Many Hearthstone players are mistaken in thinking that in order to play at high ranks in ranked games you need to devote a lot of time to the game, or buy card sets for money. Today I will try to convince them and prove that to get the “Legend” rank you can get by with budget decks. How to play Hearthstone effectively, which legendary cards to craft first - below you will find answers to these questions.
Is the adventure worth it?
Starting to play now is much easier than, for example, a year ago. And all because of the new global additions, such as Naxxramas and Black Mountain - thanks to them, many good universal cards have entered the game, which, if played correctly and in a timely manner, can radically turn the tide of the game.
Yes, you will have to spend money to open the adventure quarters, but, you see, 700 gold is not that much for three pairs of regular cards and one legendary. So here's my first piece of advice - if you start playing Hearthstone - it doesn't matter whether you're new or have a new account - go through the adventures first, and it's better to start with Nakxtramas.
But this advice will only help those players who plan to play Hearthstone for a long time. Players who immediately buy packs without being distracted by adventures will have a slight advantage at the beginning. Judge for yourself: opening one quarter costs 700 gold, which is 7 packs (on average, seven packs contain one epic card and about six rare ones, as well as 26 - 27 regular cards). But, nevertheless, if you plan to play Hearthstone for a long time and still win, you cannot do without adventure cards.
How to start playing?
Once you have completed the initial training, you will have a little more freedom in your actions. At this stage, I strongly recommend that you complete several quests, each of which gives a good reward. I recommend not spending the gold received in this way; I’ll tell you what to do with it below.
So, here is a list of initial quests (it is best to complete them in this order):
- “Ready number one” - after opening all the heroes, you will receive 100 gold. You can unlock heroes both by playing against them in constructed mode and in the arena, and by playing against AI. Moreover, I recommend using the last option, since it is the simplest and fastest.
- "Crush them all!!!" - you will also receive 100 gold for completing this quest. To do this, you just need to defeat each AI class on heroic mode. Remember, this is not as difficult as it may seem at first.
- “New level” - you will receive 1 pack as soon as each hero reaches level 10. I recommend opening the packs right away and immediately updating your decks with good cards.
- “First Blood” - by completing a match in game mode you will also receive one pack.
- “Duelist” - after playing 3 matches in the game mode you will receive 100 gold.
- “Learn the Basics” - collect all the basic cards, reward - 100 gold. You can easily complete this quest after all heroes reach level 10.
- Big Win - Win 100 matches in any mode. Here you will receive 300 gold coins as a reward! This quest will take quite a long time to complete, so it is better not to focus your attention on it.
- You will also receive one pack after launching the game on your iPad, iPhone or Android.
If you're having trouble playing AI games (and you can, especially if you're trying to play them with basic decks), here are some cards for each class that can be used to supplement starting decks:
- Mage - 2 copies each of Polymorph, Sorcerer's Intelligence and Fireball.
- Warlock - 2 copies of each card [Abyss Demon], Shadowbolt and Dwarf Inventor.
- Warrior - 2 copies of each card [Fire Axe], Execution, Dwarf Inventor.
- Shaman - 2 copies of each card Stonecrusher, Evil Eye, Dwarf Inventor.
- Priest - 2 copies of each card Northshire Cleric, Power Word: Shield, Divine Smite.
- Paladin - 2 copies of each card Hammer of Wrath, Elven Archer and Dwarven Inventor.
- Rogue - 2 copies each of Backstab, [Deadly Poison] and Assassination.
- Hunter - 2 copies each of Track, Arcane Shot and Multi-Shot.
- Druid - 2 copies of each card Insight, Claw; One copy each of Mark of the Wild and Dwarf Inventor.
The tactics for playing against the AI are to put as many creatures on the board as possible, buff them with cards like Mark of the Wild, and knock out enemy creatures. Also, don’t skimp on the spells you have.
How to save gold for packs?
On average, playing a fast aggro deck (such as Zoo) takes about 6 minutes. Therefore, for three victories it will take you about 20 minutes - that’s 10 gold, while one pack costs 100 gold. If your average win rate is 60% (that's 3 matches won out of 5), then in order to accumulate gold for one pack you will need to play about 50 matches (assuming that you win 30 of them). Thus, given that the average game lasts 6 minutes, we get 300 minutes or 5 hours.
Completing Daily Quests
Every day the player is asked to complete a random quest, for which you can get from 40 to 100 gold coins. Another quest has also recently been added, the reward for completing which will be one pack. Undoubtedly, quests will significantly increase the increase in gold: for 15 out of 26 tasks you will be offered 40 gold coins, so if you win at least 5 games a day you will receive 50 - 70 gold per day, and this, you see, is very good.
How many packs can you open?
