UNDYING GUIDE (by pipser)

  • Tittle: the right way
  • Author: pipser
Undying Dota

Pros
  • Decent attack animation for last hitting.
  • Decent hp and mana pools during the whole game.
  • He doesn't die .
  • Although low agility, his starting armor is not bad.
  • Not very item dependent but items benefit him a lot .
  • Can support if needed.
Cons
  • Very low agility.
  • Loses his power late game.
  • Must always have teammates nearby to be efficient.
  • Hard to farm during early game.


Skills

 Decay
Dirge saps away the strength of enemy heroes and retains it for a period of time.
  • 1. Mana 70 / Cooldown 10 / Duration 25 seconds / 4 Strength, 20 Damage.
  • 2. Mana 90 / Cooldown 8 / Duration 30 seconds / 4 Strength, 60 Damage.
  • 3. Mana 110 / Cooldown 6 / Duration 35 seconds / 4 Strength, 100 Damage.
  • 4. Mana 130 / Cooldown 4 / Duration 40 seconds / 4 Strength, 140 Damage.
  • Damage type: magical
  • Effect is stackable, but can't set hero's strength lower than 1.
  • The strength loss takes effect before the damage.
Writer's notes 
  • A very simple skill, you target a 600 aoe with a slight casting delay.
  • Heroes hit by decay lose 4 strength for certain amount of time, and receive a small amount of magical damage.
  • Same heroes can hit be affected by decay several times, it fully stacks until the duration of each decay is over. The strength bonus on Dirge stacks from different heroes as well.
  • Every point of strength lost by decayed targets goes to dirge's strength pool for the duration of the spell.
Tips and useful information 
  • 4 strength equals to 76 pure damage for the duration of the spell, if the duration is over the damage is "healed".
  • Just like 4 strength lost is 76 pure damage, 4 strength gained by dirge is a 76 hp increase for the duration of the spell.
  • At the highest rank, decay can be stacked 5 times and it will last for maximum of 5 seconds. Or 6 times or 0 seconds thus making it 25 again.
  • Decay can hit invisible units and heroes.
 Soul Rip
Redirects the flow of living energy through a target friend or foe, damaging them or healing them depending on how many units are near it. 25 for each unit.
  • 1. Mana 50 / Cooldown 25 / Damages/Heals the target by 25 for each unit around; 5 units max
  • 2. Mana 75 / Cooldown 20 / Damages/Heals the target by 25 for each unit around; 10 units max
  • 3. Mana 100 / Cooldown 15 / Damages/Heals the target by 25 for each unit around; 15 units max
  • 4. Mana 125 / Cooldown 10 / Damages/Heals the target by 25 for each unit around; 20 units max
  • Damage type: magical
  • Can heal Tombstone, but can't heal or damage another buildings.
  • Every counted unit, friend or enemy, is damaged by 25; it can't be used to kill, it will leave the unit with 1 hp instead.
Writer's notes 
  • Point and click spell that damages foes and heal allied units and yourself.
  • Spell's damage/heal depends on units available around Dirge; 25 damage/heal for every unit, at rank 4 of the spell you can "use" up to 20 units.
Tips and useful information 
  • You can reach a maximum of 500 damage at the highest rank which makes it the strongest single target nuke and heal.
  • All the units that are counted for rip damage are damaged for 25 damage each.
  • Rip is more effective as a heal because of spell resistance while using it offensive.
  • You can heal all allied units including yourself, your tombstone and bkbed units.
 Tombstone
Unholy powers summon a cursed tombstone. Zombies will frequently spawn near each enemy unit and attack them. Zombies have a passive that additively slow their target by 7%. Zombies cannot be controlled.
  • 1. Mana 120 / Cooldown 60 / Duration 15 seconds / 5% HP Deathlust requirement.
  • 2. Mana 130 / Cooldown 60 / Duration 20 seconds / 10% HP Deathlust requirement.
  • 3. Mana 140 / Cooldown 60 / Duration 25 seconds / 15% HP Deathlust requirement.
  • 4. Mana 150 / Cooldown 60 / Duration 30 seconds / 20% HP Deathlust requirement.
  • The zombies have the passive ability Deathlust, which grants the zombie an extra 50% movement and attack speed if its target has below 100/200/300/400 hp, or is below 5/10/15/20% of its maximum hp.
  • Tombstone is magic immune, but can be healed by Soul Rip.
  • Zombies won't spawn to attack buildings.
Writer's notes 
  • A Rather long cooldown as opposed to decay and rip.
  • After you place the tombstone, a zombie with 37-25 pierce damage and 30 hp will spawn near every visible target every 3 seconds in the aoe of the tombstone.
  • Zombies slow by a factor of 7% at all levels.
  • Zombies gain an additional 50% attack and movement speed when their targets fall below 100/200/300/400 hp.
Tips and useful information 
  • The tombstone itself it immune to magic. Same goes for zombies.
  • Tombstone is a viable target for rip.
  • Invisible units won't be affected by tombstone nor be slowed, however, if a hero is attack by a zombie and goes invisible afterwords; he will be slowed for 7% for a short amount of time.
  • Tombstone's collision size is small,but it can still be used to block and be phased through just like creeps.
  • Pudge's hook or potm's arrow won't hit tombstone, same goes for clockwerk's hook.
 Flesh Golem
Dirge's hatred for all living beings allows him to transform into a monster. While he's transformed he carries a plague that affects nearby enemy units. Strength of the plague depends on how close the enemy is. Amplifies damage enemy units receive and reduces their movement speed. When a plagued unit dies, its essence is transfered back to the Undying, healing it for 6% (10% *) (2% (3% *) if non-hero) of its maximum life. Lasts 30 seconds.
  • 1. Mana 100 / Cooldown 75 / Duration 30 seconds / 20% (25%*) damage amplification
  • 2. Mana 100 / Cooldown 75 / Duration 30 seconds / 25% (30%*) damage amplification
  • 3. Mana 100 / Cooldown 75 / Duration 30 seconds / 30% (35%*) damage amplification
  • The souls of units killed near Dirge will return to heal him even if he did not kill them.
  • Plague Aura is strongest within 175 distance of Dirge and decreases farther away from him (minimum of 5% / 10% / 15% (+5%*)).
  • Movement Speed is reduced by 9% in a 750 Area of Effect.
  • Dying illusions do not trigger Plague Aura's heal.
  • Can be upgraded with Aghanim's Scepter (* shows upgraded values)
Writer's notes 
  • Dirge transform into a large golem with 3 auras:
  • Speed reduction: enemies around dirge will lose 7% movement speed.
  • Amplify damage aura: enemies around dirge at 200 range will get 20/25/30 extra damage, as enemies get father they will receive less damage till 5/10/15 at 750 range.
  • Healz aura: Units affected by dirge's aura will restore him hp upon death, depending on their maximum hp. 
Tips and useful information 
  • You don't have to kill the units to receive the hp, if they die by your ally or suicide you will still get healed. 
  • Slow stacks with tombstone slow.


