Necrophos is a unique intelligence-based hero in Dota 2, known for his sustainability in lane, deadly teamfight presence, and his ability to snowball hard with successful kills. If you're looking to dive deeper into playing this powerful hero, check out this comprehensive guide for the Necrophos Dota 2 Hero.

Overview of Necrophos

Necrophos excels at wearing down enemy heroes in teamfights while keeping himself alive through spell-based healing. His abilities allow him to thrive in long engagements and apply constant pressure during the laning and mid game phases. He typically plays in the offlane or midlane, but some players also use him as a support in niche compositions.

Hero Attributes

1. Primary Attribute: Intelligence
2. Attack Type: Ranged
3. Roles: Durable, Nuker, Disabler
4. Starting Health: 580
5. Starting Mana: 291

Abilities

Death Pulse

This is Necrophos’s primary source of damage and healing. He releases a wave of death that damages nearby enemies and heals all nearby allies. It is excellent for lane control and sustain.

Ghost Shroud

Ghost Shroud turns Necrophos ethereal for a short time, making him immune to physical attacks but more vulnerable to magic damage. While in this form, he gains amplified healing and regeneration, which synergizes well with Death Pulse and healing items.

Heartstopper Aura

This passive ability continuously reduces the health of all nearby enemies as a percentage of their max HP. It allows Necrophos to apply pressure simply by being near his enemies, especially effective in drawn-out fights and during sieges.

Reaper's Scythe

Necrophos's ultimate is what gives him his fearsome reputation. Reaper’s Scythe stuns and deals massive damage based on how much health the target has lost. If the target dies from it, they suffer an extended respawn time, allowing Necrophos to directly influence the momentum of the match.

Itemization

Core Items

1. Arcane Boots - Provides necessary mana to spam abilities in the early game.
2. Hood of Defiance / Pipe of Insight - Mitigates magic damage when using Ghost Shroud.
3. Veil of Discord - Amplifies Necrophos's magical damage.
4. Aghanim’s Scepter - Upgrades Reaper’s Scythe and adds extra utility.
5. Eternal Shroud - Converts magic damage into mana, helping with sustain.

Situational Items

1. Shiva’s Guard - Reduces healing on enemies and adds armor, useful against right-clickers.
2. Rod of Atos - Helps in initiating and locking down mobile heroes for Reaper's Scythe.
3. Ghost Scepter - Offers additional protection and synergizes with Ghost Shroud.

Gameplay Tips

Laning Phase

Use Death Pulse to secure last hits and harass opponents. Stand close to creep waves to maximize Heartstopper Aura pressure and healing from Death Pulse. Coordinate with your support or carry to capitalize on Ghost Shroud’s healing boost.

Mid Game

Once you hit level 6 with Reaper’s Scythe, look for opportunities to gank and control the tempo. The extended death timers give your team significant advantages when objectives need to be taken. Build appropriate items to increase your tankiness while enabling your team to survive longer fights.

Late Game

Stick with your team and look for clumped enemies to get value from Death Pulse and Heartstopper Aura. Position carefully during fights - you are not a frontliner but should be in the middle of the action supporting your allies and punishing overextended enemies with Reaper’s Scythe.

Conclusion

Necrophos is a hero that rewards good positioning, timing, and understanding of enemy vulnerabilities. Mastering his toolkit can make him a fearsome presence in any match, dictating teamfights and tilting the game in your favor. Whether you want to deal consistent damage in prolonged fights or turn the tide with a well-timed ultimate, Necrophos is a hero worth learning.