So let's summarize. By devoting at least half an hour a day to Hearthstone (that is, completing daily quests) you will have an average of 2000 gold or 20 packs per month. On average, every 20 packs drop one legendary card, an epic card is found in every fifth booster pack, and an additional rare card drops from every fourth card pack. Thus, per month you will receive on average one legendary, 4 epic, 18 rare and 77 common cards. Here I will give you one more piece of advice: try not to dissipate the cards you receive (unless, of course, they are completely useless cards like Nozdormu), they can always be useful to you. Also, for dispersing repeated cards you will receive a lot of dust - it is better to craft universal cards that are present in a large number of decks, such as Piloted Shredder, Azure Dragon or Doctor Boom.
Is Arena worth playing?
My personal opinion is definitely worth it. See for yourself: if you make 3 victories, then most often you get 1 booster pack + 50 gold coins as a reward, this just pays for the cost of entering the arena (150 gold). The minimum you can get by playing the arena is one pack and 20 wins, but if you make more than three wins you will already be in the black. So, after seven victories you will receive more than 160 gold + pack. When you achieve 12 victories, approximately 330 gold + 1 gold card + pack are given as a reward. In terms of time, 12 victories take an average of 2 - 2.5 hours.
Thus, by playing in the arena and making more than three wins, you will not only receive cheap boosters, but you can also increase your gold gain. Also, it should be noted that all daily quests can be completed in this game mode.
How to craft cards?
One thing to note here: don't disenchant a card unless you have two copies of it! Even if this card seems useless and unnecessary. Hearthstone is a very dynamic game in terms of development, everything is constantly changing here, decks that were relevant today will lose in all respects tomorrow, and a new meta will be built around cards that were useless yesterday.
Another good tip: do not start crafting with legendary cards - they are very expensive. It's best to get all the good commons first, then the rares, and then the epics. Remember, it is not having a lot of legendary cards in your deck that wins the game. The game is won by a well-balanced deck and the ability to play one or another card at the right moment.
And finally, the last crafting tip: disenchant gold cards if you have 2 regular copies of it. Gold cards are introduced into the game only for beauty, they do not provide any additional effect, and you can get a lot of dust from them.
How to play ranked games?
If you want to win ranked games, you must have a full set of all common and rare cards. The most popular and cheapest decks for a long time have been Zoo Warlock and Face Hunter. While Zoo decks have become less popular lately, Hunter decks are gaining traction at a faster rate. But despite this, I recommend that all beginners start playing as a warlock. When playing with this deck, you will have to make profitable trades, often try to think outside the box, so with it you will quickly get a feel for all the mechanics of the Hearthstone game. Whereas when playing face-hunt you will most often mindlessly “go into the face” of the enemy.
Remember, you can't always just win. This article was written to make your initial Hearthstone game a little easier. To become a truly good player you will have to play and lose a lot, and learn from your mistakes. And only then, perhaps, the secrets of Hearthstone will begin to open up to you.
It's time to crown a new Hearthstone world champion! And it’s time for you to choose your fighter and receive rewards for his success. Until the final 2016 Hearthstone Championship only a few days left.
Participants Hearthstone World Championship- 16 players from North and South America, Southeast Asia, Europe and China who qualified through seasonal championships and Last Chance tournaments. It was a long journey, and they faced the strongest players in the world. They have now reached the pinnacle of Hearthstone esports. We divided these 16 finalists into 4 groups. The first matches of the group stage will begin during BlizzCon esports week. Two players from each group will then advance to the quarterfinals at BlizzCon, where they will compete in best-of-one matches.
Cydonia, ThijsHL, Handsomeguy, Jasonzhou 
Bbgungun, Naiman, Che0su, Hamster 
Amnesiac, DrHippi, Yulsic, Breath 
HotMEOWTH, Pavel, DDaHyoNi, OmegaZero How to participate in the promotion
To participate, click the “Choose!” button. and choose whose victory you believe in most. Then, during BlizzCon Esports Week, you can root for your candidate and receive free card packs if they perform well. Just for participating in the promotion you are guaranteed to receive one set of “Grand Tournament” cards. And one more such set for each best-of-four match in which the player you choose defeats your opponent. You'll receive all of these bundles within a week of BlizzCon.* Choose your fighter carefully, you won’t be able to change your mind later!
*Delivery is carried out by postal homing gnomish chickens. Be patient and forgiving, this is not a cheetah.
The following countries are not eligible to participate in the promotion: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Kuwait, Republic of Moldova, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
Where to watch matches
The competition will be broadcast on official Hearthstone Twitch channel. Here's the schedule for the bouts for Esports Week and BlizzCon.
Esports week (group stage)
- Day 1 (October 26) - match 1
- Day 2 (October 27) - match 2
- Day 3 (October 28) - winners match
- Day 4 (October 29) - Elimination Match
- Day 5 (October 30) - deciding match
BlizzCon (final games)
- Day 1 (November 4) - quarterfinals
- Day 2 (November 5) - semi-final and final
Deadlines
You can choose your fighter until 10:00 Moscow time October 26(i.e. before the start of the esports week leading up to BlizzCon). The selection will then be paused during esports week. If you missed the moment, you will have a second chance: until 10:00 Moscow time November 4 at 9:59(before the start of the 1/4 finals matches at BlizzCon). If you gave your vote to one of the participants during the first stage, you will no longer be able to participate in the second stage.
