Magnus Guide

Items

Early Game:

• Bracer   Item   Changelogs     BracerB The bracer is a common choice to toughen up defenses and increase longevity. Cost490 (175) Bought FromCommon Bonus +6 Strength+3 Agility+3 Intelligence+3 Attack damage Disassemble? No Alert allies? provides additional Strength and damage.
• Bottle   Item   Changelogs     BottleBL An old bottle that survived the ages, the contents placed inside become enchanted. Cost650 Bought FromConsumables Active Regenerate Charges 3 / 1 Passive Store Rune Disassemble? No Alert can save Magnus trips to the fountain, since its mana rejuvenation works well with his low-mana cost abilities. It is crucial if soloing the middle lane, allowing for rune control.
• Magic Wand   Item   Changelogs     Magic WandB A simple wand used to channel magic energies, it is favored by apprentice wizards and great warlocks alike. Cost465 Bought FromCommon Active Energy Charge Charges 0 Bonus will not only provide him bonus attributes, but also more regeneration.

Core Items:

• Power Treads   Item   Changelogs     Power TreadsBL A pair of tough-skinned boots that change to meet the demands of the wearer. Cost1350 Bought FromCommon Active Switch Attribute Bonus +25 Attack speed+45 Movement speed Disassemble? give slight attribute buffs for damage/attack speed/mana regen depending on what you set them on (strength/agility/intelligence respectively). Recommended to get set on Strength.
• Blink Dagger For the cosmetic item equipped by Axe, see Little Blink Dagger.   Item   Changelogs     Blink DaggerBL The fabled dagger used by the fastest assassin ever to walk the lands. Cost2250 Bought FromArcane will help Magnus initiate with Reverse Polarity, as well as give him more mobility. Shockwave and Skewer can also be efficiently used after blinking in front of the enemy.
• Drum of Endurance   Item   Changelogs     Drum of EnduranceB A relic that enchants the bodies of those around it for swifter movement in times of crisis. Cost1640 (575) Bought FromSupport Active Endurance Charges 6 Passive gives him additional strength and intelligence for his health and mana pool, as well as give him a small boost to his attack and movement speed.

Situational Items:

• Battle Fury For the cosmetic item equipped by Faceless Void, see Battlefury (Equipment).   Item   Changelogs     Battle FuryB The bearer of this mighty axe gains the ability to cut down swaths of enemies at gives Magnus more regeneration, additional attack damage, and a permanent cleave that stacks with Empower.
• Refresher Orb   Item   Changelogs     Refresher OrbB A powerful artifact created for wizards. Cost5200 (1800) Bought FromCaster Active Reset Cooldowns Bonus +12 Health regeneration+250% Mana regeneration+20 Attack damage Disassemble? No Alert allies? No Recipe gives Magnus more regeneration and the ability to cast his ultimate in a shorter period of time.
• Heart of Tarrasque   Item   Changelogs     Heart of TarrasqueS Preserved heart of an extinct monster, it bolsters the bearer s fortitude. Cost5200 Bought FromArmor Passive Health Regeneration Bonus +40 Strength+500 Health Disassemble? No Alert allies? No helps him tank more damage, as well as give him additional attack damage.
• Mask of Madness   Item   Changelogs     Mask of MadnessBL Once this mask is worn, its bearer becomes an uncontrollable aggressive force. Cost1975 Bought FromArtifacts Active Berserk Passive Lifesteal Bonus +10 Attack speed+20 Attack damage Disassemble? will give him a quick boost in attack speed, which could help when he is buffed with Empower.
• Daedalus gives Magnus critical strike, enabling him to deal huge damage without relying on his spells.
• Assault Cuirass gives Magnus additional attack speed as well as armor, and also debuff his enemies` armor.
• Black King Bar makes it easier for Magnus to use his ultimate, as he can place himself in the middle of heroes without being interrupted. It can also be used so that he can live longer against too many disablers.
• Shiva`s Guard gives Magnus an additional nuke once he`s in the middle of the enemy team, much needed armor, and a large boost to his somewhat small mana pool.

