Acid Spray (D)
Sprays high-pressure acid across a target area. Hostile units who step across the contaminated terrain take physical damage per second and have their armor reduced. Lasts for 16 seconds.
Level 1 - 8 damage per second, reduces armor by 3.
Level 2 - 16 damage per second, reduces armor by 4.
Level 3 - 24 damage per second, reduces armor by 5.
Level 4 - 32 damage per second, reduces armor by 6.
• Damage type: mixed
• This ability can hit magic immune units.
• The actual AoE of this ability is significantly larger than the visual effect.
• Casting range: 900
• Area of Effect: 775
Mana Cost: 160
Cooldown: 22
Comment: Nice AOE Dot that covers a large area. Discussed further in the guide.
Sprays high-pressure acid across a target area. Hostile units who step across the contaminated terrain take physical damage per second and have their armor reduced. Lasts for 16 seconds.
Level 1 - 8 damage per second, reduces armor by 3.
Level 2 - 16 damage per second, reduces armor by 4.
Level 3 - 24 damage per second, reduces armor by 5.
Level 4 - 32 damage per second, reduces armor by 6.
• Damage type: mixed
• This ability can hit magic immune units.
• The actual AoE of this ability is significantly larger than the visual effect.
• Casting range: 900
• Area of Effect: 775
Mana Cost: 160
Cooldown: 22
Comment: Nice AOE Dot that covers a large area. Discussed further in the guide.
Unstable Concoction (E)
Razzil brews up an unstable concoction that he can throw at an enemy hero, to stun and deal damage. Razzil can brew for up to 5 seconds, each second increases the potency of the concoction. After the 5 seconds, there is a small buffer window. If Razzil does not throw the concoction soon after it will blow up and Razzil himself will suffer as if he was hit by the concoction. Concoction can blow up mid air if fired too late.
Level 1 - Up to 120 damage and 1.75 second stun
Level 2 - Up to 180 damage and 2.5 second stun
Level 3 - Up to 240 damage and 3.25 second stun
Level 4 - Up to 300 damage and 4 second stun
• Casting range: 775
• Duration: 5 seconds
• Can only target enemy heroes
• Damage type: physical
• While brewing the concoction, Alchemist can still move around and take action. He will flash red while the concoction is brewing
• A timer above Alchemist's head will indicate the remaining brew time on the concoction
• Before launching the concoction, it will blow up if channeled for more than 7 seconds, checking at 0.5 second intervals (allows up to 7.5 seconds brew time)
• After launching the concoction, it will blow up 7 seconds after brewing started, checking every 0.02 seconds
• The concoction moves at 900 speed, and provides 400/400 sight range
• If the concoction explodes mid air, it will affect an enemy unit within 200 AoE around its position
• Unstable Concoction is blocked by Linken's Sphere
Mana Cost: 120
Cooldown: 16
Comment: A risky stun with good potential. Discussed further in the guide.
Razzil brews up an unstable concoction that he can throw at an enemy hero, to stun and deal damage. Razzil can brew for up to 5 seconds, each second increases the potency of the concoction. After the 5 seconds, there is a small buffer window. If Razzil does not throw the concoction soon after it will blow up and Razzil himself will suffer as if he was hit by the concoction. Concoction can blow up mid air if fired too late.
Level 1 - Up to 120 damage and 1.75 second stun
Level 2 - Up to 180 damage and 2.5 second stun
Level 3 - Up to 240 damage and 3.25 second stun
Level 4 - Up to 300 damage and 4 second stun
• Casting range: 775
• Duration: 5 seconds
• Can only target enemy heroes
• Damage type: physical
• While brewing the concoction, Alchemist can still move around and take action. He will flash red while the concoction is brewing
• A timer above Alchemist's head will indicate the remaining brew time on the concoction
• Before launching the concoction, it will blow up if channeled for more than 7 seconds, checking at 0.5 second intervals (allows up to 7.5 seconds brew time)
• After launching the concoction, it will blow up 7 seconds after brewing started, checking every 0.02 seconds
• The concoction moves at 900 speed, and provides 400/400 sight range
• If the concoction explodes mid air, it will affect an enemy unit within 200 AoE around its position
• Unstable Concoction is blocked by Linken's Sphere
Mana Cost: 120
Cooldown: 16
Comment: A risky stun with good potential. Discussed further in the guide.
