Ringmaster Guide – How to Carry Mid and Support
We waited.
Almost a year after the announcement, Valve finally released Ringmaster ! The hero, like Muerta, did not turn out to be a fierce imba at the start (as was the case with Primal Beast and Marcy), he is being picked and actively tested everywhere.
We have made a general guide on how to play Ringmaster now. As the meta changes, this guide will be updated.
What position to play?
The hero has 2 good nukes, a subsave and an ultimate with control and high damage. Thanks to the innate ability, Ringmaster alternately owns:
- with a leap like Zeus;
- a strength buff for an ally that works as a healer;
- and an illusion that can only be useful for scouting.
Therefore, the best role for Ringmaster is support-four, professionals prefer this position. The hero can be support-five, and even mid. But in the latter case, you will have to endure not the most pleasant animation of the attack, and in the late game suffer from a lack of stats. Carry and offline are not suitable – the hero simply does not fulfill the tasks set for these positions.
Description of skills
A brief introduction to skills:
- 1st: After a 1 second delay, hits the ground with a whip. The skill is very similar to Leshrac’s stun, only with fear instead of stunning and BP’s Powershot damage without any reductions. A very strong ability, but requires either a setup or proper accuracy and anticipation of the enemy’s next moves.
- 2nd: Book of the Shadows lasting from 2 to 3.2 seconds, only without dispel and bound to an area with a radius of 500. If a teammate in the “box” goes outside the area, the effect will disappear. But the “box” protects against slows by 100% and against magic damage by 50/60/70/80%. Excellent subsave!
- 3rd: Dagger, thrown roughly like Mirana’s arrow, flies faster, but slows down significantly for 0.8 seconds instead of stun. Upon impact, deals 75 damage and applies bleeding for 4 seconds with damage based on the victim’s maximum health. The ability has 1/2/3/4 charges. With due skill, it serves as a setup for the first ability.
- Ultimate: Launches a Wonder Wheel at the target location, dealing damage over time and slowing all enemies within a 600 radius. The Wheel hypnotizes enemy heroes who look at it for longer than 0.5 seconds. The first hypnosis activates an explosion timer, which after 2.75/3/3.25 seconds deals heavy damage in the area of effect. The hypnosis lasts until the wheel explodes.
- Shard Ability: Summons a spotlight beam that travels across the target area, revealing enemies’ invisibility and causing them to miss with a 30% chance. Illusions in the beam gradually fade, losing a percentage of their maximum health every second. Only useful against illusionists.
When an enemy hero dies nearby, Ringmaster gains one of three Carnival Favors. If the hero already has an unused Favor, new ones continue to accumulate as ability charges. If there are no Favors upon respawn, Ringmaster will receive one for free. The same Favor cannot drop twice in a row.
- Whoopie Cushion: Works like Zeus’ leap. Leaves a stink cloud that slows enemies. Useful personal escape.
- Strongman Tonic: temporarily increases the strength of the selected allied hero. Already at level 3 gives 280 health due to strength, which after 8 seconds will turn into 180 healed health points. At level 8 – already 500 health due to strength, by the end of the effect we heal for about 350 units. Powerful buff!
- Funhouse Mirror: Creates an illusion of Ringmaster for 18 seconds, with the same stats as Manta. Doesn’t pose much of a threat, since the hero has poor stat growth. The weakest souvenir, only useful for scouting.
Build-up and talents
The most optimal build now is 4-0-2-1, then take the “box” in 1 at level 8. Depending on the situation, you can take the second skill at level 4, but 2 dagger charges look stronger. With the first maxed and daggers in 2, we inflict huge damage both on the line and in the game.
Talents:
- On the 10th: “75 to the radius of Tame the Beasts.”
- On 15th: “Immune to effects when swinging Tame the Beasts.”
- On level 20: “+75/300 to Tame the Beasts min/max damage.”
- On the 25th: “Strong dispel and free movement from Escape Art.”
Items
Initial purchase for support: two Branches, Grenade, Circlet + Fairy or Sticks, 2 packs of Tango and Sentry. Observer depending on the situation.
For mid: three Branches, Circlet, a pack of Tango, Observer. For the first money – Bottle.
First we bring Nullik. After all, our hero is an intovik, and he really needs mana. Ringmaster’s procast is very expensive, so we always pack Arcana. Then – according to the situation.
If everything is generally clear about support items, then it is worth clarifying a little about the gear when playing for yourself or in the mid:
- Rod of Atos is the best item for the setup. It’s easy to pull off the Rod of Atos – Impalement Arts – Wheel of Wonder – Tame The Beasts combo.
- Ethereal Blade – an alternative option with increased damage, but not as stable. It is assembled from the useful Lens, which works on all Ringmaster buttons.
- Meteor Hammer – only for the combo with the ultimate. Builds around a very nice Kaya, but overall not recommended, Sange and Kaya looks like a better option.
- Hex – extra control and mana are never a bad thing!
- Octarine Core – lots of mana, lots of HP, reduces the cooldowns of all our buttons, including Impalement Arts charges. Great!
Gameplay
On the lane, the first skill is very convenient for finishing off the ranged, as well as scaring off opponents in order to deny your creeps. If the core can finish off the ranged himself, we try to hit enemy heroes with the whip. With the receipt of the 2nd level, this can be easily done, having previously hit the enemy with the 3rd skill. Yes, if you still haven’t figured it out, both of the hero’s nukes are skillshots. You either hit or you don’t. If an ally on the lane has a stun or a slow, great, you can make frags! With the received souvenirs, we become even stronger and consolidate the advantage on the lane.
In the game, we gank enemies, hold our position in teamfights, save teammates second, use souvenirs for their intended purpose. We combine daggers with a whip, and a whip with an ultimate. A small trick – if the opponent is looking at you, put a wheel behind his back, throw a dagger at him and then hit him with a whip. The enemy will turn to face the wheel out of fear and be hypnotized.
It’s time to register a public page on a new hero!
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