LifeDrainer[RO]
9th April 2008, 10:41 PM
Afterburn's Guide to Huskar, the Sacred Warrior
http://i18.tinypic.com/522oaa8.jpg
Contents:
A1. Hero Intro and Stats
A2. Why Should I Play Huskar?
A3. Skills and Skill Build
A4. Items and Item Build
====================
B1. Early Game
B2. Mid Game
B3. Late Game
====================
C1. Good Allies
C2. Evil Foes
====================
D2. Replays
D1. FAQ
A1. Hero Intro and Stats
Huskar, the Sacred Warrior
The Trolls of the Darkspear tribe, long since exiled from their ancestral lands in Stranglethorn Vale, are considered by many to be the most savage race of creatures to ever grace the battlefield. This reputation is well earned by their Sentinel representative Huskar, who's abilities revolve around shortening his own lifespan to spear his foes to burning pieces. Considered a blessed martyr by his people, the Sacred Warrior is not afraid of death, and will even run towards it willingly, sometimes desperately, in order to bring the Undead Scourge to an end.
Starting Stats:
Base HP:
Base Mana:
Base STR: 18 + 2.4 per level
Base AGI: 20 + 2.4 per level
Base INT:18 + 1.5 per level
Base Movespeed: 300
Base Damage: 39 - 48
Base Armor: 1.8 rounded off to 2
Attack Range: 350
Final Stats: (Without Items)
STR: 75
AGI: 77
INT: 54
HP: 1575
Mana: 702
Damage: 96 - 105
Armor: 10
Now, on the to guide. Huskar is a natural ranged STR hero who blurs the line between tank and DPS. He is the type of hero that really forces his enemies to decide whether to try and kill him, or to just run like a pansy. Either way, Huskar has ways of dealing with both. Read on if you wish to know more about this hot potato.
Pros:
[+] Good heal that scales as your primary attribute increases
[+] Nice early game harassing skill
[+] Ult shines thoughout mid - lategame
[+] Arrow ability stacks after multiple hits
Cons
[-] Not-that-decent STR
[-] Looses much of his harassing capabilities without his arrow skill
[-] Two of his actives drain HP
[-] No escape mechanism
A2. Why play Huskar?
Huskar, a newcomer in the 6.44 map, is a very unique hero. First, he's a ranged Strength hero, aside from Davion, who needs his ultimate to be ranged. Second, he has three actives, one is an arrow spell. Why is this special? Only one of them require mana, the other two eat up bits of your HP.
Now I'm sure you're thinking "WTF? IS HE THE SENTINEL'S EMO?" No, he's Goth, actually. Kidding.
Huskar is a 3 in 1 hero. He's a healer because of Inner Vitality, a tank because of his monster HP mid-late game, and DPS because of his arrow spell. If you liked Enchantress, you'll love this troll.
If you want to play Huskar, you should:
-Have a good sense of judgement.
-Want to try a ranged Strength hero.
-Like taking tons of damage in a fight and regen fast enough for another.
-Love annoying people with a low cooldown ultimate.
-Be good at mind games
Since his arrival in .44, he's only been nerfed once, which is good. He's a tank that can take and dish out damage. He's in league with Ulf in damage dealing and tanking, possible even better because of his support potential via healing. A well rounded hero, Huskar's role is very flexible depending on the game. A Heart Huskar can take tons of punishment while a BKB Huskar is also a decent hero-hunter.
http://i22.tinypic.com/11mgtxd.jpg
Here is the imba meter to show how fun Huskar is. To the left is what your enemy must be typing in team chat, and to the right is why they're typing that.
Hopefully you'll enjoy and learn from this guide, and please pray Husky doesn't get hoeslapped by the Nerfstick on the next versions.
A3. Skills and Skill Build
http://i14.tinypic.com/68h0avr.jpg Inner [V]itality
Magically unlocks the potential regenerative power within a target unit, healing its life force based upon its primary attribute. If the target is below 40% it will heal faster. Lasts 16 seconds.
Level 1 - 5(15)% of main attribute + 2 hp regen per second.
Level 2 - 10(30)% of main attribute + 4 hp regen per second.
Level 3 - 15(45)% of main attribute + 6 hp regen per second.
Level 4 – 20(60)% of main attribute + 8 hp regen per second.
Cooldown: 30
Manacost: 170
A nice skill that comes in handy after maxing out your other two skills. This skill heals more as you gain more of your primary attribute, which makes it a great source of regen for heroes with high stat gains, such as Treant. It saves your ass by a pinch most of the time, and it's Huskar's only skill that needs mana.
http://i17.tinypic.com/4ygu0qq.gif Burning Spea[R]
Using his own life force to set them aflame, the Sacred Warrior can cause his spears to deal stackable damage over time as they impact the foe. Cannot cast if Huskar's HP is lower than 100. Stacks up to 5 times. Lasts 6 seconds.
Level 1 - 6 dps
Level 2 - 8 dps
Level 3 - 10 dps
Level 4 - 12 dps
Cooldown: 0
Healthcost: 15
Your harassing/killing skill. This is what makes you emo. Basically, each time you throw an arrow with this skill, Huskar is damaged by 15 HP. Once the arrow hits, it does Huskar's damage plus a damage over time. This does not stack with Orb effects, which we will discuss later.
http://i23.tinypic.com/iqd4ar.pngerserker's Blood
Huskar feels each of his wounds and channels the pain, increasing attack speed and damage for each 7% missing health. 7 Max bonuses. First bonus starts at full health.
