Introduction

Lina Inverse is a hero that I have been playing since her implementation some years ago. Since that time I have fought against and alongside heroes that today have drastically been changed or removed entirely from the world of DotA, although some remain largely the same. Lina herself has changed little yet my view of how to maximize her power has altered greatly parallel to how I and my play environment has changed.

At this time I believe that I am able to play this hero with maximum effectiveness. The build I used has been changed drastically over time and now I am under the impression that I can play Lina Inverse at her best. I wish to share my build and experiences with others so that they may also develop a better understanding of the potential that this hero holds.

This guide was not meant to be short. I try to be as concise as possible as I do not like to ramble but, simply put, you can't just skim through this and expect to get everything out of it. Before commenting on this guide or even playing the build outlined please read the guide in its entirety. Thanks in advance.

Table of Contents

I. Hero Overview

1. Stat Overview
2. Skill Descriptions

1. Skill List
2. Skill Explanations

1. Primary Build
2. Primary Build Explanation
3. Alternative Build
4. Alternative Build Explanation
5. General Concept
6. Which Build When?
7. Items Not To Get

1. Early Game

1. Levels 1-2
2. Levels 3, 4 and 5
3. Levels 6-9

1. Levels 10-12
2. Levels 13-16
3. Levels 17 and 18

1. Levels 19-21
2. Level 22 Onward

VI. Misc. Notes

VII. Replays

VIII. Closing

I. Hero Overview

Stat Overview

To put it as swiftly as possible, Lina's stats are mediocre. Her movespeed is above average, her Strength gain is poor as well as her Agility gain and her Intelligence gain is extremely high. Her attack animation is exceptionally slow along with her spell animations and her base armor/Strength are both low.

Skill Descriptions

Dragon Slave

AoE nuke that moves out from the hero like Shockwave. Relatively self-explanatory. However, many players underestimate the size of the spell's radius. In order to quell these false beliefs, I've constructed a crude diagram to show the actual range of Dragon Slave.

The first line perpendicular to Lina with the X through it shows where I targeted the spell. The second line shows how far the spell actually goes. Like Carrion Swarm, Dragon Slave goes a lot farther than one initially expects. This is important to note, especially when using it to finish off a fleeing hero or to harass the enemy in your lane. The two lines running parallel to Lina's sight simply show how large the area of the spell is. The area stays relatively constant, although the animation looks as though it would be much smaller coming out of Lina then becoming bigger as it moves.

As you play Lina you should learn that simply clicking on the hero that you wish to strike with Dragon Slave is not the most efficient way of using the spell. Rather, by learning how far the spell goes relative to where you target it you should be able to cast it from a much safer distance. By using the image given above and practicing this will soon come easy to you. When first I played this hero I underestimated the range of Dragon Slave, then as time went on I began to overestimate it instead. I do pretty well with it now but it's taken me a while to get used to it. It will for you too.

Level 1 - Deals 90 damage. (68 with hero reduction) 90 mana cost.
Level 2 - Deals 150 damage. (94 with hero reduction) 105 mana cost.
Level 3 - Deals 210 damage. (158 with hero reduction) 125 mana cost.
Level 4 - Deals 280 damage. (210 with hero reduction) 140 mana cost.

8 second cooldown.

Light Strike Array (LSA)

Light Strike Array is Lina's only disable. It's characterized best by it being one of the very few aimable AoE non-ultimate disables and its relative difficulty of use. Here's an example of the spell's range:

What does this show? This is the farthest you can cast Light Strike Array without forcing Lina to move from her initial position. It's the farthest the spell can go. This is a useful thing to keep in the back of your mind as you play. You're obviously not going to memorize the range of this spell BUT this will give you a good mental image.

First I want to say that screenshots will not help you learn this spell. Replays will not help you learn this spell. Text will not help you learn this spell. Electroshock to your brain will not help you learn this spell. Practice is the only way you will become proficient with Light Strike Array. Period. That's it. With every game you will improve, at first quite noticeably and then marginally as you practice. Practice is the word. It's a beautiful word and it's a beautiful thing.

As you play you'll be able to hit with this spell with almost perfect consistency. Only by playing will you be able to gauge how fast your enemy is moving relative to where you are, how fast it takes Lina to cast the spell and how far away is too far away to hit with Light Strike Array. I have the potential to post dozens of screenshots showing me aiming, hitting, and missing with this spell and none of them will help you in the least. It's just too intuitive to be learned by example, it can only be acquired through practice.

The only thing to keep in mind is that early it's very difficult to hit with this spell, as your foe is going to be most alert at this point in the game. The best way to score an LSA hit early is to chain it with an allied disable or slow or to use it defensively when an enemy is attacking you. Otherwise it's very difficult to do.

Light Strike Array destroys trees, which means you can use it to dismantle Eyes in the Forest or to eliminate Furion's Sprout. On the other hand, be careful that you don't cancel out ally Furion's 5 second disable with your 1.5 second one.

Practice.

Level 1 - Deals 90 damage. (68 with hero reduction) 90 mana cost.
Level 2 - Deals 150 damage. (94 with reduction) 100 mana cost.
Level 3 - Deals 210 damage. (158 with reduction) 110 mana cost.
Level 4 - Deals 280 damage. (210 with reduction) 125 mana cost.

Stuns for 1.6 seconds. 10 second cooldown.

Ultimate

Ultimate is what sets Lina apart from most heroes of her kind. Once this spell is sufficiently leveled it becomes a permanent (and sizeable) IAS increase as long as you remember to keep it activated.