Goblin`s Greed (G)
The Goblin converts the creep's corpse into gold. You get more gold for every extra creep you killed in the last 18 seconds.
Level 1 - 2 bonus gold per enemy.
Level 2 - 4 bonus gold per enemy.
Level 3 - 6 bonus gold per enemy.
Level 4 - 8 bonus gold per enemy.
• There is a cap of 18 bonus gold.
• Also works on hero kills.
Mana Cost: N/A
Cooldown: N/A
Comment: Passive farming tool. Discussed further in the guide.
The Goblin converts the creep's corpse into gold. You get more gold for every extra creep you killed in the last 18 seconds.
Level 1 - 2 bonus gold per enemy.
Level 2 - 4 bonus gold per enemy.
Level 3 - 6 bonus gold per enemy.
Level 4 - 8 bonus gold per enemy.
• There is a cap of 18 bonus gold.
• Also works on hero kills.
Mana Cost: N/A
Cooldown: N/A
Comment: Passive farming tool. Discussed further in the guide.
Chemical Rage (R)
The Alchemist causes his Ogre to enter a chemically induced rage reducing base attack cooldown and increasing hitpoints and regeneration. Slightly improves movement speed. Lasts for 25 seconds.
Level 1 - 1.45 BAT, 300 Bonus HP, and 15 HP/3 Mana Bonus Regeneration, +30 Movespeed
Level 2 - 1.35 BAT, 600 Bonus HP, and 30 HP/7.5 Mana Bonus Regeneration, +40 Movespeed
Level 3 - 1.20 BAT, 900 Bonus HP, and 60 HP/12 Mana Bonus Regeneration, +60 Movespeed
• Has a 0.35 second transformation time.
• You can dodge stuns while transforming.
Mana Cost: 50/100/150
Cooldown: 45 Seconds
Comment: The reason you even stand in chance in matches. Discussed further in the guide.
The Alchemist causes his Ogre to enter a chemically induced rage reducing base attack cooldown and increasing hitpoints and regeneration. Slightly improves movement speed. Lasts for 25 seconds.
Level 1 - 1.45 BAT, 300 Bonus HP, and 15 HP/3 Mana Bonus Regeneration, +30 Movespeed
Level 2 - 1.35 BAT, 600 Bonus HP, and 30 HP/7.5 Mana Bonus Regeneration, +40 Movespeed
Level 3 - 1.20 BAT, 900 Bonus HP, and 60 HP/12 Mana Bonus Regeneration, +60 Movespeed
• Has a 0.35 second transformation time.
• You can dodge stuns while transforming.
Mana Cost: 50/100/150
Cooldown: 45 Seconds
Comment: The reason you even stand in chance in matches. Discussed further in the guide.
Skill Build:
1. Unstable Concoction2. Acid Spray
3. Acid Spray
4. Goblin`s Greed
5. Acid Spray
6. Chemical Rage
7. Acid Spray
8. Unstable Concoction
9. Unstable Concoction
10. Unstable Concoction
11. Chemical Rage
12. Goblin`s Greed
13. Goblin`s Greed
14. Goblin`s Greed
15. Stats
16. Chemical Rage
17. Stats
18. Stats
19. Stats
20. Stats
21. Stats
22. Stats
23. Stats
24. Stats
25. Stats
Item Build:
1.
Soul Ring (800)
3 HP Regeneration
50% Mana Regeneration
Active: Sacrifice
Sacrifices 150 HP to gain 150 mana to use. Any extra mana that isn't used from that bonus is lost after the duration is over. Any mana usage drains from your buffer mana first. Lasts 10 seconds. 25 seconds cooldown.
Ring of Regeneration + Sobi Mask + Soul Ring Scroll
2.
Power Treads (1450)
60 Movement Speed
25 Attack Speed
8 Selected Attribute
Active: Switch Attribute
Switches the attribute that receives a bonus. From Strength to Intelligence, Intelligence to Agility, and Agility to Strength.
Note: Can only carry one. Movement speed bonus doesn't stack with Boots of Travel, Phase Boots, Power Treads, or Boots of Speed.
