Hey everyone, Librarian Husky is here. Today we’re going to be looking at the best carry Spectre build for patch 7.37e. This is one of the best carries of the patch: the win rate has skyrocketed, and the pick rate has also increased significantly. Last patch, it was somewhat overlooked; while it was decent, it wasn’t picked as much due to the presence of other strong carries. However, with those other carries being nerfed, Spectre has become one of the top two or three carries in this patch. We’ll examine the different item builds available, as there are essentially two main item builds to consider. But before diving into that, we need to discuss the facets and the twist.

The Knife Facet

The Knife facet is the one you’ll want to select every single time; no one is really opting for the Forsaken facet since it’s not particularly effective. While it can slightly improve your farming capability, that’s not the primary concern when you aim to be more involved in fights, and the Knife facet aids in achieving that. With Reality being a zero cooldown spell, you can jump in and out of those illusions whenever you wish; there’s no waiting period to jump back out, and if you purchase EGS, you won’t have to wait any time while transitioning between illusions.

Ultimate and Spectral D

Additionally, using your ultimate grants you a spectral D every time you activate it, providing a bit of extra damage when you switch to that illusion upon activation. While this may not significantly enhance your late-game scaling—yes, you might deal a little more damage to creeps and other entities—it’s not a major concern. The primary objective is to participate actively in fights, secure your timings, and ultimately have an impact during the late game; this build is optimal for achieving that.

Understanding the Importance of Illusions

That’s why people are choosing it the most; it provides a little bit of extra survivability by allowing you to switch between all those illusions quickly and escape if you find yourself in danger. This is the option you will select almost every single time. Now, let’s examine the skill build and item build.

Item Build Overview

For the item build, the starting items are quite straightforward: Quelling Blade, Tango, components for a Wraith Band, and two Iron Branches. You’ll select these items in every game; they form the basic melee agility carry starting setup. You’ll complete the Wraith Band, finish the Magic Wand, and acquire Power Treads. This sequence occurs in nearly every game because you’ll benefit significantly from the HP burst provided by your Dispersion. Additionally, engaging early with Shadow Step exposes you to more spells being cast, allowing you to accumulate charges; thus, you’ll follow this pattern every single game.

Options for Advanced Items

From this point, you have several options: while getting Blade Mail every game is acceptable, there will be instances where it may not be the best choice. Blade Mail does not always deter enemies effectively, and its value can vary based on matchups. Therefore, it’s essential to learn which heroes are adversely affected by Blade Mail and which ones are indifferent. Although it can speed up your farming in the jungle when creeps attack you, it may also discourage enemies from trying to kill you—especially when you use Haunt. However, it can sometimes become a waste of gold when you’re aiming for more significant late-game items, as it is an intermediary piece.

Effective Item Build for Spectre

In gameplay, it can sometimes feel like a waste when attempting to acquire larger items. However, these bigger items have two main paths. The first path is the one I recommend pursuing almost every game, as it is incredibly effective for participating in early fights rather than making the hero a passive farmer. This involves acquiring Orchid either after Blade Mail or as the first item. With this item, you can Shadow Step in, silence enemies, slow them down, and deal immense amounts of damage. You can eliminate mid carries and virtually any hero in the game once you obtain this early Orchid; it is highly effective.

Manta Style as a Key Item

Following Orchid, Manta Style should be your second significant item because it synergizes exceptionally well with Desolate. You will always want to acquire this item, especially since it enables you to melt Roshan with ease. It’s surprising how much damage you can inflict with Roshan; while Spectre may not initially seem like a Roshan hero, combining Desolate with Manta allows you to easily take down Roshan. If you haunt in, silence your target, slow them down, and then use Manta Style, they will likely perish unless they have a Black King Bar or some means of escape.

