Mirana, Priestess of the Moon Dota Heroine, The Guide

Mirana Nightshade
Priestess of the Moon

Table of Contents post 1:
Introduction
Statistics
Skill info and comments
Skill build
Item build
Strategy
Final Words
Replays

Table of Contents post 2:
Skill usage (When to use your skills)
Frequently asked questions
Interesting facts/tips

Introduction:

Mirana is an interesting hero to do a guide on - Her skills require some finesse to use, making her harder to master than most. Furthermore, her play style can be rather varied, making her a versatile hero to use.

Statistics:

Location - Bottom right Sentinel tavern, fourth (last) hero.
Strength - 17 + 1.85 (473 base hp;1309 final hp)
Agility (primary) - 20 + 2.75
Intelligence - 17 + 1.65 (221 base mana;728 final mana)
Base attack - 38-49 (1.42 second cooldown)
Base armor - 1.8 (9% damage reduction)
Base hp regeneration - 0.76 hp per second
Base mana regeneration - 0.69 mana per second
Final attack - 104-115 (0.91 second cooldown)
Final armor - 11.2 (40% damage reduction)
Final hp regeneration - 2.08 hp per second
Final mana regeneration - 2.25 mana per second
Base attack time (BAT) - 1.7
Attack range - 600
Movement Speed - 300

Skill info and comments:

Starfall


Calls down a wave of meteors to damage each nearby enemy. If enemy is farther than 600 range, it has a 60% chance to still hit him. One random enemy unit within 200 aoe will get hit again for half the damage.

Level 1 - 75 damage per wave. (100 mana cost;12 second cooldown)
Level 2 - 150 damage per wave. (120 mana cost;12 second cooldown)
Level 3 - 225 damage per wave. (140 mana cost;12 second cooldown)
Level 4 - 300 damage per wave. (160 mana cost;12 second cooldown)

An all around spell with a HUGE aoe (900 max in every direction). This is probably one of the few skills which does SO well whatever the situation is. Think of it as a buffed scream of pain, and we all know how good scream of pain is for almost everything.

Elune's Arrow


Fires an arrow to a location with deadly precision, dealing large damage and stunning the first unit it strikes. Stun duration increases based on how far the target is, ranging from 0.5 to 5 seconds.

Level 1 - Deals 90 damage. (100 mana cost;25 second cooldown)
Level 2 - Deals 180 damage. (100 mana cost;25 second cooldown)
Level 3 - Deals 270 damage. (100 mana cost;25 second cooldown)
Level 4 - Deals 360 damage. (100 mana cost;25 second cooldown)

Another extremely versatile skill. It reveals an area around the arrow while the arrow is travelling, making it usable for scouting purposes. It hits invisible units and deals damage (but does not stun), and if abused correctly, the huge range (2600) of this skill will no doubt surprise even the most alert of enemies. Stuns for 0.5 seconds for every 100 distance it moves, for a max of 5 seconds at 1000 distance. Goes through allies, towers, and siege units.

Leap


Mirana's wild Frostsaber leaps forward into battle, empowering allies with a ferocious roar upon landing. Movement and Attack Speed bonus lasts 10 seconds.

Level 1 - 400 range. 4% speed increase. (60 mana cost;20 second cooldown)
Level 2 - 450 range. 8% speed increase. (55 mana cost;20 second cooldown)
Level 3 - 500 range. 12% speed increase. (50 mana cost;20 second cooldown)
Level 4 - 550 range. 16% speed increase. (45 mana cost;20 second cooldown)

Wow, pretty versatile ain't she? Leap acts like a blink, sometimes better, sometimes worse. It buffs nearby allied heroes with the same mspeed for the same duration if you land your leap near them. While leaping, the POTM is invulnerable, making enemies lose their attack commands on her, and neutralizing any damage taken while leaping (stormbolts, this, that, basically any projectile). Can also leap out of blackhole because blackhole stops units every 0.05 seconds whereas leap has no cast time. Can be used to chase, escape and dodge. Also can save allies and yourself from your chasing opponents. Think of it as a temporary BLAZING FAST for your allies.

Moonlight Shadow


Turns Nightshade and all allied heroes invisible. If Invisiblity is broken, it gets restored after the fade time during the shadow duration.