You can only win additional sets of cards if your fighter wins After that how you chose it. In other words, if you decide on a candidate during the first stage, you have a chance to win up to 6 sets of cards(including the one you are guaranteed to receive for choosing) - depending, of course, on the player’s success in competitions. And if you make your choice in the second stage, you can win up to 4 sets of cards(including guaranteed).
Choose wisely!
Once you have made your choice, connect to to the official Hearthstone Twitch channel and discuss matches with the hashtag #HCT in
Do you want to know when the Daily Gifts are distributed in FIFA 17 Ultimate Team? Do you want to know what you can get? We have all the details of what you are looking for.
This page will be updated every time new daily gifts are announced
FIFA 17 Daily Gift Calendar
All the details about the released daily gifts in FIFA 17
Daily gift #1
Start
09.20.16 at 21:00
Ending
09.17.16 at 15:00
Duration
27 days
Available
Only in Companion and FUT Web App
Additional details
You will not receive daily gifts missed due to errors in the web application
Upcoming Daily Gifts in FIFA 17
Daily gifts in FIFA 17 that will be released in the future
List of Upcoming FIFA 17 Daily Gifts for Ultimate Team
Some of these daily gifts have not been officially announced
Details about daily gifts in FIFA 17
What can you get from daily gifts?
Receiving a gift is actually very easy. You just need to log into the FUT web app with your account to claim it. In case you missed it, you can find it in the FUT Store under the 'My Packs' tab. Obviously, you can only receive one such gift per day.
Every day you log into Ultimate Team you will receive a free pack or coins. If you forget to log in, you will lose that day's offer. The daily gift expires every day at 2 o'clock (Moscow time), and then starts again.
Here's what you can get as a gift:
Bronze Gift Pack
Silver Gift Pack
Gold Gift Pack
Legends Shot Pack
Ultimate Loan Player Pack
Loan Legend Pack
Loan Messi Pack
Coins Pack
Premium Coins Pack
Bronze Gift Pack
Category
Bronze
Card type
Kart
4 (all bronze)
Rare cards
0
Price
For free
No
Rarity
Depends on gifts and rewards
Review
Smaller than the regular Bronze set and quicker to assemble. Consists of four items (all bronze), including at least one player.
Silver Gift Pack
Category
Silver
Card type
Players, consumables and club items
Kart
4 (all silver)
Rare cards
0
Price
For free
New FIFA 17 Ultimate Team
No
Rarity
Depends on gifts and rewards
Review
Smaller than the regular Silver set and quicker to assemble. Consists of four items (all silver), including at least one player.
Gold Gift Pack
Category
Gold
Card type
Players, consumables and club items
Kart
4 (all gold)
Rare cards
0
Price
For free
New FIFA 17 Ultimate Team
No
Rarity
Depends on gifts and rewards
Review
Smaller than the regular Gold Set and quicker to assemble. Consists of four items (all gold), including at least one player.
Legends Shot Pack
Category
Bronze
Card type
Players, consumables and club items
Kart
8 (1 gold + 1 silver + 6 bronze)
Rare cards
1
Price
For free
New FIFA 17 Ultimate Team
No
Rarity
Depends on gifts and rewards
Review
A special pack containing at least one gold card with an increased chance of getting a Legend.
Ultimate Loan Player Pack
Category
Gold
Card type
Players, consumables and club items
Kart
4 (all gold)
Rare cards
4
Price
For free
New FIFA 17 Ultimate Team
Rarity
Depends on gifts and rewards
Review
Contains four items including a Loan Player rated 85-90
Loan Legend Pack
Category
Gold
Card type
Players, consumables and club items
Kart
4 (all gold)
Rare cards
4
Price
For free
New FIFA 17 Ultimate Team
No (New FIFA 16 Ultimate Team)
Rarity
Depends on gifts and rewards
Review
Contains four items including a rented legendary player
Loan Messi Pack
Category
Gold
Card type
Players, consumables and club items
Kart
4 (all gold)
Rare cards
1
Price
For free
New FIFA 17 Ultimate Team
No (New FIFA 16 Ultimate Team)
Rarity
Depends on gifts and rewards
Review
Contains four items including Lionel Messi on loan
Coins Pack
Category
Coins
Card type
—
Kart
—
Rare cards
—
Price
For free
New FIFA 17 Ultimate Team
No (New FIFA 16 Ultimate Team)
Rarity
Depends on gifts and rewards
Review
At least 500 coins, which you can spend on whatever you want
Premium Coins Pack
Category
Coins
Card type
—
Kart
—
Rare cards
—
Price
For free
New FIFA 17 Ultimate Team
No (New FIFA 16 Ultimate Team)
Rarity
Depends on gifts and rewards
Review
At least 4000 coins, which you can spend on whatever you want
note
The contents of daily gifts are always not for sale. You can't sell it.
FAQ
What do you want to know about daily gifts in FIFA 17?
