DOTA Hero Tips: Lone Druid

Lone Druid is a very versatile hero. He has innate ability to carry but can also be a good tanker with the right items. With the aid of his Spirit Bear, Lone Druid can even out-battle the mightiest carries in DOTA. One good aspect about Lone Druid is that he is a good jungler. You don’t need to worry about being bullied in your lane as you can always kill a few neutral creeps early one to gain experience and gold. Lone Druid also boasts high attack speed so he is usually equipped with items that unleash devastating effects on a given possibility such as Abyssal Blade and Mjollnir. Probably the only problem of this hero is his lack of disabling skill. Relying on chance to disable an enemy is not good enough especially if the enemy hero you are targeting has a good escape spell or item. Although Lone Druid’s impressive movement speed allows him to chase most heroes, your efforts will be wasted once the target reaches a tower. Nevertheless, only a few heroes can keep up with Lone Druid once he and his pet acquired all the items they need. Here are some tips to help you carry the game with Syllabear the Lone Druid.

Spirit Bear

Most Syllabear users focus on his pet. They simply purchase an escape mechanism for Lone Druid such as Lothar’s Edge or Force Staff. On the other hand, all the offensive items are placed on the Spirit Bear. Such strategy is very effective especially if the enemy team lacks disabling skills. You can simply let them chase you while your Spirit Bear attacks them. Underestimating the power of this pet will surely lead them to their doom. Its base damage can be compared to a normal hero. The Spirit Bear also has a disabling skill but its effect depends on chances. The best way to get the most out of Lone Druid’s Spirit bear is by increasing its attack speed. Rushing a Hyperstone for the bear is a great idea. Nevertheless, always remember that the bear will die with you so keep your hero safe. It’s also important to take note that you’ll receive damage once the bear dies so immediately re-summon the bear if its health points are low or you can also lead him back to the fountain since you’ll only need to use Return once all it regenerated all its health points and the bear will be on your side in an instant.

Rabid

A few Syllabear users focus on this skill first and it’s not a bad idea. DOTA player who don’t want to hassle themselves controlling the Spirit Bear often goes with this approach. The only problem is that you are more prone to harassment if you disregard Syllabear’s first skill while focusing on this one. Rabid has very low cooldown so you can use it almost anytime. It boosts your movement and attack speed which is perfect for both chasing and escaping. However, in my opinion, this skill is not worth upgrading during the early parts of the game. Without a Spirit Bear, you can’t jungle so you’ll need to stay on the lane to gain both experience and gold. With a measly health points, it’s likely that you’ll be harassed particularly if the enemy heroes assigned on your lane are infamous harassers. However, this skill is undoubtedly important during late game where you already gathered enough items to increase you physical attack and the only thing left to complete your arsenal is a faster attack speed.

Synergy

Upgrading this skill whether you focus on Syllabear’s first or second skill is a must. It improves them as well as his last skill.

True Form

You’ll be granted with another skill if you shift on this form. The skill adds a considerable amount of damage to you and the Spirit Bear. Although this form grants you with more health points and armor, you’ll lose range in the process. This is the main reason why this skill must be used on a situational basis. Hit your enemy as much as possible while on your ranged form and immediately cast this skill if the enemy managed to get close. The transformation process can also block skills that are thrown so timing is imperative use this skill effectively.

Early Game:

You are the team’s carry so make sure you farm early on. Staying on your assigned lane is a must. However, staying on the jungle may be a much better choice particularly if enemy heroes on your lane are good harassers such as Drow Ranger, Viper, and Sacred Warrior. These heroes will not allow you to even land a hit on their creeps so it’s best that you gain experience and gold by killing neutral creeps found in the jungle. You won’t have a hard time doing so since your Spirit Bear is always there to provide the muscle. Let the Spirit Bear tank. Giving him a Stout Shield early on is a great idea especially if you intended to jungle. As you roam the jungle, spend some time to know if any enemy hero is missing in the minimap. They’ll surely hunt you down once they notice your agenda so always be weary. If two or more are missing fallback to the nearest tower or simply scout the near fogged area with your Spirit Bear to make sure that you won’t be a victim to their ambush. Purchasing Sentry wards and placing it on strategic places is also a good move to make your jungling endeavor a lot safer.

Mid Game:

Given your Spirit Bear is in maximum level, you should join ganks. Your bear’s disabling skill can be very reliable. Your high movement speed makes it almost impossible for enemy heroes to outrun you and your bear. Nevertheless, don’t be so fond about ganking. Make sure you farm if given the chance. Despite being effective during the mid game, Syllabear needs luxurious items to survive team clashes on the later part of the game. Help your teammates in ambushing enemy heroes yet your main goal is to farm. As the game progresses, you’ll eventually discover how unstoppable Syllabear can be with proper handling and the right items. By now you should be able to purchase a Maelstorm for Syllabear and a Hyperstone for his Spirit Bear. Upgrading these items to much powerful ones should be one of your main concerns as the late game draws near.

Late Game:

Late Game is all about decisive team clashes and pushes. It’s good to note that Syllabear is adept on both scenarios. During team clashes, he can absorb a considerable amount of punishment with his ultimate skill while his Spirit Bear cripples enemy and lead them straight to their doom. With high movement speed, Syllabear can easily gain the right position and eventually win over even the mightiest enemy hero carry. Pushing lanes is not a problem as well with Syllabear as his Spirit Bear lands an increased amount of damage on structures. His high attack speed made pushing very easy as well. Having Mjollnir on Syllabear’s inventory and an Assault Cuirass for his Spirit Bear almost guarantees a victory.