The Ultimate Skaarf Guide! (Mechanics, strategies and explanations!) [CP/WP] by ShikarraWoW

The Ultimate Skaarf Guide! (Mechanics, strategies and explanations!) [CP/WP]

By: ShikarraWoW
Last Updated: Feb 16, 2017
9 Votes
Build 1 of 3

Skaarf

Build: Poke/Sustained Damage

Ability Path

Fan the Flames
Heroic Perk
Spitfire
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Goop
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Dragon Breath
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Threat Meter

Threat
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Threat Hero Notes
1
Adagio Supports should be quite literally no threat to a good Skaarf player, but do not let them fool you. Killing a Support can be essential to potentially killing enemies in teamfights that might otherwise be unkillable due to heals and/or shields.
1
Lyra Supports should be quite literally no threat to a good Skaarf player, but do not let them fool you. Killing a Support can be essential to potentially killing enemies in teamfights that might otherwise be unkillable due to heals and/or shields.
1
Petal Supports should be quite literally no threat to a good Skaarf player, but do not let them fool you. Killing a Support can be essential to potentially killing enemies in teamfights that might otherwise be unkillable due to heals and/or shields.
1
Vox Supports should be quite literally no threat to a good Skaarf player, but do not let them fool you. Killing a Support can be essential to potentially killing enemies in teamfights that might otherwise be unkillable due to heals and/or shields.
1
Krul Kruul is not real threat to Skaarf as long as you stay at a distance and keep wards up for him. He will want you a part of his undead army... Quite literally
2
Ozo Ozo takes too long to deal damage and out-damage a Skaarf. As long as you are capable of dealing more damage than him, you will be fine.
2
Reim Reim is not a difficult matchup at all, all you have to do is stay at a range and poke him down with your 1st ability. Using your 2nd ability can deal additional damage and slow him down further if needed.
2
Samuel Samuel is no threat as long as you avoid his AoE dark circle which deals damage per second if you stand in it.
3
Phinn Against Phinn, along with all other tanks, a good Skaarf player should learn to keep a safe distance from them, while poking them from afar. Get too close and you can be stunned, rooted, and/or snared which can be detrimental to any ranged hero during team fights.
3
Lance Against Lance, along with all other tanks, a good Skaarf player should learn to keep a safe distance from them, while poking them from afar. Get too close and you can be stunned, rooted, and/or snared which can be detrimental to any ranged hero during team fights.
3
Catherine Supports should be quite literally no threat to a good Skaarf player, but do not let them fool you. Killing a Support can be essential to potentially killing enemies in teamfights that might otherwise be unkillable due to heals and/or shields.
3
Ardan Against Ardan, along with all other tanks, a good Skaarf player should learn to keep a safe distance from them, while poking them from afar. Get too close and you can be stunned, rooted, and/or snared which can be detrimental to any ranged hero during team fights.
3
Baron Baron is practically no threat as long as you poke him out of lane a lot during the early-mid game.
3
Blackfeather Blackfeather is practically no threat as long as you poke him out of lane a lot during the early-mid game.
3
Idris Idris is not a threat as long as you stay at a range and use your 2nd ability to slow him down repeatedly.
3
Rona Rona can deal very little damage in most scenarios - wards will be required to avoid her deadly ganks. Keep a distance from her as she can do a lot of sustained damage while being quite tanky.
3
SAW Saw is a scary character for Skaarf to verse, as his attack speed builds up the longer he attacks for BUT he has a weakness. If he attacks, he loses partial movement speed, in other words, you must learn to kite him around and use these windows of opportunity to your advantage. If he happens to be moving slow, I recommend using your Spitfire followed by Goop for maximum damage, which can usually result in an easy kill. Do not let him get close if possible.
4
