- Tittle: Man in the kitchen
- Author: Lapis Lazuli
Pros
- 2.0 HP/s at level 1
- The only hero with the ability to force others to attack you
- Fast farmer/backdoor pusher
- Good animation
- Smashing with Quelling Blade
- Decent stats, suitable for what he does
- Well, beard, I guess
Cons
- Low movement speed
- Melee
- Easily kitable
- Requires close range to use most of skills
- Some minimal mana problems
- Crappy physical DPS
- No scaling skills
Skills
Berserker's Call
Mogul Kahn focuses all of his enemies' hatred on him, causing them to attack him at all costs.
- 1.Mana 80 / Mana 10 / Duration 1.5 seconds / 40 Bonus armor, forces enemies to attack Axe
- 2.Mana 90 / Mana 10 / Duration 2 seconds / 40 Bonus armor, forces enemies to attack Axe
- 3.Mana 100 / Mana 10 / Duration 2.5 seconds / 40 Bonus armor, forces enemies to attack Axe
- 4.Mana 110 / Mana 10 / Duration 3 seconds / 40 Bonus armor, forces enemies to attack Axe
Yep, it is exactly what you think it is. This skill do 2 things:
- Increasing armor
- Force the enemies to attack you
If they are too scared of you to dare attack you or are casting way too much shits on you, then it's best if you use this. It draws you the necessary attention you'd need to trigger Counter Helix frequently and more reliably.
- This is a bkb-piercing disable
- Mana cost scales with level
- Sometimes the armor is just as worth it
- Has small AoE and a relatively awkward casting animation
- This skill is used as Axe's close range initiation spell, forcing the affected units to follow you (most preferably those who can't actually hurt you with physical DPS), effectively disabling them while tanking yourself up with some armor to somewhat negate the downside of drawing forced fire.
Battle Hunter
Afflicts a target with a terrible killing hunger. The target will take damage per second and is slowed until it kills a unit.
- 1. Mana 75 / Cooldown 20 / Duration 10 seconds / Deals 15 damage per second and slows for 8%
- 2. Mana 85 / Cooldown 15 / Duration 13 seconds / Deals 21 damage per second and slows for 8%
- 3. Mana 95 / Cooldown 10 / Duration 16 seconds / Deals 27 damage per second and slows for 8%
- 4. Mana 105 / Cooldown 5 / Duration 19 seconds / Deals 33 damage per second and slows for 8%
- Damage type: magic
- Killing illusions or destroying buildings will also remove the spell.
- Gives Axe a 8% stacking movement bonus per affected enemy.
Dimissed as weak and ladylike in Zotmaster's guide, ironically it's perfect for me. Ever since the buff a while back, Battle Hunger has risen from an universally recognized shit skill to a perfectly underrated hidden power. Basically it:
- is a huge DoT nuke (total DPS wise)
- has a double blade side effect of being removed upon the opponent killing anything
- is single targeted
- has a slow
- it cannot be denied upon low health (unlike poison)
- makes you run faster
This skill is used for either ganking, dagger disabling damage or cutting the enemy's support down to size. It hurst a hell lot early game, and I mean a hell lot. When used right, the slow of course helps, and most of the time it can't be stopped once shit hits the fan. Here's a little screenie on this, I advise you to NOT follow the build though
When to use it:
- Just before a battle, obviously most preferred when creeps are not around
- You are pushing back during the laning phase with your opponent in sight, hunger him so he'll be forced to fight back of suffer the damage.
- When you iniate, hunger the one who'll likely not get a kill or a hero with dagger
- In ganks, obviously
Counter Helix
Mogul Kahn counters some blows made to him dealing damage to all nearby enemy units.
- 1. Mana 0.55 / 17% chance to trigger. Deals 100 damage
- 2. Mana 0.5 / 17% chance to trigger. Deals 135 damage
- 3. Mana 0.45 / 17% chance to trigger. Deals 170 damage
- 4. Mana 0.4 / 17% chance to trigger. Deals 205 damage
- Damage type: physical
- Counter Helix checks for triggering whenever an attack against Axe begins, not when Axe is actually damaged by said attack.
This is not only Axe's most famous skill, it's this skill that makes Axe the famous manly hero he is (albeit because this makes him a masochistic red ballet dancer, but that's fine). There are small notes about this skill (Before you say anything, yes I realize it's actually rather long):
- It is NOT a PRD skill (If you don't know what PRD is in the first place, just downright ignore this)
- The damage dealt is physical, thus reduced through armor and negated through Ethereal state whilst not by magic resistance/magic immunity.