Q: How can I get daily gifts in FIFA 17?
A: You will need to log into the FUT or Companion web app each day, click Accept on your Daily Gift and it will be credited to your account.
Q: Are Daily Gifts only available in the FUT Web App and Companion?
A: Daily gifts cannot be received from the console. However, if you have already obtained your pack in the web app or Companion, it will be listed in the My Packs section of the FUT Store and you can access it by logging in from your console.
Q: What happens if I can't log into the web app or Companion?
A: If you do not log in, you will lose your gift for that day.
Q: Where are daily gifts announced?
A: Electronic Arts does not always announce daily gifts. You have two ways to find out about them: by logging into the FUT web app every day or by visiting this page, which is constantly updated.
Q: When are the daily gifts updated in FIFA 17?
A: Every day, during the promotion period, at 3 a.m. Moscow time.
Q: What can be found in a daily gift?
A: Coins, sets and tokens. Look above for a full list of available gifts.
Q: Why can't I sell the card I received in the set?
A: Because all daily gifts are not for sale, this means they cannot be sold on the transfer market.
Q: Why do EA release daily gifts?
A: This is a way to reward loyal players and also keep the game alive.
No need to pay PRIME to get a new set! After payment in our store you will receive a gift set - a set of boosters twitch-prime containing 5 Hearthstone gold cards. Hart the Stonebinder's jaw will drop when he sees what you got from the set!
Don't wonder how to open Hearthstone packs to get more gold cards - just buy this set and you're guaranteed to get 5. Don't miss the opportunity to expand your collection with the legendary Hearthstone cards from this set!
You are getting:
Set of 5 cards, each guaranteed gold
If you are lucky you can get Legendary cards, which means that they will also be of gold quality!
Description
Attention!If you have previously linked another twitch account to your battle.net account to receive other rewards, first unlink the old account and then link the new one.
(we do not provide advice on linking/unlinking, this option is available in the “security and privacy” tab of battle.net or in twitch)
Help with activation:After receiving an account from us, go to twitch, in the upper right corner of the screen “crown icon”, take advantage of the offer, then follow the instructions to link the entry - you will receive the kit).
You can give it to your friends! Suitable for activation without regional restrictions!
He is one of the best heroes for team fights, and can also be an excellent ganker. In addition, thanks to his unique set of abilities, the hero is very mobile and difficult to kill. Thanks to the same abilities, Pak very often acts as the initiator of battle and can easily fit into various strategies.
| Performance gain | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 lvl | 15 lvl | 25 lvl | |
| Health | 506 | 1010 | 1370 |
| Mana | 420 | 915 | 1275 |
| Armor | 1.5 | 5.3 | 8 |
| Damage | 53-64 | 86-97 | 110-121 |
Pros:
Minuses:
- Pak does not have a large supply of health at all and, in fact, his survival directly depends on how well you use your abilities. One mistake and you can gain control from the enemy and die immediately. Perhaps this is the main disadvantage of the hero.
- Each of Pak's abilities is very important and requires a high level. Thus, Pak automatically becomes dependent on the level and speed of gaining experience.
- The last disadvantage is that all of Pak’s skills do not penetrate immunity to magic, which means Pak will be weak against heroes with BKB or innate immunity. Of course, all opponents are unlikely to be immune and you will always have the opportunity to choose a vulnerable enemy.
Illusory Orb - the magic ball is both a good skill for dealing damage and a means for fast teleportation. The maximum distance the ball flies is 1950, while the speed of the ball is 650. Thus, the ball will cover its maximum distance in 3 seconds. Of course, hitting an enemy with a ball from a long distance will be very difficult, since the enemy can easily run away to the side, but it is worth noting that in general the ball has a good radius of destruction and over long distances it is usually used for teleportation or causing damage to a group of enemies, who have received any control from your allies. In general, if you use an ability to deal damage, it is better to try to launch the ball while standing as close to the enemies as possible. The fast casting animation allows you to use the ability very accurately in this case. It is worth understanding that this ability is essentially the main tool for escaping in the event of a gank. In other words, if you have just used an ability, then it is better to wait a bit for cooldown and not take risks. The ability's cooldown is relatively short, so you can wait a little. This ability can be used to deal damage and escape at the same time. For example, you quickly teleport to enemies with the help of Dagger and use your silence. After this, you use a magic ball to cause damage, but do it so that the ball flies towards your allies or towards an allied tower (in any safe direction) and accordingly teleports to a safe distance. This is the simplest, but at the same time the most effective combination. The ability's long range also allows the magic ball to be used as an effective tool during anti-push. You can safely launch the ball without taking unnecessary risks by being too close to enemies. A very important feature of the magic ball is that it gives visibility while flying. This way you can find out the enemy’s location in advance or, for example, safely scout out Roshan’s respawn. Of course, this method of illumination can be used to see wards on hills or to catch enemies hiding in the forest. During the flight, the ball ignores all obstacles, that is, it flies through trees and rocks. This allows you to significantly increase Pak's mobility and provides a good tactical advantage. It is also worth noting that at the moment when Pak teleports to his ball, with this action he can dodge a flying projectile. Be sure to remember this. Magic Ball has a very good combination with the Phase Shift ability. First, you launch the ball, and then you become invulnerable and then teleport to the ball, which has flown a decent distance. This very simple and extremely effective combination will save your life more than once. Despite the fact that it will be very difficult for enemies to catch you due to the rapid casting of abilities. Unfortunately, the magic ball does not damage enemies with magic immunity.
