Hero Discussion of this Day: Lina (22 November 2012)

Lina, the Slayer

The Slayer is one of the deadlier offensive spellcasters, capable of killing fragile heroes with one combo of her spells. Her two main offensive spells provide a powerful area of effect combo. Dragon Slave fires a quick fiery projectile which deals good damage and has pretty high range. Light Strike Array is Lina's stun spell. Due to her relatively slow cast time it can be difficult to hit moving enemies with this spell, however. Many Lina players cast Light Strike Array right after an ally uses another stun, making the spell much easier to hit and prolonging the total disable time. To support her offensive gameplay style, Lina has a passive skill called Fiery Soul. Every time she casts any of her other spells, Lina gains a temporary movement and attack speed bost, allowing her to chase down and kill fleeing enemies. Lina also has the most damaging single-target spell in the game: Laguna Blade. This devastating blast of energy is one of the best ways to finish off injured enemies. Often heroes who thought they were safe are blasted into oblivion by a single Laguna Blade.

Lore

he sibling rivalries between Lina the Slayer, and her younger sister Rylai, the Crystal Maiden, were the stuff of legend in the temperate region where they spent their quarrelsome childhoods together. Lina always had the advantage, however, for while Crystal was guileless and naive, Lina's fiery ardor was tempered by cleverness and conniving. The exasperated parents of these incompatible offspring went through half a dozen homesteads, losing one to fire, the next to ice, before they realized life would be simpler if the children were separated. As the oldest, Lina was sent far south to live with a patient aunt in the blazing Desert of Misrule, a climate that proved more than comfortable for the fiery Slayer. Her arrival made quite an impression on the somnolent locals, and more than one would-be suitor scorched his fingers or went away with singed eyebrows, his advances spurned. Lina is proud and confident, and nothing can dampen her flame.

==

Roles: Nuker, Disabler, Support, Semi-Carry

==

Strength: 18 + 1.5

Agility: 16 + 1.5

Intelligence: 27 + 3.2

==

Damage: 40-58

Armour: 1.24

Movement Speed: 295

Attack Range: 625

Base Attack Time: 1.7

Missile Speed: 900

Sight Range: 1800 (Day) / 800 (Night)

Turn Rate: 0.5

==

Spells

==

Dragon Slave

Lina channels the breath of a dragon, sending out a wave of fire that scorches every enemy in its path.

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	90	8.5	800	275 (Starting AoE)/800 (Distance)/150 (Final AoE)	N/A	Sends out a wave in the form of a dragon, dealing 100 damage
2	105	8.5	800	275 (Starting AoE)/800 (Distance)/150 (Final AoE)	N/A	Sends out a wave in the form of a dragon, dealing 170 damage
3	125	8.5	800	275 (Starting AoE)/800 (Distance)/150 (Final AoE)	N/A	Sends out a wave in the form of a dragon, dealing 230 damage
4	140	8.5	800	275 (Starting AoE)/800 (Distance)/150 (Final AoE)	N/A	Sends out a wave in the form of a dragon, dealing 280 damage

• Magical Damage

• Can hit units up to 1225 units away

In the scorched barren of Misrule, Lina learned to manipulate the fiery breath of the Desert Wyrm as a form of entertainment.

==

Light Strike Array

Summons a column of flames that damages and stuns enemies

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	90	7	600	225	1.6	Stuns and damages in an area, dealing 90 damage
2	100	7	600	225	1.6	Stuns and damages in an area, dealing 150 damage
3	110	7	600	225.6	Stuns and damages in an area, dealing 210 damage
4	125	7	600	225	1.6	Stuns and damages in an area, dealing 280 damage

• Magical Damage

• There is a 0.5 second delay after the initial cast

Lina's essence allows her to focus the sun's energies, causing air to combust at will

==

Fiery Soul

Passive

Grants bonus attack and movement speed each time Lina casts a spell. Stacks with itself. Lasts 7 seconds.

