Rubick/Guide

Support
Rubick is mostly played as a roaming support, setting up kills early due to Telekinesis. Rubick is not reliant on items prior to level 6 either, hence able to help out the hard support with warding. With, Rubick can gain survivability by being further away from the fights yet participate effectively by casting spells, as the item increases the cast range of not only Rubick's own abilities, but also stolen abilities.

General

 * Despite possessing attributes typical of the archetypal support caster, the possession of Spell Steal allows Rubick to be built differently. While he only has one innate disable, he should generally be built with mobility and casting in mind, with items that help with initiation taking priority due to the utility that Spell Steal provides.
 * Despite his high base intelligence, Rubick suffers from mediocre intelligence growth, and his spells have relatively flat mana costs; additionally, consistent use of Spell Steal will further tax his mana pool due to the need to support not only his innate spells, but also any stolen abilities, particularly mana-expensive ultimates. The flat mana cost for his abilities means that they cost a larger fraction of his mana pool in the early game, and thus limits his operational time in the field. Items that grant Rubick a larger mana pool and increased mana regeneration are helpful for keeping him in the game.
 * Although a great disabler and potential initiator with the right items and stolen spells, Rubick is frail and can be easily killed if caught out of position by the enemy team. Rubick should focus on building items that grant him more mobility rather than increasing the size of his HP pool, as increased mobility can help with both initiation and escape rather than simply delay his death in the face of enemy attacks.
 * During the mid- and late-game, stealing key teamfight spells and keeping yourself alive should be your main goals. Spell Steal only has a 0.1 second cast time and high cast range, so quick fingers and fast reaction time will give your team a huge advantage.
 * Rubick is a flexible caster who can be played as a support, roamer, or core farmer. The role that he is selected for will largely change his how much farm he gets, and in turn how effective he can be with his abilities. However, his skill and item build remains largely the same.
 * As a support, Rubick generally performs lane harassment and creep pulling duties, getting low farming and experience priority. Telekinesis allows him to catch the enemy offlaner and pull them back, as well as making chain-disables by his tri-lane easier to execute due to Telekinesis's ability to reposition the enemy precisely.
 * As a roamer, Rubick aims to disable and disposition enemies with Telekinesis, setting up kills for his lanes to give them an early advantage. A roaming Rubick prioritizes in mobility, disable and nuking.
 * As a core, Rubick goes to the mid lane, using Fade Bolt to nuke and harass, and Telekinesis to set up kills if his supports and roamers rotate to mid for a gank. Due to being given farm and experience priority, mid Rubick's goal is to get level 6 as fast as possible and use his gold and level advantage to start moving around the map for ganks and kills. Gold should be spent on mobility items, particularly a fast Blink Dagger, and utility and disable items to turn teamfights to his team's advantage.


 * Telekinesis stuns its target for a short duration, and allows Rubick to displace them with its Telekinesis Land sub-ability, stunning any enemies in the impact radius.
 * Telekinesis is a short disable, but can be powerful as it can displace the enemy upon landing, putting them in a disadvantageous position.
 * No matter what role Rubick is played in, at least one point should be spent on this ability in the laning stage. Because leveling it up increases its disable duration (both lift and stun on secondary targets) and cast range, this ability benefits from being maxed out early in a match in order to increase Rubick's disable potential.
 * Rubick is a strong supporting disabler when placed in a side lane, since Telekinesis can disable a target for a disproportionate amount of time (lift time, as well as displacement upon landing). This allows him to magnify the effects of chain disables by his team as he can prevent a target from dodging area-of-effect stuns and increase the length of their retreat path.
 * When using Telekinesis alongside allies with unreliable disables, make sure to communicate your intentions beforehand. Telling your teammates that you will not displace the enemy with Telekinesis Land, or that you will always pull them backwards, will give them forewarning as to where to cast their stun. Not communicating can cause allies to miss their disables completely, resulting in a failed gank.
 * Remember that any enemies within a certain radius of a lifted target will be stunned upon the target landing. Telekinesis Land allows Rubick to select the area that the target will land in, allowing him to utilize the secondary stun as needed. This can be powerful when counter-initiating during enemy ganks, as Rubick can disable one attacker with the lift, and then stun any other enemy heroes with the land.
 * When choosing a location for Telekinesis Land, it is possible to place the target on a different elevation than their lift point. You can use this to your advantage by placing the target over a ridge, forcing them to take the long way around, which can be useful for extending a fleeing enemy's escape path or preventing a chasing enemy from easily pursuing. As well, targets can be placed on the elevated cliffs near the rune spots, trapping them in place for an easy kill.
 * Keep in mind that Rubick will turn to face the direction of Telekinesis Land when displacing enemies. It may not be wise to re-position enemies if you are already facing away from them after lifting them.


