General Discussion[GUIDE COMPETITION] Nothing Can Stop Our March

[size=+40][color=red]Nothing Can Stop Our March[/color][/size]

[size=+24][color=teal]Introduction:[/color][/size]

Phantom Lancer is an agility hard carry that has a decent win rate in the pub scene (50%+) but is on the lower end of wins in the pro scene. His ability to survive the early game is decent but his power is in the mid to late game with his devastating pushes.

[size=+24][color=teal]About the Guide:[/color][/size]

This guide isn’t going to teach you the basic mechanics of how to farm with a carry; it will focus on things that not all players might know. In order to get better at the game when you have a good understanding of the basics is to learn how to do the little things to help you move up. A tread swap here and there might net you a kill or let you live a team fight.

[size=+24][color=teal]Why and When:[/color][/size]

Phantom Lancer is excels at pushing and carrying a team in the mid to late game. He should be taken when the team needs a hard carry and he has no natural counters on the opposite team. Heroes with cleave and AOE as well as those with a means of true sight tend to shut down Phantom Lancers ability to build momentum and farm. He needs items in order to amplify his carry ability so if you can’t do that safely he shouldn’t be picked. Barring those obstacles, if your team needs a hard carry you can rest assured Phantom Lancer is a great pick.

[size=+24][color=teal]Skills:[/color][/size]

Spirit Lance (Q)

This skill is a decent nuke that slows and allows you to gank and deal with ganks pretty easily. Its mana cost is quite high in the early game so avoid spamming it and save it to snag a kill on an enemy that has overextended. This should NOT be used early to last hit. It will leave you with no mana to doppelwalk.

Doppelwalk (W)

This skill is your natural escape mechanism. It gives you everything you need to survive early game as the CD and manacost drop allowing you to use it more liberally in your laning phase.

Juxtapose (E)

This skill augments your push in the late game as paired with attack speed you will have an army of illusions in no time.

Phantom Edge (R)

The ultimate is what makes Phantom Lancer a force to be reckoned with. It grants you the ability to split push and farm faster than most heroes. It also grants you a little more survivability. Paired with Juxtapose, it is your bread and butter skill.

There are two ways to skill Phantom Lancer and they differ in which ability you take first.

Q-W-Q-W-Q-W-Q-W-E-R-R-E-E-E-Stats-R
You should go Q first if pulling off an early gank or first blood attempt.

W-Q-Q-W-Q-W-Q-W-E-R-R-E-E-E-Stats-R
If you fear a gank on yourself or they have an aggressive trilane against you then take the W first.

The reason you should max the Q over the W is it gives you more power early on for getting an early kill. Most of the time you have no reason to need the lower CD and mana cost that maxing W provides versus the increased nuke damage of the Q.

One important thing to note is you should never get the E or R before maxing the Q and W. There is no circumstance in which early illusion proc will benefit you. Often times in lower brackets you see players take the E before 9 and that might not cost them the game but it can cost a death or kill. As you get higher in skill brackets, a leveling mistake like that can cost you the game.

Also, don’t forget your role as a hard carry. You shouldn’t be trying to push early. Farm and join ganks in your lane when needed. Otherwise you won’t have the needed items to carry your team to victory.

[size=+24][color=yellow]Important Note: Illusions[/color][/size]

Illusions benefit from any items that give stats (Manta, Heart, Butterfly, etc).

Illusions do not benefit from armor buffs, additional raw damage, cleave, auras*, or orb effects. The only exceptions are move speed auras (Drums, Yasha, S&Y, and Manta) and mana burn.

Illusions will place fake debuffs from orbs on the target but those are just to conceal which is the real one. They have no effect

Illusions do gain from critical strike (shows the full damage number which is then reduced to illusion % damage) and evasion.

Illusions do not benefit from bash. Period.

*Illusions can carry auras. This means they give Vlads, AC, and Radiance out. But they don’t benefit from them.

[size=+24][color=teal]Items:[/color][/size]

[size=+18][color=pink]Starting Items:[/color][/size]

The 1st route is for those of you that have a hard time last hitting early with anyone besides treant. Once you've learned how to last hit and the timing you will use this less and less.

OR

The 2nd route builds into soul ring. It provides early health and mana regen as well as a sure fire way to ensure you have mana to escape. The only downfall is you delay your core items.



Soul Ring Recipe

OR

The last route is usually my preference. It allows you to grab a magic wand if needed and the three GG branches give cheap early stats.


AND OPTIONALLY

[size=+18][color=pink]Core Items:[/color][/size]

In most games you will build these items. They are great on Phantom Lancer and provide no downfall. Given decent farm you can get these by the 20-25 minute mark.

Other than these items nothing else is something you will be able to get every game. You add to it from the items below.

[size=+18][color=pink]Additional Items You Will Most Likely Build:[/color][/size]

Upgrade that Diffusal 1 into 2 when you run out of charges or are low.

