A Guide to Felisa Meadowsong, the Arcane Archer

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A Guide to Felisa Meadowsong, the Arcane Archer

#1 Post by Hammel »

Felisa Meadowsong, the Arcane Archer

Content:
I - Overview
II - Statistics
III - Abilities
IV - Builds

V.I - Area of Effect
IV.II - Physical Damage
IV.III - Support

V - Teamplay
VI - Enemies
VII - Summary

Appendix:
VII - History
IX - Future

X - Notes
XI - Thanks


I - Overview

{~~ The pictures dont work anymore... "It was not possible to determine the dimensions of the image." The following links are the pictures I had here. The pictures are there, the forum just doesnt accept them... just act like they were used as usual, gonna change that later...}
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/9681 ... ionrs0.jpg
http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/3186 ... ionrg1.jpg


II - Statistics

Strength: 15 (+)
Agility: 17 (+)
Intelligence: 21 (+)
Health: 400
Mana: 415
Damage: 35-45 (+ 4-9 * Upgrade Level)
Range: 500
Armor: 7 (+10 * Upgrade Level)


III - Abilities

Innate - Scout
Summons a magical owl with Truesight.
Mana Cost: 20 mana
Duration: 180 seconds

{While it doesnt look like much, this is once of the most powerful innate abilities. You can observe choke points of the maps, like Obelisks, Fountains, crossroads, off-lane territory, bases with spawn towers and especially enemy heroes. The owls just dont fly through the portals on Stormwail Peak and dont follow teleporting heroes. Still you can easily catch enemy heroes wandering alone between the lanes when you keep the owls up, or foresee heavy pushes with multiple heroes.}

Meteor Swarm
Deals a large amount of damage over an area and stuns.

Level 1: Costs 75 mana, 1 meteor, 70 + 0,4 * Int damage
Level 2: Costs 109 mana, 2 meteors, 70 + 0,4 * Int damage
Level 3: Costs 143 mana, 3 meteors, 70 + 0,4 * Int damage
Level 4: Costs 177 mana, 4 meteors, 70 + 0,4 * Int damage
Level 5: Costs 211 mana, 5 meteors, 70 + 0,4 * Int damage
Level 6: Costs 245 mana, 6 meteors, 70 + 0,4 * Int damage

{This is your main method of dealing Area of Effect damage. While the stun doesnt affect heroes (and some people doubt its entire existence), it does slow units down a bit. It is best used against mobs of units close to each other, blocked by allied units so they dont run out of it, since the meteors dont stun the whole target area and the stuns dont last that long. Another effective target is an immobilized hero, since he cannot run out at all.}

Although it is not as strong as Holy Strike of the Divine Wizard, Meteor Shower does have the stun, has the potential to hit a larget area and is usable against buildings. The DW also doesnt share your greatest strength, the speed, so you are equally useful with Meteor Shower.}

Mass Haste
Increases attack and movement speed of surrounding allies.

Level 1: Costs 40 Mana, increases movement speed by 5%, increases attack speed by 5%, lasts for 45 seconds
Level 2: Costs 62 Mana, increases movement speed by 8%, increases attack speed by 11%, lasts for 60 seconds
Level 3: Costs 84 Mana, increases movement speed by 11%, increases attack speed by 18%, lasts for 75 seconds
Level 4: Costs 106 Mana, increases movement speed by 14%, increases attack speed by 27%, lasts for 90 seconds
Level 5: Costs 128 Mana, increases movement speed by 17%, increases attack speed by %, lasts for 105 seconds
Level 6: Costs 150 Mana, increases movement speed by 20%, increases attack speed by %, lasts for 120 seconds

{Mass Haste makes you the third most mobile hero on the battlefield. Only Harpy is better since she can fly at a rather high speed and the Forlorn Martyr because of Streak. Plight, the Ascendant, while flying, is too slow to be a match for you. Fenny, although having Dream Run, cannot run as fast and Dream Run is a skill with a cooldown... you cannot just run from everyone, you also chase everyone down, when you have sufficient hitpoints.