 * Fade Bolt is a bouncing nuke that deals a respectable amount of damage to enemies, while also reducing the damage their physical attacks deal.
 * Due to its nuking power and attack damage reduction on targets, Fade Bolt can be an effective counter-gank spell, as it will both deal damage to the enemy and reduce their attack damage, decreasing their chances of securing a kill with their attacks as well as their chances of surviving and escaping after the gank. It can be a useful spell to break up or at least hinder enemy gank attempts.
 * Fade Bolt can be a powerful harassing tool during laning, as not only does it deal damage but reduces the enemy's attack damage. However, mind its mana cost, and remember that casting it will push your lane both due to the nuke damage on nearby creeps and the reduced damage that the creeps will deal. Avoid spamming it unless you have a source of mana replenishment, as you may need your mana to cast Telekinesis instead.
 * Fade Bolt deals the greatest damage to the first target struck, and decreases in strength as it bounces to other enemies. Keep this in mind if trying to cast this spell to finish off an enemy, as the bounces may cause it to weaken to the point where it cannot guarantee a kill. If possible, try to target the enemy you are trying to kill in order to maximize the amount of damage they take.
 * Conversely, Fade Bolt's range can be augmented by using the bounce to hit an enemy at range. If a weakened enemy is out of range from being directly targeted, they can still possibly be finished off by a bounce as long as they are not already in the fog of war, and there are other units nearby that can be used as a relay.
 * Due to its nuking and pushing power, Fade Bolt is a useful tool for a mid-lane Rubick, as the damage can harass the enemy mid while reducing their last-hitting power. As well, pushing the creep wave into the enemy tower can keep them occupied when the runes spawn, and force them to last-hit against their tower, possibly reducing the amount of gold they get.
 * Use Fade Bolt to nuke creep waves when pushing or defending against enemy pushes.
 * When defending towers, take advantage of Fade Bolt's long cast range to draw enemy creep aggro toward Rubick, away from allied towers.


 * Arcane Supremacy increases Rubick's spell damage, including that of Fade Bolt and stolen spells.
 * Arcane Supremacy's debuff duration amplification works as if to decrease enemy status resistance, benefitting Telekinesis's stun, Fade Bolt's attack damage reduction, and stolen spells' debuffs.
 * Arcane Supremacy also works on items, increasing disabling power of and such.
 * More tips needed.


