Semi-daily hero tips. Day 67: Phantom Lancer

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.

Phantom Lancer

Notes:

• Use unified commands to avoid PL illusions just standing there
• Versus: AOE spells and teamfights, TP's, Juking in small corridors
• Phantom rush gives 800 ms for 5 sec max. It triggers when right clicking an enemy on the high ground as well, you will run around the shortest path with the buff.
• Friends: BH, Slardar, Spirit breaker, Bloodseeker (flying vision of target for phantom rush)
• Good versus: WK (mana reliant, single target), Chen (single target, squishy, mana reliant), TA (refraction), Arc Warden (flux doesn't do anything, nor does magnetic field or spark wraith), Lycan, Ursa, Visage, CK, Bane, VS, Huskar (only single target damage/spells)
• Counters: Timber (becomes unkillable with reactive armor, lots of AOE), Axe (spin, call), SK, Sven, Magnus, all 3 ES', DS, CM, Lesh, Tiny (lots of AOE), Centaur (great initiation, return), Puck (silence, lots of AOE)
• Doppleganger can break trees, but only where you and your illusions land in the AoE.
• Doppleganger dispells debuffs such as track
• Doppleganger has a 1 sec delay, which makes it really easy to dodge spells. It does have a 0.1 cast time though, which made it a lot harder to dodge echo slam for instance.
• You can blink with doppleganger because of the cast range. It's just long enough to get half the AOE across the river.
• The 0% damage doppleganger will still do diffusal damage.
• If you attack command a rune (A+left click) PL will Rush to it. Just be sure to cancel the Rush before the attack completes.
• I personally really dislike vlad's on PL since it only gives your illusions +2 attributes and nothing else. They can carry the aura but not use it.

Role: Hard carry

Item build: (PMS), Quelling blade, RoA, (Wand,) Treads, Diffusal, (Drum, Manta, Heart, BoT, Blink, Aghs, Vlad's, EoS, BFly)

Skill build: Spirit Lance --> Doppelganger --> Phantom rush

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
• Medusa
• Meepo
• Monkey King
• Morphling
• Naga Siren
• Nature's Prophet
• Necrophos
• Night Stalker
• Nyx Assassin
• Ogre Magi
• Omniknight
• Oracle
• Outworld Devourer
• Phantom Assassin