Imma chargin mah lazor - Lion Guide by SilentZero

Finger of Death (F)
Instantly rips at a target, attempting to turn it inside-out. Deals massive damage.
Level 1 - Deals 500 (600*) damage.
Level 2 - Deals 650 (800*) damage.
Level 3 - Deals 850 (1025*) damage.
• Damage type: magical
• Casting range: 700
• Can be improved by Aghanim's Scepter (* shows the improved values).
Mana Cost: 200/420/650(625)
Cooldown: 150/90/55(50)

Skill Build:

1. Impale (Lion)
2. Voodoo
3. Impale (Lion)
4. Voodoo
5. Impale (Lion)
6. Finger of Death
7. Impale (Lion)
8. Mana Drain
9. Mana Drain
10. Voodoo
11. Finger of Death
12. Voodoo
13. Stats
14. Mana Drain
15. Stats
16. Finger of Death
17. Mana Drain
18. Stats
19. Stats
20. Stats
21. Stats
22. Stats
23. Stats
24. Stats
25. Stats

Item Build:

1.
Bracer (525)
6 Strength
3 Agility
3 Intelligence
3 Damage
Gauntlets of Ogre Strength + Circlet of Nobility + Bracer Recipe Scroll
2.
Bracer (525)
6 Strength
3 Agility
3 Intelligence
3 Damage
Gauntlets of Ogre Strength + Circlet of Nobility + Bracer Recipe Scroll
3.
Kelen's Dagger (2150)
Active: Blink
Teleports the caster to 1200 range. Can't be used if the carrier was damaged by an enemy player-controlled unit or Roshan in the last 3 seconds. 75 manacost. 14 seconds cooldown.
Note: can't be held by Butcher or Vengeful Spirit.
4.
Empty Bottle (600)
Active: Regenerate
Restores 135 HP and 70 mana over 3 seconds. Effect ends if you take damage. When used, Magic Bottle 3/3 changes to 2/3, 2/3 changes to 1/3, and 1/3 changes to Empty Bottle. Can't be used when Empty Bottle. 0.5 second cooldown.
Active: Rune Capture
Stores a rune in an Empty Bottle. When a rune is used, this item is refilled to Magic Bottle 3/3. Stored runes are automatically used after 120 seconds. Can't be drop if it has a rune stored.
Note: This item is refilled to Magic Bottle 3/3 when near the fountain.
5.
Boots of Speed (450)
50 Movement Speed
Note: Movement speed bonus doesn't stack with Boots of Travel, Phase Boots, Power Treads, or Boots of Speed.
6.
Scroll of Town Portal (135)
Active: Teleport
Teleports you to an allied building or a point nearby an allied building. Shares cooldown with Boots of Travel. 3 seconds casting time. 75 manacost. 65 seconds cooldown.
Note: Stacks with itself in inventory. 1 charge.
Note: For each recent allied teleport in the area, time is added to your Teleport's casting time (2 seconds for the first recent allied teleport, 1 second for each additional one).

Early Game:

Table of Contents:

• Introduction
  • Roles in the Team
  • Why Play Lion
  • Pro's and Con's
  • Hero Overview
  • Skill Justification
• Early Game
  • Skill Build
  • Item Build
  • Starting Items
  • Laning Discussion
  • Ganking
• Mid Game
• Late Game
• Conclusion

[introduction]



First thing's first: Are you new to DotA? then please read Ghost's guide to DotA

[Roles in the team]

Knowing your role by Wiivenom

Lion is a ganker/support/disabler/caster/nuker/animal/witch/demon/more unnecessary slashes needed
you have 4 active skills, 2 have disables, 1 pain in the butt lazer that has the potential to do this:





[Why play Lion]:

when your team lacks disables, having 2 more disables in your team's arseanal is good
when you want to  add some firepower in your team if you know what I mean
When you want to shoot some pew pew lazors
when you want to surprise opponents with spiked rocks shooting from underground and hitting their... insides
when you want to see your opponent turn to some animal
So you can yell when you finger someone

[Pro's and con's]


