K.I.S.S – Keep it simple, stupid. Great advice, hurts my feelings every time. I couldn’t recommend Jakiro enough for those who are trying to improve their support play, and have a really great impact on the outcome of team fights, and the game, from as support position. Plus, you’ll look cool.
This guide will walk you through keeping things simple with Jakiro, so that you can focus on helping your team mates win their lanes, get their items, win their fights, and take the enemies ancient. You’ll be learning the basics of Jakrio, and general support play.
Starting Items
600 Gold
Tango. 600-90=510 Gold
You’re going to take some damage early, that is unavoidable. We’re going to be contesting the rune, stacking and pulling camps, and vitality – harassing. Put simply, engagements cost HP.
All of these things are going to have an impact on our HP, and whilst Jakiro does have pretty good bulk for an INT support, we get tangoes early for the regen that we don’t quite have yet.
510 Gold
Wind Lace. 510-250=260 Gold
It provides Jakiro with some much, much needed movement speed. With better movement speed, your life becomes easier. You can harass easier, get in, get out. Get to your camps for pulls and stacks. Move to engagements quicker, escape easier. Everything. Simple.
Wind lace is one of my favourite items. Wind Lace? More like Win Lace. It builds into so many fantastic utilities, so you can adjust on the fly to what you need.
260 Gold
Observer Ward/Sentry Ward. 260-75=185 Gold
Observer Ward:
Most often we see most games begin with one observer middle, to give vision across high ground, help with runes, and gank preventing. The second usually goes to the offlane support, because they and their off-lane core are in a more precarious position than you or your core.
However communication is key here. You need to be communicating with your team about where the wards will be going during the drafting phase, around your own, and the enemy draft.
If the team is particularly concerned about a rotation strategy or a specific hero coming into your safe-lane, then potentially you might take the observer ward from the off-lane.
Sentry Ward:
Sentry wards aren’t free like observers are, so you’re going to need to invest. It’s an investment because you can absolutely get your gold back, and pull off one of the most satisfying elements of support play: dewarding.
Sentry Wards are invisible watchers to the opponents that grant true sight. Their use is twofold:
1 – They can see invisible enemies and Observer Wards within a 1000 radius and last for 8 minutes.
2 – Like observers, they can be used to block camps from spawning.
1 – Click on the enemy off-lane support. Check when the observer ward disappears from his inventory, and you will get a pretty good gauge as to where their observer ward is. Now, place your sentry in a sneaky spot within range of your guess. Boom, now you can see their observer ward, and kill it for gold! No vision for them, gold back for you, simple.
2 – If the enemy is relying on a camp, and using it to their advantage early for whatever scenario you find yourself in (Dota games can be crazy different one to another), you can use a sentry to prevent that camp from respawning by placing it within the radius. This can also be done with observers, but the game starts with more sentries, and they hold less vision value.
185 Gold
Double Iron Branch. 185-100=85 Gold
Iron branch provides us with some initial survivability, with additional stats and can be used to either: consume in combination with your tango for plenty of HP, or held onto to build into magic wand later. Great utility, good price, simple.
85 Gold
Clarity. 85-50=35 Gold
Clarity or Faerie fire for our last starting item here. Either or can be good, fire for harass, clarity for sustain. However, since I find myself most often going with clarity, I’ve suggested it here. It means you can be less concerned with mana management without gold, early.
However, if you are don’t want to go with the heavy mana early, you can grab the fire to help with your harass. Farie fire combine with liquid fire at level 2, can be potent.
35 Gold surplus
Preface:
Jakiro’s item guide is in situational order, rather than aiming for specific items like the other guides I have written for cores.
The reason for this is I think the best way to buy items here is reactionary. This is important in all roles, but even more so as a support, as you’re getting less gold and therefore less items. What you buy must be impactful.
If you have a set list of items that you buy in a specific order, then you’re not providing what the teams needs, or what the enemy needs to be countered.
Examples:
If your core is playing a hero with an invisibility component, then your enemies are going to be aware of this, they’re going to play around it with true-sight. Wards, dust, eye, talents and abilities to reveal. As such, the utility of the items like Glimmer Cape active will be less and less impactful – the priority of this item falls dramatically. Simple.
Another example would be if the enemy team consists of heroes that want to get close to you or your core, and you do not wan’t them to. Ursa, Lifestealer, Slark, Razor, etc.. They gain great benefit for being as close to you as possible. You’re slow and squishy, so you need something to prevent them getting on top of you. So, you move up your list of priorities to include Force Staff to Push them away, or to save your allies with a swift gust away.
