He can't really do much. Buy an Aegis if he is CP and you'll be ok. Remind your captain to get a Crucible.
1
Phinn
Dodge stun with your dash. Simple. Get a reflex block.
1
Lyra
Beware her sneaky teleport-snare combo, she can't do much else. Stay out of range and don't dash into her Bulwark and you'll be fine.
1
Reim
Old people are slow, so don't worry too much about him. Kite and poke, simple. Watch out when he uses boots. Get a reflex block for his ult.
2
Petal
You'll always out-damage her. Just don't step on her seeds and you'll be ok. Watch out for her ult and reposition accordingly.
2
Grumpjaw
Dodge, dodge, and dodge his A and ult. No fear, just kite. Get a Shiversteel and Reflex Block.
2
Vox
You out-range him and you deal more damage. In teamfights, kill him first.
2
Skye
You're mobile enough to dodge her skillshots. Stick to her amd kill her. Watch out for sneaky ults; get a Reflex block.
2
Celeste
You out-range her and out-damage her. However, when you dive in, beware sneaky stuns and supernovas. Get shield and she shouldn't be a problem.
3
Gwen
Watch out early game for that insane burst. Get a Reflex Block for her ult and some armor or a Husk. Late game she cannot burst you without retriggering her perk; burst her before she bursts you.
3
Koshka
Block stun and kite. Get shield.
3
Samuel
Skillshot reliant. Get shield. Focus him in fights. You have higher DPS than him, so he shouldn't be a problem. Reflex Block for ult.
4
Joule
Watch out for her stun because it is your biggest problem. Walk in zigzags to make her miss her Thunder Strikes. She is the most vulnerable in her ult, so sidestep it and engage her when she uses it.
4
Lance
Free Dragon's Eye stacks. Beware Impale and Gythian Wall stuns. Try to fight in open spaces.
4
Flicker
Another free stack builder. Remind your captain to get a Contraption early and win the vision game. You're fine otherwise.
4
Kestrel
You out-damage her and she is more skill-shot reliant than you are. Beware mist traps. Tell your captain to get some vision.
5
Glaive
Beware his Afterburn! Always watch your positioning. Make sure he misses Afterburn before you engage.
5
Skaarf
You both have similar poke range, but don't play the poke game with him. Walk in zigzags to dodge his fireballs and stutterstep. he won't be long before he's dead. Beware his ult and his sneaky Goop placement.
5
Catherine
Her stun is your biggest problem. Kill her teammates first and don't damage her when her Stormguard bubble is active.
5
Grace
Don't let her stick to you and block her stun. You have enough damage to kill the enemy carry no matter how many heals she throws out. Keep an eye on your positioning.
5
Malene
Malene has the most abilities in the game, but against you she is generallt out-ranged. However, she does have very good out-play potential. Don't easily fall for her baits and make sure that root doesn't hit you. You win most (if not all) early lane trades.
6
Tony
He has multiple gap-closers with his A and a way to get under your skin. Either keep your distance and throw your spears, or just kite him out. You should be fine as long as his doesn't land his stun or taunt. His ult is a free getaway for you in most cases, but you should always watch your health bar.
7
Lorelai
She can inhibit your mobility and stun you. She can shield her teammates. Try to coordinate with your jungler (or laner if you are jungling) to burst down one of her carries, then focus her. Beware her pools and don't engage alone.
7
Ringo
He's mobile enough to dodge your skillshots and is capable of out-bursting you. Beware his ult. Focus him in teamfights.
7
Baptiste
He has an awful lot of CC. Block whatever you can and remind your captain to get Crucible. Stay out of range and poke when you have enough Dragon's Eye stacks. Beware Captain Baptiste comps.
7
Varya
You have similar damage levels regardless of build paths. Focus her in teamfights and dodge spear throws. Counter-build accordingly.
7
Krul
Frostburn/Shiversteel. Reflex Block. Kite. Don't try to solo him.
7
Churnwalker
You win 1v1, but beware his team. beware sneaky chains, pulls, and stuns. Get Reflex Block and focus his team first.