Gameplay

Playstyle
Magnus   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     Magnus 21 + 3.2 15 + 2.5 19 + 1.65 Level Base is one of the few melee heroes who can solo the middle lane well, because of his skill set. Shockwave allows him to safely get last hits while also harassing the lane opponent. His ultimate, Reverse Polarity, is an extremely important ability for teamfights, allowing him to stun and group up enemies hit into a small area in front of him, which can then be moved through Skewer. It is ideal for him especially if he is needed to be a carry in the late game.
Pros	Cons
Great teamfighter thanks to Reverse Polarity and Skewer. Can be played as right-clicker. Compliments the team`s late-game carry. Good hero to pick off with.	Only useful in the late-game because of Reverse Polarity. Has mana problems because of high-mana cost spells and spamming Shockwave.

Videos

Info

Hero

Strategy

Counters Play “Many hands make light work.” This article is badly written or needs more information. Please help the community by updating it. Read this formatting guide first.   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment

Equipment   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     v • d • e Magnus Equipment (collapse sets)Sets Azurite Warden Defender of Matriarch Engulfing Spike Erupting Wrath Might of

Gear   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     This is a list of cosmetic items that reflects Magnus s design aesthetics.

Responses   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     v • d • e  Voice responses Hero responses Abaddon Alchemist Ancient Apparition Anti-Mage Arc Warden Axe Bane

Sounds   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     v • d • e  Dota 2 Sounds Hero Sounds Abaddon Alchemist Ancient Apparition Anti-Mage Arc Warden Axe

Lore   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     Magnus, the Magnoceros The master-smiths of Mt. Joerlak agree on only a

Old Abilities   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     Empower (pre 6.67) PlayWE AbilityTarget Unit / Autocast AffectsAllies Gives an allied

Changelogs   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     Contents 1 Version history 2 Patch history Version history edit] Version Description

Ability Builds

Talents

Hero Talents   Main   Table of Gained Bonuses     The Talent Selection interface. Talents are traits unique to each hero. They are chosen every 5th level starting at level 10, offering a permanent choice between
+15 Armor	25	+500 Skewer Range
+40 Movement Speed	20	+10% Empower Damage/Cleave
+12 Strength Strength is the attribute that grants health and health regeneration. For each point of strength a hero gets: 20 Health 0.06 Health regeneration Additionally, strength heroes also get 1 attack damage per strength point. To	15	+90 Gold/Min
+15% Spell Amplification	10	+25 Attack Speed

Notes:

• Gold granted from the talent is unreliable gold “ Play Now that s how you make gold. Click to listen— Alchemist ” Gold is the currency used to buy items or instantly revive your hero. Gold can be earned from killing heroes, creeps, or buildings. Contents .

General

• Most of Magnus` abilities work effectively only if his targets are in front of him. When surrounded, Magnus will be forced to change directions too much, not only delaying him from casting spells in rapid succession, but also rendering his spells` area-of-effects useless. As such, place Magnus in the side lines, or until his enemies are in a manageable range in front of him. You should only place yourself in the middle when planning to cast your ultimate, Reverse Polarity, since it forces all of the targets you hit to be in front of you.
• Magnus players need to communicate with the team because his initiations are most likely to be sudden.

Shockwave

• Shockwave is Magnus`s ranged nuke, one with a low mana cost:
• Shockwave is Magnus`s signature laning ability, since it`s perfect for both harassing heroes and last-hitting creeps. Thanks to the mana cost and low cooldown, Magnus is able to perform this ability continuously, so long as he receives a stable mana supply.
• Though usually used against disabled enemies, Shockwave can act as a great finisher to fleeing enemies. Make sure to cast it carefully, since it has a limited range.
• Take note of Shockwave`s limited area-of-effect. Much like Lion   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs   Known Bugs     Lion 16 + 2 15 + 1.5 20 + `s Earth Spike, Shockwave directly affects targets in a straight path. Aim to hit multiple targets to maximize its effectiveness.
• More tips needed.