 * Spell Steal is one of the most powerful spells in the game, as used properly it can turn teamfights around completely. However, its use requires impeccable positioning, timing and judgment to ensure that the right spell is stolen and used at the right time. Keep in mind what abilities your enemies have, which of those you plan to steal, and in what situations the enemy will use those spells, so that you can be ready when an opportunity presents itself.
 * Spell Steal is one of the hardest spells in the game to use properly, as it requires extensive game knowledge to understand every aspect of the spells you are able to steal. As well, its long cooldown without Aghanim's Scepter means that there is no room for error if you intend on stealing a specific spell during a fight rather than taking what comes. In general, more experience playing as other heroes in the game translates to better understanding of how to best utilize Spell Steal, as you will understand all the aspects of the spells you are potentially stealing, as well as when enemies will cast those spells.
 * Virtually all spells stolen by Rubick will retain his 0.15 second cast animation. This means that spells such as, , and will cast almost immediately. Any spell that requires channel time or extended casting animations such as  and  will still have extended durations.
 * Certain spells can be extremely powerful against the heroes that they are stolen from. For instance, if there is a on the enemy team, stealing  from him allows Rubick to completely negate his, as well as drastically increase Rubick's gold gain. Stealing  from  can allow Rubick to destroy him in place by disabling him with Telekinesis, and so on. This can be further amplified if you choose the cast range or spell amp for stolen spells talents.
 * Stolen spells can often fill in any deficiencies that Rubick has, allowing him to diversify greatly. For instance, stealing an area-of-effect magic nuke can allow Rubick to farm more easily as he can combine it with Fade Bolt, stealing a stun can allow him to double up disable duration when combined with Telekinesis, and so on.
 * Keep in mind that when chain-disabling with a stolen spell, you can steal another one immediately afterward if Spell Steal is off cooldown. For instance, ganking with a stolen can stun an enemy for up to 4.25 seconds when combined with Telekinesis, but if the gank target has just used a stun (such as a  with ), Rubick can steal that and add it at the end, stunning the target for a maximum of 6.25 seconds.
 * While a stolen spell can be powerful by itself even factoring in the reduced cast times, Rubick's true strength comes from combining those spells with his innate ones. For instance, stealing can be extremely powerful as Rubick can lift a target at will and drop them next to a tree, stealing  can neuter a target's attacks when stacked with Fade Bolt, and so on.
 * Stolen spells can synergize with allies' abilities as well, not only those of Rubick. If the enemy has a spell that can synergize well with that of a teammate, it can be beneficial to attempt to steal that spell in tandem with an ally.
 * For instance, if there is a on the opposing team and  on yours, stealing the Dark Seer's  can allow your Disruptor to get off  and  combo.
 * Remember that stolen spells have a memory duration based on the level of your ultimate, so you should keep in mind how you can best use that spell before you forget it. If you have stolen a powerful teamfight ultimate, it can be wise to try to force the enemy into a teamfight that is disadvantageous for them. If you have stolen a strong area of effect nuke, you can use it to farm during downtime or push out lanes. If you have stolen a strong stun, you should attempt to find a target to gank as you can greatly extend the duration of your disable by combining the stolen disable with Telekinesis.
 * Aghanim's Scepter not only reduces Spell Steal's cooldown to 2 seconds and increases its cast range, it also (in most cases) grants Rubick the upgrade benefits of any spells he has stolen, regardless of whether the original caster has an Aghanim's Scepter or not. Therefore, a stolen will apply Enigma's current level of  to the area, a stolen  will fire up to 4 rockets, and so on.
 * Since Spell Steal can only be cast on real heroes (and not illusions), it can be used to check the real hero among illusions (for example, the real Chaos Knight among his phantasms).
 * Spell Steal is blocked by, which can prevent Rubick from stealing spells. Conversely, Spell Steal can also be used to waste an enemy's due to its long cast range (and low cooldown, if Rubick has ).
 * While Aghanim's Scepter allows Rubick to upgrade stolen spells, he does not gain any spell upgrades from enemy talents.

Items
Starting items:
 * regenerates health lost to enemy harassment.
 * also restores health to Rubick.
 * allows Rubick to utilize his spells more than a few times, as they are very costly in the early game.
 * gives Rubick some much-needed attributes, especially to his strength. He can sell them later, or build into Magic Wand.
 * ferries items to allies.
 * gives your team map vision. Having knowledge of the enemy's movements allows you to identify which spell they last cast, giving you forearmed knowledge of what you will get when using your ultimate.

Early game:
 * are important to get early on as Rubick, as Telekinesis is a powerful disable that requires Rubick to get close enough to cast.
 * gives Rubick stats, and more burst HP and mana regen with up to 300 instant replenishment for both. Even in the late game, this can be all that is needed to cast one more game-changing stolen spell in a fight.
 * is important on Rubick because of his ability to steal and use enemy spells. Due to this flexibility, he can save a teammate using a stolen spell, or bring a huge teamfight ultimate to a fight.

Mid game:
 * are useful on Rubick due to his ability to steal the enemy's spells. They increase the size of his mana pool and allow him to replenish his and allies' mana as needed.
 * is a crucial item to purchase on Rubick, and should be rushed if possible. Being able to instantly reposition himself greatly increases Rubick's survivability, as well as his ability to jump in and use Spell Steal, or any spells stolen by it, when the opportunity presents itself.
 * serves a very similar purpose to Blink Dagger for Rubick with the added benefits of more Intelligence and HP regen. It is much easier to build, and can serve either as a supplementary repositioning tool after Blink Dagger, or a cheaper substitute if you are having trouble farming. Also unlike Blink Dagger, it can be used on teammates to give them additional mobility for initiation or escape, and can be used on enemies to disposition them or break their Linken's Sphere before casting a disable on them.
 * is a situational item that mainly provides utility, but can be very strong if used properly. The active can allow Rubick to initiate by walking in invisibly instead of using his Blink Dagger, or can be used to shield himself or an ally from enemy magic nukes (or to help them escape). It can be particularly useful for utilizing stolen channeling spells, as it helps to prevent easy interruption.

