Semi-daily hero tips. Day 53: Medusa

PREVIOUS HEROES

• Abaddon
• Alchemist
• Ancient Apparition
• Anti-Mage
• Arc Warden
• Axe
• Bane
• Batrider
• Beastmaster
• Bloodseeker
• Bounty Hunter
• Brewmaster
• Bristleback
• Broodmother
• Centaur Warrunner
• Chaos Knight
• Chen
• Clinkz
• Clockwerk
• Crystal Maiden
• Dark Seer
• Dazzle
• Death Prophet
• Disruptor
• Doom
• Dragon Knight
• Drow Ranger
• Earth Spirit
• Earthshaker
• Elder Titan
• Ember Spirit
• Enchantress
• Enigma
• Faceless Void
• Gyrocopter
• Huskar
• Invoker
• IO
• Jakiro
• Juggernaut
• Keeper of the Light
• Kunkka
• Legion Commander
• Leshrac
• Lich
• Lifestealer
• Lina
• Lion
• Lone Druid
• Luna
• Lycan
• Magnus

DISCLAIMER

A lot of you probably know about the weekly hero discussion, but that often ends up in a meta discussion (whether or not the hero needs buffs, etc) or a meme war than actual tips to play, itemize and build the hero.

This is what I'd like to do. Please discuss any notes I made and possible improvements while also giving tips of your own if you have them.

The roles, skill builds and item builds, as well as a lot of the notes are my opinion on matters and should not be seen as a must do or don't. Also remember that almost every single build or role is situationally possible.

A lot of the tips on heroes were also mentioned in tsunami's amazing hero tips series he did over the last couple of years.

Medusa

Notes:

• Turn split shot off against single targets!
• Damage increases per bounce of mystic snake so don't shoot it directly at heroes
• You should probably never have mana shield turned off. There are some situations though where you still have just enough for ult and fear a gank.
• Stone gaze is almost a get out of jail free card and also something that can make your opponents turn around and run if you fake it
• Medusa is imo the only hero a rapier is viable on in any case, even right after linken's and/or if you're stomping. Mana shield and linken's give her lot's of survivability
• Good versus: Visage, CK, Undying, Enigma, Beastmaster (split shot wrecks strong summons and illusions in small quarters)
• Counters: AM, Invoker, KotL, Diffusal (mana drain), Sniper (can kite dusa to the end of the world), Brood (too many summons), Slark (Dusa being able to take a beating works to slark's advantage)

Role: Hard carry

Item build:

• Phase, RoB, (RoH,) RoA, (Dragon Lance, HotD, Linken's, Manta, BFly, Skadi, Rapier, Satanic, Mjollnir, MKB, Pike)
• P(hase)R(ing of Aquila)M(ask of Madness) viable

Skill build: max snake --> mana shield --> split shot