Dota 2 - Lycanthrope Build Guide

BIO
Banehallow was noble-born to the house of Ambry, the greatest of the landed castes in the old kingdom of Slom. Before the Fall, as the King's wants grew strange, and his court grew crowded with sorcerers and charlatans, the house of Ambry was the first to rise against the avarice of the throne. No longer willing to pay homage and fealty, they instead sent six-thousand swords into the capital, where they were wiped out in the Massacre of the Apostates. And then came the teeth behind the old truth: When you strike a king's neck, you had better take his head. Enraged by the betrayal, the king exterminated the vast Ambry bloodline, sparing only the lord of the house and his youngest son, Banehallow. Before all the royal court, with the disgraced lord chained to the ornate marble floor, the King bade his magicians transform the boy into a wolf so that he might tear out his own father's throat. "Do this," the king said, "so that Lord Ambry will understand the bite of betrayal." Powerful magic was invoked, and the child was transformed. But though his body was changed, his spirit remained intact, and instead of biting the exposed neck of his father, he attacked his handlers, tearing them to pieces. A dozen of the King's knights perished under the wolf's teeth before they managed to drive it off into the night. Lord Ambry laughed from his chains even as the King ran him through with a sword. Now the heir to the lost house of Ambry, Banehallow wanders the trail as the Lycan, part warrior, part wolf, in search of justice for all that he lost.

INTRODUCTION
There is one word to describe Lycan: easy.
This hero is the easiest to be strong hero in DotA, that’s why anyone begging Icefrog to nerf him, and weirdly, Icefrog accept that request and nerf him. Although nerfed, Lycan is still, easy to be strong hero in DotA, just jungle – Roshan – get some good items, like Basher, Tarrasque etc. – get some easy kills – win!

PROS	CONS
Strong Pusher	Wolves become weaker after nerfed by Icefrog
Easy early Rosh	Needs lots of mana on early game to call the wolves
Maximum movement speed
Free critical in wolf form
Tanky
Cannot be slowed in Wolf Form

ROLE

Melee - Carry - Jungler - Pusher - Durable

STATS

LEVEL	1	15	25
HIT POINTS	568	1,300	2,202	SIGHT RANGE	1800 / 800
MANA	221	503	965	ATTACK RANGE	128
DAMAGE	53-68	92-97	1xx-1xx	MISSILE SPEED	N/A
ARMOR	1	5	10

ABILITIES
1. Summon Wtolves

Summons two wolves to fight for Lycanthrope. Level 2-4 wolves have Critical Strike, and level 4 wolves have permanent invisibility.

MANA COST: 145	COOLDOWN: 30
ABILITY: NO TARGET	DURATION: 55 / 55 / 55 / 55
BASE ATTACK TIME: 1.25 / 1.2 / 1.15 / 1.1	DAMAGE: 18 / 29 / 37 / 46
HP: 200 / 240 / 280 / 320

The very enchantment that twisted his being also summons canine familiars.
This is your main skill on early game. With your wolves, you should do jungling together. Use your wolf as the tank and let him receive the damage. If one wolf is in low Hp, change the tank to the other. This ways you will save your wolf life and save the needs of mana. On the early game, Lycan is mana dependant, you need lots of mana to continuously call your wolfs. Clarity is needed in this stage.

2. Howl

Grants bonus damage to Lycanthrope, all allied heroes and all units under their control.

MANA COST: 15/20/25/30	COOLDOWN: 50/45/40/35
ABILITY: NO TARGET	DURATION: 12 / 12 / 12 / 12
HERO BONUS DAMAGE: 20 / 30 / 40 / 50	MINION BONUS DAMAGE: 4 / 8 / 12 / 16

Blood-curdling wolf cries signal to opponents that Banehallow is among them.
Increase damage to all army of your team, heroes and their underlings, including you and your wolves.Very good skill to boost damages in every situation, like: Chasing a target, teamfights, or even Roshing.

3. Feral Impulse

Increases the damage and attack speed of Lycanthrope and all units under his control.

