Unstoppable Ardan: Support & Utility Build (Updated for 1.19) by BlightVILE

Unstoppable Ardan: Support & Utility Build (Updated for 1.19)

By: BlightVILE
Last Updated: Jul 18, 2016
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Ardan

Build: Utility Ardan

Ability Path

Julia's Gift
Heroic Perk
Vanguard
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Blood for Blood
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Gauntlet
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Item Choices

Starting Purchases

Oakheart
Halcyon Potion
Flare

Early Game (4-8 MIN)

Lifespring
Sprint Boots
Oakheart

CORE (IN ORDER OF BUILD)

Fountain of Renewal
War Treads
Dragonheart
Aftershock
Flare Gun

UPGRADE DRAGONHEART

Crucible
Shiversteel

6th item

Atlas Pauldron
Stormcrown
Bonesaw
Tension Bow

Don't forget to infuse! (prefer wP)

Weapon Infusion
Crystal Infusion

Threat Meter

Threat
Low
High
Show all
Threat Hero Notes
1
   No Threat
2
 SAW SAW, the stationary soldier. WP falls off late game, and he's most dangerous when fully spun up. Rush Atlas Pauldron and destroy him with burst.
2
 Koshka Koshka is dangerous early game but falls off considerably late game. Scout traps in bushes are helpful, because you never know when a pissed off Koshka is going to come at you from a bush.
3
 Catherine Catherine is never a threat by her self, but she can be a huge threat to your team. Try to separate her from her alies using gauntlet so she can't get to your team.
4
 Ringo Ringo, the tryhard gambler, is easy to kill. Just zone him in the gauntlet where he can't take advantage of range. WP or CP, build Atlas and take him out first.
5
 Ardan 1v1 with the exact same build, it is fairly even. Time your skills and Vanguard yourself for extra burst. He has the same skills as you, so he can do the exact same stuff.
5
 Skaarf Skaarf is a moderate threat, but he needs to stay behind his allies to deal damage. Zone him in the gauntlet and let your teammates destroy him. He's super easy to kill.
5
 Adagio Same as the other dragon on this list. Use gauntlet to close the gap and destroy him. Crucible is the best defense against Adagio.
5
 Petal Petal can escape from you easily, so it's important to keep her close. Shiversteel, and Fountain of Renewal will keep Petal in check long enough for your allies to kill her.
6
 Lance Lance can split your team up and can create opportunities for his team to kill your allies. Zone him out of the gauntlet and keep him away from you & his allies.
6
 Kestrel Easy to kill when zoned in, but hard to catch, especially if WP. Make her a priority, as those Glimmershots, weapon or crystal, hurt.
6
 Skye Skye is the most slippery hero in the game. Shiversteel is the most effective item against her. If CP, she will inevitably pick up Frostburn, so popping Reflex Block when she activates Forward Barrage is an effective counter.
6
 Ozo WP or CP, he can decimate your sniper or mage. Zone him out of the gauntlet so he can't kill your Sniper or Mage, then take him out second.
6
 Vox Your son can constantly dash around while simultaneously damaging your allies. Shiversteel and Atlas Pauldron are your Vox slayers.
7
   No Threat
8
 Fortress Fortress is a more offensive roamer. His skills allow him and his allies more damage output, so taking him out as a second priority is a good idea.
8
 Rona Rona is still not meta, so if you find her, simply build Atlas Pauldron to slow her attacks down considerably, then get Taka or that burst CP hero to take her down.
8
 Taka This tricky fox can kill your teammates effortlessly. If he builds WP, then consider yourself lucky, as WP Taka falls off late game. CP Taka (far more common this meta) is exceptionally strong this patch, and can undo your damage with Kaku almost instantly (CP boosts heal). Always counterbuild.
8
 Alpha Alpha is a scaling champion, best in the late game. Like Krul, she is very hard to kill and hard to escape from, as she has two gap closers, a slow, and a speed boost from her ult (falls off after a bit). Take her out second, and split her up from her allies.
8
 Celeste Celeste can dish out high amounts of damage with both her basic attacks and spells, but Gauntlet helps keep her in range to kill.
9
 Krul Krul is a major threat to your allies. Use Atlas Pauldron to slow his attacks then burst him down as quick as possible. Krul should the first priority in a teamfight.
9
 Blackfeather He may be weak early game, but Blackfeather will become exceptionally powerful. As a common pick this meta, expect streamroll losses when playing against him.
10
 Phinn Phinn is dangerous to Ardan and his allies. He blocks all debuffs, so Ardan's gauntlet is useless against him, and his hook can split up your team and stop allies from fleeing. A good idea when fighting a Phinn is to pick up a crucible so you can block the hook for your allies.
10
 Reim Reim is dangerous to your melee carries. Always, always, always counterbuild. Crucible to block the stun, and burst him down. Most similar to Krul in the fact that he's extremely hard to kill.

