap stats and the fact that each one only comes with 4 charges means that you can be a bit more liberal about using them.

Urn/Forcestaff/Guinsoo overlap more into ganking (as with Euls) so I'll cover those in another post.

So the next time you're in a game and you're not playing a hard carry take a minute to ask around your team if anyone else is going for the holy triumvirate and if no one else is then be a Good Guy Greg and pick it up. Your team mates will love you and you'll wreck face in teamfights.

EDIT: By buying the Jango recipe you can replenish the 4 charges ty to Andromines. Added Vlads/Medallion/Arcane to list. Swiftness Aura not Endurance Aura (ty to RockinInTheZone for pointing that out).