Yasha can go into this when you get towards the late game. Gives you two more guaranteed illusion alone with some decent stats.

Get this first if you have decent free farm early game. If you can get this before the 20-25 minute mark you are in good shape. It makes you a powerhouse at pushing with illusions. If you die before completing this you most likely should go back to getting diffusal first.

Illusions gain everything from this except the active. A nice item all around. Get it before or after your yasha. Up to you. Replaceable when you are 6 slotting.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Late game this makes you split push harder than most of the heroes. Always get these late game.

Crits do apply to your illusions. While they do reduced damage, it adds up. Pure DPS Item.

This makes you and your illusions very tanky. Should be a part of your late game 5-6 slots.

Your illusions do benefit from the evasion and agility. Not a bad item for late game. But expensive. Should be your last item.

[size=+18][color=pink]Situational Items:[/color][/size]

Keeping in mind what the illusions benefit from you can build S&Y after your Yasha and then split them and go into Heavens and Manta. The illusions gain the MS and AS from Yasha/Manta, the evasion from Heavens, and the raw stats from both. The maim doesn’t proc for them though so it is a little wasteful.

Another item your illusions benefit from. Helps with split push and adds some more tankiness to you. Keep in mind however with the highest Agi gain in the game, Phantom Lancers armor is already high. Better off leaving this for your tank to carry if you can.

If you find yourself constantly being CC’ed by the enemy pick this up after diffusal.

Allows you to deal with those pesky evasion heroes.

Your illusions gain true sight from this allowing you to use them to scout out Riki or BH. Get if needed and your tank can’t hold it.

Good but expensive. Like the butterfly it gives your illusions a lot. But they don’t benefit from the orb sadly.

Another expensive item. Can be taken as a 6th slot item.

[size=+18][color=pink]Items to Avoid:[/color][/size]

Not a bad item to get but not a great item. Close to the cost of the heart but doesn’t give your illusions as much. Chances are if you are having trouble with single target (Sheepstick, Euls, etc) you are better off going for a BKB over this.

While it gives you lifesteal and your illusions can give the aura to the wave they are pushing with, it doesn’t affect illusion directly. Waste of money and a slot. Let the support get this if you need lifesteal that badly.

NO. Illusions don’t benefit from this and you can lose the game dropping this.

Illusions don’t benefit or proc. Pass.

[size=+24][color=teal]Laning:[/color][/size]

[size=+18][color=pink]Good Laning Partners:[/color][/size]

Pure supports that are in the 4-5 role are who you should lane with in the safe lane if not going mid. Lich, Crystal Maiden, Veno, AA, Shadow Shaman, Jakiro, Shadow Demon, etc. are your strongest lane partners.

[size=+18][color=pink]Early Game (Levels 1-7)[/color][/size]

Farm and don’t die. The basic rules to any carry. Now in public games you can’t always expect your support to have wards or for your lanes to call missing. It is important to keep aware of the map and retreat if you need to. Phantom Lancer has very little to offer to his team if he has no items. Important things to remember are avoid over using your Q and W.

Also, if you are trying to rush radiance and have 3400 gold around the 19-20 minute mark and are about to die, scrap the idea of going radiance and grab your diffusal. If you get delayed on that radiance it no longer becomes a rushed item advantage. The diffusal is still a core item and having something to return to lane with is better than nothing.

You are not a ganker. You are not a support. You are not a tank. Be aware of your role as a hard carry. You cannot reiterate enough that without items you are not much use to your team. Delay a team fight if possible in order to finish your crucial item or let the courier finish bringing you your items. Timing is key in the early game so make sure you spend enough time focusing on last hits to be useful.

The last part of early game tips is to make sure you ALWAYS have a teleport scroll. Always Always Always.

[size=+18][color=pink]Mid game (Levels 7-16)[/color][/size]

By now you should have at least your Power Treads and Diffusal and working on the Yasha. If you have all three already you are in good shape. In the current meta (rat doto?) people like to group up and do 4-5 man pushes and take towers to get easy gold advantages. They count on being 3v4 or 4v5 when taking a tower in order to snag a couple kills as well. Don’t fall prey to this. You shouldn’t be farming into the late game and waiting to be 6 slotted. Once you have your cores you can push lanes and TP to you towers and help defend. Remember it isn’t late game and you can’t out push an entire team yet.

When going into the team fights don’t go in first. You should leave that to the initiator. Follow his lead and then focus on certain heroes. Carries like Sven and Tiny are easy targets for your initial spirit lance as it will begin draining their mana. Heroes that can’t take more than a couple hits are also good targets for this first spirit lance. You look at the situation and act accordingly. Sometimes it’s better to leave the enemy hard carry alone and take out the CC around him. Sometimes you need to focus that mid game carry and then take out his support.

