GDN : Empath Hero Guide

Gamers Daily News has teamed up with S2 Games to bring you a series of Heroes of Newerth strategy guides in the past and now, we are proud to bring you new hero guides. Each time S2 Games adds a hero to Heroes of Newerth we will have a quick guide to get you up to speed on the hero’s powers, skills and play tips.

Introduction:

Heroes of Newerth’s newest hero, the Empath, is a dedicated support hero. While she is weak in one-on-one situations with enemy heroes, her ability to influence a battle in a supporting role is unparalleled. She can excel with minimal items, making her an ideal primary support for any team.

Empath Skill Set:

1. Essence Link: Creates a link between self and target enemy unit, stealing (30/45/60/75) health per second for 5 seconds. If the maximum distance is reached on the link, the life steal stops but the linked enemy is stunned (1/1.5/2/2.5) seconds.
   

• Gives Empath some staying power with health swings early on.
  
• If you want the stun, cast it then immediately start running away from the target, forcing the target to follow you or be stunned.
  
• If you’re low on health, use this ability on a creep to get yourself back up to fighting shape
  
• When you’re bonded with an ally with As One, the health stolen is given to the host hero instead. This can prove invaluable as you try to keep your host alive.
  

2. Illusory Veil: Creates a wall that is impassable for enemies and radiates 50 magic damage per second to nearby enemy units.
   

• Can be used offensively or defensively; use its long cast range to cut off enemy escape paths and its generous width to block off enemy approaches and chases.
  
• This is Empath’s best farming ability, as it can deal up to 250 total magic damage in a line over time.
  
• The wall gives vision! Use it in some fog covered sections of trees to reveal enemies there.
  

3. Synergy: Grants all allied heroes (0.75/1.5/2.25/3) + (0.05/0.1/0.15/0.2)% of Max health in Health Regeneration.
   

• Very powerful in the early phases of the game as it grants all of your team’s heroes map-wide health regeneration, allowing them to farm and harass more aggressively.
  

• Maxing out this skill first can make melee farmers more viable as they can risk taking more harassment.
  

4. As One: Bonds Empath with target allied hero, buffing the host’s Attack Damage and Attack Speed by (40/60/80). While inside, Empath may cast spells and use items as normal. Grants a sub-skill, “Faster!” which grants her host a large but short speed burst.
   

• Unlike most support heroes who remain vulnerable throughout the game, Empath can safely support her team in the relative safety of a teammate’s innards.
  
• The buff is very powerful and can massively increase your carry’s damage output.
  
• Waiting to use As One until you’re in trouble can waste enemy damage output on you with no reward. Keep in mind it disjoints incoming projectiles too!
  

Empath Recommended Items:

• Blood Chalice: Combined with Essence Link, Blood Chalice will make sure you’re never depleted on Health or Mana. Since you can not be harmed while bonded with As One, this item may be used more liberally.
  
• Stormspirit: This item is a very cost effective choice for Empath as she can use it while bonded to an ally. If an enemy begins channeling on your host or if your host is stunned, you can just cyclone the appropriate target.
  
• Astrolabe: The auras and healing effect will be extremely effective since you can position yourself in the middle of a fight safely inside of an ally.
  

Empath General Play Tips:

• Try to cast Illusory Veil at an angle if you can’t block an entire passage way. If you can successfully create a narrow “V” with the Veil and a treeline, you can force the enemy to move back toward you before they can escape.
  
• Damage over time sources can not kill you while you’re bonded with an ally, so if you’re going to die to a DoT like Cursed Ground, find a friend and utilize the buddy system.
  
• Don’t be so afraid to be in the middle of a fight. Other support heroes must stay in relative safety and pick their entry points, but as Empath, stay near your carry so that you can assist him at all times.
  
• Empath has 600 attack range and can steal life back from creeps and enemy heroes, so be aggressive with harassment!
    

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