Hero Discussion of this Day: Lycanthrope, Lycan (14 August 2013)

Banehallow, the Lycanthrope

Banehallow the Lycanthrope focuses on sudden, swift attacks. He can often be found lurking the forest with his wolves, then suddenly bursting forth with a dread howl, chasing down and killing fragile enemy heroes. His wolf companions are deadly fighters, and are capable of dealing a lot of damage on their own. They are also excellent at helping the Lycanthrope kill neutral units, allowing him to get a lot of gold without letting enemy heroes know where he is. While hidden, the Lycanthrope can use his Howl ability, which infuses all allies across the map with extra damage. Feral Impulse grants sizable damage and attack speed bonuses to both Banehallow and his summons. When he deems the time is right, the Lycanthrope transforms into his wolf form with Shapeshift. While shapeshifted, no enemy can outrun the Lycanthrope and his wolves, and he gains bonuses to his hit points, attack speed, and a critical strike. There is little his victims can do against such a monster, since there is nowhere to run. The only hope is if they have a champion capable of defeating him in combat.

Lore

Banehallow was noble-born to the house of Ambry, the greatest of the landed castes in the old kingdom of Slom. Before the Fall, as the King’s wants grew strange, and his court grew crowded with sorcerers and charlatans, the house of Ambry was the first to rise against the avarice of the throne. No longer willing to pay homage and fealty, they instead sent six-thousand swords into the capital, where they were wiped out in the Massacre of the Apostates. And then came the teeth behind the old truth: When you strike a king’s neck, you had better take his head. Enraged by the betrayal, the king exterminated the vast Ambry bloodline, sparing only the lord of the house and his youngest son, Banehallow. Before all the royal court, with the disgraced lord chained to the ornate marble floor, the King bade his magicians transform the boy into a wolf so that he might tear out his own father’s throat. “Do this,” the king said, “so that Lord Ambry will understand the bite of betrayal.” Powerful magic was invoked, and the child was transformed. But though his body was changed, his spirit remained intact, and instead of biting the exposed neck of his father, he attacked his handlers, tearing them to pieces. A dozen of the King’s knights perished under the wolf’s teeth before they managed to drive it off into the night. Lord Ambry laughed from his chains even as the King ran him through with a sword. Now the heir to the lost house of Ambry, Banehallow wanders the trail as the Lycan, part warrior, part wolf, in search of justice for all that he lost.

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Roles: Carry, Jungler, Pusher, Durabler

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Strength: 22 + 2.75

Agility: 16 + 1.9

Intelligence: 17 + 1.55

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Damage: 53-57

Armour: 2.24

Movement Speed: 305

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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Summon Wolves

Summons two wolves to fight for Lycanthrope. Level 2-4 wolves have Critical Strike, and level 4 wolves have permanent invisibility.

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	145	30	N/A	N/A	55	Summons 2 wolves that have 200 hp and 17-18 damage
2	145	30	N/A	N/A	55	Summons 2 wolves that have 240 hp, 27-30 damage and a 30% chance to critical strike for 1.5x their damage
3	145	30	N/A	N/A	55	Summons 2 wolves that have 280 hp, 34-40 damage and a 30% chance to critical strike for 1.5x their damage
4	145	30	N/A	N/A	55	Summons 2 wolves that have 320 hp, 43-49 damage, 30% chance to critical strike for 1.5x their damage and have invisiblity (with a 3 second fade time)

• If wolves are summoned during the duration of Howl, they will receive the damage bonus until the duration is up

• Spirit Wolves have 50% magic resistance

The very enchantment that twisted his being also summons canine familiars.

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Howl

Grants bonus damage to Lycanthrope, all allied heroes, and all units under their control.

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	15	50	N/A	Global	12	Gives 20 bonus damage to all allied heroes and 4 bonus damage to every hero-controlled unit
2	20	45	N/A	Global	12	Gives 30 bonus damage to all allied heroes and 8 bonus damage to every hero-controlled unit
3	25	40	N/A	Global	12	Gives 40 bonus damage to all allied heroes and 12 bonus damage to every hero-controlled unit
4	30	35	N/A	Global	12	Gives 50 bonus damage to all allied heroes and 16 bonus damage to every hero-controlled unit

• Affects all allied player-controlled units, not just those under Lycanthrope's control

Blood-curdling wolf cries signal to opponents that Lycanthrope is among them.

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Feral Impulse

Passive

Increases the damage and attack speed of Lycanthrope and all units under his control.

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	-	-	-	900	-	Gives Lycan and his units 15% bonus damage and 15 attack speed
2	-	-	-	900	-	Gives Lycan and his units 20% bonus damage and 20 attack speed
3	-	-	-	900	-	Gives Lycan and his units 25% bonus damage and 25 attack speed
4	-	-	-	900	-	Gives Lycan and his units 30% bonus damage and 30 attack speed

• Affects all units under the Lycanthrope's control, not just himself and his wolves

His animalistic symbiosis with canine kind gives Lycanthrope enhanced reflexes and hunting capabilities.

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Shapeshift

Ultimate

Lycanthrope assumes his true form, increasing his combat capabilities. During Shapeshift, Lycanthrope and all units under his control move at maximum speed and cannot be slowed.

Level	Manacost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	100	100	N/A	N/A	18	Gives Lycan 100 bonus health, 2 bonus armour, 1.5 BAT, 30% critical chance to deal 1.7x damage, 1800 night vision and max speed. Units controlled by Lycan also get max speed
2	100	70	N/A	N/A	18	Gives Lycan 200 bonus health, 2 bonus armour, 1.5 BAT, 30% critical chance to deal 1.7x damage, 1800 night vision and max speed. Units controlled by Lycan also get max speed
3	100	40	N/A	N/A	18	Gives Lycan 300 bonus health, 2 bonus armour, 1.5 BAT, 30% critical chance to deal 1.7x damage, 1800 night vision and max speed. Units controlled by Lycan also get max speed

• Cannot be slowed by any spell, including Purge

• If hexed, Lycanthrope continues to move at maximum movement speed

• All his summons including those from Necronomicon and Helm of the Dominator get the same movement speed

• Lycanthrope's collision size is lowered in this state

Forever a slave to his lycanthropy, Banehallow has come to accept his curse, and embrace his own savagery.

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Recent Changes from 6.78/6.78b/6.78c

• Armor increased by 1 (Shapeshift total armor is still the same as before)

Recent Changes from 6.77/6.77b/6.77c

• Base Int increased from 15 to 17

• Spirit Wolves armor increased by 1

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Tips:

You can effectively use wolves to scout areas to see if the enemy is coming or where they are, you can also use wolves to block creep camps and destroy runes.

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LGD.Pajkatt.int shows us how to effectively play Lycan in his new patch form at G-League Dota 2 Finals.

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Posts are every two days now, again.

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[Important Abaddon tip/s of last thread by Plasma Ball:]

"Remember to heal and shield your allies during fights, this might save them and turn fights in your favour."