Remember that this is a channeled ability, so you need to wait until enemy disables go off, or get a BKB/Shadow Blade so you will be in some way invincible while dealing the damage. This means that you will need to be in the middle of a fight in order to constantly hurt your enemies. This spell can dish out a LOT of damage, but your positioning has to be great because like Maledict, it has a very low casting range. Witch Doctor summons a Death Ward at desired location which spews projectiles at enemy heroes. This has to be the most fun skill in the game. As the casting range of maledict is very low, you have to be almost in melee range to use it, but once you land the spell, it should be easy for your lane or gank partner to dish out his dmg. The way you should use it is to cast it before starting the fight, so the damage amplification will ensure a kill. It is a powerful damage over time ability which gets stronger if the enemy takes damage while under effect of it. This is the skill that makes Witch Doctor a huge threat when the enemy is not cautious enough and thats why i like to max it first. Get it if you are getting owned in the laning phase. Some people like to get one level in it as it can save lives, but in my opinion it is unnecessary for laning and too weak for surviving ganks. In my opinion it's a bit lackluster skill, as it drains your mana pretty fast and the heal is much, much weaker than Juggernaut's ward. The cask is also quite effective for jungle ganks, as the enemy will be close to neutral creeps.Īn AoE heal for you and your allies.

The ideal situation for casting this spell is when you are chasing two opponents after a good initiation, so you will need to force such situations by setting up ganks and tower dives with your team. This means that you don't want to cast it nearby enemy creeps and when the enemy is singled out, as the stun duration per bounce is only 1 second. Unlike other disables it is very tricky to use effectively, as it bounces between your target and other nearby units. Scythe of Vyyse is also great as it provides an almost infinite mana pool and good stats, as well as a very reliable disable. Other luxury items worth getting are Aghanim's Scepter for total mayhem while using your ultimate. However, if the enemy team lacks AoE i almost always get a Shadow Blade since you actually can activate Death Ward and go invisible while channeling. Most of the time you will need a BKB, so you can channel your ult through mass Crowd Control spells (ie. When it goes into lategame, you need an item which enables you to use your ultimate effectively in teamfights. If the answer is no, you should definitely get it since the movement speed boost further expands your succesful gank chance, and the stats are great for WD.

The next thing you have to do is to check if anyone on your team is making a Drum of endurance. The extra dmg they provide is great early game too. Phase boots should be your next priority as they will help you land Paralysing Cask/Maledict on fleeing opponents. You should also get a magic stick from the side shop if you're facing a nuker like Zeus. If you are having problems surviving on the lane, get a bracer ASAP, otherwise go boots first. Get a courier or wards for your team, spend the rest of the gold on regen, some mana potions and branches for the stats. The starting items don't need a lot of explanation.

Witch doctor dota 2