Hero Discussion of this Day: Broodmother (12 December 2012)

Black Arachnia, the Broodmother

Regular spiders are scary enough. This overgrown Broodmother takes arachnophobia to a whole new level. Within her web she can remain unseen, is extremely quick, and able to regenerate. The venom in her fangs not only hurts, but can cause one to miss attacks and move slower. Combine this with her ultimate Insatiable Hunger, which empowers her fangs to deal great damage and life leech, and she is one Mother you don't want to go toe to toe with. She also can inject her young from a distance into a target, dealing damage initially, and if that host dies soon after her young will spawn. She can amass young armies quickly, which are great for pushing or even taking down bigger prey if left unchecked.

Lore

For centuries, Black Arachnia the Broodmother lurked in the dark lava tubes beneath the smoldering caldera of Mount Pyrotheos, raising millions of spiderlings in safety before sending them to find prey in the wide world above. In a later age, the Vizier of Greed, Ptholopthales, erected his lodestone ziggurat on the slopes of the dead volcano, knowing that any looters who sought his magnetic wealth must survive the spider-haunted passages. After millennia of maternal peace, Black Arachnia found herself beset by a steady trickle of furfeet and cutpurses, bold knights and noble youths--all of them delicious, certainly, and yet tending to create a less than nurturing environment for her innocent offspring. Tiring of the intrusions, she paid a visit to Ptholopthales; and when he proved unwilling to discuss a compromise, she wrapped the Vizier in silk and set him aside to be the centerpiece of a special birthday feast. Unfortunately, the absence of the Magnetic Ziggurat's master merely emboldened a new generation of intruders. When one of her newborns was trodden underfoot by a clumsy adventurer, she reached the end of her silken rope. Broodmother headed for the surface, declaring her intent to rid the world of each and every possible invader, down to the last Hero if necessary, until she could ensure her nursery might once more be a safe and wholesome environment for her precious spiderspawn.

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Roles: Pusher, Carry, Semi-Escape

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Strength: 17 + 2.5

Agility: 18 + 2.2

Intelligence: 18 + 2

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Damage: 44-50

Armour: 2.52

Movement Speed: 295

Attack Range: 128 (Melee)

Missile Speed: N/A

Base Attack Time: 1.7

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

Turn Rate: 0.5

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Spells

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Spawn Spiderlings

Broodmother injects her young into an enemy unit, dealing damage. The spiderlings will hatch if the target is killed while under this influence.

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	120	10	700	N/A	2	Throws an injection of spiderlings into an enemy unit dealing 75 damage, if the unit is killed in 2 seconds it spawns 1 spiderling
2	120	10	700	N/A	2	Throws an injection of spiderlings into an enemy unit dealing 150 damage, if the unit is killed in 2 seconds it spawns 2 spiderlings
3	120	10	700	N/A	2	Throws an injection of spiderlings into an enemy unit dealing 225 damage, if the unit is killed in 2 seconds it spawns 3 spiderlings
4	120	10	700	N/A	2	Throws an injection of spiderlings into an enemy unit dealing 300 damage, if the unit is killed in 2 seconds it spawns 3 spiderlings

• Magical Damage

• Units from which the Spiderlings spawn leave no corpse on death

• If the target is killed within 2 seconds of being hit by this skill, the Spiderlings will spawn

• Units killed by Spiderlings will then give birth to Spiderites, smaller and less powerful versions of the Spiderlings

• Will work on allied creeps and units when denying

• Spiderlings last 60 seconds and have 2 passive abilities: Poison Sting (deals 4 damage per second and causes a 15% move slow, lasting 2 seconds on heroes and 6 on creeps) and Spawn Spiderites (every unit the Spiderlings attack gain a debuff called Spawn Spiderites, if they die while under this they will give birth to a Spiderite. Spiderites are smaller and less powerful versions of the Spiderlings but also last 60 seconds. Spiderites cannot spawn more Spiderites).

Black Arachnia continues to raise her young, even amidst the field of combat. The brood quickly learns how to support their mother.

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Spin Web

Throws out a web that renders Broodmother invisible in its vicinity, while also boosting regeneration, and granting a passive movement speed increase.

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	50	30	600	650	Infinite	Spawns a web in the selected area. While inside the web, Broodmother is invisible gaining 2 bonus HP regen and 20% bonus movespeed. She can only have a max of 2 webs
2	50	30	600	650	Infinite	Spawns a web in the selected area. While inside the web, Broodmother is invisible gaining 4 bonus HP regen and 25% bonus movespeed. She can only have a max of 4 webs
3	50	30	600	650	Infinite	Spawns a web in the selected area. While inside the web, Broodmother is invisible gaining 6 bonus HP regen and 30% bonus movespeed. She can only have a max of 6 webs
4	50	30	600	650	Infinite	Spawns a web in the selected area. While inside the web, Broodmother is invisible gaining 8 bonus HP regen and 35% bonus movespeed. She can only have a max of 8 webs

• Has a fade time of 2 seconds

• Also affects Spiderlings and Spiderites

• Destroys trees in the AoE when placed, but they will grow back after the corresponding time (even if the web is still there)

• The web has a sight range of 150/150

• The web does not prevent neutral creeps from spawning

• If more webs are spawned than allowed, the oldest one will disappear

• Webs are marked by icons on the minimap

Weaving a bed of silken fibers, Arachnia's web both protects her and her offspring, as well as giving advancing opponents a sense of foreboding.

