Support items are often underrated. It's quite surprising to see so few of them in public games and lower level inhouses when they are so popular competitively. Here's a short guide to the different support items, what they do, and why you should use them.

Consumables

We'll start with the cheapest and easiest ways for you to help your team.

- Wards: Wards are easily the best way to help your team for 200 gold. For 200 gold you get 6 minutes of vision in two different areas. You can use them in jungle entrances, lanes, runes, anywhere that vision is helpful. They generally pay for themselves in allowing ganks on enemies, or preventing ganks for your prone-to-overextending teammates.

They're sold in sets of 2, and the store stocks a maximum of 2. They should always be on cooldown and always restocking, if there are ever a full set of wards in the store your team is being really inefficient with their gold and throwing away a great tool.





- Smokes: Smokes are a relatively new item that only get used as a gimmick or in times of desperation in pubs. Realistically, they can be used all the time. You'll see competitive teams with smokes all the time. They make the entire team invisible and gives them 15% movespeed. The buff is removed once they get within 950 units of an enemy hero. You can move past wards as a team with them and set up really great ganks.

Occasionally they can also be used as an escape mechanism (provided the distance is there). The best part is, they only cost 100 gold, and the store stocks *3* of them. That's 3 free ganks if they're all used properly, and each gank will get your team at least 300 gold, so they pay for themselves! Buy smokes and use them all the time.





- Sentry wards: Usually these are only gotten if laning against an invis opponent, but they are also great for dewarding enemy wards. If you suspect the slightest competence in the enemy team, have your support buy these and counter ward. The less map control they have, the more you can take. Just by modifying the enemy's vision you can swing the game in an entirely different direction.





- Courier/Flying Courier: If your team doesn't have a courier you are bad and you should feel bad.

Drums of Endurance

Stats:

+9 All Attributes

+9 Damage

Endurance Aura

Active: Endurance - 4 Charges

Buildup:

Bracer - 525g

Robe of the Magi - 450g

Recipe - 750g

Total - 1725g

Summary: This bad boy gives your entire team 5% movespeed and 5 attack speed in a 900 radius around you. If you activate it, it doubles the effect for 6 seconds, up to 4 times. You can add charges by rebuying the recipe, but usually it won't be worth the gold to do so. What makes this item so fantastic (besides the amazing movespeed for your team) is that the buildup is great for supports.

The bracer gives you amazing early game stats and gives you more survivability from the strength gain. The robe buffs your mana pool a bit. Here's a list of all the heroes that benefit from having bonus move speed and attack speed. Every team should try and find a drum carrier, the move speed is just too good.

Pipe of Insight

Stats:

+11 HP/sec Regeneration

+30% magic resistance

Active: Barrier

Buildup:

Hood of Defiance - 2125g

Headress - 603g

Recipe - 1000g

Total - 3728g

Summary: The regen and magic damage resistance is fantastic on anyone however the active is what makes this item one of the best in the game. It gives every allied unit in a 500 aoe around the user a 400 damage magic shield. The damage is prevented post-mitigation and can shutdown enemy ultimates. Here is a list of hereos that can do preventable magic damage.* Similarly, here is a list of heroes that would appreciate a 400 damage shield if you gave them one.

* Lycan, Omniknight, Dazzle, Drow, Riki, Clinkz and Void can all get dagons, I'm still right you contrarian asses.

Mekansm

Stats:

+5 All Attributes

+5 Armor

Mekansm Aura (+4 hp regen)

Active: Restore

Buildup:

Buckler - 803g

Headdress - 603g

Recipe - 900g

Total - 2306g

Summary: Great stats, great armor, provides +4 hp regen in a 500 aoe around you, and has an active that heals 250 hp and gives +2 armor in a 750 aoe around you. The heal is amazing and turns tides in teamfights. If your team doesn't have one, your team is terrible and will probably lose. Here's a slightly shorter (kidding) list of heroes that appreciate the aoe heal!





Urn of Shadows

Stats:

+50% Mana Regeneration

+6 Strength

Active: Soul Release



Buildup:

Gauntlets of Strength (x2) - 300g (150g)

Sage's Mask - 325g

Recipe - 250g

Total - 875g

Summary: This item provides decent early health and mana regen, but it's real power is the active. Any time an enemy hero dies near the urn carrier (within 1400 units) the urn gains 1 charge (2 if it's empty). Only one urn can gain charges at a time so try to avoid having multiples on one team. Usually they're used on the player who will be involved in the most ganks and kills on the map, because that will give the urn the most charges.

