Gemini Guide

Guide brought to you by Mrhon2
http://forums.heroesofnewerth.com/showthread.php?503545-The-Geminizier

[Pestilence]

Skill Build
1 - Impale
2 - Flight
3 - Impale
4 - Flight
5 - Impale
6 - Swarm
7 - Impale
8 - Flight
9 - Gore
10 - Gore
11 - Swarm
12 - Gore
13 - Gore
14 - Flight
15 - Stats
16 - Swarm
17 - Stats+

Justification / Modifications:
Usually Rank 3 Flight is enough and you can go for Gore before getting the last level of Flight. However there is nothing wrong with maxxing Flight at 9. You can also get an early point into Gore at level 2 or 4. The chance for the first level is much better than the increase in chance from the following levels.

Lane Starting Items:
Runes of the Blight, Healing Potion, 2x Crushing Claw, 2x Minor Totem

Core:
Logger's Hatchet >> Steamboots >> Portal Key >> Shrunken Head

Directly aim for Steamboots (you don't need more movespeed thanks to flight). Then get Portal Key - an insanely strong item on pestilence once you learn to use it properly. Most of the times you will build Shrunken Head after PK but don't be afraid to skip it if there is really few Disables on the opposing team.

After Core:

Shieldbreaker/Insanitarious >> Behemoth's Heart >> Daemonic Breastplate

Shieldbreaker is your item of choice. If you don't manage to farm it, get the easier-to-obtain Insanitarious. Heart and Breastplate are Luxury and can be replaced by other items.

Alternative Items:
- Abyssal Skull: The best choice if you desperately need Lifesteal.
- Helm of the Black Legion: I am not a fan of this but I see it being built in competitive games for the fact that he takes a lot of damage often being the first to go in. If you like this item, get it BEFORE Shrunken head.

Information:
Roles: Carry, Ganker, Initiator
Properties: None
Prefered Lane: Short
Difficulty: 3 - Medium
Farming capabilities: 2 - Weak
Item dependancy: 4 - Heavy
Power:
- Early Game / Lane Control: 2 - Weak
- Mid Game / Ganks: 4 - Strong (Excellent TP- and Counterganker)
- Late Game / Team Fights: 5 - Very Strong (Strong and versatile carry)

30-Seconds-Guide:
- Flight makes you one of the best TP- and Counter-Gankers. Always carry a Homecoming stone and be ready to teleport-gank the other lanes.
- Focus on your farm during midgame. Your usefulness will skyrocket once you get Shrunken Head.
- Try to have a stunning/slowing babysitter with you (Demented or Witchslayer for example). This will create enormous lane domination for a carry/babysit lane!
- Always remember that your ultimate will reveal the position of the unit; also on otherwise invisible heroes. Use it on fleeing enemies to prevent them from juking you.

Counters:
- Remember that Pestilence takes an additional 10% damage when his flight is on. So it is a good idea to burn your spells on him when he comes charging in.
- Void Talisman might be a good idea as he hits like a TRUCK on squishies.
- If you want to counter him, stack armor. You need to get to at least 20 Armor. There is a huge difference between 15 and 20 Armor (0% vs 20%+ dmg reduction). Get Plated Greaves and Nome's wisdom for that if you are support /get good use of it. Then throw a Platemail on top and you will be fine.

[Slither]

Skill Build
1 - Poison Spray
2 - Toxicity
3 - Toxin Ward
4 - Toxin Ward
5 - Toxin Ward
6 - Poison Burst
7 - Toxin Ward
8 - Poison Spray
9 - Poison Spray
10 - Poison Spray
11 - Poison Burst
12 - Toxicity
13 - Toxicity
14 -Toxicity
15 - Stats
16 - Poison Burst
17 - Stats+

Justification / Modifications:
Get one level of Poison Spray and Toxicity for the slow and regen debuff but max wards first as they greatly help you pushing/creeping/scouting and even ganking. The build is kinda flexible, you can change it as you like but always have all 3 spells at level 4! Some guidelines: With a gankheavy lane (usually paired with a stunner) you can max Poison Spray for early kills. With a very push heavy team (defiler, ophelia, etc.) always max wards first and assist in tower pushing. And finally Toxicity can be maxed first if you play solo or heavy babysit as you most likely wont get early kills with Spray and Toxicity helps you a lot for lane control by harassing.
If you are playing Slither as a pure support hero consider putting only one point into Poison Spray and level Stats from levels 12-14. (Only damage and Range increase).

Starting Items:
Monkey Courier, Runes of Blight, Healing Potion, 2x Mana Potion, 2x Minor Totem

Core:
Power Supply >> Wards of Sight >> Ghost Marchers >> 1-2x Soulscream Rings OR Fortified Bracelets

If someone else gets a courier, buy Wards instead. Your job is to keep the Wards up so keep buying them! This is always more important than your core items! Ghost Marchers are decent to chase poisoned enemies down. They are slowed by at least 10% so you can keep up to most heroes with Ghost Marchers. It's also good for positioning your ultimate in team fights before you get Shroud or Portal Key. Soulscream Rings can be replaced by Fortified Bracelets as you see fit.

After Core:
Optional: Nome's Wisdom. Depending on your playstyle Slither can be quite Mana Hungry. Nome's is the best solution for that as it provides a very valuable aura for the rest of your team. Only consider it if noone else builds it.
1. Staff of the Master because Poison Burst is what you bring to Teamfights.
2. Assassins Shroud or Portal Key for better Ultimate positioning and survivability. Rule of Thumb: The higher skill level your opponents have the more you want Portal Key. Get one; don't get both.
3. If you are here you most likely did something wrong. You should never reach this point in a normal game unless you "forgot" to buy wards or went farming instead of ganking.

Information
Roles: Support, Ganker
Properties: Roamer, Babysitter, Pusher
Prefered Lane: Any
Difficulty: 1 - Very Easy
Farming capabilities: 3 - Decent
Item dependancy: 2 - Low
Power:
- Early Game / Lane Control: 4 - Strong (Good Harassing, even with auto attacks)
- Mid Game / Ganks: 3 - Medium (Very Powerful ult in ganks and teamfights)
- Late Game / Team Fights: 2 - Weak (Usually not played as a carry)

30-Second-Guide
- Gank, gank, and gank. Buy items that will help you gank, these include homecoming stones, Ghost Marchers, Power Supply and wards.
- Always have enough mana for the Poison spray+burst combo if Poison burst is not on cooldown. The combo takes 320 mana at level 6, 335 mana at level 7, 435 mana at level 11, and 535 mana at level 16.
- Set up Toxic Wards behind you and to your sides when pushing for scouting purposes. They have a 1400 Vision Range. Even at night!
- You can block paths with Toxic Wards.

Counters:
- Power Supply is an excellent Soft Counter aganist ward-spamming Slithers. Especially early game. Grab a Mana Battery ASAP if you are laning against him.
- While Geometer's Bane can no longer remove his ultimate, it still can remove Poision Spray including its slow.
- Shrunken Head will also not remove Poison Burst and you still get hit by it with activated Shrunken BUT you will take 0 damage from it while Shrunken Head lasts. Shrunken Head also removes all his other dots/slows and is thus a decent counter.
- If a Slither decides to go carry do not worry, he is EASILY outcarried. Otherwise get magic armor and/or Shrunken Head.