Nullifier for Enhanced Target Control

After Manta Style, the next item on your list should be Nullifier. This item enhances your ability to stick to targets since it prevents supports from using Force Staff or Glimmer Cape to escape. You could also opt to finish Bloodthorn before acquiring Nullifier; however, securing these three items—Orchid, Manta Style, and Nullifier—will significantly enhance your effectiveness in fights.

Gameplay Strategy and Build Explanation

Yes, you are somewhat squishy; it’s true that you don’t have a ton of HP with this build. However, with this method, you essentially jump in, kill one hero instantly, and then jump out. This is the core strategy you’re employing.

Tankiness and Offensive Playstyle

You can certainly benefit from acquiring a Blade Mail to be a bit tankier and deter enemies from targeting you. Nevertheless, this isn’t a major consideration since when you use Twist the Knife, you can jump in, apply pressure on the enemy, utilize your Manta, and if the situation seems too dangerous, you can simply retreat back to your previous location and remain safe. Occasionally, your illusions may even finish off your target, which can be surprisingly effective.

Alternative Build Options

This explains why opting for a less tanky, more offensive build is viable due to the mechanics of Shadow Step—allowing you to engage and disengage rapidly. If you prefer a more gradual yet reliable late-game build, instead of rushing for the Orchid followed by the Manta, you could go straight for Radiance or perhaps Blade Mail into Radiance. From there, you would then acquire the Manta. The Manta will always be your second significant item, but you have the flexibility to choose whether to get Orchid or Radiance first.

Situational Considerations

There will be scenarios where you may feel unable to jump in and secure solo kills with Orchid due to various protective abilities or if you’re facing heroes like Abaddon. In such cases, silencing Abaddon may not be particularly effective.

Item Build Considerations

There are many factors to consider regarding matchups in this context, particularly the prevalence of Blink Daggers and heroes that are significantly countered by Radiance. This item is generally regarded as superior overall, especially since its evasion can be highly effective against numerous right-click heroes. Over time, this can accumulate since there is little evasion available otherwise.

Matchup Dependency

Clearly, the effectiveness of these items is highly dependent on the specific matchups. Following this, acquiring the Aegis is likely one of the next steps in your item progression. While it isn’t mandatory to obtain it immediately, this represents the core skill build or item tree you should follow based on the skill matchups. Once you have Radiance, you’ll be able to utilize Haunting effectively.

Alternative Item Choices

You might opt to delay acquiring Aegis and instead consider going for an Orchid or another damage-dealing item. Alternatively, you could focus on building tankiness with items like Scotty if you believe that approach is necessary before ultimately pursuing the Aegis.

Synergy with Radiance

It’s essential to obtain the Aegis eventually if you decide to go for Radiance, as it synergizes well with the older build styles associated with this hero. Later on, once you have three or four core items, you can revisit Bloodthorn and Nullifier. Ultimately, your item progression may include obtaining a blessing to make the EGS disappear and then acquiring a Refresher as your final item.

Item Build Strategies in Late Game

In every game, your item choices can vary significantly. For instance, if you choose not to build Radiance, you might opt for Butterfly or other alternatives. Ultimately, the direction you take in the early game influences your late-game effectiveness. Do you want to engage actively with your ultimate to eliminate opponents, or prefer a gradual buildup that makes you a formidable tank in the mid-game?

Team Composition and Role Decisions

Your item choices heavily depend on your team’s composition. If you need to serve as the frontline and be nearly invulnerable, consider engaging aggressively if the enemy lacks effective counters. Alternatively, if your role allows, focusing on damage output to isolate and eliminate enemy heroes may be more beneficial. Each matchup requires careful consideration, as the gameplay strategy is not one-size-fits-all.

Late Game Considerations

As the game progresses into the late stages, items like Scotty become essential, although Abyssal Blade may not be a frequent choice in your main build. If you have Radiance, pursuing Butterfly for evasion may not be necessary. Instead, prioritize Refresher as a key late-game item while also considering Shard for additional capabilities.

