Without having any escape tools, Samuel is at great risk of being ganked by Flicker especially early in the game. His fragile nature makes him a primary target for Flicker.
1
No Threat
2
Skaarf
Even though Skaarf can poke from a distance, Flicker can easily get on top of Skaarf and apply Fairy Dust allowing Flicker's allies to finish the kill. Farming under turret is Skaarf's only safety net.
3
Vox
Vox is very weak early game which means Flicker will want to apply a lot of pressure to him. He has Sonic Zoom to dash a short distance but this is not long enough to escape Fairy Dust.
4
Adagio
When Flicker applies Fairy Dust, Adagio is able to counter by using Gift of Fire to slow Flicker and hopefully flee. The Arcane Fire is also effective at preventing Flicker from going into stealth.
5
Lance
Lance is innately tanky and with the short cooldown on Gythian Wall he can check for Flicker quite frequently by using this ability.
6
Phinn
Flicker will not be able to use Mooncloak to engage onto Phinn as he is too tanky to be bursted down. In addition, Phinn can use Polite Company to break Flicker and his allies stealth.
7
Kestrel
Once Kestrel has 200 WP, she can instantly use Active Camo to maneuver away from Flicker.
8
Rona
Rona is unfazed by Flicker. She can easily use Into the Fray to create distance from Flicker or Red Mist to simply absorb incoming damage while greatly damaging Flicker.
9
Gwen
Gwen can easily use Buckshot Bonanza to reveal Flicker and his allies. At level 8, this ability has a mere 5 second cooldown which makes it easy to maintain vision on Flicker. Gwen can also utilize Skedaddle to maneuver out of Fairy Dust.
10
Celeste
Celeste is able to continually maintain vision in brush such that she can easily catch Flicker trying to take advantage of Willow Whisper. In addition, Julia's Light will also grant vision when Celeste basic attacks Flicker.
My name is FlashX. I am the ROAM player for Team SoloMid who are the current reigning North American SUMMER Champions (I know the above pic says Winter). I have been playing Vainglory since November 2014. I am currently Vainglorious Silver in the Autumn 2016 Season. You can check out my previous guide on 1.23 ROAM Adagio by going clicking here
This guide will focus on playing Flicker as a ROAM hero. Flicker is the newest hero to enter the Halcyon Fold and has already had a huge impact on overall game strategy. Heroes that have not been in the meta for a long time, particular melee heroes, are finding much greater viability now that they have a means to close the gap from the dominant ranged heroes of past metas. With the first Vainglory World Championships coming up shortly on Dec 2-4, Flicker will almost certainly have a very large impact. For complete gameplay and balance changes in 1.24 please go Here.
I believe Flicker is effective as a ROAM hero because of his ability to strengthen the overall effectiveness of melee carries by providing them with a means to close the gap between ranged heroes who fight and farm from a distance. Flicker primarily takes advantage of his Willow Whisper heroic perk to stealth onto enemies before using either Binding Light to root enemies in place or Fairy Dust to greatly slow them. Flicker can also use Mooncloak to grant stealth to all of his allies which enables melee heroes to walk right on top of enemies before unleashing a surprise attack!
"Flicker is a sneaky trickster able to disrupt foes with his debilitating abilities. Utilizing his stealth, Flicker can plunge deep into enemy lines causing mayhem or grant his team stealth to initiate on unsuspecting prey."
Flicker gains stealth and a move-speed bonus when in brush for 2s. Flicker can then leave the brush and remain stealthed for 3s.
Flicker has true sight while stealthed.
Taking damage, attacking or using abilities removes stealth.
Understanding how to manipulate map control using Willow Whisper is an essential part of Flicker's kit. Constantly staying out of sight makes it nearly impossible for enemies to know where Flicker is hiding. The invisibility allows Flicker to easily punish enemies who are caught out of position. The additional movement speed bonus makes maneuvering around the map easy to establish vision control. This heroic perk should be used to gank enemies during the early game, establish vision control using scout traps during the mid game, and scout for enemies during the late game.
Flicker commands his fairies to swarm the target location for 2s, dealing damage to enemies within it. When the effect expires, fairy light roots any enemy heroes still within the area.
