List of Heroes with Auras or Buffs

Auras that increase right-click damage or attack speed:

• Elder Titan: Natural Order (base armor reduction to enemies)
• Luna: Lunar Blessing (fixed damage boost)
• Vengeful Spirit: Vengeance Aura (% base dmg boost)
• Shadow Fiend (armor reduction aura)
• Beastmaster:  Inner Beast (
• Drow: Precision Aura (Ranged only)

Auras with another benefit:

• Obsidian Destroyer/Devourer:  Essence Aura
• Necrophos / Necrolyte:  Heartstopper Aura
• Rubick:  Null Field (magic resist increase)
• Crystal Maiden: Arcane Aura (global mana regen)
• Doom:  Scorched Earth (damage)
• Wraith King:  Vampiric Aura (lifesteal)

Temporary Allied Group Buffs:

• Lycan:  Howl (flat attack damage buff)
• Ancient Apparition: Chilling Touch (magic damage to right clicks)
• Undying: Flesh Golem (+0-30% damage amp)

Items with Auras:

• Headdress (hp regen)
• Mekanism (hp regen)
• Pipe of Insight (hp regen)
• Radiance (damage aura)
• Shiva's Guard (attack speed slow)

Balanced Team Examples based around Stacking Auras:

#1: 

Chaos Knight safelane carry + Venge support/roaming + WK/CM support/roaming
Sfiend mid
Beastmaster/Elder Titan solo offlane

#2:

Drow Mid
Elder Titan solo offlane
Luna + Venge + Rubick Safe

#3:
Shadowfiend mid
Beastmaster solo offlane
Drow + Visage + Venge safelane
PS - you'll never draft this combo - one of the heroes will get banned.  It's also heavily countered by Omniknight's ultimate.

Ranged attack buffing

Carries that Give buff:  Drow, Troll (temporary), Shadow Fiend, Luna, Lycan (temporary)

Supports that Give Buff:  Ogre (Lust), Venge (Wave, Aura), Beastmaster (Inner Beast), Elder Titan (Aura), AA (chilling touch)

Buff beneficiaries:  Sniper, DragonKnight, Wind Ranger (all benefit heavily from auras)

Team Example - Ranged Attack Buffing:

BeastMaster / Elder Titan solo offlane

SF mid

DragonKnight solo safelane

Ogre + Venge Roaming

List of Level 1 Roshan Heroes by Lane/Role

This is a list of heroes that are better than others when used for a Level-One Roshan kill attempt.  In brackets is the level-1 ability that should be skilled to make the most of that hero.

See also List of Level 1 Roshan heroes by Function.

See my post on Viable and Lane-able early Roshan team ideas for some viable team combinations.

Carries:

Troll Warlord (Fervor)
Viper (Nethertoxin)
Lone Druid (Bear + Hero)
Morphling (morph Ag)
Huskar (Berserking)
Sniper (Headshot)
Clinkz (Burning arrows)
Lyncan (wolves; howl too obvious / giveaway). 
Bristleback (Nasal Goo)
Alchemist (Acid Spray)
Luna (Lunar Blessing Aura)
Juggernaut (ward)
Troll (Fervor)
Morphling (Morph Agility) 
Phantom Assassin (Blur)
Faceless Void (Backtrack)
Sven (tanky only)
Slardar (tanky + Crush = physical dmg, or Bash)

Junglers:

Ursa (Fury Swipes)

Ranged Supports:

Wisp (Tether heal)
Vengeful Spirit (Wave - Aura is better, but Wave won't auto-push the creep wave in lane) 
Witch Doctor (healing circle)
Dazzle (Shadow Wave, but not as good for sustained heal as other healer-types)
Lich (Frost Armor)

Melee Supports:

Wraith King (vamp aura)
Alchemist (Acid Spray)
Abaddon (passive)
Ogre Magi (Bloodlust)

Mids:

Brewmaster (Drunken Brawler for more tanky)
Drow (Precision Aura - ranged only)
Magnus (Empower)
Night Stalker (tanky only)
Shadow Fiend (Aura)
Spirit Breaker (tanky + bash)
Templar Assassin (Meld - but low duration)
Tusk (Ice Ward)

Solos:

Bristleback (Nasal Goo debuff)
Beastmaster (tanky + aura)
Centaur Warrunner (tanky only, minor dmg from Return)
Dark Seer (tanky only - Ion shell not very effective)

List of Level 1 Roshan Heroes by Function

The following Dota 2 heroes provide a lot of benefit when attempting a level 1 Roshan kill.

