The name of this creature strikes fear into all of those who have seen the Nerubians. Even the famed assassin Anubarak is hesitant to fight this beast, which comes from the plane of the spirit world. He can swiftly walk through his enemies, bending their bodies to his will, causing pain while he strides through them. With his powers over the timeless plane, he can also step inside and throw himself into the past to keep himself from death. He can call an attack from the future to strike his foes, making his onslaught more deadly. Anubseran. Only the fools do not fear his name.
Hp : 416
Mana : 195
Strenght : 14 + 1.5
Agility : 14 + 2.5 ( primary )
Intelligence : 15 + 1.8
Damage : 31 - 41
Attack Speed : 1.46
Strengths and Weaknesses
Positives
Excellent survivability spells. Weaver is very difficult to kill in the hands of experts. Excellent chaser. Weaver can outrun most heroes, including Bone Fletcher. Excellent harasser. Weaver can easily drain any mediocre HP heroes using Shukuchi. Late gamer. Weaver becomes more powerful as the game progresses. Good gold saver. Weaver rarely dies so he can accumulate lots of gold.
Negatives
Difficult to master. Weaver is an underpowered character. Not noob friendly. Weaver is not your usual direct-killer hero. Fragile. Weaver easily dies in the hands of noobs and beginners. Limited item selections. Weaver has an orb-effect attack.
Skill Desciptions
Watcher ( W )
Raises an invisible Watcher from a corpse. Watcher does not have truesight.
Level 1: 1 maximum.
Level 2: 2 maximum.
Level 3: 3 maximum.
Level 4: 4 maximum.
Mana Cost: 50
Cooldown: 85
Notes: Watchers do not reveal invisible units but invisible to other units as well. They are good for spotting runes, spying enemy movements, and avoiding backstabs. In 6.32, Watchers no longer die when Weaver dies. The more reason to use Watchers.
Shukuchi ( C )
Nerubian Weaver becomes invisible and has 522 move speed for 4 seconds. Any units passed through will take 90 damage.
Level 1: 13 second cooldown.
Level 2: 11 second cooldown.
Level 3: 9 second cooldown.
Level 4: 7 second cooldown.
Mana Cost: 60
Cooldown: 13/ 11/ 9/ 7
Notes: Shukuchi is a good harassment skill. Spamming during early game is not advisable, since Weaver lacks mana to spam. At early levels, it should be used for defensive purposes and minor harassment tactics. It can also be used when escaping from the enemy or hunting heroes during clash.
Germinate Attack (passive)
Occasionally the Nerubian Weaver will send out two swarms, attacking an opponent twice.
Level 1: 7 second cooldown.
Level 2: 6 second cooldown
Level 3: 5 second cooldown
Level 4: 4 second cooldown
Orb effect.
Mana Cost: none
Cooldown: 7/6/5/4
Notes: A unique skill. Weaver hits twice in one attack. I once believed if a Critical happens during GA's 1st hit, the 2nd hit is a guaranteed Critical. This is an incorrect information. I did not theorycraft that information. It was based on my actual game experience a.
However, I have no intention to mislead anyone. The correct information is that a 2nd Critical may happen independently during GA's 2nd hit but it's not guaranteed and its chances are even lower than a normal Critical and it may be related on high IAS. However, this doesn't mean Buriza is now bad for Weaver. In fact, it's still good. This just shows MKB is not as worst as I used to think of.
According to alanrulez, Linken can block GA which means Weaver could waste Linken's Disentangle just by attacking with a cheap GA. He tested this against Roshan. However I have never tested this yet against a Linken-equipped hero.
Time Lapse ( T )
Warps the Weaver 5 Seconds back in time, reseting HP, Mana, and position. Does not effect cooldowns, gold, and XP.
Level 1: 120 second cooldown.
Level 2: 90 second cooldown.
Level 3: 60 second cooldown.