Skill Build
Because all of the skills are useful even during early game and leveling any of the skill to 4 fast wont help him much, skill build can be very flexible.
  • Level 1 |Rip
  • Level 2 |Decay
  • Level 3 |Rip
  • Level 4 |TombStone
  • Level 5 |Rip/TombStone
  • Level 6 |Flesh Golem
  • Level 7 |TombStone/Rip
  • Level 8 |TombStone/Rip 
  • Level 9 |TombStone
  • Level 10 |Rip
  • Level 11 |Flesh Golem
  • Level 12 |Decay
  • Level 13 |Decay
  • Level 14 |Decay
  • Level 15 |Stats
  • Level 16 |Flesh Golem
  • Level 17-25 |Stats
Explanation:
  • At level 1 Decay is a slightly stronger nuke than Rip (98.5 as opposed to 93.75 with max units), however Rip can be used as a heal and save your ass from a lvl 1 first blood. 
  • At level 4 TombStone is quite strong and can be used to counter gank or in an early attempt for a kill where you know the fight will last for about 10-15 seconds( not likely). TombStone is also useful for saving your tower from a strong and early push.
  • Rip is taken according do the units it can count, usually in a lane with 5 creeps from each side and 4 heroes you will have 13-14 units for rip so level 3 is enough.
  • Decay level 1 is enough because the increase in the damage is too small for 20 mana and the duration and cooldown and enough for your mana pool to support.
  • Golem should be taken when possible, its quite strong and mana cost doesn't grow with levels.
  • TombStone shines at mid game so you level it to be maxed at mid for easy farming and presence at team clashes.