Using Binding Light: Binding Light is the most difficult part of Flicker's kit. While this ability has the potential to root enemies for 1 second (1.5s if overdriven), it does not apply the root until 2 seconds after the ability was used. This makes it incredibly easy for enemies to dodge this ability. Even though this ability is difficult to use as intended, it has three (3) other uses that still makes it very effective. (1) Jungle clearing - Binding Light has relatively high damage output that makes it effective at killing jungle minions who are stationary when attacking. (2) Scouting - Using Binding Light in a bush will reveal any enemies who walk through it. This ability can be used a smaller version of a Flare throughout the game. (3) Zoning - This will actually be the primary use of Binding Light. By using this ability either behind or in front of enemies, you can effectively zone them into positions that are most favorable for Flicker and his allies. If enemies choose to ignore where the ability was used, then they are at risk of being rooted.
What to AVOID: Whenever Flicker casts an ability or basic attacks, he will lose stealth granted from either Willow Whisper or Mooncloak. Avoid revealing Flicker's position until the correct time whether it is engaging upon unsuspecting enemies by using Binding Light behind them or disengaging from attacking enemies by using Binding Light in front of them. It is important to remember that Binding Light does not apply a root until 2 seconds after use so timing where enemies will be after the ability is used is very important.
Flicker swirls fairy dust around him for 3s, slowing and dealing damage to anyone inside the dusted area. After 3s, the dust ignites, dealing a burst of damage.
Using Fairy Dust: Fairy Dust is the most dynamic part of Flicker's kit. Perhaps the single strongest slow on the Halcyon Fold, [[fairy dust can be used both offensively and defensively.
offensively - By utilizng Willow Whisper or Mooncloak to stealth on top of enemies, Flicker can activate Fairy Dust to slow all surrounding enemies for 3 seconds. This makes it very easy for Flicker's allies to deal massive amounts of damage as they are trapped inside the slow.
defensively - While it may be at the expense of Flicker's own life, Fairy Dust can be used to slow enemies who are chasing Flicker's allies. Unless enemies have a means of escape such as Glaive's Afterburn or Blackfeather's Rose Offensive it is very unlikely that enemies will be able to get past Fairy Dust to continue chasing their primary targets and may have to turn onto Flicker instead. When playing Flicker as a roam, it is often best to trade your own life in order to protect your carries.
What to AVOID: Avoid using this ability against enemies who have abilities that allow them to escape the cloud such as the one's previously mentioned or Rona's Into the Fray or Joule's Rocket Leap. Because this ability has a slightly longer cooldown, one should avoid using it to kill jungle camps if it is possible that a teamfight ensues after taking the camps.
After 1s, Flicker and his allies temporarily gain stealth and a move-speed bonus.
The stealth will break when a hero uses an ability, attacks or takes damage.
All heroes affected by this ability will have true sight while stealthed.
After a short time, that hero will stealth again so long as Mooncloak's duration has not expired.
Using Mooncloak: Mooncloak is a huge factor in the reason that melee heroes have seen a return to the competitive meta in 1.24. By granting stealth to Flicker and his allies, this ability can easily capitalize on heroes who are not within the safety of their turret and do not have an easy means of escape. Prior to using this ability, it is important for Flicker to use Flare to check for Scout Traps and avoid them while invisible. Flicker and his allies should always focus the squishiest hero who will often have the greatest damage output when breaking the invisibility.
What to AVOID: Avoid using Mooncloak when the enemy team has vision of Flicker or his allies. They will immediately retreat to the safety of their turrets. Using Flares to find Scout Traps is also important for Flicker and his allies to avoid when trying to engage onto the unsuspecting enemy team.
Even though the 1.24 update is still incredibly new, and we have yet to see any competitive play with Flicker, there are a couple of heroes who synergize incredibly well and can take the most advantage of the Mooncloak as a means to close the gap to enemy heroes.
CLOAK THE MIST|FOLLOW THE FRAY
Rona hasn't been in the competitive meta for quite some time as she has greatly struggled by being kited by enemies. With Flicker's Mooncloak she is able to stand directly on top of enemies and immediately attack them before begin her Red Mist. With Fairy Dust, enemies cannot escape from Red Mist unless they have an ability that allows them to do so. When enemies attempt to flee, she will still have Into the Fray ready and can chase down fleeing enemies with ease!
Fountain of Renewal Fountain of Renewal is the quintessential first item for all ROAM heroes. Offering both defense and utility, Fountain of Renewal is best utilized when allies are low on health during a team fight. Active: heals you and nearby allies for 2 health for each % missing health per second for 3 seconds. Fountain of Renewal can come in handy when multiple allies or Flicker are low in health and quickly give them enough to get back into the fight. The bonus health, shield, and little bit of armor also makes Flicker more durable in the front line where he can absorb damage for his allies!