Mana Cost: 150
Cooldown: 120/ 90/ 60
Notes: A good harassment and survivability skill. The time frame is 5 seconds. So if you Shukuchi, which last 4 seconds, and run towards a direction, once Shukuchi fades-off, press Time Lapse and you will return to the point where you started running.Skill Build
Level 1 : Shukuchi
Level 2 : Germinate Attack
Level 3 : Stats/Watcher
Level 4 : Germinate Attack
Level 5 : Stats/Watcher
Level 6 : Time Lapse
Level 7 : Germinate Attack
Level 8 : Germinate Attack
Level 9 : Stats
Level 10 : Stats
Level 11 : Time Lapse
Level 12 : Shukuchi
Level 13 : Shukuchi
Level 14 : Shukuchi
Level 15 : Stats
Level 16 : Time Lapse
Level 17 : Stats/Watcher
Level 18 : Stats/Watcher
Level 19-23 : Stats
Level 24 : Stats/Watcher
Level 25 : Stats/Watcher
Notes: Maxing Geminate Attack is a priority while getting Time Lapse whenever possible. Level 1 Shukuchi is suffice enough to survive and perform minor harrassments during the early levels. There's no need to max Shukuchi because Weaver doesn't have the mana to spam at early levels. Four points added to Stats are equivalent to +152 HP, +104 MP and better regeneration rates. Together with the 5 Slot Combo, the additional Stats make Weaver a much durable and resilient fighter. In 6.32, Watchers no longer die when Weaver dies, so having Watchers early-on also becomes ideal.
Question :: Why 2 pts in Watcher at levels 3 and 5?
Answer : With the changes on 6.32, getting Watchers over Stats seems better. Since there are two rune spots on the map, you'll need at least two Watchers. These two rune spots are also where the turnaround ramps are common. Additionally, it takes at least two Watchers to set-up an ideal anti-backstab formation.
Question : Why not Watchers at levels 1 and 2 immediately?
Answer : In the early phase Shukuchi helps in running and harassing. Geminate helps in farming. Moreover, runes do not appear yet at levels 1 and 2. Most of the time it starts at level 3 and beyond.
Starting Items
Set A:
This is a typical starting combination but good for Weaver. The RoR is Weaver's main hp regen source throughout the game. Do not sell it. Weaver rarely reaches beyond 1400 hp even in the late game phases. The Flask is cost effective to Weaver since he has low hp pool.
Set B :
An unusual starting combination. The two Gauntlets add decent +114hp, which Weaver benefits because of his low hp pool. The +6 STR in addition to his starting 14 STR easily gives Weaver a +0.6hp regen.
Set C :
Another unusual starting combination. The chicken helps in buying and carrying items. The chicken minimizes fountain trips which translates to more exp and gold. When in need of hp, use your chicken to bring you Flask. This set is good against heavy nukers since with Flask Weaver can quickly regenerate hp, though I strongly advise that Weaver avoids heavy nukers!
Set D :
This combination prepares Weaver for the 5 Slot Combo as described in its section.
Set E :
An item combination for a Random 5v5 mode, but now you have the leisure of buying extras. Typically, I will get a RoR, Flask, and a chicken.
Extra Notes: If you have the extra gold to spare, don't forget to bring 1 or 2 Clarity Potions (50 gold each). It does help during the early levels for early harassments and while Weaver is still farming for Basilius.
Supporting Items
Boots of Speed
Definitely, Weaver needs Boots. It helps Weaver in chasing enemies and dodging harassments faster. Okay, ajwhite has asked me to expand my reasons for choosing Boots, though I find it quite odd. Weaver cannot stay in Shukuchi's 522 max movement speed forever, and even if he could then he could do nothing because Weaver cannot attack while in Shukuchi. If he attacks then 522 MS is gone. There is also 7 second cooldown in-between level 4 Shukuchi so if Weaver doesn't have Boots, then his speed is at a poor 290 MS for 3 to 7 seconds. Such slow speed attracts death specially at mid and late levels.
Ring of Regeneration
Buy this item as soon as possible. Its Weaver's primary HP/regen source throughout the game. The 5 Slot Combo section already shows how useful and cheap this item is. Sunchilde has asked me what's wrong about two RoRs? Definitely, there's nothing wrong with it except that it slows you in getting Broadsword much earlier. Dual RoRs might be advisable against spammers such as Zeus; otherwise, why get two RoRs if Weaver is fighting against heroes like Panda?
