DotaStrategy.com - James Skell - Horseman from Abyss

Genn

Monster Kill Posts: 342 Joined: 06 Sep 2009 gold

James Skell - Horseman from Abyss

Posted on Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:32 pm

Say hello to Captain James (Jim for friends) Skell, the Horseman from Abyss, the forth, the last and the most powerful of all Horsemen of Apocalypse.

I can’t die twice, you pathetic mortals! Why you just don’t get it?! – Cpt. James Skell

James Skell – Horseman from Abyss
Range : 100 | Move Speed : 305
Primary : INT
Str : 17 + 1.7 | Agi : 22 + 2.2 | Int : 20 + 2.4
Damage : 35 - 45 | HP : 473 | Mana : 260
HP Regen : 0.76 | Mana Regen : 0.81
Attack Speed : 1.65 | Armor : 3

Storyline : Captain James Skell was once a pirate. Good, old sea wolf that was killing, looting and terrorazing seas – but he was man of honour after all. Yet, he was consumed by greed. He sailed to Zanthos Psychomage’s hideout at seaside in search for great treasures. His whole crew died and he ended up torn in pieces – so powerful the guardians were. Skell’s tormented soul was asking every god for oportunity for revenge. Only one answered his call – Tezzeth, the Fallen One, god of demons. He raised Skell’s ship from the bottom and resurrected captain along with his crew. From now on, the cannot die again. They were immortals. They were cursed. They were skeletons. Skell himself was granted an unspeakable honour – he was given with immense powers and wound up as the last of Tezzeth’s Riders of Apocalypse, the unstoppable warriors, each representing powers of evil side of each element, with Skell being Rider from Abyss – place that even the bravest one do not dare to look into...Skell is still Tezzeth’s most powerful servant – save for the ultimate champion, Warp Wraith named Merciless – and also most powerful Rider, as he commands both the seas, ice and he have immortal, viscious crew. Of course, Vengeance the Godslayer – first Rider – negates it every time he can. Recently, captain of dreaded ship “Maelstrom” steped into battle between Lich King and Sentinel. Nerh’zul (alter ego of Ner’zhul from another dimension) was always Tezzeth greatest enemy, so the Fallen One sent his champion into battle as first sign of the end and – at least he hopes – the fall of the Lich.

I sometimes wonder – why each of my hero is immortal? Why each one is unstoppable? Why each one can destroy entire legion of heroes? Hmm...Nevermind. Skell is skeleton in blue captain uniform, but not pirate one, more like some kinda Armady. He fights with his sword and he carries an old gun. Icon was taken from THIS PICTURE .

Chiling Bullet (B)
Captain Skell can enchant his bullets with frozing hexes. Enchanted bullets have an ability to freeze units into core, continously slowing them down. When fully frozen, shooted units will suffer from deep freeze and thus stunned for 1.5 second. Deals minor damage two times.
Level 1 – slows AS and MS by 10% per second, deals 25 dmg upon hit and upon stunning.
Level 2 - slows AS and MS by 15% per second, deals 37.5 dmg upon hit and upon stunning.
Level 3 - slows AS and MS by 20% per second, deals 50 dmg upon hit and upon stunning.
Level 4 - slows AS and MS by 25% per second, deals 62.5 dmg upon hit and upon stunning.
Mana Cost: 120
Cooldown: 17
Framework : Small, icy blue bullet hits target which becomes frozen (blued and stuff).
Notes : Slow stacks with Tempst’s (2nd skill) slow and if it will reach 100% slow before normal time (10/6.6/5/4 second), the stun and damage will occur. Casting range is 500.

