question for advanced players

[x)o(x]

is it better to try and save from start for better items, or go gradually building your hero, such as nulls etc...

when you know what items you want for end game, do you try and build them straight away or, do you make your early game stronger with lesser items first?

thanks

[Proj]

I buy weak items if i will need em, but if I can hold my lane without dying or loose to much hp I'll save the money for buying something good.
If you get an intel hero you can build the items almost from start since most of the items is quite cheap.
Else if ur going for MKB, skadi, or some other expensive I recomend not going for them as a first item.

[AvengerxZ]

It depends what hero you have. There are heroes that are much more effective at farming than others. In that same train of thought there are also heroes that have a much easier time surviving early game than ohters. Based on the hero I have I either save up for my big item first or start off the game early on with bracers or null talismas. With heroes that are a bit more effective in collecting gold and surviving I will save up for strong early game items. A few good examples of good farmers that I save with are Sniper, Nevermore, Medusa and Lich. It's really comes down to how well you farm if you want to save up. If you can't do it well, stick with early game items for the beginning and save up gradually from hero kills and such.

[Dishonru]

I personally base it on what hero I have and what heros I am against.

[CombatSmurf]

In my oppinion:

It is in general more efficient to get your cheaper items first, as they will help you farm the more expensive items later on.
Another suggestion would be to only buy recipes when you have all the items needed for it, this is obvious when making items such as Basher, MKB and so on. But if you are goin to farm alot, do it with items such as Buriza, lets face it, those 10% arent goin to help you creep _that_ much. And youll get your DE that much faster.
If, on the other hand, you are being pushed back into oblivion id stick to cheap items such as Bracers / Nulls, this works especially well on Strenght based heroes as they pack a pretty decent just by gettin a strenght boost.

I agree with Dishonru, but in one case i wounldnt restrict myself: Team items. If you are responsible for gettin certain team based items, Necromonicon, Scepter or Meta, you should throw every bit of energy you have into gettin them. Ultimately, those items can tip the ballance of a game, whereas having your inv filled with blades of various sorts wont.

SmQrf.

[Strontkop]

It depends on your hero, and the skilllevel of your opponents. A good agility ranged hero with a skill like windwalk might be able to farm straight up to sacred relic (+60 dmg, 3800 gold) with only a ring of regeneration. Questions to answer are: Am i getting enough gold? Does my opponent let me farm freely? Can i stay in my lane a long time withouth having to get back to fountain each time? Can the rest of my team hold out while I choose to be itemless for the next 25 minutes? If more of those questions are answered with no, its perhaps better to get things like powertreads and cheaper dmg like crystalis first.

You will often know after 10 minutes in your lane what is the wisest choice. Pay attention to the entire enemy hero setup too: if they are all stunners and disablers, all the +damage in the world isnt gonna help you.

Since i tend to play mainly "inhouse" games, with skilled opponents, I wish to be as strong as possible from early game on, and the +stats items are a big, big help to that. Almost every hero needs boots of speed (powertreads on any noncaster), some form of hp/mana regeneration, and some + stats.

A very good basis for 80% of the heroes is powertreads + perseverance + 2 or 3 stat items like wraith band/strength bracer/null chain.

[mroZoZrout]

I play how i feel it good farming hero , no gangs on u etc = save money and buy good item. Ganging agresive attacking etc. buy cheaper items first. But like i sad its about game feeling not like lina =3*null boote etc. No. I just buy what i think its good to buy.

just one rull. get ganged more times (twice in a row and more)? i think its better to buy cheaper items becouse u can loos big amount of money.

[Chob0]

I usually buy weaker items, like null talisman and whatnot, because that'll help you get more gold and stuff for other stuff

[vahgar]

I buy small items as I get ganked means esp at say lvl 15+ it takes a hell amt of gold from me..Or i learnt a neat trick from a replay. If ur getting a MKB, get the reciepe scroll 1st when u have cash then get the crystalis etc..so even if u die u done lose that much

[mroZoZrout]

I buy small items as I get ganked means esp at say lvl 15+ it takes a hell amt of gold from me..Or i learnt a neat trick from a replay. If ur getting a MKB, get the reciepe scroll 1st when u have cash then get the crystalis etc..so even if u die u done lose that much

of course u should buy parts not all items at once so i often go shop if i have money 4 next part (but if its 2 cheap i same money 4 another ).
BUt i dont buy scrolls first coz u dont get anythink from it (any + dmg etc.) BECOUSE my gosu hero :

scroll of powerthreads
scroll of dagon xD 5times

[Ham_Sandwhich]