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Incapacitating Bite

Passive

Broodmother's venom cripples enemy units, causing her attacks to slow, as well as giving the affected unit a chance to miss its attacks.

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	-	-	-	-	2	With each attack, the unit that is being attacked has their movespeed slowed by 10% and has a 10% chance to miss attacks
2	-	-	-	-	2	With each attack, the unit that is being attacked has their movespeed slowed by 20% and has a 20% chance to miss attacks
3	-	-	-	-	2	With each attack, the unit that is being attacked has their movespeed slowed by 30% and has a 30% chance to miss attacks
4	-	-	-	-	2	With each attack, the unit that is being attacked has their movespeed slowed by 40% and has a 40% chance to miss attacks

• This is a Unit Attack Modifier (Orb effect)

• The affected enemies' miss chance stacks with evasion and terrain dodge chance

• In (Warcraft III) DotA, this ability is blocked by Linken's Sphere. The change appears to be intended

• Does not affect magic immune units

Paralytic toxins come from Black Arachnia's fangs, causing a slow and painful death to those who intrude on her webs.

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Insatiable Hunger

Ultimate

A violent lust for vital fluids increases Broodmother's attack damage and gives her a vampiric attack.

Level	Mana Cost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	60	100	N/A	N/A	14	Greatly increases Broodmother's damage by 60 and also giving her a 40% lifesteal
2	45	100	N/A	N/A	14	Greatly increases Broodmother's damage by 80 and also giving her a 60% lifesteal
3	30	100	N/A	N/A	14	Greatly increases Broodmother's damage by 100 and also giving her a 80% lifesteal

• Fully stacks with all items providing lifesteal (both Unique Attack Modifiers and auras)

• Can only be removed by Purge (from Diffusal Blade, Stone Gaze, Demonic Purge, Unstable Current, or the Satyr Trickster)

While most of her prey is wrapped in silken cocoons and saved for her young, the Broodmother herself has a taste for wandering heroes.

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Recent Changes from 6.76/6.76b/6.76c

• None

Recent Changes from 6.75/6.75b

• Spawn Spider's Spiderite bounty increased from 11-13 to 16-21

• Incapacitating Bite no longer gives 2/4/6/8 bonus damage

• Incapacitating Bite miss rate increased from 10/15/20/25 to 10/20/30/40

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Findings (not-factual information as above):

I find Broodmother to be among the best split pushers. She can sit in a lane push it all game (provided the enemy team never ganks her). Don't think you're always safe in your web, infact, it's one of the most dangerous places for you as it gives you a false sense of safety; one dust, sentry or gem and you could end up dead. If you're being chased, use your web's movement speed as a means of escape, not the invisibility. Use your spiderlings to push lanes (by using Spawn Spiderling on a dying creep). Remember if you have to leave the lane to keep the spiderlings there to keep on pushing (but be wary they're not being attacked and giving mass amounts of gold to the enemy). If not focused and given the right items, Broodmother can be a valuable damaging asset in teamfights (along with her ultimate) to win over teamfights but just because a teamfight is about to happen doesn't mean you should leave the lane you're pushing if you're about to get a tier 2/3 tower or about to attack the rax (as that can force them to retreat the teamfight).

Tips from Dota2wiki:

• A few early levels in Incapacitating Bite will allow for an easy first blood to squishy heroes

• For Broodmother's Ultimate: although the lifesteal given is a huge amount, don't be fooled by it; Broodmother will still remain a frail hero, and is only able to take down her enemies if combined with magic immunity, or when attacking single heroes

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Discussion about the mega farming ability Spiders vs Zombies

A tl;dr on Brood by Wilco-

Comments on merits of BKB from a previous discussion by HotHands and Fisherrr

"Farm, farm, farm, push, push, push, clear enemy woods with spiders, when barracks are dead switch lanes and repeat." - Urbanolo. How to play Brood effectively thread by Od1um

Shred_Kid has a write-up on Broodmother from a previous discussion

Hartwall has a mini-writeup advice thing on Brood

Here's a thread on tips to dealing with Broodmother (Thread by NegativeSkill), with Fantlol suggesting the standard ES rape

A PlayDota Guide which has an awesome item's section, you should read it as it gives extensive advice and situation and merits of the items that could be gotten on Brood

Important Tip by yoshiarecool: "Lings give your opponents XP and gold, so you should be sending leftover lings to jungle whenever you aren't pushing a tower."

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

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Posts are every 2 days, next post will be on the 14th.

Important Slardar tip of last thread by Dexaan: If you pick him to counter invis heroes, you're going to still want some reveal to proactively find them before they find you - Riki still hurts if he can drop a cloud on you before you can Amplify him.

Important tip of last thread for playing AGAINST Slardar by ejabno: If the team decides to surprise gank on someone and the enemy Slardar uses his ult on you, please don't stay with the team. The surprise gank gets ruined.