Situational Items in Gameplay

Situational items can play a critical role in survival during gameplay. While it’s rare, there are occasions when a Black King Bar (BKB) is necessary for a carry hero. Although purchasing Midas instead of Blade Mail may be viewed as a risky move, it remains a viable option under certain circumstances. In specific matchups, like facing Phantom Assassin or Wind Ranger, an MKB might be essential, while Nullifier is effective against heroes who rely on Butterfly or possess evasion. Typically, players opt for Eye of Scotty for tankiness, rather than Heart, unless pursuing an ultra-tank build.

Specific Situational Needs

Lincoln’s Sphere is a situational item that can be crucial against heroes like Doom or others that require focused attention. Moonshard is primarily a late-game item, while Diffusal Blade is rarely purchased due to the typical build preferences of the hero. However, it can be beneficial in unique situations where mana burning is advantageous against certain opponents. Despite its potential usefulness, Diffusal Blade does not hold the same value as it once did.

Historical Context of Items

Echo Sabre is mentioned here as it was once a popular choice among heroes in past gameplay. Although it has lost relevance in the current meta, there may be rare instances where it could replace Blade Mail in early-game strategies. Overall, Echo Sabre’s applicability is quite limited in contemporary gameplay scenarios.

Hero Build Overview

I just have it included in there because it is an option. So that’s the item build for the hero: really two main paths ending up at the same place generally.

Skill Build Strategy

Then the skill build is extremely easy: you’re just going to be maxing out Spectral Dagger—getting it first will level this hero up a bunch here—to level 25. So you’re going to get Spectral Dagger first; then you’re going to go for Dispersion as your second level every single time—then Spectral Dagger again—and then from here it’s a little bit of a mix-up depending on what you want to do. If you feel like you have some aggressive potential or something like that—you can maybe go one point in Desolate—to isolate out some targets—you have potential for mid-to-rotate or if guys are having a really good lane—you can go for that one point in Desolate.

Maximizing Skills

Otherwise, you’re just going to be getting that second point in Dispersion—maxing out Spectral Dagger first—then maxing out Dispersion second—getting the ultimate whenever you can obviously—and then maxing out Desolate last—and like I said, ultimate whenever you can. It’s pretty straightforward: it’s really just Spectral Dagger, Dispersion, then Desolate and ultimate whenever you can. It’s really about that one point at level four whether you want to go one point in Desolate or not—which is not a big deal either way honestly.

Tanky vs. Aggressive Build

This is just the tanky build; this is maybe a little bit more aggressive. Then for talents, we’re going to be going for the right-hand talents all the way until 25: Spectral Dagger cooldown—this is just good for farming in general—you don’t really need the health regen as much—it’s okay—but you just want this more for participating and for farming and all that kind of stuff; it can just be really helpful to have more of these daggers in fights even in late game.

Understanding the Spectre Build

The Desolate damage is crucial when opting for the Orchid build, which focuses on isolating and quickly eliminating targets. This strategy enhances the overall effectiveness of your strikes, especially when combined with your illusions. While some players may choose alternative builds, this approach is currently favored for its efficiency.

Health Talent Versus Tank Items

In many games, it’s essential to prioritize health talent over items like Spectral Dagger. Since you might not be purchasing many tanky items, having that extra health becomes vital for survivability. This choice significantly improves the hero’s effectiveness during matches, making it a superior option in most situations.

Haunt Damage and Dispersion

While Haunt damage can be useful, it tends to be short-lived compared to the advantages offered by Radiance. Dispersion, on the other hand, enhances your tankiness and increases damage when opponents engage you. This ability is particularly valuable in the late game, providing a consistent 5% increase on a passive that proves to be effective.

Timing and Strategy for Skills and Talents

Acquiring Dispersion early on is crucial; while it becomes available at level 30, obtaining it at level 25 significantly boosts your capabilities. The skill build and talent tree are relatively straightforward, but the item build requires careful consideration based on matchups and team compositions. This comprehensive approach defines the Spectre build for patch 7.

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