ARDAN FULL GUIDE - Detailed Guide to Support Ardan by ShadowHunter16

ARDAN FULL GUIDE - Detailed Guide to Support Ardan

By: ShadowHunter16
Last Updated: Jul 25, 2016
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Ardan

Build: Build 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

Start ( Normal Match )

Oakheart
Ironguard Contract
Flare
Halcyon Potion

Core

Fountain of Renewal
Crucible
Aftershock

Early Game

Lifespring
Kinetic Shield
Sprint Boots
Flare
Flare
Flare
Halcyon Potion

Mid Game

Fountain of Renewal
Crucible
Travel Boots
Flare
Flare
Flare
Flare
Dragonheart

Late Game

War Treads
Fountain of Renewal
Crucible
Aftershock
Atlas Pauldron
Weapon Infusion

Choose one for 6th item

Bonesaw
Shiversteel
Stormcrown
Breaking Point

Don't even think about it

Aegis
Metal Jacket

Start ( Battle Royale )

Sprint Boots
Lifespring
Light Shield
Swift Shooter
Crystal Bit
Halcyon Potion
Halcyon Potion

Final Build ( Battle Royale )

War Treads
Fountain of Renewal
Crucible
Aftershock
Bonesaw
Atlas Pauldron
Weapon Infusion