Level 1 - 2% IAS and 2 Damage
Level 2 - 4% IAS and 4 Damage
Level 3 - 6% IAS and 6 Damage
Level 4 - 8% IAS and 8 Damage
Passive
A skill which could possibly save your ass. As your HP goes down, you gain damage and attack speed. If you want to benefit from the max bonus from this, your HP must be at 58%. This means that your HP bar should be around the yellow level, so this skill is very situational, but good nonetheless. Thanks to Asquall for correcting me on the life percentage needed to gain the full bonus for Berserker's Blood. This is his most recent PM regarding BB's bonuses:
To have the max bonus, you must get at 58% HP! That is 42% loss. This happens because first bonus starts at full health, meaning 100%, then 93%, 86%, 79%, 72%, 65%, 58%.
http://i7.tinypic.com/6bd6zjo.jpg Li[F]e Break
Huskar reaches into the well of his own life force to potentially destroy an enemy. The target takes damage 40% equal to its OWN HP. Slows target by 50% for 5 seconds. Huskar pays a certain percentage of his hp to cast this.
Level 1 - Huskar pays 40% of his current hp to cast.
Level 2 - Huskar pays 33% of his current hp to cast
Level 3 - Huskar pays 25% of his current hp to cast
Cooldown: 45
Level 1: 0 mana, 45 sec cooldown.
Level 2: 0 mana, 45 sec cooldown.
Level 3: 0 mana, 45 sec cooldown.
Huskar's BBQ ultimate. The slow is just beautiful, and the damage will make most enemies wet their pants. This is usually used as an opener because it brings your opponent down to 60% HP immidiately, it brings down tanks like Centaur easily with Reaper's Scythe. This cannot kill because it does 40% OF YOUR ENEMY'S CURRENT HP, NOT YOURS!
Skill Build:
The Berserker
1. Burning Spear
2. Berserker's Blood
3. Burning Spear
4. Berserker's Blood
5. Burning Spear
6. Berserker's Blood or Life Break
7. Burning Spear
8. Berserker's Blood
9. Inner Vitality
10. Life Break or Berserker's Blood
11. Life Break
12. Inner Vitality
13. Inner Vitality
14. Inner Vitality
15. Attribute Bonus
16. Life Break
17 - 25. Attribute Bonus
Justifying The Berserker
This build is for more aggressive players who like to harass with Spear and surprise the enemy with their great damage given by Berserker's Blood. A Life Break at level 6 gives you the full bonus of whatever level your Berserker's Blood is, though you'll easily get raped by a spell combo, so be careful. Using this build to the max requires a crafty player, one who knows when to pull out and when to charge in since you'll be toying around with your enemy with some health missing. This build is the tested-and-true build. With this build, early game kills are easily obtained providing you know how to bait and know when to retreat.
A4. Items and Item Build
Your Core Items:
At least two Bracers, depending on how you play. I recommend getting all three if you like playing aggressively, which is what this build is all about. Bracers keep you high on HP, so even if you use Lifebreak, you still have higher HP than your opponent. In between your Bracers, you should also get Boots for MS, obviously. Don't try to rush all three Bracers if you know you need MS. Next comes Armlet. This is the new core item for Huskar. The Unholy Strength it gives is just pwnage on Huskar, which is why he needs it. Boots as your next core item before Heart. Use your MS+AS+Dmg to get your hero kills to help farm for Heart, which increases your damage+tanking lategame.
Vanguard is something I am against because you will be holding youself back from better items. Never get this, as it will not help. Only get items that would increase your STR, and Vanguard doesn't. This item is trash for you, so leave it.
Your luxury items are to be gotten last because you first need to pump up for survivability for late game.
Your total core build cost: (not counting in consumables:
-Bracer x3 = 510
-Boots Of Travel = 2700
-Heart = 5500
---------------------
Grand total of 9730
In-Depth Item Explanation:
Core:
Bracers: Gives you stats, which is what you need more than what Vanguard gives. Vanguard is for heroes who do not need the stat boost, like Axe.
Boots Of Speed/Travel: No Treads for you. You already have good attackspeed from Berserker's Blood, and the MS/Tele will benefit you more late game. Curiass will solve your attackspeed problems later.
Heart Of Tarrasque: Gives you much needed HP, regen, STR, and damage. By raising your max HP, you can effectively get the full bonus of Berserker's Blood and still have higher HP than your enemies.
Armlet Of Mordiggan: Your very own Stim Pack. Gives you everything you need when activated, from STR to damage.
[B]Optional
Blink Dagger: Cheaper than Lothar's, less counters compared to Lothars. Will be your escaping/ganking tool.
Perseverance: HP and Mana regen, can turn into Hood or Linken's later. Not really recommended though.
Hood Of Defiance: Protects you against nukes, and regen keeps you in the lane longer.
Luxury:
Monkey King Bar: Gives a good damage boost and attackspeed. Ministun also messes up channelers and is good for chasing.
Black King Bar: Allows you dive in a team of nukers and come back unscratched. Activage and target the nearest Lina in sight.
Assualt Curiass: Gives you a good EHP boost, attackspeed and armor. Auras also benefit your team.
Radiance: Damage, evasion, and immolation. Good for farming and chasing, your 350 range allows you to get in close so that immolation pisses off the whole enemy team.
