Don't get caught in his gauntlet. If you do, Suri Strike + Reflex Block (make sure to time it right). Aside from that, he isn't much of a threat.
1
Celeste
Easiest hero to deal with. You do not want to be laning against Skye if you are rolling Celeste.
2
Reim
Kite until the cows come home.
2
Adagio
Watch out for his Ultimate, either Reflex Block it or get out of its range.
3
Rona
Rona is a massive damage dealer but is not very sticky. Just kite her and watch for when she pops her Ultimate, she'll be a sitting duck.
3
Phinn
Stay on the move, don't let him yank you with his Ultimate.
3
Grace
She can quickly get on top of you with her A ability and slow you down with her basic attacks. Kite out immediately if this happens.
4
Lyra
Her Bright Bulwark will block your Suri Strikes, make sure to time your tactics appropriately so as to not go crashing into the barrier.
4
Skaarf
Keep a healthy distance away. If you stay mobile he won't land a single Spitfire on you.
4
Baron
Late-game monster but slow. Keep your distance, don't let him unload on you. Wait for the opportune moment to apply pressure and/or drop.
5
Flicker
If he jumps you at a bad time, drop your Ultimate immediately and kite out. Keep vision up, if attempting a team ambush with his Ultimate target & drop your Ultimate immediately before they have a chance to open up.
5
Samuel
Stay out of his Drifting Dark and Ultimate. His damage falls off late game.
5
Krul
It can be over quick if he successfully stuns you with his Ultimate. Otherwise, he is easy to kite (and kite him you must).
5
Joule
If you play smart, Joule shouldn't be that much of a problem. Stay out of her nasty Ultimate and don't let her get the jump on you.
5
Grumpjaw
Don't let him get on top of you. Ever. If he swallows you, Suri Strike immediately the moment you're out.
5
Baptiste
CP Baptiste can be problematic. Reflex Block his B ability when cast on you (Ordained) and you should be fine, do not allow him to stun you with it.
6
Kestrel
CP Kestrel can hurt real bad. Play smart and don't give her any opportunities. Stay out of her B (mist).
6
SAW
Never stay in his range. Barrage at max distance, coordinate with team-mates to CC & burst down.
6
Idris
Slippery. Kite him and don't let him stay on top of you for any amount of time.
6
Catherine
Can prove to be problematic. Try and Reflex Block her stun & silence (easy to spot). Do not attack her when her Stormguard is up.
6
Fortress
Watch out for his nasty burst, clear out the wolves from his Ultimate asap as they will absorb your barrage. Move speed buffs makes it easier for his team to get the jump on you.
7
Koshka
Be wary of enemy brush when you don't have vision. She's manageable if you are careful, watch out for her stun and ridiculous burst damage. Capitalize on your late-game advantage. Consider picking up a Slumbering Husk for the early game if it's bad.
7
Petal
Just stay away. If dealing with her, make sure you have support. Her munions will absorb your barrage.
7
Skye
Stay mobile and never be the first to Suri Strike. WP Skye is dangerous, never 1v1 if you are CP.
7
Gwen
Her burst can hurt real bad and she can stun you if you're not careful.
7
Vox
High damage late-game and can easily zoom out of your barrage. Try to impede his farm. Can hit you real hard, thankfully his shorter attack range makes him more manageable. Don't let him chunk your health.
7
Lance
A WP heavy Lance can be dangerous. Damage spikes + root = trouble. CP Lance can root you for days...provided the Impales are accurate. He can easily break your battle flow with his Gythian Wall and block most of the damage from your barrage.
8
Ringo
Don't stay in his range for long if he has you targeted during late-game phases. CC & burst down before he drops you. Never 1v1 unless you got the advantage.
8
Ozo
Block his Ultimate. One of the best heroes for countering Skye's mobility. Try not to get caught alone or out of position at a bad time. Do what you can to kite and burst down.
8
Glaive
Don't get caught alone or out of position at a bad time, his Afterburn will make you easy pickings.
9
Blackfeather
Adept at evading your ability damage and will pursue you with a vengeance. Exercise caution. Never 1v1 unless you have a considerable advantage.
9
Alpha
Watch your positioning. Make it difficult for her to scan you with her A, either by staying mobile or sticking with your team at the back-line. Attempting to 1v1 without support can be risky.
10
Taka
Lethal, counters Skye hard. Stick with your team and keep vision up. Your windows of opportunity will be narrow so make the most of them. Important that you counter build. Again, Slumbering Husk can be a big help (particularly against CP type).
My name is Quantum Paradise (Quantum for short), welcome to my Skye guide!
I'm from the NA region and have been playing Vainglory regularly since update 2.0 when Idris came out. This is actually my very first serious attempt at writing a video game guide! That being said, any feedback or comments would be greatly appreciated, hope to hear from you guys.
Also, remember to thumb up if you like the guide!
I do plan to keep adding stuff and even modify it if need be, always open to suggestions and comments / questions.
So you may wonder, why Skye? Well, that is the very question this guide aims to answer and then some.
Bear in mind that this is a comprehensive guide. The idea here is to leave no stone unturned. Hopefully, by the end of it, you will be that much closer to playing Skye like a pro.
*** DISCLAIMERS ***
For those of you using data, please be aware that there are quite a few gifs on this page.
Please let me know if there are any issues with the guide and I will give them my attention.
This guide is long. Like, really long. But in a really good way. Took me a while to finish it!
Guide needs to be updated for version 2.7 - Skye got a big nerf to the CR on Forward Barrage and a significant buff for the CR damage bonus from Target Lock
Skye is a swift pilot able to dance at the edge of fights or dive deep into the enemy back-line to kill key targets. Skye's unique strafing attacks change the complexion of fights, and her ability to chase down and catch opponents is unparalleled.
Skye has been shooting up the Fold since update 1.08. She is a mobile mech monster with big damage potential but low defense. Serving as the ultimate wing-woman, she excels with a good team by her side. Good support and team coordination is critical for Skye, without these you might have a harder time carrying your team depending on the skill level of enemy heroes.
PROS
Unparalleled Mobility (Queen of Kiting)
High Damage Potential
Very Strong Back-Line Fighter
Powerful Suppressive Fire
Zoning Capabilities with Her Ultimate
Localized Bombardments = Mass Area Damage
CONS
Learning Curve / Need for High Concentration & Alertness
Performance Hinges Entirely on Skillshots / Skilled Play
Really Squishy hero
Dependent on Itemization
Attacks Are Somewhat Clunkier Than Other Skillshot Heroes
Little Room For Error in Team-Fights
More Challenging to Play Without a Consistent Front-Liner / Support
As a carry, her predominant position is in the lane, however she can also tear up the jungle with quick clear rotations. She is very flexible and can do well in both scenarios. This guide will focus exclusively on the CP side of things while playing lane, but will also discuss jungle play.
Please note that this guide can be helpful for any Skye player regardless of play style or preference (plenty of overlap / common information).
The difficulty level for Skye is set to hard due to the nature of her abilities (skillshots + high mobility) coupled with the fact that she has weak defense. Anticipating enemy movements and constantly repositioning yourself is key with Skye, in addition to the essential need for tight coordination between your ability use and screen tapping. Timing is also important, knowing if and when you should dive in, dive out, or stay at the edge of fights and kite until an opportunity presents itself. One wrong move and things can go south very quickly.
If you're new to Skye, learning how to use her kit effectively is a process that takes time and practice. This is one hero that has a high skill level cap. Played right, she will quickly become a force to be reckoned with and the top priority for lock down. Played wrong, she will be nearly invisible.
Check out the hero spotlight for a nice overview of Skye, SEMC provide an excellent showcase of her kit (note that some of the details mentioned are outdated, clarified in Ability Breakdown section).
This table takes into consideration base health at level cap. At max level, Skye sits in the middle of the roster in terms of her health pool, ranking 15 out of 31 heroes. So in this domain, she's quite average.
To give an example on how the health system functions; at level 1 Lyra has a bigger health pool than Petal, but because Petal has a better level up increase, she comes out on top at level cap. Skye acquires 83 health points per level. Heroes with bigger starting health pools may have a slight early game edge but those with bigger level up increases will accumulate more health over the course of the match and will be the beefiest at level cap.
As far as level up increases go, Lance has the highest by far with a whopping 125 health acquired for each level. Lyra, on the other hand, only receives 51 health per level (though she does have good HP regen and big heals).
These are all interesting and important dynamics present within any given match. It is beneficial to know where you stand in relation to the enemy heroes. You can expect to have a more challenging time dropping a roam Lance who is stacking defense and health items, whereas a carry Lyra can get melted pretty fast by the time your build is maxed out.
ENERGY RESOURCE
On the flip side, Skye has the fifth largest energy pool to start with and her level up increase is moderately good (32 energy points per level). Energy wise, Skye will be generally well off early game. You will eventually need an energy upgrade as you level up due to higher ability ranks which cause you to expend more energy. Of course, this assumes that you will have heavy rotations with your kit (which you should if you hope to maximize your performance).
MOVEMENT SPEED
Believe it or not, Skye's base movement speed is below average. She is on par with Kestrel, SAW, Ringo, and Reim but has a bit better mobility than Gwen, Phinn, and at the bottom of the barrel, Baron. Thankfully, she more than makes up for it with Target Lock and Suri Strike which is the bread and butter for her crazy good mobility. Just the speed boost from Target Lock alone grants you up to 2 movement speed, which is almost Baron's full base value!
ATTACK RANGE
MODERATELY BETTER RANGE
SLIGHTLY BETTER RANGE
EQUAL RANGE
SLIGHTLY LESS RANGE
* Note that Lyra and Baron have attack ranges that vary depending on the rank of their Ultimate. When maxed out, they both outrange Skye. *
Target Lock is a key part of your kit, unlocking your B and C abilities in addition to providing boosts to your movement speed and damage. As such, you'll need to know which enemy heroes can be easily basic attacked / target-locked versus the ones that will give you more of a challenge.
For example, SAW is a nightmare up close and has long range. If you are going in for a basic attack, you'll be in his range quicker than he'll be in yours (a problem if he's at max stacks with Spin Up). In such a case, you want to be more careful and tactical when approaching for a target-lock (preferable to have a support roam/tank with CC to engage for you).