Ring of Basilius
Weaver definitely needs MP/regen. Basilius is cheap, affordable, and a team-oriented item. Through its dual auras, Weaver can support pushes and chase heroes even beyond hostile Towers. Same as with the 5 Slot Combo section.
Chicken
Though Weaver has Shukuchi to quickly scour the map, it's not an excuse to abuse Shukuchi for fountain or buying purposes Chicken is cost-effective because it saves time and helps Weaver stay longer on the lane. Use the Chicken to buy items such as Flasks, Boots, Basilius and many more. Same as with the 5 Slot Combo section.
Optional Items
Power Threads
Treads is partly useful and partly useless to Weaver. He doesn't need the speed boost because Weaver has 522 max speed from Shukuchi already. The 30% IAS is good at early levels, specially in farming, but at mid levels and forward, Weaver starts to pick-up his IAS from his main items and stat bonuses.
Ironwood Branches
What about Ironwood Branches? Three Branches give +3 STATS for the cost of 171 gold. A Gauntlet only gives +3 STR for the cost of 150 gold. Clearly, the bonuses provided by three Branches are better than a Gauntlet. This is quite true but only superficially. We need to look beyond such simple comparison. Gauntlets are better for various reasons:
1. A Gauntlet is cheaper than three Branches.
2. A Gauntlet only takes one slot; whereas three Branches take three slots.
3. Once Weaver reaches level 6, his inventory will include a RoR, Basilius, and Boots, which take three slots. Add the three Branches and Weaver's inventory is already full. Around levels 8-10, Weaver will have a Broadsword or Blades of Attack, so he needs to free up a slot. So he'll be selling a Branch. That leaves him a RoR, a Basilius, Boots, an item, and two Branches.
4. If we chose Gauntlets instead, Weaver will have a RoR, Basilius, Boots, an item, and two Gauntlets.
5. HP provided by two Gauntlets are considerably better than HP provided by two Branches. Therefore, two Gauntlets are better than two Branches in terms of bonuses and cheaper in terms of time-slot-cost-efficiency ratio. So it would be a delusion to compare two Gauntlets to six Branches because that will never happen practically
Bracers
It's a possiblity but unnecessary. Two Bracers cost 1020 gold. A Crystalys recipe costs 1000 gold. A Vitality Booster costs 1100 gold. Weaver needs mana but his Attribute Bonus already provides his necessary mana to survive (thanks to the Optimized Skill Build). All that Weaver needs from the Bracers is the bonus HP. Gauntlets provide that without wasting too much gold.
Wraith Band
It's a possiblity but unnecessary. Two Wraiths cost 1020 gold. Only the +12 dmg is worth considering here. It helps in farming but even without those Weaver can still farm well (GA Activation + Shukuchi). If Weaver needs damage then farm for a Broadsword which costs 1200 gold and gives +18 dmg. Getting Wraiths will just slow down Weaver in forming Buriza (if that's his item build). Of course there's nothing wrong in getting Wraiths, just like Bracers but what I offer is a faster route to Crystalys without wasting gold.
Headress of Rejuvenation
This item is best if Weaver is playing as a support hero. It helps in pushing and helping allies stay longer on the lane. If Weaver is farming well, it doesn't hurt to upgrade RoR into a Headress.
ITEM BUILD
Damager
Buriza-do Kyanon
Recent research and discussions and Fanatics have shown and proven that double Criticals during GA are not guaranteed. I once believed if a Critical happens during GA's 1st hit, the 2nd hit is a guaranteed Critical. This is an incorrect information. I did not theorycraft that information. It was based on my actual game experience and based on fitaboy's and Twistedblue's Weaver guides. I acknowledge the mistake and I'm sorry to my readers who have read it. However, I have no intention to mislead anyone.
The correct information is that a 2nd Critical may happen independently during GA's 2nd hit but it's not guaranteed and its chances are even lower than a normal Critical and it may be related on high IAS. Thanks to Artix, alanrulez, and Fanatic's research and discussion for pointing this out. However, this doesn't mean Buriza is now bad for Weaver. In fact, it's still good. This just shows MKB is not as worst as I used to think of.