Obvious Heroes:

Ursa (Fury Swipes)
Io/Wisp (Tether heal)
Wraith King (vamp aura)

High-Damage Heroes:

Troll Warlord (Fervor)
Viper (Nethertoxin)
Lone Druid (Bear + Hero)
Morphling (morph Ag)
Huskar (Berserking)
Sniper (Headshot)
Clinkz (Burning Arrows)
Lyncan (Wolves; Howl too obvious / giveaway).
Lifestealer (Feast does not work on Roshan)

Armor Reduction:

Alchemist (Acid Spray)
Bristleback (Nasal Goo)
Shadow Fiend (Aura)
Templar Assassin (Meld - but low duration)
Vengeful Spirit (Wave - Aura is better, but Wave won't auto-push the creep wave in lane)

Right-Click Buffing Auras:

Luna (flat damage increase)
Beastmaster (attack speed)
Vengeful Spirit (aura; Base Damage buff)
Abaddon (attack speed buff vs. target)
Drow (Precision Aura - ranged only)

Healing Abilities:

Witch Doctor (healing circle)
Juggernaut (Healing Ward)
Dazzle (Shadow Wave not as good for sustained heal)
Necrolyte (poor early heals, but is ranged at least)

Other Good Damage Buffs:

Magnus (Empower - works especially well on Morphling)
Ogre Magi (Bloodlust)
Troll (Fervor)
Morphling (Morph Agility)

Defensive Buffs or Abilities

Lich (Frost Armor)
Tusk (Ice Ward)
Brewmaster (Drunken Brawler)
Phantom Assassin (Blur)
Faceless Void (Backtrack)

High-Armor and Tanky Heroes*

*(see table of EHP values)
Ogre Magi
Spirit Breaker
Night Stalker
Dark Seer
Sven
Beastmaster
Centaur Warrunner
Slardar
Tidehunter (also Gush, very low-duration armor reduction).


Links and Additional Information:

• My post on Viable and Lane-able early Roshan team ideas for some combinations.
• List of Roshan heroes by Lane / Role.
• Pro strategy called the King of Pain, using L1 Roshan with QoP & Lone Druid.

Item Spotlight: Maelstrom

Hypothesis:  High-Strength heroes should build Maelstrom more often.

Chain Lighting avg damage = 120 * 25% = 30.  Item gives +24 dmg = +55 dmg.  Attack speed of +25 on top of that, gives AT LEAST another 25 damage (total of +80), more if the hero’s #attacks / sec is less than 1 to start with. 

+80 damage for a 2700 gold item?  Yes, please!

Unique attack modifier that stacks with others UNLESS it procs.  So what?  I’ll take the 120 damage, multi-target lightning over any other proc!

Farming:  Battlefury; cost = 4350,  cleave = 35%.  Average base damage of 80 + 65 = 165*35% = 51 to multiple targets.  Average Mael dmg (multi-target) = 30… and that doesn’t include the AS, and it’s ranged but gives no hp or mana regen.  However, Battlefury is also (4350-2700 = 1650) / 4350 = 38% more gold.  If you need regen with Mael, you can buy some for 1650 gold… this is almost the cost of a Perseverance (1750).

Mael can be used by ranged or melee heroes, unlike Battlefury.  Magic dmg > physical damage once heroes have 6 armor or better (link to armor table:  http://dota2.gamepedia.com/Armor) , whereas magic resistance stays at the 25% base without items.

When NOT to take Maelstrom early: 

·        you need tankiness first (armor and/or hp) before you can start right-clicking people

·        You have great abilities, but severe mana pool or mana regen problems that prevent you from using them when you need them

·        You already have flash-farming abilities and have the mana to use them

Examples:

L6 Dragon Knight

Suffers from low attack speed early game.  Already a great pusher and tanky – Mael makes him better.  Doesn’t usually build his own regen items anyway (except Soul Ring).

L6 Centaur Warrunner semi-carry

Suffers greatly from low attack speed early to mid game.  Already tanky and mana requirements are low.

L6 Broodmother

She’s a pusher, not a teamfighter, until much later.  She’s a bit squishy earlygame, so a Bracer or Urn might be a good pickup first.  However… Mael gives more early push.  Attack speed makes her ult even more deadly.  What’s not to like?

 

L6 Ogre Magi (no lust), semi-carry

Needs to be effective early game, suffers from lack of pushing power.  Mael solves both problems BUT does nothing for his mana problems.  Mael only viable if supports have Arcane Boots / Basilius, or you have CM on your team.

