Necrophos, the Plaguecaller, is one of the most versatile and durable heroes in Dota 2. Known for his ability to excel in extended team fights, deal significant magical damage, and provide sustain for his team, Necrophos is a staple pick for players who enjoy a mix of offensive and defensive playstyles. With his powerful abilities like Death Pulse and Heartstopper Aura, Necrophos thrives by outlasting opponents while slowly whittling away their health. This in-depth guide will help you understand everything you need to dominate games with Necrophos, from learning his abilities to choosing the right items, counters, and strategies.
The Plaguecaller – Necrophos’s Hero Attributes and Roles
Necrophos is a hero with incredible flexibility, capable of fulfilling multiple roles depending on the game’s needs. His abilities and attributes make him a strong pick as either a core or support, and he can scale impressively into the late game. Below is an overview of his main roles and strengths:
- Carry: Necrophos has the ability to scale well into the late game due to his steady damage output and regeneration growth through his ultimate ability, Reaper’s Scythe.
- Durable: With skills that boost his survivability and sustain, Necrophos is incredibly hard to take down in team fights.
- Nuker: His low-cooldown abilities allow him to deal continuous magical damage to multiple enemies.
- Disabler: With Reaper’s Scythe, he can stun and lock down priority targets.
- Support: Thanks to his healing ability, Necrophos can also serve as a valuable utility hero for his team.
Necrophos’s Abilities – Analysis and Best Usage
Learning how to use Necrophos’s abilities efficiently is essential to mastering him. Each ability serves a unique purpose that makes Necrophos invaluable in different situations.
Death Pulse
Description: Necrophos emits a wave of death that damages all nearby enemies within a 500 radius while healing allies, including himself.
- Damage: Moderate magical damage based on skill level.
- Healing: Restores health to allies in the same area.
- Cooldown: Low, enabling frequent use in fights.
Best Usage: Death Pulse is perfect for harassing enemies in the lane phase, healing allies during skirmishes, and farming creeps. Leveraging its low cooldown,you can constantly pressure your enemies while keeping your team healthy.
Ghost Shroud
Description: Makes Necrophos ethereal, preventing him from auto-attacking or being hit by physical damage. While in this form, nearby enemies are slowed, and Necrophos’s healing and regeneration effects are amplified. However, he takes additional magic damage.
- Slow: Reduces enemy movement speed in a radius.
- Amplifies Healing: Increases the effectiveness of Death Pulse and other healing spells/items.
- Weakness: Vulnerable to magic bursts during its activation.
Best Usage: Use Ghost Shroud for escaping ganks, securing kills on fleeing enemies, or amplifying healing effects during critical fights. Timing is crucial as improper usage can make you susceptible to magic damage from heroes like Ancient Apparition and Lina.
Heartstopper Aura
Description: Passively reduces the maximum health of nearby enemies over time by a percentage.
- Damage Type: Unique health decay that ignores resistances.
- Scalability: Scales well into the late game.
Best Usage: Early game, this aura passively zones out enemies, discouraging them from sticking around you for too long. In extended team fights, Heartstopper Aura slowly eats away at enemies, making them easier to pick off with Reaper’s Scythe.
Reaper’s Scythe (Ultimate)
Description: Necrophos stuns an enemy hero and deals damage based on the amount of health they are missing. If Reaper’s Scythe kills the target, Necrophos gains permanent health and mana regeneration bonuses.
- Damage: Scales directly with missing health, making it more effective as the enemy’s health gets lower.
- Kill Bonus: Grants Necrophos a permanent stat boost on successful executions.
- Cooldown: Moderate early on but decreases with items like Aghanim’s Scepter.
Best Usage: Save Reaper’s Scythe for high-priority targets such as carries or initiators. Always attempt to use it as a finisher when enemies are low on health.
Mastering the Gameplay – Early, Mid, and Late Game Strategies
Early Game (0:00–12:00)
Necrophos is relatively weak in the early game without key items. Focus on safe farming in your lane while using Death Pulse to last-hit creeps and sustain yourself. Avoid overextending, as Necrophos’s lack of mobility makes him vulnerable to ganks. Use Heartstopper Aura for passive health decay in the laning stage while aiming for an early kill using Reaper’s Scythe if possible.
Mid Game (12:00–25:00)
During the mid-game, Necrophos becomes a force to be reckoned with. Equip items like Guardian Greaves and Aether Lens for utility and survivability. Prioritize using Reaper’s Scythe on high-value supports and cores to control team fights. Frequently move across the map, leveraging Death Pulse to heal your allies during ganks and tower pushes.
Late Game (25:00–60:00)
Necrophos thrives in long-drawn-out late-game team fights, where his continuous healing and health decay turn the tide in your favor. Equip tanky items such as Heart of Tarrasque and Shiva’s Guard for durability. During team fights, position yourself carefully to maximize your Heartstopper Aura’s impact on the enemy team. Always save Reaper’s Scythe for enemy cores or troublesome heroes.
Itemization – Core Items for Necrophos
- Aether Lens: Increases cast range for all of his abilities.
- Guardian Greaves: Provides team utility and sustains yourself and allies during fights.
- Rod of Atos: A great choice for catching elusive heroes and synergizing with your nukes.
- Heart of Tarrasque: Maximizes durability and sustain during late-game fights.
- Shiva’s Guard: Reduces enemy attack speeds and provides magical damage in an area.
Adapting your items to the state of the game is critical. Prioritize defensive or offensive items based on your team’s needs and the enemy lineup.
How to Play Necrophos Effectively
- Secure early farm without taking unnecessary risks—prioritize building up survivability and utility items.
- Use Death Pulse consistently to manage the lane and prevent enemy aggression.
- In fights, position yourself strategically so that Heartstopper Aura affects as many enemies as possible.
- Use Ghost Shroud wisely to amplify healing effects during critical moments or to escape danger.
- Save Reaper’s Scythe for critical targets to ensure the kill and gain permanent stats for scaling into late-game dominance.
Necrophos FAQ – Your Questions Answered
What is the best role for Necrophos?
Necrophos excels as an offlaner, but he can also work as a midlaner or support, depending on the team composition.
Which heroes counter Necrophos?
Heroes like Doom, Ancient Apparition, and Pugna counter Necrophos effectively due to their ability to negate his healing and disable him during fights.
What are the best items for Necrophos?
Aether Lens, Guardian Greaves, Heart of Tarrasque, and Shiva’s Guard are some of the most effective core items for Necrophos.
How does Heartstopper Aura work?
Heartstopper Aura passively reduces the maximum health of enemies near Necrophos by a percentage over time, making enemies easier to kill during extended engagements.
Can Necrophos detect invisible heroes?
Yes, using Death Pulse, Necrophos can reveal invisible enemies within its radius.
How to maximize Reaper’s Scythe?
Try to use it as a finisher when enemies are low on health. This ensures you secure the kill and gain passive regeneration bonuses.
Which lane is best for Necrophos?
The offlane or midlane works best for Necrophos as it allows him to gain farm and experience without heavy competition.
What team composition works well with Necrophos?
Necrophos thrives in tanky, sustain-heavy compositions with high crowd control potential.
When should Necrophos engage in fights?
Always wait for the right moment when the enemies are weak enough for Reaper’s Scythe to secure an execution.
What is the most significant weakness of Necrophos?
High magic-damage burst and anti-healing effects like Ancient Apparition’s Ice Blast are major counters to Necrophos.
Source :Dota2HighSchool
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