Ardan: The Sad Dad Top

"My fist, your face." - Ardan



Ardan is a utility focused roamer who can save allies from certain death and change the tide of teamfights that seemed in the enemy's favor. The next time you think roaming isn't important, remember that one good play by the roam can change the outcome of a teamfight and win the game. This guide will go over Ardan's abilities, the role of roam and how to play it, and situational items. Take note that this guide is for experienced players who know the game and its mechanics.

I recommend starting Ardan in the jungle, earn as much gold as possible, then go where you're needed.

Ability Breakdown Top

Ardan's abilities have positive synergy with nearly all carries. Hover over icons for more stats.

 Julia's Gift
Slot: Heroic Perk

Ardan benefits from purchasing health items.
  • Whenever Ardan takes damage, he heals for 0.8% of his missing health, but no more than 75% of the damage taken.
  • Instead of energy, Ardan uses a yellow meter called Vengeance. Vengeance builds over time and can also be gained with basic attacks, critical strikes and abilities.
  • Because Ardan doesn't need regular energy, 5% of bonus energy and 50% of bonus energy recharge are converted to crystal power.

Julia's Gift makes Ardan more durable, especially against DOT (e.g Skaarf FtF, Skye Forward Barrage, Ringo Hellfire Brew burn damage, etc.), additionally, he doesn't use regular Energy, he uses a special resource called Vengeance, which aren't used for his A & ultimate, but for his B ability, Blood for Blood.

 Vanguard
Slot: A

Ardan dashes to protect an ally, granting them a 2s barrier and a burst of move speed. This also slows and damages nearby enemies.
  • Overdrive: At max rank, Vanguard grants 50% Vengeance when cast on an ally.
  • Using this ability on himself results in only half the barrier, speed boost and no Vengeance gain.
  • Barrier scales up with 35% of Ardan's bonus health.
  • Any time this ally takes damage, Ardan gains Vengeance.

Vanguard is a very useful skill and can be used defensively and offensively, as it (once applied) deals crystal damage and slows enemies, as well as speeds up your ally. For example, you can apply Vanguard to a ally to speed them up when chasing a slippery hero, as well as slow them down. And, of course, you can use it as just a barrier.

 Blood for Blood
Slot: B

Ardan rushes forward and punches his target.
  • Overdrive: At max rank, Blood for Blood deals an additional 15% damage.
  • Blood for Blood can only be activated when Ardan has 100% Vengeance and will consume all of it.
  • Blood for Blood triggers basic-attack effects.

It is counted as a basic attack and an ability, meaning Aftershock can be proc'd and used on activation. Use Blood for Blood as a gap closer and (if you bought it) activate Shiversteel for a quick slow. Remember that activating this ability resets Ardan's basic attack timer, meaning you can basic attack two times in a row. Try to basic attack before activating this ability to deal maximum damage.