Buriza-do Kyanon: Crits and damage will really make sure you can rip your enemies a new one late game along with the Berserker's Blood bonuses.
http://i28.tinypic.com/2w39wsm.jpg
Why no orbs? Because they conflict with Burning Spear. Period. Spear is Huskar's source of damage along with Blood. In fact, Spear compliments Blood especially at early levels when Spear rubs off a little of your HP. Getting orbs would be wasting money on things you do not need.
B1. Early Game, Levels 1-7
Pick Huskar, get your consumables or starters, and even a chicken if you wish. Head for any lane, except for mid. I really suggest you stay with a partner who is a disabler/slower as both of you can benefit from each other. Do the last hit and deny thing, don't be too distracted by kills as you need to farm for your equipment, though getting first blood is a good bonus. If possible too, try to lane with other heroes who have high Primary attributes, like Rooftrellen or Obsidian. Remember though that Naix or Ursa will not benefit as much as these, because Naix gains more AGI than STR and Ursa gains more STR than AGI. I cannot stress this issue enough, DO NOT TOWER DIVE. The only time you should do this is when:
1) You have almost full HP and you KNOW you can catch up.
2) When you have 3/4 HP and Boots of Speed and your enemy doesn't.
3) When you have Vitality on you and you have at 3/4 HP
4) when you have an ally who can stun/slow/heal
Since we're using the Vitality/Spear build, you'll be able to harass your enemy quite effectively. Doing this though, will damage you if you don't know how to control it. Do not autocast it yet. Instead, manual cast it by pressing R and clicking on your opponent. To measure how much you can harass, count how many bracers you have. 1 Bracer means you should use it seldomly, 2 means often, 3 means you can autocast it with your health at a standstill, meaning your HP will not go up or down. Getting either Perseverance or Hood Of Defiance changes this though, because they give more regen and allow you to cast Burning Spears more.
Since 6.44b, Inner Vitality's manacost was nerfed in terms that it would be 170 for all levels. now, this may be restricting to your healing because it isn't spammable anymore. The INT from Bracers should make up for this nerf, so it shouldn't be a problem. Consider getting a Sobi, Void or Basillius if the situation calls for it.
A very good opportunity for First Blood:
http://i15.tinypic.com/54k2jix.jpg
1) Balanar engages me at 1/2HP (not shown) and I Lifebreak him with Vitality on me.
2) We both get a few hits on each other, then he Voids me. I retreat to my creeps.
3) My creeps get a few hits on him (not shown), and he decides to retreat.
4) I turn back and the last attacks on him and my burn effect finishes him off. +250 gold.
In this game , I used my Mainstay Build. How did I survive? Four things.
-My creeps
-My Ultimate
-Inner Vitality
-My STR.
Early game, your opponents won't expect you to have that much regen. This is Balanar's error. When I used my Ultimate, the slow gave me time to fall back and to allow my creeps to get a few more hits. When the slow was about to wear off and when he started to retreat, I knew that I could get First Blood if I got a few more hits in.
B2. Mid Game, Levels 8-16
By now, you should have at least your Boots Of Travel or a Reaver. At level 2, your ultimate is less painful on your ass, so you can begin using it more often. During this period, people usually start leaving their lanes to make mass pushes or to gank. Your role here is to:
1) Gank
2) Assist in pushes
3) Support fleeing friendly heroes
If you choose to gank, here's how it goes: (Will add screenies later)
1) Get ready for an ambush, from the forest or anywhere as lnog as the enemy doesn't see you.
2) Turn on your autocast.
3) Run in and cast your ultimate on your enemy, right-click on him.
4) Own him.
A good example:
http://i10.tinypic.com/4ouurs6.jpg
1) Balanar was attacking my tower, so I immidiately ported in and used Life Break. With my slow and a few tower hits plus my Spears, I was able to bring him down to the red.
2) Notice how Burning Spear eats through his HP
3) Notice the white arrow. Thats the last Spear I was able to throw at him.
4) He succumbs to the Spear and dies. +250.
Only do this though if you know you are safe, such as you know where the enemy heroes are, the enemy you are going to gank is alone, or when you are with a partner. By now, you should also have any of the progression items, most preferrably the Plate Mail because it gives more. This is when you will start to shine, as Life Break at level 2 will do more to your target than it does to you. Preferrably, target a hero with low HP, like INT or AGI types. Remember though that 1 stun can easily mess up your gank, so try to avoid stunners or engage them when you know they just used their stuns, if they're low on mana or if they're just plain nooby. By the end of mid game, you should be having a Heart or Travel, hopefully both though.
B3. Late Game, Levels 17-25
Nothing really much here, just do what you did mid game. By now, you should have your core and at least 1 luxury item, preferrably Curiass or MKB. You should also have a crapload of HP and regen, so get in there and get some kills. Get BKB too if you're being focused on by spell casters. Remember that your arrows stack and if you focus on soft INT and AGI heroes, you can rip them up easily.
http://i12.tinypic.com/523sufc.jpg
See my point? I guess you don't, because I haven't said anything about the screenie yet. Anyway, I'm trying to make two points here.
1) Notice the difference between the #1 and #2 screenies? The HP seems to be the same, but the stats show a very important difference. #1 screenies show Huskar with slightly lower HP than the #2 screenies, and with more damage too. This is the bonus that Berserker's Blood gives, and the HP you need to get the full bonus. You don't have to be at the red wih 1/10th HP to get it.
