Dota 2 - Anti Mage Build Guide

BIO
The monks of Turstarkuri watched the rugged valleys below their mountain monastery as wave after wave of invaders swept through the lower kingdoms. Ascetic and pragmatic, in their remote monastic eyrie they remained aloof from mundane strife, wrapped in meditation that knew no gods or elements of magic. Then came the Legion of the Dead God, crusaders with a sinister mandate to replace all local worship with their Unliving Lord's poisonous nihilosophy. From a landscape that had known nothing but blood and battle for a thousand years, they tore the souls and bones of countless fallen legions and pitched them against Turstarkuri. The monastery stood scarcely a fortnight against the assault, and the few monks who bothered to surface from their meditations believed the invaders were but demonic visions sent to distract them from meditation. They died where they sat on their silken cushions. Only one youth survived--a pilgrim who had come as an acolyte, seeking wisdom, but had yet to be admitted to the monastery. He watched in horror as the monks to whom he had served tea and nettles were first slaughtered, then raised to join the ranks of the Dead God's priesthood. With nothing but a few of Turstarkuri's prized dogmatic scrolls, he crept away to the comparative safety of other lands, swearing to obliterate not only the Dead God's magic users--but to put an end to magic altogether.

INTRODUCTION
Anti Mage, in my opinion is the best and easiest carry in DotA. He has everything needed as a carry, DPS, nukes, and escape mechanism. You just need to farm battlefury in about 15 mins and you will roll like a giant snowball and in minute 35 you will have, Manta Style, Tarrasque, or anything you want. You can easily going into teamfight or escape from teamfight using Blink. You can Burn enemy's mana and nukes them using your ultimate. And finally you have a defensive shield from spell. oh wait, you have an ultra high attack speed too! What a perfect set.

PROS	CONS
Have a perfect defense mechanism from Blink	If you can't get adequate farm, you literally ruin the game.
Cas farm super fast using Blink (to fast mobility between jungle camp and lane) + Battlefury	Beware if you are Silenced and cannot useyour Blink
Have a decent damage from Mana Break
Have a nice nuke
Have a good defense from spell
Can jump easily using Blink

ROLE
Melee - Carry - Escape

STATS

LEVEL	1	15	25
HIT POINTS	530	849	1,457	SIGHT RANGE	1800 /800
MANA	195	523	1,017	ATTACK RANGE	128
DAMAGE	49-53	88-92	136-140	MISSILE SPEED	N/A
ARMOR	2	8	14

ABILITIES
1. Mana Break

Burns an opponent's mana on each attack. Mana Break deals 60% of the mana burned as damage to the target. Mana Break is a Unique Attack Modifier, and does not stack with other Unique Attack Modifiers.

ABILITY: PASSIVE	MANA PER HIT: 28 / 40 / 52 / 64
DAMAGE: PHYSICAL

This skill will makes your opponent always lack of mana because you attacks them. This skill makes your opponent cannot use their skill because lacks of mana. This is also an indirect defensive skill because this skill makes your opponent cannot use their skill. This skill is best comboed with  your ultimate Mana Void which the damage calculation is based on how much mana the target lost. This skill also add an additional damage to your right-click that makes you a decent DPS-er (damage per second.)

2. Blink

Short distance teleportation that allows Anti-Mage to move in and out of combat.

MANA COST: 60 / 60 / 60 / 60	COOLDOWN: 12.0 / 9.0 / 7.0 / 5.0
ABILITY: TARGET POINT	RANGE: 1000 / 1075 / 1150 / 1150

This skill is the best skill of Anti-Mage. With this skill you can go-in and go-out of combat easily so you can escape from death. You will farm easily with this skill because you can move faster, just dont walk, always use this skill for transportation, this will makes you earn gold faster than anyone else.

3.  Spell Shield

Increases Anti-Mage's resistance to magic damage.

ABILITY: PASSIVE	RESISTANCE: 26% / 34% / 42% / 50%

Very good defensive skill for a hero. This skill reduce magical damage you received. This will helps you survive in a teamfight. Nice skill to fight against heroes whose focused on magical damage like Zeus, Tinker, Lina, Lion etc.

4. Mana Void

For each point of mana missing by the target unit, damage is dealt to it and surrounding enemies. The main target is also mini-stunned.