Threat Meter

Threat
Low
High
Show all
Threat Hero Notes
1
   No Threat
2
   No Threat
3
 Catherine Beware of her stun and silence. Use Crucible's Reflex Block to counter her silence if you're fast enough. Put pressure on other enemy carry so that they couldn't do much damage to your stunned ally. *Basic attack while her Stormguard is on. Don't use Blood For Blood.
4
 Adagio Crucible's Reflex Block to denies his ultimate. Fountain to counter his Arcane Fire. Atlas to counter his attack speed if he goes for it.
5
 Ardan Mostly depends on allies of both sides and luck. But never ever underestimate him. Let the best Ardan wins.
5
 Fortress Watch out for the bleed and the lil' wolves. Usually, i'd prefer retreat first and finish the lil' wolves before engaging with him. Usually have big HP, target last in team fights. But first when building CP since he has high burst with his B skill.
5
 Koshka Slippery assassin. Watch out for her burst damage. Keep hitting her. Use vanguard as gap closer or to chase
6
 Alpha CP : watch out for Aftershock + Core Charge Combo. Don't stay in group. Crucible to negate most damage from her self-destruct ultimate. WP : always keep Prime Detective in check.
6
 Kestrel WP : Try to attack her in unpredictable moment. Don't be directly at her, or stand in front of your carry so you take the most damage. CP : Burst quickly. Attack her repeatedly so she couldn't go stealth. Watch out for her piercing damage. *Use vanguard as gap closer or to negate most damage from One Shot One Kill.
6
 Phinn Tankiest of all heroes. All skills have area damage and purpose to keep groups in checks. Never attack him first, leave him for the last. *Beware of CP Phinn can dish out massive damage. Try to be far away as possible from him. **Crucible to negate his pull-back.
6
 SAW Hero with the highest potential damage in the meta. WP : Atlas is a must. Strategy : While Supressing Fire, attack him and activate atlas when you reached him. The pre-activation time should finish by the time he finish supressing. Hence, he's no longer a huge threat. Do beware after he build 2 Tyrant Monocle. It's essential to take him out first. CP : Never let your health below than 50%. Always stay above it. Fountain is to your aid.
7
 Blackfeather Weaken in recent updates but can be deadly if played in the right hand. Burst him down first if there's no other carry in enemy's team.
7
 Joule WP : watch out for her crits damage. Atlas to counter her attack speed. CP : watch out for big bad red button and her jump. Use crucible first, then fountain when stuck in her ult.
7
 Lance Use his slow movement to your advantage. Neglect him in team fight. Focused on the other teammates. Keep away as possible from him. War Treats to chase behind-the-line enemy carry and away from Lance.
7
 Ozo Watch out for his third Acrobounce if cp. Use crucible to counter it and his Bangarang. I'd prefer to use it on Acrobounce than on Bangarang, but it all depends on the situation
7
 Petal Probably one of the most underrated sniper in meta. She may sit on a flower, but, in my opinion, this living pant is quite dangerous. Watch out for her minions in cp. Try to hit the pets to gain Vengeance. Reflex Block to counter her Spontaneous Combustion. *She regains health from each combustion **Her seeds explode when you step on it. Hit them first or make way around them.
7
 Ringo Primary damage dealer in most teams. Protect him at most if he's in your team, target him first if in enemy's team. He can kite you to hell. Beware. *Crucible to cancel his Hellfire Brew **Fountain to recover HP lost due to Hellfire Brew ***Atlas to counter his Attack Speed
7
 Skaarf Mini Flamethrower. Got some nerf where he must attack to maximize his (?) Fan of Flames. Best strategy is to burst him quickly before he could out-damage you. *Crucible and War Treads to runaway from Skaarf's Dragon Breath. **Fountain to recover some health from the flame. ***Your perk is very useful against Skaarf. Use this to your advantage !
7
 Taka Flare, Flare Gun, Scout Traps, or Contraption to unveil the fox in the box, basket, or whatever he's hiding underneath. *Vanguard your targeted ally to give health barrier from his X-retsu and Kaiten.. **Use Fountain AFTER the bleeding from X-retsu has gone ( Bleeding cause -33% healing) ***Never try about this, but Shiversteel can be useful, maybe. Idk, I'll try and post the result in the next update.
8
 Lyra Probably the strongest support mage in the meta. She posts major damage and slow to you. One tactic in facing Lyra is to burst her down quickly, since no matter how well she's built, she's still the most fragile support. *She could out-damage you. But your perk will keep you alive long enough for you to react ; fight or flight.
8
 Rona One of my favorite jungle warrior in 1.19. Bursty hero with good synergy with both Breaking Point and Serpeant Mask. *Kite her once or twice. Attack then retreat. **Atlas to counter her attack speed. ***Fountain and Crucible to survive her ult. ****Never stay in group while in combat against her *****Protect both your teammates.
9
 Celeste Walking contraption. She can outrange you easily and zone out around her. Powerful mage, but fragile. Target her first ; Aftershock and blood for blood combo.
9
 Glaive Deadly warrior. Highest base HP and natural critical change. Not to mention he has massive AoE skills. Beware of his Afterburn and his wide attack range. Burst down for different directions.
9
 Krul NEVER EVER ONE-ON-ONE THIS LIVING CORP. You can take his stacks while your teammates burst him down. Atlas to counter his attack speed.
9
 Reim Icy-mage krul. Warrior with high potential damage, stuns, and massive barrier to keep him alive long enough. Stay away from the ice before it explodes and don't get too close. War Treads to get away from him, Crucible to negate his stun. Burst him down quickly, but would suggest on focusing on the other carry since reim is hard to take down. Try stay away from him.
9
 Skye Sniper-Assassin. Able to get to your back quickly and target locked your carry. Then, she could finish them in a blink of an eye. Protect your ally outmost. Use Vanguard move your ally from her. Be the wall, take the most damage. Fountain will help you recover most damages.
9
 Vox WP : Mostly depends on either attack speed or crit. Atlas to counter on both occasions, use Fountain in fight. Burst him down quickly if he's playing crit. CP : NEVER STICKS TOGETHER IN A SINGLE FILE. Don't bring a fight into a small location, such as the bush connector from jungle to lane ( above the Kraken position ). It's wise to burst him down first before he could do any massive AoE. Don't get too close to minion when enemy's Vox is farming.
10
   No Threat

Introduction Top

Hi! My IGN is ShadowHunter16 and I'm in SEA server. Please do add me :) At the moment, my skill tier is at Worthy Foe silver since i never really get change to play ranked match due to network problems ( mostly large lag ). But, i have some experience playing with and against Vainglorious, PoA, Simply Amazing, etc. I've played Vainglory for, I think, more than a year, probably. In this time span, Vaingoryfire has helped me in playing Vainglory. So, I do want to replicate this, and help others by sharing my thoughts about my fav. hero, Ardan. I usually like to play as laner and jungle, but I excel best in Roamer position. And Ardan is the hero that really make me like playing roamer. I'd like to share my thoughts about this hero through this guide. It's my first and hence, far from being a good guide. So, please do leave comments about anything. Any comments would be appreciated. Would update when i have times. Fun Reading ! Enjoy !!!

