Lineups I Want to Try

 Using this as a note taking space of lineups I think might be effective.


Last Update: November 16, 2012

Aggressive Trilanes

[Nov. 16, 2012] Lineup 1:

Safe Lane: Riki, KotL
Jungle: Axe
Mid: Any
Sidelane: Any

Strategy is that Axe uses Battle Hunger, KotL can restore his mana so he can spam it. If they try to last hit, KotL can Illuminate or Riki can Pounce + Smoke and KotL can follow with Mana Leak.

Essentially, you just can't get away from it.

[Nov. 16, 2012] Lineup 2:

• Trilane
• Bane
• Juggernaut
• Pudge / Mirana
• Mid
• Any
• Off-lane
• Any

Idea is to have Bane use Nightmare so Pudge can hook. Then Juggernaut spins while Pudge rots.

Alternativley, Mirana can get 5 second arrows and Juggernaut gets easy kills.

In both scenarios, Bane plays a #5 (hard support) role. Pudge/Mirana would roam after the Carry is established.

[Nov. 16, 2012] Lineup 3:

• Trilane
• Ancient Apparition
• Juggernaut
• Pugna
• Mid
• Any / Invoker
• Off-Lane 
• Any

Goal is to massively reduce magic resistance for easy kills with Juggernaut. AA's slow has a magic reduction and Pugna's Decrep will slow and reduce magic resistance. Juggernaut's spin would be extremely lethal.

Also, AA's Cold Feet would be pretty much guaranteed due to the slow effect of Decrep.

You'd want to ban out Dark Seer and Wind Runner most likely here. Both have skills that make them run too fast for your combo to work well. Also, Dark Seer is pretty annoying against melee carries that are trying to get last hits.

[Nov. 16, 2012] Lineup 4:

• Safe Lane
• Slardar
• Vengeful Spirit
• Dazzle
• Mid
• Shadow Fiend / Templar Assassin
• Off-Lane
• Bounty Hunter / Beastmaster / Dark Seer

Massive armor reduction lineup here. Venge +  Slardar would make for easy stuns. Dazzle can slow. Dazzle's Shallow Grave would be excellent on Slardar if he's chasing or initiating.

Almost every hero here has some sort of armor reduction, so you become physical damage machines.

Darkseer could synergize with sitting up easy SF ults, mass stuns, or easy Dazzle ults.

Omniknight would be an absolute ban here because of his ult stopping physical damage.

[May 17, 2013] Pudge + KotL

• Hard Lane
• Support: KotL
• 2nd Support: Pudge
• Carry: Weaver/Juggernaut
• Mid Lane
• Probably Batrider
• Safe Lane
• Gyro / Lone Druid / Slark

The idea behind this draft is picking up Pudge early so they think he's your mid. Then they'll pick their mid, to which you respond with someone that outclasses them.

KotL + Pudge can hook heroes out of position. Weaver is good for finishing them off or against a hero like Lifestealer. Juggernaut would work too because of Healing Ward and Spin.

KotL + Pudge also work because you have the Rot + Mana Leak combo. KotL provides a lot of good anti-push or push as well.

Safe lane is basically your "real" carry. Lone Druid might be good because he looks like he'll be going offlane (same as picking up a Batrider in round 1). That will throw them off. However, Gyro and Slark would also work well as solo laners.

[June 17, 2013] Naga Support

• Aggro
• Juggernaut
• Naga Siren
• Crystal Maiden / KotL
• Mid
• OD / SF
• Safe
• Magnus / DS -- magnus is preferred

Start with the Magnus/DS and Naga picks. Ban out Rubick (no stealing song), and whoever else. Lifestealer isn't an issue against this lineup.

Jugg & CM/KotL need to come next if you have Magnus because they will think Mag is mid.

Otherwise CM/KotL & SF should be picked up. Just make sure to ban accordingly.

General combo is to have Jugg spin & Naga net. If they have Lifestealer, you have armor reduction. Use song to set up team fights, then have Magnus/DS do their thing. You cover both kinds of fighting - Jugg's ult means they don't want to get caught alone. The rest of the team makes it so they don't want to team fight.