When attacking a base, Mass Haste let's units go berserk the towers, and you can use the boost in attack speed very well, too, when you boost your small damage with items. There isnt much to say about how to use this skill, just keep it up permanently and buff nearby units and heroes with it. Unfortunately it is quite expensive later on.}

Familiar
Summons her Familiar, which has a variety of abilities.

Level 1: Costs 50 mana, Familiar learns Blink
Level 2: Costs 80 mana
Level 3: Costs 110 mana, Familiar learns Faery Fire (? seconds, -8 armor)
Level 4: Costs 140 mana, Familiar learns Entangle (3 seconds, ? damage)
Level 5: Costs 170 mana, Familiar learns Feedback (? mana)
Level 6: Costs 200 mana, Familiar learns Starfall (AoE, damage)

{Maybe this is the signature skill of the Arcane Archer. You will hardly see one runnind around without the Familiar because the skill is so great. It offer a second source of attack damage and several useful spells. Level 1 is strongly recommended just to have the damage, level 4 is useful for the Entangle. Levels 5 and 6 are not that strong, and when the Familiar casts Starfall in a bad situation, like when chasing a hero and running into a spawnwave, you may easily lose a kill. Still Starfall is useful in mass battles when you need to quickly clear a large battlefield where Meteor Swarm doesn't do the job.}

Ethereal Healing
Turns a target hero ethereal and heals it over 3 seconds.
Cooldown = 15s

Level 1: Costs 40 mana, heals 180 + int hitpoints
Level 2: Costs 56 mana, heals 360 + 1.5 * int hitpoints
Level 3: Costs 72 mana, heals 540 + 2 * int hitpoints
Level 4: Costs 88 mana, heals 720 + 2.5*int hitpoints
Level 5: Costs 104 mana, heals 900 + 3 * int hitpoints
Level 6: Costs 120 mana, heals 1080 + 3.5 * int hitpoints

{The most powerful healing spell in the game. When you have ~200 int and Heal level 6, it heals (1080+700) * 1.66 (due to etherealness), which is roughly 3000 hp. In 3 seconds... you'll never need that much. Level 3 can heal any caster in the lategame, even without too much Intelligence.
When using Ethereal Healing, be away of enemy heroes around, the Arcane Mistress can attack ethereal targerts, and although she wont deal so much damage, she can cast Infernal Binding right afterwards and kill your ally. Also other heroes have powerful spells that may cause an untimely death, like Scarab (Smite), Ice Spinner (Ice Lance) and especially the Dryad/Arboreal Crusader, because Gale has got such a long ranged compared to other spells.}

Ultimate - Ice Wall
Creates a wall of ice that must be destroyed to be passed.

Level 1: Costs 260 mana, 600 hitpoints
Level 2: Costs mana, 1200 hitpoints
Level 3: Costs mana, 1800 hitpoints
Level 4: Costs mana, 2400 hitpoints

The wall lasts forever, but melts during daytime for a percantage of its maximum hitpoins, so that it never survives a whole day. {The wall is created from the center of the target area, going to the sides in a right angle.}

{Ice Wall is a tool. Put it into the enemies way when defending, put it behind a base when sieging to stop reinforcements from the backward bases, trap running heroes (or standing ones at narrow places, but that requires luck) to get easy kills. Just use this whenever you need some large blocks of ice in someone's way.}


IV - Builds

IV.I Area of Effect

Abilities chosen:
Meteor Swarm
Familiar
Secondary(*): Mass Haste

Crystal usage:

Intelligence
Skill Points

Items:
Talisman of the Sun [Marketplace]
(Storm Hammer) [Marketplace] (**)
(Crystal Staff) [Marketplace] (**)
Sorceror's Robes [Workshop]
Orb of Skill [Workshop]
Gloves of Evocation [Workshop]
Trapping Nets [Goblin Laboratory]
(Rings of Intelligence) [Ancient of Wonders] (**)

The point of this build is to go around and kill units. Therefore you pick Meteor Storm for AoE damage and boost Intelligence and Evocation damage as much as possible. Grab the Talisman as early as possible, many people want this item because it is so versatile, and it gives you many things you need. Str boosts you low hp, Agi increases you movespeed, Int increases mana and spell damage. The regeneration allows you to stay in the lanes longer, farming and gaining experience faster. Storm Hammer and Crystal Staff are useful because they boost your damage so much, but they are also expensive. Trapping Nets help your team and yourself to keep an enemy hero in place for a well aimed Meteor Swarm, so you can even become quite helpful when it comes to killing heroes. When there are no other items to get, but you have some space and gold, fill the place with Rings of intelligence.