Hero Introduction Top

Julia's Gift


Slot: Heroic Perk

Ardan heals for 1% of his missing health every time he takes damage. The healing can never exceed 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 has no energy, any bonus energy (5%) and energy regeneration (50%) are converted to crystal power.

This is probably one of effective perk in the meta. It acts like Lifespring , but you could have it while in battle. This is why Ardan can be very strong as a roamer. This perk will keep him alive in most battles. It may not be noticeable, but you'd be glad to have it.


Vanguard


Slot : A

Ardan dashes to an ally, damaging and slowing nearby enemies while granting the target a burst of move speed and a 3-second barrier that scales with 15% of Ardan's bonus health. Any time the ally takes damage, Ardan gains vengeance. This ability can be used on Ardan, but the barrier, speed boost and vengeance gain is only half as strong.
Overdrive: Vanguard grants 30% vengeance when cast on an ally.

Second most important skill in Ardan. Vanguard provide both boost and health barrier to ally or himself. This skill can be difference between life and death, win or lose.
Use Vanguard for these situations :
1. Getaway
2. Chasing fleeing enemy
3. Survivability from damages
4. Farming ( not necessary )
5. Slow casted
6. Reaching ally / closing down on enemy
*For boosting laner faster to the middle lane at the start of the game ( Personal Preference )
*Don't hesitate to use it on yourself. If you're being attacked, cast on yourself !



Blood for Blood


Slot : B

Ardan leaps forward and punches his target. This deals crystal as well as weapon damage (that can crit) and is treated like a basic attack. Blood for Blood can only be activated when Ardan has 100% vengeance and will consume all of it.
Overdrive: Blood for Blood deals an additional 25% weapon and crystal damage.

This is Ardan main skill. Treated as basic attacks, Blood for Blood synergies very well with some items, such as aftershock. Aftershock and Blood for Blood can make huge punch onto enemy. It's advised to utilize this skill as best as you can.
*In some guides, I've seen some people try to Overdrive Blood for Blood and level 1 Vanguard by level 7. It's not like I'm against it, I just prefer not to do it since Vanguard is still as important as Blood for Blood. So, having balance between these 2 skills feels kinda better.


Gauntlet


Slot: C

Ardan throws down the gauntlet, projecting a perimeter around the target area and gaining full vengeance. Enemies who cross the perimeter are stunned and take crystal damage. Successfully stunning an enemy grants Ardan vengeance. If Ardan leaves the perimeter it is immediately destroyed.

This skill responsible for what other player think first when they hear the word 'Ardan'. Yes, Gauntlet. This is the most amazing ultimate in my opinion. Useful, yet so hard to use correctly. This ultimate is a terrane-changing battlefield. It can alter the fight's favor if you can put it down correctly.
These are the use of Gauntlet so far :
1. Initiation of battle / ambush
2. Safety Escape
3. Stun fleeing enemy ( placed directly on top on the enemy )
4. Separate roamer and carry
5. Separate enemy and teammates
6. Making sure in acquiring Kraken or Gold Mine or kills.
*Don't be intimidated when you fail in first few attempts. Keep practicing! I've failed many times, but you'll get there. Practice makes perfect !
**If you are able to place Gauntlet correctly, you should try put gauntlet in use of different situation. Like put it by crossing the wall is one hack of awesome way to do it

