Necrophos Overview

Lore & Bio

“Be still your beating heart.”

During the plague outbreak, a mysterious priest with a penchant for dark magic named Rotund'jere was promoted to the rank of Cardinal thanks to the sudden deaths of all the high priests. While the other members of the order set out to join hands to stop the plague, the newly ordained cardinal lurks inside Rumusque's Basilica, busy plotting a plan to plunder the fortunes of the nobles. dying here. He promised to give them rewards in the afterlife if they agreed to hand over the earthly inheritance to him. 

As the pandemic receded and was confined to a few places, his actions began to attract the attention of the high priests. They convicted him of heresy and sentenced him to hard labor in the plague-ridden region, and imbued him with spells to ensure that he would slowly languish in the disease. But the priests did not take into account his innate immunity. Rotund'jere contracted the disease, but instead of killing him, the plague nourished his powers, transforming him into a complete plague of magicians, a Plague Pope. Naming himself Necrophos, he traveled the world, spreading plagues wherever he went. With every village that was destroyed by plague, his terrible power multiplied.

Attribute & Stats

Level: 0 1 15 25 30

Health: 200 560 1200 1900 2160

Health regen: +0.25 +2.05 +5.27 +8.77 +10.12

Mana: 75 327 771 1239 1431

Mana regen: +0 +1.05 +2.94 +4.89 +5.67

Armor: 1 3 6.03 10.2 11.62

Damage Block: -        

Magic Resistance: 25%    

Status Resistance: 0%    

Damage: 26‒30 47‒51 84‒88 123‒127 139‒143

Attack Rate: 0.59/s 0.66/s 0.77/s 0.91/s 0.96/s

Attack Range: 500 (800)

Attack Speed: 100 (1.7s BAT)

Attack Animation: 0.3+0.47    

Projectile Speed: 1200    

Movement Speed: 280    

Turn Rate: 0.6    

Collision Size: 24    

Vision Range: 1800 • 800    

Legs: 2    

Gib Type: Ethereal    

Ability Upgrades:    

• Upgradable by Aghanim's Scepter - Ghost Shroud/Heartstopper Aura

• Upgradable by Aghanim's Shard - Death Seeker

Abilities & Talents

Skills building guide

At the first level, when you go to the lane, get 1 heartstopper aura (W) first to enjoy the light but highly effective job of poking the enemy's blood, as long as you stand in one place without hitting, the opponent has already. After losing all the blood, they will be very inhibited when tango with healing salve keeps going (not to mention you hit, creeps attack) then max Death pulse (Q) and Sadist (E) to get can stay in the lane, exchange moves aggressively, create favorable conditions to plug Reaper's Scythe (R) into the enemy's head, why it dies with that skill is an extra 30 seconds of extremely annoying counting. 

Heartstopper aura (W) is maxed out last because in the mid and late game this skill is fully effective because the enemy's health is already quite good, just a few seconds of combat and you can Can build a large amount of blood, not like going lane (in lane, the trigger time is very long, so just 1 skill level is enough). Ultimate will of course get the correct level.

Abilities

Death Pulse

Cost: 125/145/165/185 mana

Cooldown: 8/7/6/5 seconds.

Effect: sends a deadly wave to units around him, healing himself and allied units for 70/90/110/130 and dealing 125/175/225/275 damage onto the enemy.

Effective radius: 475

Heartstopper Aura

Effect: His death aura emits around causing enemy units to gradually lose 0.6%/0.9%/1.2%/1.5% of their maximum health over time.

Effective radius: 1200

Note: this ability penetrates even magic immunity.

Reaper's Scythe

Cost: 175/340/500 mana.

Cooldown: 100/85/70 seconds.

Casting Range: 600

Effect: Stabs a deadly scythe at the target enemy champion, stunning the target for 1.5 seconds, then the scythe swoops down dealing damage based on the target's missing health. Targets killed by this skill gain 30 seconds of counting.

Health lost as damage: 0.4/0.6/0.9 x missing health.

Note: Enemies that die within the duration of the scythe before slamming down (1.5 seconds) will still receive 30 seconds of counting.

Upgraded by Aghanim's Scepter:

Cost: 150/340/500 mana.

Health lost as damage: 0.6/0.9/1.2 x missing health.

Cooldown: 70 seconds.

Bonus Effect: Blocks the buy back of the person killed by this skill.