I buy small items as I get ganked means esp at say lvl 15+ it takes a hell amt of gold from me..Or i learnt a neat trick from a replay. If ur getting a MKB, get the reciepe scroll 1st when u have cash then get the crystalis etc..so even if u die u done lose that much
Never buy a recipe scroll before you get all the items to create it. Think about it - without the basic items to make the upgraded item a scroll does absolutely NOTHING. For example, if you want to make a Yasha and you buy the Blade of Alacrity and the scroll, all you get is the +10 agil as opposed to buying Blade of Alacrity and Boots of Elvenskin you get +16 agil. Scrolls aren't helpful unless they turn into something. When you buy them before you get the actual items, you're wasting a slot and money...in effect, this makes you more useless to your team. I don't know what replay you watched but this "trick" really isn't helping your game at all.

[Ethereal_GoSu]

well, i like to have my chicken just buy the items AS SOON AS I GET THE $$ for them... more than one time, i will be getting ganked to the pt of no return, and i just buy the most expensive thing possible (that i will use) on my chicken :D

[Ham_Sandwhich]

^^ Sounds like you put yourself in harm's way too easily.

You gotta be more aware of the other team's movements to avoid being ganked. Watch your minimap and play conservative if they're missing. Lots of ganks can be avoided if you just play it a little safer. Not killing a few creeps in a single wave because you ran back to your tower to wait and see where the opponents come out from will always save you a great deal of money and exp...especially early/mid game.

[nights.de]

it depends on heros!

[mr psycho]

I always buy a RoR and some branches / circlets. If my early game goes smoothly, then I can usually get a critical part of a big item fairly early, such as a demon edge or a euls. If my early game is rough, then I get boots and some extra potions and maybe a couple of nulls / bracers. Ideally, I can go straight from my first fountain trip to a critical item like MKB, Guinsoo's, Necronomicon, etc, so the answer would be I generally save. However, if I get sent back to fountain due to heavy nukers / harassment, then I get an extra potion and maybe some stat boosters to ensure that I can remain in my lane for longer.

[N!Jr]

Buy the item level according to the time of the game for example nulls for early game, dagon for mid n aghanim scepter for late game. This allows u survivability during all aspects of the game. Go for late game items only if u knw u can farm well n u can survive because lets say frm the start u go straight for a skadi then for the rest of the game u r useless to ur team mates. so idea is slowly build ur late game items dun rush for it.

[illuminati]

it depends on heroes in most cases but its good to have boots of speed and maybe som hp gen later on you can go for the sange/yasha and stuff. there are times were i just go straight 5k items but then again if you buy items urly the chances are you get some decent kills done

[damptraktor]

A very good basis for 80% of the heroes is powertreads + perseverance + 2 or 3 stat items like wraith band/strength bracer/null chain.

No no no.

PT = probably the most overrated and overbought (especially early) item in dota.

RoH is overkill regen in most situations. Void stone is only needed on heroes who need to stay at high mana all the time (ulti combos etc).

I'd say 2x ror, ror+chicken or ror+mask, then 2 null/bracers is something you can go in most pubs/pickup games while still learning.

[PSYoniK]

the answer lies somewhere in between...

For one DotA is a team game so getting cheaper items at the begining (i am mainly talking about ring of basilius as well as the headress of rejuvenation) may help your farming abilities as well as the farming abilities of your team-mates.So getting a ror with a branch will help the ally on your lane get a ror for free wich will help him in terms of money.That 375 gold he puts into a ror he can now spend on a chicken and 2 clarityes.This is kinda how i think.Getting cheaper items can help (if not you) then your team-mates to get better items allong the way.Besides that 3 armor from a rob as well as the ability to get a mekasm from that hor later on can help a lot.

My recomandation is to get cheaper items since you have the begining asured wich can build up and can get you the late game win...

[Irashoran]

Buying items right at the start is an investment in your farming skills. Generally ror/pots or boots/pots enable you to farm a lot better than nother at all (you stay in lane longer and can kill creeps more often).

The aoe items like headdress and ring of basilius are wonderful. A mix of ror/sobe mask is a good starting set, since it enables you to have hp/mana regen and tech it up to mekansm and basilius later.

[damptraktor]

Basilus(sp?) is worth getting even if you're solo in your lane, the +dmg helps alot when creeping and +armor is nice if you play aggresive and take random hits from creeps.

[mroZoZrout]

well starting items. ring of regen is wonderfull +2hp is quite enough 4 farming 2me. I rarely buy RoH coz dont need him only with persevance and morf it to sfere or refresher.

4 example if u play magnataur mask and ring is awsome. u can cast waves all the time (perfect 4 farming and focusing thx to 90mana cost thats imba imho.)

[KarimArabu]

1x Ror + 2branch = gg nap