Pros

2 skills that can disable
a skill that can replenish your mana pool
a strong ultimate nuke
good int gain (+3)
ranged (600 range)
most effective early-mid
no animation disable meaning you could cast voodoo/impale even when you get stunned/disable when doing the casting animation

Cons

below average ms (290)
manapool problems
squishy throughout
mana dependent
loses effectiveness as game drags on
Weaknesses list of magic and shtuff by quale




[hero overview]

[Skill justification]


Impale (Lion) (E)
The Demon Witch releases his demonic magics into the ground in order to thrust solidified rock spikes along a straight path.
This sends all his enemies into the air, only to take damage on their painful impact with the ground.
Level 1 - 60 damage, lasts 0.5 second.
Level 2 - 130 damage, lasts 1 second.
Level 3 - 200 damage, lasts 1.5 seconds.
Level 4 - 260 damage, lasts 2 seconds.
• Damage type: magical
• Hit units will fly for 0.52 seconds before the real stun is applied.
• Distance traveled is 700.
• Casting range: 500
• Area of Effect: 150
• The wave of tendrils moves at 1600 units per second.

Mana Cost: 100/120/145/170
Cooldown: 12

Notes: total of 2.52 seconds stun, commonly used for initiating ganks and/or to place a follow up stun, can be used in conjunction with manadrain for harassment. Stuns multiple heroes if done right. Can be used to last hit multiple creeps and/or hit multiple heroes at once.

Does 45/97/150/195 when base magic resistance is computed.


Voodoo (D)
Transforms an enemy unit into a random critter, disabling special abilities.
Level 1 - Lasts 1.25 seconds.
Level 2 - Lasts 2 seconds.
Level 3 - Lasts 2.75 seconds.
Level 4 - Lasts 3.5 seconds.
• If the target is an illusion, it will be instantly destroyed.
• The hexed target will have a base movespeed of 100.
• Hex disables damage block and evasion.
• Casting range: 500
Mana Cost: 110/140/170/200
Cooldown: 13

Notes: Most people have that misconception of it nullifying armor and magic resistance, for the last time: it does not nullify armor/magic resistance.
Great disable yes? manapool for it early not exactly no. More info about this (and other things too) can be found here: tiberiumlord's Disable Guide

Prioritize on who should you cast it, especially for those who have evasion like PA and such due to it canceling evasion.

Mana Drain (R)
Absorbs the magical energies of a target enemy unit by taking mana from it every second. Lasts 4 seconds.
Level 1 - 20 mana drained per second.
Level 2 - 40 mana drained per second.
Level 3 - 60 mana drained per second.
Level 4 - 100 mana drained per second.
• Illusions which are being Mana Drained will be destroyed after 1 second.
• Can continue to drain as long as the target is within 800 range from Lion.
• Casting range: 600/650/700/750
Mana Cost: 10
Cooldown: 25/20/15/10 seconds

Notes: total of 70, 150, 230, 390 mana replenished if fully channeled, using impale at level 4 allows you to channel for 2 seconds on a single target. Can be used to nullify illusions such as TB, Slithice and such.
If your opponent has a brain and a nuke/stun/disable, stop thinking that he won't use it on you while you're using mana drain 

No, seriously, the time when you're channeling manadrain is the time where you're at most fragile. It's better not to use manadrain when you lose HP.

usually used on:



neutral drain is pretty viable provided that you creep pull to lessen the intake amount of damage and the neutral creep camp actually has mana you can drain like this:




more info found on Basic Creep pulling guide

Finger of Death (F)
Instantly rips at a target, attempting to turn it inside-out. Deals massive damage.
Level 1 - Deals 500 (600*) damage.
Level 2 - Deals 650 (800*) damage.
Level 3 - Deals 850 (1025*) damage.
Mana Cost: 200/420/650(625)
Cooldown: 150/90/55(50)
• Damage type: magical
• Casting range: 700
• Can be improved by Aghanim's Scepter (* shows the improved values).

Notes: yes, this is your lazors! High damage nuke that hurts like hell! but wait! it doesn't deal exactly what the tooltip says!
Please read quale's guide to magic resistance for more info.
Avoid KSing please, leave the kill for your teammates, unless no one seems worthy enough for it, then go for the kill.