Boots of Speed + Gloves of Haste + Boots of Elvenskin or Robe of the Magi or Belt of Giant Strength
3.
Battle Fury (4350)
65 Damage
6 HP Regeneration
150% Mana Regeneration
Passive: Cleave
35% cleave on attack. 225 AoE. Cleave doesn't work on ranged units.
Claymore + Broadsword + Perseverance
4.
Assault Cuirass (5350)
35 Attack Speed
10 Armor
Passive: Attack Speed Aura
Adds 20 attack speed. 900 AoE
Passive: Positive Armor Aura
Adds 5 armor. 900 AoE. Affects buildings. Doesn't stack with armor auras from Assault Cuirass, Ring of Basilius, or Vladmir's Offering.
Passive: Negative Armor Aura
Remove 5 armor to enemies. 900 AoE. Affects enemy buildings.
Plate Mail + Hyperstone + Chainmail + Assault Cuirass Recipe Scroll
5.
Heart of Tarrasque (5500)
40 Strength
300 HP
Passive: Health Regeneration
Regenerates 2% of max health each second. Only regenerates health when the bearer has not taken damage from a player owned source or Roshan in the last 6 seconds (ranged) or 4 seconds (melee). Doesn't stack with itself.
Messerschmidt's Reaver + Vitality Booster + Heart of Tarrasque Recipe Scroll
Early Game:
This is my first guide I have ever written. I love DOTA and sharing opinions and strategies and Alchemist needed a newer guide. He’s one of my favorite Strength heroes and one that is often overlooked. He has a lot of scary potential but he does have a lot of flaws as well. There is a lot of different ways to play Alchemist and nearly all of them are effective. This guy will give several different builds but will focus primarily on what I call Battle Alchemist. Feedback is always appreciated, especially if it’s of the constructive variety. Enjoy.
Pros- Good starting Str
Good starting Int
Great MS(while in Rage)
The LOWEST Base Attack Time(BAT) in the game!(while in Rage)
Capable of a 4 second stun
Insane Tank(while in Rage)
Versatile, can fit ANY role (and has the money to support it).
Incredible farming power.
Always useful, early, mid, and late game.
Major team player.
Cons- Poor starting Agi
Bad stat gain for all 3 attributes.
Almost no armor.
VERY reliant on Rage (in case you couldn’t tell).
He can stun and hurt himself.
He can’t do a whole lot by himself until later, he needs the team.
When to play Alchemist?
Given Alchy’s ability to play any role on a team he is a viable pick for any match. Unstable Concoction can be countered but otherwise you can’t really mess him up since he soaks up damage and attacks people. While he can play any role note that he excels at being a Tank and Carry. While he can be a great support and auxiliary character, he relies on items for these roles. He’ll never eclipse someone who’s naturally good at bursting ala Zeus, Lina, etc.
Role in Team
Alchemist is primarily a Tank and Carry. He can also be a very effective ganker, especially if he works with a teammate.
Skill Build Reasons
Cookie Cutter Ganker Farmer
Stun Stun GG
Acid Acid Acid
Acid Stun Acid
GG Acid GG
Acid Stun Acid
Rage Rage Rage
Acid Stun GG
Stun Acid Acid
Stun Acid GG
Stun GG Stun
Rage Rage Rage
GG GG Stun
GG GG Stun
GG GG Stun
Stats Stats Stats
Rage Rage Rage
Stats+ Stats+ Stats+
Cookie Build- This is my standard build towards a battle/carry alchemist. One level of stun is gotten early just for being able to assist a teammate or attempt to counter a gank. Use it for defense only. It’s even more mana now with the recent nerf and you need the mana for acid. Acid is leveled to max by 7 so you can quickly farm the lane and deny your opponent. I personally like one level of GG early for a little boost but you could replace it with something else if you’d prefer. Always get your ultimate, it’s excellent!
Ganker- This build is for those of you would prefer to go ganking. You max the stun first for the best duration and damage. Acid is to pile on additional damage during the stun. GG is gotten last since you won’t be farming. Always get your ultimate, it’s awesome!