7
Ardan
His Gauntlet can trap you, making it easier to focus you. He can also lock you outside of it and make you waste your reflex block. Stay close to your team so that he cannot dissect you.
7
Yates
Beware hook-and-stun combo and beware of ult. Don't get close to him. Hide behind your minions in laning phase.
8
Taka
A good Taka can burst you to death. Have your team get some vision. However, you can possibly out-damage him so try to kite him out with your basic attacks.
8
Blackfeather
Extremely vulnerable if he misses his ult and his B. Try to out-maneuver him. Get a Frostburn or Shiversteel.
8
Ozo
Block his ult. Make your teammates get a Poison Shiv. try to kite him or out-sustain him. If he dives you 1 on 1, run towards your team; it's your best bet (don't clump together with your team or else he'll be harder to take down).
8
SAW
He's either on your team or he's a ban. If you do run into him, use your ult and A to damage him. Drag fights away from him and then dive him when he runs out of stacks. Otherwise, don't engage.
8
Inara
Inara is a speed demon of a jungler when her ult is on. Wait for her to use her stun before engaging and kite her to death. Stay near your captain or another teammate with good crowd control abilities, and you'll be just fine. As a last warning, try to stay in open areas when fighting her. the last thing you want is to get stunned.
8
Ylva
You do outrange her but don't get cocky. Count the seconds when her A is up, and engage when it gets cancelled or goes on cooldown. Get a reflex block for any roots or stuns. Or else.
9
Baron
Burst king of the century. Get armor and focus him in teamfights. Watch out for sneaky ults and try to outplay him in 1v1s. Don't step into his mortars.
9
Reza
His mobility allows him to keep up with you and he has insane burst. Get a Husk and Aegis and try to kite him out with a Frostburn or Shiversteel.
9
Idris
Can easily burst you and juke you. Beware Chakrams and don't engage him with his shield active. Wait for him to use his ult and then burst him.
10
Fortress
If you see him it's a dive comp. Build as much defense as you can and get a Frostburn or Shiversteel (or both) to kite.
10
Rona
Very bursty and can stick to you quite easily. Try to juke her and kite. Get armor (she can ult if Atlas-ed, so get Metal jacket instead).
10
Alpha
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD: IF IT IS CP ALPHA, RUN. Your only hope is for your team to burst her or out-sustain her damage and kill her while she reboots. if it is weapon Alpha, you can just kite and dodge her Prime Directives.
Contrary to some other builds found here on Vainglory Fire, this Varya build puts emphasis on her basic attacks, because they are her main source of damage. Of course, some would argue that her Stormforged Spear deals more damage, but you can miss the skillshot and, in most cases, make yourself an easy target. Thus, rather than focusing on her ability-based burst build, I will be focusing her sustained, scaling damage build in this guide.
Like Celeste, Lyra, and Lorelai, Varya's attacks scale with crystal damage, so she is more viable built CP. Alternating Current's passive allows you to stack your CP with your basic attack damage, making you a very dangerous basic-attack based mage. This is 1 of 4 of Varya's power spikes. Once you get Alternating Current, you start to deal real damage and can easily melt enemy heroes and win a team fight or two.
Your second spike (this usually comes first) is your ultimate, Anvil's Hammer. Anvil's Hammer's passive not only allows you to deal damage to more enemies with your basic attacks, but also gives you bonus attack speed. This is important because attack speed decreases the amount of time it takes for you to trigger Chain Lightning, making it essential to max it out.
Your third spike comes with Dragon's Eye, as it scales your damage and makes you scarier in fights, precisely because you can deal massive amounts of damage to the entire enemy team (similar to Baron). It is more important to get this as a second item because even if the enemy team has gotten shield, your damage will scale as long as you are in combat, meaning that at one point, your damage will surpass their shielding.
