dota 2 guide

BIO
Born in the Bleeding Hills, Rhasta was just a starving youngling when picked up by a travelling con-man. For two pins of copper, the old con-man would tell your fortune. For three, he'd castrate your pig, for five, he'd circumcise your sons. For a good meal, he'd don his shaman garb, read from his ancient books, and lay a curse upon your enemies. His strange new youngling, part hill trowle, part...something else, worked as assistant and lent an air of the exotic to the con-man's trade.

Always one step ahead of cheated customers, one town ahead of a pursuing patronage, the two trekked across the blighted lands until one day the con-man realized that the little youngling could actually do what he only pretended at. His ward had a gift-a gift that customers valued. And so the youngling Rhasta was thrust before the crowds, and the trade-name Shadow Shaman was born. The two continued from town to town, conjuring for money as Shadow Shaman's reputation grew. Eventually, the pair's duplicitous past caught up with them, and they were ambushed by a mob of swindled ex-clients. The con-man was slain, and for the first time, Rhasta used his powers for darkness, massacring the attackers. He buried his beloved master, and now uses his powers to destroy any who would seek to do him harm.

INTRODUCTION
Shadow Shaman is one of the best support hero in Dota. With 2 disables, 1 nuke, and his ultimate (Multiple Wards), Rhasta become a very strong support to disable enemy in the teamfight also one of the best hero in pushing-counterpushing with his Multiple Wards and Lightning nuke.
STATS

ABILITIES
1. Ether Shock
Creates a cone of ethereal energy that strikes multiple enemy units.
Originally used to open shows with the travelling con-man, Rhasta's lightning display shocks adversaries in more ways than one.
This skill is Rhasta's underrated skill. Actually, I think this skill is pretty good skill with a decent damage and a multiple targetted spell.
A very good speel for harassing the enemy and can also destroy a wave of creep. 320 damage on early game will ensure a god damn damage on your foes and can easily kills the enemy.

2. Hex
Transforms an enemy unit into a harmless creature, disabling their attacks and abilities.
Rhasta often ended performances by turning himself into a chicken - now, the humiliation is shared.
Hex is one of the best Dota's disable. Your target become a chicken and can't do anything in the duration so your team can harass the target and kill him.

3. Shackles
CHANNELED - Magically binds an enemy unit so that it cannot move or attack, while dealing damage over time.
A self-defense incantation, Rhasta developed shackles after his master was slain in the Bleeding Hills.
A long disable while you must stand still while shackling the target. This skill will make your team have the time to harass and kill the shackled target.

4. Mass Serpent Ward
Summons 8 serpent wards to attack enemy units and structures. The wards are immune to magic, and have a small area of splash damage that increases per level. Upgradable by Aghanim's Scepter.
Snake charming was a big part of the Shadow Shaman's act; now Rhasta can empower the snakes to do his bidding.
This wards is very useful for pushing or counter pushing. With the massive damage output from the wards, you can:
1. Destroys enemy's tower quickly
2. Defend your tower from the enemy's push
3. Give some damage in the teamfight.
But unfortunately, your wards gives some bounty to the enemy who destroy it.

SKILLBUILD
Level 1: Ether Shock
Level 2: Shackles
Level 3: Ether Shock
Level 4: Hex
Level 5: Ether Shock
Level 6: Mass Serpent Ward
Level 7: Ether Shock
Level 8: Shackles
Level 9 : Hex
Level 10: Shackles
Level 11: Mass Serpent Ward
Level 12: Hex
Level 13: Shackles
Level 14: Hex
Level 15: Stats
Level 16: Mass Serpent Ward
Level 17-25: Stats

Why maxed Ether Shock first?  With the high damage on early game, you need this to get some early kills.

And then you need to increase Shackle and Hex.
Those 2 skills is your main disables and very useful in the teamfight and ganking,
It's up to you whether you prefer Hex or Shackle, or balance between Hex and Shackle.

STRATEGY
Early Game
Rhasta is one of the best support hero in the game, I think it will be wise if you save your money for courier and wards. Courier and wards will benefit the whole team and make sure your team can survive through the whole game because you can get your item delivered by courier and because you can watch the fogged map via Observer Wards so your team can be save from enemy's gank.
On early game, if you are the solo-mid hero, you should fight with the enemy's solo-mid. Be careful and keep focusing on the last hits. If you increse the Ether Shock first, you can harass your opponent and make him more careful about you and he cannot savely get the farms. Once you get your ultimate, you can roam and gank enemies.
You can also play Rhasta as a supportive non-mid hero which you should support your partner to make sure he can farm in your lane. maybe you can help him by denying the creeps, don't last hits too often because it will delay your friend's farm. You can also initiate a gank by using Shackle of the Hex so your partner can easily harass your target.