Another example is Aether Lense. Fantastic if the enemy is out-ranging you, or you’re constantly getting frustrating with not being close enough to land your utility. They can hit you, but you need to get closer to react. Aether Lense solves this, so we prioritise it higher.
Another example is if the enemy is playing a hero that slips in and out of teamfights well, and your team is having trouble locking them down for extended periods. Rod of Atos can root them in place, and prevent their escape so that your teammates can finish the job.
You can see how varied your impact will need to be, and the simple fact is that you wont get every single item, so you will need to prioritize well.
Focus on that item, focus on using it effectively. Simple.
Build Items. (Situational Order)
Gold will not be in such supply for you being a support, as such do not attempt to grab everything here. Just focus specifically on what you and the team needs:
Magic Wand.
“+ 3 All Attributes
Active: Energy Charge
Instantly restores 15 health and mana per charge stored. Max 20 charges. Gains a charge whenever a visible enemy within 1200 range uses an ability.”
We’ve purchased some iron branches at the start of the game, and we haven’t used them for HP regen in combination with our tango. So, we upgrade them into the magic wand. By doing so, we get an extra stat point, some backpack space, and the stick active.
The active helps you stay in the lane longer, and can excel against heroes that want to spam in the lane. Think about getting a stack with each time Bristleback wants to do basically anything. Great cheap item. Simple.
Tranquil Boots.
“+ 70 Movement Speed + 14 HP Regeneration
Passive: Break
Whenever you attack a hero or are attacked by any unit, the bonus 14 HP regen is lost and the movement speed bonus is reduced to 45 for 13 seconds.”
I love tranquil boots. They’re amazing and they build from our starting windlace if need be.
No, they don’t provide mana like arcane, but they provide much more movement speed and huge HP regen. You can always regen to full after any disengagement, quickly!
+70 Movement speed for only 925 gold is amazing. You can get to engagements, you can move around to camps to pull and stack quickly, you can close the gap for skills. Amazing, movement speed is everything. Simple.
To balance this, whenever you are right-clicked by a hero or creep, you will lose the regen and extra speed. So, be mindful of this when moving around the map to get full effectiveness.
Eul’s Scepter of Divinity.
“+ 10 Intelligence + 3.5 Mana Regeneration + 20 Movement Speed
Active: Cyclone
Sweeps a target unit up into a cyclone, making them invulnerable for 2.5 seconds. Cyclone can only be cast on enemy units or yourself.
Enemy units take 50 magical damage upon landing. Range: 575 Dispel Type: Basic Dispel
Eul’s is fantastic on Jakiro. It also can build from our starting wind lace if need be. We like the stats it provides, with enhanced mana pool and a huge boost to our mana regen.
The key here is the active. You can cyclone yourself to wait out of a lengthy disable. You can cyclone yourself whilst your team mates catch up to save you. You can cyclone enemies to await your teams CD’s, prevent channeling, let your team mates catch up to them, lots! Simple.
Force Staff.
“+ 10 Intelligence + 2.5 HP Regeneration
Active: Force
Pushes any target unit 600 units in the direction it is facing. Range: 550″
Yes the stats are what we use as an INT support hero, but we’re here because force staff has a great active. You’re going to want a save. This is a good item for that. Push allies to safety. Push them to catch up to an enemy. Push enemies into deep trouble. Push them off of you. Push people. Simple.
Unlike blink dagger, you can use this whilst taking damage. That’s important.
Glimmer Cape.
“+ 15% Magic Resistance
Active: Glimmer
After a 0.6 second delay, grants invisibility and 45% magic resistance to you or a target allied unit for 5.0 seconds. Range: 550 Can be cast while channelling.”
Whilst the magic resist doesn’t gain any increase upgrading the cloak, we get another fanastic active in the form of glimmer. This can be fantastic to save allies, or set them up for some sneaky behavior. Similarly, use it to save yourself from imminent death or to position yourself without the fear of discovery for 5 seconds.
You will still be seen by true-sight, however.
Rod of Atos.
- 20 Intelligence + 10 Strength + 10 Agility
Active: Cripple
Roots the target for 2.0 seconds. Range: 1100
Gigantic bump to all of our stats. More HP and regen, big bump in armor which we desperately need and a whopping +20 INT. Really good stat-stick overall, but includes a utility active. Can catch up to enemies, prevent escapes, initiate.
Stop them in their tracks long enough for you and your team to react. Simple.
Aether Lense.
