Guide To Lightning Revenant, Razor

Table of Contents
I. Foreword
II. Introduction
III. Playstyle
IV. Skills
V. Skill Build
VI. Item Build
VII. Gameplay Walkthrough
VIII. In-depth Skill Usage
IX. Team Battles
X. Synergies and Counters
XI. Conclusion
XII. Replays
XIII. Credits
XIV. Changelog

I. Foreword
Razor's recent remake was a quiet one that much of the public never gave much attention to. Most people's reaction was "oh, Razor got remade?" then they tried him a few times, get confused by his seemingly strange skill set, then forget about him. As a result, not many players know how to use this hero to his full potential. Many still think of him as a carry (or as a friend puts it, a pew pew pew hero), and plays him as such, establishing the flawed idea that Razor is weak or boring. After much experimentation with various builds, as well as observation from the few good Razors I encountered, I have devised a way to play Razor that is not only efficient, powerful and practical, but really really fun as well. Remember:

"Every man lives; not every man truly dies."


II. Introduction
First thing first, Razor is NOT a traditional agi carry. Forget about the old Razor with his useless, boring skillset. The new Razor is a fairly good laner early, a true powerhouse mid-game, and a fairly strong carry (and anti-carry) late game. Yes, he is strong at all parts of the game, but he is a bit tricky to use and his playing style (or at least the one proposed in this guide) is risky but very rewarding.

In this guide we will play Razor very aggressively. We will farm during the laning phase, then in mid-game we will help in ganks, pushes and team fights. We will try to absorb a fair bit of damage as a semi-tank and dish out a lot more in return. We will render the enemy's carry useless and be a force to be reckoned with late game.

Razor can nuke, tank, DPS and gank. The only things he can't do are disabling and initiating.


III. Playstyle
Razor's current playing style should be, as already mentioned, very aggressive. He should be farming throughout the game, but not hardcore carry style like PA, Troll, or Void. He doesn't need a lot of items to be effective, but he does need some hp at least to function, and more items will increase his effectiveness as much as certain carries (meaning a whole lot).

In battle, he should be contributing DPS throughout the game (early with his nuke, mid and late with his attack and ulti) and act as a huge distraction and as an aggressive semi-tanker mid-game onwards. He can also gank well with or without an ally. He also happens to be THE strongest 1v1 hero in most situations in DotA currently, with the ability to chase and finish people off. He is very scary.

IV. Skills
Plasma Field (Active Instant)
Razor releases a wave of energetic plasma. which grows in power as it extends outwards. Deals damage to units both on expansion and on contraction. The further the plasma is from Razor the more energy it has.

Level 1: Min damage 80. Max 140
Level 2: Min damage 120. Max 210
Level 3: Min damage 160. Max 280
Level 4: Min damage 200. Max 350

Manacost: 125
Cooldown: 16 seconds
Casting range: 700
Projectile speed: 600

Useful things to know:

• One of the best AoE nukes in the game.
• Huge AoE, no hassle with aiming, slightly more damage then a normal nuke, and THE best nuke for chasing, because it doesn't has an animation on Razor's part at all.
• Doesn't hit invisible units, but does hit units in fog. Makes Razor a dangerous foe in early in lane and everywhere else.

Static Link (Active Location Targeting)
Taps into the energy of a target hero, creating a charged link between Razor and his foe. As long as this link is maintained, Razor will continue to steal damage from the target and add it to his own. Drains up to 10 seconds. Bonus lasts 13 seconds after that.

Level 1: 5 attack damage per second
Level 2: 10 attack damage per second
Level 3: 15 attack damage per second
Level 4: 20 attack damage per second

Manacost: 20/30/40/50
Duration: 13 - 23 seconds
Cooldown: 45/40/35/30 seconds
Projectile speed: 1250

Useful things to know:

• Basically "steals" damage from targeted hero with every passing second as long as the link is active.
• Grants vision in fog, meaning with this skill active enemies cannot juke you with the fog.
• Does not let you see invisibility.
• Ways to break static link include: Going invisible, going out of range (>700) from Razor and Death.
• Blockable by linken's.
• Can be casted on ground. Link projectile will travel in casted direction and latch on to an enemy if nearby. Will not trigger Linken's this way, and capable of linking heroes in fog.
• Stuns,slows, Frost Bite, Entangle do NOT break the link.