Empower

• Empower is a great buff that boosts base damage for a long duration, as well as grant cleave with each attack on melee heroes. Use it as much as you can on allies or yourself whenever possible, especially when a team fight is ensuing. Outside of team fights, Empower could be used for farming in lanes or jungles.
• Don`t be afraid to cast Empower on ranged allies, especially if they are carries; ranged heroes like Drow Ranger For the race in Dota 2 lore, see Drow.   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs   Known Bugs     or Weaver   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     Weaver 15 + 1.8 14 + 2.8 15 + 1.8 Level Base can greatly benefit from the base damage boost, since it adds more power to their already devastating basic attacks.
• In comparison, a Battle Fury For the cosmetic item equipped by Faceless Void, see Battlefury (Equipment).   Item   Changelogs     Battle FuryB The bearer of this mighty axe gains the ability to cut down swaths of enemies at has a cleave radius of 280, and does 35% damage. Empower has a smaller radius of 200, but deals 50% damage at its highest level. This ability can, in some cases, act as a free Battle Fury.
• Alternatively, Battle Fury and Empower stack for a max of 85% cleave in the 200 radius granted by Empower.
• More tips needed.

Skewer

• Skewer| is soft-nuke and reposition skill that Magnus to rush forth towards a certain place and forcefully drag, and damage, all enemy units in his path. It is a tricky ability to use effectively:
• When the target is moving, determine its path ahead of time, since there is a short delay in deploying. The closer you are to the target, the sooner Skewer will land.
• To maximize its range, always target Skewer`s landing point from a distance.
• Note that Skewer is not a disable; it does not interrupt targets from casting their spells. Skewer is more of a crippling ability used to push targets to a certain distance and slow them, making escape more difficult.
• Always try to Skewer in front of an enemy; the farther the target is pushed away from safety, the better.
• Though it is offensive in nature, Skewer can also act as a quick escape mechanism, functioning similarly to a slower Force Staff For the cosmetic item equipped by Crystal Maiden, see Force Staff (Equipment)   Item   Changelogs     Force StaffB Allows you to manipulate others, for good or evil. Cost2250 (400) Bought FromCaster Active Force . You can charge toward cliffs to make it more difficult for your pursuers to chase you.
• During the laning phase, try to Skewer enemy heroes toward your tower; they will be forced to take tower damage, giving you additional offense while fighting them.
• Skewer placement is usually ideal when in front of a hero. This can easily be attained with a Blink Dagger, as it lets you blink in front of your enemy for an easier placement. Invisibility can also be used to your advantage, as you can easily place yourself in front of the target without their knowledge (unless of course they have methods to prevent invisibility).
• Skewer is a good initiation ability in the absence of a Blink Dagger. Use it to position yourself into the middle of an enemy team for Reverse Polarity. Keep in mind that you are not immune to crowd control during Skewer, so wait for the proper time before attempting to use Skewer in this fashion.
• Skewer has a long cooldown of 30 seconds, so make sure to use it only when you really need it; else, you will lose either an escape ability, or an offensive cripple.
• More tips needed.

Reverse Polarity

• Reverse Polarity is one of the most powerful team fight disables in the game:
• When planning to cast, place yourself in the middle of as many heroes as you can. The more heroes you disable, the more advantage you gain in the team fight.
  • But don`t be too greedy to use your ultimate, Reverse Polarity on many heroes. Even though it`s much better to use Magnus` ultimate on many heroes, it`s still good to use Reverse Polarity on the core heroes of the enemy team.

• The enemy targets` designated landing point make it easier for your allies to land their area-of-effect spells.
  • The pull also synergizes well with Magnus` frontal target spells. While your affected targets are stunned in front of you, you can cast Shockwave in a line, cleave with Empower, or trample them with Skewer. Note that only Skewer will displace them from the pulled location.
• Though very powerful, Reverse Polarity`s huge drawback is its cooldown. Use it carefully.
• If possible, pave your way into an area full of enemy heroes with Skewer, then cast Reverse Polarity. Skewer`s charge will help you get to the area faster, and will guarantee you stunned targets if you manage to drag heroes with you.
• Maximize Reverse Polarity`s disable with a Refresher Orb   Item   Changelogs     Refresher OrbB A powerful artifact created for wizards. Cost5200 (1800) Bought FromCaster Active Reset Cooldowns Bonus +12 Health regeneration+250% Mana regeneration+20 Attack damage Disassemble? No Alert allies? No Recipe ; casting Reverse Polarity>Refresh>Reverse Polarity will damage your targets for a total of 100/250/400 magic damage and disable them for 4.50/6/7.50 seconds, depending on the timing of the second cast.
• More tips needed.