Centaur Warrunner, also known as Bradwarden, stands as one of the most durable and versatile heroes in Dota 2. Revered for his ability to initiate battles, control crowds, and withstand immense damage, Centaur Warrunner is a quintessential front-liner. As a hero hailing from the arena of Omexe, his gameplay revolves around tanking damage, dealing substantial bursts of magical and physical output, and providing unmatched mobility boosts to his allies. Whether you’re an experienced player or a newcomer, mastering Centaur Warrunner can significantly impact your team’s performance in any game.
Centaur Warrunner – Hero Overview
Centaur Warrunner is an archetype of resilience and power in Dota 2. With his impressive health pool and strength-based abilities, this melee initiator excels in team fights, soaking up damage and disrupting enemy formations. His toolkit enables him to lock down enemies, punish opponents for targeting him, and empower his allies in both mobility and damage potential.
Primary Roles
- Durable: Tanky with one of the highest base HP stats in the game and abilities that make him difficult to kill.
- Initiator: His abilities, including Hoof Stomp and Stampede, allow him to dive into battles and set the tone for engagements.
- Disabler: Offers a reliable area-based stun, enabling effective crowd control.
- Nuker: Abilities like Double Edge deal powerful bursts of damage.
- Escape: With Stampede, the entire team can disengage from unfavorable situations seamlessly.
Centaur Warrunner’s combination of durability and mobility makes him a top-tier choice for teams looking for a tanky, versatile hero who can both engage and retreat efficiently.
Centaur Warrunner – Abilities and Detailed Insights
Hoof Stomp
Hoof Stomp is Centaur Warrunner’s primary crowd control skill. It allows him to slam the ground, stunning and damaging enemies in a radius. This ability is perfect for initiating fights or interrupting channeling spells.
- Type: Magical
- Radius: 315
- Damage: 90/160/230/300
- Stun Duration: 1.7/2/2.3/2.6 seconds
- Wind-Up Time: 0.5 seconds (during which Centaur can move but isdisarmed)
Pro tip: Position correctly before casting Hoof Stomp to maximize the number of enemies hit.
Double Edge
Double Edge delivers a high-damage blow at melee range, affecting both Centaur and surrounding enemies. This ability scales significantly with Centaur’s strength, making it a deadly weapon as the game progresses.
- Base Damage: 120/180/240/300
- Self-Damage: Non-lethal magical damage equal to the base damage.
- Aghanim’s Shard Upgrade: Slows affected enemies by 25% for 2 seconds.
Pro tip: Use Double Edge in tandem with Hoof Stomp for efficient burst damage during fights.
Retaliate
A passive ability, Retaliate turns Centaur’s tanking prowess into a damage-dealing force. Enemies attacking him will receive a fixed amount of damage based on Centaur’s strength.
- Damage Returned: 16/34/52/70 + percentage of Centaur’s strength.
- Talent Upgrade: Applies Retaliate to allies in a radius, but all damage instances are sourced to Centaur.
Pro tip: Stack strength-based items to maximize the damage output from Retaliate.
Stampede
Stampede, Centaur Warrunner’s ultimate, empowers his team with maximum movement speed and the ability to trample enemies, dealing damage and applying a slow effect. This team-wide mobility boost can both initiate fights and enable escapes.
- Damage: 100% of Centaur’s strength.
- Buff Duration: 3.5/4/4.5 seconds.
- Slow Duration on Enemies: 3 seconds.
Pro tip: Coordinate with your allies before using Stampede for maximum impact, either for a kill or disengagement.
Work Horse (Aghanim’s Scepter Upgrade)
Centaur’s Scepter upgrade unlocks Hitch A Ride, which allows him to transport an ally in a cart. The ally inside can use their abilities and attack normally but cannot be targeted. Melee heroes riding the cart gain increased attack range.
Passive Abilities
Rawhide
Rawhide grants Centaur a permanent health bonus over time as the game progresses.
- Health Bonus per Stack: 30.
- Stack Grant Duration: 120 seconds.
Horsepower
A passive movement-based strength ability, Horsepower gives Centaur extra speed and increases his maximum movement speed cap based on his strength.
- Max Movement Speed Cap: 600.
- Movement Speed Bonus per Strength: 0.3.
Centaur Warrunner – Talent Tree
Centaur Warrunner’s talent choices allow for flexible builds depending on game needs:
- Level 10: +2 All Attributes or +4 Health Regen.
- Level 15: +20 Move Speed or +12 Strength.
- Level 20: +30% Double Edge Strength as Damage or +0.8s Hoof Stomp Duration.
- Level 25: -25s Stampede Cooldown or +50 Strength Bonus to Retaliate Aura (vastly increases damage output).
Top Items for Centaur Warrunner
- Vanguard: Gives damage block to enhance tanking ability early game.
- Pipe of Insight: Boosts team-wide magic resistance.
- Crimson Guard: Further mitigates damage for the team, synergizing with his tanking role.
- Heart of Tarrasque: Increases strength and HP regeneration, making him unkillable.
- Blink Dagger: Essential for initiation.
- Ancestral Relics: Enhances both DPS and survivability with double utility output.
Gameplay Tips
Mastering Centaur Warrunner’s kit requires good positioning, precise timing on abilities, and understanding his role as a frontliner:
- Use Hoof Stomp as an initiation tool to disable multiple heroes.
- Build strength-based items to get optimal returns from Retaliate and Stampede.
- Coordinate with allies to make the most out of Stampede, especially against ranged heroes who rely on positioning.
- Avoid spamming Double Edge unnecessarily early game, as self-damage can result in early deaths.
How to Play Centaur Warrunner
Early Game
Focus on building tanky core items like Vanguard and prioritize farming to gain strength. Use Hoof Stomp to disrupt enemy laners when needed.
Mid-Game
Roam around the map with Blink Dagger to initiate fights. Participate in team battles to pull aggro and disable key enemy heroes.
Late Game
Fulfill your role as the primary tank by soaking damage while using Stampede strategically to either secure kills or save teammates.
Frequently Asked Questions About Centaur Warrunner
What roles does Centaur Warrunner excel in?
Centaur Warrunner works best as a Durable Initiator, Disabler, and tanky team fight specialist.
When is it ideal to pick Centaur Warrunner?
He is optimal against high-physical damage lineups and fragile ranged cores.
What items are essential on Centaur?
Items like Vanguard, Blink Dagger, and Heart of Tarrasque are critical to his success.
What are some counters to Centaur Warrunner?
Heroes with mana drain abilities or percentage-based damage like Outworld Destroyer and Necrophos can be problematic for Centaur.
Can Centaur Warrunner jungle effectively?
While possible, he performs better in the offlane to maximize his early-game impact.
Is Centaur Warrunner beginner-friendly?
Yes, his straightforward abilities and tanky nature make him a great starter hero.
How does Centaur’s Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade work?
It allows him to hitch an ally in a cart, protecting them while still enabling them to cast spells or attack.
What is the best talent build for Centaur Warrunner?
The talent build depends on the game scenario, but strength-enhancing talents are typically preferred for synergy with his kit.
What is the role of Stampede in team fights?
Stampede gives team-wide mobility, allowing allies to initiate or escape engagements effectively.
How does Retaliate scale into late-game?
Retaliate scales phenomenally with strength items, making Centaur an even stronger damage dealer later in the match.
Source : DotaCinema
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