DOTA 2 Playstyle - Broodmother

Personally, I'm the type of player that is equally comfortable in intense clashes, ambushing from d shadows for the kill or just spamming magic endlessly, provided I've got the feel for how that particular character is played.

That being said, my current favorite has to be Broodmother, Black Arachnia. I just love how the character can start from ambusher to full fledged tank later in the game with the right items.

I'll do a brief explanation of the skills below.

Skill 1 - Inject Spiderling

A ranged skill that deals decent damage. If used as a finisher, it instantly spawns a skill-level-based number of spiderlings from the corpse. Not only that, the spawned spiderlings has a passive ability that allows spiderites to spawn from any enemy they managed to infect before that enemy dies. Their slow is also a good method of taking down fast enemies. This skill is good to take down that fleeing hero with low hp, or it can be used to bolster your creep wave with sum expendable creeps.

Skill 2 - Spawn Web

My personal favorite. A stationary web is spawned at an area. The effects of the web is that it confers increased health regen and move speed to Broodmother the moment she enters the webs area of effect. Not only that, it also confers invisibility at a 3 sec delay fade time. It should be noted that the area coverage is large enough that you can harass and escape easily. Another bonus? The web also grants sight of the area it is spawned on until the web is removed. Meaning? Perpetual vision or the next thing to it anyway. The downside is that you're only allowed a certain number of webs capping at 8 at the max skill level.

Skill 3 - Poison
This skill is useful only if you have the capability to do massive and fast damage. It basically applies a debuff to enemies that slows their movements and also applies a chance to miss on attacks. Both movement speed and miss ratio are dependent on the skill level. With fast move and attack speed, you can chase down enemies and make them pay for their temerity in fighting you.
Note - It used to be that this skill has a damage per second effect, but it got taken out since that gave Broodmother too much an advantage in harassing attacks.

Skill 4 - Insatiable Hunger

Powers up Black Arachnia with massive damage and lifesteal attacks for the spell duration. For me, its only useful in situations where you have fast attack speeds to make full of the limited time duration. However, with enough attack speed and damage, you can turn Black Arachnia into a tank with this skil since the lifesteal will allow you to heal any damage taken.

Gameplay

For me, using this character makes me chooses the cowardly playstyle that strikes from the shadows for the kill. Hence, my first skill certainly Web and a Null Talisman as a starting item since I tend to spam skills for last hits.

Right after hero spawn and game starts, I'll head to my chosen lane, usually top or bottom coz I usually hate mid, and immediately spawn 2 webs at strategic sites that lets me monitor clashes from the shadows. For the first six levels, I'll just focus on taking last hits, denying and harassing. Whenever possible, I'll go for the kill, but thats rare unless the enemy is a noob or careless or my teammates are signaling a gank.

DOTA 2 Access Granted

Well, lucky me. Seems like I got a free pass for DOTA 2 today. =D
Considering I applied like somewhere around middle of October (Coz I remember seeing weird Halloween ads during application) its real fast.. Tho I did forget I applied lol.. So seeing a free access in my steam account was a happy surprise I have to say.

Am in the process of downloading it as we speak, So once I have it up and running, I'll give it a go and maybe, just maybe, if my imagination's fired up from it, I'll write up a story line based on my gameplay.. That reminds me.. Have to check out match replay availability.. Cant get the meat of the story if I cant grab the highlights of the matches right? =D

So cheers,

And if the devs are reading, THANKS FOR THE FREE PASS!!!

XCOM EU Endgame

Aite.. Just a small update.. I've finished My XCOM.

Yeah, I know its quiet late considering XCOM came out like early October, but let me explain. I got distracted trying to get that win with a perfect continent (meaning a win with 0 country pulled out) that I wound up restarting the dang thing over and over again. Its was quite a while with me trying to figure out how d heck I do that. I even ended up restarting 6 times since each time I tried to save all continent instead of letting one die, I ended losing far more than I expected.. Seriously, I forgot that bout XCOM. The need to be callous and ruthless enough to let one of the dependent continents DIE..   >.<'

So today I got tired of the failed attempts and just went ahead and finished the game on my first game save. the first game sequence. Coz I actually only needed to Assault the last base before winning, but that OCD bout perfect win cost me the chance to ACTUALLY WIN FASTER... >.<'
Being anal has it bad points..

So anyway, went ahead n assaulted the last base and there u have it.. I won..
An expected result, seeing as it isnt so hard. And I played like a wuss.. Always doing bounding overwatch of 2 advancers and 4 overwatch in case of ambush..

So cheers, I'll put a continuation of the XCOM Diaries soon.