Why is Buriza still our choice if double Criticals are not guaranteed during GA? The preliminary reasons are already given in the 2 Weaver Builds section and in the Walkthrough Early Phase section.
So what's our choice? Buriza definitely! Why?
1. The longer the game goes, the higher Buriza's damage becomes; whereas MKB is constant
2. Buriza's DPS with Bonus damage is considerably higher than MKB and it gets higher as the game goes
3. Farming with a Broadsword seems better than a Quarterstaff
4. Buriza's items can be bought in smaller, cheaper parts (particulary the Crystalys) and this is an intuitive alternative over the Radiance build.
Notes: Yes, Buriza is still better than MKB for Weaver but not because of the GA-Critical issue but for other substantial reasons.
Farmer
Radiance
Radiance is a recent addition in Weaver's builds. It has replaced the "Speeder" build in previous versions of this guide. With the discovery of GA Activation / GA Farming and with the help of Shukuchi farming, Radiance became a possibility. Weaver's efficient survivability makes it ideal for him to farm for huge gold for long periods of time. This is one of Weaver's Pro's. Saving for a Sacred Relic is no longer an issue. In the previous versions, I avoided this item because farming was bad with Weaver but with the recent discoveries and research, I have come to conclusion that Weaver can farm as well.The fundamental question is why not MKB instead? It's also good for farming. I agree. The IAS and damage are good. I have already demonstrated and proved MKB's viability in the "Damager" and in the old "Speeder" build. I have three reasons why I prefer Radiance over MKB. Firstly, farming with Radiance is better than farming with MKB. Secondly, a Radiance build is unconventional than an MKB build. Thirdly, Radiance' synergy with Shukuchi is excellent; whereas MKB doesn't take advantage of Shukuchi, but Radiance totally makes Shukuchi a very good skill. For further notes, read the Walkthrough section.
Support Items
Extension Items
Optional Items
Walktrough
Mode: All Pick 5v5
Level 1-6 : Early Phase
Gameplay
for Farmer and Damager
When the game starts, buy a Ring of Regeneration and a Flask of Sapphire Water (or you could opt a different set of starting items). If Weaver has an extra gold, get some Clarities this would help Weaver harass. If Weaver is Scourge, pick the top lane, and if Sentinel, pick the bottom lane. These lanes give Weaver the opportunity to fight near his Tower and provide opportunities to maneuver because of the forest. Weaver can go solo but preferably Weaver should go with an ally. Once Weaver reaches his lane, he has three tasks: harass, farm, level. Harassing:Once the first wave of creeps engages, Weaver should immediately execute a Blink+Break: Shukuchi--passing all creeps and the lowest HP hostile hero and moving behind that hero. Once Shukuchi fades off, quickly hit the hostile hero as much as possible. If the hero fights, retreat. If he runs, continue hitting. If you have an ally nearby, tell him to attack whomever Weaver will attack. This will drop the heroes' HP by as much as 50%. Why? It's simply because the combination of Shukuchi's 90 damage + target's starting armor + surprise effect of invisibility is deadly at very early levels (levels 1-5). This also explains why Weaver should choose the top and bottom lanes appropriately. It enables Weaver to lure his target deep within the position and let Weaver chase freely along the lane.There are three possible outcomes of this early harassment: first blood, target returning to his fountain, target hugging his Tower. In any of these outcomes, Weaver has definitely denied his target of precious experience and farming opportunities. However, some heroes will insist on staying on the lane even though their HP are almost at 50%. Weaver should wait for the second creep wave. Perform the same steps as described above. It's a guaranteed retreat for Weaver's target. However, heroes such as Venomancer and Zeus may be dangerous to harassed; instead try to avoid these type of heroes.Farming:Weaver's next task is to farm using various "last hit" techniques:1. Hit all hostile creeps. Hold ALT. Once a creep is in the red zone, quickly hit it. 2. Same as #1 except that once GA is ready to fire, focus GA on the dying creep. Weaver gets the gold much better with this process. 