So I’m going to tell you all about the Scout and how to play him effectively. There is a scout guide already in the premium section, but I disagree strongly with some of Nomedsoul’s decisions and I don’t think he discusses the scout thoroughly enough beyond the early game. I suggest you check it out though, as there is good material and seeing multiple viewpoints will make you a more informed player. You can find a link to his guide at the end of this article.
This guide is going to be long and I am going to discuss in-depth every skill and its nuances.
I’m not going to list all his abilities and what they do at each level. That’s what this is for: http://heroes-newerth.com/heroes/scout – I am, however, going to talk about them. But first, allow me to recommend a skill build:
1-5. Vanish/Electric Eye
6. Marksman Shot
7. Vanish/Electric Eye
8-10. Improve Dexterity
11. Marksman Shot
12. Improve Dexterity
13-15. Stats
16. Marksman Shot
17-25. Stats
Or, in sentence form: Max Vanish and Eye first, but get your ult whenever you can. Max Dexterity only after both Vanish and Eye are full and, of course, still get your ult whenever you can. Let us address Vanish and Electric Eye as your early choices.
Which you prioritize depends on how you’re playing, who you’re up against, who you’re with, and how the game is going. Maxing Vanish first is a more aggressive move; it lets you do more damage and sneak around cloaked for longer. Electric Eye is more defensive/supportive, as it allows you to see ganks before they come and scout out runes for your allies. Newer players should almost certainly get Vanish at level 1, as it allows you to have an escape mechanism right from the start. Unless you’re up against a lane geared towards an immediate first blood (swiftblade + any stunner, for example), I like to start with Electric Eye which I’ll plant right by the nearby rune.
We wait to get Improve Dexterity not because it isn’t fantastic, but because it’s not as important early on. Vanish is critical because it allows you to stay permanently invisible for less mana (as you have to recast it less frequently) and flat damage (+X damage instead of +X% damage) is more valuable when your base damage is low (i.e. early game). Filling out Electric Eye early DOES mitigate your early game killing power, but the reconnaissance it provides is invaluable. Improve Dexterity also isn’t that critical for early-game style ganks which usually are entirely one-sided (2-3 people sneaking up on one), because the dodge doesn’t help against runners and you may very well not even get enough attacks in for a crit to be probable. That said – once you max out your other skills, you definitely want to pick it up because it helps a LOT early and late game.
As with most heroes you want to get your ultimate whenever possible – there’s a reason it’s called your ultimate skill. But let’s start from the beginning again and instead of justifying my skill build, I’ll explain the usage of each skill.
Vanish
Obviously Vanish makes you invisible. What most people forget about is that Vanish makes you incredibly fast. It also gives your first attack a bit of a boost, noticeable particularly at low levels. It can be used to harass in the early game: go invisible, wait for it to be cooled down, attack your enemy until they notice you (you can typically get in one additional attack), and then Vanish again. It’s important that you wait for the cooldown so that you can disappear right away – you don’t want to be stuck by their creeps next to their heroes who probably have disables.
In the mid and late game you should usually have enough mana that you can be invisible any time you’re not farming. This allows you to run around from lane to lane much faster than most heroes and if you pass by an enemy in the woods you can follow them without them knowing that they’ve been discovered. If you see a lone enemy running around the woods (assuming they’re not low enough that you can kill them yourself), notify your team and see if your closest ally can work their way to you – but be careful that it’s safe to do so, you don’t want to get a reputation for luring your allies into unsafe situations. Once he engages the enemy, start attacking and kill him together.
Remember that just because you’re invisible, a skilled enemy will still have a good idea of where you are. I’m not talking about wards/eye/etc., I simply mean that a good player will have a general idea of your whereabouts based on where you were last seen and where you would likely be stalking. Always assume that your enemy knows your location – don’t think of it as invisible, just think of it as untargetable. Also, try to constantly keep tabs on your enemies’ inventories – always remember who has a detector item and which it is.
Wards – These are a defensive move. They’ll see you coming, but they’re restricted to an area and all you have to do is move out of the zone and you’re safe again. Ganking will be more difficult, but when you are able to get the drop on them they won’t hamper you much.
Dust – This is what your enemies will get to kill you. As soon as you start attacking they’ll hit you with it, and then they’ll be able to see you wherever you run. This won’t allow them to see you coming, but you need to be much more careful picking your fights.
Eye – This is a combination of both. It has the benefit of wards in that they’ll see you coming and the benefit of dust in that its benefit applies no matter where the fight takes place. Punish your enemies for getting this by calling ganks on the bearer so that the eye will drop. If it isn’t picked up IMMEDIATELY, issue an attack command on it – you can attack and destroy items in just a hit or two.
Electric Eye
These should be used first and foremost to scout (haha) runes. As soon as you get your first point in it, plant one by the rune nearest your lane. Don’t go running across the map early-game to plant one on the opposite side (XP and gold are absolutely critical), but keep an eye open for opportunities to participate in ganks/stopping a push over there so that you can place the Eye without wasting much time.