[Early Game]

Since you're more of a hybrid of ganker and support, reading a

Guide to Support Heroes by Boots-chan won't hurt anyone

[Skill build]

 

Call me lame but I don't follow skill builds, but I do follow some points.

Suggested skill build for levels 1-7:

The mana drain build:

impale
mana drain
impale
manadrain
impale
Finger of death
impale

Why use this: Impale spamming, nough said. very effective when laning against melee opponent/s

the disabler build:
impale
voodoo
impale
voodoo
impale
voodoo
impale

Why use this: if you have a lane partner and want to go aggressive on a lane

the impale+stats

impale
stats/voodoo
impale
stats
impale
Finger of Death
impale


Although the impale and stats would be questionable, kindly read THIS

^{if you have any complaints go bump the thread and don't tell anyone I told you to do it}

[Item build]

Putting the best boots forward:

as you may know, with the new introduction of the new boots (Arcane Boots), and the comparison of the best boots to go, It's more playstyle oriented.

Power Treads provides changeable stats that could help in any situation and also gives AS.
Phase Boots provides damage and burst MS, perfect for chasing down red heroes 600 units away
Arcane Boots provides increases your mana pool and mana restoration that almost entirely removes that "ZOMGNOMANATOKS" situations

Total Cost: 5305+

with addition of:

Put the best boot(s) forward:

as you may know, with the new introduction of the new boots (Arcane Boots), and the comparison of the best boots to go, It's more playstyle oriented. (like why you see a PB earlier then I put a boots thar)
Power Treads provides changeable stats that could help in any situation and also gives AS.
Phase Boots provides damage and burst MS, perfect for chasing down red life hp heroes 600 units away
Arcane Boots provides increases your mana pool and mana restoration that almost entirely removes that "ZOMGNOMANATOKS" situations
Boots of Travel gives an almost insane mobility for ganks and late game efficiency.

[Item build justification]

Now for some clarification why Kelen's Dagger as core:

It provides you mobility and to ruin the chances of getting stunned first, thereby making sure that you do something worthwhile (ie: rather than running there then suddenly getting stunned and not able to cast something then suddenly get raped.)

yes, you can just run there casting your spells and be as the same as being useful for the team because you won. ohwait, you took unncessary damage due to Rotundjere's Aura and some other spells, you need to heal. With Dagger, you can prevent or lessen that unnecessary damage taken.

Dagger also dodges some projectiles if you know how to time it well, it also helps in chasing and running away.

and some other ideas, too lazy to list it down.

Why the need for bottle?

It gives burst hp and mana heal, something that you need most of the time with your low cd spells and fragile-ness. Allows you to rune whore for a bottle refill and the nifty runes can either help in ganks, fix your mana and hp back up or save your life. Even if the runes aren't available like if someone beat you to it or there's another one doing it, then the crow + bottle works with proper micro.

Why Bracers?

Simply put: cheap source of HP and an increase of mana pool. You can go nulls though, but do note of Lion's fragility.

BEFORE YOU START RANTING WHY DAGON/REFRESHER/GUINSOO/BLOODSTONE/AGHANIM's SCEPTER IS NOT THERE
(like a certain member here in DS that can't recognize that he's wrong)

do you exactly have the need of tier 3-4 items? let's take Crystal Maiden as an example, does she really need a Guinsoo/Refresher/Dagon/Agh Scepter to be effective?
Why waste time last hitting creeps when you can gank and support? You are not like certain heroes like PA/PL/TB who needs to stay in their lanes and farm, you can use your spells to lay waste to heroes depriving them from gold and experience. Cost efficient wise by the the time you have those 1337 items spent farming in the lane, the game is over already.

