DotA Guides: Guide To The Magnataur, Magnus

1.0 Hero Introduction

Magnataur mainly fills in two roles in a team, Support and semi-carry. He can turn the tide with his ultimate and a quick cleave, he can control a lane with his many shockwave, he can buff his own damage or allies damage to a highly unreasonable buff.

1.1 Hero Stats

Base stats:
Strength (Primary): 21 +2.75/level
Agility: 15 +1.8/level
Intelligence: 17 +1.65/level
Affiliation: Neutral
Base Damage: 49-61
Base Armor: 4.1
Base Movespeed: 315
Attack range: 100 (Melee)

1.2 Pro's and Con's
Pro's
-His Shockwave is so spammable so its very viable for pushing, harrassing, even last hiting.
-He can push like nobodies business
-He can turn the tide of a battle with hit ultimate
-His stun can go up to 4 second 0.0
-He has epic damage
-He can cleave very well
-Good Strength
-decent stat gain on Agility and Intelligence
-He can buff his allies

Con's
-Hes huge so he is a big target
-Purge can be bothersome

1.3 Skills and Comments

Shockwave
A wave of force ripples out from the Hero, causing damage to land units in a line.
All levels: 90 mana, 150 aoe, 850 distance, 500 casting range
Level 1: 75 damage, 11 second cool-down
Level 2: 150 damage, 10 second cool-down
Level 3: 225 damage, 9 second cool-down
Level 4: 300 damage, 8 second cool-down
Notes: This is very spammable because of the low cost, low cool-down. It can net you a kill early game and also allow you to control your lane perfectly.

Empower
Increases attack damage for a friendly unit.
All levels: 30 mana, 12 second cool-down, 500 casting range, 30 second duration.
Level 1: 15% increase
Level 2: 30% increase
Level 3: 45% increase
Level 4: 60% increase
Notes: This is what makes Magnataur able to support and semi-carry. It can make anyone that relies on their attack super strong including yourself.

Mighty Swing
Magnus' halberd swings in a mighty arc, damaging all enemies in a fairly wide circle. Targets beside the primary take less damage.
All levels: 250 aoe cleave, passive
Level 1: 12.5% cleaved
Level 2: 25% cleaved
Level 3: 37.5% cleaved
Level 4: 50% cleaved
Notes: Completely stacks with Battlefury, combines well with ultimate, damage is pure.

Reverse Polarity
Through some unknown property of matter, the Magnataur sucks all nearby enemies to a location in front of him and stuns them with a powerful slam, dealing damage.
All levels: 410 aoe.
Level 1: 2 second stun, 150 damage, Mana cost 200, 120 second Cool-down
Level 2: 3 second stun, 225 damage, Mana cost 250, 110 second Cool-down
Level 3: 4 second stun, 300 damage, Mana cost 300, 100 second Cool-down
Notes: Enemies pulled in will be possitioned infront of Magnataur. Works on magical immune target.

2.0 Skill Build

Magnataur early game focuses on just Shockwave all his other skill are almost useless. As middle-game comes he starts building all his other skills.

1. Shockwave
2. Stat Bonus
3. Shockwave
4. Stat Bonus
5. Shockwave
6. Reverse Polarity
7. Shockwave
8. Stat Bonus
9. Stat Bonus
10. Stat Bonus
11. Reverse Polarity
12. Empower
13. Empower
14. Empower
15. Empower
16. Reverse Polarity
17. Mighty Swing
18. Mighty Swing
19. Mighty Swing
20. Mighty Swing
21. Stat Bonus
22. Stat Bonus
23. Stat Bonus
24. Stat Bonus
25. Stat Bonus

2.1 Skill Build Justification
The reason for the early game Stat Bonus and early game Shockwave is simple, you don't need anything else. Every other skill except for your ultimate requires you to be in late-game for viable usage. So instead of leveling up the skills and letting waste you give Stat Bonus that will benefit you a lot in spamming Shockwave and leveling.

As middle-game comes Empower starts getting useful so it is maxed there. Use it to buff yourself and others. As allies get stronger in attack Empower only gets stronger.

When all that is finished you start getting Mighty Swing it really starts getting good, because of your base damage is getting higher and Empower is buffing you higher. So combining all your skills you just by yourself will dominate a few people, with a team behind you, the game will end quickly.

3.0 Item Build

3.1 Item Build One (Normal)

Starting Items

1x Empty Bottle (600g)

After Starting Items

1x Boots of Speed (500g)

1x Kelen's Dagger (2150g)

1x Ring of Health (875g) + 1x Void Stone (875g) = Perserverance (1750g)

Scroll of Town Portal (135g) Try to keep one in your inventory unless your inventory is full with absolutely needed stuff.

Boots of Speed (500g) + Gloves of Haste (500g) + Belt of Giant Strength (450g) + Power Treads Recipe (400g) = Power Treads (Str) (1850g)

What your items could look like after this

Luxury
These have to be gotten in this order because they ordered by importantness.

Armlet of Mordiggian

It helps you make more burst damage. Toggle it on whenever your trying to kill someone. Also when escaping it will boost your life higher if toggled on. Note the degeneration from toggle.

