GideON Point

Link to the Agora.gg Deck Builder: http://agora.gg/deck/gideon/gideon-custom-deck/1995

Note: the items in the "End Game" section are not the final build. They are suggesting to take one more of the original four items as you're 5th.

Card Build

Prime:

The Archmagus

"Note your prime card only activates when your team captures the Orb Prime"

Equipment/Upgrades:

1. Mana Potion/Health Potion/(optional) Scout’s Ward

2. Eldermage Amulet (Major Cast / Major Cast / Greater Health)

3. Staff of Adamant (Major Cast / Major Cast / Greater Health)

"If you are not having problem managing your health, feel free to switch the purchase order on the first two equipment cards. Also you can adjust the purchase order of the upgrades, but keep them x2 Major Cast/ x1 Greater Health on each"

4. Chrono-Mancer Disc (Major Cast / Major Cast / Advanced Mana)

5. Pendulum of Lords (Advanced Mana / Greater Health / Advanced Chrono)

"Same as above with purchase order"

6. EXTRA any of the previous four equipment cards.

"This last slot is up to you if the game hasn’t finished yet. I usually pick a second SoA or EA, but another PoL could work well too"

Summary (TLDR)

All information in this guide is all from my point-of-view and experiences playing Gideon.  From what I have seen, if you stick to these items (substitute lower quality cards if you do not have all the higher listed upgrades available) you will have huge wave clear, high survivability, and a massive presence in team fighting.  You will end up with a substantial health pool (around 3,700), but you can still be taken down very easily end game once the Crit based enemies get built up.  Do your best to avoid them.

Gideon is my first and most played character and is MEANT to start MID LANE.  This guide is a work in progress as far as the layout goes, so please offer suggestions in the comments section for tips on how others can modify using this build after they tried.  This perfectly suits MY play style, and in my opinion, DO NOT go hard charger and try to take enemies head on.  This game is all about OBJECTIVES, but using this and a defensive play style you can win games AND have a satisfying K/D ratio if that's what you're interested in.  Just to reiterate, the purpose of this build will give you a pretty massive health pool, with lots of energy damage. Unfortunately you will not be taking any defense (other than health) so play defensively.

***I have received a small amount of feedback, specifically from @Sortune from reddit, about having issues with making a higher DPS build.  As this guide provides a good bit of Major Cast it offsets being a flat-out glass cannon by adding the Greater Health upgrades. To put it more clear I will qout my response to him from Reddit***

@Sortune, end game is going to be murder for Gideon in almost any build situation. Stacked health and armor, you will lose because of the lack of damage / too much damage, and hello 2-shot. The key of this build is to show what Gideon's purpose is. It's built to have a good health pool, with a proportionate amount of damage. --The key to Gideon is to push lanes. Pushing the lane will cause aggro from the enemy players, drawing them from another lane and effectively allowing your teammates to push the now empty lane. This in turn cause them to run back, giving you the chance to come back in to rinse and repeat. Map Awareness is big while playing any lane pusher, as the moment you notice someone coming your direction...BAIL. Fighting was early/mid game, but your mission now is to survive and keep the pressure on. "If you like the basic structure of this guide, could branch off after building the first two items to completion. Those two will give you the minimal effective wave clear", then think about adding in your armor and whatever fits your play style...other than that, I appreciate your feedback and if you could next time add it to the build guide so that you're ideas can help others and help tailor this guide into something the whole community can use.

Abilities Overview

Infinity (Passive) 

DESCRIPTION: Gideon has bonus Energy Penetration

USE: Since Gideon has built-in Energy Penetration, you DO NOT need to focus on cards that Energy Pen as you can utilize other cards more effectively.

Portal Blast (Primary Attack) 

DESCRIPTION: Low damage, medium range attack

USE: This is your basic attack. Use it effectively to last hit minions and to chip away at your opponent if they get to close. 

Burden (Secondary Attack) 

DESCRIPTION: Gideon fires a projectile that links him to an enemy hero. As long as the two are linked, the enemy is slowed and takes damage over time.

USE:  So this ability is tricky and I see it used incorrectly a lot of the time.  When an enemy player is low health and is trying to run away Use this to keep them close.  Otherwise try to save it as a bit of a secondary escape.  A lot of people will use this prior to their Ultimate to keep enemies slowed inside.  This is a bit of a waste as your Ultimate already slows people. On top of that most people portal in to imitate their ULT, which can take away your primary escape if things turn south.  After casting Ultimate use this to slow your enemy to drop a huge Cosmic Rift on them.  I take it 3rd in skill up, don’t be that guy that take it for number 2. Its better get your escape first to avoid a gank.

Cosmic Rift (Ability) 

DESCRIPTION: Gideon opens a rift in the sky dropping meteors at target location.

USE: Gideon’s bread and butter.  Once you have the first two items in your deck built, Gideon will be clearing minion waves like it’s no one’s business.  In my opinion Grux is the only one who can equal his wave clear.  Early levels I tend to save this until I’ve hit my Ultimate unless I really need people to back off. "Cast this after hitting someone with Burden, to keep them under the whole comet drop".

"Cast this after hitting someone with Burden, to keep them under the whole comet drop".

