Liquid Courage

Message from the Author 

Thanks to all for looking into my guide, I felt I have enough experience as a fellow paragon player and a Howitzer main to make this. It was something a little last minute that was put together. There is some missing information that I am unable to put due to times constraints at the current moment such and laning phases, and situations, the do's and don'ts as playing "Howi" but will be updating periodically thoughts the next couple of days. Would also like to be more detailed in my information as well as include little video clips to help get a better visual of what I am trying to express thought text. And also polish this guide up through out the next week or so, to make it easier to follow and more appealing to the eye.  So please take it easy on me as there is more to come and fixes to be made.

Hope the following information is found useful and please leave a comment on what you personally feels need to be included, what you would like to read more, if you found the guide to be useful if to so please leave a positive review, or if you have any questions about anything else that I can include in the FAQs sections if need be. Thanks again and happy reading.

Summary

Key points

Howitzer I feel is one of the more viable champions yet underrated, and yet have his builds overthought. The way l look at him is a passive aggressive support, he can be more aggressive than other Caster's and deal more damage than a "support" but has support like abilities. I build him is a Caster because in my opinion, that's the way he should be played. I've seen many builds during my game play and online and this is the way he should be played. You can build him with Energy Damage, Att. Spd., Crit, go for it, but here's why think its wrong.

1- IT"S NOT YOUR JOB - Your a caster your job is not to be on the front lines, you job is stay on the side lines and poke with abilities, and because of Howi's ability kit he makes the perfect Hero to, A) Make the enemy team regret there decision's, B) Save your teammates lives, C) Finish off any low enemies and clean up fights. D) Zone out key targets.

2- MURDOC - If your going to build Energy Damage, Att. Spd., Crit, go play Murdoc, why? BECAUSE HE"S A CARRY that's his job, if you wanna go face first into the enemies lines then play another Hero not a "caster"..., For example, your playing Howi, you find you self in lane against a Murdoc with the same build, same kills, same level. Who's going to win? Murdoc, sure your getting your shots and trading hits your criting about 400-600 damage a shot but guess what is he criting? On average 1200-1600! He will basically kills you in 3 shots.

Abilities Overview / Comparisons To Other Abilities  

Ability one "Rocket"  this is the Bread of Howizter damage and poke.

Why Max First? Wave Clear and Harass.

Harass - This one of the better abilities in my opinion in terms of other Caster, it's a skill shot that deals full raw damage on contact AND it still does AOE. Other caster have AOE skills that do around the same damage BUT you can walk out of them. Such as Gideon's Cosmic Rift, deals some beefy damage but you can simply walk out of it before you take the blunt of it. With Howi? Just aim and shoot, eneimies take damage on hit as long is your aim is right and its pretty hard to miss.

Ability Two "Detonator" 

Why Max Second but take First? Life Saver and Life Taker

This skill SAVES LIVES and GETS KILLS, I take first because I typically leash the jungle at the begin of a match and if an enemies(s) tries to come in this this is the kill to take, someone tries to jump on a weak teammate pop this bad boy in front of the enemy and blow them back to give that team mate some space. This situation typically happens in the jungle, and if you find your self being chased, pop this at your feet, and blow your self to safety.

Ability Three "Slow Grenades" 

Why Max Last? 

I don't find to much use of this ability, nothing really special just slow enemies and the damage is "eh". Only use I find is shooting these in my path in the jungle if i'm being chased, each has a different timer to be set off, so while running away and trying to go into fast travel these will probably his the enemies and stop there fast travel charge up or stun them if there already in it .

Ability Four "Make It Rain"  

Why Max It When You Can? Escape and Regrets.

This ability is quite the ability. As Howitzer Ultimate, it packs quite a punch IF you land the final missile of it. Deals a nice amount of damage and perfect for team fights to not only zone but cause the enemy team to regret there plays. If they trying going all out on your team and it looks like they got the upper hand then this ability is a game changer. If the enemy goes all in during a team fight they'll be to busy focusing on killing your team rather than avoid the final missile, if they don't avoid the zone markers then there going to lose a nice amount of health thus causing them to back off, leaving your and your team to clean up the fight.

Abilities Uses

"Rocket" 

Laning

Use this skill to farm minions, I typically aim at the range minions when they group because during the EARLY game it will almost kill them in one shot and you can follow up with basic attacks that will kill them in 1-2 hits making it last hitting, when your done when the ranged one turn to the melee minions and you should be able to get one or two more last hits with basic attack if timed correctly.

Poking

I only poke at the opposing opponents when a I see a gank coming or setting one up in so it'll be easy to take them down when a team mates come in to help OR when a MELEE HERO is trying to attack your minions, this way they get damage and the AOE of this will damage the enemies minions, two birds with one stone kinda deal.