War Treads War Treads pairs extremely well with Flicker. Active: Grant a sprint to all nearby teammates for 2 seconds. War Treads enables Flicker to quickly navigate the map with his allies and engage upon unsuspecting enemies. This can provide Flicker with a extra speed boost in order to get on top of enemies to apply Fairy Dust while granting allies the additional movement speed needed to secure a kill.
Crucible Crucible is best utilized against teams with area of effect (AOE) abilities. Active: Trigger Reflex Block for you and nearby teammates. This item can also be activated to provide a simple health barrier if an ally is close to dying. Examples: Blast Tremor (Catherine), Verse of Judgement (Adagio), Dragon Breath (Skaarf).
Atlas Pauldron Atlas Pauldron is best utilized against teams with high attack speeds. Active: Reduces attack speed of nearby enemy heroes by 65% for 5 seconds in a 4-meter range. Atlas Pauldron works extremely well with Flicker because Willow Whisper enables Flicker to get on top of enemies while applying the Atlas Pauldron. Examples: Ringo, SAW, Adagio.
Contraption
Contraption is a very useful items in many ways. Primarily, it is very effective at providing vision throughout the entire game. Charges should be focused on deploying [[scout traps while Flicker and his allies still continue to purchase Flare's. Contraption also grants 40% cooldown reduction which allows Flicker to use his abilities much more frequently.
Stormcrown Stormcrown is a very useful items in many ways. Primarily, it provides a significant increase in damage to objectives which can be very useful when pushing lane, securing gold mine, or even stealing a Kraken. Stormcrown also provides Flicker with 30% cooldown speed and +4 energy recharge which enables Flicker to use his abilities much more frequently.
Crystal Infusion Crystal Infusion should always be the chosen infusion for ROAM Flicker. The primary reason being that all of his abilities have crystal power ratios as well as the cooldown reduction so that Flicker can use his abilities at a quicker pace!
Using these different items depending on the situation will surely give you an advantage in team fights. A good Flicker will focus on counter-building the enemy team thus allowing him to offer the most utility and defense to his own team. Fountain of Renewal and War Treads are ESSENTIAL parts of Flicker's kit. In all situations they are considered effective because there is not a significant amount of counter play to them. Utilize Fountain of Renewal when Flicker or his allies become low in health, and use War Treads to either engage or disengage from a team fight.
1. Starting ITEMS: Light Shield, HALCYCON POTION, Flare, Scout Trap - As long as Flicker is sharing who is absorbing damage from the jungle camps with the jungle player, one potion will be sufficient.
2. Clearing the jungle: When the game begins, Flicker should position himself to stand directly on top of where the double large minions spawn at t = 25s. Flicker should immediately cast Fairy Dust and begin to basic attack the minions.
3. The first engagement: In most situations, both jungles will have finished this mirrored rotation at relatively the same time. At this point, an engagement is likely to occur. Use the Flare purchased at the begging of the game in a manner such that it reveals the enemy shop bush. Flicker and his ally will only want to engage the enemy jungle at this point if they feel they can win the fight. If not, it is a VERY good idea to rotate up to the lane and attempt to gank the enemy laner.
4. To Invade, or not to Invade? If you end up winning a fight in the jungle, simply purchase a potion and head for an invade. The enemy team likely has very weak early game heroes and will not be able to win a second engagement either. Just be careful to not take too much damage from the jungle minions if the enemy team is positioning for a re-engagement. If you decided to go up to lane for a gank, whether it was successful or not, you should return to your jungle to clear it immediately. Note: If the enemy team has a much stronger jungle, they may have invaded and it is important to utilize flares to see if they have indeed invaded. If so, they simply rotate into the enemy jungle and take their camps instead.
Playing the MID GAME: (t = 8:00 - 15:00)
Flicker begins to ramp up in the mid game. He hits his first major power spike once he completes his Fountain of Renewal and his War Treads, a second major power spike when he reaches level 6 to unlock his Mooncloak, and a final power spike when he reaches level 8 in order to overdrive Fairy Dust so that he now has a massive amount of slowing making it nearly impossible for enemies to run away. All of this will happen during the mid game. Flicker's decisions here should be reflective of his allies versus the enemies. If his allies are strong in the mid game, Flicker will want to be aggressive, using his Fairy Dust to capitalize on enemies so that objectives such as turrets or the gold miner can be secured. If Flicker and his allies have a weaker midgame, saving War Treads as a tool for a disengage is encouraged.