On the other hand, Celeste is easier to deal with in this department due to her shorter attack range. In this case, target-locking won't be as much of an issue. Your overall strategy will vary depending on who you are going up against and what the situation is. Team play mechanics also plays a critical role.
Forward Barrage has a range that is roughly 60% more than your normal basic attack range. This will technically give you an artificial range that will beat out even Adagio by a good margin.
DEFENSE
Here is the caveat to the Skye package. Her battle prowess comes at the cost of defense. It's important to understand what this means. It's not simply that she has low armor & shield. In fact, many carries / junglers share a common base armor & shield value of 20 +6/lvl. I think the word "defensibility" may be more accurate.
The in-game hero ratings are more of a reflection of that hero's overall performance in each category. They serve as the indicator for each hero's main utility. Skye having a low defense essentially means that her kit is predominantly an offensive one and does not provide much in the way of survivability and avoiding certain death. These types of heroes, for the most part, take more skill to play well.
Skye shares the bottom spot for defense with Kestrel and Celeste (other skillshot heroes). In order to understand why Phinn is the master of defense, simply read up on his heroic perk Unstoppable.
Target Lock Slot: Heroic Perk
Skye locks onto and reveals the last target she basic attacked. Basic attacks and Forward Barrage on that locked target grant her up to 2 move speed for 1.2 seconds, but this boost is much weaker while moving backwards. Target Lock lasts 3 seconds, and is lost when the target is more than 8.5 meters away.
Commentary Target Lock (TL) provides your base effect for mobility. Every time you basic attack, you are getting a speed boost for 1.2 seconds. This is what will allow you to remain agile and on the move when farming in the lane and when in fights; staying out of range, keeping out of hazards, forcing enemies to reposition, dodging pokes or closing in for a poke when you got a clear shot while laning. Engage it when it's beneficial to, don't risk taking a poke for it.
The speed boost will also help when engaged in fights with enemy heroes, adding to your ability to eliminate or create distance between you and your target.
Always remember to constantly exploit this mechanic. By doing so, you will maximize your travel distance while keeping the speed boost from Target Lock refreshed.
This is your soft skill for repositioning.
As of update 2.7, keeping Target Lock up is much more crucial due to the significant nerf to the CR on Forward Barrage (210% --> 120%). The bonus damage is 10% of the base damage plus 35% of your crystal power (up from 10%). In other words, forward barrage now deals significantly less damage but you can get a sizable chunk of bonus damage if you are locked onto your target (unlike pre 2.7 when the bonus damage was much smaller).
Forward Barrage Slot: A
Skye fires a continuous stream of bullets while strafing in the selected direction for 3 seconds. Building weapon power makes the barrage slow approaching enemies by up to 40%. Reactivate this ability to stop firing.
Deals bonus damage to locked targets. Deals 40% damage to structures & bosses.
Commentary
The majority of your damage output will come from Forward Barrage (FB), which is why it's important to know how to use it. Your ability to use FB well is what's going to make or break your performance in the Fold.
Tap the FB icon to view your ability range (highlighted area around Skye), then tap a second time anywhere within the highlighted area to engage. Skye will point her guns in the direction of the tap and unload her magazines for 3 seconds. The bullet stream gets "locked" directionally for the full duration, but you can continue to tap and Skye will strafe in the directions of your taps. Note that you can continue to move after you've tapped the FB icon the first time, provided you are tapping outside the highlighted area.
You will deal additional bonus damage if your FB is hitting the target you are locked onto, so it's always preferable to target-lock first then follow through with your FB right after.
If firing, you can tap the FB icon a second time to disengage early. Useful if your aim is off or if you realize you need to bail out of a fight. As long as FB is engaged, you are vulnerable mobility wise. Keep this in mind.
Suri Strike Slot: B
Active: Skye dashes to a chosen location near her locked target as a volley of missiles along a line between her and her target strike down.
Deals 40% damage to structures & bosses. Missiles can hit the same target, but subsequent hits deal 20% damage. This ability can only be activated when Skye has a locked target. Activating this ability resets a portion of the cooldown on Forward Barrage.
Passive: Each ability point in Suri Strike increases the duration of target-lock.
Commentary Suri Strike (SS) is your main resource for effective mobility. It is what you will use for gap closing or creating distance between you and your target, depending on the situation. Utilizing this ability correctly is crucial in keeping Skye out of danger and in advantageous positions.
This is your hard skill for repositioning.
When you tap the SS icon, an area will become highlighted around your current target. Tap any location within the highlighted area to dash to that spot while dropping down 4 missiles which will strike the ground in a line between your target and the spot you dashed to.
In my personal experience, SS tends to be the ability that newcomers seem to have the most challenging time with. If not used properly, you can end up putting yourself in bad positions or over-expose yourself. If this happens, you'll get ganked and fast. Yes, the missiles from SS does provide damage but it shouldn't be at the expense of putting yourself out of position which can lead to giving away a free kill and handicapping your team in the process. This defeats the whole purpose of Skye's exceptional mobility in the first place, to keep you alive and on top of things! More on this in the next section.
At max rank, SS will fully reset the cool-down (CD) of your FB! It will also increase the duration of TL by 4 seconds for a grand total of 7 seconds after your last basic attack.
Death From Above Slot: C
Active: Skye fires a salvo of missiles at a chosen location near her locked target. After a 1.3 second delay, the missiles rain down on that location, stunning enemies for 0.5 seconds. Enemies still in the area afterward are slowed and take crystal damage.
Aiming directly on your locked target rains down the missiles in a cluster. Aiming away from your locked target rains them down in a line across the target's path. This ability can only be activated when Skye has a locked target. Deals 40% damage to structures & bosses.
Passives: Each ability point in Death from Above increases the range of target-lock
Commentary Death From Above (DFA) serves as your main utility skill for controlling enemy movements. Use it to cut off enemies or cover an escape for you and/or a team-mate. Also very useful for bombarding a key location and causing havoc at critical points in the match, whether it'd be a turret or jungle objective. The mechanics of this ability will be discussed in the next section.
Tap the DFA icon once to see the range, which will be a highlighted area around your current target. Tap a second time anywhere within that highlighted area to engage. In addition to the damage, there is a brief stun and slow if enemy heroes get caught in it.
DFA also increases the range of TL. At Rank 2, you will have an extra 3m range. This means that your target can be up to 11.5m away from you before target-lock will drop.
Note that DFA can be activated while you are in the middle of a Forward Barrage!
With CP Skye, basic-attacks are used exclusively for last hitting minions and engaging Target Lock. As far as your mobility is concerned, basic-attacking gives you the ability to "float and strafe".
As you can see in the above GIF, by rapidly alternating between basic attacking (gain speed boost from Target Lock) and moving, you can strafe or "float" from point to point (ping-ponging), making it easy to move across the lane quickly. The speed boost lasts for 1.2 seconds, so the ideal situation is to basic-attack every 1.2 seconds if you are trying to keep on the move.
Note that Skye will always face her target while she strafes as long as she remains in range. This is what will help you aim your abilities. Moving in the opposite direction of your target reduces the speed boost, as you'd essentially be moving backwards.
When you're lane farming, this is the easiest way to reposition yourself or dodge hazards of any kind. As long as there's a target, you will be able to basic-attack and strafe.
Basic-attack + strafe, then basic attack a second time to stop the strafe and plant yourself at the new spot. Strafe as often as you need to.
The Art of Kiting
The phrase "kiting" is meant to provide you with a mental image of dragging along an enemy hero by a string, like they are a kite that you are flying. Basically, it means to unload long range hits on enemy heroes while preventing them (or impeding them) from engaging you. If they move closer, you move more out. If they move further away, you move more in. Use Suri Strike if you need to "reset" the kiting distance.
As mentioned previously, being able to use Forward Barrage efficiently is what will make your performance in the Fold. Learn to be proficient with it! Let's look at some of the finer mechanics of this ability.
The three aspects to keep in mind when using Forward Barrage are the following:
Enemy target's position & direction of movement
Angle of shot (where you tap/direction of bullet stream)
Your strafing direction
Anticipation is key, your intuition will inform you on how you should angle the shot and in which direction you should be strafing. Where is your opponent currently situated and where will he / she be inclined to move? This is where your positioning is also important, it can help make enemy movements more predictable. Also, you want to make sure to focus fire. This means to concentrate all of your Forward Barrage onto the one target you are trying to drop. You might need to readjust your strafe frequently, so be prepared to be flexible.
Always be careful when using this ability near an enemy turret, landing it on an enemy hero will attract its attention.
The 90° Shot
In the above graphic, you can see how Skye is located directly above Petal. Since the general direction of the lane is left to right, your Forward Barrage forms a perpendicular trajectory (90 degree angle). The moment you open up (tap anywhere along the blue line), Petal will most likely react by retreating back to her turret. Match her movement by strafing in the same direction to keep the bullet stream on her. With the slow from Frostburn, it will be easier to keep up. However, this is not a favorable angle. If she uses a sprint or Trampoline!, she can easily get out of the bullet stream.
Getting a Good Angle
The smaller the angle the better the shot (as you can see, the red and blue lines meet to form a smaller angle). This is because you are able to follow through and keep your target in the bullet stream while blocking their path along the lane. In this scenario, Petal will attempt to retreat when you open up but because of your good position and angle, you can simply strafe along the general direction of the yellow line to match her movement and block her escape, giving you the advantage. Even if she does Trampoline!, she will be in close proximity allowing you to re-engage and continue the offensive.
This is part of what it means to control the lane. You generally want to aim your Forward Barrage along the direction of the lane and push enemies either into the jungle or back towards their turret in order to impede their farm. You want to make sure to maximize your farm while throwing in just the right frequency of pokes in between to provide sustained pressure. Skye can be super annoying to play against in the lane, the damage and range on her Forward Barrage is problematic.
When ambushing, you can either come out at an angle for a surprise attack (as shown above) or basic-attack for Target Lock then quickly Suri Strike to mid-lane so you can line up a shot directly behind the target, sandwiching them between the turret and your bullet stream. (Note: I used Petal for the example, in actuality she can be a tough opponent due to how her Munions provide a meat shield. This is one hero you need to be wary of, keep your distance.)