Unstable Current (Passive)
Razor's very body is a constantly shifting miasma of dark energy. This unnatural state allows him to move with supernatural speed, and any foe foolish enough to launch a direct magical assault against him will have their boldness rewarded with a shock of purging electricity.

Level 1: 3% movement, 40 damage
Level 2: 6% movement, 60 damage
Level 3: 9% movement, 80 damage
Level 4: 12% movement, 100 damage

Duration (Purge): 0.3/0.6/0.9/1.2 seconds

Useful things to know:

• Works on any spell blockable by Linken's.
• AoE skills will trigger if the enemy targets Razor(If Nerubian Assassin clicks on Razor when stunning). Will NOT trigger if enemy targets the ground.
• Ground-targeted skills will never trigger Unstable Current. (Shockwave, Dual Breath, etc.)

Eye of the Storm (Active Instant Ultimate)
The Lightning Revenant calls upon a powerful storm of crackling energy, which strikes weakened enemies with deadly bolts of lightning. The storm is charged with Razor's malevolent will, and will seek out only the most injured targets for its armor shattering blasts.

Level 1: Deals 37.5 damage and reduces armor by 1 each strike. One strike each 0.85 seconds.
Level 2: Deals 50 damage and reduces armor by 1 each strike. One strike each 0.75 seconds.
Level 3: Deals 62.5 damage and reduces armor by 1 each strike. One strike each 0.6 seconds.

Manacost: 100
Duration: 20/25/30 seconds
Cooldown: 80/70/60 seconds
AoE: 525

Useful things to know:

• Deals physical damage.
• Targets the unit with lowest absolute hp, and not lowest percentage of hp. (Will target a creep with 200/400 hp rather then hero with 250/1000 hp)
• Does not hit units in fog.

V. Skill Build
Level 1 Plasma Field
Level 2 Static Link
Level 3 Plasma Field
Level 4 Unstable Current
Level 5 Plasma Field
Level 6 Eye of the Storm
Level 7 Plasma Field
Level 8 Unstable Current/Static Link
Level 9 Unstable Current
Level 10 Unstable Current
Level 11 Eye of the Storm
Level 12 Unstable Current/Static Link
Level 13 Static Link
Level 14 Static Link
Level 15 Stats
Level 16 Eye of the Storm

Maxing Plasma Field first is a no-brainer. Plasma Field is one of the bets AoE nukes in the game and as well all know, nukes are at their best early. One level of Static Link at level 2 is mandatory because it grants vision in fog on your linked target, and 1 level can change the tide of battle early game. Unstable Current is great for the ms and purge. Ultimate should be taken once it's available. Level 3 and 4 of Static Link isn't needed until mid game.

At Level 8, which to level up, Unstable Current or Static Link will depend on 3 factors, the number of targetable spells your enemies have, the early DPS capabilities of your opponents AND the enemy heroes vulnerability to Static Link (meaning if they can easily break the link or not). If against heroes like Sven, Spirit Breaker, Troll Warlord, who can deal good DPS at Level 6-ish, you'd want Level 2 Static Link. If your enemies don't have any spells that can trigger the purge (Death prophet, Twin Head Dragon), Level 2 Static Link can also be considered.

Special cases: Heroes like Rikimaru and Phantom Assassin who scream DPS whenever they are mentioned are actually much more vulnerable to Unstable Current early. Their blink strikes basically are nullified with it and they don't deal good physical damage till mid-game, not to mention how invi breaks Static Link. There are some other exceptions and as always, it's best to learn to read the game and adapt to the situation.

VI. Item Build
Starting Items

3 GG Branches, tangoes, clarities, and possibly a Slipper of Agility for last hitting

Core Items

Rush Vanguard and Boots of Speed, make magic wand whenever you can, make Phase Boots, then finish up the core with a Blade Mail.

Core Item Justification:
I realize that I'm gonna get a lot of flake for suggesting these items as core for Razor, so here goes. First off, let's look at Razor and what he needs. He has more then enough damage potential for early till mid-game purposes, but without items his hp is piss poor and he will get nuked/whack to death in a nanosecond. Furthermore we look at his skills, they all require him to be near his enemies to be effective. So we get what Razor needs first and foremost to be effective - hit points and movement speed, who comes in the form of Vanguard and Phase Boots. Magic Wand is just a really good item for the mini stat boost as well as the heal and mana, so I won't elaborate on that.

