Venomancer

Venomancer

The Dire

18 + 1.85 22 + 2.6 18 + 1.75

Level 1 16 25 Hit Points 492 1043 1708 Mana 234 598 1040 Damage 46-48 87-89 128-130 Armor 3.08 8.82 14.56 Attacks / Second 0.71 0.95 1.2

Movement Speed 290 Turn Rate 0.4 Sight Range 1800/800 Attack Range 450 Missile Speed 900 Attack Duration 0.3+0.7 Cast Duration 0+0.51 Base Attack Time 1.7

Lesale Deathbringer the Venomancer is a ranged agility hero who is focused on dealing damage over time and slowing enemies down. He is not granted with a big amount of base attack and attribute gain, but he can bring enormous area damage with his poisonous abilities. Venomancer can unleash a Venomous Gale to enemies in a straight line, infecting them, damaging and slowing them over time. His attacks are hazardous thanks to his lethal Poison Sting, which adds a toxic effect to his normal attacks, poisoning opposing Heroes for a duration. Plague Ward, his next ability, lets him summon a sentient ward to a targeted point, which attacks enemies or structures. While weak on first use, its power grows in numbers, which means, the more the wards are placed, the deadlier they become. This gives him good versatility, providing vision, pushing power, and a helpful block, preventing enemies from running away when trapped in a sticky situation. Venomancer's most dangerous ability is Poison Nova, though it isn't lethal and won't kill an enemy, the damage it inflicts is tremendous, the duration is very long, and it affects an area around him. It is mostly used to initiate battles, since Poison Nova isn't a killing type spell. When used altogether, the Venomancer is a powerful killing machine, like a virus, slowly killing enemies with venom and poisons. Despite being considered by most players as a support, because of his slowing capabilities, extra ward vision, and being item independent, this doesn't hinder his power to gank and kill enemies, especially in the earliest parts of the game, and with enough kills, farm, and domination, Venomancer can transition into a semi-carry, with formidable venomous power and deadly specialties.

Bio

Lesale Deathbringer, the Venomancer Play "No necromancer shall raise what the venomancer puts down." Role: Support / Nuker / Initiator / Pusher Lore: In the Acid Jungles of Jidi Isle, poison runs in the veins and bubbles in the guts of every creature that scuttles, climbs or swoops between fluorescent vines dripping with caustic sap. Yet even in this toxic menagerie, Venomancer is acknowledged as the most venomous. Ages ago, a Herbalist named Lesale crossed the Bay of Fradj by coracle, searching for potent essences that might be extracted from bark and root, and found instead a nightmare transformation. Two leagues into Jidi's jungle, Lesale encountered a reptile camouflaged as an epiphyte, which stung him as he mistakenly plucked it. In desperation, he used his partial knowledge of the jungle's herbal bounty, mixing the venom of the (swiftly throttled) reptile with the nectar of an armored orchid, to compound an antidote. In the moments before a black paralysis claimed him completely, he injected himself by orchid-thorn, and instantly fell into a coma. Seventeen years later, something stirred in the spot where he had fallen, throwing off the years' accumulation of humus: Venomancer. Lesale the Herbalist no longer—but Lesale the Deathbringer. His mind was all but erased, and his flesh had been consumed and replaced by a new type of matter—one fusing the venom of the reptile with the poisonous integument of the orchid. Jidi's Acid Jungles knew a new master, one before whom even the most vicious predators soon learned to bow or burrow for their lives. The lurid isle proved too confining, and some human hunger deep in the heart of the Venomancer drove Lesale out in search of new poisons—and new deaths to bring. Voice: Dave Fennoy (Responses)

Abilities

Venomous Gale Q E Ability Affects Damage Target Point Enemies Magical Launches a ball of venom in a line, poisoning enemy units so that they take both initial damage and damage over time, as well as suffering slowed movement. Venomous Gale deals damage every 3 seconds over its duration. Range: 800 Radius: 125 Duration: 15 Strike Damage: 25/50/75/100 Periodic Damage: 15/30/45/60 Periodic Damage Interval: 3 22 125 Becoming magic immune while under its effects blocks damage but does not remove the movement slow debuff. A concoction of various stings, poisons, and toxins gathered from the jungles of Jidi Isle, victims surviving it are rare.

Notes: Units afflicted by Venomous Gale can be denied by their allies when their HP drops below 25% of their maximum health. Slow starts at 50% and decreases as time passes. Total damage dealt is 100/200/300/400. The slowdown is equally powerful at all levels of the spell, which makes it a very useful spell even with only one point invested. Cannot hit invisible units. Cannot be purged.

Poison Sting W T Ability Affects Damage Passive Enemies Magical Adds poison damage to Venomancer's normal attacks, slowing movement speed. Duration: 6/7/8/9 Damage Per Second: 5/10/15/20 Movement Speed Slow: 11%/12%/13%/14% Slow still takes effect. The paralytic sting of the creature which caused his transformation now belongs to the Venomancer.

