DOTA Hero Tips: Magina the Anti-Mage

Anti-Mage is the worst enemy of intelligence type heroes. He is extremely resistant against magic while having the ability to break mana from a target with each attack. The ability to instantly blink in a short distance made Magina even more dangerous. Probably the only problem about Magina is that he starts very weak. His low starting hit points made him extremely vulnerable to harassment. Despite having the skill to evade physical and even skills that are thrown, experience is required to effectively use Anti-mage’s second skill as a form of defense. Nonetheless, if you manage to pull through the early part of the game and farmed well, Magina is unstoppable during the late game. His high agility gain will help him gain the advantage especially in terms of hitting rate. With a set of luxurious and right items to counter certain enemies, Magina can be literally unstoppable. I am certain that knowing these facts awakened your interest to know more about this mighty hero and how to use him effectively during a DOTA game so here are the most important guidelines to consider while using Magina the Anti-Mage.

Mana Break

This is an orb effect skill which granted Magina the title Anti-Mage. Each of his physical attack can break a certain amount of mana from his target. This skill works in conjunction with his last skill as it is highly effective to an enemy who has no mana left. Despite the importance of this skill, it’s not advised that you upgrade it to the fullest during the early part of the game. There’s no point of maxing this skill if you are too squishy. You won’t have the chance to land a few hits especially if the enemy heroes assigned on your lane have good disabling or slowing skills. In most cases, this skill should only be upgraded in the mid or late game where enemy heroes have more mana points and ganking is common.

Blink

Upgrading this skill to the highest level as soon as possible is a must. In fact, this is considered as Magina’s bread and butter ability. Without this skill, Anti-Mage is a very easy target. It’s far better than a Kelen’s Dagger as it won’t be disabled even if Magina is taking damage from enemy heroes. Magina’s blink also has a much lower cooldown time. Dodging any skill thrown like Vengeful Spirit’s Magic missile is also possible with the use of Magina’s blink. Probably the only problem of this skill is its fade effect. This serves as a hint for enemies to know where Magina teleported.

Spell Shield

A lot of Magina users disregard this skill and only upgrade it once his first and second skills are maxed out. This is definitely a big mistake. Upgrading Magina’s third skill early on will make him a nightmare for heroes who rely on spells to inflict damage. All you need to worry about is boosting your block rate and hit points. Purchasing a Vanguard completes Magina’s defensive arsenal given you upgraded this skill to the fullest during the early part of the game. With higher survivability, there will be more opportunities to farm, and gain both experience and gold in the process.

Mana Void

To effectively use this skill, you must be sensitive about your enemy’s mana pool. To maximize its effect, you must make sure that the target has no mana left. One interesting aspect about this skill is that its damage splashes to nearby enemy units. This means you can inflict insane amount of damage from a group of heroes given you target one that has the highest mana pool.

Early Game:

Magina is a carry so make sure you farm early on. Enemy heroes will definitely harass you as much as possible so pack up numerous life regenerating items before you leave camp. A Stout Shield is also a good pick as a starting item as it provides good block rate. Farming is crucial so you’ll be more effective during the late game. Make sure you land the killing blow for every creep in your lane. It’s best if your hero partner has good supporting skills or has excellent harassing skills so you won’t have any problem about getting near enemy creeps to gain both experience and gold. Though you have a blink skill to get out of danger in an instant, don’t be overconfident. Look at the minimap once in a while to make sure all your enemy heroes are on their respective lanes. If one or two are missing, retreat and kill several neutral creeps until you can see them on the map. This strategy may be daunting yet it’s the best way to avoid early ganks.

Mid Game:

It’s highly advised that you avoid being involved in clashes during this part of the game. Concentrate on farming and let ally heroes who excel on ganking do their part. Stay on your lane while being extra cautious. You won’t have any problem about enemy heroes ambushing you given you detect their plan early on. Be sure you have a Town portal in your inventory just in case you get trapped in between trees after fleeing from a pack of enemy heroes who tried to hunt you. Using the terrain, while blinking, is a must, and will somehow assure a complete escape. You can also lead enemy heroes to secret dead-end passage and blink away afterwards. This technique is often used by expert Magina users and is very hard to counter. Nonetheless, it’s important that you are fully aware about the skills every enemy hero has. This can help you come up with a much reasonable decision while escaping from their hunts.

Late Game:

If you managed to farm well during the early and mid game, a win is almost assured. Magina is literally unstoppable during the late game, given he has a set of luxurious items that can boost his damage and attack speed such as The Butterfly and Monkey King Bar. A Manta Style is also advised especially if you are up against a strong enemy carry. Magina’s extremely high hitting rate makes it easy for him to eliminate heroes with low hit points and defense. Even enemy heroes with escape skills or items such as Kelen’s Dagger or Force Staff can’t escape Magina given he has a much powerful teleporting skill. Abyssal Blade is also a perfect item for Magina as it grants a chance to bash a target with every hit.