Ghost Shroud

Cast Animation: 0+0

Slow Radius: 750

Enemy Move Speed Slow: 12%/16%/20%/24% (Talent 36%/40%/44%/48%)

Self Restoration Amplification: 45%/55%/65%/75%

Self Magic Resistance Reduction: 40%

Aura Linger Duration: 0.5

Duration: 3/3.5/4/4.5

Effect: Necrophos enters the region that exists between the living and the dead. He can't attack or be attacked, therefore he emits an aura that slows down foes in his vicinity. In this form, he suffers more magical harm, but his healing abilities are enhanced.

Death Seeker

Cast Animation: 0.2+0.67

Cast Range: 900

Enemy Magic Resistance Reduction: 25%

Duration: 2.5

Effect: Sends forth a huge, fast-moving Death Pulse towards the designated adversary or ally, turning them ethereal for 2.5 seconds. Enemy magic resistance is reduced by 25%. After impact, it spreads to adjacent foes and friends.

Effective items guides

Early game

Magic Wand

Magic Wand: Necrophos can survive or have enough mana to utilize Death Pulse or Reaper's Scythe thanks to Magic Wand's burst life and mana, which Ghost Shroud may enhance.

Power Treads

Power Treads: Necrophos may use Power Treads to swap between intellect and strength for mana and health.

Phase Boots

Phase Boots: Phase Boots provide you more mobility, more damage for final hits, and more armor for survival.

Arcane Boots

Arcane Boots: Arcane Boots, when combined with Necrophos' inherent regen, let him maintain his mana, and they eventually turn into Guardian Greaves.

Null Talisman

Null Talisman: Null Talisman offers Necrophos a lane advantage by providing inexpensive characteristics and a little more damage output.

Mid game

Guardian Greaves

Guardian Greaves: Guardian Greaves provides Necrophos with a powerful burst heal and mana regeneration, especially when combined with Ghost Shroud, allowing him to support his team for longer.

Hood of Defiance

Hood of Defiance: During Ghost Shroud, Necrophos is protected by Hood of Defiance, which boosts magic resistance and absorbs magical damage.

Force Staff

Force Staff: Intelligence, health regeneration, and escape are all provided by the Force Staff. It may be used to save yourself and your teammates, or to force hostile heroes to join your team.

Radiance

Radiance: Heartstopper Aura and Radiance work beautifully together. It will assist maintain your lanes clean of enemy creeps and boost your presence during teamfights.

Aghanim's Shard

Aghanim's Shard: Death Seeker, a flexible ability that grants Necrophos more damage and healing while also allowing him to kill fleeing opponents, is unlocked by using Aghanim's Shard.

Late game

Aghanim's Scepter

Aghanim's Scepter: Heartstopper Aura's efficacy is doubled, Ghost Shroud's cooldown is reduced, and Aghanim's Scepter provides great attributes, life, and mana.

Shiva's Guard

Shiva's Guard: The aura of Shiva's Guard slows the enemy's attack, while its active ability gives foes a slowing debuff.

Scythe of Vyse

Scythe of Vyse: Scythe of Vyse provides beneficial qualities as well as mana restoration. Its disable makes killing a powerful carry or a bothersome support/initiator much simpler.

Situation items

Blink Dagger

Blink Dagger: For a Necrophos who wishes to initiate on adversaries or pursue down fleeing enemies, Blink Dagger is handy. In the late game, he can also upgrade to Arcane Blink for more teamfight effect.

Veil of Discord

Veil of Discord: Veil of Discord is an excellent early-to-mid-game item that increases spell damage while also improving armor for durability.

Rod of Atos

Rod of Atos: Rod of Atos is also a strong contender for Necrophos. With a brief cooldown, it provides healing, intellect, and a long-range root.

Spirit Vessel

Spirit Vessel: Spirit Vessel is also a good option. It gives increased health, some extra stats, and mana regeneration; the active Soul Release has excellent synergy with Necrophos' skill set because it deals damage based on current health and reduces enemy regeneration and healing; when combined with death pulse and Heart Stopper Aura, you can bring a hero down to the Reaper's Scythe threshold in a matter of seconds. You may also use the item to heal yourself or your teammates.

Blade Mail

Blade Mail: If you become concentrated in fights, Blade Mail is an excellent choice. It's preferable if you're ahead of your opponents in terms of farming and/or levels, as you're not as tanky otherwise.

Pipe of Insight

Pipe of Insight: Pipe of Insight provides much higher life restoration and enhances magic resistance, which is notably useful in combating the magic weakness caused by Ghost Shroud.