Notes: Deals a total of 30/70/120/180 damage. This skill does not allow for heroes to be denied. Movement slow debuff applies to magic immune (non-mechanical) units. Cannot be purged.

Plague Ward
Duration 40 Hit Points 75/200/325/450 Damage 9-11/17-21/26-32/34-42 Armor 0 Movement Speed 0 Sight Range 1200/1200 Attack Range 600 Missile Speed 1900 Attack Duration 0.3+ Base Attack Time 1.5 Bounty 14-17 Experience 12/12/25/25

Plague Ward E W Ability Affects Damage Target Point Enemies Piercing Summons a plague ward to attack enemy units and structures. The ward is immune to magic. Cast Range: 850 Ward Duration: 40 Ward Health: 75/200/325/450 Ward Damage: 11/21/32/42 5 20 A mixture of his old herbalist talents and newfound toxic mastery creates a living embodiment of plague.

Notes: Wards deal Piercing Damage Creeps will ignore Plague Wards in favor of attacking you or any creeps present, as will Towers. Most narrow pathways, and certain wider pathways, can be completely blocked off by one or more Plague Wards, making passage impossible. Use Plague Wards to scout up cliffs and other places where enemies might lie in ambush. Wards give 1200 vision of the area.

Poison Nova R V Ability Affects Damage No Target Enemies Magical A spreading ring of poison that does damage over time to enemy units around Venomancer. Poison Nova's effect cannot bring units below 1 HP. Radius: 830 Duration: 12/14/15 (14/15/16*) Damage Per Second: 36/58/81 (58/81/108*) 140/120/100 (60*) 200/300/400 Becoming magic immune while under its effects blocks damage but does not remove the debuff. Increases damage and duration, and decreases cooldown. In the Acid Jungles, creatures releasing noxious poison to their attackers is common; Venomancer spreads this plague beyond the Jidi Isle.

Notes: Deals a total of 432/812/1215 (812/1215/1728) damage. Cannot deal lethal damage (target will be left with 1 HP). Cannot hit invisible units. Cannot be purged.

Recommended items

Explanation: Starting items: Ring of Protection gives you some armor while laning, and will be turned into a Ring of Basilius. Tango and Healing Salve allow you to stay in lane longer without going back to the fountain. Slippers of Agility give you some Agility, which is your main attribute. One Clarity is needed because you are quite mana dependent, and you need some mana regeneration before getting other items to cover this weakness. Early game: Magic Stick provides good regeneration, especially if you're laning against opponents who keep casting their abilities. Boots of Speed grant more movement speed. Ring of Aquila solves most of your problems in the early game. It gives mana regeneration, which is very needed, good stats and some armor. All of this can also make pushing a bit easier. Core items: Magic Wand gives stats and regeneration: it's always handy to have this item for emergencies. Power Treads allow you to gain extra mana for a spell if switched to Intelligence (a boon in early-game) and allow for more durability in Strength mode or more damage in Agility, meaning that for Venomancer they are very useful in all three iterations. Aghanim's Scepter greatly increases the killing potential of your ultimate: it will deal 1728 non-lethal damage without counting magic resistance, making it perfect for initiations while assisted by teammates. Situational items: Eul's Scepter of Divinity will give a lot of mana regeneration, some movement speed and some Intelligence. A very useful item if you want to place Plague Wards without worrying about running out of mana. It also makes positioning easier by disabling an opponent for some seconds. Blink Dagger is the best choice if you are your team's main initiator. Use it to position yourself before casting your Poison Nova and/or your Venomous Gale. Shadow Blade gives more damage, more attack speed and a reliable escape mechanism. You can also use its ability to sneak close to the opponents and cast your ultimate. Butterfly grants really good stats and good evasion, making it a very expensive but useful item both offensively and defensively. Orchid Malevolence will probably solve all of your mana problems. Apart from that, it gives more damage and more attack speed, as well as a silence which is useful both if playing as a semi-carry or if playing as a support. Manta Style is especially good if you've played aggressively and got a lot of kills: more stats, more movement speed and an ability that allows you to create illusions are what you need if you had a good start and already have some other items that increase your damage.

Tips

• Venomous Gale is one of the best level 1 skills in the game. Try to use it to get the first blood with a good partner.
• Plague Wards deal weak damage in sparse numbers, but their power becomes significant when massed.
• There is a temptation upon being killed to use Poison Nova out of spite. Resist this urge; as it is intended for initiation purposes and its cooldown, even if you have a Scepter, is not negligible.
• Disabling or positioning items like Eul's Scepter of Divinity, Orchid Malevolence, Force Staff, Blink Dagger or Shadow Blade are very wise to build on Venomancer, as his frailty and lack of easily-used escape mechanisms are his Achilles' heel.
• Use Plague Wards constantly in order to provide vision of your neighboring area, especially when across the river and inside enemy territory.
• Early game, if you use Plague Wards during your laning phase, try to deny them or they will provide a gold bounty for enemy heroes.
• Keep Venomous Gale off cooldown during pushes, as its cooldown is quite long and you may need it at any time.
• When chasing an enemy, constantly put Plague Wards ahead of them to maintain sight.
• Note that the Valve recommended items are not for playing a support style Venomancer. To play support, starting items should include Observer Wards or Courier (or both), early game should be Observer Wards and Sentry Wards, and core should be Gem of Truesight, Boots of Speed, and Mekanism. Everything else listed would be luxury.