- This skill will always work (not always trigger though, that depends on luck obviously), doesn't matter if you're paused, hexed, bashed, stunned or shitz
- While enemy is under Berserker's Call, ordering another action would simply increase the chance of triggering Counter Helix
- Helix triggers even if the attack misses, and is triggered at the start of the attack, not when Axe is damaged
- The skill is based off of Brilliance Aura with a base, meaning having this skill present would increase your mana regeneration rate by the abyssmal amount of 0.01 mana/sec. Below are 2 graphs for your mathematical purpose, I don't recommend looking at it at all though, since it just an unecessary mind fuck.
Culling Blade
Purges the weak from Mogul Kahn's sight. Deals moderate damage, but will kill a target that is low on life. Gives a 25% movespeed bonus for 6 seconds to nearby allies when a kill is successful.
- 1. Mana 120 / Cooldown 75 (6*) / Deals 150 damage, kills if target is below 300 HP
- 2. Mana 160 / Cooldown 65 (6*) / Deals 250 damage, kills if target is below 450 HP
- 3. Mana 200 / Cooldown 55 (6*) / Deals 300 damage, kills if target is below 625 HP
- Damage type: magic (regular), 100000000 physical (killing blow)
- The killing blow is dealt at the target if its HP is below 300/450/625 respectively, depending on the level of Culling Blade.
- The killing blow goes through magic immunity.
- The killing blow removes all buffs from the target unit before killing it.
- The killing blow gives a 25% movement speed bonus to Axe and his allies in a 600 AoE.
- Can be improved by Aghanim's Scepter (* shows the improved values).
The name of this skill is misleading. As we all know that there is no such thing as telekinetic and invisible blades - though that would certainly be cool - the attack works by Axe showing his opponent the magnificence of his beard. Those who are weak of heart explode due to the sheer awesomeness. If the pussy in question's HP is below the listed threshold, he or she dies instantly, regardless of buffs, magic immunity, Abaddon's ult, testicular fortitude, or standardized test scores. If the pussy has HP above the threshold, they instead receive a pitiful amount of damage, reduced by magic resistance and blocked by things like Linken's Sphere. Though counting is not a necessary prerequisite for most men, looking stupid is decidedly un-manly. Do not tarnish the beard!
Skill Build & Justfications
Since the skill and item builds are closely related to each other, I decided it was optimum just to put them into 1 part. Also if you dislike Tabs, well then you would be delighted to see that this guide has none of them (Light always liked them for some reasons).
Note: This can't be stressed enough, but be ADAPTIVE. You have a damn brain for a reason. If you think see something's not working, stop doing it and try something that would. Shitfing between builds is probably your best bet of not being a bright red burden.
Classic: Ballet Dancer a.k.a Maximum Manliness
Has been a long time accepted as the only and optimal skill build, it represents a great relic of the old past that still holds relevance today.
- 1 - Counter Helix
- 2 - Berserker's Call
- 3 - Counter Helix
- 4 - Berserker's Call
- 5 - Counter Helix/Berserker's Call
- 6 - Culling Beard
- 7 - Counter Helix/Berserker's Call
- 8 - Berserker's Call/Counter Helix
- 9 - Berserker's Call/Counter Helix
- 10 - Stats/Battle Hunger
- 11 - Culling Beard
- 12 - Stats/Battle Hunger
- 13 - Stats/Battle Hunger
- 14 - Stats/Battle Hunger
- 15 - Stats
- 16 - Culling Beard
- 17 - Stats
- 18 - Stats
- 19 - Stats
- 20 - Stats
- 21 - Stats
- 22 - Battle Hunger/Stats
- 23 - Battle Hunger/Stats
- 24 - Battle Hunger/Stats
- 25 - Battle Hunger/Stats
Justification: This skill amplifies the best of an early maxed Helix/Call
Call with a 0.5 second increase in disable time is more crucial and scales better than 25 pitiful damage of Helix, so it is maxed first, with Helix following. Helix is obviously gotten at level 1, because it gives you the ability to do what Axe does best (at least in this build): spin. It allows you to actually hurt the opposition instead of forcing them to hurt you and it doesn't cost any mana. If you're following this build, it might be advisable to skip Hunger completely, but if you really feel like needing it, get it
Revolutionary: Burning Sensation a.k.a Maximum Sexiness
As the new generation surfaces, what's long thought to be abandoned has taken its rightful place among the standards. However, this is in no way simply miraculously happened. It takes a fair while of shifting in game plays styles and various buffs/nerfs for this to ever come into fruition as a strategy.