Eternal Shroud

Eternal Shroud: If your squad already has a Pipe holder or you're dealing with a lot of magical damage, Eternal Shroud is a good option to Hood of Defiance. Death Pulse works nicely with the spell lifesteal. If you buy it with Radiance, you'll get a healing per second when you're near foes.

Ghost Scepter

Ghost Scepter: To counter opponent dispels, the Ghost Scepter can be acquired. You can use Ghost Scepter to stay resistant to physical harm once they've dispelled Ghost Shroud. It also becomes an Ethereal Blade when you improve it. 

Eul's Scepter of Divinity

Eul's Scepter of Divinity: Eul's Scepter of Divinity has high mana regeneration and movement speed, and may be used defensively or as a disable. Wind Waker is an extremely strong defensive equipment that may be improved later.

Octarine Core

Octarine Core: Octarine Core reduces Necrophos' ability cooldowns, allowing him to repeat Death Pulse and Death Seeker to heal and damage more frequently.

Lotus Orb

Lotus Orb: If Necrophos becomes a high-priority target for the adversary, he can use the Lotus Orb.

Heart of Tarrasque

Tarrasque's Heart: Tarrasque's Heart makes you a lot more tanky. If the adversary possesses extremely mobile heroes who inflict a lot of damage, this is a must-have equipment.

Enemies & Allies

Allies

Axe

• Axe's ability to finish opponents with Culling Blade is hampered by Death Pulse's frequent healing.
• Axe's tankiness is negated by Reaper's Scythe, which may kill him shortly after initiation.
• Due to Axe's significant strength growth, Heartstopper Aura is effective.

Bristleback

• Bristleback does not diminish or trigger passive Quill Sprays since Heartstopper Aura provides percentage-based damage that is recognized as HP removal.

• Reaper's Scythe is very powerful against Bristleback, not just because of its percentage-based damage, but also because it stuns and then does damage, enabling Necrophos to position himself in front of Bristleback in a timely manner.

Huskar

• Huskar is frequently sick, making him an easy target for Reaper's Scythe.

• Huskar cannot stack Burning Spear with Ghost Shroud, however if Heartstopper Aura stacks are present, Ghost Shroud can recover HP lost to current stacks.

Phoenix

• Phoenix's health is continually depleted owing to the health costs of its powers. Phoenix, unlike heroes with a similar mechanism, does not benefit from low health and does not have a viable countermeasure. As a result, Phoenix is a particularly vulnerable target for Necrophos, especially if it is caught off guard before it can perform Supernova.

Pudge

• Pudge may succumb to Reaper's Scythe no matter how strong he is with his Flesh Heap since all he needs is to lose a specific percentage of his health. Being around Heartstopper Aura will be problematic for an overconfident Pudge, given his frequent self-damage with Rot.

Sven

• No matter how high Sven increases his strength or health pool, his Heartstopper Aura causes the same progressive damage over time, and if he falls below a certain percentage, his high health will no longer matter if Necrophos gets to land his Reaper's Scythe, killing him instantaneously. But it's better if Necrophos can either catch him off guard before he uses his Black King Bar (a popular equipment among Sven players) or entice him out of it.

• Sven can't strike Necrophos with Ghost Shroud, and if he doesn't have his Storm Hammer, it might render him fully immune to Sven, allowing Necrophos to simply kite him about.

Tidehunter

• No matter how Tidehunter builds tanky equipment like (Guardian Greaves, Crimson Guard, or Pipe of Insight), all he needs to fall to Reaper's Scythe is for him to lose a specific percentage of his health.

Counters

Ancient Apparition

• Ice Blast fully negates any healing, rendering Necrophos unable to stay in a teamfight to maintain his allies (and himself) or deliver progressive damage to the enemy; otherwise, if he is targeted, he would perish quickly.

Pugna

• Death Pulse causes you to lose health rather than heal you when you use Nether Ward. Meanwhile, when under Nether Ward, Reaper Scythe's massive mana cost may frequently kill you instantaneously.

• Necrophos' limited healthpool is quickly depleted by Nether Blast and Life Drain, especially during Ghost Shroud. This makes him an undesirable target for Reaper's Scythe, forcing you to utilize it defensively because Necrophos has no other way to disrupt his channeling

Silencer

• If Necrophos tries to spam Death Pulse, Arcane Curse punishes him by lengthening the slow and increasing the damage taken over time.

• Last Word does a lot of damage to Necrophos and also silences him for a long time.