Fortress Fortress tends to have a lot of movement speed and is capable of damaging you quite a bit while taking very little in return. Try your best to kite him around with Frostburn and your 2nd ability. The matchup isn't too difficult as long as you don't run in to melee and brawl him with auto attacks.
4
Ringo Ringo can be very deadly if he builds enough Weapon Power due to his 2nd ability giving him additional attack speed and movement speed. It is recommended that you build defense against him if you are struggling, otherwise building more damage will suffice.
4
Skye Skye can be very devastating if played well. The only thing I can really say about her to help a Skaarf is always move, never stand still or she gets a lot of damage off in a short amount of time. I highly recommend an Aegis if you are struggling, bt
5
  No Threat
6
Koshka Against Koshka, you must try to keep a distance which can be very difficult at times considering how many gap closers she has in her kit. Be aware that her ultimate can stun for 2.2 seconds, and can only be "disjointed" (broken out of early) if you reflex block. If she proves to be an issue, building an Aegis is recommended (assuming she is building crystal power)
6
Joule A lot of Joule's tend to build damage... IF she appears to be building damage in your game, always be paying attention. He ultimate can easily be side stepped. If she is bursty, defense is recommended, otherwise going a standard damage build should work against her.
6
Lyra I know, Lyra is already in the threat charts, HOWEVER this is not for versing a support Lyra, it's for damage/carry Lyra. Just wanted to clear that up. That aside, Carry Lyra can be quite deadly to a Skaarf, especially with her sigil. The sigil that she summons will tick damage on you faster if you are by more units, so in this matchup you will generally want to avoid standing by minions. I would highly recommend an Aegis if you happen to verse one and are new to the matchup.
7
  No Threat
8
Taka Take is a stealthy assassin which can decimate a Skaarf player within seconds. Wards will be key, and aegis is highly recommended.
8
Celeste Celeste is a very scary lane opponent to Skaarf - However, she can be beaten early game... DO NOT let the game draw out too long, or a Celeste can 100-0 any Skaarf in any teamfight. You must be very carefully positioned, ESPECIALLY in team fights or you will die.
8
Gwen Gwen as a character isn't what makes her a difficult matchup, but her ultimate if used properly can stun a Skaarf, which creates a window of opportunity for her to burst you down. HOWEVER, it is a skillshot so stay on your toes and be ready to avoid it.
9
Glaive Glaive is a character in Vainglory which will cause a LOT of problems for most Skaarf players. You must keep a distance from him at all times, and wards are key. Do not let his health fool you, he is capable of dealing massive amounts of damage, CC you to ensure he gets his damage off, and well... Is almost impossible to kill. If you are versing Glaive, I highly advise that you buy broken myth if you need tankiness as well, OR you can opt for aftershock which will deal 15% of his max health on an auto attack after you use an ability. Either way, it makes life easier against a Glaive.
10
Flicker Flicker on his own is not a huge threat whatsoever to anyone, HOWEVER the ultimate of his can absolutely devastate any Skaarf player if used properly. His 2nd ability can provide a massive slow making any get-away very difficult for the average player, and his 1st ability can be even more devastating if he manages to land a snare on you with it. If the flicker player is bad, there is a low chance you will have to worry, but if he utilizes his stealth a lot, be on the lookout frequently and remember, wards will be key.
10
Kestrel Kestrel is much like Flicker in the sense that a good and bad Kestrel player are VERY different. A bad player will mean that there is very little to worry about as long as you are paying attention, but a good player will keep you on your toes a lot. Wards are key against any good Kestrel player, and most importantly, DEFENSE is key. Aegis is highly recommended against her.
10
Alpha Alpha as a character has LOTS of unexpected burst damage if played correctly. Be wary, and try to keep a safe distance as with a lot of matchups. Alpha's ultimate can potentially instantly kill a Skaarf, and the burst if Alpha gets in range won't give you a moment to blink. Defense is recommended if you are struggling.

