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

Introduction

With its wide range of choices when it comes down to heroes, we can easily see why Dota 2 is so popular. Whether you're used to be in the center of fights or stay behind and cast spells, there will always be a hero that suits your playstyle. However, what if there is someone who wants to do both?

Well, if that's the case, he is in luck because there is one hero that offers just that - Storm Spirit. Raijin (his DotA) name is one of the strongest heroes in Dota 2 if he is picked and played the right way. Nevertheless, this is easier said than done because Storm Has a very high skill cap.

Let's check some of the most important things you need to know about this hero before you decide to jump in action.

Storm Spirit General Info

Raijin is an intelligence-based hero who is nearly always played in the mid lane. It is possible to see him playing as a carry too, but that happens very rarely.  He is very fast, hard to kill, and a powerful hero once he hits level six. Until then, he can be easily killed because his movement speed is one of the lowest in the game. Here are Storm Spirit's spells:

• Static Remnant - this is Storm's main farming ability that creates a remnant of himself that stays in once place for a couple of seconds. Once an enemy walks through it, it will do damage. There are numerous ways in which you can use this ability. For example, it is even possible to stack it in front of a jungle camp so you can clear it instantly because it has a very low cooldown
• Electric Vortex - this is Raijin's disable spell that pulls his enemy towards him for a couple of seconds. During the duration of the spell, Storm's movement speed is reduced by a lot. The good think about this spell is that it allows Storm to solo kill nearly every opponent. While he is pulling the enemy towards him, he can also use his Static Remnant for additional damage.
• Overload - a passive skill that is the primary source of damage for this swift hero. After he uses a spell, he will always deal with bonus damage, depending on the level of Overload. As a result, the tricky thing about playing Storm Spirit is that you need to always use a spell if possible before attacking. By doing this, you will be able to do tons of damage relatively easy.
• Ball Lightning - Last, but not least, this is perhaps one of the most recognizable ultimates in the game. This is what makes Storm Spirit such a dangerous hero to play against. When used, he can quickly "fly" through the map at the cost of his mana pool. While moving with Ball Lightning, Storm Spirit is immune to everything and deals damage, depending on the distance.
  The cool thing about Ball Lightning is that you can use it through cliffs, trees, and pretty much anything. Just remember to keep an eye on your mana because you can easily get distracted.

Laning & Items

As we mentioned above, Raijin is nearly exclusively played as a mid lane hero. He needs quick levels and farm in order to be effective, which makes a support Storm Spirit pretty much impossible. What's more, this hero is one of the biggest snowballers in the game. This means that, given a good start, he can carry the game on his own.

In terms of items, pretty much any intelligence-based thing that adds mana is right. Here are some of the most popular choices:

• Bloodstone - this is regarded as the best item you can get on Storm Spirit. It gives him a lot of mana pool, as well as mana regeneration. If you have a decent game in terms of farm, you should be able to buy this item within the 17-19 minute range. It's widespread to see SS players getting this item before anything else.
• Linkin's Sphere - another pretty good item on Storm. However, it is a little bit more situation than Bloodstone because it provides fewer stats and Mana regen. Nevertheless, if there is a certain hero that you need to protect yourself against, this is a perfect choice.
• Scythe of Vyse - for obvious reasons, this is one of the best items that you can get on Storm Spirit. It provides tons of mana, mana regen, and a powerful effect that is enough to kill any hero in the game.
• Black King Bar - a must for every Storm Spirit if there is any hero that can either stun or disable him. Without this item, you will be very vulnerable and easily killed.
• Eul's Scepter of Divinity  - this is a common first item on Raijin whenever he needs something defensively.
• Kaya - another very cost-efficient item for Storm Spirit that can have a huge impact early on.

Counters

Even though this hero is powerful in most cases, there are certain enemies that no Storm Spirit player wants to see in the game. Some of them are annoying only in the beginning, whereas others can be a pain during the entire length of the game:

• Skywrath Mage - probably the most significant counter during the laning stage. Skywrath is fast and does tons of magical damage. When you combine this with 6 seconds amplifying silence, he can kill every Storm Spirit in just a matter of seconds. No wonder this hero is usually picked to crush Storm in the laning stage.
• Meepo - ever since Valve changed the rooting mechanism, Meepo is incredibly hard to deal with later on in the game. If the person who plays this hero is right, he can keep you in his disable all the time, which won't allow you to move at all.

Apart from the mentioned above, pretty much any tanky hero who builds BKB is a potential threat for Storm. That's why you need to always be careful before picking this hero.