Trivia

• Venomancer's name, Lesale, may be a reference to "Le Sale", which is French for "The Dirty" or "The Nasty".
• In DotA, Venomancer's hero model was a hydralisk. Hydralisks are type of infantry unit in the RTS game Starcraft, which was also made by Blizzard. Hydralisks are a very common and well-known image in the game.

Update history

January 03, 2013 Patch

• [Undocumented] Added animations for Beastmaster, Undying, and Venomancer relating to their loadout stance.

November 08, 2012 Patch

• Fixed Poison Sting duration not increasing per level.

October 25, 2012 Patch

• Updated vision values on these abilities: Unstable Concoction, Phantasm, Waveform, Storm Hammer, Mirror Image, Spirit Lance, Requiem of Souls, Spectral Dagger, Venomous Gale, Earthbind, Dream Coil, Shackleshot, Wall of Replica, Flamebreak, Deafening Blast, Ghost Ship.

September 13, 2012 Patch

• [Undocumented] Broken down a number of existing hero models into multiple parts Death Prophet, Enchantress, Huskar, Silencer, Sniper, Storm Spirit, Venomancer and Weaver.

June 14, 2012 Patch

• Fixed Aghanim's Scepter not upgrading Poison Nova duration.

March 22, 2012 Patch

• Fixed being able to dispell Venomous Gale, Poison Sting and Poison Nova.

February 16, 2012 Patch

• [Undocumented] Added injured animations for Venomancer.
• [Undocumented] Added chase animations for Venomancer.

January 12, 2012 Patch

• Fixed Plague Ward collision size.

September 23, 2011 Patch

• Fixed how Venomancer's Poison Sting refreshes on attack.

September 09, 2011 Patch

• Fixed Venomancer's Poison Sting from doing extra damage each attack on buff refresh.

August 06, 2011 Patch

• Veno wards and Shadow shaman wards all use the smaller hull size. This should prevent them from blocking narrow paths.

August 03, 2011 Patch

• Fixed Shadow Shaman's wards and Venomancer's Wards not being able to attack Roshan.

July 16, 2011 Patch

• Fixed a bug where Veno's venomous gale wasn't visible.

July 08, 2011 Patch

• Venomous gale travels at 1200 speed and provides 800 vision.
• Poison sting does it's damage at the begining of the interval instead of the end.
• Adding a fake modifier for poison sting to be used by illusions.
• Poison Nova no longer hits units in the fog
• The Nova starts with a radius of 255 and expands out over 1.15s to a radius of 830. Before it started at a radius of 0.
• Nova Does an extra tick of damage when the effect is applied to enemies

July 01, 2011 Patch

• Fixed Venomous Gale hitting invisible units.
• Fixed Poison Nova hitting invisible units.

May 26, 2011 Patch

• Fixed Poison Sting vs mechanical units.
• Fixed Poison Sting from illusions.

April 09, 2011 Patch

• Added Venomancer.

Balance changelog

6.76

• Venomous Gale
  • Manacost rescaled from 90/105/120/135 to 125.
  • Initial damage rescaled from 50/70/70/100 to 25/50/75/100.
  • Damage per tick increased from 10/20/40/50 to 15/30/45/60.
• Poison Sting duration rescaled from 7 to 6/7/8/9.

6.75

• Plague Ward vision decreased from 1400 to 1200.

6.72

• Base HP regeneration increased from 0.25 to 0.75.

6.69

• Plague Ward bounty increased from 3-9 to 14-17

6.68

• Poison Sting slow from 10% to 11%/12%/13%/14%

6.67

• Poison Nova duration increased from 12 to 12/14/15 (14/15/16 with aghanim) seconds

6.58

• Reworked Shadow Strike

Venomous Gale

Releases a Venomous Gale which poisons enemy units it comes in contact with. Units that are hit by it get a slow/dps like his previous shadow strike

AoE: 125

Cast Range/Distance: 800

Cooldown: 22

Manacost 90/105/120/135

• Improved Plague Ward cast range and vision radius
• Poison Sting is now lethal

Replaced Abilities

Shadow Strike Q Ability Affects Damage Target Unit Enemies Magical Hurls a poisoned dagger which deals large initial damage, and then deals damage over time. The poisoned unit has its movement speed slowed for 15 seconds. An instance of damage is dealt every 3 seconds. Range: 400 Duration: 15.1 Strike Damage: 50/70/70/100 Periodic Damage: 10/20/40/50 Periodic Damage Interval: 3 22 90/105/120/135

Notes: Slow starts at 50% and decreases as time passes. Total damage dealt is 100/170/270/350.

See also

• Venomancer responses
• Toxic Gaze