• On each hit, Glaives of Wisdom will momentarily diminish Necrophos intellect, making it more difficult for him to repeat Death Pulse while also reducing his attack damage and mana pool, and causing escalating quantities of physical and pure damage. If Silencer kills Necrophos or dies near him, he will permanently steal his intelligence.

• Because Necrophos relies largely on his spells to survive, Global Silence renders him nearly worthless for a lengthy period, allowing your squad to quickly destroy him.

Nyx Assassin

• Necrophos will be forced to utilize Ghost Shroud due to the massive physical damage suffered by Vendetta, which is suitable for a followup with Dagon and Ethereal Blade, both of which are common items on Nyx Assassin.

• Necrophos is also vulnerable to Mana Burn or Impale when he uses Ghost Shroud.

Dazzle

• Dazzle's Shadow Wave is a spammable healing ability that travels over his whole team, reducing his comrades' deaths as efficiently as Necrophos distributes harm.

• Shallow Grave prevents his partner from succumbing to Necrophos' abilities, particularly Reaper's Scythe, if not instantly.

Lina

• During Ghost Shroud, Laguna Blade's damage will be considerably increased.

Lion

• Nercophos' mana pool is depleted by Mana Drain, stopping him from utilizing his abilities.

• Finger of Death inflicts a lot of magical damage, which is boosted by Ghost Shroud.

Meepo

• Necrophos has a hard time removing long-lasting illusions or summons. Meepo's numerous copies may overwhelm Necrophos, especially in the later phases of the game, and his Earthbind will stop Necrophos from fleeing, even if he casts Ghost Shroud.

• Meepo's powerful burst damage Ethereal Blade can make it tough for Necrophos to stay alive, and while Necrophos specializes at long fights, he won't be able to deal as much damage as he would like.

Oracle

• Oracle's Purifying Flames negates all damage dealt by Heartstopper Aura during the laning stage.

• Reaper's Scythe may be avoided with Fate's Edict and False Promise.

• With Fortune's End, Oracle can dispel Ghost Shroud.

Phantom Lancer

• Phantom Lancer's primary equipment is the Diffusal Blade. If acquired, it allows him to swiftly decrease Necrophos' mana, making Necrophos incapable of casting anything.

• It can be difficult to identify the genuine Phantom Lancer amid Necrophos' army, making it harder for him to target his ultimate.

• Even if his illusions are destroyed, Phantom Lancer has the ability to create new things with little difficulty.

Rubick

• Rubick can turn the devastating ultimate against Necrophos' squad if he snatches Reaper's Scythe. Rubick can employ even his other spells, which provide him with a sustain or a poor initiation/protection tool.

Shadow Demon

• Disruption can save an ally from the Reaper's Scythe, which can be lethal.

• Ghost Shroud may be removed with Demonic Purge, leaving Necrophos susceptible to physical damage and stopping him from regaining health.

Wraith King

• It's a poor idea to use Reaper's Scythe against Wraith King since his Reincarnation might squander it.

• When combined with Aghanim's Scepter, it has the ability to postpone the deaths of allies.

Items Counter

Spirit Vessel

Spirit Vessel: Spirit Vessel keeps Necrophos' abilities from giving him too much life.

Shiva's Guard

Shiva's Guard: All heals and regen are reduced by Shiva's Guard's aura.

Nullifier

Nullifier: During the duration of Nullifier, Ghost Shroud is rendered fully useless.

Glimmer Cape

Glimmer Cape: The Glimmer Cape may drastically diminish the damage dealt by Reaper's Scythe. Because Necrophos frequently uses Reaper's Scythe when his target is slightly below half health, the additional magical resistance is usually enough to keep them alive.

Eul's Scepter of Divinity

Eul's Scepter of Divinity: While Eul's Scepter of Divinity is upgraded, it dispels the ghost veil form and offers more control.

Wind Waker

Wind Waker: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker may also be used to save an ally who is stunned by Reaper's Scythe.

Lotus Orb

Lotus Orb: Reaper's Scythe is reflected back to Necrophos by the Lotus Orb. Most of the time, Necrophos' ultimate will not kill him back because he'll be performing it at full health, but it will stun him for 1.5 seconds due to spell immunity, stopping him from retaliating with more of his own damage.

Linken's Sphere

Linken's Sphere: If there are no other abilities that can squander Reaper's Scythe, Linken's Sphere makes it impossible to cast it on a target.

Black King Bar

Black King Bar: The damage from most of Necrophos' abilities, notably his ultimate, is ignored by Black King Bar.