Torn Space (Ability) 

DESCRIPTION: Gideon opens a portal at a targeted area, allowing him to quickly teleport somewhere else. Friendly Heroes can follow him through the portal for a short period of time.

USE: Most players you see with Gideon will mostly use this to initiate high off the ground with their Ultimate.  I will discuss that further in the Ultimate description.  "The one thing that a lot of Gideon players and teammates of Gideon do not realize is that they can escape through it as well". I tend to save this to gain ground on a fleeing enemy, or save my own rear-end by tearing>travel mode right after to get a swift escape.  I will only use this to initiate my Ultimate when there is a team fight I’m just arriving too, and Using my ult will swing victory in our favor, or if I’ve lured an enemy into stepping into my turret zone (I will tear behind them and Ult to slow them, damage them, and clearing his minion wave as well leaving them susceptible to a hit or two from my own tower.

 "The one thing that a lot of Gideon players and teammates of Gideon do not realize is that they can escape through it as well"

Black Hole (Ultimate Ability) 

DESCRIPTION: Gideon opens his rift device, summoning a black hole overhead. Enemies within the area are pulled toward Gideon and take damage over time.

USE:  This is not you end all be all with Gideon.  Please do not focus your game around your Ultimate.  If you do this, you will fail.  Like I started to hint before; Try to avoid the TRICK of using your ultimate high off the ground. "The ultimate range/radius is spherical, not cylindrical". The higher you go, the faster and enemy will escape from it, and take fewer amounts of damage.  I tend to only use this if we are already winning a team fight, to keep enemies from fleeing, so that I may get the kill or my teammates can.  Do not use it every chance you get, or you will find yourself with a spawn timer a lot.  Especially late game when high crit rate enemies are able to melt you down before you really even get anything done. Be warned that your ult is also easily interrupted, so don’t just dive in on Steel or Grux who can make your day worse. 

"The ultimate range/radius is spherical, not cylindrical".

Early Game

Early game grab your Health/Mana pots and optional Scout’s Ward and head MIDDLE. I always head there first to stake my claim to the lane, and then run over to "help with red spawn as that’s is a quick and easy 800 CXP for all allies in radius".  Head back to middle and focus on last hitting creeps. If the enemy mid-laner wats to poke his/her pretty little face too close, chip at them with your BASIC ATTACK and NOT Cosmic Rift.  This is very important!!! The enemy will keep trying to clear the waves or harass you, but you will stay cool.  Stay in the lane as long as you can, and use Cosmic Rift sparingly.  Early on it won’t clear the waves, but you still won’t have an issue pushing the lane.  Once you his level 3 and get burden, then occasionally lock them down and drop your Rift on them.  Eventually they will leave the lane, giving you the EXP upper hand.  Last hit to the MAX, as you will need your card points ASAP.  If you fall behind the game will be hard, and you might find yourself staggering the whole game. 

"help with red spawn as that’s is a quick and easy 800 CXP for all allies in radius"

Mid Game

Great!!! Your Jungler has got a few harvesters up and you're gaining extra CXP!  About the time you get your Ultimate or a little after you’ll be around 7-10 CPs.  That is when I usually make my first RTB(return to base) to slot my cards.  12-13 is ideal on the first return is you’ve been able to sustain your lane for that long effectively.  STAY middle, the more you leave your lane the slower you will level, and even though it seems selfish, If everyone on your team is getting wrecked you have <10% chance of turning the game back around.  Give yourself and your team a chance by keeping your lane up and when you get your opportunity and start to push that tower.  Having your second card slot fully upgraded as well will help you clear waves easy, letting you have the full help of your minions to push a tower. 

Late Game

Remember!!! This game is not about K/D. If you’ve done everything correctly up to this point, you should be close to closing out your full 60 CPs.  Just keep doing what you do, and push lanes.  Even if you can’t get your team to back you up, "you can effectively crush towers and inhibitors by yourself".  If your team is grouped pushing one lane, head to another, so now the enemy has to make a call on whether to try and catch you and save that lane, or team fight your allies as they push another.  It’s a win/win unless you aren’t watching your map and get caught blindsided.

Laning

One thing and one thing only: go MIDDLE and stay there as long as you can before RTB. The longer you’re in the lane, the more your farm/push/CXP will thrive.

FAQ

Frequent questions that may appear while playing this build and your answers

Q: How often do you win with this build?

A: Total I have only engaged in 2 matches outside of playing Gideon and a few I’ve experienced AFK, as well as my own learning curve for the first few games. Nonetheless I am still working with a <50% (I know it could be better) for my account. Once I made this build though I have started to steadily increase my Win/Loss margin.  Playing with only this build I’d say ~70% W/L.

Q: Did you type this with your eyes closed?

A: No I did not.  I’m sure there will be some errors, and some parts that aren’t very clear.  I am better with words speaking than with typing.  This is also my first guide for any game across the board.

Please:

Give your feedback, good or bad I will accept it.  What we want to do here is not create an ultimate build, but make a guide that is easy to follow and easy for potential newcomers to learn.  Call me out on errors, give me a cookie if you see something good.  Add your remarks in the comments section and I will address them as best I can.  Until then, give this a whirl and have fun WINNING with Gideon.

-gnarnokRADSKI out