“+ 300 Mana + 3.0 Mana Regeneration
Passive: Aethereal Focus
Increases targeted spell and item cast range by 250.”
Aether lense is an insane item on Jakiro. Most of your abilites affect the area between yourself and the maximum cast range. Therefore, by extending that range we’re getting a huge boost to how much no-no area we are making.
Plus, this item pretty much manages your mana for you. Simple.
Luxury Items. (No Order)
These are the items in which you’ll only consider once buying what you need to help the team, use your gold to provide the most support to your team as possible. Sentry wards, utility items, consumables, etc.
However, if you can swing the gold, consider these options:
Aghanim’s Shard.
“Grants Jakiro the Liquid Frost ability.”
Jakiro got an amazing shard. A second auto-cast that slows by 30% and does % based damage. You’re going to pull huge damage numbers against really bulky heroes, and the slow combines well with your utility items to prevent enemies from escaping.
Not a need, but HP% based damage is insanely good. Simple
Kaya.
“+ 16 Intelligence + 8% Spell Amplification + 24% Mana Regen Amplification + 24% Spell Lifesteal Amplification”
If we’re going to stay relevant in the late game, we’re going to need to pump up our numbers. If the enemy aren’t concerned about our damage, they wont be zoned out by our spells. Kaya helps with this, and can even be combined with Sange to provide even more spell amp, and survivability to Jakiro. Plus, the mana regen and lifesteal come along as well!
Great item, helps you stay relevant late. Simple
Aghanim’s Scepter.
“Upgrades your ultimate. Increases flame length, duration, and damage.”
So the debuff of your path applies to targets regardless of spell immunity, we are considering the scepter for the zoning potential. The damage boost is just a nice bonus.
The scepter upgrade increases the distance of your path by 400 units, making it enormous. Additionally, it triples the length of time the path sticks around. Enemies are going to have to avoid it for TRIPLE the amount of time. Either get zoned out completely or take pure damage, their call.
A potent upgrade, but extremely expensive. Simple.
Veil of Discord.
“+ 4 All Attributes
Active: Magic Weakness
Cast a 600 radius blast that causes enemy heroes to take 18% increased damage from spells.
Range: 1000 Duration: 16.0 seconds.
Passive: Basilius Aura
Grants 1.5 mana regeneration to allies. Radius: 1200″
Veil of Discord is a great item if your team if full of casters that want to be doing as much damage possible through their abilities, some of which having long cooldowns.
If not, then you’re increasing your damage only, and that feels a little greedy when precious little gold can be spent elsewhere. Ring of Basilius provies the aura, without the upgraded cost.
Great active, but situational. Simple.
Octarine Core.
“+ 250 Cast Range + 425 Health + 725 Mana + 3.0 Mana Regeneration
Passive: Cooldown Reduction
Reduces the cooldown time of all spells and items by 25%.”
The lategame Mack Daddy. Octarine Core.
Upgrades your Aether Lense to reduce the cooldown of your spells AND items by 25%. That’s the bees knees. You can use you utility items more, spam your spells, your auto-casts more. It’s a huge power spike, and lockdown spike.
Insane effect, but insanely expensive. Simple.
Skills.
Dual Breath.
“An icy blast followed by a wave of fire launches out in a path in front of Jakiro. The ice slows enemies, while the fire delivers damage over time.”
Skill at: 1, 3, 5, 7
It’s extremely, extremely rare that I don’t get this at one. It’s pretty much necissary to grab this at one, and then maxing it quickly. The damage per mana increase leveling this skill works heavily in your favour, you get a big increase in damage for a modest increase in mana.
The closer you are to the opponent when using this to chase, the better. Like all Jakiro skills it has a long wind up, so if they’re about haflway in the castrange when you try to land, you’re going to get the slow and burn off.
The slow and DoT mean you’re going be a super annoying harasser early too, whilst the damage at one isn’t great for the cost, it ramps up quickly as we level.
Ice Path.
“Creates a path of ice that stuns and damages enemies that touch it.”
Skill at: 4, 8, 9,11
A really large zoning tool, that stuns and deals damage. It has a long wind up, and thus can be avoided easily if the enemy are focusing on you. Best used if their attention is elsewhere, or where they have limited vision.
The ice path also will grant you flying vision, so you can use it in combination with true-sight to scout for wards in elevated positions. At max level your cooldown is only 9 seconds, so you can apply ice path liberally.
If you’re being chased, and are considering using ice path to turn and stun your opponent to aid your escape, consider instead using it in the direction you’re facing. We do this to provide safety in our retreat, and because our turning time is painful. This well help your odds greatly.