Playing the LATE GAME: (t = 15:00 - End of Game)
While Flicker should have built an immense amount of both defensive and utility items at this point, the enemy team has also scaled significantly in their damage. Choosing fights selectively is very important at this stage in the game. Flicker does tend to fall of slightly in the late game as enemies can survive through being slowed and will have Reflex Blocks to prevent being rooted by Binding Light. In addition enemies will greatly suspect Mooncloak when they have no vision of Flicker or his allies and begin to set up a significant amount of Scout Traps.
What to avoid:
1. Avoid taking last hits. Flicker's allies should always be the ones who get the last hit. Flicker will earn 75% of all gold that his allies earn from ambient gold. 2. Avoid overextending. While it is important for Flicker to be the frontline for his team, he needs to make sure his allies are in a position to help Flicker should he be engaged upon. If caught out of position, Flicker can use Binding Light to zone away enemies or Fairy Dust to prevent them from getting on top of Flicker. 4. Be patient with Mooncloak. This ability has an incredibly long cooldown and making sure it is used effectively is very important. Flicker should preemptively check for Scout Traps to make sure that when this ability is used that he does not reveal himself or his allies.
1. Skill Skipping - In all of my guides, the suggested path for choosing abilities ALL involves skill skipping. What is skill skipping? A unique opportunity presents itself when all heroes reach level 5. The average player will simply choose an ability which most commonly is level 2 of their less important ability ( Petal's Trampoline! 'jump' or Taka's Kaku 'box' are good examples). These abilities do NOT provide a large benefit to the heroes. In this guide I utilize skill skipping to achieve a level 4 Fairy Dust and a level 1 Mooncloak when I reach level 6. How does skill skipping work? When you reach level 5, DO NOT SELECT AN ABILITY TO LEVEL UP. This is NEVER a disadvantage. Some players may find it unsettling that they have the option to improve one of their abilities but are choosing not to do so. However, once you reach level 6, you will be able to upgrade an ability to level 4 as well as getting your C Ability ( Mooncloak) to level 1. This differs from normally having a Level 3, Level 2, and Level 1 ability when you reach level 6. However, if you do engage in an important team fight at level 5, it is okay to upgrade an ability at this point. Obviously it will help slightly. For Flicker, this is his Fairy Dust. At level 6, Flicker should have a level 1 Binding Light, Level 1 Mooncloak, and Level 4 Fairy Dust. The additional slowing output can make a huge difference when Flicker reaches level 6.
2. Voice communication. While Vainglory does have userfriendly ping options which can to a degree communicate what to do between allies, voice communication is standard for any team based eSport. Being able to decide what actions to take in the upcoming 5 seconds before a teamfight such as who to focus, is incredibly important. When using Mooncloak to initiate the fight, Flicker should communicate who the priority focus is and how her allies should follow up after the enemies have been silenced. My team prefers to use an iOS/PC app called Curse.
3. Be Patient. - Sometimes the enemy team may not be positioned in away that will allow Flicker to slow them with Fairy Dust at the start of a fight. It may be more important to wait until 2 or more enemies are positioned in a way in which Flicker can slow them with Fairy Dust such that his allies can more easily engage. Selecting teamfights located in the jungle may make this task easier as enemies are more often clumped in tight choke points.
4. Positioning. Positioning in team fights is very important. Similarly to how all ROAM heroes should be played ROAM Flicker will want to be the frontline for his team and absorb as much damage as possible. Often, this puts Flicker directly on top of enemies heroes which will mean Fairy Dust should always be super effective. Landing a Binding Light in this manner will also be easier!
THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to read and study my 1.24 ROAM Flicker guide. Every situation is different and depending on what situation you are in will dictate exactly how to utilize this guide to your best benefit. This is by no means a definitive guide on how to play Flicker but purely my interpretation of him as a hero in the ROAM role. I hope everyone is able to learn a thing or two in order to improve your own gameplay. Please feel free to comment with questions, criticism, or any feedback whatsoever so that I can continue writing guides that will best benefit the Vainglory community in the future.
If you're not following me already, here are the links to my social media channels to stay up to date with everything going on in the Vainglory community and with @TeamSoloMid
VaingloryFire is the place to find the perfect build guide to take your game to the next level. Learn how to play a new hero, or fine tune your favorite VG hero’s build and strategy.
Flicker
Glaive
Afterburn
Blackfeather
Rose Offensive
Into the Fray
Joule
Rocket Leap
Red Mist
Feint of Heart
Forward Barrage
Spitfire
Malice & Verdict
Reflex Block
Petal
Trampoline!
Taka
Kaku
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