Level 1 - Lasts 7 seconds. 2.5 second fade time. (200 mana cost;160 second cooldown)
Level 2 - Lasts 9 seconds. 2 second fade time. (250 mana cost;160 second cooldown)
Level 3 - Lasts 11 seconds. 1.5 second fade time. (300 mana cost;160 second cooldown)

OMG, yet another versatile skill, but highly underused, due to its high cooldown time. This skill can help set up for ganks, to help teammates escape, or hell, even use it during a gank to make your enemies pluck their hair in frustration of having to deal with 5 Stealth Assassins.

Skill Build:

Arrow
Leap
Starfall
Starfall
Starfall
Arrow
Starfall
Arrow
Arrow
Stats
Moonlight Shadow
Leap
Stats
Stats
Moonlight Shadow
Moonlight Shadow
Leap
Leap
Stats till 25

Justifications for skill build:

Arrow [1] - If you're sharing a lane, try to use this skill and get the enemy stunned for 5 seconds. It is devastating early game. More info on that in the skill usage section.
Leap [2] - To escape from nasty situations.
Starfall [3,4,5,7] - Maximise your nuking potential.
Arrow [6,8,9] - Maximise your nuking potential. (You will deal more damage with nukes than with normal attacks early game)
Stats - For much needed hp and mp boosts.
Moonlight Shadow [11] - Not enough mana to use it before this point of stage, even at 11, you'll still have mana difficulties. But if you do have the mana and is farming elsewhere, its one of the skills which can save your ally anywhere on the map.
Leap [12] - To make more use of leap. 4% mspeed (level 1) is too little, 8% will be fine for now.
Stats [13,14] - For more hp and mp.
Moonlight Shadow [15,16] - Reducing the oh so hated fade time from level 1 Moonlight Shadow. Improves the practical use of this skill by a lot.
Leap [17,18] - Much needed speed boosts for chasing and escaping.
Stats [19-25] - Nothing else left to get innit?

Item Build

(Starting Items)

Ring of regeneration x1


Ancient Tango of Essification x1


Clarity x1

(Whenever you have money and return to fountain)

Bracers x2


Boots x1


Scroll of Town Portal x1, and make sure you always have at least one in your inventory.

(After getting the above items)

Ring of Protection x1


Sobi mask x1 (Complete Ring of Basilius)


Energy Booster x1


Arcane Ring recipe x1 - If you return to base with enough money for only the recipe and not the Ring of Protection needed to complete this, place your Ring of Basilius onto your power circle and disassemble your RoB. Form the Arcane Ring first as it will help you farm better.


Ring of Protection x1 (Complete either Arcane Ring or Ring of Basilius, depending on items you had.)

(Damage Items)

Relic x1


Radiance recipe x1


Boots of Travel Recipe x1, you don't need to keep restocking on TP scrolls anymore.

(Now @ start farming for Divine Rapier and Aegis in this order.)

Relic
Demon Edge
Platemail
Planewalker's Cloak (Replace a bracer with this)
Aegis of the Immortal recipe (Complete Aegis)
Claymore (Complete Divine Rapier)

(If facing heavy disablers)

Sell or give your Ring of Basilius and buy a Black King Bar.

(If not facing heavy disablers)

Butterfly x1

Strategy

(Strategy for team carry)

Your main job is to farm. Potm with starfall has great farming capabilities, make sure you have enough mp for at least 1 leap, to get out of sticky situations. Let your teammates defend and gank for now, that isn't your priority. Your priority is to secure late game for your team. Do note that I do not want you to be an idiot and not bother about your teammates at all. If you can walk a little distance to save an ally or get a hero kill, do so. Not only does it give you monetary bonuses, it sets back your enemies killed and also gives you huge experience rewards.

If your ally is dying and you can't save him through Moonlight Shadow, that's what the teleport scroll is for. Teleport to the closest tower to your ally and launch your stun at his assailants, or walk to your ally if your ally is within your vincinity. Remember to restock your TP scrolls.

Take note that there is a difference between wanting to help and being foolhardy. Do not attempt to fight your enemies if they have strong disables, as leap won't save you from it.

(Strategy for Ganker/Supporter)

Your main job is to harass/stop the enemies team carry and to harass/delay their farming as much as possible, and to distract your enemies for your own team carry to farm in peace.

Searching for runes and spamming your Arcane Ring to both fill your mana pool and your allies is important. Runes can help with ganking so much easier. Wards can be bought if necessary to place at strategic points to help your allies and yourself.