2) Notice my HP. Even for half HP, Huskar is still capable of fighting because the 1322 HP he has is also almost equal to the fully healed Mirana that I was fighting. This is why we choose Bracers and Heart for Huskar. It gives him the big fighting edge he needs to combat heroes easily and still have the full effects of Berserker's Blood.
Try to also focus of Raxing when you push into the enemy's base, because breaking their Raxes is like putting those final nails into their coffin. If you do break their Raxes, you'll be forcing them to concentrate on base defense more than killing you.
Also remember that Life Break is %-based, so you can also bring down tanks for your team. Your target priorities are:
1) Tanks
2) Disablers / DPS
3) Other heroes
You are the most threatening hero to tanks because no matter how high their HP is, Life Break will always wipe out 40% of their HP.
MKB, Curiass, or BKB? Personally, I prefer MKB because the damage boost is great, and the ministun helps in messing up channelers and it helps a bit in chasing too. After MKB, I usually go Curiass. I personally have not gotten BKB yet since i'm not a fan of it, but I suppose it would be very useful since Huskar has no escape mech and will have a hard time chasing stunners.
C1. Good Allies
Benefactors:
http://i10.tinypic.com/4yirlnk.gif
These heroes benefit alot from your heal because of their high primary base stat.(Treant,Silencer,Panda,Lucifer,Pudge,Morph,Mo rtred)
Other Healers:
http://i16.tinypic.com/505gv8x.gif
More heals, more chances of staying alive.(Dazzle,Omniknight,Dirge,Which Doctor,Necrolyte,Chen,Warlock)
Supporters:
http://i17.tinypic.com/6c7cmef.gif
These heroes have one more or more stuns/slows to keep your enemies in range.(Venge,Trax,Rylai,Ogre,Earth,Bane Elemental,Leoric)
Special Mention!
http://i19.tinypic.com/5xh9xja.gif
Life Break + Reaper's makes sure that most of those fat tanks stay dead, along with any other hero.
C2. Evil Foes
These guys basically are there to make sure you don't go killing in an imba manner. Here are some of them:
Percentage-based Damage Skills
http://i19.tinypic.com/5xh9xja.gif
Heartstopper and Reaper's damage gets better as your HP goes up. Rotund especially is really annoying as he can heal earlygame and Reaper-rape you lategame.
Survivalists
http://i9.tinypic.com/4p94vpj.gif
He specifically can make your earlygame hell. Aphotic prevents harassment and allows him to harass you back. Borrowed Time has a low CD, and will most likely activate once you Life Break him earlygame.
Evasion Heroes
http://i8.tinypic.com/4mvu6hd.gif
Can't damage what you can't hit.
Crit-ers
http://i8.tinypic.com/4mvu6hd.gif
Their damage can eat chunks out of your HP lategame. Don't let them farm items early.
Stunners
Stun and run. You have no disable of your own, so they may leave you in the dust without Blink Dagger.
Silencers
No skills means you can't harass, heal, or ulti. Watch out for these guys.
Mana Burners
No mana, no heal. You won't be able to stay in your lane well with this guy.
Blinkers:
http://i23.tinypic.com/mc7nmf.gif
You Life Break, they Blink. Very hard to chase them down.
D1. FAQ
Q: Does BKB nullify/Hood decrease the backlash effect of Life Break?
A: Yes, both BKB and Hood are good items to counter the backlash effect.
Q: How does Burning Spear stack?
A:Attack your enemy once: 12 dmg per sec for 6 sec = 72 dmg
A sec after that: 24 dmg per sec for STILL 6 sec = 144 dmg
so the dmg will be:
12 + 24 + 36 + 48 + 60 + 60 + 60 + ...
It won't be a full 60 dmg per sec until you attack him 5 times!
Yes, attacking with the spear only resets the timer..., so if you in 6 sec only placing 4 spears, you'll still get 60 dmg/sec in the 7th sec if you attack again.
Q: Why get Bracers instead of Vanguard?
A: Because Bracers give you stats, which is what you need more than a damage block. The HP and regen come also with the Bracers.
Q: Why don't you reccomend Orb Effects for Huskar?
A: Read my section on Orb Effects, under the Item Builds section.
Q: Do Chain Lightning and Feedback work with Burning Spear? They aren't buff placers anyway.
A: No, they do not. This is just a speculation of mine; even though Chain Lightning and Feedback do not place any effects on their target, they won't work with Burning Spear because it could possibly be the Spear that places effects on its target, but does not show it, like Warlock's Shadow Word.
Q: Is Life Break triggered damage or magic damage?
A: It is magic damage, therefore getting Hood will reduce damage and BKB will nullify it.
Q: Do images gain Berserker's Blood bonus?
A: No, they don't. Images only benefit from damage coming from your stats. Berserker's Blood adds raw damage, so they do not benefit.
Q: If Huskar is so good, then why does he have many counters listed in your Evil Foes section?
A: Naturally, a good hero needs to have many counters to balance him. Kidding. Its the fact that Huskar's hybrid role is also a possible danger. Tanking makes you a natural target to Reaper's, being a normal-attack DPS hero can make you miss if your tarhget has evasion, and being relient on abilities to kill make you vulerable to mana burn and silence.