Thanks for following

XCOM Diaries - The Beginning

**** Records Obtained With Permission From Colonel Mayunde ****
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Records are to be treated as 'Classified Level - Confidential' and used for briefing purposes only
****
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Dissemination of records prior to declassification will be dealt with pursuant to Executive Order 13526 (Pending any superseding Executive Orders) in the US and Official Secrets Act in the UK
****

Flight Inbound to AoE

It's a nerve-wrecking ride. It feels like a total nightmare. Yesterday we were safe and sure in the knowledge that we're the most powerful beings on this planet. Ignorance sure is bliss. Then along came the meteor showers. Thing is, it WASN'T a meteor shower. The bastards were clever and cunning enough to disguise their orbital entry as meteor showers. Only after their drop pods went down in populated area did we start to have an inkling that we're under some sort of invasion. Amidst the panic and chaos, one report stands out. The aliens were ABDUCTING civillians! Due to the situation, the XCOM Project was activated from sleeper status and I was pulled from my force, my recruitment long ago made and accepted as contigencies for situations such as this.


Dropzone at AoE

Seems we're dropping off at Glasgow, UK. Makes sense. Since our base is just off of Germany, cleaning up our nearby backyard first would be easier compared to OPS in the US or Asia. At first sight, the scene looks to be a deserted town. On closer look, it conveys a sense of despair and desolation. Isn't that a doll lying on the floor? And that corpse. So mangled beyond recognition you would't know it (sex unable to be ascertained) was a copper if not for d fact that its lying dead in a cop car with the shredded remnants of its uniform all around it.

Advancing slowly into the AoE, we kept our eyes peeled. Keeping to the ole bounding overwatch routine works well, since we're just 4 at the moment. 2 of us would advance slowly while the other 2 would just cover us and when we're in position, we'll return the favor. No visuals of the bastards. Always that skittering sound, always that faint whisper, but nary a sight at all. Almost makes me think we're fighting ole Anansi himself.
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Commentary - Anansi is a West African deity specialising in tricks, much as Loki served the same function among the Norse Mythology.
****

Suddenly a crash! Seems like the bastards are careless. Wait? Whats that round grey thing running off?

Enemy Contact!!!!
Herr Klein let loose a volley. But seems like her nerves got the better of her.

Then, my chance came up. Snapped my sights at it, and with a muttered prayer, took my shot

Time seemed to stop. The bullet took it in the head sending it flopping around. The gun or whatever it was carrying fell off its hand and suddenly blew into tiny pieces. Seems like dead aliens don't give up their secrets easily. Bet Dr. Vahlen would be happy to get her hands on this thing's dead body though. After watching that one die, we're more confident knowing they CAN die. After trading a few more shots, with some cars and walls getting demolished in the process, we managed to clear off the AoE.

To Be Continued....

Change

Pardon to all, but I have changed my account name.. seems that the e-mail for the previous account was hacked and as such, I deem it a liability to use. So I have changed emails with the result being a name change for authors. However, it's still me writing. Just from a different email link.. Dang those hackers..

Anyway, will update soon on the T.R. chronicles if I can manage to get my ads up and running again.

Aeon Of Storms - Chronicles of Tiberius Rancor Part 2

The battle continues unabated.

With the death of Erekul, the Protoss team have gained an edge. As such, Tiberius and Leo continues to fight relentlessly against the incoming Zerg horde.

However, Tiberius spies a familiar shape lumbering behind the new wave. He recognizes that beastly shape that radiates firepower.

"TANK WAVE INCOMING!!" screams Tiberius into the shared comm channel.
"Roger", "Aye", "Bleep" came back the chorus of reply.
Fighting on with furious determination, Tiberius proceeds to take shots at the tank armour's weaker platings, all the while dodging the tank's clumsy counterfire. During this exchange, the enemy champions stride forth, and lo, he spies that Erekul has been returned once more to the fray.

Suddenly he realizes that Leo has disappeared. Sparing only a thought for the Predator-bot, he continues his furious assault. It was then that he saw the shape of Leo behind the enemy champions! The Predator-bot has flanked the battlefield in a brave show of reckless courage. However, Tiberius realizes that courage itself isn't enough for his friend. He proceeds to fire away at Erekul while Leo attacks from behind, even thought Tiberius is certain that Leo won't survive this reckless charge.
He was not disappointed. Or rather, he was disappointed to be right.

Determined not to waste Leo's death, Tiberius gives chase.

"Firebase Zeta! Request clearance for Shadow-Mimic cloak system!" he screams into the comm
"Roger Ghost Alpha, clearance granted. Take them from the shadows!"
"Aye, I intend to do just that!"