Optimal Target Distance
This is an example of the ideal distance to keep. Not too close but not too far. It will give you the space to safely adjust your strafe depending on where your target is moving towards. If you're too far, enemy heroes will have an easier time evading and backing out of the bullet stream...but at least they will be safely out of range. If you are coming in from the back-line, combine Forward Barrage with a sprint to close in quickly. If you have the right positioning, it's always a good idea to angle your shots because of how it forces the enemy laner out towards the edges of the lane where he'll have less space to move.
Up Close and Personal
You usually don't ever need to be this close unless an enemy hero uses gap closing in which case your priority is to reposition and kite out. Being too close when engaging Forward Barrage will leave you exposed against slippery heroes who have abilities allowing them to reposition quickly. These heroes can flank you if they're quick enough. You can always disengage, but with Forward Barrage on cooldown, you're at a serious disadvantage. Try to avoid these kinds of situations altogether, keep a healthy distance away.
In the above graphic, Petal can simply Trampoline! into what I call "dead zones". Whenever Forward Barrage is engaged, you are vulnerable mobility-wise (locked directionally) and can't do anything else aside from strafe. Your peripheries become safe havens enemy targets can head for. A smart opponent will know the right way to move.
Try to avoid or minimize dead-aim, any kind of shot that doesn't land any damage. When your Forward Barrage misses, disengage immediately and reposition accordingly. If you are pursuing an enemy hero who is on the move, do not aim your shot where he currently is. Aim in the direction he is heading. Don't waste a shot if you see your target is about to change direction due to an upcoming bend or turn. Aim your angle so that you will be able to hit him. Keep in mind that you can hit a target through walls or partitions.
It's always preferable to Target Lock first, but depending on the situation you might just want to use Forward Barrage so you can kite out, put pressure from afar, and build Broken Myth stacks. Target-locking will put you in range, which will provide a window of opportunity for enemy heroes. Don't give them this window when you don't want them to have it.
Remember that Forward Barrage has an extra 60% range over your basic attack.
If you want to reset the Forward Barrage cooldown but don't want to get in range of an enemy hero using Suri Strike then you can quickly use it on a nearby minion or creep instead.
Adjusting Your Strafe
Beware of the minion meat shield. If ever you want to land a Forward Barrage on an enemy hero when minions are in the way, make sure to strafe past them or reposition yourself to the bottom or top of the lane (preferably top) to open up the flank before engaging Forward Barrage. Otherwise, wait until there aren't minions in the way.
The key is to mirror your target's movements, no matter where you may be brawling! This requires that you watch your target's movements closely and react quickly to adjust the strafe.
Note that when you tap to engage Forward Barrage, it will not alter the last movement command issued. You need to tap a second time (or more) if you wish to adjust the strafing direction mid-barrage.
The Movement Mechanics
See above graphic. Let's say you first tap to move (green dot) then quickly tap to engage Forward Barrage (blue dot). Provided you do not issue any further commands, Skye will strafe along the direction of the green line with her bullet stream pointed towards the direction of the blue line, and will stop moving when she arrives at the final destination (green dot).
Knowing this can simplify things, especially if you are on the defense. Simply tap in the opposite direction of your target to move away then tap to engage your Forward Barrage toward your target and Skye will automatically unload her magazines while strafing backwards until she reaches her destination (where you tapped to move). If your target isn't brain-dead, they will try to move out of the way in which case you just have to adjust your strafe.
Things can get intense in the heat of the moment. Make sure you don't accidentally engage Forward Barrage when you really just wanted to tap to move. Aside from looking funny, you'll have a CD to deal with and it can seriously throw off your groove.
>>> i iz pro <<<
How to Strafe Correctly
See above for a rough example of where you should be tapping to strafe mid-barrage depending on the target's direction of movement. The more perpendicular the path gets to your bullet stream, the more lateral your taps / strafing needs to be.
Checking Brush
You can also check brush for any baddies that might be lurking. See above graphic for a visual, you'll know when you are hitting something when you see "sparks". As you can see, the left side of the bullet stream is hitting someone, whereas the right side is hitting air. This means I need to tap to the left of Skye (move upwards) in order to center the shot. With good enough anticipation and if you are paying close attention to where you see "sparks", you can tell the direction the target is heading. Great way to flush out dangerous heroes that might be waiting to gank you.
Position yourself. Then reposition, reposition, and reposition some more.
Using Suri Strike effectively is a critical part of your positioning throughout any given match. Utlimately, it's all about whether you want to exploit the damage for the extra burst versus the mobility for repositioning. In most scenarios, mobility will trump damage. The CDR it provides for your Forward Barrage is another key function of Suri Strike.
Aside form unpacking Suri Strike, this section will also emphasize the importance of...you guessed it, proper positioning.
Dashing away just before the stun.
As shown above, Suri Strike allows you to dash to a new position around your target while dropping missiles in a line between your target and the spot where you dashed to. You will drop two groups of two missiles (total of 4 missiles) with the first missile striking the ground where your target stood when you initiated (same spot if target hasn't moved) and the last striking the ground where you dashed to. The longer the distance between your target and the dash spot, the more spread out the missiles will be along the line. The shorter the distance, the more concentrated the missiles will be.
Dashing at Max Range
Never get too close to an enemy hero if you don't need to. Always be aware that there might be danger nearby offscreen (in this case, other enemy heroes next to Catherine). Dashing on top of Catherine here can be a recipe for disaster (you can end up getting stunned and dog-piled). Also, be careful when dashing near brush if you don't have vision. Safest bet is to keep your distance, especially from the enemy's side of the jungle.
When playing conservative or kiting, always dash at max range (blue dots) though you want to make sure you are not the one engaging team fights. Avoid dashing too close towards enemy heroes if they are clumped up with their team-mates (in close proximity to each other). You will be easily intercepted and dropped, especially if they have CC. Note that if you dash at max range, missile damage will be more minimal.
Ambushing is by far the biggest problem for Skye.She doesn't have much in her kit to help out with defensibility and getting out of dangerous situations. You need to be thinking preventative, which is why both positioning and vision is so important. Make sure you're checking the mini-map and tracking enemy movements on screen in order to stay out of bad situations.
If your team hasn't engaged yet, lean back and Forward Barrage. If you have no one to engage, lean back and Forward Barrage. In general, lean back and Forward Barrage. Drop as much collateral damage as possible and zone in slowly when you have enough Broken Myth stacks up. Using Suri Strike too early or at the wrong time will put you on respawn real quick. It doesn't take much, so be careful!
Once the team-fight begins to unroll and things get more chaotic, you'll have more space to use Suri Strike as opponents will already be engaged and most likely targeting team-mates closer to the front-line. Once committed to a target, they will be more reluctant to switch which gives you the opportunity to hit them hard. If any enemy hero begins targeting you, your priority switches to putting distance between you and them in any way you can.
As long as you have Target Lock up, you can always Suri Strike regardless of how far your target may be (provided that they are on screen). You generally want to perform a back-line dive if and only if the enemy team's front-line is distracted and / or occupied (provided you are confident that you can drop the target without jeopardizing yourself).
It's never a bad idea to reserve Suri Strike for dashing away, but it's always risky when you use it to dive in as you are committing yourself to the position for the duration of the cooldown. Make sure you know what you're doing, never Suri Strike just for the sake of it.
In general, try to avoid dashing right in front of enemy heroes. When you can, dash more towards their sides / diagonally, always away from their direction of movement. This will also help you evade enemy skillshots.
Remember that you can dash through partitions, forcing opponents to have to go around or give up the chase altogether.
Let's look at some scenarios. Keep in mind that after positioning, the next most important function of Suri Strike is to reset the cooldown of Forward Barrage, regardless of the situation.
WHEN TO USE FOR MOBILITY
DEFENSIVELY
To dodge skillshots or CC
To counter an enemy with gap closing
To get away from sticky gankers or stealthy assassins
When separated from your team mates
When knocked out of position
When harassed by jungle creeps (Kraken or enemy Crystal Miner)
When you're too close to an enemy turret
When you're trapped at the edge of the map or by wall / partition
To get back in the lane quickly
OFFENSIVELY
Maintain kiting distance
Outflank enemy team
Reposition for a better attack angle
Back-line dive to drop enemy carry
Safely reposition for a kill
Chase down fleeing enemy hero
Dash past enemy Crystal Miner or turret
Completely alter direction to throw off opponents
Never dash on top of the enemy team, you will get swatted like a fly. The only time you should be doing this is if they are literally about to drop (even then, not recommended). As a rule of thumb, never get close to heroes with nasty melee damage.
In most situations, you always want to be keep a safe distance between you and your targets. If it's only one enemy hero, you are much more flexible. When it's 2, you need to considerably up the caution factor and keep your distance. If it's 3, play smart and never over-expose yourself. Wait for the right opportunities.
For the most part, you'd always want to stay behind your team early on in fights and drop as much damage as you can from a distance. Always position yourself properly so as to prevent enemy heroes from getting to you easily. Give yourself plenty of wiggle room to move around and unload from the back-line. Move in and out accordingly in order to adjust your position depending on how the enemy team is moving. The idea is to make it difficult for enemy heroes to engage you.
Avoid wandering into jungle alone when you don't have vision and always keep a safe distance away from brush when you are moving around the map with your team. Don't let yourself get separated from your team-mates! You can barrage from afar before any fight but in general you should be the last one engaging.
The 180°
WHEN TO EXPLOIT FOR DAMAGE
Clear minions / jungle creeps quicker
When bursting down opponents during fights
When bombarding jungle objectives & turrets
Finish off low health opponents or an opponent on the run
Rule of Thumb - If you're kiting, use it for repositioning. If you are launching an offensive, you'd want to utilize it for the burst damage and resetting the CD on Forward Barrage. If you want to maximize burst damage with the missiles on a mobile target make sure to dash just ahead of them (moving enemies / Kraken).
Maximizing Your Lane Farm
If the minions are forming a line, you want to target the last minion in the back and Suri Strike right on top of the first minion in the front (or vice versa depending on your positioning). If they are forming a cluster, dash right into the middle of it. Anytime you want to deal max damage in an area, dash right on top of your target. This will concentrate all the missiles at the same spot. Combo with Forward Barrage for quick clears.
Mid-Lane Melees
As far as lane play is concerned, Skye is technically most flexible with Suri Strike during early game phases which is why I like to have it by level 2. Reason being that the middle of the lane is a "controlled" environment during this time. Entry points into the lane are more limited and there are turrets on either side that heroes can easily move towards for protection. Minions have the tendency to clump up in the middle, giving you ample opportunity to Suri Strike whenever you need to. As turrets go down and minions begin spreading out, the lane opens up and becomes more dangerous.