D2. Replays
You will find here 2 Huskar replays
Credits to Afterburn from dota-allstars.com forum
http://i18.tinypic.com/522oaa8.jpg
Contents:
A1. Hero Intro and Stats
A2. Why Should I Play Huskar?
A3. Skills and Skill Build
A4. Items and Item Build
====================
B1. Early Game
B2. Mid Game
B3. Late Game
====================
C1. Good Allies
C2. Evil Foes
====================
D2. Replays
D1. FAQ
A1. Hero Intro and Stats
Huskar, the Sacred Warrior
The Trolls of the Darkspear tribe, long since exiled from their ancestral lands in Stranglethorn Vale, are considered by many to be the most savage race of creatures to ever grace the battlefield. This reputation is well earned by their Sentinel representative Huskar, who's abilities revolve around shortening his own lifespan to spear his foes to burning pieces. Considered a blessed martyr by his people, the Sacred Warrior is not afraid of death, and will even run towards it willingly, sometimes desperately, in order to bring the Undead Scourge to an end.
Starting Stats:
Base HP:
Base Mana:
Base STR: 18 + 2.4 per level
Base AGI: 20 + 2.4 per level
Base INT:18 + 1.5 per level
Base Movespeed: 300
Base Damage: 39 - 48
Base Armor: 1.8 rounded off to 2
Attack Range: 350
Final Stats: (Without Items)
STR: 75
AGI: 77
INT: 54
HP: 1575
Mana: 702
Damage: 96 - 105
Armor: 10
Now, on the to guide. Huskar is a natural ranged STR hero who blurs the line between tank and DPS. He is the type of hero that really forces his enemies to decide whether to try and kill him, or to just run like a pansy. Either way, Huskar has ways of dealing with both. Read on if you wish to know more about this hot potato.
Pros:
[+] Good heal that scales as your primary attribute increases
[+] Nice early game harassing skill
[+] Ult shines thoughout mid - lategame
[+] Arrow ability stacks after multiple hits
Cons
[-] Not-that-decent STR
[-] Looses much of his harassing capabilities without his arrow skill
[-] Two of his actives drain HP
[-] No escape mechanism
A2. Why play Huskar?
Huskar, a newcomer in the 6.44 map, is a very unique hero. First, he's a ranged Strength hero, aside from Davion, who needs his ultimate to be ranged. Second, he has three actives, one is an arrow spell. Why is this special? Only one of them require mana, the other two eat up bits of your HP.
Now I'm sure you're thinking "WTF? IS HE THE SENTINEL'S EMO?" No, he's Goth, actually. Kidding.
Huskar is a 3 in 1 hero. He's a healer because of Inner Vitality, a tank because of his monster HP mid-late game, and DPS because of his arrow spell. If you liked Enchantress, you'll love this troll.
If you want to play Huskar, you should:
-Have a good sense of judgement.
-Want to try a ranged Strength hero.
-Like taking tons of damage in a fight and regen fast enough for another.
-Love annoying people with a low cooldown ultimate.
-Be good at mind games
Since his arrival in .44, he's only been nerfed once, which is good. He's a tank that can take and dish out damage. He's in league with Ulf in damage dealing and tanking, possible even better because of his support potential via healing. A well rounded hero, Huskar's role is very flexible depending on the game. A Heart Huskar can take tons of punishment while a BKB Huskar is also a decent hero-hunter.
http://i22.tinypic.com/11mgtxd.jpg
Here is the imba meter to show how fun Huskar is. To the left is what your enemy must be typing in team chat, and to the right is why they're typing that.
Hopefully you'll enjoy and learn from this guide, and please pray Husky doesn't get hoeslapped by the Nerfstick on the next versions.
A3. Skills and Skill Build
http://i14.tinypic.com/68h0avr.jpg Inner [V]itality
Magically unlocks the potential regenerative power within a target unit, healing its life force based upon its primary attribute. If the target is below 40% it will heal faster. Lasts 16 seconds.
Level 1 - 5(15)% of main attribute + 2 hp regen per second.
Level 2 - 10(30)% of main attribute + 4 hp regen per second.
Level 3 - 15(45)% of main attribute + 6 hp regen per second.
Level 4 – 20(60)% of main attribute + 8 hp regen per second.
Cooldown: 30
Manacost: 170
A nice skill that comes in handy after maxing out your other two skills. This skill heals more as you gain more of your primary attribute, which makes it a great source of regen for heroes with high stat gains, such as Treant. It saves your ass by a pinch most of the time, and it's Huskar's only skill that needs mana.
http://i17.tinypic.com/4ygu0qq.gif Burning Spea[R]
Using his own life force to set them aflame, the Sacred Warrior can cause his spears to deal stackable damage over time as they impact the foe. Cannot cast if Huskar's HP is lower than 100. Stacks up to 5 times. Lasts 6 seconds.
Level 1 - 6 dps
Level 2 - 8 dps
Level 3 - 10 dps
Level 4 - 12 dps
Cooldown: 0
Healthcost: 15
Your harassing/killing skill. This is what makes you emo. Basically, each time you throw an arrow with this skill, Huskar is damaged by 15 HP. Once the arrow hits, it does Huskar's damage plus a damage over time. This does not stack with Orb effects, which we will discuss later.
http://i23.tinypic.com/iqd4ar.pngerserker's Blood
Huskar feels each of his wounds and channels the pain, increasing attack speed and damage for each 7% missing health. 7 Max bonuses. First bonus starts at full health.