Item Build

Starting
  • Any combination of branches/tangoes/salves and clarities.
Core
 /  or 
  • You need all the mana you can get, urn and RoB can be skipped if someone else on your team carries one.
Luxury 

 Hp, mana, more damage amplification and you might already have the point booster. It gives you 5% more damage to your aura and fixes your mana pool.

 A simple soulbooster gives amazing hp and mana pools and you already have the energy booster from AB.

 HP, and more HP and a nice amount of hp regen makes you really unable to die and an amazing tank.

 Gives you 15 armor to boost your EHP late game and gives a big raw mana boost.

 Some more armor and mana. An active that makes you return damage back at your attackers for 5 seconds(100% pure damage). Has a short cooldown too.

 Pipe as an upgrade for hood you possibly got. It adds some armor and barrier ability; 400 spell damage shield to all your allies in 500 range. If you got hood early and your team is facing some strong Aoe, you can get this to help your team survive a bit longer.

Rejected

  • Dps/orbs, you don't have attack speed to support dps items and you rely on nukes for damage. 
 Black king bar may sound important and vital but its not. You want enemies to nuke and disable you, your spells are probably on cooldown and for auras you can be disabled. Nukes hurt more to other heroes such as your carry, if they are aimed at you, it is a good thing.



Proper usage of skills

 Decay

1.It is aoe so hitting as much heroes as you can in mandatory. Try aiming with decay to hit at least 2-3 heroes at a time in team clashes, its not rocket science and the aoe is rather large(600) and above hero range casting range(625)

2. Mana management, if your mana is low or you have generally low regen and pool; don't spam and avoid to use decay. Its better to save the mana for rip. On the other hand, if you are overflowing with mana, don't hesitate to spam decay, it stacks.

3. Don't cast decay on targets that you or your allies are not going to attack in the near future (20-30 sec), its manacost is high and most probably the strength will return to the targets before you manage to take advantage of it. However you can cast delay to buff yourself up before going into the enemy lines.

4. Especially during early game, try aiming for agility and int heroes who already got low hp and str. Followed by rip and an ally nuke it will obliterate them. Aiming at tanks like centaur and tide in most of the cases tickles them a bit and anyway- your teammates are not going to focus them. More likely they will focus a lion with -20 str.

 Rip

1.Never, ever try heal with no units nearby
Yes, it sounds silly and obvious but in the heat of battle when your teammates are screaming for a heal, it is very tempting to rip them for a puny 50 hp. Most likely they will get mad at you and call you an idiot, even though they asked for it.

2. Tombstone comes first, when you enter the battle you wont always have 10 units and 10 heroes around, even if they do, they might be too far to be counted for rip.
Always put your tombstone for extra units to rip off.

3. Rip got quite a large casting range, use it for your advantage. Kill those smart ass fleeing heroes or harass the enemies from a safe distance.

4. Avoid using rip with less than 10 units around you, the damage/heal will be too small. If you got tons of mana and know that no new creeps/units are about to arrive, go ahead and use it, it got a short cd.

5. Rip damages all the units around you for 25, its minor effect but don't forget about it.

6. Rip is more powerful as a heal than a nuke because of spell resistance.

 TombStone 

Zombie stats
  • Hp:30
  • Armor:0
  • Damage:37-45
  • Attack type: pierce
  • Movement speed: 375
  • Bounty: 5-7 gold 
  • Tomb stats
Tomb
  • Hp:150/300/450/600
  • Armor:10
  • Immune to magic
1. The thing that makes tombstone worth leveling is the increase in area of unit that are targeted, the bloodlust skill of the zombies is useful but not really worth the increase in mana.

2. You can initiate the battle with tombstone; it will start damaging your enemies and cause some confusion, if enemies choose to ignore it, you are already in an advantage in the fight. If they choose to destroy the tombstone it will give an opening for your allies and you to jump on them.
More recommended letting the real initiator like magnus or ES and place the stone in the middle of the action and most likely no one will attack it and allow to deal larges amounts of damage during early and mid game.

3. Unlike decay and rip, tombstone got a small casting range(250).
Be careful while casting it not to go too far into your enemies and die, its better to put the tombstone at 600~ range of the fight.

4. Tombstone is great for stopping pushes ( the more units come, the more zombies it summons) and not bad for pushing as long as you manage to get 2 creep waves with it.

