Lion, one of Dota 2’s most iconic Intelligence heroes, is a versatile powerhouse frequently picked across all skill brackets. With his potent disables, massive burst damage, and utility-focused skillset, Lion excels as a support, disabler, nuker, and initiator. His unique toolkit allows players to dictate the flow of team fights, catch key enemy heroes off-guard, and turn the tide of battle with his game-changing abilities. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore Lion’s background, abilities, playstyle, itemization, strategies, trivia, and much more, to help you master this DeMoN Witch and dominate your matches.
About Lion – The Demon Witch
Lion’s story is one of redemption turned to tragedy. Once a Grandmaster of the Demon Witch tradition, he was a staunch ally of the forces of light, revered for his mastery of sorcery and righteousness. However, his unyielding hunger for power became his downfall. Betrayed and defeated, Lion sought revenge against his former masters and exchanged his soul for the infernal power he craved. Reborn from the depths of hell, Lion rose again to carve a path of vengeance, his heart filled with darkness but his resolve unshaken.
Hero Basics – Attributes and Stats
- Primary Attribute: Intelligence
- Attack Range: 600
- Movement Speed: 290
- Armor: 2.5 + 0.3 per level
- Health: 516 + 2.3 per level
- Mana: 303 + 0.95 per level
- Attack Speed: 115 (130 with items and levels)
- Vision Range: 1800 / 800 (day/night)
Roles – How to Play Lion
Lion is a versatile and flexible hero who fits into several roles on any team:
- Support: As a support, Lion offers exceptional utility by protecting teammates with disables.
- Disabler: Few heroes rival Lion whenit comes to crowd control, thanks to his multi-target disables.
- Nuker: His spells deal enormous magical damage, making him deadly in the early to mid-game.
- Initiator: Items like Blink Dagger transform Lion into a top-tier initiator. He can start fights with ease and precision.
Abilities – Mastering Lion’s Skillset
Earth Spike
- Type: Point/Unit Target, Magical Damage
- Cast Range: 650 (up to 1250 with Aghanim’s Scepter)
- Stun Duration: 1.3/1.6/1.9/2.2 seconds
- Damage: 105/170/235/300
- Description: A line of rock spikes erupts from the earth, stunning and damaging enemies in a cone-shaped area. Earth Spike is excellent for both initiating fights and securing kills.
Tips: Use Earth Spike to catch multiple enemies in team fights, especially with proper positioning or a Blink Dagger.
Hex
- Type: Unit Target, Magical Damage
- Cast Range: 575/600/625/650
- Duration: 2/2.4/2.8/3.2 seconds
- Description: Transforms an enemy into a harmless critter, rendering them unable to attack or cast spells. Hex now affects all enemies in a small radius.
Tips: Prioritize Hex on high-damage carries or heroes with escape abilities to neutralize their contributions in fights.
Mana Drain
- Type: Channeled, Magical
- Cast Range: 850
- Mana Per Second: 20/40/60/120
- Movement Slow: 15%/20%/25%/30%
- Description: Drains mana from an enemy or restores it to an ally, slowing the target. With Aghanim’s Shard, Mana Drain affects multiple enemies and grants Lion debuff immunity during channeling.
Tips: Use Mana Drain on mana-dependent heroes to cripple their ability to fight effectively.
Finger of Death
- Type: Unit Target, Magical Damage
- Cast Range: 900
- Cooldown: 80/50/20 seconds
- Damage: 600/725/850 (gains 40 damage per kill)
- Description: Lion’s signature ability deals massive damage to a single enemy, growing stronger with each hero kill. With Aghanim’s Scepter, it becomes an area spell, hitting all nearby enemies.
Tips: Save Finger of Death for priority targets, such as carries or low-health heroes, to maximize its impact.
Itemization – Best Items for Lion
Core Items
- Blink Dagger: Essential for initiating with Earth Spike and Hex.
- Force Staff: Improves positioning and helps escape dangerous situations.
- Aghanim’s Scepter: Upgrades Finger of Death, making it an area-of-effect nuke.
Situational Items
- Glimmer Cape: Provides invisibility and magic resistance.
- Eul’s Scepter: Counter enemy initiations and dispel debuffs.
- Black King Bar: Grants magic immunity.
How to Play Lion Effectively
- Start by purchasing Observer Wards and utility items to support your team.
- Target mana-dependent enemies with Mana Drain in the laning phase.
- Utilize Earth Spike and Hex to initiate fights mid-game and disable high-impact targets.
- Use Blink Dagger to position yourself for clutch crowd control and Finger of Death bursts.
Tips and Tricks for Mastering Lion
- Keep track of enemy spell cooldowns to know the best time to initiate.
- Use Finger of Death strategically to maximize its stacking damage potential.
- Purchase Observer and Sentry Wards to secure vision and deny opponents map control.
Trivia – Fun Facts About Lion
- Lion is commonly referred to as the “Demon Witch” in the lore.
- His design is inspired by classic sorcery and demonology archetypes.
- Lion’s Mana Drain has the unique ability to refill allied mana when targeted on friendly units.
FAQ – Everything You Need to Know About Lion
What is Lion’s primary attribute?
His primary attribute is Intelligence.
What role does Lion typically play?
Lion is a support hero with excellent control, disable, and nuking capabilities.
How to effectively counter Lion?
Pick heroes with silences or magic immunity, and purchase items like Black King Bar or Lotus Orb.
Why is Aghanim’s Scepter important for Lion?
Aghanim’s Scepter upgrades Finger of Death, turning it into an area nuke and reducing its cooldown.
What is Lion’s most iconic ability?
Finger of Death is his most iconic ability due to its massive damage output and kill-stacking mechanic.
How do I position Lion in team fights?
Position Lion at the backlines to safely disable key heroes and use Finger of Death on high-value targets.
What are Lion’s weak points?
He is squishy and relies heavily on positioning and mana to execute his combos effectively.
Can Lion be played as a core?
While rare, Lion can be built as a utility core, but his kit is best suited for support and disable roles.
What is the best item to start with on Lion?
An Observer Ward, Tangoes, and Mana Potion are crucial to secure early game support efficiency.
How does Aghanim’s Shard enhance Lion?
It allows Mana Drain to target multiple enemies and grants debuff immunity while channeling the ability.
Source : Rizpol
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