ABILITY: PASSIVE	RADIUS: 900 / 900 / 900 / 900
BONUS ATTACK SPEED: 15 / 20 / 25 / 30	BONUS DAMAGE: 15% / 20% / 25% / 30%

His animalistic symbiosis with canine kind gives Banehallow enhanced reflexes and hunting capabilities.
Increase you and your units (wolfs, etc) damage. A nice skill for a carry. Damage and attack speed, that's all you need to be GODLIKE!!

4. Shapeshift

Lycanthrope assumes his true form, increasing his combat capabilities. During Shapeshift, Lycanthrope and all units under his control move at maximum speed and cannot be slowed.

MANA COST: 100/100/100	COOLDOWN: 100/70/40
DURATION: 18 / 18 / 18	BASE ATTACK TIME: 1.5 / 1.5 / 1.5
CRITICAL CHANCE: 30% / 30% / 30%	CRITICAL DAMAGE: 170% / 170% / 170%
BONUS HP: 100 / 200 / 300	BONUS NIGHT VISION: 1000
BONUS ARMOR: 2

Forever a slave to his lycanthropy, Banehallow has come to accept his curse, and embrace his own savagery.
This is your main skill for carrying your team. In wolf form you will become much more powerful than in human form. With this you gain a maximum 522 movespeed, a crtitical attack, bonus attack speed, HP, armor, and bonus night vision. A very complete skill in a package  that will makes you much more stronger than before. With this you can destroys some squishy hero easily, like Crystal Maiden, Witch Doctor,, Ezalor, etc. This is considered imba skill for a hero, and you have it, that's your chance to be GODLIKE.

SKILLBUILD

Level 1: Summon Wolves
Level 2: Feral Impulse
Level 3: Summon Wolves
Level 4: Feral Impulse
Level 5: Summon Wolves
Level 6: Shapeshift
Level 7: Summon Wolves
Level 8: Feral Impulse
Level 9 : Feral Impulse
Level 10: Howl
Level 11: Shapeshift
Level 12: Howl
Level 13: Howl
Level 14: Howl
Level 15: Stats
Level 16: Shapeshift
Level 17-25: Stats

Why maxed Summon Wolves first? This skill is your main skill for jungling, remember that your home is in jungle, familiarize yourself with that.

Why maxed Feral Impulse before Howl?  With Feral Impulse, your wolves become stronger and can helps you jungling. Howl will increase damage for the team and needed for tamfight on mid-late game.

STRATEGY
Early Game
On early game, you need to camp in jungle. (Actually, there is an option to farm in lane, but, Lycan’s home is in jungle, don’t forget your own home, go home son!)
In early jungling, you need clarities to increase your mana regen to be able to call your wolfs. You need some mana to call your wolfs.
After you earn some golds from killing some creeps in jungle, you need to buy Vlads. This makes you get a lifesteal and become more powerful. Remember that Vlads also incease mana regen to be able to aways call your wolfs if needed. Vlads also add damage to wolfs and gives lifesteal to wolfs.
Early rosh is daily routine to Lycan, get aegis before 15 mins.

Mid Game.
On this stage of the game. You already become stronger and can carry your team. Your wolf form will give you maximum movement speed that cannot be slowed. You also gain a critical strike ability in wolf form. Wolf form=guarantee a kill.
Wolf form makes you become so powerful and enemies cannot run away from you.
In teamfight, transform into wolf form before the teamfight starts, and the call your underlings, and cast +damage. With that all casted, focus fire on one target and get the easy kill. Repeat that until you get a GODLIKE title.

Late Game
On late game, you will be the most powerful if: you succeded on mid game by getting lots of kills. That means that you alrady accumulated lots of golds in your bank. Use the gold wisely. Buy some powerful items in Dota like Abyssal, Mkb, Tarrasque, etc.
Your carrying ability should still good here. Always use all you have, transform into Wolf, and kill all the enemies. Enemy run? Chase him with a maximum of 522 movespeed as a wolf.

ITEMBUILD
Starting Item
1. Clarities
Total cost:: @ 50

Use: Restores mana over time. If the user is attacked, the effect is lost. DURATION: 30     MANA RESTORED: 100

Why Clarities?
You need lots mana to continuously calls your wolves to help you jungling. Clarities will provide all mana you need for early game.