Level 1 - 10% increase for 20 seconds.
Level 2 - 20% increase for 25 seconds.
Level 3 - 30% increase for 30 seconds.
Level 4 - 50% increase for 30 seconds.

Laguna Blade

A simple spell that deals extremely high damage to a single target, Laguna Blade is a powerful fixture in Lina Inverse’s arsenal. This spell will be the source of many of your kills for a large portion of the game. Note that there is a significant cooldown decrease when levels 2 and 3 of Laguna Blade are learned, and a very minor one (not listed here) when Aghamin's is purchased.

Level 1 - Deals 450 damage. (338 with hero reduction) 2 minute 30 seconds cooldown(!!). 280 mana cost.
Level 2 - Deals 675 damage. (506 with reduction) 1 minute 30 seconds cooldown. 420 mana cost.
Level 3 - Deals 950 damage. (713 with reduction) 55 second cooldown. 680 mana cost.

II. Skill Build

Skill List

Level 1- Light Strike Array
Level 2- Dragon Slave
Level 3- Dragon Slave
Level 4- Stats
Level 5- Dragon Slave
Level 6- Laguna Blade
Level 7- Dragon Slave
Level 8- Stats
Level 9- Stats
Level 10- Stats
Level 11- Laguna Blade
Level 12-15- Ultimate
Level 16- Laguna Blade

Skill Explanation

Dragon Slave is Lina's primary early game ability. With it she will be able to clear up creeps easily, hold a moderately powerful AoE spell at her disposal and be able to harass her enemy with a relatively long-range spell. It is maxed first and foremost.

Only one level of Light Strike Array is taken to keep the mana cost down and to allow you to put more points into Stats. It may seem wasteful not to level up a nuke like this but depending on it means that you will not be able to freely use your other abilities due to heavy mana constraints. You still keep the stun, just not the damage.

Not leveling Light Strike Array is not 100% beneficial. That should be obvious; you are taking a loss from not leveling this skill up whether you (or I) like it or not. The question is whether that loss is worth the benefits you will be getting from not leveling it. Obviously I think it is. It really goes without saying that the time you will most notice the lack of damage Light Strike Array deals is during the early and mid game, particularly in the former case. Generally the difference is most noticed when you're trying to kill a hero by yourself or with an ally. Granted, you really shouldn't be trying to kill a hero by yourself unless it's an easy frag because forcing your kills is bad, but we're looking at this point anyway. Now, assuming you're ganking with allies the damage from Light Strike Array probably will go unnoticed. If you screw up the kill it's probably not because of the lack of damage that Light Strike Array deals but rather a mistake that you made in coordination or target choice. So really the only time you're going to truly be bothered by the lack of damage that LSA deals is when you're trying to earn a kill with your ally early-on.

The outlined build is making Lina into a carry hero. The stat points will increase your survivability and farming ability, which are the things you need most in order to farm up to the ambitious expectations that are being laid before you.

Now, the time that I would choose to level up Light Strike Array is if I can make use of the damage early - namely, if I’m with an ally that will allow me to kill heroes every time they appear. The prime example of this is the Crystal Maiden, who you can chain nukes with and kill the enemy in your lane instantaneously. Again and again and again… Leveling up Light Strike Array is in no way devastating to this strategy. I believe that if you can’t chain it early then it’s not worth it and Stats are better, but if you really feel it’s necessary then fine, put points into it.

Ultimate is taken during the middle levels when attack speed will start to take on a more useful role in Lina's play. Laguna Blade is obviously maxed as quickly as possible; although the mana cost is high the obscene amount of instant damage it does allows us to easily nab a kill early, albeit by sacrificing a good deal of mana. This is why it's taken at level 6 and not 10.

III. Item Build

Item List

Ring of Regeneration + 2 x Lesser Clarity Potion / 2 x Ironwood Branch

Circlet of Nobility-s, Ironwood Branch-es, Bracer, Null Talisman, etc

Hand of Midas

Boots of Speed

Void Stone

Boots of Travel

Sacred Relic

Complete Aegis of the Immortal + Divine Rapier

Complete Linken's Sphere

Item Explanations

A Ring of Regeneration and Clarities are typical early game items. They should require no explanation. Branches are a viable substitute as well.

Stat items such as Circlets, Branches, and possibly a Bracer or Null or two are a cheap way to boost up your stats to a more appropriate point. Generally you should fill your inventory with various stat items as the game progresses. My personal choice is just to buy a Bracer but you can experiment with alternatives and find what's best for you.

A Void Stone is purchased to allow for easier usage of your spells, particularly to allow you to use Dragon Slave more freely.

Hands of Midas is necessary for the Transmute ability and pushes your attack speed to just the level that we want it to be. It should be farmed as quickly as possible. Boots of Travel are primarily needed for the Teleport function, although the movespeed bonus is another plus.

Aegis + Rapier is farmed up through hero killing with spells and farming with Dragon Slave and Hands of Midas. With these two items you will be able to crush your enemies as if they were made of sand. Finally, the Void Stone that was purchased earlier is formed into Linken's Sphere.

A modification has been made to the item order; if it is deemed beneficial (namely if you're feeling fragile) then grab Linken's Sphere right after your Relic. It kicks up your survivability a great deal and gives you better control over your mana.

After the listed build is complete I would recommend using your remaining slot to create either Guinsoo's Scythe of Vyse or Eye of Skadi. Hopefully the uses of both are fairly obvious to you.

Alternative Build

Ring of Regeneration + Ironwood Branch-es

Circlet of Nobility-s, Ironwood Branch-es, Bracer, Null Talisman, etc

Boots of Speed

Void Stone

Complete Mekansm

Complete Guinsoo's Scythe of Vyse