Defense should be self-explanatory. Build shield against CP and armor against WP. If WP heroes are constantly diving you and have large amounts of attack speed, get an Atlas Pauldron (it is the only scenario where you will need an Atlas).If your are getting bursted, get a Slumbering Husk; and if you feel like being more tanky, Shiversteel is a great option. Shiversteel is now very easy to use, since the active effect has been altered to a passive one. All you need to do is basic attack, and your target will be slowed, presumably forever because of your attack speed stats. On top of that, it makes you harder to take down. War Treads can also make you tankier. However, avoid opting for tank if there is one or multiple Aftershocks on the enemy team, because it won't help much. Lastly, it is important to note that Altas Pauldron and Metal Jacket are not the staple armor defense items they used to be, and with the changes to Reflex Block and the stat nerf on Aegis, it is hardly a effective defense item unless you have good reflexes or the enemy team has an abundance of hard crowd control. These items have been supplanted by Slumbering Husk as the staple defense item, especially in 5v5.
Celestial Shroud and Capacitor Plate are also great defensive items as of recent. With the nerfs to Reflex Block, Celestial Shroud has essentially become a better Reflex Block in most ways. Although it is easily removed by damaging abilities and has no armor stats, and has a long cooldown, it is able to block all damage you were to take within 0.6 seconds. It is also able to block Poisoned Shiv, Bonesaw, Shiversteel, Atlas Pauldron, Pulseweave, dragon-applied mortal wounds (Blackclaw and Ghostwing), non-damaging ability crowd control effects (like Lorelai's Splashdown), AND the vain crystal stun without being consumed! Another little-known fact is that Celestial Shroud makes Vox essentially useless unless he casts his ult, which can be dodged. To learn more about what Celestial Shroud can and cannot do, watch this video:
Capacitor Plate makes your barriers from Arc Recursion stronger, and it also has very good defensive stats. Simple enough.
Broken Myth allows you to pierce enemy shielding, and it is also always necessary to get it because most likely, the enemy team is smart enough to get shield. if they are not, getting Broken Myth allows you to pierce their BASE SHIELD. Eve of Harvest allows you to sustain in fights and last longer, in most cases. however, avoid having multiple instances of sustain on your team, because a Poisoned Shiv can destroy your strategy as a team. Frostburn is another excellent choice for kiting. In order for it to work,you'll need to combo skills effectively. When initiating fights, use Anvil's Hammer first, then get out of channeling early by casting Arc Recursion. While Arc Recursion is channeling, cast Stormforged Spear to slow your enemies, making it easier for the thunder strikes from Anvil's Hammer to hit. Dash away from the enemy team while staying close to your team. If you want to deal more damage, try to maintain basic-attack range while dashing to deal damage to enemy heroes. You'll gain barrier and energy from each enemy hit, so keep that in mind.
Shatterglass is for those who want a bit more burst with Stormforged Spear. I recommend getting this only if your are significantly ahead and can consistently land skillshots.
Spellfire is great for finishing off enemies who just happen to have a sliver of health remaining from your Stormforged Spear. I recommend getting this only if your enemies keep getting away with low health.
Clockwork is great for those who like low cooldowns. It allows you to dash more often and ult more often, and you'll run out of energy less often. However, it is important to note that Varya has significantly faster energy regen than other heroes who use energy (not unique resources), so Clockwork isn't a must.
Aftershock is a great item if you are opting for burst damage and you know how to chain your combos well. It provides cooldown, gives a tad-bit of sustain, and it deals good damage with Arc Recursion, especially if you are able to hit multiple enemies with Chain Lighting and the Aftershock proc immediately afterwards. It's another very good pick against tankier compositions.
When playing any hero, especially at higher ranks of play, it is always important to consider synergies within certain team compositions, whether it is the enemy team's composition or your team's. Since picking and banning heroes is very important in draft, it is only fitting that we discuss the team compositions that counter Varya and the compositions that she works well in. Of course, for those of you who haven't yet reached tier 7(Hotness)to qualify for ranked draft, you will only have to worry about synergies for now.
We'll start with synergies. However, in order to analyze synergies, we'll need to understand how a hero is analyzed. This includes:
Best build for that hero
Playstyle of the hero
Counters for the hero
Synergies of the hero
Other heroes that this specific hero counters
General hero analysis is for an entirely different guide, however, so these points are there to better understand how professional Vainglory players (and some of the better players) reach their conclusions about every newly released hero and preexisting heroes.