Suri Strike is one of the best gap closing abilities in the game, be careful not to use it to your disadvantage.
Death From Above is your main utility skill, and a powerful one at that. It's a very flashy and intimidating Ultimate; big, loud & brutal if caught in it.
Combine it with any other form of CC to chain CC and cluster bomb enemies for more localized damage (difficult to do otherwise), or drop a line to cut off opponents from getting too close or escaping (zoning). If timed well enough, you will be able to hit enemies with it, dishing out the damage plus a stun & slow.
Get creative when it comes to pairing it up with other CC abilities to further trap / stun / discombobulate enemy heroes. Throw a Forward Barrage on top and you're well on your way to beating the enemy team to a pulp. Especially useful when you're bombarding turrets or jungle objectives. Don't be shy, sunder those skies!
Let's take a look at the mechanics of Death From Above. It's important to know how it works if you hope to use it effectively.
How to Drop a Line Bombardment
As shown above, dropping a line bombardment has everything to do with where you tap to engage (blue dot) versus the current position of your target. The line will drop perpendicular (blue line) to the path connecting your tap to the target (red line). In brief, if you want to drop a line horizontally, you need to tap in front / behind your target. If you want to drop it vertically, tap at the sides of your target. If you want to drop the line at a slant, tap anywhere in between.
If you want to drop a cluster, simply tap on your target. Tapping anywhere else will drop a line.
Stunning Your Pursuer
The last and most important aspect to cover is timing.
There is a brief delay between the moment you tap to engage Death From Above and when the missiles actually land. As soon as you tap, Skye will launch out the missiles and the ground where you tapped will be marked with green circles indicating where it will land. This gives enemies a heads up, but with the right timing you can catch opponents in the bombardment. The trick is to tap just ahead of the direction your target is moving in. In the above situation, the target is almost on top of me so I needed to actually tap behind Skye in order to coordinate with the timing of the bombardment. The faster your target is moving, the further ahead you will need to place Death From Above.
You can also use it for zoning purpose. Look to drop a well placed Ultimate whenever there is an opponent standing beneath a turret to catch them in it. Use it to close in an enemy and keep them in range of a friendly turret or your Crystal Miner. When sieging an enemy turret, you can drop it right behind the turret to prevent enemy heroes from approaching on their side unless they are willing to take the hit (which is unlikely). If your team is attempting to capture Kraken, drop it to momentarily deter enemy heroes from getting into the jungle core. All this helps to control enemy movements and buy your team time.
(B) Effective Poke
Minions can prove to be problematic, particularly early game when they will be clumped up in the middle of the lane. As mentioned previously, if you want to land a Forward Barrage on an enemy hero when minions are in the way, make sure to strafe past them or reposition yourself to the bottom or top of the lane (preferably top) to open up the flank before engaging Forward Barrage.
You can use Suri Strike to position yourself for a poke. Otherwise, you can simply move closer to the middle of the lane, then basic-attack a nearby minion for the speed boost which you will use to float on over and target your opponent, following straight through with a Forward Barrage. Make sure to never go in too deep, try and steer clear of the enemy jungle.
(C) Game-Start Ambush
Smart opponents will typically avoid standing in the lane while waiting for the minions, but if they do this is a great way to get a jump on them and seriously throw off their grove. Be ready to split as soon as the match starts, head for the brush located top mid-lane and wait. If the enemy laner shows up and is exposed, go in for a nice big poke. Either come out of the brush firing or Target Lock first for bonus damage (my preferred option). You'd be seriously handicapping the enemy laner who will be forced to play more conservatively or port back to base in order to heal up. This will give you a nice advantage right out the gate. However, if the minions show up and there's no sight of any enemies, get right to farming.
Avoid if 2 or more enemy heroes start out in the lane and be ready to assist team-mates if the enemy team is attempting an early game invade. Never get in the enemy turret's range.
(D) Effective Farming Skye is very dependent on her itemization, make sure you don't get out-farmed. Don't preoccupy yourself too much with enemy heroes. Poke when you need to so you can keep up the pressure, otherwise farm farm farm. Heck, dip into the jungle on your trip back to the lane after porting to base for that extra gold and XP. Make sure to keep mobile, spray minions with Forward Barrage to burn them down faster (rapidly strafe back and forth to spread out damage). Throw in a Suri Strike every now and then. Your basic attacks should be hitting minions in the back while your minions are taking care of the front. Just make sure to keep an eye out for low health minions for that last hit!
The goal is to maximize your gold generation so you can keep up with your item build and come online ASAP. Use abilities often, if you are about to port back to base you can even drop a Death From Above to really clear them out.
(E) Barrage Looping
Use Suri Strike to reset the cooldown on your Forward Barrage (at level cap), then unload. After unloading, you only have to land 2-3 basic attacks before Suri Strike comes off CD, at which point you can pop it again to reset the CD on Forward Barrage. Rinse and repeat.
The alternative is to wait for both to come off CD so you can do an A-B-A combo.
(F) Unloading the Kit (A-C-B-A)
Provided that all your abilities are off CD and you are at level cap, you can unpack your whole kit in under 10 seconds to unleash a fury of bullets and missiles.
Start off with a Target Lock then Forward Barrage to drop some collateral damage. Mid-barrage, drop your Death From Above to cut-off and stun the target, then Suri Strike near them to hit them with the missiles and reset the CD on Forward Barrage, only to throw down another Forward Barrage immediately after. A lone opponent straggling in the lane will have no chance.
For loclized bombardment, drop your Ultimate in a cluster and Suri Strike right on top of the target. Use this method to take out turrets / jungle objectives or when dealing with Kraken. Make sure Kraken is on top of a turret (not moving) before dropping a cluster. If she is moving, make sure to dash just ahead of her when using Suri Strike to make sure the missiles hit.
(G) Cover Fire
If you or your team need a quick exit out of a fight, simply drop Death From Above to cut off the enemy team and throw down a Forward Barrage as you move away to cover. Skye's crazy firepower gives her strong ability to cover escape routes and block enemies in pursuit. You can also help a nearby team-mate who is fleeing an opponent by putting your Forward Barrage in between them. With Frostburn, you'll even slow them down.
(H) Slingshotting
Using non-player targets for big Suri Strikes, "slingshotting" your way across the Fold.
For example, let's say a Grumpjaw uses his Ultimate on you and sprints deep behind enemy lines, spitting you out on the far side of an enemy turret. Target Lock the turret immediately, then do a big Suri Strike at max range on the opposite side, popping sprint and making a hasty escape.
If you got an enemy hero hot on your heels, Target Lock a minion or creep then quickly do a big Suri Strike at max range.
(I) Getting Out of a Jam
Okay, so what to do if you got an opponent on top of you? Whether it’s a stealthed hero or a hero with gap closing, when this happens your top priority is to immediately put distance between you and them, thus you switch to a defensive mindset.
If there are nearby minions or jungle creeps you can target, target them immediately then Suri Strike away at max range, covering your escape with a Forward Barrage.
If there isn’t anything nearby you can target, it’s a bit trickier. You'll need to rely on your Ultimate, so hope it's off CD. Basic attack them immediately to Target Lock and get the speed boost / make your Ultimate available. Immediately drop Death From Above nearby on the spot you plan to move towards, then Suri Strike right into it and cover with Forward Barrage. Your pursuer will be disinclined to follow.
If you're desperate, drop an Ultimate right away directly on top of you before dashing away while covering with Forward Barrage.
(J) Sandwiching
Fairy simple technique. Let's say you got opponenets playing deep. Drop a Death From Above just behind him / her then Suri Strike past it, followed by a Forward Barrage. Your team-mates will be hitting from the front while you are safely hitting from the back (behind the bombardment), trapping them in between.
Any maneuver that exposes you / separates you from your team is risky, be sure you can emerge with the kills under your belt if you do plan to use. Recommended when enemy heroes have lower health or during early game when builds are still light.
(K) Spearing
A simple principle. Spears were used to pierce enemies while maintaining a safe distance. Since your Forward Barrage has such long range, you can use it as a "spear". This technique is for more dangerous situations when you can't afford getting too close but want to keep up pressure. For instance, when laning against an opponent who is aggressive and pushing into your side of the lane. All you need to do is "pierce" them with the tip of the bullet stream.
A good example of when to use this would be when you are laning against SAW. Getting in range can prove lethal, but since he is super slow (especially when Spin Up is maxed out) it's super easy to just "spear" him at a distance from the flank while you are safely out of his range.
If he's smart, he'll Roadie Run back to the motherland. If not, then you'll melt him into a steaming puddle of borscht soup. Not even his accent will save him.
(L) Bottlenecking
Enemy team be like...
Spoiler: Click to view
Important Choke Points
Bottlenecking is a great tactic with high team wiping potential for those moments when the enemy team is either not paying attention, not foreseeing the danger or simply underestimating just how lethal Skye can be.
As such, it's important to take note of those choke points where you can funnel in enemy heroes for a good steamrolling. See above graphic, there are 4 important choke points on the map along the lane.
(1) Brush area connecting jungle with the middle of the lane, an important corridor for both teams. One on each side.
(2) Entry gap leading into the team base, one on each side. Important defensively as it is more challenging to deal with opponents who've entered the base and have the space to spread out.
Bottlenecking is effective because of how it traps enemy heroes. They do not have much space to move and are forced to bunch up, moving either up or down along the bottleneck which is exactly the direction of Skye's attacks. This greatly facilities your bombardments and makes it easy to rack up the kills. The above GIF demonstrates how you can use bottlenecking to wipe the enemy team. Use SS to set it up then follow through with a DFA and FB (notice how Krul buys an Aegis literally just after he drops). This works in any type of tight / narrow space.
(M) Turning the Tables
This is somewhat similar to the “Unloading the Kit” combo. I find myself using this technique fairly frequently so I thought I'd include it in this list. Instead of using Death From Above to cut-off an enemy on the run, you will use it to prevent them from approaching and you will drop it just after using Suri Strike, not before.
Let’s say you are low on health and an enemy hero at full health is chasing you into an unfavorable position. Target Lock then unload Forward Barrage strafing backwards (always better if you have Frostburn). Right after, do a big Suri Strike on the complete opposite side of your target and drop Death From Above right in front of you (in between you and your target). Your target will most likely turn around and if it is well placed, you will catch them in the bombardment at which point you can drop another Forward Barrage to finish the job.