Battle Fury

Turn your Perserverance into this. 80% cleave while a 4 second stun is going and everyone is in front of you is priceless. Also gives mana regeneration which you really need.

At this point sell your bottle it won't help much.

Satanic

This makes you a crazy tank! Also when going 1v1 your high damage plus 150% lifesteal spell from this makes you invulnerable....

Buriza-Do Kyanon

High Damage meets criticals. This can give you up too 1k criticals. An awesome item for Magnataur.

What your items could look like after this

3.2 Item Build One (Normal) Justification

This item build is what Magnataur needs. A little bit of everything. DPS, Blink, IAS, Lifesteal, Tankability, Mana regen. Perfect for Magnataur.

3.3 Item Build Two (Support)

Starting Items

1x Empty Bottle (600g)

After Starting Items

1x Boots of Speed (500g)

1x Kelen's Dagger (2150g)

1x Ring of Health (875g) + 1x Void Stone (875g) = Perserverance (1750g)

Scroll of Town Portal (135g) Try to keep one in your inventory unless your inventory is full with absolutely needed stuff.

Boots of Speed (500g) + Gloves of Haste (500g) + Belt of Giant Strength (450g) + Power Treads Recipe (400g) = Power Treads (Str) (1850g)

What your items could look like after this

Luxury
These have to be gotten in this order because they ordered by importantness.

Vladmir's Offering

Your gonna need this for farming and mana regen.

Shiva's Guard

Use this when your stun is about to end. This slows them down hurts them. This equals no escape.

At this point sell your bottle, it is of no use anymore.

Battle Fury

It gives nice Mana regen, 80% cleave is scary when you have a 4 second stun AND a slow down.

Refresher Orb

8 second stun is scary for any team. Any team with eyes would be scared of this scary disable. LAST ITEM

What your items could look like after this

3.4 Item Build Two (Support) Justification

This is a full on support build. It is not meant to be able to dominate a game but if you have a really hard damage/carry like Mortred you would use this because Mortred would farm and you would be defending.

3.5 Rejected Items

Divine Rapier

Overkill.

Orbs

Lifesteal is your one and only orb!

Stygian Desolater

Although this could look like a good idea to buff the strength of your cleaving damage. Lifesteal is your love.

Hood of Defiance

An okay item for tanks but your job isn't to tank.

Heart of Tarrasque

Your not a tank!! You don't need this!

Black King Bar

It is a good item on Magnataur but you really need the other items more.

Radiance

You farm, chase, dps well enough already no need of Radiance.

4.0 How to Play

Magnataur can be a semi-carry but he is mostly a support hero. Your job in early game is go to middle lane and dominate the lane. It is a good idea to be solo as Magnataur in middle, so try your best to call it. Using Shockwave to net you kills and in later game you cripple to other team with your four second stun and damage them with your massive cleave.

4.1 Specific Phase Usage

Early Game

In early game i hope that you have solo middle and got the right starting items. At level one Shockwave you should still use your Shockwave but not completely go all out. As you start leveling up your Shockwave you start spamming it more and more. Whenever you run out of mana and your bottle is empty go out and find a rune be careful to not loose to much exp. At level 7 when you have maxed Shockwave and have your ultimate you can look for a target to gank. Hopefully you find a rune like haste to boost you but looking for the right target is important.

Middle Game

In middle game, you keep farming up when your team isn't ganking and when they are you initiate. If by chance there is a team battle try to land your Reverse Polarity on as many heroes as possible. Also try to buff as many of your allies as you can before battle.

Late Game

You are the beast! You can tank, you can damage, you can almost carry but alas you are a support. Now your job is to buff everyone, then jump in, use Reverse Polarity and cleave the enemies to the next county. Then finish the game. Are we in check?

4.2 Specific Skill Ranges

Reverse Polarity
Reverse Polarity has nice range for a stomp spell and if used perfectly it can turn the tide of the game.

This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 605x420.

This is the range of Reverse Polarity if you can remember the range then it will be very easy to aim Reverse Polarity.

Shockwave

Shockwave itself is really long range but the casting range is slightly smaller than the actual range. Taking note of this will be control a lane better and harass better.

Shockwave casting range is 500 but the actual range is 850. As shown above of visually what does this range look like.

4.3 Runes
Most of the runes are good on Magnataur but some are better than others
Haste: Very good to land a good Reverse Polarity
Double Damage: With your long stun and cleave, this rune makes you literally twice as strong!
Illusion: Good for mind tricks. Send one in after the other. Then send yourself in last after the other two are dead. This will trick the stupid enemies thinking the real you in an Illusion giving you a good chance to land perfect stun.
Regeneration: Very useful, but only pick it up if you out of mana or health.

5.0 Good Allies and Bad Enemies

5.1 Good Allies

Heroes with AoE

With your Reverse Polarity their spells accuracy goes through the roof!

Mass Disable Ultimates

You help them aim their ultimates or they will help you aim your ultimates.

Tiny

Toss you right into enemies... also if the enemies move while your in the air, you will always hit them bang on. Also if you buff Tiny his damage goes through the roof