Push when possible, defend when possible. That's about it, I don't want to be too naggy, adapt to your games.

(General strategy)

(Usage of Teleport Scrolls)

As I said earlier, TP scroll must be replenished constantly until you get your Boots of Travel. Why? TP scrolls, for example, help you escape from incoming enemies after you chase past a tower and get a hero kill but is left with low hp.

Here are some usages for Teleport Scroll:
Save yourself from dps skills (shadow strike poison nova combo etc).
Save yourself from incoming enemies if you have nowhere else to run.
Save an ally across the map by teleporting to the closest tower near him and launch an arrow in the enemies direction.
Save your towers from being destroyed by your enemies (include barracks).
Protect your team from backdoorers.
Get to base in a shorter amount of time.
Teleporting from a missed leap into the forest (or deliberate leap to escape enemies) and have to get out of there asap, such as if your enemies are destroying trees to get to you.
Getting back to lane after a death or fountain trip to get more gold and exp.

(Early game strategy)

Your job now is to try and get a clean Elune's Arrow hit from the forest, or by walking behind your enemies and shooting in their direction and then follow up with some hits or a kill. If you miss, do not worry. Get back in lane and continue farming/denying. Use your mana whenever its full, either starfall or arrow, depending on which would deal more damage to your enemy early game.

Harassing - Harassing with any hero follows the same basic rule. When you harass, make sure you're not harassed yourself. IE, when your enemy has no creeps or when his creeps are not near you. Whenever you issue an attack command to an enemy hero, nearby enemy creeps and towers will prioritize you. You do not want to be harassed more than you are harassing your enemy. That is just plain stupid. Do NOT attempt to harass heavy nukers or disablers. Keep away from them and just farm and deny until you have the opportunity to maximize your skills to damage them. (More info in the second post, Usage of skills)

If you have an ally, do your best to make full use of your skills. Plan beforehand what you expect them to do or what they expect you to do, and try and pull it off successfully. Teamwork is a MUST in DotA.

(Middle game strategy)

Try to keep alive, make use of the range of Elune's Arrow to provide help even if you aren't in the vincinity. Farm for stuff you need and try to help out as much as possible. Do not save your skills to get the final hit on enemies. That can sometime cost you a kill, or you may even get killed yourself if their allies come to their aid in time. Generally, if your team needs help with a few ganks, do so. If your team needs help defending, do so. Do whatever is needed in the game; you are NOT playing a single player game.

Use your items and try to get the most benefits from them. Such as using BoT to defend, or spamming arcane rings to boost your and your allies mp.

(Late game strategy)

Nothing much here, spam your spells to weaken your enemies, use your stun to have everyone focus on your enemy. Use Moonlight Shadow whenever a big battle is going on. Moonlight Shadow helps more than you think. The only drawback is the huge cooldown time. If you think you can win, gather up and push together, using Elune's Arrow to take out any enemies who might be standing in your path. Have observer wards placed at key locations to avoid getting backstabbed. Use leap if you really have to get away from the fight. If the fight is still going on and nobody is chasing you, launch an Elune's Arrow, it might help.

Final (maybe?) Words:

This is my first proper guide for the strat forums, and I hope I've done decent/good. Will add in screenshots and replays when I get hold of them, please leave criticisms and your comments here. Also, feel free to ask questions. The FAQ will be in my next post.

Replays:

PubreplayPOTMguide.w3g:
A decent replay showing you basically how to use her skills. Didn't really follow the item build, as serados (the Doom Bringer) wanted me to carry halfway through, so I sorta got half half of the builds. Anyways, I lost first blood due to some lack of teamwork with my lane partner and well, played rather decently througout the rest of the game to finish the game beyond godlike.

A must see if you want to watch for excellent usage of Elune's Arrow.

Also, forgive my bad manners and spelling. I usually go crazy in pubs.

SkadiPoTM.w3g:
Like I said, if there's no-one else in your team that can carry, PoTM CAN do the job. Do not underestimate her just because of her unreliable stun. Anyway, trying out the Skadi build as requested by some forumers. I took too long to get it (maybe because I was going around too much) but yes, it is helpful.

This game is extremely long though, so I recommend using the fast forward whenever you feel like it.

Enjoy the Skadi build!


Attached File(s)
PubreplayPOTMguide.w3g ( 1.12mb )
SkadiPoTM.w3g ( 2.42mb )

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