 Defensive Trilanes

[Dec. 28, 2012] Lineup 1:

• Safe Lane
• Sniper
• KotL (#4)
• Ancient Apparition (#5)
• Mid
• Whatever is needed (probably something with a stun)
• Off-Lane
• Whatever is needed (probably something with a stun, maybe Beast Master)

Picking Order:

• First Pick: KotL
• Second Pick: Ancient Apparition

Reasoning: KotL is likely to get banned out or picked early on. AA will make them think he's going mid.

Play Style:

• AA will get 1 point in each skill, then max out Chilling Touch
• Sniper will get 1 point in each skill, then max out his Range
• KotL will get 1 point in each skill, then level Chakra Magic + Illuminate
• Combos
• Chilling Touch + Sniper's range = long ranged magic damage nukes
• AA + KotL = lose mana (mana leak) or get stunned (cold feet)
• AA + KotL = mana to spam Chilling Touch (mana intensive)
• Items
• Sniper
• Early Hand of Midas for farm + attack speed (Chilling Touch slows attack speed)
• Power Treads (attack speed + survivability)
• BKB
• Manta Style (not sure if Chilling Touch works on Illusions) or Butterfly
• Potentially Mjollnir or whatever is needed really
• AA
• Arcane Boots (need lots of mana for this playstyle)
• Rod of Atos (survival + combos better than Eul's with Cold Feet)
• KotL 
• Mekansm (all very squishy)
• Most of the Wards and stuff (he should farm jungle stacks to make fast money)
• Force Staff
• Veil of Discord

Extra Thought: Could be interesting to replace Sniper with Pugna (even more magic damage? not sure if you can target a decrepified unit, even with Chilling Touch), then grab TA for mid and Lone Druid for offlane (to make up for lack of physical damage, although Pugna can output a shitload with his massive INT gain).

[May 5, 2013] Riki + Lifestealer:

• Safe Lane:
• Carry: Riki
• Support: Keeper of the Light
• Second Support: Lifestealer
• Mid
• Magnus would be good, Storm could work, or even Nature's Prophet
• Off-Lane
• Pretty much anyone, Clockwerk might be a good choice

The idea is that Lifestealer might be able to be support because he does % based damage already. His slow + Riki's Cloud would kill many solo laners easily. You also have KotL to supply them with mana.

If Riki is fine solo, then Lifestealer + KotL can go jungle and give Riki the solo XP he needs.

When Riki & Lifestealer hit lvl 6, they make a formidable ganking duo.

Ganking Lineups

[Nov. 16, 2012] Lineup 1:

• Safe Lane
• Wisp
• Stunner Support - Leshrac, Vengeful Spirit, Jakiro, etc.
• Stunner Carry - Sven, Tiny, Chaos Knight
• Mid
• Global Presence: Invoker, Nature's Prophet, (Tinker) OR Bloodseeker
• Off-Lane
• Ganker: Bounty Hunter, Nature's Prophet

Goal is to  use Wisp + Stun Carry to gank a lot. Followups from Invoker/NP. Alternatively, have Bloodseeker mid to gain vision of low HP heroes.

Offlane joins in when ganking (BH can use Track, NP can come gank anywhere).

The nice thing about picking Leshrac up would be that Wisp + Leshrac could port to quickly push down towers if needed, then have a free ride back home.

[Nov. 16, 2012] Lineup 2:

• Safe Lane
• Tiny / Sven
• Wisp
• Ogre Magi
• Mid
• Invoker
• Off-Lane
• Beastmaster

Goal is to make Tiny/Sven into a DPS monster. Wisp's Tether & Overcharge, Ogre's Bloodlust, Invoker's Alcatricity, and Beastmaster's aura would make Tiny/Sven unstoppable in battles. Wisp could be used to gank with the stunning carry.

Dual Roaming

[Nov. 16, 2012] Lineup 1:

• Safe Lane
• Ranged Carry: Drow Ranger, Sniper, Luna
• Roaming
• Venomancer
• Treant
• Mid Lane
• Broodmother
• Off Lane
• Lone Druid

LD and Brood are great solos. A ranged carry should be able to survive in the safe lane and get decent farm.

The good thing is when drafting, it's very hard to predict how you'll run this lineup.

Veno and Tree can use tree's invis to sneak around. Gale + Leech Seed is extremely powerful early game. Mostly wander between safe and mid lane to dominate them. Three carries/semi-carries getting a lot of XP will be brutal as long as their carry is kept in check.