3. Same as #1 except that Weaver executes Shukuchi--passing the dying creep. If strafing and timing is good, Weaver can kill at least two creeps and get at least 80 gold per 60 mana cost.4. Same as #1 except that Weaver combines GA activation + Shukuchi.Harassing + Farming:The rule-of-thumb is harass a hero without neglecting efficient farming techniques. Use the in-between period of GA's cooldown to harass a hero. When harassing, hold ALT to see if any creep is in the red zone. Once GA is ready to fire, focus it on the dying creep; otherwise focus it on the hero. Farming is much easier if there are no hostile heroes around so harass first then focus on farming. Don't forget to kill friendly creeps if any is about to die. Pushes:Weaver supports pushes through his Basilius' aura and Watchers. The Basilius aura makes friendly creeps tenacious, while Watchers provide recon so that Weaver and his allies know when to push and when to retreat ideally. Hostile heroes should be pushed back through harassment. When harassing, tell your ally to attack whomever hostile hero Weaver will harass, so that there is a concentrated effort to push back a particular hero.Skill Build:At levels 2 and 4, add points to Geminate Attack. At levels 3 and 5, add points to Stats. With the changes on 6.32, Watchers are now possible alternatives at levels 3 and 5. Once Weaver has Watchers, quickly send them to the two Rune spots. Patrol them and never let them idle on one spot! Frequently check your Watchers. See if there are any important runes or possible enemy movements. Once you've seen one or two, notify your teammates by pinging the location and sending a message to your allies, like "Double Damage rune on this spot" or "Invisibility rune on that location" or "Enemy sighted". It's your job to notify your allies. Don't assume that your allies will be watching your Watchers. It's your job to watch your Watchers. Item Build:It will be an erroneous decision for any player to get Boots early for Weaver because his Shukuchi is enough for maneuvering, running, and harassing. Instead, Weaver should farm for at least 725 gold. Get a Ring of Basilius and an animal courier as soon as possible. If Weaver has extra gold, get Gauntlets to boost Weaver's HP. The Ring of Basilius adds decent mana regen and armor, damage boost, and useful auras to help Weaver's allies stay longer on the lane and help friendly creeps push. The chicken helps Weaver stay longer on his lane and serves as an item buyer, carrier, and even as a semi-Watcher! Weaver has unusual tendecies to stay too long on his lane so chicken is a must. If Weaver needs to regen HP fast, get a Flask and carry it with your chicken. Moreover, the chicken can be shared with Weaver's allies. As a semi-Watcher, place the chicken besides the Secret Shop forest and Weaver and his team has gained extra reconnaisance. Assign a group number to the chicken (usually, I assign "2" key to my chicken). Add the Watchers and Weaver becomes a useful team-oriented hero. However, if Weaver postpones buying anything and decides to do more farming, then do so. Make sure Weaver doesn't die or else precious gold and time will be lost. Once Weaver has bought his items, return Weaver to his lane and farm for Boots. However, I usually delay Boots. Instead, I farm for 1150 gold and get Blades of Attack (+9 damage) then Boots. Alternatively, I farm for 1200 gold and get Broadsword (18 damage), or I farm for 1700 gold and get Broadsword and Boots. Sometimes I go straight for Crystalys and farm 2850 gold. Sometimes, I even go straight for a Sacred Relic and farm 3800 gold. It really depends upon how the game goes and the easiness of Weaver's play. In fact, if I find Weaver getting harassed badly, I farm for 875 gold and get a Ring of Health instead. It's a good choice because with RoH + RoR Weaver doesn't fear harassments and he can likewise harass as he pleases, and this is where the chicken will be useful. An important decision now must take place. Should Weaver go for a Damager build or a Farmer build? The 2 Weaver Builds section will help you determine which build is suitable at your current situation.