Mid Game
Mid game is your time to shine, with the maximum damage of Ether Shock you can harass all enemies in the teamfight with maximum damage, or with your Shackle and Hex you can initiate a gank or can disable enemy target in a teamfight And because Shackles requires you to channel the skill for several second, this skill order is the last skill to cast of your 4 skills.. And with your wards you can deal tons of damage in the teamfight.

If you fight enemies near their tower, place the wards in the place that it can attack the tower after you win the teamfight, remember that ward deal tons of damage to the tower. Wards can also be used to trap 1 target inside it, it will be painful to the target because he can't run for a long time and constantly harassed by the wards.

Also remember to buy the Observer Wards to support the team. You can place the ward in the uphill near the rune.

And because you have 2 disables, you can be a roamer to help your friend all around the map, gank enemies and get many kills.
Late Game
In the late game, your presence become more crucial for the team, you have 2 disables, so you become the initiator for your team. You can do it by jumping using  a dagger and then hex a target so your partners can come and dominate the teamfight. In Dota, the one that initiate a teamfight, have the higher chance to win the teamfight. Be careful and watch closely where your target it, press the hex button quickly and win the teamfight by initiating the teamfight,

Double Hex?
Because you already have a natural hex skill, if you buy a Sheepstick or a Refresher Orb, you can double the hex and have more disables in the teamfight.

Double all the skills
With the Refresher Orb, you can use all your skill twice. And the most of it, is a double Serpent Wards, it will deal a massive damage to the tower or in the teamfight.

ITEMS BUILD

BIO
In the Acid Jungles of Jidi Isle, poison runs in the veins and bubbles in the guts of every creature that scuttles, climbs or swoops between fluorescent vines dripping with caustic sap. Yet even in this toxic menagerie, Venomancer is acknowledged as the most venomous. Ages ago, an Herbalist named Lesale crossed the Bay of Fradj by coracle, searching for potent essences that might be extracted from bark and root, and found instead a nightmare transformation. Two leagues into Jidi's jungle, Lesale encountered a reptile camouflaged as an epiphyte, which stung him as he mistakenly plucked it. In desperation, he used his partial knowledge of the jungle's herbal bounty, mixing the venom of the (swiftly throttled) reptile with the nectar of an armored orchid, to compound an antidote. In the moments before a black paralysis claimed him completely, he injected himself by orchid-thorn, and instantly fell into a coma. Seventeen years later, something stirred in the spot where he had fallen, throwing off the years' accumulation of humus: Venomancer. Lesale the Herbalist no longer-but Lesale the Deathbringer. His mind was all but erased, and his flesh had been consumed and replaced by a new type of matter-one fusing the venom of the reptile with the poisonous integument of the orchid. Jidi's Acid Jungles knew a new master, one before whom even the most vicious predators soon learned to bow or burrow for their lives. The lurid isle proved too confining, and some human hunger deep in the heart of the Venomancer drove Lesale out in search of new poisons-and new deaths to bring.

INTRODUCTION
Venomancer is Poison. He is a hero that uses poison in many ways. His normal attack is a poison. He have a slower-ganking skill taht is a poison. And his ultimate: is the strongest poison in DotA, if the enemies doesn't have a -spell damage. This skill will reduece this HP to almost death, but unfortunately, this skill cannot kills enemies, it jusr leave the enemy with 1 HP.  And his other skill, is summoning a small ward, but can't summon many wards and it will become strong because of it's large number. Usually, people pick this hero to become a support-warder because he doesn't need lots of farm to become strong. Venomancer, the most deadly poison caster in DotA.
STATS

ABILITIES
1. Venomous Gale
Launches a ball of venom in a line, poisoning enemy units so that they take both initial damage and damage over time, as well as suffering slowed movement. Venomous Gale deals damage every 3 seconds over its duration.
A concoction of various stings, poisons, and toxins gathered from the jungles of Jidi Isle, victims surviving it are rare.
This is your main skill for slowing and harassing your enemy on early-mid game. 50% slow is the best early game lvl.1 slow on this game. With this skill, stealing firstblood is quite easy for your team, all you need to do is casting this skill on a target and harass him until he death. He cannot run because the slow movement speed is sjust too much for a hero to handle.
Not just the best slow on early game, this skill also does a decent damage for early game harassment. So, firstblood hunter is your job because of this skill.
You become a strong laner because of this skill, because if the enemy is struck with this skill, he should run or he will feel your harassment.