Treads versus Phase Boots was a really tough choice, and in truth Razor can make use of both very well, but from my experience playing Razor, due to the nature of his skills Static Link and his ultimate, Phase Boots wins out a LOT early to mid in terms of general usefulness. With his ability to target an enemy through fog coupled with the ability to ninja through creeps and keep up with his enemies, Razor is a very effective chaser and killer, and this is a potential we should not waste when playing Razor. Raw power isn't everything.

Blademail might seem ridiculous at first. Razor is no tank with his agi-hero hp, but the idea that Blademail should be on tanks is a tempting but flawed concept anyway. Blademail is obviously bought for it's active ability. Blademail is perfect on Razor because of Razor's HUGE damage potential early mid with Plasma, Static and Eye, also, Razor's damage potential is for all practical purpose resistant against disables/stuns. A stun doesn't stop Static Link or his Ulti. and Plasma Field can be casted before stuns anyway. Conclusion? People HAVE to focus on Razor to stop him from unleashing his DPS, and when people have a high incentive to whack you, you should get Blademail. Coupled with Vanguard and if utilized well with all his skills, even if you play Razor and die in a team battle, you die like a man and go with a bang, dealing a shit ton of damage. The damage, armor and mana boost isn't bad as well.

As you can see, this build is also very easy to farm and the total cost is quite low.

Post-core Items

Satanic fits Razor really well with scary lifesteal and hp. Coupled with Static Link is slightly disgusting. Best item to increase the raw power of Razor after his core, which you will need to pwn late game. In most games you will want this in your inventory after your core.


Best item to get when people are hitting you and casting things on you a lot, or when you have (other) carries on your team that can deal enough damage and you just need to be the huge annoying distraction/tank. Also good when there are more disables then you can withstand before you can unleash the power of Static.


Linken's is very good against single spell casters. In some cases when you're getting bogged down by disables on Razor it's better to get Linken's then BKB. Linken's grants a good deal of survivability as well, making it surpass heart in some cases if you're facing lots of single target spells. Funny thing is, with Linken's, they not only waste a spell, but get shocked every time they cast on you. Hehe.


Butterfly is the best thing to get after any of the previously mentioned luxuries. It complements all items well, grants damage, attack speed and evasion. Very strong item overall.


Despite my dislike for this item (No item should be good on ALL agi heroes and some others), I have to concede that it is a very good item on Razor. It gives hp, ms, and damage, everything that Razor needs and using it doesn't dispel Static Link. Best (or worst) thing is, you can even use it to avoid stuns! Note that on Razor you don't need it use Manta as a cover like other agi heroes. For example, you can rush in, Manta, Ulti, Link, and it doesn't matter if they know who the real Razor is. Because while they deal (or choose not to) with you your images are pounding on them. Some might call that anti-synergistic, but Manta Style is so good, it doesn't really matter.


This might seem odd but Razor is one of the few heroes that can benefit from selling Phase and getting Treads late. Increases Razor's physical DPS a whole lot, and grants a lot of hp for the price of 700 (after selling Phase). Very useful when under heavy pressure from opponents and when you're getting outgunned late game, when chasing and finishing is less important and having more raw power is better. Works best along with Satanic, get this when you really NEED to carry your team and you are short on cash.

Situationals

Hood should always be bought when there are too many casters then you can handle. Don't worry about Blade Mail reflecting less damage and worry more about surviving. Static Link and Eye of the Storm requires that you survive to utilize well, and Razor's main weakness is huge ass nukes like Laguna Blade or Finger of Death. Only get this after Blade Mail. Blade Mail's ability is far more crucial and Lina will think twice before casting her ulti on you with it. Razor shouldn't be the one to upgrade it to Pipe if there are other more supportish team-mates already with Hood, but sometimes you need it fast and it's ability is potentially game-breaking (during pushing and anti-pushing scenarios to counter those AoE), so it might be a good idea for a fast farmer like Razor to get it.


In most games you shouldn't bother with a BKB. All of Razor's skills work even if stunned, and he has no chanelling spells, during the beginning of Static Link Razor can do perfectly fine without attacking, making BKB, in most cases, an unnecessary luxury on him. However, there are always situations when there are just too many disables then we can handle(shouldn't happen too often with Razor), only in those few games should you buy a BKB.


In those games where you are doing really really well , or well, pubs, you can get a Radiance after Vanguard (or even before, even though you'll still need to rush a Vanguard after, which shouldn't be hard since you already have Rad) , because Razor is one of those heroes that can be devastating with a fast Radiance. It synergies with his skills well and making him even more of a target to be focused, thus making all his skills (and Blade Mail) even more effective. Also lets you farm much faster, ensuring you aren't left behind in late game, while contributing a lot before.