Drafting Practice - Balanced Early Rosh Team

So... I was using the handy drafting tool online, and I went with the following draft:

http://dota2draft.the-cluster.org/show?op=d&fp=d&pick=E0K0o0Y0ZB0M2Zv1ZM1x1F0&ban=ZjVaqZtgkZbDZx

Setup:

I chose Dire, he let me choose so I chose to pick first, so that I would have last pick.

Starting off:

I originally intended, as Dire, to put together an "early rosh" team, which could kill Rosh before the creep spawn.  Luna and NP were my top picks for this (Luna dmg aura + NP Treants), but the rest of the picks ended up being sub-par for this type of thing.  Nyx, though he has really good early regen (2 hps), he doesn't provide anything else really.  However, the rest of my crew are ranged, and as long as I only tanked with 1 treant at a time, there would only be 2 in melee range, so Rosh wouldn't use his AOE stomp.  The rest of the line-up is ranged, so I suppose there might be a case for a Level 1 Roshan kill, but again, not guaranteed.

Analysis:

He started off with two very strong laning supports.  Because he never did validate his lanes, I am unsure whether it was intended to be an aggressive tri-lane, or a roaming pair.  However, I felt that my defensive tri-lane was strong enough to hold it off, and Nyx could roam later to pick off the squishy supports and the squishy Drow carry, together with help from Nature's Prophet, who was intended to split push and roam.  Puck was a direct counter-pick to his choice of Queen of Pain mid, and Puck's silence would be an asset against counter-initiation by Tidehunter, not to mention he would provide some counter-push against their heavy AOE.  Puck was also a good choice because if his supports rotated to gank, Puck at least has an escape mechanism with Orb.

Conclustion:

I'm fairly happy with this draft, except I might have been hard-pressed during some teamfights.  I think the lanes were equal, and if NP got shut down against the (assumed) tri-lane, at least he could go jungle.  Being dire also allows me to stack ancients with NP, for extra gold for Luna.

Team Ideas: Using High-Winrate Heroes

The following teams are made up of heroes with high winrates per dotabuff statistics.  In most cases, I try to use the most recent patch, but as this list grows, some of the heroes will have since changed in ranking.

In general, in pub games, tough heroes who can heal (Necrophos, Abaddon, Omni, Witch Doctor, etc) have a really good winrate, since there's a lot less coordination of burst damage in pubs.

Team Ideas (Dual Lanes):

#1:
Warlock + Luna, Centaur + Jakiro, mid Zeus

#2:
Necrolyte + SpiritBreaker, Lich +Luna, mid Nyx

#3:
Jakiro + Centaur, Necrolyte mid, Spirit Breaker + Troll

#4:
Warlock mid, Jakiro + Luna, Lich + Drow

#5: (6.82b patch)
Omniknight + Necrophos
Spectre + Lich
Zeus mid

#6:  
Wraith King + Lich
Ogre + Silencer
Necrolyte mid

Armor Reduction Teams

Here's a team idea:  go for maximum armor reduction, or have as many heroes as possible benefit from extra right-click damage.  While you still need stuns and nukes, extra right-click synergy never hurts!
See also:  List of Physical Damage Heroes

Pub: (dual lanes)

Stuns + Armor Reduction + Hard Carry right-click:

• Sven/Naga + Dazzle safe lane
• Slardar (build tanky) + Venge (Medallion) hard lane
• Shadow Fiend mid (ganker build) or Viper

Team Idea #2: Dual Lanes

Alchemist + Dazzle safelane, Venge + Slardar offlane, SFiend mid

Team Idea #3 (aggro tri)

• Slardar + Venge + Leshrac aggressive tri (push tower)
• Templar Assassin mid
• Tidehunter or Bristleback solo safelane

Team Idea #4 (tri-lane)

• Slardar (Armlet, AC, Heart) + Venge (w/ Medallion) + Dazzle (Mek)
• Offlane: Tidehunter (Mana boots, Blink Dagger, Support Items)
• Mid: Shadow Fiend or Templar Assassin (Urn, Desolator, Shadowblade?)

Team Comps from the Web

Some forum-given team compositions:

Other People’s Interesting Teams:

bounty hunter (offlane solo)
doom
ogre magi
potm
spiritbreaker (mid)

Beastmaster (solo offlane)
Chen (jungle)
Lycan (mid?)
Vengeful
Juggernaut (mid?)