2. Poison Sting
Adds poison damage to Venomancer's normal attacks, slowing movement speed.
The paralytic sting of the creature which caused his transformation now belongs to the Venomancer.
This is one of your harassing skill, with this buff, your normal attack will contain poison that will deal damage per second and slowing the target.
You become one of the best harasser with this skill. Your attack become full of poison. Your enemy can't last hits properly because they will always harassed by your attack.

3. Plague Ward
Summons a plague ward to attack enemy units and structures. The ward is immune to magic.
A mixture of his old herbalist talents and newfound toxic mastery creates a living embodiment of plague.
Summon ward that will attack the enemy. You can call 1 ward every 5 seconds. You must accumulate the wards to become useful. You need to call many wards to deal lots of damage to your opponent.
This ward is very effective for pushing or counter-pushing. Tower will be destroyed quickly using this ward. Creeps wave will be destroyed quickly using this ward.

4. Poison Nova
A spreading ring of poison that does damage over time to enemy units around Venomancer. Poison Nova's effect cannot bring units below 1 HP. Upgradable by Aghanim's Scepter.
In the Acid Jungles, creatures releasing noxious poison to their attackers is common; Venomancer spreads this plague beyond the Jidi Isle.
This is one of the scariest AoE skill in DotA. Every hero that struck with this skill, will receive lots of damage per second until their Hp becomes very low. But unfortunately, this skill cannot kill a hero, this skill will leave the hero with 1 HP and will stop dealing damages. The damage is so high so everyone should run after get exposed by the poison except they have magic immunity or have Pipe's shield, or high magic resist.
You can gank with just 2-3 heroes and win against 5 heroes if this skill can deal maximum damage to all enemy.

SKILLBUILD
1. Full Harassing - Ganking Build
This build is focused on Venomous Gale and Poison Sting to harass enemies on early-mid game. With these 2 skills maxed on early game, you will get the maximum harassing potential to control the lane so your enemy cannot farm in your lane.
Level 1: Venomous Gale
Level 2: Poison Sting
Level 3: Venomous Gale
Level 4: Poison Sting
Level 5: Venomous Gale
Level 6: Poison Nova
Level 7: Venomous Gale
Level 8: Poison Sting
Level 9 : Poison Sting
Level 10: Plague Ward
Level 11: Poison Nova
Level 12: Plague Ward
Level 13: Plague Ward
Level 14: Plague Ward
Level 15: Stats
Level 16: Poison Nova
Level 17-25: Stats

Why take Venomous Gale for level 1? Venomous Gale is the best slowing skill on level 1. You will need this to slows the enemy to get the firstblood or at least harass them.
Or to escape if enemy wants to get firstblood by killing you, you should slowing them so they can't attack you.

Why maxed Venomous Gale first?  This is your main nuke, you will need this for ganking, farming, and killing or early mid-game.

Why maxed Poison Sting before Plague Ward? Because this is a full harassing build, you need Poison Sting better than Plague Ward because the poison from your attack is essential to give poison while you attacks the enemy. So max Poison Sting before Plague Ward for maximum harassment.

1. Pusher-CounterPush Build
This build is focuses on Plague Ward for pushing or counter-pushing.
Level 1: Venomous Gale
Level 2: Plague Ward
Level 3: Plague Ward
Level 4: Venomous Gale / Poison Sting
Level 5: Plague Ward
Level 6: Poison Nova 
Level 7: Plague Ward
Level 8: Poison Sting / Venomous Gale
Level 9 :  Venomous Gale
Level 10: Venomous Gale
Level 11: Poison Nova
Level 12: Poison Sting
Level 13: Poison Sting
Level 14: Poison Sting
Level 15: Stats
Level 16: Poison Nova
Level 17-25: Stats

Why take Venomous Gale for level 1? Venomous Gale is the best slowing skill on level 1. You will need this to slows the enemy to get the firstblood or at least harass them.
Or to escape if enemy wants to get firstblood by killing you, you should slowing them so they can't attack you.

Why maxed Plague Ward first?  Because of this is a push-counter_push build, you need the pushing power from your wards. Massive wards deal massive damage to creep waves and tower. You can destroy tower quickly with the wards.

Why maxed Venomous Gale before Poison Sting? The rule of DotA: Nukes for early game, physical damage for late game.  Venomous Gale is a nuke that will  deal more damage on early-mid game. And Poison Sting is for physical attacks that will be the main source of damages for mid-late game.