Hi! My IGN is ShadowHunter16 and I'm in SEA server. Please do add me :) At the moment, my skill tier is at Worthy Foe silver since i never really get change to play ranked match due to network problems ( mostly large lag ). But, i have some experience playing with and against Vainglorious, PoA, Simply Amazing, etc. I've played Vainglory for, I think, more than a year, probably. In this time span, Vaingoryfire has helped me in playing Vainglory. So, I do want to replicate this, and help others by sharing my thoughts about my fav. hero, Ardan. I usually like to play as laner and jungle, but I excel best in Roamer position. And Ardan is the hero that really make me like playing roamer. I'd like to share my thoughts about this hero through this guide. It's my first and hence, far from being a good guide. So, please do leave comments about anything. Any comments would be appreciated. Would update when i have times. Fun Reading ! Enjoy !!!
Julia's Gift
Slot: Heroic Perk
Ardan
heals for 1% of his missing health every time he takes damage. The healing can never exceed 75% of the damage taken. Instead of energy, Ardan uses a yellow meter called Vengeance. Vengeance builds over time and can also be gained with basic attacks, critical strikes and abilities. Because Ardan has no energy, any bonus energy (5%) and energy regeneration (50%) are converted to crystal power.
This is probably one of effective perk in the meta. It acts like
Lifespring , but you could have it while in battle. This is why Ardan can be very strong as a roamer. This perk will keep him alive in most battles. It may not be noticeable, but you'd be glad to have it.
Vanguard
Slot : A
Ardan dashes to an ally,
damaging and slowing nearby enemies while granting the target a burst of move speed and a 3-second barrier that scales with 15% of Ardan's bonus health. Any time the ally takes damage, Ardan gains vengeance.
This ability can be used on Ardan, but the barrier, speed boost and vengeance gain is only half as strong.
Overdrive: Vanguard grants 30% vengeance when cast on an ally.
Second most important skill in Ardan. Vanguard provide both boost and health barrier to ally or himself. This skill can be difference between life and death, win or lose.
Use Vanguard for these situations :
1. Getaway
2. Chasing fleeing enemy
3. Survivability from damages
4. Farming ( not necessary )
5. Slow casted
6. Reaching ally / closing down on enemy
*For boosting laner faster to the middle lane at the start of the game ( Personal Preference )
*Don't hesitate to use it on yourself. If you're being attacked, cast on yourself !
Blood for Blood
Slot : B
Ardan leaps forward and punches his target. This
deals crystal as well as weapon damage (that can crit) and is treated like a basic attack. Blood for Blood can only be activated when Ardan has 100% vengeance and will consume all of it.
Overdrive: Blood for Blood deals an additional 25% weapon and crystal damage.
This is Ardan main skill. Treated as basic attacks,
Blood for Blood synergies very well with some items, such as aftershock. Aftershock and
Blood for Blood can make huge punch onto enemy. It's advised to utilize this skill as best as you can.
*In some guides, I've seen some people try to Overdrive
Blood for Blood and level 1
Vanguard by level 7. It's not like I'm against it, I just prefer not to do it since
Vanguard is still as important as
Blood for Blood. So, having balance between these 2 skills feels kinda better.
Gauntlet
Slot: C
Ardan throws down the gauntlet, projecting a perimeter around the target area and gaining full vengeance.
Enemies who cross the perimeter are stunned and take crystal damage. Successfully stunning an enemy grants Ardan vengeance. If Ardan leaves the perimeter it is immediately destroyed.
This skill responsible for what other player think first when they hear the word 'Ardan'. Yes,
Gauntlet. This is the most amazing ultimate in my opinion. Useful, yet so hard to use correctly. This ultimate is a terrane-changing battlefield. It can alter the fight's favor if you can put it down correctly.
These are the use of
Gauntlet so far :
1. Initiation of battle / ambush
2. Safety Escape
3. Stun fleeing enemy ( placed directly on top on the enemy )
4. Separate roamer and carry
5. Separate enemy and teammates
6. Making sure in acquiring Kraken or Gold Mine or kills.
*Don't be intimidated when you fail in first few attempts. Keep practicing! I've failed many times, but you'll get there. Practice makes perfect !
**If you are able to place
Gauntlet correctly, you should try put gauntlet in use of different situation. Like put it by crossing the wall is one hack of awesome way to do it
0.00-5.00 Start - Early game
Start of with buying either
Oakheart or
Ironguard Contract, add
Flare and
Halcyon Potion.
1. Buy
Oakheart if your jungle is a quick jungle-clearer ; such as
Koshka ,
Glaive ,
Kestrel etc.
2. Buy
Ironguard Contract if your jungler is rather slow in clearing jungle at early game ; such as
Taka ,
Alpha ,
Blackfeather etc. Or you want to play safe during farming.
3. Buy
Protector Contract if you wanna fend off early jungle invaders / play defensively as your jungle carry is not typical strong in early game
4. Buy
Dragonblood Contract if you're planning to early jungle invade / playing aggressively to dominate the whole jungle. Do this if you have strong early game heroes with you or you wanna prevent enemy jungle leveling.
When the 10-sec timer is done, sprint quickly to the opening of your base turret ( the 3rd turret from the Halcyon Crystal ) along with your teammates. I'd boost my laner using
Vanguard right after the sprint duration is over, just to get ahead. It's personal preference, you don't need to follow if you don't like it.