[Starting items]

so I herd you picked Lion and you are at the fountain confuddled on what to buy 1st, here's a guideline on what Starting items to get by bobbob247/fwii

[Lane picking discussion]

So now you've bought your items, choose your lane or what thy team tells you

so you picked your lane, then your waiting for the countdown to end for the creeps to spawn, BUT WAIT you can have the earliest advantage at the beginning.
How you ask? It's called creep blocking, how to do this? Read Caspian's creep block walkthrough

Now all that preparation is done, time to move on to:

[Laning discussion]:

For a total coverage of everything about lane control read

Genosis Guide to Lane Control on PD

for those who are lazy to read Ghost's Guide about last hitting and denying: Last hit and deny by dare18
and what better to accompany that with Attack Stuttering/Animation Cancelling by Boots-chan

Lane Scenarios:

1 melee hero: easy lane is easy: deny like hell, harass like hell, let him push, before you start harassing please read Hidden_trojan's How creeps react to our actions
1 ranged: beware of nukes and disables, it's a battle of wits, take cheap shots if you can
2 melee: still easy, beware of ranged stuns as though chain stunning will result in a veddy hurtzful situationz
2 ranged: get a lane partner, preferably another ranged/support. Nukes and stuns, nukes and stuns. Play safe and if you really feel it's very hard to go agro then last hit and deny only. Tower hug if needed and attempting to hit one and two will come back at you.


Warding

I won't go acting pro on you just take a look at this few guides found on PD:

Ward Position Guide by Eumellein

Heldarion's advance warding guide

Trilaning

welcome to hell, note the bold words
What's trilaning?

Trilaning is where 3 heroes are in a lane, where usually have 2 or more disables, usually composed of 1 disabler (or 2) and a carry or a jungler.

What makes it Hot:

there's no joke on 3 hero whacking at your hero don't you think? and 3 heroes which means more chances of them to deny

and lane control

2 solo heroes, which means they can get more gold and experience
push your tower asap
can dramatically decrease experience and gold if done right

What makes it Not:

3 heroes laning together will mean less experience and gold for them
If it does not work, 3 heroes are practically underfarmed/underleveled
competition for last hits

For more info go HERE and HERE


Harassing


harassing is one step to a kill or going to jail
assuming both impale and manadrain at max level, a whole 2 sec stun with manadrain will basically repay itself with a profit of 20 mana even after canceling it

this could be done by easier by  shift queing, oh the possibilities

[Ganking]

Whether you got blink dagger or not, you can gank at earlier levels

Before you start ganking:

 

• check for runes
• your current amount of mana (if it's enough for impale + voodoo or impale + FoD) and HP since there's always the possibility of them resisting
• burst damage as to decrease the amount of time spent ganking
• potential targets since it's useless if you know you can't take down that certain hero, you'll be wasting your time and mana
• Avoid solo ganking, unless you know your maths and can ensure that certain hero won't survive your spell barrage, and it's preferable that you have a partner to increase the chance of a succesful gank.
• If you have dagger, use it to initiate otherwise rely on your impale and/or your allies to initiate

others are probably mentioned by Ghost's guide to DotA I won't list down all of it like fogs and stuff since I'm lazy

 

Other items worth to go for:

Urn of Shadows

Cost: 875

Extra hp and manaregen, perfect for a constant ganking lion due to heal after ganks, and DoT for ganking.

 

Boots of Travel

Cost: 2700

Gives you extra MS and the Teleport ability that increases mobility and gank potential. Saves gold and slot for TP scrolls

 

Perseverance

Cost: 1750

Perseverance as a whole gives overall things that lion needs, and it's flexibility of it for being component of different items allows you to adapt into different situations and what makes this special is that it can be disassembled for the components to be used for different items such as voidstone for guinsoo and such.

 

Dagon

 

Cost: 2750

Improves your potential burst damage that  increases Lion's killing potential also adds some int and damage. The earlier you get it the better, as though heroes will get more HP as the game drags on. Cost efficient wise, 1-2 levels is enough. Deals 300 damage when base magical resistance is counted.

 

Mekansm

Cost: 2306

Support Lion is support, yes there are better heroes who can get it. Viable if no one else gets it.

 

Necronomicon

Cost: 2700

Micronomnom info at situational items, either way provides some stats and some little monsters that rapes mana and gives MS aura. Upgrade helps against invisibitches and AoE whores.