MANA COST: 125 / 200 / 275	COOLDOWN: 70.0
ABILITY: TARGET UNIT	AFFECTS: ENEMY HEROES
DAMAGE: MAGICAL	DAMAGE: 0.6 / 0.85 / 1.1
STUN DURATION: 0.1 / 0.2 / 0.3	RADIUS: 300

This skill is skill you should use if your enemy's mana is low, and the more max mana he have the better. You can nukes several heroes with this skill and kill them together. This skill is situational, don't use if your enemy's mana is still full because it will be no effect on him. Wait until teamfight is almost over and your enemys mana is already empty then use it. You can use your Mana Break first to burn enemy's mana, and then use this skill to nuke him until death.

SKILLBUILD

Level 1: Blink
Level 2: Stats
Level 3: Stats
Level 4: Spell Shield
Level 5: Mana Break
Level 6: Mana Void
Level 7: Blink
Level 8: Blink
Level 9 : Blink
Level 10:Spell Shield
Level 11: Mana Void
Level 12: Mana Break
Level 13: Spell Shield
Level 14: Mana Break
Level 15: Spell Shield
Level 16: Mana Void
Level 17: Mana Break
Level 18-25: Stats

Why Blink on level 1? You should prepare if someone wants to get firstblood by killing you.

Why Stats on early game? Anti mage is squishy in early game, he needs more HP

Why Blink should be maxed first? To faster your farms, you need high mobility, so you can move from one camp to another camp/lane faster.

STRATEGY
Early Game
As an Anti Mage, you should try to lasthit every creeps. Denying is not your priority. The more you farm, the faster you will get your items, the faster you get your item, the stronger you are.

In an early game, Anti Mage is a squishy hero, so be careful of enemy's hero. Don't harass enemies because it will makes the enemy to attack you back. I am very recommend you to get Battlefury as fast as possible, because with this items you can farm faster.

Mid Game
Keep farming. This is your job. Change lane if there is an empty lane. You should also destroy jungle creeps, kill all creeps possible.

If you are already strong enough, I recommend you to kill the Ancient camps. It will gives you lots of golds.
And then don't forget the big camps(centa,wildkin etc.)

Your priority in farming:

1. Lane
2. Ancient Camp
3. Big Camps

You must walk using blink  to make your movement become faster. If you can outfarm enemy heroes in this stage, late game will be easy for you.

Or you can participate in a teamfight once in a while. Use your Mana Break to damaging the enemy. And then after enemy's mana is already very low, you can use your mana Void to get the kill.

Or if your team decided to push, you can right click the tower. You will have a nice bounty from the towers.

Late Game
This is the stage  you will contribute the most because as a carry, it is a stage where you reached the high damages. I assume here you already get Manta Style, so you can kill enemies faster.

Here is your strategy as an Anti Mage:
1. Blink into the teamfight
2. Rigt click enemy heroes. (Squishy hero first)
3. Use Manta Style if you have one
4. Use (Bkb if you have one)
5. If there is a hero with High Mana pool and his mana is already very low, Mana Void him
6. Blink-out in your Hp is low
7. Blink out to an area which enemy can't walk there without take a detour

That's it, you just should farm as fast as you can and in a late game teamfight, jumps in, right click and kill all the enemy.

And if your team won the teamfight, you have two options:
1. You can get the Aegis for your team's main hero or
2. Your team can push enemy base and destrouy their buildings. Choose wisely!

ITEM BUILD

1. Quelling Blade
Cost: 225

Active: Destroy Tree - Destroy a target tree. Passive: Quell - Gives bonus attack damage against non-hero units, depending on the type of hero you are.   MELEE BONUS: 32%     RANGED BONUS: 12%      Cooldown: 5

Why Quelling Blade? Makes you easier to lasthit every creeps.

2. Quelling Blade
Cost: 550
Recipe: Stout Shield + 2 x Slippers of Agility

Passive: Damage Block - Blocks physical attack damage, depending on the type of hero you are. Poor Man's Shield will always block attacks from enemy Heroes, but has a chance to block damage from creeps. MELEE BLOCK: 20 RANGED BLOCK: 10 BLOCK CHANCE: 60% + 6 Agility

Why Poor man's Shield? This item is  a must item to tank the creep's damages on early game. Also helps you in jungling. With the additional damage, it will makes you easier to lasthit every creeps.