Level 1 - 2% IAS and 2 Damage
Level 2 - 4% IAS and 4 Damage
Level 3 - 6% IAS and 6 Damage
Level 4 - 8% IAS and 8 Damage
Passive
A skill which could possibly save your ass. As your HP goes down, you gain damage and attack speed. If you want to benefit from the max bonus from this, your HP must be at 58%. This means that your HP bar should be around the yellow level, so this skill is very situational, but good nonetheless. Thanks to Asquall for correcting me on the life percentage needed to gain the full bonus for Berserker's Blood. This is his most recent PM regarding BB's bonuses:
To have the max bonus, you must get at 58% HP! That is 42% loss. This happens because first bonus starts at full health, meaning 100%, then 93%, 86%, 79%, 72%, 65%, 58%.
http://i7.tinypic.com/6bd6zjo.jpg Li[F]e Break
Huskar reaches into the well of his own life force to potentially destroy an enemy. The target takes damage 40% equal to its OWN HP. Slows target by 50% for 5 seconds. Huskar pays a certain percentage of his hp to cast this.
Level 1 - Huskar pays 40% of his current hp to cast.
Level 2 - Huskar pays 33% of his current hp to cast
Level 3 - Huskar pays 25% of his current hp to cast
Cooldown: 45
Level 1: 0 mana, 45 sec cooldown.
Level 2: 0 mana, 45 sec cooldown.
Level 3: 0 mana, 45 sec cooldown.
Huskar's BBQ ultimate. The slow is just beautiful, and the damage will make most enemies wet their pants. This is usually used as an opener because it brings your opponent down to 60% HP immidiately, it brings down tanks like Centaur easily with Reaper's Scythe. This cannot kill because it does 40% OF YOUR ENEMY'S CURRENT HP, NOT YOURS!
Skill Build:
The Berserker
1. Burning Spear
2. Berserker's Blood
3. Burning Spear
4. Berserker's Blood
5. Burning Spear
6. Berserker's Blood or Life Break
7. Burning Spear
8. Berserker's Blood
9. Inner Vitality
10. Life Break or Berserker's Blood
11. Life Break
12. Inner Vitality
13. Inner Vitality
14. Inner Vitality
15. Attribute Bonus
16. Life Break
17 - 25. Attribute Bonus
Justifying The Berserker
This build is for more aggressive players who like to harass with Spear and surprise the enemy with their great damage given by Berserker's Blood. A Life Break at level 6 gives you the full bonus of whatever level your Berserker's Blood is, though you'll easily get raped by a spell combo, so be careful. Using this build to the max requires a crafty player, one who knows when to pull out and when to charge in since you'll be toying around with your enemy with some health missing. This build is the tested-and-true build. With this build, early game kills are easily obtained providing you know how to bait and know when to retreat.
A4. Items and Item Build
Your Core Items:
At least two Bracers, depending on how you play. I recommend getting all three if you like playing aggressively, which is what this build is all about. Bracers keep you high on HP, so even if you use Lifebreak, you still have higher HP than your opponent. In between your Bracers, you should also get Boots for MS, obviously. Don't try to rush all three Bracers if you know you need MS. Next comes Armlet. This is the new core item for Huskar. The Unholy Strength it gives is just pwnage on Huskar, which is why he needs it. Boots as your next core item before Heart. Use your MS+AS+Dmg to get your hero kills to help farm for Heart, which increases your damage+tanking lategame.
Vanguard is something I am against because you will be holding youself back from better items. Never get this, as it will not help. Only get items that would increase your STR, and Vanguard doesn't. This item is trash for you, so leave it.
Your luxury items are to be gotten last because you first need to pump up for survivability for late game.
Your total core build cost: (not counting in consumables:
-Bracer x3 = 510
-Boots Of Travel = 2700
-Heart = 5500
---------------------
Grand total of 9730
In-Depth Item Explanation:
Core:
Bracers: Gives you stats, which is what you need more than what Vanguard gives. Vanguard is for heroes who do not need the stat boost, like Axe.
Boots Of Speed/Travel: No Treads for you. You already have good attackspeed from Berserker's Blood, and the MS/Tele will benefit you more late game. Curiass will solve your attackspeed problems later.
Heart Of Tarrasque: Gives you much needed HP, regen, STR, and damage. By raising your max HP, you can effectively get the full bonus of Berserker's Blood and still have higher HP than your enemies.
Armlet Of Mordiggan: Your very own Stim Pack. Gives you everything you need when activated, from STR to damage.
[B]Optional
Blink Dagger: Cheaper than Lothar's, less counters compared to Lothars. Will be your escaping/ganking tool.
Perseverance: HP and Mana regen, can turn into Hood or Linken's later. Not really recommended though.
Hood Of Defiance: Protects you against nukes, and regen keeps you in the lane longer.
Luxury:
Monkey King Bar: Gives a good damage boost and attackspeed. Ministun also messes up channelers and is good for chasing.
Black King Bar: Allows you dive in a team of nukers and come back unscratched. Activage and target the nearest Lina in sight.
Assualt Curiass: Gives you a good EHP boost, attackspeed and armor. Auras also benefit your team.
Radiance: Damage, evasion, and immolation. Good for farming and chasing, your 350 range allows you to get in close so that immolation pisses off the whole enemy team.