- 1 - Counter Helix
- 2 - Battle Hunger
- 3 - Battle Hunger
- 4 - Berserker's Call
- 5 - Battle Hunger
- 6 - Culling Beard
- 7 - Battle Hunger
- 8 - Berserker's Call/Counter Helix
- 9 - Berserker's Call/Counter Helix
- 10 - Berserker's Call/Counter Helix
- 11 - Culling Beard
- 12 - Counter Helix/Berserker's Call
- 13 - Counter Helix/Berserker's Call
- 14 - Counter Helix/Berserker's Call
- 15 - Stats
- 16 - Culling Beard
- 17 - 25 Stats
Justfication: This skill exploits the ridiculously powerful early DPS that Battle Hunger gives. Smartly used, it has potential to turn into instant off-the-map death. I assume that you still gains exp if a hero killed through Hunger is at a rather farther distance than the usual exp range. Having 1 lvl of both Helix and Call early game is required, as it does not gimp your laning choices or have to sacrifice too much of the benefits that you'll usually get.
Item Build
Classic: Ballet Dancer a.k.a Maximum Manliness
Starting Items:
Damage block, incredibly helpful in defending against creep attacks and harasses, synergies with anyone who's likely to take a lot of beating in the early game
Healing items works for everyone, especially one who's melee and is supposed to have all kinds of shits thrown at him. Tango is more recommended, since you usually won't be sitting back in lane healing. You need to MAN THE FUCK UP and start running and spinning.
A single Clarity is when you're seeminly spending too much mana
Any of these 2 stats boosters are fine (the rest are wastes). Branches are better though, simply because you have to spend a chunk of gold on Stout already, so getting Gauntlet would set you behind a bit too much on regen, while obviously when slots not yet matter 3 Branches >>>>> 1 Gauntlet
Early Game Items
This means the 2nd Stout Shield. Now 2 Stout Shields stack, but not in the best way you'd desire. It gives you a VERY reliable damage block, however doesn't increase the block itself nor the chances would double if you have 2. So get this if you're going to farm extensively with creeps and not do much dire confrontations for the first ten minutes or so. This is however ill-advised as your effectiveness disappears fast if you cannot uphold momentum.
Well it makes you less subtle to early game mana problems, and it is an invaluable item on its own already. Get it if you deem you have needs for it, and there are generally a lot of shits being thrown at your direction. Upgrade to 
if you're keeping the spare Branches
Bracer up for some tankiness if you want to go Janggo. If not, then it's best to just settle with other items, since it's going to be a dead slot very fast
You know what they say, if you don't buy this, tough shit
Get it if you're desparately going to need that fukken 100% dmg block against heroes. However, it does (almost) nothing besides that. When would this happen? Probably never, but just in case
Core Items:
Despite the damage bonus being somewhat wasted, they are decent for heroes like Axe who hits once in a blue moon, while needing the access speed burst for mobility.
Synergies greatly with heroes that needs to be (even more) tanky, Axe being the specific one in question. It's almost crucial to obtain this, as it gives raw HP, good for any situation, great regen, good early game damage block. It also fits those who needs not deal physical DPS early. You should get 1 and only 1, if you are opting for a second one, well that's not my problem.
You're useless if you don't have this. Obviously you're not going to be walking at the enemies and they'll let you Call them, if they're half-decent anyways. You have a much better chance with this, being a good initiator, with an awkward cast time on your iniating skill, as it's not large enough in AoE either. This item is crucial regardless of what you do, when you get this however, can varies
Revolutionary: Burning Sensation a.k.a Maximum Sexiness
Starting Items:
Damage block, incredibly helpful in defending against creep attacks and harasses, synergies with anyone who's likely to take a lot of beating in the early game Healing items works for everyone, especially one who's melee and is supposed to have all kinds of shits thrown at him. Since you won't be reliant on Helix, it's more advisable to have a chunk hp regen to sometimes tower rush and return. Clarities are for early spammage of Battle Hunger, in-lane or off-lane, as it's excellingly scales as the game progress up the end of early game. Any of these 2 stats boosters are fine (the rest are wastes). Branches are better though, simply because you have to spend a chunk of gold on Stout already, so getting Gauntlet would set you behind a bit too much on regen, while obviously when slots not yet matter 3 Branches >>>>> 1 Gauntlet
If you can't find the difference from the above part, re-reading is your friend
Early Game Items:
OMGWHYDOAIHAZ2BAIDISAGAIN? Suit yourself Bracer up that *****!