Gameplay Top

0.00-5.00 Start - Early game


Start of with buying either Oakheart or Ironguard Contract, add Flare and Halcyon Potion.
1. Buy Oakheart if your jungle is a quick jungle-clearer ; such as Koshka , Glaive , Kestrel etc.
2. Buy Ironguard Contract if your jungler is rather slow in clearing jungle at early game ; such as Taka , Alpha , Blackfeather etc. Or you want to play safe during farming.
3. Buy Protector Contract if you wanna fend off early jungle invaders / play defensively as your jungle carry is not typical strong in early game
4. Buy Dragonblood Contract if you're planning to early jungle invade / playing aggressively to dominate the whole jungle. Do this if you have strong early game heroes with you or you wanna prevent enemy jungle leveling.

When the 10-sec timer is done, sprint quickly to the opening of your base turret ( the 3rd turret from the Halcyon Crystal ) along with your teammates. I'd boost my laner using Vanguard right after the sprint duration is over, just to get ahead. It's personal preference, you don't need to follow if you don't like it.

The method of jungling you choose can vary. One of the most recent ones is to divide jungle minions same between the roamer and jungle carry. But as my Ardan gameplay, I'd prefer doing the old fashioned way. But you can choose to your liking. Don't be scared if your health runs low though after first jungle clearing. Just use Halcyon Potion and your perk will help you get back to full health again.

At first jungle shop visit, buy Sprint Boots and some Flare and Halcyon Potion instead of other items for utility purpose. As Ardan, you need to be able marauding quickly to engage battle or help your ally or moving to strategic position.

*Notes : I'm the player that prefers to use Flare rather than Scout Trap. So, I'd rarely buy Scout Trap in every game unless it's imminent, such as when my laner is SAW who needs vision around the lane bushes. I'd prefer to pop Flare when in jungle. I know some of you might think that I'm a jackass not deserved to be a roamer if I don't buy Scout Trap. It's okay though for me if you want to say that.

Keep jungling until at least your jungle reach level 6. Once in a while visit the lane to pop some flares or put scout traps or to set up ganks. Remember : Communication is the key. Communicate with your ally.

At the next few trips to shop, you should start upgrading Oakheart into Lifespring and Light Shield to Kinetic Shield. I suggest to acquire Lifespring first before Kinetic Shield since Lifespring synchronize better with your heroic perk, Julia's Gift. But if you are against crystal jungle carry such jungle Skye or Reim, then Kinetic Shield is a better choice than Lifespring

You should acquire Fountain of Renewal by the end of early game phase, unless you're having a hard time farming in the case of losing jungle domination to enemy team. But you should acquire it by the early phase of mid game.


5.00-10.00 ( Mid game )


You should now start earning money for Crucible. Start with 2 Oakheart since they provide more HP than a single Dragonheart. Sell Halcyon Potion if you need some money to complete the Crucible or to make space for Oakhearts. Dragonheart first, then Reflex Block since HP is more important if you're a roamer.

You should finish Crucible by the mid phase of mid game if you're farming well. Late phase of mid game is your limit. Then upgrade Sprint Boots to Travel Boots. After this you have 2 choice :
1. Start building Aftershock. This is the most common path i'd choose in most games since Aftershock synchronize very well with Blood for Blood ; and you need to make big impacts on game, mostly through this combo. It can give significant damage to enemy carry.
Build path : buy Crystal Bit and Hourglass. Then upgrade them to Eclipse Prism and Chronograph. Then to Aftershock. And then starts building towards Atlas Pauldron.
2. If you face against attack speed-building hero or facing hero depending on attack speed, such as full AS Vox or WP SAW, you should rush toward Atlas Pauldron first rather than Aftershock. Sometimes, it's better to neutralize this kind of threats rather than focusing on damage. Follow the paths to build Atlas Pauldron then continue to Aftershock.

These two items should finish by around late game to very late game phase.