Buriza-do Kyanon: Crits and damage will really make sure you can rip your enemies a new one late game along with the Berserker's Blood bonuses.
http://i28.tinypic.com/2w39wsm.jpg
Why no orbs? Because they conflict with Burning Spear. Period. Spear is Huskar's source of damage along with Blood. In fact, Spear compliments Blood especially at early levels when Spear rubs off a little of your HP. Getting orbs would be wasting money on things you do not need.
B1. Early Game, Levels 1-7
Pick Huskar, get your consumables or starters, and even a chicken if you wish. Head for any lane, except for mid. I really suggest you stay with a partner who is a disabler/slower as both of you can benefit from each other. Do the last hit and deny thing, don't be too distracted by kills as you need to farm for your equipment, though getting first blood is a good bonus. If possible too, try to lane with other heroes who have high Primary attributes, like Rooftrellen or Obsidian. Remember though that Naix or Ursa will not benefit as much as these, because Naix gains more AGI than STR and Ursa gains more STR than AGI. I cannot stress this issue enough, DO NOT TOWER DIVE. The only time you should do this is when:
1) You have almost full HP and you KNOW you can catch up.
2) When you have 3/4 HP and Boots of Speed and your enemy doesn't.
3) When you have Vitality on you and you have at 3/4 HP
4) when you have an ally who can stun/slow/heal
Since we're using the Vitality/Spear build, you'll be able to harass your enemy quite effectively. Doing this though, will damage you if you don't know how to control it. Do not autocast it yet. Instead, manual cast it by pressing R and clicking on your opponent. To measure how much you can harass, count how many bracers you have. 1 Bracer means you should use it seldomly, 2 means often, 3 means you can autocast it with your health at a standstill, meaning your HP will not go up or down. Getting either Perseverance or Hood Of Defiance changes this though, because they give more regen and allow you to cast Burning Spears more.
Since 6.44b, Inner Vitality's manacost was nerfed in terms that it would be 170 for all levels. now, this may be restricting to your healing because it isn't spammable anymore. The INT from Bracers should make up for this nerf, so it shouldn't be a problem. Consider getting a Sobi, Void or Basillius if the situation calls for it.
A very good opportunity for First Blood:
http://i15.tinypic.com/54k2jix.jpg
1) Balanar engages me at 1/2HP (not shown) and I Lifebreak him with Vitality on me.
2) We both get a few hits on each other, then he Voids me. I retreat to my creeps.
3) My creeps get a few hits on him (not shown), and he decides to retreat.
4) I turn back and the last attacks on him and my burn effect finishes him off. +250 gold.
In this game , I used my Mainstay Build. How did I survive? Four things.
-My creeps
-My Ultimate
-Inner Vitality
-My STR.
Early game, your opponents won't expect you to have that much regen. This is Balanar's error. When I used my Ultimate, the slow gave me time to fall back and to allow my creeps to get a few more hits. When the slow was about to wear off and when he started to retreat, I knew that I could get First Blood if I got a few more hits in.
B2. Mid Game, Levels 8-16
By now, you should have at least your Boots Of Travel or a Reaver. At level 2, your ultimate is less painful on your ass, so you can begin using it more often. During this period, people usually start leaving their lanes to make mass pushes or to gank. Your role here is to:
1) Gank
2) Assist in pushes
3) Support fleeing friendly heroes
If you choose to gank, here's how it goes: (Will add screenies later)
1) Get ready for an ambush, from the forest or anywhere as lnog as the enemy doesn't see you.
2) Turn on your autocast.
3) Run in and cast your ultimate on your enemy, right-click on him.
4) Own him.
A good example:
http://i10.tinypic.com/4ouurs6.jpg
1) Balanar was attacking my tower, so I immidiately ported in and used Life Break. With my slow and a few tower hits plus my Spears, I was able to bring him down to the red.
2) Notice how Burning Spear eats through his HP
3) Notice the white arrow. Thats the last Spear I was able to throw at him.
4) He succumbs to the Spear and dies. +250.
Only do this though if you know you are safe, such as you know where the enemy heroes are, the enemy you are going to gank is alone, or when you are with a partner. By now, you should also have any of the progression items, most preferrably the Plate Mail because it gives more. This is when you will start to shine, as Life Break at level 2 will do more to your target than it does to you. Preferrably, target a hero with low HP, like INT or AGI types. Remember though that 1 stun can easily mess up your gank, so try to avoid stunners or engage them when you know they just used their stuns, if they're low on mana or if they're just plain nooby. By the end of mid game, you should be having a Heart or Travel, hopefully both though.
B3. Late Game, Levels 17-25
Nothing really much here, just do what you did mid game. By now, you should have your core and at least 1 luxury item, preferrably Curiass or MKB. You should also have a crapload of HP and regen, so get in there and get some kills. Get BKB too if you're being focused on by spell casters. Remember that your arrows stack and if you focus on soft INT and AGI heroes, you can rip them up easily.
http://i12.tinypic.com/523sufc.jpg
See my point? I guess you don't, because I haven't said anything about the screenie yet. Anyway, I'm trying to make two points here.
1) Notice the difference between the #1 and #2 screenies? The HP seems to be the same, but the stats show a very important difference. #1 screenies show Huskar with slightly lower HP than the #2 screenies, and with more damage too. This is the bonus that Berserker's Blood gives, and the HP you need to get the full bonus. You don't have to be at the red wih 1/10th HP to get it.