Orchid Malevolence

Orchid Malevolence and Bloodthorn: Necrophos is prevented from repeating Death Pulse, healing back and/or retaliating, and using Ghost Shroud to protect himself, thanks to Orchid Malevolence and Bloodthorn.

Scythe of Vyse

Scythe of Vyse: Scythe of Vyse is a more powerful counter than the things stated above, preventing not only his abilities from being cast, but also his goods that might either heal him more, clear the debuffs, or aid him in his escape.

Silver Edge

Silver Edge: Silver Edge disrupts Heartstopper Aura, reducing his combat presence. Existing Hearstopper Aura stacks continue to grant extra health and mana recovery.

Dagon

Dagon: When Dagon uses Ghost Shroud, he does huge damage to Necrophos, and when he uses Ethereal Blade, he is mainly slain in seconds.

Diffusal Blade

Diffusal Blade: Necrophos' mana is slowed and drained by Diffusal Blade.

Favorable Matchups

Abaddon

• Abaddon's sustain and powerful dispel keep Necrophos alive longer in battles, allowing for a significant damage swing from Heartstopper Aura's healing, damage, and enormous health removal.

Axe

• Axe's initiation enables him to simultaneously catch and severely harm numerous adversaries. Counter Helix's pure damage swiftly depletes adjacent foes' health, making Necrophos' presence more powerful.

• When they are below a particular level of health, both of their ultimates are immediate kills. If the opposition side isn't careful, they might be wiped off the field without retribution in a matter of seconds.

Earthshaker

• Earthshaker's initiation lets him capture and severely harm numerous foes at once, while Echo Slam depletes adjacent enemies' health, enhancing Necrophos' presence.

Legion Commander

• The nukes of Necrophos will put a stop to a Duel extremely quickly. If combat ends while Reaper's Scythe is active, the Dueled adversary will have a longer respawn period, making these two a dangerous team fighting duo.

Oracle

• Fate's Edict, when combined with Ghost Shroud, makes Necrophos impervious to physical damage and attacks, as well as magical harm, at the penalty of being (doubly) disarmed. Furthermore, although an opponent's ability or item can dispel Ghost Shroud, Fate's Edict cannot because it is a debuff.

• Purifying Flames helps Necrophos stay alive throughout battles, while Ghost Shroud amplifies the healing.

• False Promise has the potential to save Necrophos. If he can buy enough time to cast Reaper's Scythe and a few additional spells or use a wand, Necrophos should be able to recover back to full health after the Promise.

Pugna

• Decrepify boosts the damage dealt by Reaper's Scythe, allowing Necrophos to destroy foes even faster.

• Nether Blast and Nether Ward, two of his powerful teamfight abilities, assist harm to numerous troops at once, making Necrophos' presence even more deadly.

Game plan

Early game

Necrophos is quite passive at the beginning of the game without any equipment, so you just play in a safe way to farm last hit, limit the exchange of skills, moreover with Heartstopper aura, the enemy's blood poke with you is very light and comfortable. It is necessary to acquire a few basic equipment so that you can play more actively in this phase. When you have the ultimate, then consider ganking lane or playing more aggressive in your current lane.

Mid game

This stage is the stage when you and your team as well as the opponent start ganking, pushing and small combat (unless your team or opponent plays turtle farming, just stay passive in one place and farm) Reaper's Scythes are intended for high farm targets (nuker, carry, initiator) to increase their countdown time, which will make them very slow to spawn, as well as ensure safe time for the team you push when the opponent is short of people but wait forever and can't see the respawn. 

Necrophos's ability to farm and gank is quite good, so the balance between gank and farm is not too complicated like other heroes, just have Reaper's Scythe and you'll go gank okay, and the cooldown of this skill is pretty fast too. Remember to bring the Town portal scroll regularly during this phase.

Late game

This is the time when Necrophos unleashes his full potential with his skills and equipment. Except for support, you can plug Reaper's Scythe into any other enemy, deal enough damage for the opponent to be killed instantly, the opponent will not be able to buy back and the countdown time on the board is extremely long with equip Aghanim's Scepter (I usually see it over 100 seconds in this phase). That will put a lot of pressure on the opponent when just a little negligence will not have the opportunity for them to correct the mistake thanks to the buy back. 

You try to stay in place in teamfights because your teammates need you to live until the middle or end of the teamfight, when you've used up your skill set and Reaper's Scythe kills the target for maximum damage. for the opponent. Necrophos is one of those heroes that has the ability to flip the bets terribly.