Farmer- This build specializes GG and Acid for maximum farm time. I don’t really recommend this because you have no stun early. I would only use this if you are against opponents with no lane control and you are confident you can get most of the creep kills. You should also be soloing as you’ll steal most of your partner’s gold otherwise. Always get your ultimate, because it’s the Bee’s Knees.
A Note on Stats- It is common for certain heroes to get a level or two in stats early. I would never recommend skipping abilities on Alchy since they are all good and level well and Alchy doesn’t benefit from early stats that much. Even if you are ganking early, your Soul Ring will cover your mana costs, as well as your ult once you get it.
Skill Examination.
Acid Spray-This is your farming tool and method of lane control. It has a steep mana cost of 160 at all levels, so never use it unless it’s level 2. You’ll always want to lay this down before any team fight or gank. It not only does 32 mixed dps but it also reduces the armor of anyone in the aoe by 6. The key to this skill is aim, to a degree. I’ll discuss creep farming with it later but for teamfights, always throw it down when the team fight happens. Also, note that the aoe is actually bigger than the visual AOE.
Unstable Concoction-Your main offensive spell and disable. Once it’s charged properly you can stun a single opponent for a full 4 seconds! In version 6.69 an AOE indicator was added visibly showing you the cast range. Keep in mind that the stun only lasts for every second that you channel. So if you want the full 4 seconds you’ll have to channel for that long. You’ll need to be mindful of the fact that you can implode the concoction on yourself. There will be a detailed section for that later in the guide.
Goblin’s Greed- This is what makes you so versatile and such a great farmer. A nice passive to compliment his three actives, Goblin’s Greed or GG grants +8 bonus gold at level 4 for every kill you make. It doesn’t matter if it’s creep, siege, hero, and I think towers count to, you’ll get the gold. The cap tops off at 18 and you have 18 seconds to make another kill to keep the chain going. This is best used in conjunction with Acid Spray.
Chemical Rage- Despite how good Alchy’s other abilities are, this is what makes him viable. At level 3 this gives you 12 mana/60hp regen per sec! That’s crazy! But wait! There’s more! Order now and you’ll also receive a 60 ms bonus and a whopping 1050 bonus HP! If you call in the next 15 minutes, we’ll even throw in 1.2 BAT, that’s the lowest in the entire game! The second closest is Anti-Mage at 1.4. What a deal! Seriously though, this ability is incredible. You get to become a Tank and Carry all in one. The only downside is that it’s temporary. It only last 25 seconds, however, the cooldown is only 45 seconds. That means there is only 20 seconds between Rage’s. That’s pretty awesome considering the bonuses it gives. During the game feel free to use your ult walking between lanes to restore your hp and to decrease your travel time. Obviously don’t do this if you are walking into a fight as you’ll want your ult for that.
Early Game
Items to get.
Standard 5v5 Pick- Ring of Regen and Soul Ring Recipe, Sobi Mask, Optional GG branches or Bracer parts
Standard 5v5 Random- Finish Soul Ring, GG Branch
Lane Picking
I would recommend sending Alchemist to either the bottom or top lane with a partner. It doesn’t matter if you are Scourge or Sentinel. These lanes are great because you have access to the side shops which is a must to finish your soul ring.
Mid- Alchemist is capable of soloing the middle lane however I wouldn’t recommend it normally. You should only solo mid if no one on your team is better at it. If you are mid, you may want to consider getting a bottle instead of the Soul Ring because you can use the runes. Personally, I find rune whoring to be tedious so I don’t personally get a bottle. Also, the bottle alone restores 70 mana per sip, and Acid Spray costs 160 mana even at level 1. Without waiting on any regen, you’d have to drink the whole thing just for one Acid. Soul Ring gives 150 mana for a sacrifice however, which is much more efficient. The only plus side to the bottle is the health restoration. So, go for the side lanes but if your team needs you mid, don’t be afraid, you can handle it.
Soul Ring Spam/Farming with Acid Spray- Lane control is a great way to ensure that your team has a good start to the game. Alchemist’s Acid Spray is an excellent way to control his lane and make your opponents lost gold and exp. However, since Acid Spray is so costly, we need some regen to supplement this. Enter the Soul Ring! This handy item will give us a constant 50% mana regen and +3hp per second. The hp regen is particularly nice for countering the effects of Sacrifice. Sacrifice gives you 150 mana at the cost of 150 hp. The bonus mana only lasts for 10 seconds so don’t activate it unless you are about to use a spell.