 Gauntlet
Slot: C

Ardan leaps to the target location and projects a perimeter around him. Enemy heroes who touch or cross the perimeter are stunned and take crystal damage.
  • If Ardan leaves the perimeter, it is immediately destroyed.
  • Ardan instantly gains full Vengeance upon using this ability.

His ultimate, Gauntlet can be used for many things. I suggest reading the Gauntlet info if you don't fully grasp its power. It can be used in ganking for obvious reasons, in teamfights, and for your team's own defense. It usually takes a bit of skill to land Gauntlet exactly where you want it. Beware of Reflex Block as it renders Gauntlet useless.

Roaming and Vision Top

Usually, there are three roles in a team. Each hero plays one of these roles. These roles are the lane, the jungle, and the roam. Ardan can be played as both a jungler and a roamer, but this build focuses in on his roam path. The roam is usually the most durable hero in the team. He supports the carries and builds teamwide items (no Aegis or Metal Jacket). A roamer is usually also in charge of vision over the map, meaning it's his job to place those traps. Here's a map of good areas to place down mines:



Green mines are mines give you vision and are very important. They can win you games and have a low chance of being detonated; expect these to last long. Red mines are for the laner's protection and have a higher chance of getting detonated, while blue mines are only useful when the enemy team is starting to push into your base. Green mines in the enemy jungle are more valuable than mines in your jungle, but they can be useful, especially if the enemy junglers invade; this way you have plenty of warning that your enemies are in your jungle! Red mines in the tri-bushes should be placed at the corner of the bushes: this way they have a lower chance of detonating, but putting them in the center can be a good way to get some damage on them in the early game.


Roamers also have to focus on the needs of their team. Ardan has synergy with many heroes, so he has most of this already covered. Fountain of Renewal is a must-have for all roamers, not just him, and a War Treads is also pretty great for hard engages or fleeing from battle. Then comes decision making. What do your teammates need? More damage? Vision? That brings us to our next chapter: situational items.

Situational Items Top

Sometimes, a single build may not suit the needs of your team. You may need to swap out some items to support your carries.



Shiversteel is very useful against slippery enemies ( Taka, Ringo, Skaarf). Pick this item up if you constantly find your enemies slipping away from your allies. Especially useful if you have a Krul, Reim or Blackfeather on your team, as they will benefit greatly from this extra stickiness.



Crucible is good for blocking burst CC, examples are Adagio's Verse of Judgement, Catherine's Blast Tremor, and Vox's Wait for It. I don't recommend picking up this item if there is not any burst CC on the enemy team. Picking up Shiversteel is a much better purchase, in that case.



Atlas Pauldron is a strong item seen on most roams. It reduces the attack speed of your enemies, making it very effective on heroes like Krul who rely on basic attacks. You should almost always pick up this item, unless there is a need for the items listed below.



Stormcrown, though new this patch, is a great item for roams. Helps you take down objectives faster, take this over Atlas Pauldron if you are more focused on objective control than teamfighting.



Bonesaw is something you'd never expect to see on a roam. However, if your weapon carry is having trouble breaking down heavily armoured targets and is out of inventory space, this may be a good buy. Only in this situation is Bonesaw actually needed.




Tension Bow is also a rare buy and is entirely situational. You should only get this item if the enemy team is out-damaging your team, and you need some extra burst to compensate.




After upgrading Dragonheart and picking your sixth item, your item build should be complete and your protection should be in full effect. Remember to build core items first before upgrading and picking the sixth item.

Final Notes Top

Ardan was originally meant to be played as a Warrior, but I think he's much better as a roam. Remember to use Vanguard for team support and not just your own, and practice blocking nasty CC for your team with Crucible. If you found this guide helpful, please upvote. I put a lot of time and effort into this. I hope you learned a thing or two about Ardan and roaming! Here's a couple links from the website Broken Myth that you may find helpful:

http://brokenmyth.net/support-synergy-boxing-with-ardan/


http://brokenmyth.net/understanding-stickiness-breaking-game-mechanic/


Thanks,

BlightVILE

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