Hero Discussion of this Day: Axe (6 January 2012)

Mogul Khan, the Axe

Mogul Khan's ability to disrupt an enemy team is legendary, his tanking skills renowned. His Battle Hunger gives enemies the choice between staying back and taking damage, or engaging in battle and risking being trapped by Berserker's Call. The extremely effective combination of Berserker's Call and Counter Helix can cause massive amounts of damage to a large group of enemies, while allowing his allies free reign. If an enemy should manage to escape his Call, Mogul Khan can abruptly end their life with his mighty Culling Blade. Truly, the Axe is an enemy to be feared, lest his opponents taste his blade!

Lore

As a grunt in the Army of Red Mist, Mogul Khan set his sights on the rank of Red Mist General. In battle after battle he proved his worth through gory deed. His rise through the ranks was helped by the fact that he never hesitated to decapitate a superior. Through the seven year Campaign of the Thousand Tarns, he distinguished himself in glorious carnage, his star of fame shining ever brighter, while the number of comrades in arms steadily dwindled. On the night of ultimate victory, Axe declared himself the new Red Mist General, and took on the ultimate title of 'Axe.' But his troops now numbered zero. Of course, many had died in battle, but a significant number had also fallen to Axe's blade. Needless to say, most soldiers now shun his leadership. But this matters not a whit to Axe, who knows that a one-man army is by far the best.

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Roles: Durable, Initiator, Disabler, Jungler

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Strength: 25 + 2.5

Agility: 20 + 2.2

Intelligence: 18 + 1.6

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Damage: 49-53

Armour: 1.8

Movement Speed: 290

Attack Range: Melee (128)

Missile Speed: N/A

Base Attack Time: 1.7

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

Turn Rate: 0.6

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Spells

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Beserker's Call

Axe taunts nearby enemy units, forcing them to attack him, while he gains bonus armor during the duration.

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	80	10	N/A	275	1.5	Forces all enemies to attack Axe, Axe gains 40 bonus armour for the duration
2	90	10	N/A	275	2	Forces all enemies to attack Axe, Axe gains 40 bonus armour for the duration
3	100	10	N/A	275	2.5	Forces all enemies to attack Axe, Axe gains 40 bonus armour for the duration
4	110	10	N/A	275	3	Forces all enemies to attack Axe, Axe gains 40 bonus armour for the duration

• Berserker's Call affects invisible units, as well as units with magic immunity

• Enemies who are taunted by Berserker's Call will be frozen for the duration if Axe dies or couldn't be attacked

Mogul Khan's warcry taunts opponents into engaging in an unconquerable battle with the Axe.

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Battle Hunger

Enrages an enemy unit, causing it to be slowed and take damage over time until it kills another unit or the duration ends. Axe gains movement speed for each unit affected with Battle Hunger.

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	75	20	900	N/A	10	Slows the target by 8% and deals 15 damage per second. Gives Axe an 8% movespeed bonus, stacking per unit affected by Battle Hunger
2	85	15	900	N/A	13	Slows the target by 8% and deals 21 damage per second. Gives Axe an 8% movespeed bonus, stacking per unit affected by Battle Hunger
3	95	10	900	N/A	16	Slows the target by 8% and deals 27 damage per second. Gives Axe an 8% movespeed bonus, stacking per unit affected by Battle Hunger
4	105	5	900	N/A	19	Slows the target by 8% and deals 33 damage per second. Gives Axe an 8% movespeed bonus, stacking per unit affected by Battle Hunger

• Magical Damage

• Heroes affected with this buff cannot be denied when their HP is low

• Killing illusions, destroying buildings, or denying will also remove the spell

• Gives Axe a 8% stacking movement bonus per affected enemy

Ordinary heroes cannot withstand Mogul Khan's rage for battle, such that it injures them until it is satisfied.

==

Counter Helix

Passive

When attacked, Axe performs a helix counter attack, dealing damage to all nearby enemies.

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	-	0.65	-	275	-	Gives Axe a 17% chance do deal 100 damage in aoe around him when attacked
2	-	0.6	-	275	-	Gives Axe a 17% chance do deal 135 damage in aoe around him when attacked
3	-	0.55	-	275	-	Gives Axe a 17% chance do deal 170 damage in aoe around him when attacked
4	-	0.5	-	275	-	Gives Axe a 17% chance do deal 205 damage in aoe around him when attacked

• Physical Damage

• Counter Helix checks for triggering whenever an attack against Axe begins, not when Axe is actually damaged by said attack

• Does not affect mechanical units

Axe is the only reinforcements this army needs.

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Culling Blade

Ultimate

Axe spots weakness and strikes, dealing moderate damage but instantly killing an enemy unit with low health. When an enemy unit is killed in this way, Axe and nearby allied units gain bonus movement speed.

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	120	75 (6*)	150	N/A	6 (movespeed buff)	Deals 150 damage, instantly kill the target if their HP is below 300. If a unit is killed by Culling Blade, all allied units in a 600 aoe around Axe receive a 25% movespeed buff
2	160	65 (6*)	150	N/A	6 (movespeed buff)	Deals 250 damage, instantly kill the target if their HP is below 450. If a unit is killed by Culling Blade, all allied units in a 600 aoe around Axe receive a 25% movespeed buff
3	200	55 (6*)	150	N/A	6 (movespeed buff)	Deals 300 damage, instantly kill the target if their HP is below 625. If a unit is killed by Culling Blade, all allied units in a 600 aoe around Axe receive a 25% movespeed buff

• Magical damage (if not killing blow), Physical Damage (if killing blow, 100000000 Physical Damage)

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

• The killing blow goes through magic immunity

• The killing blow removes all buffs from the target unit before killing it (this includes any hero that is under the effects of Shallow Grave as well)

Mogul Khan is the embodiment of battle and fury, launching into a gruesome fatality against those who dare engage the Axe in combat.

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Recent Changes from 6.77

• None

Recent Changes from 6.76/6.76b/6.76c

• None

Recent Changes from 6.75/6.75b

• Berserker's Call bonus armor increased from 30 to 40

• Battle Hunger slow decreased from 10% to 8%

• Battle Hunger movement bonus increased from 4% to 8% per affected enemy

• Counter Helix damage increased from 100/130/160/190 to 100/135/170/205

==

Findings (not-factual information as above):

I find Axe to be the only reinforcement an army needs. If you're aiming to be taking all the damage in teamfights, it'd be wise to build tanky items. If your mana allows it, freely cast Battle Hunger during teamfights, during the laning phase or whenever on heroes, it's an extreme annoyance to them and you may kill them. Make sure when you cast Call in teamfights, that you're positioned to where you would get most heroes within the Call. Cull whenever you can in a teamfight, the team buff is extremely useful; when you're escaping with your team and there's a creep around that you can cull for the killing blow, you should consider it, as the movespeed buff may allow your team to escape.

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Zotmaster has an informative write-up from a previous discussion

BLABLAFY explains why you should max Battle Hunger first, even on a jungler axe. mrducky78 also does too

Some jungling axe tips by DarthCovah

Wilco- has a tl;dr on Axe

Hunkyy explains Axe's prowess in the lane

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

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Posts are every 2 days, next post will be on the 8th.

Important Night Stalker tip of last thread by Shiiyouagain: "A common mistake: Not skilling your silence at least once before the first night, though this is often debated. If the enemy has no disables, you might be able to forget it. I personally feel the 40% chance-to-miss debuff is worth a fair deal, opening up ganks you'd otherwise be too afraid to take." Levelling atleast 1 in silence before the night comes allows for you to make sure the people you gank have no way of escaping.

Axe is Axe and going to Axe with an Axe to Axe.