DOTA Hero Tips: Bounty Hunter

Bounty Hunter is a nightmare for DOTA Heroes who entirely rely on invisibility on both offense and defense. He is without a doubt one of the hardest hero to counter as he also has a skill that grants him invisibility in a short period of time. It’s not a surprise why Bounty Hunter is a common choice in pub games. This hero is an effective killer in all parts of the game. If used properly and given the right items, a win is almost assured with Bounty Hunter. For those who are still on the process of learning how to play DOTA, here are some guidelines that can assist you in revealing the true power of Gondar the Bounty Hunter.

Shuriken Toss

It’s almost impossible to escape from a chasing Bounty Hunter because of this skill. It has a ministun so casting in on a target that is in the verge of teleporting away from battle could cancel it at once. The damage of this skill is not something that can be disregarded which is the main reason why most professional DOTA players highly depend on it to land killing shots particularly during the early part of the game. Nevertheless, don’t carelessly cast this skill any time as it requires a considerable amount of mana points. Always keep in mind that Bounty Hunter has a limited mana pool since he is an agility type hero. It’s imperative that you reserve some for his second skill so you can escape whenever enemy attacks are directed towards you.

Wind Walk

This skill is Bounty Hunter’s primary escape mechanism. Nevertheless, it is also highly useful in the offensive side. The best thing about this skill is that its effect will last before the cooldown time which means you can hit a target and go back to being invisible at once. This skill also grants a good deal of damage. Although this ghost-like strategy can be easily countered with a Gem of True sight or Sentry Ward, many still use it. All you need to do is purchase items that can help boost your mana regeneration. A Ring of Basicilius will do. If ever enemy heroes on your lane decide to purchase a Gem of True Sight early on, kill him as soon as possible and take the item once dropped. Such item can be very helpful if they decide to plant Sentry Wards or if there are enemies who boast invisibility skills as well.

Jinada

This passive skill made Bounty Hunger even more deadly. It grants a maim effect and a critical hit every three seconds. The most exciting part is that its critical hit will stack with wind walk. Squishy heroes will certainly feel the pain after being hit by Jinada’s effect stacked with Wind Walk. This skill is also perfect for ganking as it slows the enemy down. With the movement speed advantage you’ll grain from Track, there will be no way for enemy heroes to sprint away from you unless they have reliable crippling or stunning spells. You’ll know whether Jinada’s effect is activated as it emits a bluish flame on Bounty Hunter’s blades.

Track

Bounty Hunter is a known hero hunter in DOTA because of this skill. Even heroes with reliable escaping skills or items can’t go far away from his grasp. If this skill is casted to an enemy hero, Bounty Hunter and his allies will have full vision of the target. The enemy hero will still be visible even if he cast an invisibility skill. In addition, Bounty Hunter and his allies near the enemy hero that is tracked will gain movement speed boost and will have bonus gold if the target is successfully eliminated. It also lessens the target’s armor. I’ve seen many Bounty Hunter users in pubs which disregard this skill and I’m pretty sure they’re simply ruining the solid attacking power of this great hero.

Early Game

Basically, there are two ways to play Bounty Hunter during the early game. First is by concentrating on your first and second skill while the other one is boosting your second and third skill to the fullest before considering Bounty Hunter’s remaining skills. Whether to choose the first or latter entirely depends on the heroes you are up against and the role assigned to you. If enemy heroes guarding your lane are intelligence type, the first build is advised. Only a few intelligence or agility type heroes can walk away alive after a being hit by Bounty Hunter’s second and first skill. On the other hand, the build which focuses on Gondar’s third and second skill must be chosen if you are up against strength type heroes or those who have high magic resistance. All you need to do is boost your physical damage and let the critical bonuses from your second and third skill do the rest.

Mid Game

Bounty Hunter is an excellent ganker so roam the map once he research level 6. You can sneak to a certain lane unnoticed with your Wind Walk and initiate a surprise attack. Perfect timing is a must to successfully carry out this strategy. Wait until the enemy used up most of his mana points casting spells to eliminate creeps. If caught unready, you won’t find it hard to eliminate even the toughest heroes in just a few seconds. Make sure to cast your ultimate skill to give him no room for escape. Gondar’s involvement during ganks is very important as every kill with his ultimate skill used means more gold for the team.

Late Game

Like what I previously said, Bounty Hunter is an effective DOTA Hero in every part of the game. With luxurious items at hand, he can be a very reliable carry. However, his lack of health points will be your major problem. Be sure your team has a good supporting hero. If you can rely to no one on this matter, purchase Heart of Tarasque, The Butterfly, or Assault Cuirass and other defensive items. Your main role is to target enemy heroes with invisibility skills. Stealth Assassin, Templar Assassin, and Bone Fletcher are only a few that you should target first during team clashes. With their invisibility skills impaired with your ultimate, they won’t be able to perform well. As you can see, these heroes are often regarded as team carries so killing them as soon as possible would most likely lead towards your team’s victory. Avoid enemy heroes who have single target spells with high damage such as Lina Inverse and Demon Witch. Buying a Linkin Sphere is advisable if you are having a hard time dealing with these kinds of heroes.