General Discussion[GUIDE COMPETITION] The Cleaving Machine - A Sven Guide - By Tuvarkz

[Img]http://i.imgur.com/5UiLLDZ.jpg[/img]

[Color=#ff0000]Introduction [/color]

Sven is a STR melee carry. His specialty is dealing damage to the entire enemy team via Great Cleave, which effectively spreads up to 65% of the damage done to his main target to nearby enemies. A 295 baseline hero with no proper escape mechanism, Sven is a hero that either charges into the fray to fight until one of the sides is wiped, or does not fight at all. Also, one of the MANLIEST heroes in Dota (RIP Skeleton King)

[Color=#ff0000]When should you pick? [/color]

Sven serves mostly to 1) Soak a good deal of damage, 2) Cleave the hell out of enemy heroes, 3) Deal with those pesky illusion heroes that will give trouble to heroes like N'aix and Alchemist, especially when earlygame Gyro and Luna won't cut it due to low hp. 4) Your team has Magnus, Tide, Enigma, Dark Seer, Tiny (Yes, you can be Thrown in, activate BKB, and just Cleave'em up.)

[Color=#ff0000]Skills[/color]

Q- Storm Bolt: Sven throws a lightning hammer at an enemy, stunning and damaging anyone in a small AoE. This is Sven's main nuke and initiation method. The fact that this skill needs a target is both a benefit and a disadvantage, as sometimes enemy heroes will position themselves in a way in which it would be easy to target the center and stun them all, yet it becomes impossible. In addition, the fact that recently the skill has been made much easier to dodge via leap/blink is certainly not a boon.

W- Great Cleave: One of the two carry-steroids that Sven possesses, it does a portion of your damage to any nearby enemies whenever you strike. This is what makes Sven adept at countering heroes such as Phantom Lancer and Chaos Knight. Illusions simply will get cleared out. In addition this will help you clear creep waves, and with jungling (especially ancients). As a matter of fact, a Sven with a few items (Armlet and Dominator's/Satanic in this case) can easily defend against Megacreeps, allowing more mobile members of the group to rush one lane and achieve victory.

E- Warcry: Sven's pseudomovement skill. The 8% movement speed isn't that great (Especially given that Phase Boots provide a 16% MS boost), but the 16 armor buff at max is essentially the armor that an AC provides, enhancing your survival chances against incoming melee damage. It's manacost is small as a slight compensation.

R- God's Strength: Sven's second carry steroid. At maximum level, it increases your damage by 200% (Effectively two Double Damage runes). This buff cannot be purged and will keep itself active while BKB is up, making Sven almost completely immune to CC while he approaches his enemies to bring them down. Sven will also go red while this effect is up, his eyes emitting golden light.

[Color=#ff0000]Skill Build[/color]

[Img]http://i.imgur.com/xuaw5LR.png[/img]

As the guide shows, Storm Bolt is to be maxed first. Why? Because an early point in Great Cleave will push down the lane, making your farming (which until you get that Armlet will be exclusively in lane) much harder. Warcry at level 4 ensures you get that slight MS boost to land one last blow (No further levels are reccomended until Cleave is maxed since you won't be getting more MS, the armor will become more valuable later in the game.)

[Color=#ff0000]Item Build [/color]

What should you start with? In most of the cases, you should go for the typical Tango/Salve/Clarity/Quelling Blade and gg branches.

The boots you are going to need in the earlygame (aka until you don't have an extra slot for TP and get BoT) are the Power Treads. Why? Because 1) You need attack speed, 2) Those 150 HP points are really good since your ult essentially makes you a focus for the enemies' nukes. You might want to get a Wand/Stick some times, else just keep your starting branches.

Hand of Midas is a most definitive no-no. Sven needs that Treads, Armlet and BKB AS FAST AS POSSIBLE because enemies will start ganking you the first moment they can. Sven doesn't have N'aix's magic immunity, high MS, or a movement skill.

Armlet is your next item. Why?First, It has multiple smaller cost components that can be bought one by one. Second, the Iron Helm can be quite a help if you are facing a Bristleback/Necrolyte/Clockwerk with their constant harassment. Third, 25 STR is 475 health points. In raw terms, an activated Armlet will give you 475 hp, 65 damage, 25 AS, 9 HP regen, 5 armor. Of course there's the 40 hp/sec loss, but you can handle that. Fourth, Armlet toggling, when done right, will easily extend your life by 400-500+ health points. With this item, you can start jungling if needed. Lane is still best for a while though.