Tempest (Passive)
James’ curved blade, Tempest, was imbued with cold of northern seas by its wielder long ago. Each continous strike with this sword strikes enemy out cold, slowing it down.
Level 1 – each strike reduces MS and AS by 5% for 2 seconds. Maximum of 50% reduction.
Level 2 - each strike reduces MS and AS by 7.5% for 2 seconds. Maximum of 60% reduction.
Level 3 - each strike reduces MS and AS by 10% for 2 seconds. Maximum of 70% reduction.
Level 4 - each strike reduces MS and AS by 15% for 2 seconds. Maximum of 80% reduction.
Mana Cost: N/A
Cooldown: N/A
Framework : Blue cold with every strike, you know what I mean.
Notes : After 2 second without attack from Skell, MS and AS gets back to normal immidietly. 80% reduction is absolute maximum, regardless of slow from other Skell’s spells or his minions attacks.

Drown! (D)
Skell can fill his enemy’s lungs with salty ocean water, causing it to desperatly fight for breath. It disables for random time and causes random damage every second.
Level 1 – last from 1 to 3 seconds, deals from 20 to 50 dmg each second.
Level 2 - last from 1.5 to 4 seconds, deals from 25 to 55 dmg each second.
Level 3 - last from 2 to 5 seconds, deals from 30 to 60 dmg each second.
Level 4 - last from 2.5 to 6 seconds, deals from 35 to 65 dmg each second.
Mana Cost: 160
Cooldown: 22
Framework : Target begins to spit water.
Notes : Casting range is 800. Ranged disable with DPS, another thing that everybody loves.

Maelstrom (M)
Skell greatest power is ability to create vile whirlpools that sucks everything into them, known as maelstroms. That kind of whirlpools sucks ships and sends them crushing down on the bottom of the sea. Skell, however, wield immense powers, so he can summon maelstroms from dry earth. Also, his creation sucks absolutely everything inside his homeland Abyss and them toss them out of diffirent one. At last, James’ dreaded ship of this same name will arrive, bringing reinforcemants to their captain.
Level 1 – create two whirlpools in two diffirent revealed points of the map. Whirls sucks everything inside (save for Skell and his skeletal sailors), tossing caught units out of other. Deals 200 damage per travel. Last for 5 seconds.
Level 2 - create two whirlpools in two diffirent revealed points of the map. Whirls sucks everything inside (save for Skell and his skeletal sailors), tossing caught units out of other. Deals 250 damage per travel. Last for 7.5 seconds.
Level 3 - create two whirlpools in two diffirent revealed points of the map. Whirls sucks everything inside (save for Skell and his skeletal sailors), tossing caught units out of other. Deals 300 damage per travel. Last for 10 seconds.
Mana Cost: 350
Cooldown: 160
Framework : Two huge whirlpools will apear on the map, whirling very fast and sucking everything inside. After first travel, the giant ship will swim out of water, leaving skeletons.
Notes : Whirls suck units at 522 speed, which is reduced by sucked unit speed if it will move away from the maelstro, but minimum is 200. Also, Skell and his minions can pass freely from one whirlwind to other like through portal. This summons 5 skeletons which have 750 HP, deals 40 – 52 normal dmg, have 4 armor points, have the same speeds as Skell and have 60% to freeze attacked unit for 30% AS and MS for 3 seconds. Skeletons last until killed. AoE of the Maelstrom is 650.

Discussion :
So, we're here...First of all, I'm glad you made it. Now, I would clarify his skills .

Chilling Bullet – Skell’s secondary skill, it is more like a finisher/chasing skill. With its really low damage (less than 100 after calculating magic resistance) it sucks in everything. Yet, it reamins devilishly useful when you can’t chase down your enemy – it will firstly slow them, then stun them, then KILL!

Tempest – bread&butter skill. It is the source of your ultimate chasing abilities – the insane, nearly disabling slow. Although to make it, you need to attack really fast.

Drown! – awesome skill. This is random disable with damage. Although it can last only 2.5 seconds and deal ~100 dmg, which is kinda low, it also can disable for 6 sec and deal ~400 dmg, which is kinda “omfgwtfpwnage” as for disable.

