DOTA Hero Tips: Lion the Demon Witch

Demon Witch is hailed by many DOTA players as the best Scourge nuker. His ultimate skill (Finger of Death) can instantly kill agility-type or intelligence-type heroes particularly during the late game where their health points and magic defense are very low. Aside from a devastating ultimate skill, Demon Witch is also known for his reliable disabling skills making him an excellent ambusher. With just a Kelen’s Dagger and a Boots of Speed, he can initiate an ambush efficiently and assure a kill. However, you need to overcome Demon Witch’s weaknesses first before anything else. Aside from having low health points and defense like most intelligence-type heroes do, Demon Witch is highly dependent to mana so he usually falls prey to Magina the Anti-Mage, Anub’arak the Nerubian Assassin, and other heroes who have mana-burning skills.How can you be effective while using Demon Witch even if up against his known counters? Here is a complete guide on how to effectively set forth the true battling potentials of Lion the Demon Witch.

Impale

This skill is a very reliable disabling skill mainly because of its low cooldown rate and decent stun duration. It also packs a considerable amount of damage so using it to harass enemy heroes during the early part of the game is possible. However, be careful while using this hero since it hurls enemy units upwards. You might end up helping them evade damage from your allies. A good example is when your teammate controlling Dark Terror casts his ultimate skill (Chronosphere) while his target is still in mid-air due to your skills effect. There’s no way for him to reach his target which renders his ultimate skill useless. This can also happen to Sand King’s Epicenter so be sure to coordinate with your teammates perfectly while using this skill.

Voodoo

Demon Witch is a viable pick in DOTA Tournaments because of this skill. It can turn a target into a random courier disabling him from casting any spell or inflicting physical damage. This skill is perfect against heroes who have deadly channeling spells like Enigma, Crystal Maiden, and Witch Doctor. If used alongside with Demon Witch’s first skill (Impale), he can disable a target up to 6 seconds which is more than enough for your team to slaughter even a Centaur Warchief with a full set of items for tanking.

Mana Drain

This skill somehow made it easier for Demon Witch to harass enemy heroes early on. He does not need to worry about a depleted mana pool since Demon Witch can simply suck mana from an enemy hero, a ranged or neutral creep. Nonetheless, this skill has a limited range so it’s advised to use Demon Witch’s first (Impale) or second skill (Voodoo) beforehand if you’re targeting a hero. At max level, this skill can drain every bit of mana point from a strength type or agility type hero who has no mana supporting items in his inventory.

Finger of Death

This is one of the most powerful single-target skills in DOTA in terms of initial damage dealt. It can b closely compared to Slayer’s Laguna Blade but is even stronger. Purchasing an Aghanim’s Scepter will grant bonus damage to this skill so such item is a must have for Demon Witch. Finger of Death has a decent cooldown rate so it can be casted every now and then. For those who can’t wait or simply want to go crazy with this skill, purchasing a Refresher Orb is a brilliant idea. No agility-type hero is strong enough to withstand this skill twice unless he manages to stock up several health-boosting items in his inventory.

Early Game

Your role in the early game highly depends on how well your team is synchronized and what type of heroes they control. If majority of the team are intelligence-type and has multiple disabling spells like Slayer, Ogre Magi, and Shadow Shaman, roam around the map with them to grab early kills. This is an effective way to harass enemy heroes, pressure lanes, and stop them from farming for gold and items. Constantly roam the enemy’s jungle area as well in search for enemy heroes who decide to kill neutral creeps after being bullied on their lane. Harass enemy heroes as much as possible and gain both gold and experience through kills. Nevertheless, make sure your group has one member with an arcane boots and you carry mana regenerating items as well like a couple of Clarity Potions or a Bottle and Crow item combination.

Mid Game

Continue hunting enemy heroes especially agility-type ones since they can be unstoppable during the late game if left to farm. Increase your mobility by purchasing a Force Staff or Kelen’s Dagger. Pick only one of these escaping mechanisms since you need every slot for mana and defense boosting items. The decision should be based to the enemy team’s composition. If most of them have skills that are thrown like Vengeful Spirit’s Magic Missile and Skeleton King’s Hellfire Blast, choose a Kelen’s Dagger since it can be used to evade such skill through perfect timing. On the other hand, if majority of enemy skills inflict DPS like Ogre Magi’s Fire blast and Dark Seer’s Ion Shell, a Force Staff is highly advised since it can still be casted even under hero attack which is not possible with Kelen’s Dagger.

Late Game

Your goal must be to finish the game before reaching this stage. Nevertheless, if the enemy team managed to survive long enough, be ready. Your skills are less effective during this stage of the game and you will end up as food to enemy heroes who managed to purchase a Black King Bar. To counter them, simply purchase a Ghost Scepter and activate it once they decide to attack you. This item can work well with a Kelen’s Dagger or a Boots of Travel. Improve your arsenal of skills by purchasing a Guinsoo’s Scythe. This item works closely similar to Demon Witch’s second skill making it possible for you to hex two heroes at the same time! Your main role is to disable strong enemy heroes and weaken others through your first (Impale) and ultimate skill (Finger of Death). Let your team’s carry do the rest.

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