Invoker (mid)
Chaos Knight
Ancient Apparition
Chen (jungle)
Tide (solo offlane)

Lycan
Naga
Rhasta (SS)
Invoker (mid)
Dark Seer (solo offlane)

Necrolyte (carry, mid)
Chen (jungle)
Undying (semi-carry)
Dazzle
Kotl (solo offlane)

Try hard wombo combo lineup:
Dark Seer, Enigma, Invoker, Naga, Veno

Night Stalker mid
BountyH + Rubick or another support safe
Enigma jungle
Tide/Beastmaster suicide

SandKing, Leshrac, (Insert AM, Luna, Naga, Lone Druid here) safe lane
Invoker mid
Dark Seer offlane

Stat-Stealing Teams & Heroes

A short one this time:  a team that steals

Stat-steal Team:

As tri-lane:
OD/Razor mid, Slark solo lane, Silencer + Bane + Undying trilane

As dual lane:
Razor mid, Slark + Bane, Silencer + Undying

Stat-Steal Heroes:

A list of heroes that can steal abilities or stats from other heroes.  I'm reaching a bit in some cases.

• Razor (Static Link)
• OD (Astral Imprisonment)
• Silencer (Int steal)
• Slark (stat steal passive)
• Bane (Enfeeble "steals" damage?)
• Undying (Hp steal) 
• Elder Titan (Astral form)
• Rubick (steals spells?)

Teamfight Teams

AOE teams:

#1:

Sven + Sand King/Earthshaker + Warlock

Dark Seer offlane

Magnus mid

#2:

Beastmaster offlane

QoP mid

Sven + Lich safe lane

Dark Seer Jungle

#3:

OD mid

Enigma Jungle

Jakiro solo offlane

Disruptor/Warlock + Lifestealer safelane

Setup AOE team:

OD midEnigma Jungle
Dark Seer solo offlane

Naga + Sand King or Leshrac

Combo:  Song into Vacuum into Blackhole + Epicenter/PulseNova + OD Ult

OD mid

Enigma jungle

Magnus solo offlane

Warlock + Sand King solo safe
Combo:  Reverse Polarity into Blackhole + Epi + OD Ult

Building a Team Around a Support

Dota 2 Exercise:  Building around a support

For this exercise, I decided to try building a team around Crystal Maiden (CM), with her mana-aura.  I picked heroes that are generally limited by their early-game mana, but can be very dangerous with additional mana early game.

Team Sample #1: Low-Mana Str heroes + CM

Sven/CK + CM (w/Basilius)

Nightstalker/Dragon Knight (mid)

Offlaners:  Clockwerk

Junglers:  Enigma

Other mana-dependent heroes:  Leshrac, Zeus, Pugna

Team Sample #2 (Dual Lanes)

Axe + Disruptor offlane
Shadowfiend mid
Luna/Gyro/Razor/Sven + CM safe lane (spam Lucent Beam, Missile, Field, or Hammer)

A Massive List of Disables by Type

Dota 2 Heroes:  Primary and Secondary Stuns

Often a hero needs to be paired with another hero who can "set up" a delayed-stun ability.

Related Posts:
Heroes with Best Level 1 Nukes
Disablers by Role

Stunners by Type:

Primary Ranged Disablers:  

• Rubick
• Lion
• Shadow Shaman
• Crystal Maiden (Frostbite)
• Vengeful Spirit
• Sven
• Wraith King
• Ogre magi
• Bane 
• Nyx
• Dragon Knight (dragon form)
• Sand King
• Chaos Knight
• Morphling (Adaptive Strike)
• Naga Siren (Ensnare)
• Shadow Demon (Disruption)

Secondary (delayed) Ranged Disablers:  

• Mirana (Arrow)
• Lina (Light Strike Array)
• Leshrac (Split Earth)
• AA (Cold Feet)
• Kunkka (Torrent)
• Meepo (Net)
• Windranger (Shackle Shot)
• Invoker (multiple)
• Jakiro (Ice Path)
• Elder Titan (Echo Stomp) 

Ranged mini-stuns:

• Lich (Chain Frost)
• Bounty Hunter (Shuriken)
• Luna (Lucent Beam)
• Witch Doctor (Cask)

Melee Range AOE Stunners / Disablers (non-ults)

• Centaur Warrunner (Stomp)
• Slardar (Crush)
• Axe (Berserker's Call)
• Doom (with Centaur Stomp)
• Chen (with Centaur Stomp)

Melee Range AOE Slows (stats shown for L1)

• Brewmaster (Thunder Clap = 25% for 4.75s)
• Ursa (Earth Shock = 25% for 4s)