Skaarf

Build: Wave Clear/Burst - Best vs. Tanks

Ability Path

Fan the Flames
Heroic Perk
Spitfire
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Goop
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Dragon Breath
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Skaarf

Build: Weapon Power

Ability Path

Fan the Flames
Heroic Perk
Spitfire
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Goop
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Dragon Breath
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Top


Some Things To Keep In Mind Top

[*] ALL matchups and item builds are under the "Poke/Sustained Damage" hero builds section. I can transfer all information across all builds if enough requests are made for me to do so.

[*] The reason there is no starting items for mana sustain is because it is not really needed as long as you are being smart in lane. If you do feel as though you need mana sustain though, feel free to buy a Void Battery as it is cheap and can help certain players quite a bit.

[*] The Poke/Sustained Damage build is BEST versus team comps with little-no tankiness. HIGHLY recommend not using the ability build versing tanks as the other build can do more damage and have far more control on the battlefield.

[*] The Wave Clear/Burst build is BEST versus tanks and is recommended when versing them. The ultimate, Dragon's Breath can deal far more damage due to the shield piercing it provides (15% bonus).

[*] For the two builds, if you are versing something like a tank and two assassins, it is best for you to use your own judgement. I personally would say that the Poke/Sustained Damage is the better build, but it depends on how capable you are of placing Goop against assassins without the getting out.

[*] The Weapon Power build is best if you have lots of crystal damage on your team already. It is also quite capable of shredding tanks, but in it's own way. If you use it will apply which means, in it's most basic form, that all of your attacks during the duration will deal 3% of the enemies' max health per hit, which, in combination with a lot of attack speed can add up rather quickly. It is this damage mix which creates a bit of confusion for the enemies, yes, you deal a lot of weapon power damage to them, but what most forget is the 3% max health damage they are taking every hit when Fan of Flames is applied. It is important to note as well that when you critically strike, so does your Fan of Flames which means you will be dealing 5~6% of their max health on that hit as crystal damage...

[*] The weapon power builds are just examples, they ARE NOT the only viable options. Use your best judgement to determine your build, or use one of the ones listed and adjust as need be.

Ability Explanation Top

Poke/Sustained Damage



The reason we are maxing out the Spitfire is because it provides the most damage by far in terms of poking down the average laner. It hits like a truck (quite literally) very early in to the game. This allows an easier laning phase, normally due to enemies being forced to go back to base so often, which allows what I like to call a "farming phase" - a phase in which there is no opponent competing with you for farm or harass in lane and allows the maximum gold income with the least downsides possible.

As for the part of the build recommending you only put 2 points in to Dragon's Breath , it is situational. IF you are versing tanks, the 3rd points is definitely worth it. Otherwise, if you are versing squishies, it is best to get another point in to because it provides the most sustained damage and poke damage in a fight.


Wave Clear/Burst



I have seen this build quite a lot recently, and it is quite good if you are wanting to reach "end game" faster in terms of building items. It provides high amounts of wave clear, while providing less damage in terms of poke. If you are constantly under tower/siege, this build helps a LOT... It clears out waves in moments with the slightest bits of Crystal Power. The build is also very strong if you do the combo on already-burning enemies.

Do note that this build is not always the best, should not be used every game, and is very situational. It also takes a bit to get used to, so don't expect insane results in the first game.

As for the part of the build recommending you only put 2 points in to Dragon's Breath , it is situational. IF you are versing tanks, the 3rd points is definitely worth it. Otherwise, if you are versing squishies, it is best to get another point in to because it provides the most sustained damage and poke damage in a fight.

Tips And Tricks Top

If an enemy is burning, you can use and it will instantly "detonate" to deal the initial damage, and the DoT (Damage over Time effect) to all surrounding enemies.

can be used and hidden in a minion wave, or if more than half of it is hidden in a bush. This can catch enemies off guard if you detonate it with Spitfire or if you use Dragon's Breath as most enemies will be slowed by it, guaranteeing that you can get a full channel, or most of the ult channel before they can move. For those unfortunate enough, they will be taking burn damage from Goop AND Dragon's Breath, which is enough for most enemies to die within a very small time frame.