(N) Exploiting the Map Design
This is for throwing opponents off your trail. The map has plenty of walls/rocks/partitions which essentially divide up the various pathways you take to travel around the Fold. If you have a pursuer who is closing in on you, look to use the map design to your advantage. Suri Strike into hard to reach places or spots that force enemies to give up the chase. Every step counts, you can easily use Skye's mobility to leave pursuers stranded behind obstacles or to completely alter your path and throw them off. Simply lure them nearby and use the range on Suri Strike to make the jump. Depending on the distance you need to dash, you might need to really be hugging the wall/rock/partition.
Before we can dive into item explanations and break down the stats, we need to go over the basics in addition to defining some terms and formulas. This is important to know if you hope to understand what is really going on with your damage output, and will also help inform your decisions regarding item build order (section mainly for newcomers / beginners).
Firstly, keep in mind that any damage you deal with your abilities is crystal based (affected by blue items), whether it is the ability base damage or the added damage from crystal ratios. It's all lumped together under crystal damage (blue numbers). More shield equates to more crystal damage reduction. Armor is used to reduce the damage dealt by basic attacks, which will be the red numbers (affected by red items).
In a nutshell, CP boosts ability damage whereas WP increases your weapon damage, making your basic attacks hit harder. With a pure crystal build, only a small fraction of the total damage that you deal over the course of the match will be from your basic attacks, as all your offensive items are crystal items. As such, your weapon damage will be virtually non-non-existent and will be sitting at your base value. Your basic attacks will only be used for farming the lane (last-hitting minions) and target-locking. Practically all of CP Skye's damage potential is locked up in her abilities.
Weapon builds will generally give more sustained damage as basic attacking only requires that you target en enemy and be in range (not to mention that basic attacks have shorter cooldowns). It's labelled "sustain" because this form of damage is more reliable and consistent (you can't miss). Good examples are WP SAW and late game Ringo.
On the other hand, crystal builds tend to be more bursty because they revolve around ability use which involves longer cooldowns and is more dependent on player skill (depending on the hero). Especially when it comes to abilities with high crystal ratios, the burst potential is large.
It goes without saying that this build has low sustained damage and is thus not beginner friendly. With Skye in particular, her abilities deal damage over time (damage/second). It takes practice to get used to the skillshots.
So why play CP Skye at all? Well, because she kicks butt once you know how to use her.
To summarize, if you're not landing hits with your abilities, you won't be doing much and might find yourself floundering. It is crucial that one learns how to effectively use Skye's kit in order to capitalize on the lethality of a crystal build. A good Skye player will be able to dominate the Halcyon Fold with relative ease. In other words, one must learn the art of the skillshot! This comes with learning all there is to know about her kit + lots of practice.
CR = Crystal Ratio. This is the percentage of CP that gets added to your Base Damage.
BD = Base Damage. This is the base value that your ability will hit for regardless of how much CP you have. Increases with each ability rank.
AP = Ability Power. This is the total crystal damage dealt to the enemy target by your ability before armor/shield reduction.
AD = Ability Damage. This is the actual damage dealt to the enemy target by your ability after armor/shield reduction.
Formulas
CP Damage = CP x CR
AP = BD + CP Damage
AD = AP / (1 + Shield/100)
For example, let's say you are fighting a jungle creep with 80 shield and you have a Shatterglass. With Forward Barrage at max rank, the actual damage you deal with this ability will be...
CP Damage = CP x CR = 150 x 1.20 (120%) = 180
AP = BD + CP Damage = 320 + 180 = 500
AD = AP / (1 + Shield/100) = 500 / (1 + 80/100) = 277.78
Note that the ranks for Forward Barrage indicate a damage/second value, so taking into consideration the full 3 seconds that this ability lasts, you will deal a total of 1059 crystal damage to the creep provided that every bullet lands. To keep the example simple, I left out added damage from the Target Lock bonus, so this is your crystal damage without Target Lock. When comparing the benefits of crystal items, this bonus will play a role as it has a CR, will cover later.
For all you enthusiasts looking for the numbers behind items and stats, check out this awesome VGF page. Also breaks down basic gameplay mechanics.
Helps intercept fleeing enemies and encumber approaching enemies
Slow multiple targets for an edge in team fights
CONS
Sacrifice 50 CP if building over Shatterglass, less crystal damage
Item Mechanics
Provided that it is your first purchase, you get a 20% slow right off the bat (10% base + 10% from the item's CP). All you need is another 150 CP (equivalent of 1 Shatterglass) and you are at the 35% max slow.
Commentary Frostburn comes particularly in handy if you're up against quick or slippery heroes who may have gap closing abilities, but can technically be exchanged for a Shatterglass if you find kiting isn't an issue and you are comfortable with the accuracy of your skillshots. You are essentially sacrificing that extra 50 CP (which is technically a significant chunk of damage with Forward Barrage) for the slow effect. However, keep in mind that the slow effect is not just useful for skillshots.
There's this idea (or should I say misconception) that Frostburn is only useful in helping with your skillshots, kind of like training wheels on a bicycle. I'd say this is simply untrue. Yes, it does help in landing your skillshots (which is a good thing), but it also has defensive utility and can help catch a fleeing opponent who is about to get out of range. It will also make kiting a whole lot easier.
The slow will help ensure that targets are staying in your Forward Barrage. As long as you land that initial hit, your target is going to suffer the slow which in turn allows you to "catch up" and close in regardless of your angle. It's also a great way to impede fleeing enemies and give you some leeway for dropping an Ultimate, which you can do mid-barrage. It will also help you defensively in keeping approaching enemies at bay.
If you coordinate with the 2 second cooldown and alternate between your A + B + C abilities you can consistently dish out crystal damage and keep the slow effect on enemies.
Thankfully, both these items have the exact same tree, so this gives you time to decide what you want to purchase first. See who you are up against, may not be as critical for low mobility opponents.
Update - I rarely build Frostburn nowadays, I have grown to prefer the extra damage that a Shatterglass provides.
Broken Myth or Shatterglass? Shatterglass or Broken Myth? When and why should I take one over the other? How does Broken Myth work? In what kinds of situations does it work best?
The goal of this section is to answer these questions and break down the whole Broken Myth versus Shatterglass dilemma. Be aware that this section will include math proofs, so just skip those parts if you are not a fan of number crunching.
Item Mechanics
The main difference between these two items is that Broken Myth amplifies ALL your crystal damage (including base damage + other effects), whereas Shatterglass scales with your ability's crystal ratio exclusively.
Shatterglass provides a raw CP value of 150, whereas Broken Myth provides only 70 CP but with 10% shield pierce and a passive effect which amplifies all crytsal damage you deal by up to 36% ( 9 stacks @ 4% per stack). Note that the crystal damage needs to be dealt to enemy heroes for the effect to accumulate. You get 1 stack per second as long as you remain in combat (either dealing damage or receiving damage in any form). After 5 seconds of being out of combat, you lose 1 stack a second.
Damage-wise, Shatterglass gives you consistent damage up front, whereas Broken Myth has a ramp up time (requiring that you build stacks) and possesses the potential for higher damage at max stacks depending on the type of ability you are using.
Excellent synergy with her abilities and play style. In general, Skye's abilities have good base damage. Specifically, her Forward Barrage has a 210% CR, which means damage amplification for this ability will be crazy good late game when you have a lot of CP. It's also very easy to build stacks with Skye, making it a no-brainer.
How do Shatterglass and Broken Myth relate to eachother performance-wise? Let's look at 4 different scenarios.
ABILITY WITH NO CRYSTAL RATIO
If an ability has no CR, it will receive no added damage from crystal power. However, the base damage will get the 36% boost from Broken Myth at max stacks. This is when Broken Myth beats the **** out of Shatterglass.
ABILITY WITH HIGH BASE DAMAGE VS LOW CRYSTAL RATIO
36% of a higher number will give you a higher number. 36% of 100 yields an additional 36, whereas 36% of 1000 will yield an additional 360. Crystal ratios can only give you a fixed rate of CP as added crystal damage, whereas the BM amplification effect has the ability to boost your base damage directly in addition to the CR damage. The higher the number, the better the amplification. With a low CR, raw CP will not be able to contribute to your damage output as much as the BM amplification will.
ABILITY WITH MODERATE BASE DAMAGE VS HIGHER CRYSTAL RATIO Broken Myth will still outperform Shatterglass in the long-run, but the difference in effectiveness will be less early on when Broken Myth doesn't have much CP to amplify (which is why you never build first) and because of how raw CP will be able to contribute to your damage output more substantially. Damage difference will not be as drastic in these scenarios.
ABILITY WITH LOW BASE DAMAGE VS HIGHER CRYSTAL RATIO
Abilities with low base damage and higher CRs will scale better with Shatterglass. Ironically, Wait for It is one of the abilities that benefits most from Broken Myth, but the resonance bounces from Vox's heroic perk Julia's Song sits on the opposite end of the spectrum due to the very low base damage. With a 90% CR, Shatterglass will always outperform Broken Myth in this case, even at max stacks. This doesn't mean that Broken Myth is a bad choice for Vox, however. Damage is still being amplified and the shield pierce may be needed.
The effectiveness of Broken Myth over Shatterglass will vary depending on the relationship between an ability's base damage and crystal ratio, however in a lot of cases Broken Myth will tend to provide more damage at max stacks.
Since these two items are fundamentally different in their nature, the only way to really measure their effectiveness against each other is to simply break out a calculator and crunch the numbers.
Let's say Samuel is laning against you and has an Aegis built. His base shield value at level cap is 86. This brings his total shield value to 211. You are at max rank with Forward Barrage and have Target Lock on him. Let's assume that you have not built any crystal power previously, so this acts as your "first" purchase.
Adding amplification from full BM stacks:
AP = 1.36(520.7) = 708
(Note that the Ability Damage formula including shield pierce is a bit more complicated.)