Having obtained clearance, he activates the cloak and proceeds to hound the badly wounded Erekul. However, an elemental signal catches his attention. It seems that Mandrake has decided to join the fray! Tiberius could only watch as Mandrake proceeds to flare with power and leaps on Erekul! This burning is more than Erekul could stand and as such, he survives not.

However, it is not yet over. With his comrade dead, Chuck tries to make an escape from Mandrake, not realizing Tiberius is watching from the shadows. Realizing this, Tiberius proceeds to take aim. He will not be denied. Though his hands shudder with wounds, he steadily aims towards Chuck. He gives a signal to Mandrake to charge, and charge he did! Leaping with glorious abandon on Chuck, Mandrake proceeds to flay the life off of him. Not leaving anything to chance, Tiberius lets loose his lockdown bullet, stunning the poor soul, and doing so, sealing his fate of a fiery death at the hands of Mandrake.

To be continued

Aeon Of Storms - Chronicles of Tiberius Rancor Part 1

In retrospect, calling in a nuclear strike at that time wasn't the best thing to do after all.

Tiberius Rancor is his name. A former Terran Dominion Ghost that was discharged *note: the files say discharged, though in actual truth the Terran Dominion tried their darnest to eliminate him* for being too agressive and bloodthirsty even by the Dominion's standards. He is a mercenary, pure and simple. He does things for the highest bidder and for a chance to get rich and indulge in his extreme bloodlust, he will even engage in the gladiatorial match known as 'Aeon of Storms'.

A curious thing it is. An invitation sent to various numbers of individuals and not-so-individuals *BioTron comes to mind seeing as how he is a perpetual pack of infesteds* to engage and battle in the arena. The battles are fatal, yet the sponsors, which are quite shady, has promised immortality in that so long as the battle rages, all participants will not die a True Death. The clause in the battle contract is that participants may die and be resurrected after a set amount of time.

However, Tiberius banishes all those thoughts away from the task at hand. He notes the comrades for this particular bout. Voltron Leo, the prototype Predator hunter killer robot. Mandrake, the fiery incarnation of an elemental power. Germinus Boros, the former Zer'Atai Templar who has sworn to hunt his fallen brother. And Tychus Findlay, the former comrade of Raynor prior to his assasination attempt of the de-zergified Kerrigan. Dismissing all the others except Leo from consideration, Tiberius sets off to defend the eastern road.

"Firebase Zeta to Ghost Alpha, you are cleared for a single upgrade of your weapons and armor specs. Your choice? Over" bleeps the comm.
"Roger Firebase, request upgrade of standard Vindicator rifle to the rapid fire Persecutor sniper rifle."
"Roger Ghost Alpha, request noted and cleared. Give em hell!"
Tiberius only grins darkly inside his visor, thinking that he intends to do just that.

Arriving at the eastern junction, he notes that Leo is already poised to kill the mercenaries at the edge. Thinking that he might as well join the fun, Tiberius lifts his rifle and fires at the mercenaries just as Leo pounces. After a few well aimed shots and frantic counter fire, the mercenaries are dead.

After a short while, Tiberius sees in the horizon both the reinforcing zealots and stalkers, and the hostile roaches and hydralisks. He is again struck by how powerful the sponsors are that they can use the Protoss and Zerg, the 2 most powerful species, as mere canon fodder in this arena. Noting that there are no targets of worth, he proceeds to take well aimed shots at the zealots while Leo jumps and pounces at them.

Whithin a while, He sees the arrival of the enemy champions, Chuck T-Bone and Erekul Sartonis. Chuck, a Tauren in space, and Erekul, an infested high templar. Both are worthy opponents. He chuckles and proceeds to take shots at them while Leo hounds them. However, surprising both of them, Chuck and Erekul proceeds to take the fight to them and pushes them back to the defensive tower! This is most certainly not the way to handle this!

Furious at the temerity of the enemy champions, Tiberius weaves in and out among the fighters, all the while shooting at them. Suddenly, Leo pounces on Erekul and proceeds to attack with reckless abandon. Seizing the opening provided, Tiberius takes aim with his rifle. His breathing slowed, his arms frozen, nerves taut, he sights Erekul in his scopes. Time slowed as to seem almost as if it stops. He slowly presses the trigger. And everything explodes back in motion! The sight of the lockdown bullet travelling the space between. The expression on Chuck's face as he realizes his comrade is lost. The resigned fury on Erekul's face. All these provide a healthy amount of amusement to Tiberius, just as the bullet arrives at the target and with a flash of lockdown, Erekul has died once in this battle.

To Be Continued