Toribash
I used to run orb on veno because lol, but it's only 12 damage and 4% slow, for chasing I think it's good, but for lanning I think you should just put the money towards aquila.

For roaming I usually go PS, VG, VG, PW, VG, PN, VG and after that depends what we do.
I think it's essential to have 1 point in to PW and PS by level 7, and maxing VG gives you the most damage potential. VG deals 50% more DoT than PS, and has 100 strike damage, not to mention a much more potent slow.

At level 4 PS deals 300 damage + 14% slow vs VG at 550 damage with 50% slow.

4 PS might be good, but once you are out of the lanning phase, VG is superior, and personally I think veno is scary enough in lane regardless of 1 PS or 4 PS. You can easily just drop VG and chase people down before they can get to their tower, so harass through fear is more effective.

And obviously you need ward for chasing, block, vision, taking down towers, etc.
<Faint> the rules have been stated quite clearly 3 times now from high staff
gale is better as a nuke and has more killing potential, no doubt.
but the passive makes for really effective harass, without costing any mana, combined with the extra poison from orb and wards, it makes for a much stronger harassing lane.
by the time you leave the laning phase, you should already have 2 points up in gale, even if you did go max passive.

but obviously, if the lane youre up against has big nukes and gives no fucks to DoTs, focus gale and get some kills instead.
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Pretty much what ben said. I also prefer to buy orb of venom if I am supporting the carry against aggressive laners. Hit by hit, you will own them with orb.
For 275 you could buy half of your wraith guard and have the same dps... The problem with orb is that it's not very cost effective, doesn't scale well, has very limited uses, and doesn't transition in to the mid game well. I don't think I've ever seen a veno farm up a skadi in a real game.
<Faint> the rules have been stated quite clearly 3 times now from high staff
275 gold, doesnt need to be cost effective, just sell it off for wards eventually.
but its not essential anyway, just makes it a bit more fun, if the gold is going well and the right click harass is working, getting the orb doesnt hurt.
i think aquilla is overated on veno, you main damage comes from spells and passives, youre not going to be doing much right clicking in a fightget the basi ring and go straight into boots.
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Originally Posted by ImmortalPig View Post
For 275 you could buy half of your wraith guard and have the same dps... The problem with orb is that it's not very cost effective, doesn't scale well, has very limited uses, and doesn't transition in to the mid game well. I don't think I've ever seen a veno farm up a skadi in a real game.

You are support, you won't have a full item inv anyway. And it's quite good, try it out. I'm even starting to use it on ranged solo offlaners if I get too much harassment on my lane. Even later on, that little slow % might work out better in a chase, etc.

I also wasn't talking about veno. I was referring to all support chars, as in I buy orb of venom on any supports if the enemy harasses too much. Try it out and see for yourself.
Originally Posted by Zalmoxis View Post
You are support, you won't have a full item inv anyway. And it's quite good, try it out. I'm even starting to use it on ranged solo offlaners if I get too much harassment on my lane. Even later on, that little slow % might work out better in a chase, etc.

I also wasn't talking about veno. I was referring to all support chars, as in I buy orb of venom on any supports if the enemy harasses too much. Try it out and see for yourself.

I have tried it out and I can't say that 12 damage for nearly 300 gold is a good deal for me...

I don't think 12 damage is enough to make a bad lane support become good, and I don't think it makes a difference to good lane supports. It just delays your items by 275 gold, and it's not like you have much gold :/ For a support that could mean delay your boots by 3 or 4 minutes...
<Faint> the rules have been stated quite clearly 3 times now from high staff
I only play OP supports and for me it made a difference between becoming the free farm duel or the no farm duel. Remember that the passive damage is pure damage as opposed to the normal hero dmg, reduced by the initial hero armor, etc. So 12 pure dmg plus that slow will really eat away the enemy's HP and tangos. It also made a difference in chasing low hp heroes with that slow. As for items, I either get gold from kills/assists on lane or just from pulling.

For supports, I also make a general play to buy that armor ring off the start and turn it into a basilius. I saw that it was quite helpful both to me and the supported carry.
Originally Posted by ImmortalPig View Post
I have tried it out and I can't say that 12 damage for nearly 300 gold is a good deal for me...

I don't think 12 damage is enough to make a bad lane support become good, and I don't think it makes a difference to good lane supports.

i wouldnt get it on anyone but veno, and wouldnt bother getting it after 5-7 minutes. I like his passive, and with it stacking with orb, it just makes basic right click harass that much more effective.
its like having an extra level of his passive. how is that not good?
and i wouldnt prioritize it over boots/basi/wards/courier upgrade, but it is effective.

as a chasing item in the early game for melee carries like naix its just ridiculous.

you're nitpicking, its usefull.

Originally Posted by ImmortalPig View Post
It just delays your items by 275 gold, and it's not like you have much gold :/ For a support that could mean delay your boots by 3 or 4 minutes...

Good point, but so does dying, which supports tend to do quite often.

i like to think of it as a chunk of reliable gold in my inventory. if you're waiting for wards to restock, and suddenly get ganged and lose 200+ gold, its nice to know you can just sell the orb off for +-150 gold if you need it.
Last edited by BenDover; Jan 3, 2014 at 07:08 PM.
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