AD = 70.8 + (0.9)(708/3.11) = 276 dmg/sec
The raw ability power with Shatterglass is actually slightly higher (713.5 vs 708). However, due to the shield pierce, Broken Myth comes out on top by a margin of 20.5% at max stacks. In this scenario, Forward Barrage will deal roughy the same damage with 1 Shatterglass or 4x stacks of Broken Myth (16% amplification). This means that when you are running at 5-9 stacks, you are outperforming Shatterglass. This is a really nice margin making Broken Myth a no brainer in this situation.
What if Samuel had no Aegis and only his base value? Would Broken Myth be as effective? At max stacks, it would only be a measly 8% more effective and you'd need 7 stacks to break even with Shatterglass. You'd be slightly outperforming Shatterglass when running at 8-9 stacks. Shatterglass is the better option in this case. You'd essentially be working a lot harder for a much smaller benefit.
Bear in mind that even if enemies are not building shield, Broken Myth is still an excellent choice provided that you have accumulated a generous amount of CP. It's not all about the shield pierce.
How to read tables:
The below tables hold values indicating the % difference in damage for each of Skye's abilities that a Broken Myth will provide versus a Shatterglass at max stacks in various conditions. One table for each shield item possessed by the target with three different scenarios; as a first purchase, when you've already built a Frostburn, and when you've already built a Frostburn + Shatterglass. The number in brackets indicates the number of stacks needed to break even with Shatterglass.
You may ask, "Quantum, what does it all mean?". Well, let's analyze the results.
[][][] ANALYSIS [][][]
In a nutshell, the more shield your target possesses + the more CP you've built, the less stacks of BM you'll need to break even. For the "first purchase" scenario, you need 6 stacks to break even with Forward Barrage when the target only has Light Shield (which is a lot). However, with an Aegis and Fountain of Renewal, you only need 2 stacks as a big chunk of damage from raw CP is absorbed by all that shield. In this kind of situation, shield pierce is invaluable.
Note that this is a hypothetical situation, you won't ever be up against an enemy hero with Aegis + Fountain of Renewal without having built any CP. It's the principle that matters.
As you can see, the % difference shoots up as the shield amount increases, this is due to the shield pierce. Also, the % differences are much higher when you have a Frostburn + Shatterglass built, this is because of the amplification effect (bigger CP bonus). These two aspects work together to provide the superior performance a Broken Myth will bring to the table as opposed to just building raw CP.
Because of the high CR, Shatterglass is more competetive. As you can see, the % difference starts off lower and will jump up more drastically as you build more CP. This is because early on, Broken Myth won't have much CP to amplify, whereas a Shatterglass is giving you 210% of your CP as damage. Shatterglass does better here compared to Skye's other abilities (% difference not as high)
With a lower CR, Broken Myth will give you a good % difference up front and moderate increase as you build more CP
With an even lower CR, you'll have the biggest % difference up front but the smallest increases as you build more CP
Well then, since Broken Myth is so great, why not build 2!?
No matter what, you can never build more than 1 stack per second. And since 70 CP isn't a whole lot, the only real benefit would be the extra 10% shield pierce. The extra shield pierce might be necessary in particular situations when opponents are amassing a lot of shield (which is very, very rare). If this is the case, keep an extra Piercing Shard on you but only max out later when your most important T3 items have been built.
TL;DR Broken Myth is the most important offensive item in your build, you should always be packing one. Never build a second Shatterglass if you haven't built Broken Myth yet.
More enemy shield = more efective Broken Myth will be over raw CP because of shield pierce. The more you build CP, the better Broken Myth will perform as there is an increasing amount of crystal damage being amplified. At a certain CP threshold, building Broken Myth is always better then simply building more CP.
Adds considerably lower CP to build, not as much raw crystal damage
Life-steal useless if at max health
Item Mechanics
In addition to the boost to your energy pool and energy recharge, you also get 55 CP and a 10% crystal life-steal. This means that you are getting 10% of all crystal damage you deal back as health (passive effect), whether you're damaging heroes or non-heroes. To put a number to it, for every 100 crystal damage you deal, you are receiving 10 HP. It may seem like a small amount but as you deal more and more crystal damage, it'll add up.
Lastly, there's the active effect which refreshes every 40 seconds, giving you 25% of a set amount of crystal damage back as health. This damage needs to be dealt to enemy heroes for the effect to accumulate. You can see how much crystal damage you have left on the effect, the number shows up on the top left of the screen. At level cap, the crystal damage amount is 1200. So for every 100 crystal damage, you are getting back 25 HP up until you deal 1200 points of crystal damage, at which point the 40 second cooldown timer commences (rinse and repeat). Since there is also the passive effect, you are technically getting back 35%. So after you deal the 1200 points of crystal damage, you will have regained 420 HP (roughly 26% of Skye's total health)...provided that you are missing the health.
Which brings us to the one caveat of Eve of Harvest, in that the crystal life-steal is worthless if you are at or near max health. This may be the situation if you are just opening up in a fight and have yet to take damage, in which case the active effect will go right into the 40 sec cooldown without you having benefited from the life-steal. However, it'll come in handy a few battles down the road if you find yourself low on health. You might find the life-steal making all the difference when you are in a pinch.
Another benefit to building Eve of Harvest is that it frees you up to build Journey Boots instead of having to go with Halcyon Chargers for your energy sustain, providing better mobility.
Commentary
Practically speaking, the one reliable perk with Eve of Harvest is the passive effect. You can't control when you benefit from the active effect and since it has a 40 second cooldown, it's not exactly reliable. I'd say that the only way you can really benefit from the 10% crystal life-steal is when you are going with a 4 crystal item build with one defensive item. The amount of health you recuperate is directly proportional to the amount of crystal damage you dish out. 10% is not exactly a high number, so this works best when you got a lot of CP to work with. If you are up against tough assassins / gankers, have no front-line, are stuck with a sub-par team or if the enemy team is playing really aggressive, Eve of Harvest might not help as much. You'd be better off with more damage / hard defense. At least from my perspective, I'd say it's meant to provide sustain and extra damage for more offense-oriented builds with light defense.
Eve of Harvest is an important item in competitive matches when team-mates are more reliable, coordination is more tight and battles are more long and drawn out (provided you are fine with light defense).
In Solo Q...not so much. Battles have the tendency to be more sporadic and random, often times not lasting very long. Coupled with the fact that there are a myriad of things that can go wrong which you don't have control over (imbalanced team, no frontline, poor support, weak allies, non-existent coordination, etc.) on top of the every-man-for-himself mentality that can dominate these kinds of matches, I simply opt to bulk up offensively and build hard defense as needed. Not saying it's always like this, it's just impossible to gauge the skill level, play style, and build direction of your team-mates if they're randoms. You find out as you go along. I find that having the extra offense is the best way to cover for this. Eve of Harvest provides a small but steady flow of health recuperation. It's meant to help sustain, but won't save your life and definitely won't protect you like a defensive item will.
In my opinion, take Eve of Harvest as your third or fourth crystal item if you have a good team, decent front-linter and you find that one defensive item is enough. If it isn't enough, take an extra defensive item and build more offensively.
If the battles are getting long and you need the sustain then you might consider putting this in your build regardless (decent with at least a Shatterglass).
Update - After a lot of solo ranked play with Skye, I have integrated Eve of Harvest into my core item build. Once you become fully comfortable and proficient with her play-style and tactics, having a Shatterglass + Broken Myth should be sufficient for your damage output in most cases. Eve of Harvest is a nice crystal item to build your battery into regardless of whether you are going with a three or four crystal item build. Adapt your build to the match, there will be times when you might need more damage (or if snowballing).
Even though I rarely ever build Aftershock, it can prove to be very useful in certain situations. I'd consider picking this up if a high threat enemy is stacking health (such as a problematic Flicker) or if the enemy team has 2+ heroes building a considerable amount of health.
Let's put some numbers to it (because I like numbers).
Say you're up against Phinn and he has a Fountain of Renewal and Crucible. At level cap, his total health will be 2,383. 15% of this value is 357. So, after using an ability, your next basic attack (which typically hits for peanuts) will get an additional 357 crystal damage added in (which is pretty massive), and on top of that you get +178 HP (11.4% of Skye's total health). This effect has a cool down of only 1.5 seconds, and since Skye's kit does include ability cooldown reduction (CDR), it's easy to benefit from the Aftershock effect often provided you are coordinating with the effect cooldown and not popping your abilities too soon.
This item is mainly for CP damage sustain builds that hinge on basic attacks (CP Ringo or CP Vox for example). CP Skye relies mostly on her abilities for damage, though you can technically pick this up to add more sustained damage to your build.
Clockwork
Not as necessary for Skye, resources are better spent elsewhere in my opinion. Her ability cooldowns are very manageable, and on top of that Suri Strike fully resets the cooldown of Forward Barrage at max rank. Simply use your high mobility to dance around until your abilities come off CD, which shouldn't be too long. There are better ways to improve your energy sustain (provided you even need better sustain). The passive effect is nice (30% CP amplification), but then again a second Shatterglass is always better.
Echo
Double bombardments might sound flashy, but there are way more critical items you could be picking up instead. Just not practical. Plus, Death From Above serves as more of a tactical ability, you shouldn't be counting on it for damage. You usually won't need to drop more than one at a time.
Reflex Block Reflex Block is your main item for hard countering enemy crowd control abilities (any ability that slows, stuns, or causes you to lose control of your hero). It can also be a lifesaver in helping block lethal Ultimates or any big incoming damage. The damage you would otherwise receive will get partially absorbed by the health barrier.
Aegis Aegis is your first line of defense against CP builds. If crystal damage is the predominant damage type you're receiving, this is your first defensive build. Top priority if you are up against a dangerous CP jungler. Reflex Block is critical if up against heavy CC, this is one of the two Tier 3 paths you can take to finish off. If you are up against a pure CP team and you are taking too much ability damage,
consider doubling up. If enemy is using shield pierce, try and counter by building health.
Metal Jacket Metal Jacket is your first line of defense if the predominant damage type you are receiving is weapon based. First defensive build if you see enemies packing red items, especially if the enemy laner is going WP and giving you a hard time. If you are up against a pure WP team and you are taking too much weapon damage,
consider doubling up. If enemy is using armor pierce, try countering by building health.
Atlas Pauldron Atlas Pauldron is more of a situational item used for enemy heroes who are stacking attack speed, which can prove lethal (*cough* Krul*cough*). Coordinate popping this item mid-Suri Strike as you pass by the target for an easy go, as long as you are within 4 meters (which is fairly close).