Each charge can be used to heal an ally for 400 hp or damage an enemy for 150 hp over 8 seconds on a 10 second cooldown. This item can be situational, if the game is very passive and there aren't kills to feed the urn then it's obviously useless. Usually however people die, a lot, and the item is fantastic. If your primary roamer isn't getting one, consider grabbing it on a support and roaming with him.

It turns you into a fantastic heal bot. I'm going to stop sarcastically posting that image of the hero select screen now, all of these items own and help everyone so get them.

Force Staff

Stats:

+10 Intelligence

+10 Damage

+10 Attack Speed

Active: Force



Buildup:

Staff of Wizardry - 1000g

Quarterstaff - 900g

Recipe - 300g

Total - 2200g

Summary: The stats on this aren't particularly bad for the cost (especially on intelligence heroes) however this is one of the best active abilities in the game. It shoves the character it's cast on 600 units in the direction it's facing. 20 second cooldown is especially short for how good this is. You can use it to escape yourself, up and down cliffs or through trees. You can help your teammates escape. You can help them initiate.

You can shove an enemy out of position. It's FANTASTIC. It's basically a short range blink dagger you can use on everyone. It's not required for every team to have, but your team will certainly not be mad at you for getting one, especially if you learn to use it to it's maximum potential. It has a high skill ceiling for an item but there isn't much in this game that can affect everyone's position making this a particularly strong item.

Vladmir's Offering

Stats:

+2 HP/sec Regeneration

Vampiric Aura (+16% Lifesteal to melee units)

Damage Aura (+15% damage)

Armor Aura (+5 armor)

Mana Regeneration Aura (+0.8 mana regen)



Buildup:

Morbid Mask - 900g

Ring of Regen - 350g

Ring of Basilius - 500g

Recipe - 300g

Total - 2050g

Summary: This one might really surprise you as a support item. Here's why I like it better on supports than on the carries it helps. Every single bonus, save 2hp regen, is an aura. A carry can benefit from the Vamp, Damage, Armor, and Mana Regen without wearing it. It saves him an item slot and 2050g, and he still gets a huge bonus from it. If you have a couple of melee carries on it, and they don't have their own reasons for getting it (Ursa and Lycan will get it to solo Rosh and help them jungle) then get it and they'll love you. You don't need the item slot as much as they do.

Arcane Boots

Stats:

+65 Movement Speed

+250 Mana

Active: Replenish Mana



Buildup:

Boots of Speed - 500g

Energy Booster - 1000g

Total - 1500g

Summary: When you hit the button, your entire team (in a 600 aoe) gets 135 mana. Too many people in public games cry about running out of mana, and this can help a ton. It's all available in the side shop as well. Getting at least a couple of pairs of mana boots on your team is a great way to sustainably stay in lanes and maintain longer pushes. Even if you don't cast a lot, consider getting these if your teammates do.

Medallion of Courage

Stats:

+6 Armor

+50% Mana Regeneration

Active: Valor



Buildup:

Chainmail - 550g

Sage's Mask - 325g

Recipe Cost - 200g

Total - 1075g

Summary: This is another surprising support item in the same vein as Vlad's. The active ability removes 6 armor from you and the target for 7 seconds (and is on a 7 second cooldown). It costs no mana as well. The item itself gives you a bit of tankability, some decent mana regen, and you can help increase the damage your carries do. Similarly to Vlad's it isn't always worth the item slot or gold on the carry itself but it can be a great item to help him deal some damage.

Conclusion

Stop being so selfish with your item choices. Anytime you are about to buy an item, think about whether it will help you kill their throne quicker than one of the items on the list. Often times, it won't. Even if you do less damage, if your team lives longer, can stay in lane longer, and do more damage on the whole it may be a better result for you in the long run.

The particular items I want to point out that I'd like to see on every team are Pipe, Mek, Drums, Urn, and a couple of Mana Boots. Get these items on your team and you will have a much higher chance of winning (even if you have to carry them all yourself).

Stay tuned for part 2 where I yell at you for buying Agh Scepters!

As always if you are interested in talking to me or playing with me you can find me via my steamid: akatookey.