When Meteor Swarm and Familiar are maxed, you can either go for Mass Haste to be able to chase better, or add Ethereal Healing (due to your high Intelligence score, it is quite efficient at saving people) or go for Ice Wall to defend and siege. Decide depending on what your team needs most in that situation.

IV.II Damage

Abilities chosen:
Familiar
Mass Haste
Secondary: Meteor Swarm

Crystal usage:

Damage
Agility
(Armor)
(Strength)

Items:
Orb of Fury [Marketplace]
Zephyr Totem [Marketplace] / Dimensional Wands [Arcane Vault]
(Talisman of the Sun) [Marketplace] (**)
Guiding Gloves [Workshop]
Leather Armor [Workshop]
Executioner's Hood [Ancient of Wonders]
Trapping Nets [Goblin Laboratory]
(Healing Potions) [Arcane Vault] / (Amulet of Health) [Ancient of Wonders] / Anti Magic Potion [Arcane Vault] (**)

The AA has crappy damage, but she is fast. To utilize her attackspeed and chasing abilities, she can go for Orb of Fury, increasing her damage by quite a bit. Zephyr Totem increases her attackspeed and therefore damage output, but the main reason to get this item is the ability to blink. While you are fast, you are sometimes not fast enough to finish tanks and they escape with 100 hp, which equals the 2 or 3 attacks you can make when you blink ahead. Talisman is optional for the damage and stat boost but not required. Guiding Gloves fürther increase your damage output, while Leather Armor helps staying alive. When you have all these items more or less maximized, you can get Executioners Hood for even more damage. Nets are used to keep enemies in place to get more attacks in and to disrupt channeling (mainly the Acid Reaver, Colossus and Arcane Mistress).

During the game, you are on the move all the time. Noone can catch you because of Mass Haste, and you can be nearly everywhere at the same time. Because of your damage output and shockwaves you can even stop spawnwaves when there is some blocker between them and you. Although you deal a lot of damage, you lack heavy spell damage and have a problem with high armored tanks. It is best to fight them at a distance and evade their nukes as much as possible. When they are weakened enough and they start running, chase them, kill them and retreat. Knowledge of the map off the lanes is important for this to work so that you can evade other heroes chasing you and find the fastest way to the next fountain. Casters can be difficult due to their powerful nukes, but unless they kill you right away, you outdamage them. If the nukes are too powerful, consider taking healing potions or an Amulet of Health with you. Anti Magic Potions also help.


IV.III Support

Abilities Chosen:
Familiar (to level 1 or 4)
Mass Haste
Ethereal Healing (level just enough to make it heal 3/4 of everyone's hp)
Ice Wall

Crystal usage:

Skill Points
(Armor)
(Strenth)
Allies

Items:
Talisman of the Sun [Marketplace]
Amulet of Health [Ancient of Wonders]
(Orb of the Magi) [Workshop] (**)
(Black Dragon Heart) [Marketplace] (**)
Termite Jar [Goblin Laboratory]
Battle Plans [Arcane Vault]
Summons (Bottle of Ooze) [Goblin Merchant]
Trapping Nets [Goblin Laboratory]
Frozen Skulls [Goblin Merchant]

The role of the supporting AA is to support, so you dont need many permanent items. Talisman is taken for the buff. While you can easily heal everyone else, you cannot heal yourself, so you are the weakest link during an attack. Therefore an Amulet of Health is recommended just to keep you alive so you don't drop out when you are needed the most. Orb of the Magi can be used to solve possible Mana problems through Mass Haste. Black Dragon Heart also increases Mana regeneration and adds a summon with chaos attack (useful for attacking towers), but it costs a bunch, and since you lack farming abilities, that may be too much.