Big Teamfight

[Nov. 16, 2012] Lineup 1:

• Safe Lane
• Witch Doctor (primary farmer)
• Venomancer
• Tidehunter / Omniknight / Vengeful Spirit / Sven
• Mid
•  Warlock
• Offlane
• Dark Seer

This is a fairly all in strategy, but the teamfight is phenomenal. Definitely want to ban out Omni if yuo're not using him and Rubick. Both can totally mess up team fights. Naga is also a good ban.

Main synergy is going to be using Dark Seer to vacuum, then Witch Doctor's Maledict. Follow that up with Fatal Bonds and Warlock Ult. This is almost a guaranteed wipe. Venomancer's ult is extra security, same with Tidehunter.

Sven could be used to stun after Dark Seer Vacuums. Alternatively, Omni could be used for magic immunity while Witch Doctor ults. Sven and Venge both have semi-carry capability, which would make them useful.

In lane, Venomancer would basically guarantee Witch Doctor lands Maledicts.

[Nov. 16, 2012] Lineup 2:

• Safe Lane
• Magnus (primary farmer, Undying could work too if Darkseer is picked up)
• Disruptor
• Venomancer / Venge
•  Mid Lane
• Batrider
• Off-Lane
• Dark Seer / Beastmaster

Utilize Magus' ult to collect everyone. Disruptor uses his Kinetic Field + Ult. Venomancer Ults or Venge uses Wave.

Batrider can stack Napalm and use Firefly to increase damage.

Darkseer's ult would synergize well. Beastmaster could be picked up for his Aura (same with Venge).

[Jan. 18, 2012] Lineup 3:

• Safe Lane
• Warlock
• Any Carry w/ Cleave or usually gets a Battlefury (e.g. Sven, Medusa, Luna, Anti-Mage)
• Dazzle/Witch Doctor/Venomancer/Sand King/Tidehunter/KotL/Undying/etc.
• Mid
• Magnus
• Off-Lane 
• Darkseer/Lich

Get a good Warlock Ult, followup with a Magnus Ult, then Warlock starts channeling his slow. Carry should be able to cleave the entire team down while other AoE spells are cast.

Adaptive

[Jan. 4, 2013] Lineup 1:

Pick 5 heroes that can be run in a variety of lanes. Once the other team has selected, you can place your heroes in the most ideal configuration.

E.g.:

• Batrider - can be mid, can be solo hard lane, can jungle
• Mirana - can solo hard lane (not super great due to turn speed), can mid, can roam
• Windrunner - can solo mid, can solo hard lane
• Beastmaster - can solo mid, can solo hard lane, and I think I've even seen him in trilanes
• Nature's Prophet - can solo mid, can solo hard lane, can Jungle

From there, you can kind of do whatever you want. None of those heroes absolutely need farm, but all of them can benefit from it. You won't win against a team late game, but you can make their lanes crap.

Let's say they defensive trilane because they see your Beastmaster pick. You can send something like Batrider + Mirana + Windrunner against that to play aggressively. Stacks of Napalm should make it easier to land Arrows and Shackles. Beastmaster can play mid (and who knows, maybe they picked something they thought would be against Batrider), and NP can safe lane (plus farm jungle with his creeps).

Alternatively, maybe it would work out running a 2-1-2 since all these heroes can solo well. There is a lot of harass between Windrunner and Beastmaster (and BM can stack ancients while WR gets solo XP). Mirana can solo safe lane while NP jungles. When he drops Sprout, Mirana can easily land Arrows. And Batrider is a dominant mid.

Could end up being that specialized lineups work better, but I wonder how a highly versatile lineup would work. Any of these heroes can snowball into a carry. Pretty much all of them can buy support items if needed. They all have skills that are decent throughout the game.

Might be interesting to try out and mess around with.

Miscellaneous

[March 26, 2013] Lineup 1:

• Dual Mid
• Bloodseeker
• Disruptor
• Solo Safelane Carry
• Gyrocoptor
• Solo Hardlaner w/ Teamfight (or goes Force Staff)
• Windrunner
• Jungle Ganker
• Nature's Prophet

Components:

• Glimpse + Rupture timed well might be able to kill a hero
• Bloodrage + Flak Cannon = massive damage output boost (must time it right so that you activate Flak before getting silenced)
• Windrunner's Force Staff will help Bloodseeker with Rupture damage
• Kinetic Field + Call Down + Static Storm = amazing combo
• Nature's Prophet = global ganking