Rejected Items

On first glance, Lothar's seem the perfect item for Razor, due to Eye and Static working when you're invisible. In reality, however, it doesn't work very well. For Razor, a hero that doesn't need invi to escape,farm, fight and position well, Lothar's costs way too much then it's worth. Getting it will slow down your hp item(s), making you easily foiled by a 180g Dust of Appearance.


Razor already has huge DPS capabilities, and absolutely needs hit points and survivability. Pure damage makes you a glass cannon. Not that being a glass cannon is a bad thing by itself, it's just that it doesn't suit Razor well because he needs to be in the thick of things with Static and Eye.


Diffusal blade is another item people really like on Razor, but doesn't really work well. Purge combined with your spells seems like total ownage, but practically it leaves you lacking in other areas if you rush it. It also doesn't fit Razor well because of his carrying potential as it doesn't increase his combat abilities by much. It doesn't grant survivability, gives a useless orb that can be better utilized, and is just plain ineffectual on Razor.


Actually these are pretty good items on Razor, but I feel inclined to place them as rejected items because of the fact that the items proposed in the core build come in little parts that are about as expensive as these, meaning that it's better to invest in the core build then these stat boosting items early. After your core build, your slots will be too filled up to buy these anyway, leaving no place for Bracers and Wraith Bands in Razor's inventory.

VII. Gameplay Walkthrough
Early Game, Level 1-5
Razor can work well on all lanes, and is a pretty good soloer with a strong nuke and nice animation. Not recommended to solo the short lane though as Razor can't escape early.

Razor's early game is pretty typical. Last hit, deny and farm well, use your long range to harass enemies, but don't be suicidal as Razor needs his items and levels to work well. Use your nuke to harass and farm. Don't be afraid to chase for the kill if the chance arises as your nuke is very damaging and good at chasing. With a stunner there is a decent chance of this happening.

Get a Ring of Health when you can from the shops so that you can use your long range to harass your enemies (and regen back the damage you might receive). Remember at this point Razor is still very soft, so be wary of the opponents movement at all times to prevent yourself from being killed.

Note that Level 1 Static Link at this point of the game is enough to make your outgunned virtually anyone after a few ticks, so don't be afraid to trade hits if the enemy is silly enough to try to out-physical-damage you.

Early-Mid (Level 6-10)
After you get your first level of Eye of the Storm you are now a real threat. If you soloed, you can look at the other lanes and see if it's worth it to try a gank in one of the other lanes. Make sure you have Boots if you plan to gank. With your nuke, ability to see through fog, buffed damage and a constant source of physical damage you are a very good ganker. If however, you find it more worth it to rake up the gold in your lane then go for a gank, then by all means do so.

If you did NOT solo, try to find chances to kill with your ally in lane. Do not be deterred to gank with your ulti because it will aim creeps that have lower hp then the enemy, with Static Link and Plasma Field plus an ally, the enemy would be wiser to run away from the creep wave rather then engage you and your ally.

You can pretty much kill heroes like Sniper alone at this point, if they are far enough from the tower, just spam your skills on him and follow when he tries to run. He won't go far.

Focus on farming till you have your Vanguard and a pair of Boots.

Mid-game (Vanguard - Level 16)
Razor's mid-game really begins when you have at least a Level of Eye of the Storm, and a Vanguard to tank. This part of the game is when Razor really starts to shine. Do NOT waste time farming like a hard carry at this point, participate in pushes and ganks. With Vanguard and Link you can even take on some heroes after you dive into their tower. Pushes and kills give you money anyway, and Razor is really good at getting kills, since Eye of the Storm automatically targets the lowest hp target, and because of your chasing ability, x-ray vision and constant source of damage.

If you are doing well, the opponents will surely be wary of you at this point, and will try to take you down as fast as possible. Ideally you should have your Blademail at this point to counter their focus fire. In team fights be aggressive, on your ulti and try to absorb as much damage as possible while remaining alive, spamming your nuke whenever it cools and phasing away as soon as you're in danger of dying. A nicely activated Blademail can change the game at this point, so learn to use Blademail really well.

As a hero with carrying abilities, you don't need to seek out enemies and destroy them and get yourself killed. If there really isn't a chance for engaging (if your allies are idiot pubbers for example), just farm.