Waning Rift- Pak's magic dust is both an AoE skill that deals good magic damage and, very importantly, imposes a silence effect on enemies, that is, enemies cannot use their abilities. Timely activation of the ability during the start of the battle allows Pak to avoid the fact that the enemies will react to his attack and, for example, use any control skills. It is worth noting that at the maximum level of pumping, the skill gives a 3-second silence, and for Dota this is a lot. In addition, the ability has a 16 second cooldown and, in fact, you can use the skill again after some time, when you, say, are catching up with fleeing enemies. The ability will not deal damage to enemies with magic immunity and the effect of silence can be dispelled by cleansing.
Phase Shift- this ability allows Pak to become invulnerable for a while. An important advantage of the skill is that it does not consume mana and has only a 6-second cooldown. It is important to understand that you decide when to activate the ability and when to cancel it. It is not at all necessary to wait 3 seconds for Puck to return from another dimension. Sometimes just a split second is enough to dodge a projectile and immediately move on. This ability has a good combination with the Illusory Orb skill. We have already talked about this above. Here I just want to point out one more combination with the item. At maximum level, Pak can stay in another dimension for 3.25 seconds, and Dagger needs 3 seconds to recharge. This way you can take damage, then hide in another dimension, wait for Dagger to recharge and calmly jump somewhere to the side. When Pak goes into another dimension, enemies cannot pass through him, as is the case with invisibility. It is also worth noting that if Pak has some kind of skill that deals periodic damage, then while Pak is in another dimension, he will not receive damage. It is important to note that Pak cannot use this ability while under the effects of an enemy's immobilizing effects, such as Naga's Ensnare Grid or Frostbite's Crystal Flask.
Dream Coil- Pak's ult is primarily the main control tool. Of course, the ability causes damage, but that's not the main thing. The advantages of the ability include a long range of application and a good radius of destruction. In general, the mechanics of the ult are very simple. You use it on a group of enemies and immediately deal a little damage and briefly stun, but after that the enemies seem to be associated with an area that lasts for 6 seconds (8 seconds with Aghanim) and if they try to run out of this area, they will receive more magic damage and more importantly a very powerful stun. All these advantages make this ability ideal for initiating combat. An enemy affected by a skill almost always tries to stay inside the field so as not to receive a new, more powerful stun, and you and your allies can calmly kill him. Of course, the enemy can attack or use his skills and even run inside the area, but usually this does not help much. Firstly, Waning Rift is often used in combination with the ult and the enemy will also not be able to use skills for 3 seconds. Of course, even if the enemy tries to jump out of the area of effect of the ability, he will also be stunned. Dream Coil has a relatively low cooldown for an ultimate, which allows it to be used very often. Of course, in team battles you need to try to catch as many enemies as possible in your ult. In the case when, for example, you are catching up with an enemy, you can use your ult in such a way that it hits the enemy at the very edge. This way the enemy will instantly receive maximum stun and it will be easier for you to kill him. It is important to note that the ult works on invisible enemies and even illusions. Damage and stun are blocked by magic immunity, but with Aghanim you can stun enemies who try to escape from the ult's area of effect. I would like to say a few words about improving the ult using . The main and significant improvement of the ult with the help of Aghanim is that the stun that enemies receive when leaving the zone of the ult begins to work through immunity to magic and the duration of this stun itself increases. At the maximum level, Pak is able to stun enemies for more than 4 seconds, and for team battles this is a very, very long time. Despite the fact that this is a massive ability with a good damage radius. The damage and duration of the field also increases, but this is no longer as important as what was described above.
| 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | 11 | 13 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
| 6 | 12 | 18 | |||||||||||||||||
Pak's greatest benefit can come from allies that match his control and initiation potential. Overall, Pak is a very flexible hero and can fit into most strategies with ease.
Below we will look at various situations when it is worth picking Puck.
Allies
Kerry heroes who need control:
Thanks to his silence Waning Rift and of course his ult Dream Coil, Pak can well hold a group of enemies in place. Thus, he gives his allied carry heroes the opportunity to calmly kill enemies and are not afraid that the enemy will run away somewhere. For example, heroes such as: , or , would fit perfectly into a team with Pak. In other words, Pak can compensate for the lack of control of his allies.
Gangers:
Pak is a very mobile hero, especially if he has , and his good combat skills make him a good ganker. It follows from this that Pak will combine well with other gangers: , or . is present on this list for the simple reason that he can climb into Pak with the help of his ult and thereby attack with him.