Reminders:
1. Go top lane if Weaver is Scourge; otherwise, go bottom lane if Sentinel
2. Harass as soon as the first creep wave engages
3. Farming should be Weaver's priority not hero-killing
4. Don't buy Boots yet.
Levels 7-11 : Intermediate Phase
Game Play
for Farmer and Damager
During this phase, Weaver is still weak. All he can do is harass, farm, and survive efficiently. Paradoxically, being able to harass, farm, and survive efficiently doesn't really sound "weak". However, Weaver is not as happy as most heroes who have reached level 6 because his ultimate is in no way comparable. Most hero ultimates could already bring any hero dead. Anyway, Weaver should be satisfied and needs to be patient still during these levels. Remember how Naix shines mid-late and late game, and so as Weaver. If Weaver hasn't gotten his Boots, get it now. If Weaver doesn't have any Watchers yet, it's wise to have them now.
During this phase, team ganks become common. Watch your Watchers. Be vigilant and alert your teammates at all times. Prepare to chase and run as necessary. Use Shukuchi to quickly attain Weaver's target. When chasing, don't run away if a dying target runs towards his tower. Continue chasing. Weaver's armor will soak the damage. Time Lapse will refresh his hp and location. Tower hug if Weaver is being harassed constantly.
Item Build:
After the Basilius, Boots, and RoR, Weaver does not need directly to farm for his high-level items. He may buy intermediate items to further increase his farming ability. These intermediate items could be upgraded later to a higher-level item. For example, if Weaver has 1200+ gold he could straight go for a Broadsword; however with 1200+ gold Weaver could buy a Chainmail + Blades of Attack--lesser damage but better survivability.
1. If Weaver is harassed constantly, get a Ring of Health with the intent of forming it later to a Linken as a support item.
2. If Weaver needs extra HP and mana, a Point Booster would help. This can be converted later to a Skadi or Soul Booster. A Vitality Booster is also possible which later can be formed to a Heart of Tarrasque.
3. Alternatively, Weaver could take advantage of the EHP boosts from physical armors such as Chainmail or Platemail (thanks to lh2128 for the idea). A Weaver with 650 HP would receive +195HP from Chainmail for 620 gold. A Platemail provides +390 HP for 1400 gold. Chainmail is the cost effective and practical among the two because its cheaper and enables Weaver to buy other items as well (i.e Chainmail + Blades of Attack)
Skill Build:
Typically, you should follow the ideal Skill Build in this guide. At levels 7 and 8, add points to Geminate Attack, while at levels 9 and 10, add points to Stats. However, if Weaver is facing heroes with strong stuns and powerful disables i.e Vengeful Spirit, it would be wiser if Weaver pumps up Shukuchi first at these levels. Weaver needs to Shukuchi as soon as possible after a damaging stun or a powerful disable. 6 seconds difference between a level 1 Shukuchi and level 4 Shukuchi is important in such critical situations. Otherwise, if Weaver is facing heroes such as Medusa or Drow, follow the normal build. Alternatively, if Weaver is going for an all-out support function, maximize Watchers so that Weaver and his allies have full recon of the entire map.
Damager
Weaver's item goal in the "Intermediate" phase is to form a Crystalys. Use Weaver's various farming technqiues and farm for 1200 gold. Get the Broadsword first. Use the chicken to buy and carry the item. Equip the Broadsword. Farm for 650 gold and get the Blades of Attack, followed by the Crystalys recipe which costs 1000 gold. Once Weaver has Crystalys, farming and harassing becomes much easier. Hostile heroes will feel Weaver's damage.
Farmer
Weaver still has to be patient. He needs to survive and avoid deaths. Unnecessary confrontations must be shun away. Keep on farming for Sacred Relic. It would be a great help if Watchers are added early-on because backstabs seemed to happen everywhere. This is where Weaver's Watchers will be useful. Don't be too focused on farming. Watch your Watchers. To successfully farm Sacred Relic without dying means you need to keep an eye on your Watchers!
Reminders:
1. Watchers are Weaver's best friends at these levels
2. Weaver needs to be patient more than anybody else
3. Get a Ring of Health if Weaver is being harassed badly
4. Harass moderately
Levels 12-16 : The Middle Phase
Game Play
Damager
Weaver's item goal is to farm for a Demon Edge and a Buriza recipe . If Weaver is farming good, a Demon Edge may be bought earlier. If Weaver gets it much later, do not despair. If the delay is reasonable, there is nothing to worry about. Farm for 2600 gold and get the Demon Edge. Once Weaver has Demon Edge, farming for the Buriza recipe should be a snap.
