Sven/Guide

Gameplay
Sven is the embodiment of strength, a mighty front line fighter capable of dealing tremendous physical damage to groups of foes at once. A well farmed Sven can destroy an enemy in just a few hits, overpowering other carries with sheer burst damage. However, Sven is vulnerable to kiting and disables, and generally has a slower attack speed than most carries.

Carry
Sven is usually played as a carry. His works like a built-in, and allows him to kill waves of creeps in no time. While his can make for some early ganks, Sven should spend most his time farming. The goal is to obtain a, then a crit item like , which multiplies the damage from his to deliver his crushing blows.

Support
Sven is occasionally played as an early support. Using this build, his role is to buy a, then jump in to initiate with. As the game progresses, Sven can transition into a carry. Although transitioning a dedicated support into a carry is not often ideal and difficult to execute, this can give your team an edge in long games.

General

 * Ranged heroes can easily harass Sven in lane. Make sure he is paired with a support hero.
 * Sven is very easy to shut down with good crowd control. Therefore, Sven players need to know exactly when to use their, and when to conserve the charge.
 * Sven is one of few heroes that can spend a level point in without losing much utility early on.
 * Creep stacking is especially useful for Sven, as he can clear stacked camps very quickly. Ask your supports to start stacking early in the game.


 * Storm Hammer is one of the best stuns in the game, with a large AoE radius to catch several enemies at once.
 * Storm Hammer should be used judiciously, as Sven has very low natural mana.
 * Storm Hammer has a very bright and visible effect, and can be disjointed.
 * Despite its cast range, it may be useful to conserve Storm Hammer until Sven is relatively close. This ensures that enemies do not spread apart during the projectile's travel time, and maximizes Sven's time to land hits on the target.


 * Avoid leveling Great Cleave early on, as it will greatly push the lane towards the enemy tower, thus making farming more difficult.
 * Later in the game, points in Great Cleave is what will allow Sven to farm quickly.


 * Warcry should be thought of as a support ability, buffing allies even if Sven himself does not need it.
 * While Warcry should always be used before an engagement, its extra speed and armor can also be used to disengage from a losing fight.


 * God's Strength is the ability that lets a farmed Sven kill heroes in two or three hits.
 * God's Strength lasts 25 seconds with only 80 seconds of cooldown, meaning that it can be used outside of teamfights.
 * Stacked Ancient creeps are ideal to use God's Strength on.
 * Use it to quickly take down a tower or barracks and gain a map advantage.
 * Because of its long duration, don't hesitate to use it "too early" before a fight. Being jumped without God's Strength active is a huge waste of Sven's potential.
 * God's Strength benefit from items that increase Sven's strength like, not items that increase raw damage.
 * Coupled with any item source of lifesteal, hits while God's Strength is active can replenish Sven's health very quickly.