Late game:
 * is a strong purchase that can be easily acquired by disassembling Arcane Boots for the Energy Booster component. Besides the increased mana pool, it increases the cast range of all of Rubick's spells, particularly Telekinesis and Spell Steal, giving him increased disable range and allowing him to safely steal spells from far away (as well as utilize any successfully stolen spells from greater range).
 * drastically increases Rubick's teamfight contribution, as he can potentially steal an enemy spell every 2 seconds and use it against them. The increased stats buff up both Rubick's health and mana pools, and the increased cast range can give him the ability to steal a spell safely without using his Blink Dagger. As well, he can utilize the upgrades granted by Aghanim's Scepter to any stolen spells.

Situational items:
 * can be a strong consumable to purchase as mid Rubick. It grants a small amount of bonus damage, increasing last-hitting power, and can be consumed as a last-second life-saver in the event of an enemy gank.
 * is beneficial on a mid Rubick as a starting item, giving him more last-hitting power to allow him to compete against the enemy mid. If needed, it can be upgraded into a Veil of Discord depending on the situation.
 * can be crucial to purchase early on as a mid Rubick as well. It allows him to replenish his HP and mana to go toe-to-toe against his lane opponent, using his spells to disable and nuke as needed. Past the laning stage, it can fuel Rubick's mana pool to allow him to utilize stolen spells to their utmost.
 * denies the enemy map vision, giving you leeway for initiating on them and stealing their spells.
 * can serve as a useful utility and survivability item when playing as a roamer. The extra strength and armor gives you more survivability while the mana regen bonus helps to maintain your mana pool. The item's active adds another damage nuke to the mix, or can be used to heal yourself or teammates after successful ganks.
 * are generally not very strong on Rubick, but can be situationally built as a support or roamer. The passive HP regen helps to give Rubick survivability, and the increased base movement speed allows him to position himself for casting his spells more easily.
 * gives Rubick stats across the board, most importantly Strength and Intelligence.
 * is a useful item to purchase on any support, and is no exception for Rubick. Being able to become immune to physical damage can buy Rubick more time in the face of the enemy's carries to steal or cast stolen spells in order to change the course of a teamfight.
 * is a comparatively cheap item that will give you great mana regen, a bigger mana pool, more movement speed for mobility, as well as a useful disable. The active can also be used on yourself to disjoint enemy spells you wish to grab, or remove debuffs such as silence from yourself.
 * can be a useful utility item to purchase. It provides a large amount of intelligence to boost Rubick's mana pool, additional HP and armor, and the active ability can work alongside Arcane Supremacy to increase his nuking power. It can be useful depending on what types of spells can be stolen from the enemy, as well as if your team also has a plethora of magic nukes.
 * is a strong support item that can greatly benefit Rubick's team. By itself, the item grants mana regen as well as survivability due to a combination of armor and attributes. The active allows Rubick to manipulate the armor, attack speed, and movement speed of target allies and enemies in ganks.
 * greatly improves both Rubick's health pool and mana pool, allowing him to do more in teamfights. Furthermore, the active ability can be used to root an enemy from a very long distance away, helpful for fleeing from single enemies or catching foes out of position for further disables.
 * is a good utility support item to pick up, as it can outright shield allies from magic damage. The increased HP regeneration helps Rubick to maintain his health pool somewhat, while the increased magic resistance (from the item as well as the aura) gives him and his teammates further survivability against magic nukes.
 * allows Rubick to instantly disable an enemy, adding to his already powerful arsenal of disables. It also greatly increases the size of his mana pool and gives him a hefty amount of mana regeneration, greatly increasing his ability to cast mana-expensive stolen spells.
 * increases the size of Rubick's mana pool, and gives him great survivability against physical damage. As well, the active can be helpful while initiating, as it can slow enemies down long enough for you to get within range of them to disable or steal their spells.
 * can be built by disassembling already-purchased Arcane Boots. Rubick's mana pool is normally strained to the limit in any situation, but may be more so if he intends to steal highly expensive or spammable spells such as, , and so on. Bloodstone gives Rubick both mana and HP, enhancing his survivability as well as giving him a regenerating source of mana for continuing to cast spells.
 * is a very situational item to purchase, and should depend on if the enemy has a major teamfight ultimate that can benefit from it. However, as with a Refresher Orb purchased on any hero with a major teamfight ultimate, it can mean the difference between victory and defeat in the right situation.

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