2) Notice my HP. Even for half HP, Huskar is still capable of fighting because the 1322 HP he has is also almost equal to the fully healed Mirana that I was fighting. This is why we choose Bracers and Heart for Huskar. It gives him the big fighting edge he needs to combat heroes easily and still have the full effects of Berserker's Blood.
Try to also focus of Raxing when you push into the enemy's base, because breaking their Raxes is like putting those final nails into their coffin. If you do break their Raxes, you'll be forcing them to concentrate on base defense more than killing you.
Also remember that Life Break is %-based, so you can also bring down tanks for your team. Your target priorities are:
1) Tanks
2) Disablers / DPS
3) Other heroes
You are the most threatening hero to tanks because no matter how high their HP is, Life Break will always wipe out 40% of their HP.
MKB, Curiass, or BKB? Personally, I prefer MKB because the damage boost is great, and the ministun helps in messing up channelers and it helps a bit in chasing too. After MKB, I usually go Curiass. I personally have not gotten BKB yet since i'm not a fan of it, but I suppose it would be very useful since Huskar has no escape mech and will have a hard time chasing stunners.
C1. Good Allies
Benefactors:
http://i10.tinypic.com/4yirlnk.gif
These heroes benefit alot from your heal because of their high primary base stat.(Treant,Silencer,Panda,Lucifer,Pudge,Morph,Mo rtred)
Other Healers:
http://i16.tinypic.com/505gv8x.gif
More heals, more chances of staying alive.(Dazzle,Omniknight,Dirge,Which Doctor,Necrolyte,Chen,Warlock)
Supporters:
http://i17.tinypic.com/6c7cmef.gif
These heroes have one more or more stuns/slows to keep your enemies in range.(Venge,Trax,Rylai,Ogre,Earth,Bane Elemental,Leoric)
Special Mention!
http://i19.tinypic.com/5xh9xja.gif
Life Break + Reaper's makes sure that most of those fat tanks stay dead, along with any other hero.
C2. Evil Foes
These guys basically are there to make sure you don't go killing in an imba manner. Here are some of them:
Percentage-based Damage Skills
http://i19.tinypic.com/5xh9xja.gif
Heartstopper and Reaper's damage gets better as your HP goes up. Rotund especially is really annoying as he can heal earlygame and Reaper-rape you lategame.
Survivalists
http://i9.tinypic.com/4p94vpj.gif
He specifically can make your earlygame hell. Aphotic prevents harassment and allows him to harass you back. Borrowed Time has a low CD, and will most likely activate once you Life Break him earlygame.
Evasion Heroes
http://i8.tinypic.com/4mvu6hd.gif
Can't damage what you can't hit.
Crit-ers
http://i8.tinypic.com/4mvu6hd.gif
Their damage can eat chunks out of your HP lategame. Don't let them farm items early.
Stunners
Stun and run. You have no disable of your own, so they may leave you in the dust without Blink Dagger.
Silencers
No skills means you can't harass, heal, or ulti. Watch out for these guys.
Mana Burners
No mana, no heal. You won't be able to stay in your lane well with this guy.
Blinkers:
http://i23.tinypic.com/mc7nmf.gif
You Life Break, they Blink. Very hard to chase them down.
D1. FAQ
Q: Does BKB nullify/Hood decrease the backlash effect of Life Break?
A: Yes, both BKB and Hood are good items to counter the backlash effect.
Q: How does Burning Spear stack?
A:Attack your enemy once: 12 dmg per sec for 6 sec = 72 dmg
A sec after that: 24 dmg per sec for STILL 6 sec = 144 dmg
so the dmg will be:
12 + 24 + 36 + 48 + 60 + 60 + 60 + ...
It won't be a full 60 dmg per sec until you attack him 5 times!
Yes, attacking with the spear only resets the timer..., so if you in 6 sec only placing 4 spears, you'll still get 60 dmg/sec in the 7th sec if you attack again.
Q: Why get Bracers instead of Vanguard?
A: Because Bracers give you stats, which is what you need more than a damage block. The HP and regen come also with the Bracers.
Q: Why don't you reccomend Orb Effects for Huskar?
A: Read my section on Orb Effects, under the Item Builds section.
Q: Do Chain Lightning and Feedback work with Burning Spear? They aren't buff placers anyway.
A: No, they do not. This is just a speculation of mine; even though Chain Lightning and Feedback do not place any effects on their target, they won't work with Burning Spear because it could possibly be the Spear that places effects on its target, but does not show it, like Warlock's Shadow Word.
Q: Is Life Break triggered damage or magic damage?
A: It is magic damage, therefore getting Hood will reduce damage and BKB will nullify it.
Q: Do images gain Berserker's Blood bonus?
A: No, they don't. Images only benefit from damage coming from your stats. Berserker's Blood adds raw damage, so they do not benefit.
Q: If Huskar is so good, then why does he have many counters listed in your Evil Foes section?
A: Naturally, a good hero needs to have many counters to balance him. Kidding. Its the fact that Huskar's hybrid role is also a possible danger. Tanking makes you a natural target to Reaper's, being a normal-attack DPS hero can make you miss if your tarhget has evasion, and being relient on abilities to kill make you vulerable to mana burn and silence.
D2. Replays
You will find here 2 Huskar replays
Credits to Afterburn from dota-allstars.com forum