Late Game (Level 16 - End)
Razor still shines late game, although in an unorthodox manner. You will need more then you core if you want to be effective late, however. This time you must pick your items wisely and in accordance to the enemy. If you have another carry on your team, then you can focus more of distracting and tanking, if not you should focus on your fighting and DPS abilities. Team fight strategy remains pretty much the same, except with more focus on countering the enemy's carry by Static Linking him and Blademail.

VIII. In-depth Skill Usage
Plasma Field

Plasma Field is quite a simple skill to use. It's a huge-ass AoE nuke. Just use it whenever you want to harass, farm and kill. When chasing, just press 'F' and continue with your Static Link, Eye.

Maximizing Harassment
When harassing with Plasma Field, you want to hit the enemy just at the edge of the circle. This ensures that you keep your distance, keeping you safe, and that the enemy receives the full damage of Plasma Field. For relatively safe lanes you should couple the Plasma Field harass with some normal attacks with animation canceling to bring on the pain, while still maintaining a safe distance.
Here's an example of proper harassing and how effective it can be:

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In this screen shot you can see the Plasma Field already hit Weaver once and Razor attacking. Weaver was at almost full hp before this. Note right on the edge of Razor's attacking range.

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After 2 hits of physical attack and Plasma Field. As you can see I just took out more then half of his hp in less then 3 seconds. You can do this effectively from Level 1 (This situation was at Level 3), although you might not reduce that much hp that early, the technique is identical.

Static Link and Eye of the Storm

Because these 2 skills are so often use in conjunction with each other, it's much easier to cover them together. Usage of these 2 skills make or break a good Razor player. Note that while Razor's skills are unique and fun, they aren't dependent on comboing, fast fingers or precise targeting (as oppose to say Lina or Pudge), instead, they depend on knowing when to stay close and be aggressive, when to commit and when to stay on the edge of battle like an obedient little agi hero. In other words, you must be able to read situations well and act accordingly.

Cast Near (Static Link)
Make sure that when you cast Static Link in whatever situations, the enemy is near enough. Do not cast Static Link as a targeting Spell at max range. In other words, don't cast it as soon as you see the enemy from far. In most cases if you do this, the enemy will move just a tiny bit away from you, out of instinct or skill, then your spell will be wasted. Instead, Phase or rush in quickly until you're at least 500ish range of your target, then cast Static Link.

Activate Early, Don't Hesitate (Eye of the Storm)
Eye of the Storm last very long and cost very little mana, cast it right before you gank or engage the enemy, whether there are creeps or not, don't save it. This way, you're safe if there are nasty surprises, and you don't waste time casting it in the middle of battle. At level 16 you can keep it up half the time, literally.

Stay Really Close (Static Link and Eye of the Storm)
With Static Link, you don't need to worry about fog. Both skills require that you be near your enemy to work. Generally, once you cast Static Link and started chasing your prey with Eye of the Storm on, you want to use Razor's superior movement speed to be as close as your target as possible. Take the first few seconds to catch up with your enemy, with Phase you can actually stand on top on them, literally. This way, if they turn around to cast a stun (hopefully getting purged by Unstable Current), you still might catch up. Also by closing distance early, you can make use of the distance gained later to use attack with your imba Linked damage.

Tip when Ganking: Don't be afraid if your target stay near the creeps and begin engaging you, if you've managed to Link them. If you have got your hp item(s), in most cases you can win the fight (due to Static Link) even if your Ultimate is attacking creeps. Just attack them and soon they will be unable to deal damage, while you can deal a whole lot. When their hp is low enough your storm cloud will target them anyway and is a very useful finisher.

Cast Static Link and Eye of the Storm when chased (Static Link/Eye of the Storm)
If you're getting chased with low life, never forget to cast Static Link on the Hero chasing you. This lets you see him clear and well, making avoiding him easier and makes his physical damage useless, increasing your chance to survive. You might even be able to defeat him after a while.

Animation Cancel (General)
One of the most crucial skills for a Razor player is animation canceling. This is done after you closed your distance with your prey, and want to finish him off fast with your imba linked damage. Generally, you should always animation cancel and attack when chasing as long as it doesn't put you at risk of breaking Link. Remember that even 1 extra hit can mean a lot after some ticks from Static Link. If you're sure of it you can use your imba damage to finish off enemies without needing to chase in too deep and putting yourself in danger.
Mini Animation Canceling guide

All heroes, when they attack, have an animation. This we cannot avoid, once you attack, your hero will need to throw a projectile, swing an axe, or something before he will deal damage. What we can save time on, however is the backswing animation. After our hero attacks, he will have to pull back his sword, place his hand back in his pocket, whatever, and there is an animation. This animation we can cancel by moving our hero right after the first (necessary) animation is dealt, so that we cancel the second (unnecessary) backswing animation.