When to use- Using soul ring takes a bit of finesse. If you have full health and less than ¾ of your mana use sacrifice. Alchy has good starting HP so he can sustain a couple of sacrifices. Don’t overuse it either. If you have half your hp or less do not use it. Even if it seems safe, you never know when a ganker may show up or your opponent decides to nuke you. Also, it’s wise to not use it every time it’s off cd, but more like every other creep wave. This will give your hp time to recover. Once you get your ult, cast it whenever you need to regen HP or MP, it works well for both.
Where to place- Always use it on a full creep wave. You want to make the most of the duration and mana. It’s a waste to throw it down with only 2 creeps. Also, make sure you have enough creeps to keep the enemies there. If they have a full creep wave and you have 2 left, don’t use it! Those 2 creeps will die quickly and the enemy creeps will move out of the AOE. The same goes for your creeps. If you have a full wave and they only have 2 left, wait until the next wave approaches. Remember that once you place the AOE it’s set there so don’t throw it down unless you are sure your targets will be there for awhile.
Make sure to place the AOE edge on your melee creeps, you want as much as possible in the enemy zone. This will push the heroes back even farther denying them exp. Finally, but perhaps most importantly, NEVER use Acid Spray at level 1. It does a mere 8 mixed damage per second. If the mana cost were cheaper early I’d say go for it but as of right now it’s not worth it.
Item Goals
You’ll want to get the Ring of Health as soon as possible to counteract the hp loss from sacrifice, not to mention having extra HP regen early is always helpful. Plus you are building towards your Battlefury. Next you’ll want to decide what pair of boots to get. Let’s take a look at our options
PT are easy to build, cheap, and very effective. The IAS is really nice and you get +8 to any stat you choose. I would recommend leaving it on strength, you probably won’t need the int with Soul Ring. The only downside? You’ll only be privy to 60 ms, the lowest of the boots ms bonus.
The cheapest of the boots (a whole 50 gold! Whoo-Hoo!) Phase boots bestow you with 60 ms as well as 24 damage. The also have the active ability phase. The biggest lure of these is the damage they provide as Alchemist doesn’t have good damage naturally. Also, the Phase boost MAY, and I mean MAY help you land your stun by letting you keep up and moving through the creeps. Just don’t overestimate the phase, it’s only 4 seconds and while you get a boost, you don’t become Lycanthrope.
The ultimate boots, their 95 ms bonus lets you go for an evening’s jog with The Nightstalker at night( well, maybe not, but you’ll be moving quickly at least). Not to mention they come with a teleport on a 60sec cd that allows you to port to not only towers but your creeps as well! Awesome! The downside? Well they aren’t just giving this stuff away. The happy merchant won’t sell you these Nike’s for any lower than 2200 gold.
The newest footwear, these snazzy blue cleats are as cheap as the normal boots. The only hard part to farm up is the Energy Booster at 1000 but that shouldn’t give you too much trouble. The increased mana is a bit more than Alchy needs so only get these boots if you are going support.
So which boots are for you? While the port and MS from Travels are nice it’s a little too pricey. Plus with our great farming ability it will be easy to purchase TP scrolls. They are never a bad option and if the game gets really late, I would recommend upgrading to them so you can port without taking up an item slot. Personally, I always choose Treads over Phase. The damage from phase is nice, but the IAS and stats from treads I find to be more useful. Neither option is bad or will hurt you, it just depends on your playstyle.
Early Game Summary.
By the end of early game or the laning phase you’ll want to have your boots of choice completed. Boots are your first priority. They are cheap and help you for the rest of the game. MS is very important and since you are stronger later, there is no reason to not get your boots out of the way. If you’ve been farming well you may also have a Ring of Health or even a Perseverance.
Alchemist can be a Roamer. That’s someone who doesn’t spend much time in lanes and instead roams around to gank lanes. If your team lacks good gankers you can fill this position pretty well, however, you’ll miss out on the constant farming of being in lane. If you plan on being part of the carry aspect of the team stay in lane, but if not, feel free to gank early. You may choose to get a bottle instead of Soul Ring.
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