In order to think of synergies for Varya, we need to look at her strengths along with her weaknesses; only then can we find heroes that will work best with her, and hopefully help you win a few ranked matches.
Without further ado, here are some of Varya's strengths:
Heroes having higher DPS can out-duel her (Ringo, SAW,etc.)
The most notable damage source Varya has is her basic attack. Chain Lightning is what makes Varya powerful as a carry, because she is the only carry apart from Baron and Vox who can deal massive amounts of damage to the entire enemy team. Recall update 2.9: remember the undying, play-making Churnwalker? Well, as it turns out, he too, is capable of distributing immense amounts of damage with Hook & Chain. Pair Hook & Chain with Chain Lightning, and you'll have a Netherworldly damage combo that can obliterate entire enemy teams. In addition, Churnwalker has very good peel with Torment and Trespass, which is important for immobile heroes like Varya to succeed.
Phinn also has very good synergy with Varya, simply because he is capable of keeping the enemy team bunched together. He has Quibble and Forced Accord for peel and engagements, and Polite Company can keep Varya alive just long enough to finish off enemies. In Addition, Polite Company has the potential of pulling in the entire enemy team and bunching them together, making it easier for Chain Lightning to take effect and for Arc Recursion to hit multiple enemies.
Ardan also provides good peel with Vanguard and zone control with Gauntlet to keep Varya safe. Lorelai and Lance are also great picks if you are seeking to peel for Varya.
Junglers like Krul, Glaive, Rona, and Grumpjaw who can provide a tanky frontline for Varya and can match her damage also synergize well with her, especially those with crowd control abilities like From Hell's Heart, Stuffed, Bangarang, Afterburn, Ordained and Fearsome Shade, to name a few. Varya shines when her team can keep enemies within range, close together, controlled, or distracted.
To keep in mind recent additions to the hero roster, Ylva, Yates, and San Feng also have very good synergy with Varya. Ylva's Charged Shot and Binding Mine are excellent crowd control abilities that can change teamfight dynamics. And if multiple enemies are stuck in place by a Binding Mine, Chained Lightning could zap them into oblivion. Yates has a good form of crowd control with Overwhelm, and if multiple enemies are stunned by it, again: massive damage. While San Feng doesn't have too much innate crowd control in his kit (he need to be hit to apply stuns with [[Tiger's Bridge), his ultimate, Master's Lesson, is capable of incapacitating multiple enemies for a decent amount of time, allowing you to hit off a combo with Anvil's Hammer and Arc Recursion if timed right.
Now on to COUNTERS. There are a few compositions that can counter Varya. They include:
Against high-burst damage comps, you'll want to build three offensive items, defense, and items that make you tankier, like Shiversteel and War Treads. These items not only increase your chances of surviving longer; they also provide good utility for your team. This is important because Varya doesn't have any crowd control or team enhancement abilities (much like Idris), and against high-burst damage comps every bit of utility counts. Make sure that when you are up against burst comps your jungler/carry and captain have enough crowd control or peel to keep you safe.
Against crowd-control-heavy comps, you'll want to be getting either lots of defense, or another Reflex Block in the form of a Crucible. This takes some burden off your captain and your team can shrug off most crowd control effects. It is important to note that with the recent Reflex Block changes, REFLEX is more important. If you get stunned trying to activated Crucible or Aegis and end up in a burst or crowd control combo, you might as well say your goodbyes.
Going against evasive comps with the likes of Taka, Flicker, Crystal Kestrel, Idris, or Blackfeather, you would want to build either high burst damage, or sustain. It is more helpful to build burst damage with items like Shatterglass against stealth heroes and sustain items like Eve of Harvest against evasive, non-stealth heroes.
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.
Atlas Pauldron
Aftershock
Metal Jacket
Reflex Block
Poisoned Shiv
Bonesaw
Pulseweave
Splashdown
Spellfire
Hook & Chain
Torment
Trespass
Quibble
Forced Accord
Polite Company
Vanguard
Gauntlet
From Hell's Heart
Stuffed
Bangarang
Afterburn
Ordained
Fearsome Shade
San Feng
Binding Mine
Overwhelm
Master's Lesson
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