Core Item
2. Vladimir's Offering
Total cost:: 2050
Recipe: Ring of Basillus + Mask of Death + Ring of regen + Recipe

Passive: Vladmir's Aura - Grants a variety of bonuses to nearby allies. Lifesteal bonuses from Vladmir's Aura only affect melee units. Multiple instances of Vladmir's Aura do not stack. AURA LIFESTEAL: 16%      AURA BONUS DAMAGE: 15%      AURA BONUS ARMOR: 5 AURA MANA REGEN: 0.8      + 2 HP Regeneration

Why Vladimir's Offering?
This will provide you with all what you needs. Mana regen to call your wolves. Bonus Lifesteal for Jungling and Roshing. Also adds damage, HP regen, and armor. Very good item in a package.

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.
STR for Survivability and damage, AGI for attack speed, and INT for mana.

4. Necronomicon

Total cost: 2700

Recupe: Staff of Wizardy, Belt of Giant Strength + Recipe

You can upgrade by buying the recipe again, can be upgraded 2 times, into lv3.

Active: Demonic Summoning - Summons a Necronomicon Warrior and a Necronomicon Archer to fight for you. Their strength and abilities increase as Necronomicon increases in level. Lasts 35 seconds. + 15/21/24 Intelligence    + 8/12/16 Strength Manacost: 50    Cooldown: 80

Why Necronomicon? Your concept is to deal DPS using lots of units. Besides the Wolves, the Necro Book is a strong Companion for you. Easy to push towers and also gives tons of physical dps. Combine with Howl and you can deal a massive amount of damage from all your units.

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 teamfights.

6. You can increase your DPS more. Choose your own DPS items.As a carry, damage is your priority.

	DAEDLUS	MKB	ABYSSAL	DIVINE RAPIER
DAMAGE	81	88	100	300
ABILITY	CRITICAL 2.4	100% HITS	STUN	NONE
CHANCE	25%	MINIBASH 35% DAMAGE: 100	MELEE: 25 % RANGE: 10%	NONE
OTHER	NONE	+15 ATK SPEED	+10 STRENGTH 2 SEC STUN	NONE

DAEDLUS: Daedlus will provide you with a powerful Critical Strike.

MKB: 100% HITRATE will helps you to fight some evasion heroes like Mortred or Rikimaru.

ABYSSAL: A decent +100 damage and makes you become a Stunner

RAPIER: Be careful if you choose to hold this. 1 hit kill is a sure. 2-3 hits is the worst. Need protection from your support. Must come if the situation is clear safe for you to come inside the teamfight. Need some disabler friends.

Survivability Items for late game

7. 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. So good item for tanker like you.

8. Satanic
Total Cost: 5850

Recipe: Tarrasque + Helm of the Dominator + Recipe 

Active: Unholy Rage - Increases Lifesteal by 175% for 3.5 seconds. Passive: Lifesteal - Gives Lifesteal on attacks. Satanic is a Unique Attack Modifier, and does not stack with other Unique Attack Modifier. + 20 Damage    + 25 Strength    + 5 Armor    LIFESTEAL: 25%     Cooldown: 35

Why Satanic? It will really helps you to survive in a hard condition in a teamfight. It will gives you lifesteal, Strength, and Armor, thats all what you need to survive in a teamfight. If your HP become low, immediately use unholy rage, and attacks your enemy and your HP will be full again in seconds.

GOOD ALLIES
1. Supportive Heroes
(Example: Shadow Shaman, Crystal Maiden, Vengeful Spirit)

Supportive heroes have disables and nice skill to helps carries and makes a teamfight easier for the team.

Shadow Shaman: Have hex, shackles, and wards to helps you disables enemy

Crystal Maiden: Have 1 lockdown, 1 slower, and have +mana regeneration

Vengeful Spirit: Have stun, swap, and +damage aura

RIVAL
1. Ursa Warrior

Why Ursa is becoming your rival. You and him are racing for the Rosh. That's why he is your ultimate Rival. Who can kill the Rosh first is the winner!

VIDEO SECTION
1. Learn the Basics of Lycan Jungling 

Remember that Jungle is your home? then go back to the jungle and camp there.

2. Sunny Plays Lycanthrope

Watch this guy plays Lycan!

FANART