Fountain of Renewal Fountain of Renewal is a great combination with Aegis if up against heavy crystal types and you need beefier defense. Plus, the active heal effect is amazing and can make or break a fight for your team.
Crucible Crucible is usually a good combination with Metal Jacket if up against heavy WP types, but is generally useful if you find you are losing health too quickly. This is the other Tier 3 item you can finish off with if you are building Reflex Block to hard counter CC. Keep in mind that your teammates benefit from the reflex block as well, so time it right if it's your team mate who is in trouble and not you, they'll thank you for it.
Journey Boots
Best item in the game for boosting your mobility in the Fold. Highest base movement speed increase among the various boot items you can choose from and a 2 second sprint that you can use potentially every 12 seconds, not to mention a nice health boost. All you need to do is deal any form of damage to an enemy hero and the CD resets to 12 seconds instantaneously.
Halcyon Chargers
If you are not building any crystal items for energy sustain, go with Halcyon Chargers. You will get improved mobility, health, energy sustain, and a 3 second sprint every 50 seconds.
War Treads
Very situational, but very useful when needed (best if you have Eve of Harvest for energy sustain). For those tough matches when you find your health dropping too quickly too often, War Treads can really help beef up your defense with the nice health buff. Plus, team wide sprint!
Contraption
Emergency item if no one on your team is taking care of map vision and you are up against a deadly jungler such as a pro Taka. Being able to drop a flare whenever you want can prove to be indispensable in this kind of scenario. Flares are the bane of Taka. With the ability to reveal enemies lurking in brush, you will be able to avert any and all ambushes. Depending on how desperate you are, you might consider putting this into your build though it's extremely rare that you will probably ever need to (pick up towards the end if anything to help with late game).
Crystal Infusion
An absolute must if your build is maxed out and you have the extra gold, keep Crystal Infusion up at all times in this scenario. Also, it can provide a critical edge at certain points in the match when spending that 500 gold will prove worth it, particular during Kraken pushes or if you are fighting an enemy Kraken. Even if your build isn't maxed out, if most of the enemy turrets are down and your team is attempting a final push, this is a quick pick me up that will help finish the job if you don't have enough gold for Tier 3 items.
Scout Trap
Packing a Scout Trap or two can be critical early-mid game to prevent ambushes while lane farming. Good idea to use if you got dangerous opponents lurking in the brush who can either gank you fast Krul Koshka, knock you out of position Glaive or root / stun you when you are in a bad spot Lance Catherine. Hopefully, you will be teamed with a good support / roamer who understands the critical need for map vision and will be taking care of this, especially during late game.
Halcyon Potion
Spoiler: Click to view
Open slot? Health pot! Open slot? Health pot! (Now chant it like an anthem). Even Boromir gets the idea. It's not uncommon to see teammates who never bother. It is simply not worth being stingy here, Halcyon Potion gives you amazing health and energy recuperation on demand. Use them often.
Always remember folks, health is wealth. You're wasting a considerable amount of time porting back to base in order to heal up when you can be spending that time farming and raking in the gold. If you have an open slot, always make sure to carry at least 2x Halcyon Potion. You can always sell them at the same price that you buy them, so it's a win-win situation.
This is the big question and it ultimately boils down to play-style and preference. I personally enjoy both but have a tendency to jungle when in solo Q (easier to farm and carry team). On the flip side, I'm the main carry for my team so it's the lane for me when it comes to team play. You definitely will not be playing the same way if you are in the jungle versus being in the lane.
A good Skye player should be flexible, being able to excel both in the lane and jungle.
Skye is a carry which means she was designed with lane play in mind. The lane is where her full skill-set is put to maximum use, in particular her mobility / strafing. Any opponent will have a frustrating time trying to land ability damage on you if you are good at keeping Skye on the move.
You will be last hitting just fine early game with a Weapon Blade which you will use up until you build up enough CP, at which point you will be burning down minions fairly quickly. You don't need to be close to your enemies for a poke, due to the long range on Forward Barrage. If starting in the jungle, just pick up 2x Crystal Bit.
If the enemy laner is constantly hiding behind minions you can either create an opening yourself or simply wait until there aren't minions blocking (at game start or in between waves). You aren't completely helpless in this case, you can simply alter your angle of attack to force them into uncomfortable positions until you clear out the minions (which won't be long).
The jungle is far lass nuanced and busy. In general, you will go about your rotations (clear after clear) while visiting the lane in between. It is more straightforward and you can do quick clear rotations because of your high damage output with Forward Barrage. In my opinion, it's less interesting but there's more potential for snowballing here because of the rate you accumulate gold + XP.
In the end, go with what you like and what works best for you.
Be mindful of your team comp during hero selection, there are times when I will refrain from picking Skye if I notice that the match-up isn't favorable. If you are drafting, don't pick Skye for jungling if your team defense is too low or if you are drafting against enemies with strong counter picks for squishies. Remember that Skye is a carry and as such has inherent squishiness, sometimes it's wiser to keep her in the lane and let the junglers jungle (depending on the situation) in order to better balance your team.
Note that the below is not set in stone, just serves as an example and reference point for a CP build. Swap in / out items as necessary. Item builds can and will vary from match to match. Be ready to adapt.
Early Game From early to mid game, it's really about maximizing your farm while trying to impede your opponents' farm. Hope that your tream-mates are doing their jobs correctly and just focus on accumulating gold, getting your build maxed out and carrying your team to victory. If you are jungling, your main role is to zero in on the enemy carry.
Skye is somewhat formidable early game but peaks mid-late game. She can prove to be a late game monster if well fed gold-wise.
You really want to focus on farming during this phase, you do not want to get out-farmed! Poke every now and then to keep up pressure, especially if the enemy laner is trying to push into your side of the lane. Avoid playing too deep if you don't have brush vision, generally keep to your side of the lane. Claim top portion of the lane so you have a quick and easy escape back to your turret if things get risky, will also give you more leeway if the enemy team tries to ambush you from the jungle. If there are 2 or 3 enemy heroes pushing and they're pressing into your part of the lane, be sure to signal allies for back-up.
Be careful not to fall behind. This can happen if you are spending too much time sparring with enemy heroes or if you are getting ganked too often. If opponents are aggressive and are blocking your farm, signal for back-up while trying to work your way around it (switch position / angle). If you are up against a proficient jungler, you may need to play more conservative early game, especially if you find yourself alone in the lane.
You can sell the Weapon Blade by the time you pick you your first Heavy Prism and Eclipse Prism (when you need the space), at which point you should also pick up an Energy Battery so you'll be able to spam your abilities more often and do quick minion clears. Make sure to match the opposing laner's pace, you generally don't want to clear/push too quickly if it's early on or if you are alone in the lane.
You'd want to make sure you at least have Sprint Boots and Frostburn (or Shatterglass) at around 6 minutes in. Preferably a 1st Tier defense item as well (if you need to hard counter CC take Oakheart so you can build into Reflex Block). If your opponents are building armor / shield pierce, it's recommended to build some health to counter.
If you'd prefer, you can pick up Shatterglass first and Frostburn later on so you can have more damage available early game and the slow later on in the match when winning fights becomes more critical.
Use Scout Trap for vision if no one else is placing them. Optimal to have one for each of the two brush connecting the jungle to the lane (one on either side). Try and place it right on the line between brush / lane near the corners (out of the way). If you want to be more free to move back and forth and play more deep, this is a must. Without vision, you never know what can emerge out of the brush.
For sustain, make sure to always carry at least 2x Halcyon Potion if you have an open slot.
Early-Mid Game If required, rush Reflex Block to counter CC otherwise you'd want to pick-up Travel Boots next. Paired with Frostburn you will have strong kiting power at your disposal to use both offensively and defensively (provided you go this route, otherwise pick-up Shatterglass). You also want to pick up Piercing Shard or Heavy Prism (prioritizing shield pierce if required) to build into Broken Myth. This should be around 10-12 minutes in.
You can start playing a bit more aggressive, go for bigger pokes. Team-fights should start breaking out. You can slowly start to make some plays but nothing too risky. Turrets begin to be more of an active objective at this point in the match, try and push for them with your team (at least 1 if you have the opportunity).
As the lane opens up (with turrets going down), farming on the lane becomes more dangerous. Don't get caught alone too far down. Make sure you have vision if you do venture down, but proceed with caution. Take off the moment you see sign of any enemy hero getting in your vicinity. Avoid if you do not have vision or any back-up with you. If you really want to play it safe, spend some time with team-mates in the jungle until you got minions moving closer to your side of the lane (you can see them on the mini-map). Kraken Spawn (15 mins) At this point you should have your first two core items, your Travel Boots and a bit of defense.
Team fights should be breaking out more consistently. Provided you got the back-up, you can start making bigger plays while building up your Broken Myth stacks to dish out the damage. This is when you really come online. You should be level 8 and have your Forward Barrage maxed out. Opponents are still working on their builds, giving you the opportunity to hit them hard. Be careful of enemy heroes who will be coming online with you, don't be reckless.
Next up, you'd want to build towards your first 3rd Tier defense item (build sooner if required). Mid-Late Game Approximately 15-20 minutes in. Players are beginning to round out their builds and with Kraken spawn, the complexion of the match will begin to shift towards more offensive plays and jungle objectives.
After T3 defense, pick up a Heavy Prism. Next, I usually build for energy sustain so I can open up the slot that the battery is occupying. If going with a 3 crystal item build (more hard defense) get Halcyon Chargers, if going with a 4 crystal item build get Eve of Harvest.
If you need more defense, pick-up a T2 defensive item. At this point, I typically start building into a Shatterglass, I try to pick up that last Heavy Prism as soon as possible.
Late Game 20+ minutes
Players are maxing out their builds. Finish off your boots / defense items if you still haven't. Make sure to keep Crystal Infusion up at all times if you have the gold.
This phase of the match is all about team-coordination and smart play making. You generally want to push for Kraken if you at least have 1-2 enemy turrets down (or if you can steal from enemy team), otherwise you'd want to exploit any Aces by targeting turrets.
This is when you need to ramp up your gameplay. Stick with your team at all times, build those Broken Myth stacks safely, stay mobile and bombard the enemy team on all sides.