Remember that you aren’t unstoppable yet. So make sure you aren’t picked off in the woods while farming. Have offensive/defensive wards placed accordingly. If you catch one of the enemy out of position gank him and then take a tower. Any advantage you can gain is good. Keep an eye and ward on Roshan. Avoid initiating a fight with your Doppelwalk and losing your only escape mechanism. While in the early game you wanted to avoid death at all costs, if you can draw and bait most of the enemies CC on to yourself and your illusions in exchange for killing 4 of them it is worth it. As a carry you want to stay alive and contribute. But trading yourself for 3 or 4 of the enemy team is well worth it.

All in all, the mid game is about picking the fights carefully and winning it means playing efficiently and smart. Work on grabbing the runes and taking opportunities. Don’t be afraid to take a risk, Losing a team fight and a tier 2 isn’t the end of the world. Just means you have to fight a little harder.

[size=+18][color=pink]Late game (Level 16+)[/color][/size]

It is your time to shine. You can push faster than an entire team and even split push with BoT and Radiance. From here if you are even on rax and farm, you are in a good spot. If you are ahead then you are in a great spot. You can defend and push single handedly. Seeing as you haven’t lost yet you have a good grasp on when to fight and when not to fight. Keep that up.

If you are only slightly behind or even and they are just winning the team fights without pushing then use that to your advantage. Split push. You take a lane and have the other 4 take a lane. Chances are if you are losing team fights already or coming out even having you push together is useless. So while they focus the rest of the team you can push off a Tier 2 or 3 and maybe take a rax. If they come after you then your team does the same. Oh but they send a guy to defend? Don’t panic. If you can take him then do so. It’s a free kill and maybe your team still gains a tower. At the very least distract the defender long enough to give your team a chance to win a 4v4. You never know.

[size=+24][color=yellow]Important Note: Roshan[/color][/size]

Even late game you will have a hard time solo Roshan. This is due to him insta killing your illusions. Keep that in mind.

[size=+24][color=teal]Game Is Hard. Now what?[/color][/size]

You are going against a Sven, Death Prophet, Magnus, Sand King, etc. and not able to carry. Their AoE is shutting you down. Your illusions are useless. Your team can’t keep up in team fights. All hope is lost. What do you do? Well there are limited options.

If you are too far behind and the game is over then play to not lose. Stay defensive and see if they misplay allowing you to grab a set of rax and help even up the game.

If you have 2 set of rax and they have mega creeps but you can defend them. Again. Play defensive. They will have to come in and finish you guys off. If they make a mistake it may allow you to get that last rax and even the game up again. Remember, fight till the end.

[size=+24][color=teal]Other Thoughts:[/color][/size]

This guide alone won't give you the know how to become a 5k+ MMR player. That comes with all the fine details in a playing a hero or role. While any decent player could build and play Phantom Lancer, the thing that separates a high bracket player from the lower bracket player is the small things that he does. Tread swapping from agi to strength when getting ganked or from str to int to give you that last bit of mana to snag a kill with your Q. Calling missing the second someone in your lane vanishes instead of 5 seconds after. Often times you forget to do these things even when trying to do it all perfectly.

The solution I've found to improve your play is to spend 20-30 games focusing on tread swapping or calling the missing within a certain time. It builds habit and after you find yourself putting it in as a natural part of your play. So work on one part of your gameplay at a time. Soon you'll see the overall effect in your MMR. Also, it doesn't hurt to watch some pro players and see what they do that you might have missed doing. Or even going back in your own replays and seeing what you messed up on.

Finally, the best thing I can recommend is if you are playing solo or with a team, it's to own up to your mistakes. If a gank goes wrong and you miss timed your stun or you forgot to call missing soon enough, admit it. It doesn't help your skills if you sweep something under the rug and think you'll remember the next time to be better. You'll realize as you play with a steady group of people or even as you play in better brackets that people don't expect you to be a perfect player. They do expect you to take responsibility for you role though. So play your strengths, work on your weaknesses, and remember your position.

[size=+24][color=teal]Thanks for Reading![/color][/size]

This is the end of the guide and thus the end of what I can provide for you. You can, however, take a look at some of the links below and gain some more knowledge that I may have missed (that’s very possible) or something that allows you to grasp a better understanding of the hero.

A lot of people don't understand the position 1-5 system for DotA. Look here for that and other info.
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=366357

iG's Hao gives us a taste of late game Phantom Lancer in the G-League 2013 Finals
http://dotabuff.com/matches/419857460

Cloud9' EternalEnvy shows the strength of Phantom Lancer. While the laning phase is pretty even (better than losing the lane), EternalEnvy jumps ahead in the mid game and never looks back.

Purge plays Phantom Lancer. A fairly popular player showing how Phantom Lancer progress throughout the game:

DOTABUFFS Phantom Lancer Page. It can give you common items built for him and some stats.
http://dotabuff.com/heroes/phantom-lancer