Heroes with good AOE damage and control:
With good initiation potential and an excellent control ult, Pak can pair well with other heroes who are also good initiators and excellent teamfighters. Here it is worth highlighting such heroes as:, or.
Enemies
Below we will look at some heroes against whom it makes sense to take Puck.
Heroes who are very vulnerable to Puck's silence:
Pak has a very wonderful ability in his arsenal: Waning Rift, which at the maximum level gives 3 seconds of silence. Correct and timely use of this ability allows you to finish off such heroes as, for example:, or.
In general, Pak is not some kind of tough counter-pick to any heroes. This is due to a more or less balanced set of abilities, without any imbalances in damage, mobility or control.
Pak has a number of disadvantages that enemies can take advantage of. Below we will look at the most dangerous heroes that Paku may encounter.
Heroes with instant control (stun or silence):
In matters of survivability, Pak relies primarily on his abilities and if he gains control very early, he can die instantly due to his low health reserve. Thus, any heroes with very fast-acting control skills will pose a threat to Pak. For example, Pak will have a hard time against heroes such as:, or.
Strong lane heroes:
In most cases, Pak plays in a solo line and in this case he may face very serious opponents. Even if you play well and the enemy cannot kill you, a clear advantage on the part of the enemy can lead to the fact that the enemy begins to slow down your development and this can greatly affect the future game. Among the strong laners it is worth noting: , and . Of course, Pak can play against these enemies and even win the lane, but if your opponent's level of play is at the same level, then a slight advantage will still be on his side.
Initial purchase:
No matter how well you use your abilities or dodge the enemy’s skills, you will receive damage in any case, so when you start purchasing, you should take care of healing consumables, such as and. The pack has a good attack range and fast animation. In this regard, when starting a purchase, it is good to use or. The remaining money can be spent on.
Main subjects:
Below we will look at the main items that Pak uses most often and which will be very effective for this hero.
Examples of sequential purchasing of items:
I would like to point out right away that there is no universal purchase for Pak. There are several items that he simply needs and they are usually bought in most cases (, and), but all other artifacts are taken solely depending on the situation.
Option 1:
Starting purchase
Beginning of the game
Mid game
End of the game
Option 2:
The second option is more focused on team battles, and early ones, so it contains items such as Arcana and Meka.
Starting purchase
Beginning of the game
Mid game
End of the game
Option 3:
The third option can turn your Pak into an ideal solo killer during ganks. In other words, we get a Puck with a very high Nuke potential. It goes without saying that this is a fairly situational build and is only suitable if you are sure that you will constantly kill enemies in the minimum amount of time and thereby give your team a big advantage.
Starting purchase
Beginning of the game
Mid game
End of the game
Beginning of the game:
Farming Pak at the beginning of the game is actually not difficult. The hero has good base damage and fast attack animation. This makes it easy to finish off other creeps and your own. Even if a regular attack is not enough for you to farm comfortably, then you must remember that you have two skills Illusory Orb and Waning Rift, which can also be used for farming. If, for example, you play on the center line and quickly bring a bottle, then you can use these same abilities quite often. If you see that a rune has appeared somewhere, you can quickly kill the creeps with two combat skills and take the rune. This will allow you to constantly maintain your maximum health and mana at a high level and at the same time farm well. It is worth remembering that excessive use of abilities can lead to you starting to push the lane and this can be unprofitable and dangerous for you. It is also worth understanding that Illusory Orb is one of your main tools for escaping in case of a gank, so when you use it for farming, you need to play more carefully during reloading and not expose yourself to unnecessary risks.
Pak can very effectively harass the enemy in the lane. Firstly, he has a good auto attack, and secondly, he can dodge enemy attacks and skills using Phase Shift. In fact, even a simple exchange of auto-attacks with an enemy is always beneficial for Pak, since without spending mana he can dodge a flying projectile and calmly retreat to a safe distance. For example, if you are playing against, who in turn is a very strong midlaner, you can dodge the enemy’s poisonous dagger over and over again and thereby greatly simplify your life on the lane. The most important thing is to use the ability precisely at the moment of the projectile’s flight, and not at the moment of its swing, since the enemy can simply deceive you. In addition to regular auto-attacks and the ability to dodge projectiles, Pak can very effectively harass the enemy using the skills Illusory Orb and Waning Rift. Of course, the magic ball does not fly fast, but it has a very fast casting animation and a good radius of destruction, and it will not be difficult to hit them at close range. For example, you can use Illusory Orb to finish off several creeps and simultaneously damage the enemy. In this case, it will be more difficult for the enemy to dodge the flying magic ball, since he will be busy farming. Waning Rift will be very effective for harassing heroes who rely heavily on their abilities. You can, for example, make a couple of attacks, and then use silence at the moment when the enemy is about to counterattack you. In this way, you simultaneously inflict damage and deprive the enemy of the opportunity to respond to you with something significant.