10.00-15.00 ( Late Game )


You should have finished all your core items by now. At this moment forward, your potential will be shown. Ardan's present will be felt strongly in fights by now. Sell your remaining Flare and buy Dragonheart to move towards War Treads. But, if you feel insecure in jungle, you should acquire Flare in favor of Dragonheart for vision. Don't spend gold unless necessary ( buying infusions for teamfights). You can buy War Treads directly from Travel Boots and 1500 gold.


15.00-end game ( Very late game )


This is the critical moment in every match. Every team fights won can lead to victories, and lost ones will result in defeat. So, every team fights this moment onwards are important. All your items now are made for this times. Team-wide support of War Treads, Fountain of Renewal, Atlas Pauldron, and Crucible ; single target damage of Aftershock. It's vital that you use all this items at the right moments.

After 5 finished items, you can choose 1 more item from these items :
1. Bonesaw ; attack speed and armor shredding. Vital if your enemy are building armor. It can also be used as damage amplifier
2. Breaking Point ; attack speed and damage amplifier. Buy this if you are the last one alive in team fights. This item can turn the tides of fights. Breaking Point is very useful yet powerful in a prolong fights.
3. Stormcrown ; provide immense of true damage after every use of skills. Provide great addition to your vengeance restoring. It acts like a tension bow, but only deals 1/6 damage, nevertheless it synchronize quite well with Blood for Blood and Aftershock combo.
4. Shiversteel ; provide HP close to Crucible. Applies slow on every hit, useful against slippery enemies.

I would prefer using Bonesaw among the other items since it provides attack speed as well as armor spreading. It's very useful in team fights.

Don't forget to buy infusion, primarily Weapon Infusion if you think team fight is about to break down. It can be very decisive.

Tips and Tricks Top

Offence :
1. Try combo : basic attack- Blood for Blood-basic attack.
2. Utilise Aftershock
3. One aspect nerfed on Ardan on previous updates is his attack speed. Even though nerfed, he's still considered to be among the roamer with high attack speed. Use this to maximize your damage.
4. Blood for Blood packs a lot of punch.
5. Consider using Vanguard in the middle of fight. It has quite a damage and applies slow to nearby hostiles.
6. Initiate fights using (1) combo.


Defence :
1. Use Vanguard to move ally into defense position or escape ambush
2. Utilise gaunlet
3. Ally above all. Protect your ally in any way, including sacrifice yourself. The odd is better if your carry survive. Like what Ardan said : " ugh.. save yourself !!!"
4. Protect your main damage dealer, usually the laner. Or protect your most fragile ally.
5. Time your skills and items usage wisely.
6. Judge your escape options and routes.
7. Turrets can be your team's assurance, but be careful of enemy team push beyond the turrets.


Support :
1. Use Fountain of Renewal when allies health are below 50% at least. The less HP left before activation, the more HP regenerated by Fountain of Renewal.
2. Use Crucible wisely. Study your opponents ; find which one has the worthiest skill to be blocked. Such worthy skills are Adagio's Verse of Judgement , Alpha's Termination Protocol , and Catherine's Blast Tremor.
3. Remember that Atlas Pauldron has a few seconds pre-activation timer. Try to match the timer and moments of activation on the target. Not too soon or early.
4. You can inflict slow to all enemies using slow in Shiversteel if you can hit them all.
5. War Treads has many use :
a.) Chase enemy
b.) Closing gap
c.) Ambush initiation
d.) Fasten the approach to turrets ( pushing the lane )
e.) Rushing to defense from the base
f.) Escape enemy ambush / losing fight
6. War Treads also affects minions too.
7. Don't overused Vanguard while farming. You need it to escape in case of ambush.

Closing Top

Thank you so much for making time reading my first ever guide. It's still far from being a good guide, but i really hope that this guide can help anyone that would like to play Ardan or give some other perspective on playing this hero. Any comments will be taken highly and will be used to improve this guide to be better.

Any critics and comments will be considered to be added on next guide updates.

Please leave any comments, and please vote !!! If this guide has many votes, I might consider making another guides. Thanks !!!

Updates Top

    Guide published @ 26th July 2016

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