In Razor's case, his attack animation is really fast, so once he attacks, right-click on the ground where your target is moving so you move before you can attack again, not wasting any distance by standing and pulling back his club. Rinse and repeat for multiple animation canceled, imba-linked attacks. Practice makes perfect

Tower Diving (General)
Razor shouldn't hesitate to tower dive for a kill if he has enough hp after he farmed a Vanguard. If engaging enemies in range of their tower, one way to minimize damage taken is to stay close and damage with your spells while maintaining Static Link, and only start attacking after you are buffed more with Link damage. This way, you minimize damage receive from the tower as the tower will instantly attack any unit physically attacking any hero near it.
Tower Cycle Trick

One way to stop the tower from attacking you is to press "A" key, (attack command) then left click on an ally creep that is full or close to full hp as if denying. This is useful to know if you like to dive towers. The tower will "cycle" pass you and start attacking another unit.

Blind Link (Static Link)
You can Static Link targets even if they are in the fog. If successful, the target will be Linked as usual and you will have vision of it. The Link projectile travels roughly as fast as Pudge's hook, but it's much easier to hit as the AoE to hit your target is much higher and Link is usually casted much nearer.

Using Blade Mail

If you're gonna play Razor following this guide, mastering Blade Mail is as important as mastering any of Razor's other skills.As a matter of fact, it's arguably harder to master then the Razor's skills as it depends on a combination of split-second reflex, anticipation and map-awareness. Blade Mail executed 2 seconds late can mean the difference between a double kill and death. A well-timed Blade Mail can break the enemy's ranks, letting you deal damage with your skills or deal heavy battle-deciding damage through damage-return.

When to activate Blade Mail:
Blade Mail should be activated to force the enemy into not attacking you when he wants to, or die. Always keep your finger on the hotkey for Blade Mail activation so that you can activate it the instant you need it.

Right before/after stuns
If you know you're gonna get stunned and damaged, activate Blade Mail right before you get stunned. This applies both in team fights and 1v1.
Example: Sven notices you and is rushing forward, you know he's gonna stun you, right before then, switch on your ulti and activate Blade Mail (and Static Link if you can) Done right, the enemy either
i) hits you anyway, and sustain heavy damage from himself and your ulti
ii) does not hit you, getting damaged by your ulti and wasting a stun.
Either way you gain an edge that should make you win the fight if 1v1 and change the tide of battle if a team fight. Note that if you did not manage to activate Blade Mail before you get stunned, it's not too late when they're focusing on you after you recover from the stun.

When you're getting focus fired/spelled
Or rather, when you're a moment away from being focus fired. Unfortunately, knowing the precise moment is dependent on experienced. The ideal time to activate Blade Mail is 0.1 seconds just before 3 stuns and 2 nukes come your way and the enemies instinctively start hitting you.

When you are already getting hit
If an enemy hero is already whacking you, switching on Blade Mail will either make him sustain as much damage as he is dealing to you, or stop attacking. He will at least attack you once or twice anyways if you suddenly activate Blade Mail due to reaction time.

1 versus 1
Blade Mail plus Static Link will ensure that you win almost every 1 versus 1 encounter in the game.

When the enemy uses skills that WILL deal damage
This means skills like Eclipse, March of the Machines and Marcopyre. After your enemy casts those skills they HAVE to deal damage in that area, whether they like it or not. Whether it's damaging enough to cast Blade Mail varies from situation to situation.