Ingame, you support every larger spawnwave there is with Mass Haste, keep allied heroes around you alive with Ethereal healing and wait until you reach the enemy base. Ice Wall is used to keep reinforcements out of the enemy base, so that your spawnies are not distracted away from the tower. The summons are called as soon as you are in the base, then Termite Jar is used on the mainly attacked tower. Enchant your reinforcments with Mass Haste (and the Talisman, when he isnt already used), and attack the tower. When one tower is down, or your spawnies are distracted by enemies, use the Battle Plans to make them focus the next tower (or leave it to the Tactician, if she is around). Trapping Nets stop fleeing enemy heroes so your allies can kill them, and Frozen Skulls let you occasionally wipe an enemy push when there is just a few allied spawnies around.


V - Teamplay

{Since the different skills of the AA offer thousands of possibilities of efficient teamwork, I will go through every single of them and give examples of how to combine them with your teammates abilities.

Meteor Shower damages buildings, so it is a good idea to combine this with other heroes that wreak havoc on enemy buildings, for example the Blazing Priest, who uses Blazing Hammer and Fire Storm, or you can help the Infiltrator damaging a tower so Sabotage kills it right away. Apart from that you can center it on a tank surrounded by units for full effect or help a hero without Area of Effect spells pushing. When you want to use Meteor Swarm for killing heroes, team up with someone who has a good disable so you can center Meteor Swarm on the enemy while he is standing still.

Mass Haste is a powerful pushing tool. Combine its speed boost with Tactician's Banners upgraded by the Time Cleric and watch in awe. Another good combination is with the Blazing Priest, who keeps the units alive (Flame of the Devout) and increases their damage and armor (Kindle Faith). Chasing with Mass Haste is easier when the enemy is slowed, for example by the Time Cleric using Ebb.

The Familiar lets allies get channeled abilities hit enemy heroes more easily, like the Rune Knight casting Rune Shell, the Tactician capturing the enemies with her Net ability or especially the Time Cleric casting Degeneration and the Soul Binder casting Soul Strike.

Ethereal Healing saves agility- and intelligence-based heroes from powerful enemy nukers and hero killers and allows your team's strength heroes to stay in the battle indefinitely. When the Harpy or Ascendant try to stop channeling with Swoop or Ravenous Dive, you can make your ally ethereal and they touch thin air. In case the Rune Knight finished Grand Rune this way, the result is devestating to the enemy.

Ice Wall just keeps the enemy base clean of too many reinforcements, making it a great support during a siege. Apart from that, units tend to bulk around the wall, trying to kill it, making them a good target for AoE spells, like Aeromancess' Tempest or Divine Wizard's Holy Strike.}


VI - Enemies

{You mainly need to look out for enemies with high damage spells, since you cannot take much of a beating. Especially the Ice Spinner is dangerous because Ice Lance eats your hp, Brain Freeze decreases the power of Meteor Swarm and Webs keep you in place. Scarab is difficult because of his high armor and damage reduction, while Smite hurts you a lot. The Dryad/Arboreal Crusader is quite fast, what makes chasing difficult, while she can push you back with Gale. Her Tangleweed is no problem though since you can run through it. While Gravel/the Colossus has high armor and hp, he cannot harm you when you evade rockslide. Same for Bane/the Acid Reaver with Caustic Breath. The Arcane Mistress on the contrary is very dangerous. Infernal Binding stop you from attacking while she hits you with even more force. Mind Fog doesnt let you strike back with Meteor Shower, either.
The perfect pray for you is the Dread Shaman, just carry a dispell to get rid of Shared Pain and maybe Mass Regeneration. Have Mass Haste castable since he might dispel it with Expunge, and have a Blink item (Zephyr Totem or Dimensional Wands) to make up for the delay.}


