[Dhsu]

Originally Posted by The Derrit

i've never used invoker and even after reading about him have no idea how that works

Activating Q, W, and E (the "reagents") will each give you a different orby thing (or "instance") floating around you along with a passive effect. You can activate up to 3 instances at a time in any combination, so for example QQQ, QQW, QWE, etc.

His ult invokes the spell and gives you another ability based on the instances you have activated. Each combination has a different spell. At level 2 Invoke you can "store" a second spell as a 6th ability.

TL;RD
He has 10 abilities. He can use 2 at a time.

That means there are literally a hundred different ways to play Invoker.

[Tensei]

He also can't level his stats, but each of the instances can be leveled up seven times and the passive effects are really strong, so you can have 21 HP regen per second or 63 bonus damage at all times. He really plays unlike anything else in the game.

[Dhsu]

Yeah, if you count all his passive combinations, that bumps it up to 1000 unique configurations.

[Ajax]

Originally Posted by Dhsu

Yeah, if you count all his passive combinations, that bumps it up to 1000 unique configurations.

Which is what makes it so hard to balance him. While I haven't played invoker in years, I do remember having a fun time mauling people with giant flaming meteoroids.

I'm also really liking that they haven't implemented a concede function. It seems people are now more willing to stick it out, and don't just give up at 15 min if things are looking bad. I played witch doctor in a 4v5 where we were able to eventually win despite an incredibly farmed sand king and a mediocre pudge who left at lvl 8.

[Tensei]

Yeah, Invoker is very strong in the right hands and one of the few competitive picks that aren't in the game yet. Then again Batrider is super banworthy in WC3 DotA, yet he's not popular in Dota 2 at all!

[Dhsu]

Noobs can't Flamebreak.

[Tensei]

Flamebreak is like his worst spell though. :p

He's all about the napalm spam; get 5+ stacks on someone, turn on firefly and make a beeline for them and towerdive like a baller.

[Dhsu]

I just realized the description for Firefly on Playdota.com says "Nothing can take the skies from him." Loooool.

[Tensei]

Ah, awesome. They're adding Volibear. Also, customizable item builds.

[Nase]

i remember ulfsaar. some oldschool dota heroes can seem really strange though when you look at them coming from hon.
he's agi. his passive makes him seem like a distant relative of predator, but then he also has scout's flurry and an ult that, together with the passive, sort of forces him into tanky builds. to do more damage.
the ult also is like a reversed version of maliken's passive in the sense that you get weaker as you lose hp.

weird design.
how do people usually build him? full tanky, full agi, a combination? bloodstone and butterfly?