Farmer
Weaver's item goal is to get a Sacred Relic followed by the Radiance recipe. Once Weaver has Radiance, farming and harassing becomes unbelievably easy. Hostile heroes will be surprised how quickly their HP falls. Double kills and even triple kills become common with this build. Most hostile heroes cannot avoid Immolation because Weaver can immediately Shukuchi, move besides any hero, and stay invisible while Immolation is doing its work. Heroes like Necrolic and Phantom Lancer will hate Weaver because their minions are easily pawned by Weaver.Shukuchi becomes even more useful with Radiance. In farming, there are two ways to effectively utilized Shukuchi + Radiance:1. Hit the creeps. Let Radiance do its work. Once all creeps are in the red zone, quickly Shukuchi and pass the creeps. Presto and they're all dead!2. Immediately Shukuchi and pass the creeps. Remain invisible. Let Radiance do its work. Once Shukuchi fades off, hit the creeps.
Damager / Farmer w/ Linken Sphere
If Weaver has opted a Linken as a support item, survival becomes much easier because of the crazy regeneration rates. Weaver does not fear stuns or other targeted spells. We know that a level 4 Shukuchi has 7 seconds cooldown. If Weaver has Linken by level 15, his total HP regen is 8.75 per second and that translates to 61.25 HP gain every 7 seconds. If Weaver executes Shukuchi and remains invisible, he is invisible for 4 seconds and that means the total remaining Shukuchi cooldown would be 3 seconds. This also means Weaver is only visible every 3 seconds! Oddly, the best way to utilized Linken is to used it as a harassing tool. Pick a lone or unsuspecting target. Shukuchi and run pass the target. Weaver should land behind the target. Once Shukuchi fades off, hit continuously. Weaver's target won't noticed Weaver immediately and therefore it won't be able to retaliate immediately as well. Once the target discovers Weaver is on his back, the target will retaliate. Exhange blows against the target. Weaver's target may have only less than 2 seconds to retaliate, since he didn't notice Weaver earlier for at least a second or two. Once Shukuchi is ready again, immediately Shukuchi and pick another spot. Weaver will regenerate most of the damage he took from that less than 2 seconds encounter. That's Linken's power. If Weaver keeps executing Shukuchi and spot-to-spot movements, Weaver will soon exhaust his target's patience and HP as well.
Reminders:
1. Weaver needs a high-level supporting item, i.e Linken, Tarrasque, Skadi
2. Aegis + Divine are Weaver's ultimate items.
3. Keep watching your Watchers. Alert your teammates.
4. Watch out for ganks
* If you're planning to make Weaver a better tank, I suggest getting Tarrasque over Skadi. The combination of Linken + Tarrasque + Shukuchi + Time Lapse makes Weaver an effective tanker. As a "pseudo-tanker" or "tanker", absorbing spells should be one of Weaver's priority. Weaver should be one of the first heroes to enter the battlefield with the intent of disorganizing enemy formation
* Watchers can be patrolled on an enemy hero. Select a Watcher and right-click it on an enemy hero. The Watcher will follow wherever that hero goes. This is only advisable once the 1st Tower on either both sides are destroyed
* Share your Watchers with your allies by giving them control over your Watchers. In this way your allies can direct Watchers wherever they please.
* Sometimes it's better if Weaver focuses on regen and armor items first before completing any high level item. For example, getting a RoR, Basilius, Chainmail, RoH, Void Stone, Point Booster, and Boots are preferrable so Weaver can withstand attacks and spam his spells at will.
