The Heroes in Dota 2 - An Introductory Guide for Ember Spirit

Introduction

Dota 2 is one of the most complex games in the world because there are over 120 heroes to choose from, each of whom is unique. Whether you like to cast spells or be in action, you will always find a hero that suits your needs.

However, what if there is a chance to do both? There are not that many heroes who allow you to inflict a lot of magical damage while also being one of the best right-clickers in the game, but Ember Spirit is one of them. 

Let's take a look at everything we need to know about his one-of-a-kind hero.

Facts about Ember Spirit

Often referred to as one of the hardest heroes in Dota 2, Xin (his DotA name) is a blast to play. He has one of the most exciting mechanics out of any hero that allows him to be elusive and tough to kill. He is an agility carry/mid laner that scales very well into the late game, depending on the items he gets.

Historically speaking, Ember Spirit was played more as a carry. However, ever since the "magical" build was introduced, he definitely shifted more towards the mid lane now. However, this doesn't mean that he is a bad carry. When combining with aggressive support, Ember Spirit can easily score kills and snowball very fast. 

These are his spells:

• Searing Chains - as the name of the ability suggests, it basically chains the enemy with flames that immobile them and does damage. Although it might not seem that strong, this spell is actually perfect to set up kills at all stages of the game.  Apart from its obvious use, Ember Spirit can use this spell while he is casting his second spell - Sleight of Fist. This allows him to quickly catch his enemies in chains and then chase them down with his ultimate.
• Sleight of Fist - this is the spell that is capable of winning games. Apart from the apparent bonus damage on enemy heroes, Ember Spirit is also capable of benefiting from all items he gets while using it. In other words, you can combine this spell with a Battlefury or Daedalus, and the results are going to be absolutely devastating.  
  Every Ember Spirit player needs to decide if he wants to level this spell early on. If you are planning to utilize the physical damage build, it definitely has to be on your bucket list in the first couple of levels. If not, you can always leave it for later.
• Flameguard - this ability helps Xin survive against most spells early on. It's a significant spell to have because Ember is a really squishy hero, so every single defensive mechanism goes a long way here. Of course, apart from absorbing magical damage, this shield also does a lot of damage but itself, so it makes it a perfect weapon early on.
• Fire Remnant- last, but definitely not least, we have Ember Spirit's ultimate. There are two main ways in which you can use this spell - either super offensive or extremely aggressive. Whatever the case may be, always be sure to keep an eye on how many charges you have so that you don't get yourself into a sticky situation.

Item choices and hard heroes to play against

As we mentioned earlier, there are two main ways in which you can play this hero - either doing magical or physical damage. Needless to say, your items will be drastically different in these cases, so bear that in mind. Nevertheless, here are a couple of item choices that you will find interesting:

• Battlefury is one of the best items for the physical damage build. It works exceptionally well with Slight of Fist and allows Ember Spirit to do insane amounts of damage, especially when the enemy is close to each other. If you are planning on purchasing this item, be sure to do it early on to get the most out of it.
• Maelstorm is often referred to as the cheap Battlefury because it costs less, but at the same time, it has pretty good stats. However, this item is mostly aimed at the magical damage built because it doesn't scale that well like other physical damage items.
• Daedalus - a must for every Ember Spirit out there. When you combine it with Sleight of Fist, you can do up to 2000 critical strike damage to enemy heroes, which is absolutely insane.
• Boots of Travel are an essential item on Ember Spirit. Unlike other heroes where this is considered as luxury, Ember Spirit can benefit a lot from having BoT because he can pretty much farm all three lanes at the same time. To make the most out of them, always be sure to have a remnant somewhere on the other side of the map.
• Radiance - although this is not that popular, many Xin players that decide to play with spell damage tend to get this. Not only does ti give burn damage, but it also provides a perfect flat damage bonus. This allows him to do even more damage with his Sleight of Fist.

In terms of Ember Spirit counters, pretty much every single hero that has the ability to keep him in place with a CC is considered a counter. There are many support heroes such as Lion and Shadow Shaman that can make his life a living hell. On the other hand, there are also a couple of core heroes who are very strong against Ember, such as Legion Commander. Apart from them, Xin is a very deadly enemy to have.