Until you reach level 6 and have an ult, it will be extremely difficult to kill someone solo. Pak's main problem is that he does not have good control skills and up to level 6 you can kill an enemy only if he makes serious mistakes. For example, if you managed to harass the enemy well and his health reserve reached half, then you can try to use Illusory Orb in order to cause damage and fly to the enemy hill. Next, you use Waning Rift to prevent the enemy from using your skills and calmly begin to auto-attack him. It is likely that this will be enough to kill the enemy. If some ally comes to your aid, then it is best to wait until he starts his attack, for example, using some kind of control skill and you will definitely hit with your magic ball Illusory Orb, which at the initial stage of the game is your main source of damage. Of course, when you have an ult, Pak’s potential as a killer increases significantly. Firstly, you will have good control, which will not allow enemies to quickly run away from you, and secondly, due to the ult, Pak can use his abilities more accurately, since the enemies will be in a small area of effect of the ult.
The first important moment for Pak is, of course, level 6, when he receives his ultimate. Next, as a rule, the key point will be level 10, since at this level your combat abilities will already be maxed out and you will be able to quickly kill heroes with a small supply of health. Well, the last step at the initial stage of the game will be the purchase, since this item will give good mobility and significantly increase your potential during ganks.
Center lane (solo 1v1):
In general, of course, Pak can play in any lane, but it is very important for him to gain as much experience as possible at the beginning of the game. In this case, the center line is simply ideal. Firstly, here you can farm well and gain experience, and secondly, Pak has good skills that allow him to avoid almost any enemy gank. Also, the central lane allows you to use it very effectively, and Pak’s good mobility and the ability to quickly kill creeps in the lane give him the opportunity to almost always pick up runes. The main tasks for the central line will be the following:
- Gain experience and farm
- Harass the enemy and not give him the opportunity to farm normally
- Move between lines and kill enemies (if possible)
In the mid lane, Pak is very well protected from ganks due to his set of abilities. Just being in the lane, you just need to use Phase Shift in order to dodge enemy attacks. If you see that other enemies are emerging from the fog of war, then first of all you should immediately use Illusory Orb (if you are not sure that you can simply step back) and then, at the moment when the enemy tries to control you, use Phase Shift. After this, you can safely teleport into a magic ball, which will already fly to a safe distance to your tower. This combination is simple but very effective. Basically, you just need to react quickly and watch the card. You definitely need to remember that in Dota 2 there are control skills that work very quickly and you may simply not have time to use your abilities. If the enemy team, for example, has heroes like or and you don’t see them on the map, then you should stay close to your tower and not give the enemy the opportunity to gank and kill you.
It’s definitely worth remembering that Pak is on the center lane not just to gain experience, but also to farm. It is extremely important that by level 10 you already have Dagger and let's say boots so that you can start moving around the map effectively and create favorable conditions for your team. Pak can farm on the center lane very calmly. You just need to get used to the hero a little and evaluate your attack correctly.
Finally, I would like to say that Pak has good gank potential when he has an ult. That is, even at level 6-7 you have the opportunity to walk to one of the lines and try to gank the enemies there. Of course, you must evaluate your strengths and understand whether you have enough damage and control or whether your campaign will be a waste of time. Otherwise, it is better to try to implement the ult on the center line. If one of your allies helps you, then killing the enemy will not be difficult.
Difficult line (1 vs 2 or 1 vs 3):
In the case of a difficult lane, Paku will certainly not have as much fun as on the center lane, but you still have a good opportunity to gain a lot of experience and start ganking other lanes early. Priority tasks will look like this:
- Gain experience and try to farm a little
- Ganga from level 6
- Try to harass enemies in lane
Pak's unique set of abilities allows him to survive in the most difficult situations and in general Pak can stand in a difficult lane and gain experience. Nothing more is required from you. If, for example, the line starts to push or the enemy supports go somewhere, then with your auto attack you can even farm a little. Or you can use Illusory Orb to farm and harass enemies at the same time. It is worth understanding that Pak absolutely cannot control the line and movement of creeps, so he cannot stand against any triple. If you overestimated your strength and began to play against a strong triple, then everything may end up in the fact that due to the constant withdrawals of the enemy, you will receive minimal experience and the whole point of your being on the line will be lost. You will also not be able to move far from your own tower, in order, for example, to gain experience in the forest, since you have too little health and one successful control skill will lead to you dying very quickly. In other words, if you go to a difficult line, you must know for sure that you will at least gain experience. Your primary task is to get level 6, since from this moment you have the opportunity to start ganking different lines and earn experience and gold from this. There is no point in staying on the line for too long. Yes, Pak as a whole does not depend much on artifacts, but what is the minimum amount of items he also has. While standing on the lane, try to start finishing off your creeps as soon as their health reaches half. It’s okay if you don’t finish off your creeps, it’s important to at least attack them, as this will allow you to pull the line a little closer to your tower and you will have the opportunity to farm a little and gain experience more calmly. If the enemy begins to actively use taps, then you can use Illusory Orb to prevent at least double taps or, for example, block the appearance of neutrals. The good range (1800) of the magic ball allows you to do this more or less safely. Be sure to remember that you should only use Illusory Orb in those moments when you are sure that the enemy will not attack you, since this is your main tool for escaping in case of danger. If you're playing a hard lane as a light side, you can also use a large neutral camp to aggro monsters and summon them to the lane. This way you will change the position of the creeps in the lane and you will have an additional opportunity to gain a little more experience. Once again, a difficult line for Pak is not the best solution and in most cases the hero plays on the center line. But there are still situations when Pak can normally stand on the lane and give his other ally the opportunity to calmly farm and gain experience in the central lane.