VII - Summary

{As we have seen, the AA can do pretty much everything apart from tanking. Speed is her weapon, and when noone can stop her, your team is on the winning side. Why? Because when you are not stopped, your team can hardly be stopped since you have powerful healing, buffing and sieging abilities. This makes me wonder why she rarely seems to be played recently... many people just forget the power of Ethereal Healing and dont utilize her speed as much as needed, wasting her potential and making her seem weak. With enough practice and good reactions though, you can make your enemies go nuts when they dont get a push going (due to owls), cannot catch you (Mass Haste) and dont kill your teammates while you are around (Ethereal Healing). And if they DO hit you, you can use potions or an Amulet of Health to heal.}


Appendix {not a part of the main guide, merely some more info for those who like to know more}

VIII - History

IX - Future

Talents:
de-cross wrote: Name:Fiery Crater
Cost:12/16/20/24 (*Crystal)
Effect:Meteor Swarm leaves burning crates behind. Dealing 4/7/10/13 damage per second to units standing in it. Lasts 12 seconds.

Name:Souldbound
Cost:20/24/28 (*Crystal)
Effect:When the familar is over half health. 7/14/21% of damage taken by the hero will be diverted to the familar.

X - Notes

(*) Secondary means to put all unnecessary points into this skill, but to favor the others.
(**) Items in brackets are optional. When you have the gold and noone else has/needs them, get them, otherwise, go for other items.

X - Thanks

Thanks to DarnYak for making this awesome map.
Thanks to Poolman756 for helping me with some formatting, style, {a piece of} content and PICTURES!!! (coming soon, I hope ^^)
Thanks to de-cross and Red[RL] for inviting me into the clan 3 years ago...


{Unfortunately Yak didnt give me all of the values for AA yet, but I will add them as soon as they are available to me. The values I added are collected by myself, and when I didnt get them, I used linear approximations where I've seen it fit (EH Levels 4+, Mana Costs Levels 4+, Mass Haste movespeed Levels 4+, Attackspeed didnt work... :-()}
Attachments
HealAA.w3g
A quite short game, first replay of Heal AA I made for this guide. I used a few levels of Ethereal Healing, Familiar and Mass Haste, no Meteor Swarm.
(135.03 KiB) Downloaded 380 times
HealAA2.w3g
Quite a long game, this time I went for Ethereal Healing, Familiar and Meteor Swarm. While we didnt win (probably due to lack of teamgame and 1 man less from the beginning), it is shown how EH Level 3 completely heals a caster even later on.
(548.07 KiB) Downloaded 393 times
Last edited by Hammel on July 13th, 2007, 8:49 am, edited 6 times in total.

Hammel
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Re: [Contest] A Guide to Felisa Meadowsong, the Arcane Archer

#2 Post by Hammel »

SHIT...(sorry) ~~ though it was until July 13th 12AM EST -.- reading helps... guess I'm out... still gonna finish that later...

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Re: [Contest] A Guide to Felisa Meadowsong, the Arcane Archer

#3 Post by Emufarmers »

Hammel wrote:SHIT...(sorry) ~~ though it was until July 13th 12AM EST -.- reading helps... guess I'm out... still gonna finish that later...
As I read the rules, you had until the end of the 12th, so you should be fine, unless we both misread it.

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Re: [Contest] A Guide to Felisa Meadowsong, the Arcane Archer

#4 Post by Hammel »

Yeah... that was yesterday... and I am not finished... I lack explanations of how to use skills, pictures of skills, team strategies (how to help other heroes) and what enemies to be aware of...

The appendix is unimportant since it isnt a part of the guide, and I dont want it to be judged anyways...

However, I am too late (I try to finish it till 12 am EST anyways and hope Tox is in a good mood) {Hey, I've been on holidays for 2 of the 3 weeks...}

Additions I make today will be in { } so you can determine what was there yesterday, when the contest officially ended... it is 3 pm in Europe now, 9 am EST, Friday 13th of July...


EDIT: Guide is as done as it will be for now... gonna add the "history" section tomorrow, maybe, and add something to the "Future" section some day (as much as I can see it)... rest is up to you, tox...

It is 4:50 pm, Friday, 13th of July in Europe, 10:50 EST (I think)

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