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	-	-	-	-	7	Every spell Lina casts causes her to gain 40 bonus attack speed and 4% movement speed bonus. Stacking up to 3 times
2	-	-	-	-	7	Every spell Lina casts causes her to gain 55 bonus attack speed and 5% movement speed bonus. Stacking up to 3 times
3	-	-	-	-	7	Every spell Lina casts causes her to gain 70 bonus attack speed and 6% movement speed bonus. Stacking up to 3 times
4	-	-	-	-	7	Every spell Lina casts causes her to gain 85 bonus attack speed and 7% movement speed bonus. Stacking up to 3 times

• Duration refreshes each time a spell is cast

• Stacks at most 3 times

• Using items does not trigger Fiery Soul

Dancing flames embody Lina's playful nature, bringing out her true blazing self.

==

Laguna Blade

Ultimate

Fires off a bolt of lightning at a single enemy unit, dealing massive damage.

Level	Mana Cost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	280	70	600 (900*)	125	N/A	Deals 450 (600*) damage to a single target
2	420	60	600 (900*)	200	N/A	Deals 675 (925*) damage to a single target
3	680	50	600 (900*)	275	N/A	Deals 950 (1250*) damage to a single target

• Magical Damage

• This ultimate can be upgraded via Sceptre, (*) shows the upgraded effects

• This spell is actually a projectile although it may not look like one, which means it can be dodged (with things that make you invulnerable or remove you from play, eg Phase Shift, Astral Imprisonment, Nightmare, Ball Lightning). Though, this window of opportunity to dodge is EXTREMELY small and almost impossible to easily dodge

The air around Lina becomes so intensely torrid that it scorches a foe that came too close with white-hot lightning.

==

Recent Changes from 6.76/6.76b/6.76c

• Laguna Blade cooldown rescaled from 90/70/50 to 70/60/50

Recent Changes from 6.75/6.75b

• Fiery Soul attack speed bonus increased from 40/50/60/70 to 40/55/70/85

• Laguna Blade cooldown rescaled from 120/90/55 to 90/70/50

==

Findings (not-factual information as above):

I find Lina to be a really fun simple hero. You can use Dragon Slave to harrass enemies but also, it has a longer distance than its' maximum cast range, if an enemy is getting away from being killed and you can't reach the Dragon Slave by clicking on the enemy hero, target the ground and skillshot which way the hero is going, you might get them. Time your stun accordingly to prediction of the future, ie where will they be 0.5 seconds later; if the enemy is on the edge of the circle aoe and walking away from it (such as a chase), you won't be able to get them to stun. If you're being chased and they're right behind you, you can stun where you are now and then continue running so they'll walk into the stun.

REMEMBER: Don't use Laguna Blade to killsteal 24/7, if a hero is getting away and you can only catch them with Laguna, so be it; the same if you're by yourself and you can just Laguna to kill someone. But, if you're chasing a hero with your team and the enemy hero has 100 hp, and your carry is right there able to kill him, let him, do not waste your Laguna Blade to the detriment of your team just for a kill. This is mainly just in chasing situations and not full teamfights. In a huge teamfight situation, it would be better to just Laguna whoever your team is aiming, it can take a huge chunk from their health and maybe kill them, that is if they're not on 100HP and on around 500-700HP.

==

Togedude has a comment regarding Lion vs Lina

Wilco- has a tl;dr on Lina.

A comment by Decency talking about capitalising on early-game/laning Lina

Shakewell has a mini-writeup for Lina

Here is a PlayDota thread discussing a Carry Lina and how to build her.

==

If you guys want a specific hero to be discussed next, please feel free to post (or message as someone did for Meepo).

No Valve Artwork | Voice Responses | In-game Icon | Dota Cinema Video Overview | Dota2Wiki Hero Page

Posts are every 2 days, next post will be on the 24th.

Important Storm tip of last thread by EmeraldScales: "Three levels of Electrical Vortex is enough to pull someone into the remnant you'll create just after casting Vortex."