2. Battlefury
Total Cost: 225
Recipe: Broadsword, Claymore, Preserverance

Passive: Cleave - Deals a percent of attack damage in a 225 AoE around the target. Does not work on ranged heroes. Cleave damage on non-primary targets is not reduced by armor values. + 65 Damage + 6 HP Regeneration     + 150% Mana Regeneration      CLEAVE DAMAGE: 35%

Why Battlefury? Makes you faster in farming creeps. Makes your gold flow faster. Your job is to farms, this item will really help. It is recommended to buy the Ring of Health first to helps you survive from enemy's damage.

3. Power Threads
Total cost: 1400
Recipe: Gloves of Haste, Boots of Speed, Belt og Giant Strength/ Robe of Magi/ Band of Elvenskin

Active: Switch Attribute - Changes selected attribute between Strength, Agility and Intelligence. Flat movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack. + 55 Movement Speed + 8 Selected Attribute   + 30 Attack Speed

Why Power Threads? It will gives you attack speed, thats what you need, attack speed and damages. Power threads is laso a flexible shoes, you can change it to STR, AGI, or INT for what you need.

4. Manta Style
Total cost:: 5050
Recipe: Yasha, Ultimate Orb, Recipe

Active: Mirror Image - Creates 2 illusions of your hero that last 20 seconds. Melee illusions deal 33% damage and take 250% bonus damage. Ranged illusions deal 28% damage and take 300% bonus damage. Percentage based movement speed bonuses from multiple items do not stack. + 10 Strength + 26 Agility    + 10 Intelligence    + 15 Attack Speed    + 10% Movement Speed Manacost:165    Cooldown:50

Why Manta Style? Creates 2 illusion of yourself to attack the enemy. Your illusion also get mana break the same as you, so the enemy will feel more damage and faster mana drain. This items also provide a defense mechanism for you because your opponent will be confused and don't know whose to attack, they should guess where is the real you.

5. Black King Bar
Total cost:: 3900
Recipe: Ogre Axe, Mithril Hammer, Recipe

Active: Avatar - Grants magic immunity. Duration and cooldown decrease with each use. Some Ultimate abilities are able to disable through Black King Bar. + 10 Strength + 24 Damage     DURATION: 10/9/8/7/6/5     Cooldown: 80

Why Black King Bar? It gives you survivability in a teamfight because you will get magic immunity during teamfight.

6. Heart of Tarrasque
Total cost: 5500
Recipe: Reaver + Vitality Booster

Passive: Health Regeneration - Restores a percentage of max health per second. This ability is disabled if damage is taken from an enemy Hero or Roshan within the last 4 seconds if your hero is melee or 6 seconds if your hero is ranged. + 40 Strength   + 300 Health     HEALTH RESTORED: 2%    Cooldown:

Why Heart of Tarrasque? Makes you tanky. Tarrasque is an alternative of BKB. You can choose this item or Black King Bar, if the enemys is more physical attack, I recommend you to buy this. Nice for survivability.

7. Butterfly
Total cost:: 6000
Recipe: Talisman of Evasion, Eaglesong, Quarterstaff

+ 30 Agility            + 30 Damage + 35% Evasion      + 30 Attack Speed

Why Butterfly?
It gives you more damage and more attack speed that makes you become much more powerful. It also gives evasion to helps you survive in teamfight.

8. Daedlus
Total cost:: 5750
Recipe: Crystalis + Demon Edge + Recipe

APassive: Critical Strike - Grants a chance to deal critical damage on an attack. + 81 Damage CRITICAL CHANCE: 25%        CRITICAL DAMAGE: 270%

Why Daedlus? With this, you become a true moster. This is because you have a very high damage and this item will multiply your damage so everyone can't match you anymore.

You can buy any damage items you want to increase your DPS like Mkb or Basher.


Best Partner:
Support heroes.
They are become good friends for you because they have disables to make you easier to hits the enemies.
1. Shadow Shaman

Shadow shaman is a very good supportive hero. he have 2 disables, 3 with wards trap (lock someone inside his wards). A perfect partner for you.

2. Crystal Maiden

She have 1 disable and 1 slower, also gives you Brilliance aura to makes you always can use Blink on early game.

3. Mana Burner is a very good friends for you because they helps you drain enemy's mana to prepare for your ultimate. Your friends who bring diffusal is also good friends for you.
Example: Ezalor / KOTL

KOTL have mana drain to helps you drain enemy's mana for your ulty.

Lion and Nyx is also good friends too.