Though not an absolute mus-get, it's an awesome item that synergies well with Battle Hunger. Burn + Soul Release is extremely sexy For reasons same as the previous build
Core Items:
Upgrade that Bracer. With this build, you become a total team tank iniator, so what's wrong with getting the most for your team.
The best boots for your options, Treads is still god useless, and Arcane Boots + Urn gives you virtually infinite mana. The even greater thing is that you can always disassemble it and upgrade it to something. You can still gets Phase, but that'll severely hamper your preformance.
"What the flying fish? Axe isn't a supporter!" Yeah keep telling yourself that. Mekans gives AoE heal, and arguably has better better scaling than any other 2k items you can get at this phase of the game. You have good mana management, why not abuse it. Of course you can always trade it for a traditional Vanguard if you want manliness instead of sexiness. Vanguard gives you more EHP (solo-wise) and better survivability, while Mekansm gives you more teamfight adaptability. Choose according to your cause Whatever style you play, whatever game you are aiming at, Blink would always be a core. It synergies greatly with your initiation skill set as well as your not-so-low-range ultimate, helping you catch up to finish someone off that you couldn't with Hunger + Soul chipping away their health
Others Item
Get it if you're getting a Pipe or want this instead of Vanguard because too many magical pixy dusts are being thrown at your face. Of course, your choice are your own
If you get Hood then it's beneficial to upgrade to this. Obviously better if you have mana to spare and is a team-player
Makes you a god damn carry, only if you get fed very early. However, it's effectiveness decreases with your skill's, thus it's very much a risky decision
If you don't get Urn, this could be a feasible option if you want to push very, very early after lane domination
Another alternative to Urn in case you're facing some kind of mana burners that eats away your mana quickly. Could also replace Arcane Boots in case you want your Phase Boots that badly, but on;y if you have proper health management
Works when the game's going to get late and/or you're facing some bulky DPS that you can't easily take out with Helix/Hunger alone
Want maximum sexiness?
Wanna be an ultra AoE tanky caving for some burst damage? Get 'dis for your frosting pleasure!
Some Class-A manliness right here. Run in, soak up some damage away from your team, then either helplessly dies in realisation that your team isn't even there, or beat the crap out of the enemy team and regenerating all their vain efforts merely second after.
Maximum anti-physical tankiness, also works well for/against pushes
5 Melee heroes? Why not Vladimir?
Increases physical EHP by 33%, while still works with helix even if the god damn attack missed. Don't want to take my word for it? Tough luck.
Late game option replacing that Arcane Boots (after you disassemble it of course). Gives decent regen and good hp/mp for its cost. Can even be disassembled even further
Can replace a tanking item if rushed well. The upgrade is super sexy as well, but more often than naught you wouldn't find it helpful. Mind that
A quite obvious late-game extensions.
The active is awesome, and syngergies extremely well with Axe's skill set. However, it's usually not worth it. Have a teammate cast it on you instead.
