With regard to much mentioned lame BR on the CAPL website, I figured that hey, if people really wanted to know what happened in the game in CAPL premier a few days back, they would watch the VoD, and get for the most all the important details of what happened in the game. So hey, might as well write something that is more entertaining than informative, since a picture is worth a thousand words and there's a video there with audio too for bonus.

Claerly I failed, which would be even more incentive to watch the VoD for any details on what happened in the game. It's not too bad, it's really nice working with Jerome and there are very few silent parts, although I think my content is getting worse. Not really able to think. Plus, until I watch myself, I don't actually realise how much I stutter or how awkward some phrases sound, so yes I am aware of it just not when I'm actually doing it.

I figured, hey I have like 80 heroes to run through and can't afford to keep postponing or I'll forget what heroes I've played and what impressions I've formed, so I'll breeze through the next 3, probably will write longer stuff into the 2nd quarter of the year.


Hero Log 9/80: Sniper

This guy is really fun because he can actually actively participate in dishing out damage output without being in much danger due to his range advantage. I did have a bit of a problem with early game last hitting though, I'm surprisingly incapable of quickly getting used to instant projectile animation. Plus when I'm not in mid lane, distance estimation fails badly, and I screw up or waste a lot of shots or time because I misjudge my range.

See, Sniper has always had the same strength through all patches. Mostly impossible to touch by anything with less range than him and no ability to get to him. Throw in the godly irritant early game known as headshot, and Assasinate which is like a mini-doom, and you get one hell of a lane controller.

Nowadays unfortunately we see drafts with far too many heroes that can reach Sniper. Long ranged unavoidable stuns like those from Warlock or Sandking or even RK (who shall not be referred to as Sven nor Arnold Schwazeneggar because one name is too long and one name is not fun). Other popular heroes also can close up that range advantage Sniper has in far too short a time, namely VS, QoP, or Chen and Bear with their massive movement speed.

Not to mention also high level Assasinate is insanely irritating for low HP heroes when it comes to repelling pushes. Heck, Sniper is the bane of Low HP heroes, with headshot rapidly cutting down their HP and Assassinate finishing them off. Then again, what isn't.

I went mostly a pure damage output build, with the only survival item being an Aegis, but no Rapier made because I had to tank the raxes for my team (who all backed away to heal at half health, leaving a naked rax which I guess is worth more than one charge of Aegis). Worked very well though because the enemy team simply didn't have any heroes that could reach me without going through a lot of trouble first.

Overall a fun hero, something I'll actually try using in more draft matches given the correct situation in the future. The low hp and no escape mechanism thing making it easy to kill kind of is a turn off for me, but I guess the irritatingness from being semi-untouchable by abusing your range advantage makes up for it.


Hero Log 10/80: Pugna

Or Oblivion. It's a fun hero and I can see that it's obviously a good hero if used properly. Unfortunately I can't use it properly.

See, everything that I would love to not have in a hero happens to be in Pugna. He has an AoE spell that needs to be predicted and aimed properly, strike one. He needs to make difficult decisions even before a battle starts, one nether ward makes so much difference, strike two. He dies so easily early and mid game and late game too if he doesn't farm up, strike three. The only redeeming factor is that he's difficult to kill in some situations like when you can get lifedrain off for a long time. High movement speed is also kind of nice but not enough to offset his abyssmal HP.

Plus point for Pugna though is a really nice base damage and attack animation, which is really good for harrassing and last hitting, until you get caught by a stun and realise that you're essentially screwed unless your opponents are stupid. See, you don't need to harrass Pugna if you have more than one hero in your lane. By the time you let loose your nukes to harrass him, he's either ran away or died badly.

I don't even know what to get for Pugna. I'm really against Dagger though. Even Heart. Necrobook and Mekansm seem enough if survivability, health, and damage output is required. Heck, Pugna is sort of like Sandking in a lot of games. It's one of those heroes I'll see farm a lot but essentially isn't helped at all by the items he farms past a certain point.

Yet another hero I might use more in draft matches, but definitely will stay far far away from it in any serious games. The thought of needing that crucial timing for Nether Ward, or that skill require in hitting Nether Blast which I lack...


Hero Log 11/80: Chen

I figured I'd keep this until later, then figured I can write all the stuff about good Chens and bad Chens some other time. The gist of it is that Chen is a hero that has a lot of expectations which I can't be bothered to follow.

In a sense Chen isn't that hard when it comes to big battles. Right click stuff with creeps, stomp or shockwave when neccessary, penitence something, and launch that heal after the AoE starts to come in. I tend to actually ToF in the start of the battle, since usually at the start of battles using ToF on an ally might not save much as there is too much AoE and whatsnot flying around for someone who's not going to live to live after 4 seconds.

I did go Necronomicon for Chen, and Meka too. I can't actually micro that many creeps, but when you have that many units and that much attack and movement speed, quite seriously, selecting everything and right clicking is sufficient, as long as you constantly check on your hero.

I like Chen, because it can own stuff and you can micro more than one unit. Fun fun. And you not only CAN neutral, you are EXPECTED to neutral, which is another great great thing. I just don't really like not being able to freely sacrifice my creeps like I do with Enchantress though...

I won't play Chen in a serious match though. There are simply too many responsibilities and expectations required from a Chen which I can't fulfill because of just how I play, and I intended to cover those but don't much have the time to because it could really lengthen this.


Just getting the logs out of my head. Tried Dragon Knight in an IH today, but not really looking forward to using it in a proper draft match, though things may change once I see the draft.

I've been dying to write something on why people are failing badly to improve as much as they should, but it seems that's a rant that I'd rather cover when I've got a clear head and a lot of time.