* WATCH THE REPLAYS!!! It's one thing to read and another thing to see this guide in action.Best Allies
Aura Providers : Heroes that provide positive auras
Troll
Sven
Vengeful Spirit
Moonfang
Buffers : Heroes who directly cast buff spells
Ogre Magi
Magnataur
Abaddon
Treant
Lich
Healers : Heroes who instantaneously heals HP
Omniknight
Enchantress
Necrolyte
Chen
Ezalor
Vol'jin
Worst Enemies
Nukers
Crystal Maiden: If Frostbite traps Weaver, immediately execute Shukuchi and Weaver will be invisible (spells can still be casted while entrapped in Frostbite) therefore avoiding further hits
Lich: Time Lapse and Shukuchi once Chain Frost is released
Lord of Olympia: Avoid him at early levels. He can drain Weaver's HP really fast
Silencers
Bloodseeker: If he Ruptures Weaver, Shukuchi but don't move or alternatively use Time Lapse. If he uses silence + Rupture, fight him instead of fleeing, wait till his silence fades off then use Time Lapse immediately.
Death Prophet: Watch out the radius of her Carrion Swarm. Shukuchi and harass Death Prophet on her sides or back.
Doombringer: His Doom will silence Weaver and brings instant death because Doom damages like poison. As a result, Weaver won't be able to execute Time Lapse or Shukuchi for 12 seconds. Hopefully, Weaver has enough HP to absorb the 12 second ordeal. Time Lapse to regain half of Weaver's HP and Shukuchi to hide.
Drow Ranger: Don't worry about her silence. It only last 5 seconds. Cooldown for Shukuchi is 7 seconds so it really doesn't affect Weaver. In fact, consider yourself silenced for 7 seconds. Remember Time Lapse gives a 5 second allotment anyway
Night Stalker: Watch out during nights. He may be waiting to ambush Weaver. If he has a Gem, be more cautious. If he doesn't have a Gem, then do not worry. Use Shukuchi to run and hide. Oddly, Weaver is Balanar's most annoying enemy because he cannot ambush at nights due to Weaver's Watchers.
Silencer: Don't worry about his Last Word. His silence only last 5 seconds. Cooldown for Shukuchi is 7 seconds so it doesn't affect Weaver really. Consider Weaver silenced for 7 seconds. If his silence lasts for 10 seconds, then you should worry. Remember Time Lapse gives a 5 second allotment
Harrasers
Queen of Pain: Watch out her spell combos. She can unleash a swift Shadowstrike + Scream of Pain + Sonic Wave combo in one Blink. Her Shadowstrike is annoying because not only it damages Weaver, it also slows down
Venomancer: If he launches Poison Nova, Shukuchi to dodge. If it hits Weaver, execute Time Lapse and Poison Nova will be eradicated completely. Same Queen of Pain, a Ring of Health really helps against these type of heroes.
Instant Killers
Bane Elemental: Watch out his Fiends Grip and Brain Sap combo, specially now that Brain Sap doesn't have casting spell. At level 6, he can kill any hero with an HP ranging from 800 to 900. Prepare to Time Lapse when he catches Weaver with Fiends Grip. A wise Bane will Brain Sap Weaver first then hit then Fiends Grip = death
Goblin Techies: Watch out his bombs. They can totally annihilate Weaver. Harass but watch out for Suicide. It's 100% death.
Moon Rider: Shukuchi to dodge her Eclipse. Her Moon Glaive is annoying because it could hit Weaver even at 400 range
Ogre Magi: A Multicast Fireblast can instantly kill Weaver, quickly Time Lapse if Weaver manages to survive a Multicast.
Nerubian Assassin: Weaver needs to be cautious when facing Nerubian Assassin, although he should fear Weaver (read Weaver's story line), it appears that it is Weaver who should fear NA. His stun + mana burn is very damaging to Weaver.
Slayer: Watch out her Laguna Blade. One shot and it can quickly pawn Weaver.
Heavy Stunners
Earthshaker: Watch out his multiple stuns. Avoid fighting him where numerous friendly creeps are present. The more friendly creeps you have in the area, the stronger his Echo Slam is.
Vengeful Spirit: Weaver should engage Vengeful only if Time Lapse is available and if Weaver is at near full HP. Vengeful's stun is strong. It will quickly chip away Weaver's low HP. Her Command Aura is powerful. However, Weaver is stronger than Vengeful without the stuns, so waste her mana instead.