If you ever use and you have a Frostburn , you can permanently slow enemies during the duration which will allow your team to follow up and easily catch off high-priority targets in hectic fights! Remember, Frostburn is your friend as Skaarf.

Channeling Dragon's Breath in a bush can be VERY useful as long as you channel in the opposite direction of the target so you don't give away that you are channeling. This catches most enemies off guard and can land a lot of surprising kills.

Fan of Flames , Skaarf's passive, can be VERY helpful for all Skaarf players, as it helps kill tanks. Remember, keep your burn on anyone that you are fighting, ESPCIALLY tanks. The max percentage HP damage can allow you to kill a seemingly unkillable enemy in moments. Remember, it does 3% of their max HP per auto attack while they are burning and that is from the start of the game. DO NOT underestimate this damage output as it can critically strike as well if you ever build critical strike chance.

If you are low on health and a teamfight breaks out, NEVER underestimate the power of Eye of Harvest and Dragon's Breath, it can heal for almost all of your health if you use it properly, and can be done safely if you channel in a bush a ways from the fight as long as you aren't too far away from the action.

Remember, being safe is better than being cocky and potentially setting yourself further behind. When you fall behind, DO NOT try to make plays solo, play safer and only go for the safe plays. Farm up, and try to get yourself back on your feet. Remember, defensive items can help loads to anyone that falls behind, it provides survivability and most importantly, a chance of living in fights. Only 3 items can be considered good on Skaarf, but they are better than nothing.

Objectives and Strategies [Work in Progress - Not Complete] Top

Skaarf is very deadly and can devastate and entire enemy team single handedly in terms of objectives. Here are some tips and tricks which I do often which will help you win more games, and obtain more objectives.

Although a lot of people tend to get mad when you do this, if you are low in lane instead of backing, try taking the life camp (for those unfamiliar he is the jungle monster by your base just below the 2nd turret usually, and there is one just below that as well). This is ultimately an equivalent of a better Halcyon Potion, and will normally heal around half your health or more, along with a nasty mana regeneration buff. Use this to maximize your up-time in the game and frustrate your enemies, while generating more gold than anyone else could imagine.

If you ever happy to be using the Wave Clear/Burst build and you clear out a wave early but the enemies are defending, do not just sit around and hope something will happen. Instead, I recommend farming the jungle till the next wave is about to clash with yours in lane. Some of the best camps for gold would have to be the Double Golems (bottom of the map on your side, they are on two sides of the wall) which sometimes can be snagged for 120 gold a piece! That's 240 gold or so for free and it only takes a couple seconds to kill!

If you happen to know the enemies are in a bush but are unsure where, simply throw your Spitfire in to a couple of bushes. If it does not reach the maximum range that the ability should be able to reach and you see some fire particles, turn around and run for your life. There is an enemy there. Or if you decimating the enemies during that specific game, lob your Goop at the area you believe they are, or chase them down if you happen to have Frostburn at the time. Do note that Frostburn will keep enemies in the goop for longer than normal, so they won't be going anywhere any time soon.

If the enemies are all missing but are not dead, the first place you should consider checking would be the Kraken, but be careful! Good players will use this as a bait so that their entire team can pick your team off one by one. I recommend throwing Spitfire in to the bushes, and if it connects with an enemy, be cautious. Otherwise if you are confident that the bush is clear, proceed with more caution. When you think it is safe (do not wait too long or you miss the opportunity) exit the large bush by the Kraken and check if there is an enemy there, but stay on your heels. Most of the time, teams will be sitting in the bush on their side of the map with the kraken hidden in the bush, so if the Kraken is alive but not where he should be, head towards the enemies large bush by Kraken and charge your Dragon's Breath preemptively. Every time I do this strategy, I typically steal the Kraken with it while simultaneously killing 2-3 enemies.

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