It's important to understand how you should approach a team fight. Early on, your focus should be simply to keep up pressure on the enemy team. No suicide dives, no over-exerting yourself for kills. Once you hit level 8 and you got Broken Myth under your belt, the focus begins to shift towards sustaining through fights while building damage with the end goal of dropping enemy heroes.
>>> How to Build Stacks with Broken Myth <<<
It's all about the stax.
Resist the urge to go all-in from the get-go (unless targets are at low health). Keep a safe distance away, it can be over quick if you're not careful. Hit them with Forward Barrage at max range and kite, using Suri Strike to safely reposition yourself if need be. Avoid getting too close prematurely. If you're up against a lone enemy hero, you are more flexible in terms of kiting. Switch directions completely to throw off his / her momentum and kite until you have a few stacks up.
If it's a team fight, look for the prime target that you'll have the easiest time building your first few stacks on, like a tank. Always start off more conservative and barrage from the edges, zone in bit by bit as you build stacks and apply more and more pressure. If an opportunity presents itself at this point, make a play if you're confident you can get the kill. If you got a shot at the enemy carry, go for it unless there's a high threat jungler running amok (drop asap). Generally leave the beefier tanks / roams for last (high health), these are the best for keeping your stacks up.
>>> Resetting the Decay Timer <<< This is an important aspect to always be aware of when you are duking it out.
You want to control / minimize the damage you receive (obviously), so the safest and most reliable way to build stacks is to dish out damage (in any form). The moment you stop dealing / receiving damage, a 5 second timer starts. When this timer is up, you start losing a stack per second. You don't want this.
The goal is to build stacks as quickly as possible, so you want to stay in combat as long as possible. Before any fight breaks out, there is usually a window when teams will trade blows prior to engaging. You usually don't want to use Suri Strike on an enemy hero at this point because it will put it on CD too early and put you in range prematurely.
If your Forward Barrage is on CD and you don't want to Suri Strike just yet, use your basic attack to "reset" the decay timer a few seconds after your last barrage. Look for a low threat opponent who is closest to you and land a hit at max range, using the speed boost to strafe / kite-out and stay at the edge. If you time it right, you can land a basic-attack just as Forward Barrage is coming off CD, which you will pop right away to cover as you kite out. This ensures that you don't lose any stacks and allows you to keep Suri Strike available (which is key). If anything, use it afterwards if you really need to (to get out). Using it to "dive in" always comes with a risk factor because you are committing yourself to the position for the duration of the cooldown.
Note that since there is no visual cue for the decay timer, you need to keep track on the length of time that has elapsed since you last dealt damage. The number of stacks you currently have is displayed on the top left corner of the screen.
In terms of managing your cooldowns effectively, it's always ideal to Suri Strike right after a barrage if you can since Forward Barrage has a 5 second cooldown overdrived and you'll instantly reset it. Suri Strike has a 6 second cooldown overdrived which means you can build stacks indefinitely if you are constantly popping both when available since the barrage lasts 3 seconds.
Staying engaged and constantly dealing damage = fastest route to maximum stacks
You can technically build stacks just by dropping barrages since overdriving it shaves that crucial 1 second off the CD (6 --> 5), provided you are not wasting any time in between barrages with every bullet landing. You will just be building the stacks much slower (as slow as you can without losing stacks).
You'll have no choice but to throw in a basic-attack at some point anyways since you will need to keep Target Lock up. It's always best to basic-attack right after a Suri Strike so you can refresh Target Lock and use the speed boost to strafe away before unloading another barrage.
>>> Capitalizing on Death From Above <<<
Use Death From Above to help zone / control enemy movements. The cooldown isn't short, so make the most of it. If you are about to get into a big team-fight, drop it shortly after the fight starts (after a few stacks are up) when it's most chaotic. Enemy heroes will already be in full attack mode so it's the optimal time to drop it as they will be occupied / distracted and might not even see it coming. Reason being that this is the moment when the screen is most cluttered and busy, it will force them to either take the hit or reposition. It can provide a big edge if you hit multiple targets with it, stunning / damaging / slowing them. Opponents will generally be disinclined to stay in the zone of bombardment and so they will momentarily switch to a defensive mindset while your team is capitalizing offensively.
In general, you'd want to wait for a team-mate to engage before fully unloading and making a play, otherwise keep your distance and build stacks. If you don't have anyone to open up, wait until you have a lot of stacks up and continue to kite / barrage around the edges of the fight. Only dive in when you have the opening and are going for the kill. It's more difficult to deal with these kinds of situations because enemy heroes are free to engage you and you might find yourself on respawn real quick if you're not careful. If the enemy team is really aggressive and has CC / gap closing you need to really keep your distance or even consider sticking close to a turret in the meantime.
As mentioned previously, good support and team coordination is critical for Skye. You need both the time and space to build up your damage which you cannot do if you get ganked or are close to getting ganked.
Don't Get Tunnel Vision!
Always stay aware of your surroundings and in particular the damage you are receiving. It can happen that you get way too focused on trying to drop a target that you lose track of what's going on around you. If a near dead opponent is getting out of range and runs behind his team-mates, don't go after him. Your first and foremost goal is to stay alive. Exercise restraint and use your judgement. No point in getting a kill if it puts you on respawn.
In general, Skye will be free to perform best with a good support (preferably tank) who can provide strong front-line presence and engage fights. Any hero who is able to facilitate Skye in ramping up and dishing out her damage will be a help (some more than others).
Support/Roam Synergies
Health Barrier + Mobility Enhancement|Gauntlet
As far as synergy goes, Ardan sits at the top. Vanguard gives you a health barrier + speed boost while slowing / damaging enemies. This allows for superior positioning and makes it much easier for you to land Forward Barrage. Gauntlet can trap / stun multiple enemies, making them easy targets for localized bombardment. A timely Vanguard can make all the difference between life and death. His heroic perk Julia's Gift gives him inherent sustainability, making him an excellent front liner. Everything you can possibly need from a team-mate
Versatile Front Liner & Facilitator|CC
Lance is another top prospect for great synergy. He is a master at damage blocking thanks to his superior health pool and the passive from Gythian Wall. A superb support with good CC, Lance will literally hand you enemy heroes on a silver platter. His Ultimate Combat Roll allows him to get into tight spots where he can sweep enemies in your direction with Gythian Wall and root them in place with Impale, making them sitting ducks for your Forward Barrage while also giving you the space to reposition if need be. A good Lance can sweep and root enemies where you need them (either closer or further away) and will break up the enemy team's front-line every chance he gets.
Massive Knock-Back
Roam Glaive is another hero that has strong synergy with Skye. With Afterburn, he can rocket into tight spots and knock an enemy hero in any direction depending on the situation (by a whopping 5.5 meters I might add); either closer to you if you are on the offense or away from you if you are on the defense. This greatly facilitates your ability to burn down specific targets and ensures opponents are staying where you want them. He also has a big health pool which makes him very tough to kill.
Damage Reflection|Silence & Stun|Initiator
Another formidable team-mate to have on the front line, Catherine can take a lot of punishment and put pressure on the enemy team thanks to her heroic perk Captain of the Guard and Stormguard. This gives you all the space in the world to hang back and build up your damage. The stun from Merciless Pursuit is really useful. You can see it coming from a mile away due to the wind up animation, making it easy to zone in at the right time. Her Ultimate Blast Tremor is useful in helping lock down enemies and can interrupt dangerous Ultimates that might be directed at you. Catherine's kit makes her highly effective at initiating fights and keeping the front-line under control (silence + dash & stun + damage reflect).
Beefy Front-Liner|Chain CC|Peel Power
Phinn is the ultimate meat-shield thanks to his heroic perk Unstoppable. Coupled with his low movement speed, his tendency will be to hang around the front line and body block, which is extremely useful for you. He can chain CC for days, thanks to the combination of Polite Company and Quibble which allows him to bring enemies close and slow them down. His Ultimate Forced Accord will yank on over whomever his anchor hits, which can be very helpful in peeling one or multiple enemy heroes off you. Coordinate with his CC to further entrap / stun / bombard the enemy team.
Heals|Buffer Zone
Lyra doesn't do much in terms of facilitating your combat prowess, but she is more than a decent provider in the defense department. She has a strong front-line presence early-game due to her heroic perk Principle Arcanum and her late-game heals from Imperial Sigil are powerful. The obvious drawback being that you need to be physically standing inside them in order to heal, which might prove awkward because of how much you move around and also depending on how good your team-mate is at placing them. Her Bright Bulwark provides a good momentary buffer zone. If timed right, it will interrupt enemies from gap closing and keep them at bay. It also snare opponents caught inside making it easier to shoot them up. Coordinate dropping your Ultimate in this situation.
Heals|Big Stun
A good hero but not too much in the synergy department. His Agent of Wrath is useless for you since you do not depend on basic attacks for damage. You can get heals from his Gift of Fire which can be helpful provided that he's casting it on you. The damage and stun from his Ultimate Verse of Judgement can be a game changer for your team, but it has a fairly long cast time. Use to your advantage if it does hit, be ready to drop Death From Above and unload on the enemy team.
Speed Boost|Attack of the Pack
Fortress and Skye are kind of an awkward fit. Because of your high mobility and need for repositioning, he'll have a hard time benefiting from his heroic perk Packmates from you. A good roam Fortress can at least provide item effects and a front-line presence. His Ultimate Attack of the Pack can help harass enemy heroes and give you an idea of their general direction depending on where the wolves are heading (they will reveal opponents hiding in brush). You can also benefit from the speed boost off Truth of the Tooth if you are in range. Nothing else about his kit is really useful for you.
Big Slow & Root|Surprise Attacks|Mooncloak
Flicker depends heavily on his stealth due to his heroic perk Willow Whisper, so you won't be seeing him for a majority of the time. His front-line presence is inconsistent for the most part, which is problematic. But he can wreak plenty havoc when he does show up, providing a big distraction. He'll provide an easy target when sneaking up on an unsuspecting opponent, slowing them down and rooting them in place with Fairy Dust and Binding Light. Mooncloak can provide an effective and timely escape when a team-fight goes south, provide that your team-mate knows when to use it (also great for ambushing the enemy team). Do your thing, but keep an eye on who Flicker is targeting, he will make them extremely vulnerable.
VaingloryFire is the place to find the perfect build guide to take your game to the next level. Learn how to play a new hero, or fine tune your favorite VG hero’s build and strategy.
Quick Comment (13) View Comments
You need to log in before commenting.