Why not Mask of Madness? Simply put, 30% increased damage taken isn't worth the lifesteal, nor the big AS/MS boost. You will get frostbitten, hexed, rooted, stunned, or else and take even more damage than you should during those twelve seconds. Trust me if I tell you that Sven is more often than not the first or the second focus of the group. They'll silence the channeling enemy or outright stun him/her, but after that, Sven is going to be in the eyes of your enemies. 30% Increased damage means that 200 damage nuke will hit you for an additional 60 points (Easily 5-6% of your hp), and that Finger of Death/Laguna Blade will outright put you in the danger zone if not outright killing you if at half hp. But BKB? BKB is a big 4k gold leap away from your second item.

Everything has been said and done in respect of BKB, so I'll just say it. After you get your Treads and Armlet, GET IT. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. ELSE YOU'LL GET KITED BY THE CRYSTAL MAIDEN WITH TRANQUIL BOOTS AND YOU WILL BE LAUGHED AT AND FLAMED AT.

Now, after that BKB, unless you have a Troll Warlord in the team, you should get a Hyperstone. You need to hit even faster, now that you can safely approach enemies. From here onwards, there's a variety of items you can choose from.

Need Armor? get AC, someone else got the AC? Mjollnir.
Satanic for HP/25% lifesteal (A good Unholy Strength activation should heal you to max). It also provides some nice damage and armor to boot. (Armor is good. You already got HP by this point)
Need Evasion/Disarm? Heaven's Halberd
Want the enemy to divert a little bit of the attention to that weakling semicarry of yours while you keep cleaving them down? Blade Mail
Need more damage? get Daedalus
Need to approach your enemies faster? Ask your support or third core to Force Staff you in. You are a Hard Carry proper. No need to reduce your dps/survival for that pesky blink dagger when Force Staff does the job.
Enemy will/is about to get evasion? MKB (Seriously, you will want this. There's nothing worse than losing to that Manta/Butterfly Cancer or Spectre)
Need Bashing? MKB, or alternatively (Assuming you have da Mjollnir) Abyssal Blade. Both add almost the same amount of raw DD so make your pick.
Need even MOAR CLEAVE POWAH? Battle Fury. Cleave stacks. Also, 6 hp/sec regen and 150% mana regen are more than welcome, Sven lacks both.
Got some of that already, and you want enemies to scream like terrorized schoolgirls while the Rogue Knight brings destruction to them? RAPIER. Just don't die.

[Color=#ff0000]Useful tips:[/color]

1) Know when to ask for a lane swap. Sven can get outlaned, and it's not your fault. Amongst the main culprits you'll usually see Silencer, Bane, Lion, or Nyx. Get fed, and then slash them while laughing. A good lane swap can change the tides of the game.
2) Know where to cleave from. Cleave works in a cone, so you might want to hit the most number of targets possible.
3) Know when not to engage. The Sven that manages to escape from a lost teamfight is very lucky indeed. Don't rely on that pesky luck.
5) Know when Arcane Boots and Mek will be ready. You'll be needing both often (on your supports).
6) Magina is one special deal in himself. The problem is that Magina, after getting his Battlefury and Yasha, will start to outfarm you. This will end with him pulling a BF+Manta+Abyssal Blade setup and literally melting your life. What to do? You need to harass the hell out of him. You need your entire team to start applying constant pressure on the entire map after you get your Armlet (which on normal conditions shouldn't be later than 13-15 minutes, up to 17 depending on how much pressure the enemy puts on the lane you face). Until magina gets BF, you can easily 1v1 him in lane with your Armlet. (You can also face him in lane from the beginning as well). Your focus is to keep Magina busy on a 1v1 basis, making him even need to ocasionally call a teammate or two for a gank. The longer you delay his BF, the better (because with BF alone he can clear jungle camps quite fast). If he reaches the BF+Manta point, get a Blade Mail as soon as you get your Hyperstone. He does not have the hp to survive trying to melt you down, and you'll have a change to cleave him and his illusions apart. Also, MKB. Magina always gets Butterfly. You need to deal with that dodge.

[Color=#ff0000]Closing notes[/color]

Sven is often an underrated carry, but a well played Sven will often Triple Kill, Ultra-kill, or Rampage, even turning around a teamfight where an ally has died early due to his raw damage output.
Thanks for helping with the image link fixing!