Ranged Slows (shown at L1 skill)

• Wraith King (Hellfire Blast - secondary effect)
• Viper (Orb)
• Venomancer (Venemous Gale = 50% slow for 15s)
• Tidehunter (Gush)
• Slardar (Crush - secondary effect)
• Skywrath Mage (Bolt)
• Pugna (Decrepify)
• Phoenix (Icarus Dive = 25% slow for 4s)
• Ogre Magi (Ignite = 20% slow for 5s)
• Nightstalker (Void = 50% slow for 2s, 4s at night)
• Lifestealer (Open Wounds = 70-0% slow over 8s)
• Lich (Frost Blast = 30% slow for 4s)
• Jakiro (Dual Breath = 28% slow for 5s)
• Drow Ranger (Orb)
• Crystal Maiden (Crystal Nova = 30% slow for 3.5s)
• Bristleback (Nasal Goo = 20-32% for 5s, up to 4 stacks)
• Batrider (Sticky Napalm = 3-30% for 8s, up to 10 stacks)
• Ancient Apparition (Ice Vortex = 15% for 16s or until leave 275 radius)

Melee Range Single-Target Disables

• Storm Spirit (Electric Vortex)
• Batrider (Lasso)
• Dragon Knight (Dragon Tail)
• Lone Druid (Bear Entangle)
• Legion Commander (Duel)

Melee Range AOE Disables

• Magnus (Reverse Polarity ult)
• Enigma (Black Hole)

Ranged AOE Instant Disables

• Beastmaster (Primal Roar - ult)
• Faceless Void (Chronosphere, kinda)
• Warlock (Infernal)
• Puck (Dream Coil)  
• Sven (Storm Hammer)

Ultimate Delayed Disables:

• Kunkka (Ghost Ship)
• Phoenix (Supernova)
• Medusa (Stone Gaze)

Ultimate AOE Slows:

• Wraith King (Reincarnation)
• Medusa (Stone Gaze)
• Gyro (Call Down)
• Kunkka (Ghost Ship)
• Elder Titan (Earth Splitter)
• Side mention:  Warlock (Upheaval)

Early Stunners by Best Effect:

Longest Duration Disables (zero to 49 dmg at L1)

• Rubick - Telekinesis (total 2.5s at L1)
• Dragon Knight - Dragon Tail (2.5s Stun, 25 dmg at L1)
• Lion - Hex (2.5s at L1)
• Shadow Shaman - Hex (1.25s at L1, scales to 3.5s)
• Shadow Demon - Disruption (2.5 s)
• Bane - Nightmare (4s, 20 damage at L1)
• Pugna - Decrepify (2.5s at L1)
• Naga Siren - Ensnare (2s at L1, scales to 5s)
• Windrunner - Shackle (0.75 to 1.5s at L1, scales to 3.75s)

Longest Duration Stun/Disable with Damage (50+ dmg at L1)

Does not show heroes with 1s stun or less:

• Mirana - Arrow (0.1 to 5s stun, 50-190 dmg at L1)
• Gyrocopter Homing Missile (2.2s stun, delayed activation, 50-125 dmg)
• Sand King - Burrowstrike (2.17s stun, 100 dmg at L1)
• Centaur Warrunner - Stomp (2s stun, 100 dmg at L1) 
• Chaos Knight - Chaos Bolt (1-2s stun, 1-200 dmg at L1; dmg and stun are inverse)
• Elder Titan - Echo Stomp (2s sleep, 80 phsyical dmg at L1)
• Leshrac Split Earth (2s stun, 120 dmg)
• Sven Storm Hammer (2s stun, 100 dmg)
• Wraith King - Hellfire Blast (2s stun, 50dmg, 2s slow of 20%)
• Alchemist (1.75s max stun, 150 max dmg at L1)
• Lina - LSA (1.6s stun, 90 dmg)
• Slardar - Crush (1.6s stun, 80 physical dmg, plus 2s move+attack slow of 20%)
• Crystal Maiden Frostbite (1.5s at L1 + 150 dmg)
• Ogre Magi - Fireblast (1.5s, 60 dmg at L1)
• Vengeful Spirit - Magic Missile (1.45s at L1, 100 dmg)
• AA - Cold Feet (1.35s stun, 150 dmg at L1)
• Kunkka (1.3s stun, 120 dmg at L1, plus 1s slow of 35%)

Honorable Mention:  Earthshaker Fissure, 1s stun, 125 dmg, 8sec block