5. During early game, tombstone is a way to counter ganks. When you see you are about to be attacked(hopefully and with a bit of luck) just place the tombstone and one of the 3 will happen; 1.they charge you and after you heal with rip, they die. 2.they wait till tombstone is over and you got a chance to escape or tp 3.They go away poor and with no success.

6. If the creep wave is about to die or hero is about to escape, don't bother using tombstone. You will just waste mana and precious cooldown.

7. Both tombstone and flesh golem got 30 sec duration, use them simultaneously. Unless you might need the slow for a long duration (60 sec)

8. Don't forget you can heal the tombstone.

 Flesh Golem 
  • Not much to say about that, pretty much click and rampage on enemy heroes.
  • Make sure you always got it at team clashes as 30% damage is lot, even if the situation is not 5v5 it is still worth activating this.
Mind Games 
  • With slight juking you can turn the tides of a battle, even just stepping back a little and coming back into the fight.
  • 3 of your skills heal you and tombstone synergies well with golem and rip. In addition, while enemy is focused on you, they ignore the little zombies whacking them.
  • Decay is potentially a 76 hp heal, doubled by hero amount.
  • Rip can heal for 0-500, combined with units, heroes and zombies its not a problem to reach full heal(25 units). 
  • Golem will make you receive abnormal amounts of heals, even if you run away from the plagued units your zombies will kill them and you will get healed. Besides, you don't have to kill the units by yourself, your allies can save you by killing units and thus healing you.


Laning And Combating

Early game
  • Dirge is better in a dual/tri lane and should not solo, he got poor early game farming ability and sticking him solo will make him worthless in mid game.
  • Actually if you lane solo against a dual or a slightly weak solo you can manage pretty fine and get some fast levels, but dual is still better because you can net some kills.
  • Good lane partners would be ranged nukers/slowers or one with summons.
  • A good example would be crystal maiden, she got a slow, a nuke+disable and a nifty mana aura.
  • Bane/Enigma/Zeus/Lina/Visage are all valid partners. 
  • Dazzle and Warlock laned with dirge is a nice lane to outlast strong double stun lanes.
  • Dirge should not be used in most of the cases as a babysitter because it will damage his mid game. If you have to babysit, make sure that you don't lane double melee. 
  • Head to your lane with your basic regen items and consider getting RoB to benefit your partner.
  • Never forget to last-hit, getting a few hits on the way is not disastrous as you can heal yourself. Don't bother denying if you know it will hurt you. Exchanging hits with a melee enemy is ok because you can heal afterwords.
  • Always manage you mana as rip is a powerful cost efficient heal that can make you stay in the lane forever.
  • When you see an opportunity, don't hesitate, nuke the hell of your enemy. At level 3 you will deal 187 damage after spell reduction with rip and another 98.5 with decay. Combined with an allied nuke and a possible slow/stun will get you the kill. If your lane partner got a long lasting slow/stun, don't hesitate placing your tombstone and charging the slowed targets.
  • Don't bother changing lanes or ganking as you can handle even the worst lane combos, you should focus your early game on getting last hits and occasionally getting a kill with your partner.
  • After your void, point booster and phase boots you are strong enough to gank or help your team by pushing and defending towers with scroll and tombstone.
Mid Game

This is where team pushes and battles will occur, you are a valuable part in the team and mid game is where Dirge shines. Rip is at its full power because of big masses of units and heroes around and all those units and heroes provide good targets for placing a tombstone and sweeping the gold. Golem also shines because your hp pool is small enough to be quickly healed by all the dying creeps, amp aura rocks as well it synergies well with those big strong aoe spells like magnus's, earth shaker's and tide's ultimates.

What to do during team fights?

It very easy, you place your tombstone at a reasonable spot, cast decay at the most crowded area, rush in the enemies with golem on,try to attract the detention and spells of your enemies as you can handle nukes pretty well, keep casting decay and rip on low hp heroes, watch the enemy team die. Don't forget to heal your teammates and block enemies to save fleeing allies if you can.[/hidden]

Late Game
  • You start losing your mighty presence and all those carries you were eating during early and mid are now packed with some high tier items and a bkb.
  • Help your team push and defend and try to end the game fast, don't forget to tank and always use tombstone when on cooldown because large waves of creeps will come.
Edited by basicdotaguide.blogspot.com
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