There are situations when Pak also plays on the safe lane or with one ally, but these are very special cases, which usually involve the presence of a pre-planned plan, so we will not consider them.
Mid and end game:
Pak has very good potential for team battles, as he has an ult that can control a group of enemies and mass silence. Even if at the beginning of the game you did not have the opportunity to realize your full potential, then in the middle of the game there will be many favorable situations.
The main tasks for Pak will be the following:
- Ganga
- Team battles
- Farm and split push
Early ganks and team battles are determined by the fact that Pak does not need many artifacts, literally Dagger, boots and some little things. Thus, the hero does not need to waste time on farming and he can start moving around the map very early and create good conditions for the team. Fast reload of skills and even ults allows you to gank lines very often and, in general, are not afraid to take risks due to good mobility and survivability. Feel free to even use your ult on one target if you are sure that you will kill it. The fast cooldown of the ult allows this. Your main task is to play as aggressively as possible and realize your potential. The middle of the game is the most interesting moment for Pak, since you are no longer standing stupidly on the line and the future outcome of the match depends on your actions.
For Pak, the middle of the game starts around level 10 and the appearance of . It is from this moment that Pak can calmly and most importantly quickly move around the map and constantly force the enemy into battles that are unfavorable for him. Pak's aggressive play gives the entire team an advantage. Not only do you and your allies receive a lot of gold and experience, but every successful battle can smoothly transition to pushing the line from the nose of the towers. All subsequent key points for Pak will already relate to the purchase of any artifacts, for example or even. It is worth understanding that Pak can calmly gank enemies even solo, and the help of an ally only simplifies this process and gives them gold.
I would like to say a few words about pushing. In those moments when your team begins to actively push the lane and break the tower, it is better for Pak to stay behind his allies and wait for the moment. You still won’t deal much physical damage, and if an enemy attacks, you can die very quickly. It is best to take a position and simply wait for moments to attack. Due to his set of abilities, Pak can even be a good split pusher. Firstly, he can kill creeps very quickly due to the abilities Illusory Orb and Waning Rift. Secondly, the hero has good mobility, especially with the presence of Dagger. Of course, split pushing is best in those moments when, for example, your ult is on cooldown or if your presence in the battle will no longer help. In other cases, the priority will be fighting as part of your team. Also, due to his abilities and especially due to the long range of the Illusory Orb magic ball, Pak can very effectively fight against enemy pushing and at the same time remain at a safe distance. Also (this is more dangerous) you can, for example, jump into a crowd of enemies and creeps using a dagger, release a magic ball in a safe direction and become invulnerable using Phase Shift. After this, you can already teleport to the ball, which will fly off to a safe distance. This method allows you to deal a lot of damage and quickly kill a crowd of creeps and summoned creatures. Of course, this method is not always applicable and is very dangerous.
Using the Illusory Orb ability, Pak can highlight an area of the map from a great distance. This will be especially true in the middle and late game, when, for example, you need to safely check Roshan or find out what is happening on the enemy hill near the third tower. Be sure to remember this.
In team battles, Pak can be a very effective initiator or even counter-initiator, but it is immediately worth noting that Pak is not a tank and you cannot rush into the crowd and stay in it. Pak is the type of hero who quickly jumps, performs some actions, and then returns to a safe distance. One of Pak's most effective and frequently used combos is using Dagger () to rush into the crowd, then using Dream Coil and Waning Rift, then retreating to a safe distance using Illusory Orb and Phase Shift. This combination allows you to deal good damage, control a group of enemies and at the same time return to your starting position with minimal losses. In the future, you can already use your combat abilities, artifacts or auto-attack, but it is best to start the battle with just such a combination. In this combination, you have a small choice of what to use first after the jump: Dream Coil and Waning Rift. If there is little threat from the enemy, then it is best to use the ult first, before the enemies scatter and stand more closely together. If the enemy has some powerful control skills, then it is best to first deprive the enemy of the ability to use abilities using Waning Rift and then calmly use the ult. If you have some specific artifacts, by type, then the combination may be different.
We have said more than once that Pak as a whole does not depend much on artifacts, but of course having good items will make the game easier for you. Therefore, all free time between battles and at moments when your ultimate is on cooldown is best spent on farming. Due to this, for example, you can increase your Nuke potential and deal more damage to a single target, and the artifact will give you an excellent opportunity to additionally control single enemies. In other words, every minute you play in the game should be spent usefully. You either actively participate in the life of the team, or in your free time you farm and increase your potential for upcoming battles.