"Detonator" 

Spacing

I use to this to reset myself to a safe positions typically if an enemies come in for a unexpected gank or if there getting to close for my own comfort. If you your self get ganked, try to aim at your self and ganker putting it between your both so you bounce away and they bounce back, but the safer options is to bounce yourself back for a more haste retreat action.

Lane Set Ups

This skill can be frustrating for the enemy team while in lane and especially the melee enemies. If you see a friendly coming in for a gank and the enemy DOES NOT have a dash skill then pop this behind the enemy to bounce them toward you and your team mate to put them in a bad position and this will most like lead to a kill. 

If the enemy hero DOES HAVE a dash skill then hold onto this, if you see a friendly gank coming in then start positions you self to try and get behind the enemy while so it'll be easier to land, then once the comes in keep moving to get behind them and then once the enemy use there dash skill then try and use this behind them to blow them back toward your and your team mate to have a better chance of securing the kill.

Ultimate's / Team Fights

This skill can cancel out certain Hero's ultimate's and if the enemy team has one that you can cancel out then better for your team. Save this skill and prioritize attacking the Hero's with Ultimate that you can cancel during a teamfight such as TwinBlast "Barrrage" Gideon "Black Hole". If a team fight goes sour or you and/or a teammate need a quick getaway then shoot this at the enemy to bounce them away.

With TwinBlast wait till his uses his ultimate then shoot this at him and set it off manual and it will knock him out of knock him out of it.

With Gideon it's a little more tricky because you need a more precise timing, you can only knock him out of it DURING his "Black Home" channeling, once you seem the ring around him during his channeling animation pop this at him and set it off immediately. I find it easier to just wait and focus on Gideon during the entire time until he uses it so my reaction would be quicker.

"Slow Grenades" 

Uses?

Again there is nothing really special about this one, just slow your target to help stop escapes or pursue a slowed enemy. 

"Make It Rain"  

Engaging

This ability should only be used to engage when your team has already engaged, and during that time use it we need to be, if it looks to be a winning fight, hop in the air and rain down death on to the enemy carry or help zone out key targets or areas to help benefit your team and better you position on the way back down to help pressure or zone out area even more. Timing is crucial with this ability as if can help secure a team fight or save whats left...

Disengaging

If a team fight is going to bad, go airbone and help save whats left of you team by zoning out there escape routes so the enemy team can't pursue, and position your self to where your out of harms way but still be in range of saving a team using  "Detonator"  or "Slow Grenades"  on enemies that keep giving chase and force them to back off.

Card Build

I choose to build Howitzer as a Caster because I feel this is the best suited role he should be played thus I build him as such and have had great results. Also this build is to help cover the weak-points Howitzer has which mana consumption to be one. Lastly, these are cards most people have or easy to come across so that cards wouldn't make this build feel more complicated or less viable without certain cards.

Start

Standard cards from the being at the match, I always take a Health and Mana Potion because its always nice to have, I take a Harvester key during Solo Queue because no one seems to build harvesters for some reason but you don't need to take one if you choose.

Pop The Cork

I choose "Staff of the Adamant" with 3 "Major Cast" because I focus on farming during the early game and the faster I can kill the minions and jungle creeps and the faster I can get my build to roam the maps and help my team where needed. And the little extra HP from the staff is always nice.

Liquid

From Liquid I get the "Wellspring Staff" because i can build damage and mana, I choose to buy a "Advanced Mana" upgrade first since Howitzer is heavily dependent on it during the early-mid game, and sometimes find myself out of mana when I need  or  the most so having that extra mana will help to avoid those situations. From there I get another "Major Cast" the more damage we can get the better, and then I either choose to get another "Advanced Mana" or "Major Cast" upgrade depending on the game is going. If i find my lanes are always pushed in and need to clear minions out faster then I get another "Advanced Mana" and if everything is going well and find your self grouped up with your team more then get "Major Cast"

Courage

Around mid game I pick up "Eldermage Amulet" and pick up a "Greater Health" upgrade to last longer during team fights or skirmishes, then get another "Major Cast" more extra damage, and once again depending on the game is going I will choose "Greater Health" if I mind myself fighting often or low on health more often than not, and "Major Cast" if i'm not being focused during fights, and the little extra damage helps a ton. Can't tell you how many times enemies get away with less than 200 HP.

Toss the Bottle

From more mid to late game I pick of "Whirling Wand" and get a little extra boost of attack speed from "Vicious Kinetic" helps clears waves faster and more damage output during fights, then I usually build 2x "Major Cast" to add that extra fire power as well, can pick up "Major Kinetic"  in palce of one "Major Cast" if you feel like you need to be doing more. 

FAQ

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

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