Maelstrom – you ultimate, kinda weird skill for me too. It gives you skeleton henchmen that can slow and dish some nice damage, but also makes terryfying passage – you can use it to quickly tranverse from one point map to other and “summon” your enemies near you, which can give you 5/7.5/10 seconds of free wacking! But only to you and your minions – everything else, along with allied creeps and heroes will also whirl inside the mealstroms. So be carefull, cause its easier for your ally to die than you to kill. Shortly, powerful skill that is easy to understand, hard to master.

Skell is awsome hero in my eyes, beign newbie friendly chaser, with nice AGI and INT values. He can’t solo well, but he’s very good ganker. He can also push well with his skeletons and he makes escaping easier for his allies. I would like to show some of the synergies right now, however there are’n many of them.

Tempest + Drown!
Sweet synergy. Firstly, it disables and gives you tim for landing strikes. Enough strikes to turn enemy out cold and slow.

Tempest + Drown! + Chilling Bullet
If he managed to run away, shoot! He will eventually just stop in his tracks again.

Tempest + Drown! + Chilling Bullet + Maelstrom
If there are anything better than look of the face of the enemy that charges as far as he can from you, then he found himself charging into the eye of whirlpool, and next he see you and your minions smiling scary...If you see something better than that look, let me know.

About skill build ...I recomend something like this:

1. Tempest
2. Chilling Bullet
3. Tempest
4. Drown!
5. Tempest
6. Maelstrom
7. Tempest
8. Drown!
9. Drown!
10. Drown!
11. Maelstrom
12 - 14. Chilling Bullet
15. Stats
16. Maelstrom
And stats.

It look like that cause Chilling Bullet isn’t so effective early game. You can get much better stopping skill from Drown!, but getting one level of it can help you if you decide to try yourself in early game ganks. Tempest is core as your main slowing skill and Drown! makes outstanding disable with very good damage.

For items ...Items that give AS are more importnat for him than those that give mana or damage. In case of boots, Phase Boots are one and only for me, cause they prevent you from stupid stacking in mob of creeps. Pair of Nulls, that is obvious. Don’t get any slowing items like Eye of Skadi nor maiming S&Y, cause you already have the best slow ever. Instead, think of Assault Cuirass, cause it improves your AS greatly while decreasing armor. Of course, it gives really nice effects to allies. Orchid Malevolence can be interesting, cause it will silce your enemies before they silence you, stun you, wind walk etc...But on the other hand, you don’t need damage, INT and mana regen – you regen enough and have enough mana and you are not the type of hero that attack to deal damage, no matter how strange it would sound...For other two slots in inventory, just do what you want or what situation needs from you.

His best allies are heroes with high MS and AS, which can be shortened to DPS, plainly. Also, blinkers are good (with Faceless Void considered as blinker) for your allies, cause they can pick up the pieces. But the greatest ally is...The Nether Cow! When something run away from you, Bara will just Nether Strik this sucker and you will slow it for good. Who will oppose the aligned power of Spiritbreaker and Rider from Abyss?!

He can fight with nearly every hero well. Yet, blinkers, wind walkers and silencers are your greatest pain in the neck . First two can run away from you fast, which zero your slows, thus making you useless. Silencers can do more, stripping you off your ultimate and disable.

Props :
- permaslower
- has his own army
- good AGI and its gain for an INT hero
- good AS and MS

Cons :
- no escape mechanism
- no real solo chances in killing
- lacks good damage
- one-hit-wonder, which means skills with long CD

Well, thats all. Hope you liked it. Look out on the horizon, cause from upon it they will come. And their names will be Vengeance, the Godslayer and Horseman of Wars. The Shadow..., Horseman of Darkness and Darkness Incarnate. Carter Slade, the Horseman of Plague and Ghost Rider. And if thy fail - he's ready...Thus was written, thus it shall be.

Best regards, Genn.
_________________
Manda - Scaled King - my January BC Entry
James Skell - Horseman from Abyss - fourth Horseman of Apocalypse, first made
Click the demon!
Click the Tyranid!

Last edited by Genn on Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:44 pm; edited 1 time in total

James Skell - Horseman from Abyss

James Skell - Horseman from Abyss

Re: James Skell - Horseman from Abyss