Gameplay
Now first off, you grab your starting items, depends on what you're planning on doing head to the coressponding lane:
Preference
- You are a certain person that can't go anywhere but mid
- You are planning on backdooring the enemies and show them your musculine manliness
- You want to show you are even more manly than that
- You want some time to build up sexiness, be ready to help the laners on your team with timing ganks from the unknown
- You want both manliness and sexiness/Your jungle is somehow warded
- Want to farm/put pressure on their solo with teammate's coordiation
Lane
- Just head mid
- Head to their long
- lane and backdoor
- Head to their mid/short lane to backdoor
- Head to jungle
- Head to the opponent's jungle
- Head to a long lane and start rushing their tower
Despite what's been said, it's usually wouldn't be so easy. I'll divide the early game section by where you're going to spend the most of your time. Of course, you can always make a transition some time in the laning phase because you have flexible skills that allow it
Early game
Jungle: Now Axe's jungle is a bit unlike most of the other choke point melee junglers. You don't hope for fast jungling by heightening your DPS and conserving your HP, you do exactly the opposite. Stack those camps, as fast as you could. If you can, use the opportunity to double tank with Counter Helix (you aggro two different camps to attack you at the same time. If you can spare it, you can use Call to perma-aggro those creeps. Work even better if you already double/triple stack. However, saying that, you must know yourself how to do this, as I don't have the time nor the resources to make an effective mini guide on this (right now). You can always go for a side lane gank if you want, or even mid lane (If you're jungling Scourge's) with a well-time Battle Hunger and a surprise Call from the fog. Below is a side screenie for jungling, just for the heck of it
Solo: Not much you can do and not at all recommended. It's hard to harass decent player with Battle Hunger. Best you could do is to try and deny/last hit and hold creep equilibrium as best as you can. If you're facing a melee, it gets better, since you could aggro his creeps by attacking him, results in a very possible Helix trigger and make quick work of his attempt to last hit. However, the major problem is that this would push your lane VERY quick, and usually it's not what you'd want to do.
Team laning: This should be somewhat ok. Basically you can harass with Hunger properly because you have ranged (should be, or else you'd be better off in the jungle) teammates able to properly harass and be aggressive, keeping your opponents off the creep lane, and effectively forcing them to be aggressive or would completely lose the lane to you. If you drove them off, backdoor the lane and push it. Be sure to be somewhat aware of their ranged harass, or you'd drop fast against consecutive nuking this early in the game.
Mid game
Early game should be over in a flash (at leat that's how it seems to me nowadays). If you come out on top (somehow) with your core (preferbly Upgraded Boots + small early game item + wand + tp ready in 10 mins) then you're good to go. If you're going tanking, farm for a while in the jungle, because you can do it fast enough to keep up even with free farming hard carriers. However, it's advisable that you do not hinder your own opportunity and ability for too long, because as said many times before, it wains with time. After you have Blink (if you don't have Battle hunger) or even before if you had Hunger, try ganking non-stop (if you can of course). I shouldn't have to tell you how to farm though, that you need to know by heart already.
When you gank, always try to open up with Hunger if you can, because with its ridiculously long range and DoT slowing effect, it helps alot (as the nature of all DoT), especially against Item-Blinkers. Then if you can, use whatever you can to close in on the distance (preferbly an allied disable, or a Blink if you have it) then Call. 3,5 seconds should let your helix and Hunger (urn aggressive active as well if you had it) deal alot of Helix. You should be able to finish with a Cull now (note to always see your opponent's hp first, and watch out for Wand burst). If not, yeah, Hunger again. A hunger deals more damage than a *supposed* Culling Blade anyways, heck you can even use Culling just to lower enemy's health (though it sucks at the use, it's better than nothing)
If you go the classic manly way, then use this highly active graphical explaination
In Combat
As the initiator (not always the main), jump in with blink. If you have a main initiator, and if you even had a choice, jump in on the caster-support (preferly more than 1, but things aren't always easy) instead of the fed dps carry (this should be obvious). You would take almost neglible damage from the forced attacks of Call, while your disablers can jump on those god damn dps carriers. However, since Call is one of the few (if not only, I'm checking) non-ultimate disables that go through BKB, if it's needed to keep their dps carry occupied, do it. Then, Hunger the opponent who's least likely to be able to kill anything, urn the appropriate target and culling when you have a chance. Remember, most of Axe's skills go through BKB, so always keep priority in mind. Unfortunately, you can't do too much in team fights, since people wouldn't focus you anyways. You are quite easy to kite, but it gets better with Hunger being a pain in the ass up until late game.
Late Game
This is when you'll probably want that Blademail ready. You have to take out as many supports as fast as possible, or to take out that annoying dps carry of the opponent within a Callling Culling time (call and be able to successfully be able to use cull duringt he duration of the disable). Of course, if the carry you're targetting obviously has a good buy out, then you might want to reconsider, unless you have Aghnim's Scepter. Your helix and hunger doesn't hurt as much anymore, if at all. 30 armor doesn't compeltely nullifies physical dps anymore, while having the opponent under ulti's threshold gets even more rarely seen. Congratulations, you've just reached a phase that you should've have been in. However, things don't always go as planned, so try your best to pull throughs the late game with well-time initiation and good DoT placement. There's nothing much you can do at this stage though.
Edited by basicdotaguide.blogspot.com