Liquid Fire.
“Jakiro burns his enemies in an area of effect with fire added to his attack, while slowing their attacks.”
Skill at: 2, 13, 14, 16
This is an excellent pushing tool, as you can use it to clear waves, and the debuff affects buildings also. Liquid fire costs you absolutely nothing to use, no mana whatsoever, so your only restriction here is the cooldown. At level one, the cooldown is 20, but apart from that you can go for your life.
As the debuff lasts 5 seconds, and the cooldown at max is 4 seconds, you can have 100% uptime on a specific target.
If you want to set the ability to auto-cast every time the cooldown is available, you need only right click on the ability icon. However, manually casting the ability extends it’s castrange by 200. You can also extends its range by taking the attack range talent, as it affects liquid fire and liquid frost.
Liquid Frost.
“Applies a frost debuff that slows enemies movement speed by 30% and causes them to lose 20 plus 2.5% of their max health per second for 4 seconds.”
Skill at: Affordable. Unlocked with Aghanim’s Shard.
Liquid frost is an amazing damaging ability, because the damage is based on the enemy’s max health. So, bulky heroes that rely on a huge health pools have that benefit turned against them.
Bulky offlaners beware, here comes the frost. Plus, we get a pretty heafty momvement slow, which can help chase or prevent enemies getting ontop of you or your allies.
Much like liquid fire, frost can be right-clicked to make the ability auto-cast, but benefits extended range with manual casting. Again, the ability is affecting by the attack range talent, and any other attack range influence.
Macropyre
“Jakiro exhales a wide line of lasting flames, which deals damage per second to any enemy units caught in the fire.”
Skill at: 6, 12, 18
An amazing zoning tool that can deal considerable damage. Foes that are locked down by yourself or team mates are going to have their health disappear, or those that are fearful of your Macro will have a large area with a floor-is-lava effect.
Can be upgraded later so that the damage itself, not just the debuff, affects spell immune targets and the damage becomes pure, rather than magic. Nice BKB you have there, be a shame if I upgraded my Macro.
The 25 talent synergieses well with the Scepter upgrade also. If you manage to swing the cash for the scepter, you’re getting an additional 400 units of fire length and triple the duration. This takes your support and utility to an insane level, they just wont be able to use a large area for a long time. If they do, ow. Yes, the item has a high cost, but if you fully spec into macro damage, you can be a great help to your team.
The enemy can’t kill your allies if they’re dead, support made simple.
Talents.
Level 10: +6% Amplification.
Difficult choice here, as the attack range bonus is a huge number and applies to both your liquid frost and fire, and I cannot fault you for wanting to spam both of those from a high range, increasing their utility. There really are no ‘bad’ choices here. However with Aether Lense you’re going to need to get inside this range to fire off your other spells anyway.
Due to the huge powerspike that 6% amp provides at 10, I usually find myself picking this talent. Works great in combination with Kaya and it’s upgrades to keep you damage-relevant in the late game also.
Level 15: +25 Dual Breath Burn Damage.
We’ve invested heavily in skill points to max out dual breath as quickly as possible, and now we’re going to take it a step further with this talent. With the additional +25 damage PER TICK, we’re doing 105 damage per second. Ow.
If however, you’re investing in the lockdown with icepath with your skill points and intend on taking the icepath at 25, this can be considered, but in most cases the dual breath is the better talent.
Level 20: +325 Dual Breath Range.
Dual breaths deals damage and slows between yourself and the end of the cast range, more cast range, wider/larger spell. Combined with Aether Lense and you’re going to be putting out your breath, really, really far. Get this talent, we’ve invested so much into dual breathe, we wont stop now.
The scenario where you consider the attack speed slow is when you have selected attack range as your level 10 talent, and have invested in liquid fire and frost.
Level 25: Macropyre Pure and Pierces Immunity.
Combined with the scepter, this makes your Macropyre insanely potent. If your team has low damage, or the enemy is playing particularly beefy heroes, go with this. It’s going to ignore their resistances, and help your team follow up and secure kills off your damage.
However, if you’ve taken the Ice Path cooldown talent for the lockdown, nobody can blame you. Having a stun available on a short cooldown is just as great of a utility as the area denial of Macropyre. As such, if you’ve taken the Ice Path cooldown talent, take the stun duration one also.
Credits
| Program | Founding Writers |
| Author | Luke Cowling |
| YouTuber | ZQuixotix |
| Publisher | MGN |
| Game | Dota 2 |