Welcome, adventurers! This is Librarian Husky, your trusted guide to mastering the art of support play. Today, we delve into the world of Position 4 Magnus, a rising star in the competitive scene known for his versatility, crowd control, and game-changing ultimate. With the power to reposition enemies, control key areas of the map, and unleash devastating Reverse Polarity (RP) stuns, Magnus has become a must-know hero for players looking to dominate from the support role. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from laning strategies to late-game decision-making, so you can lead your team to victory with precision and power. Let’s sharpen those horns and charge into battle!

Why Magnus is a Strong Position 4 Hero

Magnus has recently gained immense popularity as a position 4 support hero in competitive play. Teams are recognizing the versatility, utility, and sheer impact he brings to the table. His abilities allow him to disrupt enemy positioning, control the lane, and provide substantial team fight presence. This guide will explore the key aspects of playing Magnus as a support, covering his laning stage, itemization, ability usage, and overall strategy to maximize his impact in the game.

Base Stats and Their Importance

The base stats of a support hero are essential for determining how well they can trade, sustain in lane, and control key positions. Magnus boasts strong base stats, including 400 mana, 800 health, 63 base attack damage, and 305 movement speed. While his armor is subpar, his movement speed is faster than many other supports, giving him a natural edge in early trades. This combination of high damage, health, and speed allows Magnus to contest creep pulls and establish control over his lane.

Key Abilities of Magnus

Magnus‘s abilities make him a versatile and dangerous position 4 support. His primary spells include Shockwave, Empower, Skewer, and Reverse Polarity (RP). Shockwave is his bread-and-butter ability for trading, repositioning, and creep securing. Empower provides bonus cleave and base attack damage, useful for buffing cores. Skewer allows Magnus to displace enemies, pulling them out of position. Lastly, RP is a powerful AoE stun that can change the course of team fights.

Shockwave: The Core of Magnus’s Playstyle

Shockwave is one of Magnus’s most crucial tools as a support. It costs only 75 mana at level one and deals damage in a straight line while also slowing enemies. This ability allows Magnus to secure ranged creeps, trade effectively, and reposition enemy heroes. The slow effect from Shockwave can be decisive in early engagements, often leading to first blood opportunities or zone control during laning.

Skewer: Repositioning Mastery

Skewer is another pivotal tool for Magnus. This ability lets him pull enemies toward his team or into unfavorable positions, such as cliffs or under friendly towers. Proper usage of Skewer requires precision and timing, but it can lead to devastating plays that shift the momentum of a game. By combining it with Blood Grenades, players can deal additional damage and secure kills on vulnerable targets.

Early Game Strategy and Laning Phase

The laning phase is crucial for Magnus as a position 4 support. His role during this phase is to disrupt enemy positioning, secure last hits, and assist his offlane core in gaining a farm advantage. He achieves this through effective use of Shockwave, Skewer, and clever itemization.

Blocking the Small Camp

Blocking the enemy’s small camp is a vital tactic in the early game. Magnus’s high movement speed allows him to be one of the best heroes for this role. By controlling the small camp, he denies the enemy support the ability to pull creeps, which prevents the enemy offlaner from resetting creep equilibrium. Successfully blocking camps gives his lane partner a more stable and advantageous lane.

Effective Use of Starting Items

Starting items for Magnus should prioritize health, mana regeneration, and utility. Recommended items include branches, circlets, a set of tangos, and a healing salve. These items give Magnus early health and mana to trade efficiently. Players should also consider picking up a Magic Stick, especially in lanes where enemies frequently cast spells. Later, items like Infused Raindrops help mitigate magical damage and sustain Magnus‘s presence in the lane.

Early Item Progression

After the initial starting items, Magnus should prioritize Boots of Speed for early mobility. This allows him to rotate effectively, control runes, and chase down targets. Upgrading to Arcane Boots later on ensures he has sufficient mana to spam his abilities in skirmishes. A Wind Lace may also be purchased to increase his movement speed and improve his ability to secure kills.

Mid-Game Strategies and Roaming

As the laning phase ends, Magnus’s role shifts from a laning support to a roaming playmaker. His goal is to apply map pressure, assist with rune control, and seek opportunities to initiate fights. His presence alone can force enemies to play more defensively, as his Skewer and RP can be game-changing.

Key Roaming Techniques

Roaming as Magnus requires map awareness and knowledge of where the enemy is likely to farm. Magnus can effectively contest mid-lane with Skewer plays, especially if he can drag enemies into tower range. His ability to cliff enemy heroes using Skewer is particularly devastating, as it often forces them to use Town Portal Scrolls or wait for rescue.

Boots as a Core Item

Boots of Speed are essential for Magnus’s roaming potential. They allow him to move quickly between lanes, control power runes, and set up critical kills for his team. Depending on the game, players may opt for Arcane Boots or Tranquil Boots, with Arcane Boots being the preferred choice to support his mana needs.

Key Skills and Talents

Skill progression for Magnus typically prioritizes Shockwave for creep control, followed by Skewer for displacement plays. Empower is often deprioritized in support builds, especially if there are no strong melee cores on the team. Talent choices depend on the state of the game and the role Magnus is expected to play.

Skill Progression Tips

Players should aim to maximize Shockwave first, as it is Magnus‘s main trading and creep control tool. Skewer should be leveled up next for stronger repositioning, while Empower is left for later levels unless a strong melee carry is on the team.

Talents to Prioritize

Magnus‘s talent tree offers strong choices that enhance his utility and team fight presence. At level 10, the extra slow on Shockwave is a solid pick, while at level 15, players often choose the “All Stats Per RP Hit” talent to become tankier. For level 20 and beyond, the choice depends on team needs, with options like reduced Skewer cooldown or enhanced Shockwave damage.

Late Game and Team Fights

As the game enters the late stages, Magnus‘s role transitions to a full team fight initiator. His primary task is to land game-changing RPs and ensure his team can capitalize on the lockdown. Patience is crucial at this stage, as mistimed RPs can lose critical engagements.

Reverse Polarity (RP) Mechanics

RP is Magnus‘s most powerful team fight ability. Proper use of this skill can instantly turn a losing fight into a winning one. Players should look for opportunities to land multi-hero RPs, especially in coordination with AoE follow-up spells from allies. Using Blink Dagger to position and cast RP can catch enemies off-guard, especially if done with the “Turn RP” technique, which involves quickly turning before casting RP to surprise enemies.

How to Perform the “Turn RP”

To perform a Turn RP, players need to position their mouse in front of their target, blink toward them, and then instantly move the mouse behind Magnus and press RP. This results in a fast, unexpected RP that can catch multiple enemies at once.

Late Game Itemization

In the late game, Magnus should prioritize Blink Dagger, Aether Lens, and Aghanim’s Shard. The Shard enhances Shockwave, giving it extra range and double-hit mechanics, making it a wave-clear and poke tool. For additional utility, Magnus can buy Force Staff or Glimmer Cape for positioning and survivability.

Effective Use of Reverse Polarity

The timing of RP can determine the outcome of a match. Instead of using RP as a panic button, it should be used strategically. Magnus should position himself to get the best possible multi-hero RP, which can often lead to game-winning moments.

Key Late Game Decisions

Patience is critical in late-game team fights. Magnus should hold his RP until he can catch at least two or three enemies. Rushing RP can backfire if it only stuns a single enemy. By staying hidden with Blink Dagger, Magnus can wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.

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