IX. Team Battles
This section focuses on using your skills and items together in team battles, meaning anything from 2 versus 2 to 5 versus 5s. First off,

Who should you cast Static Link in a fight?
In a gank, we should cast Static Link on the target we want to kill for the imba X-ray vision. In a team fight it's slightly more complicated. Ideally, we want to cripple a hero that depends on physical damage, usually the primary carry that HAS to begin attacking at some point. Our primary targets should be heroes that have to commit and stay near in a fight that deals heavy DPS.
Heroes that fit this include:
These heroes all have to stay near in a fight and they deal a lot of damage.
If heroes like these aren't available, then you want to target the next best thing, heroes that have to be in the middle of combat, so that you can maintain Link.
These Include:
You want to avoid casting on heroes that can break the Link easily, for example Blinkers, Invisibles, or things that move really really fast. Invisible heroes of course, can be linked if you have dusts or wards.
For example:

Or simply, cast Static Link on the thing that hits the hardest and fastest, as it is, or just before it is hitting things really hard and fast

What you should do in fights

1. Open Eye of the Storm.
2. Charge in and Cast Plasma Field (ensure allies are nearby)
3. Static Link a strong attacker that seems like he's about to commit or already committing to battle.
4. Attack something.
5. If they attack you open Blade Mail.

Team Battle Tips

• Absorbing damage is fine and all, but don't forget to run when you're dying! Don't stray too far, as you might still be able to contribute with Plasma Field and Eye.
• Don't underestimate Razor after a heavily charged or fully charged Link. You can often beat up full hp people with the bonus damage, especially if your opponent is the one that got Linked. Unless you're down to your last hit, or the enemy is ridiculously well farmed, you can usually win the fight.
• Pay attention to your teammates location. You don't want to be charging in and realize (too late) that your team has scattered or are dead. You also don't want to be too far away from your team.
• Be aware of your enemies and allies. Do the enemies have many disables? Are they fat with items? Are they good players or noobs? Are your allies capable players or skill-saving ksers? Will they leap in battle to support you? Are your allies farmed? All these you need to know in order to determine how aggressive you should be in a fight.
• Don't be (too) afraid to die. Dying but managing to help your team kill or win a crucial battle is worth it, so be a team player and sometimes sacrifice for the team.

Here's an example of application of some of the strategies and tips in this section :

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In this screenie, Venguful Spirit and Nerubian Assassin are allies, Wolf and Weaver are enemies. After we took mid-lane and are retreating, wolf and weaver mercilessly pursued my low hp allies.

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Wolf's BKB just ended. Unfortunately NA was killed by Wolf. I Immediately cast Static Link on him as BKB ends (note that he already committed to battle. I did not open Eye in the Storm as it was cooling down

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This is mere moments after the previous sceen. I moved back a bit as ihis target was probably going to be the low hp VS, while using Plasma Field, VS smartly stuns Wolf before continuing her run. Base damage +143 after 2 ticks from Static (My damage was buffed by VS's aura.)

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Wolf, knowing that I'm nearer, attacks me. I open Blade Mail. His ulti ends. Note base damage (+183).

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Realizing I had Blade Mail, he runs towards VS either to escape or to kill (his ally, Weaver is in that direction, kiling VS.) Base damage +203.

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I kill him before he can escape with my already huge damage. Base damage +264. Don't ask me where that extra 1 damage came from . Weaver pwned VS and attacks me. I counter with my huge damage.

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Weaver realizing he can't win, Shukuchi's away. I opened Eye that has completed CD, open phase and chases in to finish him off, only to be shackled by Rhasta. Note that mid-lane is gone, so this isn't as dangerous as it might look. Base damaged reduced to +231 due to VS dying and me losing the Command Aura effect. I don't think Weaver realizes my Eye in the Storm is raping him.

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Weaver naturally chases a damaged opponent, underestimating Razor and forgetting about my charged Static (He was Godlike and probably overconfident because of that).

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1 hit and half a Plasma Field later Weaver dies. Razor walks away unscathed.

X. Synergies and Counters
Good allies
Razor can tank, nuke and DPS. The 2 things he can't do are disable and initiate. Naturally, his best allies are disablers, anything from slows to stuns



and initiators



Initiators, in particular, help Razor position himself much better and be much more effective in a fight.

Bad Enemies
Razor isn't too vulnerable to any type of hero. Disablers are a bitch to everyone, particularly to agi carries, but Razor is actually much more resistant to disables then other heroes, as his skills still work when disabled.
Therefore, the real threat comes from heavy nukers, that can throw off your prediction for how long you can last in battle, and whose damage is not as easily countered with Blademail



and as all damage-absorbers, Necrolyte



who can take you out at half hp.

XI. Conclusion
Once again we have come to the end of the guide. Hopefully this guide can educate players on how to play the Lightning Revenant. If you think this guide is good, please leave a comment, if you think it's bad, leave a comment as well. Remember, Razor isn't about fast fingers and combos, but about attitude and map awareness. Thanks for reading and I hope you learned something from my guide.