The method of jungling you choose can vary. One of the most recent ones is to divide jungle minions same between the roamer and jungle carry. But as my
Ardan gameplay, I'd prefer doing the old fashioned way. But you can choose to your liking. Don't be scared if your health runs low though after first jungle clearing. Just use
Halcyon Potion and your perk will help you get back to full health again.
At first jungle shop visit, buy
Sprint Boots and some
Flare and
Halcyon Potion instead of other items for utility purpose. As
Ardan, you need to be able marauding quickly to engage battle or help your ally or moving to strategic position.
*Notes : I'm the player that prefers to use
Flare rather than
Scout Trap. So, I'd rarely buy
Scout Trap in every game unless it's imminent, such as when my laner is
SAW who needs vision around the lane bushes. I'd prefer to pop
Flare when in jungle. I know some of you might think that I'm a jackass not deserved to be a roamer if I don't buy
Scout Trap. It's okay though for me if you want to say that.
Keep jungling until at least your jungle reach level 6. Once in a while visit the lane to pop some flares or put scout traps or to set up ganks. Remember : Communication is the key. Communicate with your ally.
At the next few trips to shop, you should start upgrading
Oakheart into
Lifespring and
Light Shield to
Kinetic Shield. I suggest to acquire
Lifespring first before
Kinetic Shield since
Lifespring synchronize better with your heroic perk,
Julia's Gift. But if you are against crystal jungle carry such jungle
Skye or
Reim, then
Kinetic Shield is a better choice than
Lifespring
You should acquire
Fountain of Renewal by the end of early game phase, unless you're having a hard time farming in the case of losing jungle domination to enemy team. But you should acquire it by the early phase of mid game.
5.00-10.00 ( Mid game )
You should now start earning money for
Crucible. Start with 2
Oakheart since they provide more HP than a single
Dragonheart. Sell
Halcyon Potion if you need some money to complete the
Crucible or to make space for
Oakhearts.
Dragonheart first, then
Reflex Block since HP is more important if you're a roamer.
You should finish
Crucible by the mid phase of mid game if you're farming well. Late phase of mid game is your limit. Then upgrade
Sprint Boots to
Travel Boots. After this you have 2 choice :
1. Start building
Aftershock. This is the most common path i'd choose in most games since
Aftershock synchronize very well with
Blood for Blood ; and you need to make big impacts on game, mostly through this combo. It can give significant damage to enemy carry.
Build path : buy
Crystal Bit and
Hourglass. Then upgrade them to
Eclipse Prism and
Chronograph. Then to
Aftershock. And then starts building towards
Atlas Pauldron.
2. If you face against attack speed-building hero or facing hero depending on attack speed, such as full AS
Vox or WP
SAW, you should rush toward
Atlas Pauldron first rather than
Aftershock. Sometimes, it's better to neutralize this kind of threats rather than focusing on damage. Follow the paths to build
Atlas Pauldron then continue to
Aftershock.
These two items should finish by around late game to very late game phase.
10.00-15.00 ( Late Game )
You should have finished all your core items by now. At this moment forward, your potential will be shown. Ardan's present will be felt strongly in fights by now. Sell your remaining
Flare and buy
Dragonheart to move towards
War Treads. But, if you feel insecure in jungle, you should acquire
Flare in favor of
Dragonheart for vision. Don't spend gold unless necessary ( buying infusions for teamfights). You can buy
War Treads directly from
Travel Boots and 1500 gold.
15.00-end game ( Very late game )
This is the critical moment in every match. Every team fights won can lead to victories, and lost ones will result in defeat. So, every team fights this moment onwards are important. All your items now are made for this times. Team-wide support of
War Treads,
Fountain of Renewal,
Atlas Pauldron, and
Crucible ; single target damage of
Aftershock. It's vital that you use all this items at the right moments.
After 5 finished items, you can choose 1 more item from these items :
1.
Bonesaw ; attack speed and armor shredding. Vital if your enemy are building armor. It can also be used as damage amplifier
2.
Breaking Point ; attack speed and damage amplifier. Buy this if you are the last one alive in team fights. This item can turn the tides of fights.
Breaking Point is very useful yet powerful in a prolong fights.
3.
Stormcrown ; provide immense of true damage after every use of skills. Provide great addition to your vengeance restoring. It acts like a tension bow, but only deals 1/6 damage, nevertheless it synchronize quite well with
Blood for Blood and
Aftershock combo.
4.
Shiversteel ; provide HP close to
Crucible. Applies slow on every hit, useful against slippery enemies.
I would prefer using
Bonesaw among the other items since it provides attack speed as well as armor spreading. It's very useful in team fights.
Don't forget to buy infusion, primarily
Weapon Infusion if you think team fight is about to break down. It can be very decisive.
Thank you so much for making time reading my first ever guide. It's still far from being a good guide, but i really hope that this guide can help anyone that would like to play
Ardan or give some other perspective on playing this hero. Any comments will be taken highly and will be used to improve this guide to be better.
Any critics and comments will be considered to be added on next guide updates.
Please leave any comments, and please vote !!! If this guide has many votes, I might consider making another guides. Thanks !!!
Verse of Judgement
Termination Protocol
Blast Tremor
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