Your other two should be placed in the woods where enemy ganks will likely come from. These will need to be relocated as the game shifts around, and don’t forget to replace the ones by the runes as they are overwritten by new ones. I recommend checking out Streek’s quick guide to warding after you finish my article (I’ll post the link at the bottom).
Improved Dexterity
This is passive what were you expecting me to write?
Marksman Shot
DOTA veterans will recognize this as Dwarven Sniper’s ultimate. This was my reaction and it actually got me into a lot of trouble because its usage is largely NOT the same.
First of all, let me touch upon its limitations. The icon above the target’s head is visible to all, so your enemies can begin to react. Additionally your channeling will be broken if you lose line of sight to the enemy – this is the big difference. In DOTA you could basically fire and forget, but in HON you need to be aware that you’re going to need a clear view for the entire 2-3 seconds.
But there are two advantages to it, above DOTA’s equivalent! The small bonus is that you remain invisible while channeling it, although you are revealed when the shot is fired. The big advantage is that it slows the target; this is what really redefines your usage of the ability. Instead of using it to last-hit enemy heroes, you probably want to time the shot such that it lands right as the enemy realizes that its time to run. This buys your allies (and maybe you) the opportunity to kill them, or at least slow them again, before they can escape.
Whenever you’re running from a fight, or at low health, it may be worthwhile to stick around NEAR (but not IN) the battle. Keep a constant lookout for two things: first for enemies that might find you and kill you, second for opportunities to support your team with a well-timed shot. Of course, as always, you should prioritize safety – only stick around if you’re sure you aren’t going to get killed.
Items
If you put a gun to my head and told me to come up with a generic item build, I’d say:
1. Start off with your favorite regen (whether blight runes, trinket of restoration, health tube, it’s up to you) and a bunch of minor totems. Alternately bottle is okay, lets you keep runes and allows you to restore health and mana at the same time. It’s your call. At the end of this guide I’ll also link you to Blumousey’s starting item guide.
2. Steamboots (Strength)
2a. Don’t forget to always ALWAYS ALWAYS have a couple homecoming stones on you from this point on. I’m serious I’ll carry around 2-4 just to make sure I’ve always got them.
3. Shieldbreaker
4. Whispering Helm
5. Savage Mace
6. Wingbow (if you actually get this far the game should be over).
I avoid Slayer (crit) and Wingbow (dodge) because you already have crit and dodge. Wingbow might be okay because it is an additional 10% dodge, so I tossed it in at the end.
However, it’s silly to restrict yourself to using the same item build all the time. Sometimes you need to branch out. Shieldbreaker is a fantastic damage item because it also helps the team focus fire, but if your enemies have a lot of channeled spells it may be worth it to get savage mace first. Sometimes you might have difficulty surviving and you need to grab helm of the black legion or shaman’s headdress. Occasionally your teammates might not want to play nice and you’re stuck having to be the one to buy abyssal skull. As a carry that shouldn’t be your job, but sometimes that’s just how it goes. The only things I’m really going to emphasize are the steamboots and the homecoming stones. Also, regarding steamboots, you probably want to keep them on strength for the extra hit points, but if you’re just wrecking enemy faces everywhere go ahead and toggle them to agility.
Your Role
Now you know what skills to get and how to use them. You know what items to get. But what should you be DOING all game?
In the beginning you should be on one of the side lanes. Scout is not at all a good solo hero. Sure it would be great if you were able to get a leg up on your enemies level-wise, but he has rather poor lane control and can’t really stand up to a good solo. Focus on last-hitting and denying like you should with every hero. If you think that you can get some kills with your lanemate go ahead and hit-and-run with Vanish to harass. Don’t forget to set up Eyes.
Mid game run around and help gank. You’re fast so you should be able to participate in most of the ganks going on, and your ult will help out a lot. Don’t forget that you can be useful as a mobile ward running around with Vanish on. Your ability to keep tabs on enemy movement is invaluable.
Late game you’re a carry. Sneak into fights a moment after they start. Don’t wait too long because you’re important, but waiting just half a second gets your enemies all distracted trying to kill someone else. Getting a good feel for this is difficult but important. Don’t hesitate to Vanish and escape if you start getting attacked – remember that if you’re low on health they might stun you before you can pull off a last second Vanish. If you manage to get out while still fairly healthy, it may be worth sticking around and waiting for another opportunity to pop in. In these situations I try to move myself between the fight and my enemies’ likely escape route to pick off near-dead enemies. Always keep an eye out for good opportunities to use your ult – you can contribute damage to the fight from relative safety far away.
In Conclusion…
An important part of playing Scout is knowing where to be and when to fight. You should always be careful not to die, but you should also always be looking for openings to strike. Don’t get yourself killed, but if you’re observant you should be able to find lots of opportunities to turn the tide in battle or to pick off stragglers. Take advantage of your crazy movespeed while under Vanish and remember that your hero is called Scout for a reason.
Extra Credit
Nomedsoul’s scout guide: http://heroes-newerth.com/strategy/scou … -nomedsoul
Streek’s quick guide to warding: http://heroes-newerth.com/strategy/hon- … -locations
Blumousey’s starting item guide: http://heroes-newerth.com/strategy/star … -blumousey
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