Disruptor/Guide

General

 * Generally Disruptor is played as a hard support, as he does not require farm in order to perform well. As well, he can be a powerful roamer as his spells can influence enemy positioning, setting up kills for teammates if they have strong damage output.
 * One of Disruptor's biggest strengths is his extremely short cast animation, which combined with the long cast range on his spells can make him a force to be reckoned with. Positioning is very important for Disruptor, as exploiting these two aspects of the hero allows him to have a very powerful impact on any engagement.


 * is a damage-over-time magic nuke that reveals the target's location for the duration of the spell.
 * The damage that Thunder Strike deals is minuscule in the early game, and lacks immediate killing power even when maxed out. However, it also provides vision of the target for its duration, so long as the target is not invisible. This can be very useful for preventing them from juking, as well as giving vision of them to target them with Glimpse.
 * Keep in mind that Thunder Strike will deal nuke damage to all enemies within a small radius around the target as well. If using the spell to nuke creep waves or neutral camps, it is best to cast it on a melee creep, as they will clump up near other melee creeps while attacking, resulting in all of them taking the damage.
 * Thunder Strike can be a powerful counter to Blink Dagger if it can be cast before the enemy reacts. By taking advantage of Thunder Strike's long cast range, it can prevent enemies from using their Blink Dagger for at least 9 seconds. (6 seconds for the duration of Thunder Strike, and 3 more for the cooldown) This can be used either to stop initiators from jumping on top of your team for a time, or prevent gank targets from easily escaping.


 * is one of Disruptor's most potent disables, as it can forcibly re-position an enemy, putting them in a location that your team can capitalize on.
 * Glimpse can be extremely tricky to use, as the enemy's previous movements must be taken into account in order to maximize its effect. As such, timing is extremely important as casting it too early or too late can move a target only a small distance, or put them in a location of safety.
 * Keep in mind that Glimpse has a relatively short cast range at early levels, and its long cooldown means that it can only be used once in an engagement. However, maxing the spell out allows Disruptor to cast it on any hero within visual range, and its cooldown shortens to the point where it can be cast up to twice in fights. Maxing out Glimpse early on can provide strong benefits for Disruptor's team due to this greatly enhanced utility.
 * Thunder Strike is a very powerful spell to use in combination with Glimpse, as it provides vision of the target, ensuring that Glimpse can be cast on them so long as they are within its cast range.
 * In tandem with the above, Thunder Strike's damage interval can be used to assist with the timing for casting Glimpse. Thunder Strike's third damage instance happens exactly 4 seconds after cast, so casting Glimpse on the target at the same time as that damage instance will send the target to the place where they were standing when Thunder Strike was first cast on them.
 * One very strong aspect of Glimpse is that its effects are global, and there is no maximum range on how far back it can send its target; if an enemy is teleporting in with a Town Portal Scroll, Glimpse can send them straight back to their previous location, even if it was across the map. However, keep in mind that while this can be used to prevent reinforcements against tower dives or pushes, the target will still have 1.8 seconds to act before being sent back, so they can still cast high-impact spells at their destination for a short time.
 * Glimpsed targets are issued stop commands at the end of its effect, effectively allowing it to be used to cancel channeled spells and items. Because of this, Glimpse can be used to interrupt Town Portal Scrolls by enemies attempting to escape or reinforce their allies, or halt channeled abilities such as, and.
 * If the target of a Glimpse is an illusion, it will be instantly destroyed. This can be useful for instantly removing certain illusions from the field, such as, and so on.
 * Glimpse can re-position even hidden or invulnerable targets, with certain exceptions. This makes it a powerful spell against certain evasive heroes, as it can return heroes through abilities like, and.
 * While Glimpse cannot return targets to their previous location through spell immunity, it can be a powerful spell for forcing the enemy to activate Black King Bar. By catching them with Glimpse, the enemy can be forced to activate their BKB at an inopportune time or be killed. Even if the kill is missed, this can reduce its maximum duration, or put it on cooldown ahead of a major engagement.


 * is a powerful movement inhibitor that, used properly, can lock down multiple enemy heroes for a short duration, allowing them to be easily brought down by allied nukes.
 * Glimpse is the perfect combo spell to set up Kinetic Field with. As Glimpse will mark the target's arrival destination upon cast, Kinetic Field can be cast upon that position to ensure that the target is locked inside after being pulled back.
 * Keep in mind that Kinetic Field has a 1.2 second delay before the barrier forms, so it is possible for enemies with good movement speed or quick reaction times to escape capture. In order to prevent this, a leading disable is extremely helpful as it can immobilize a target long enough for the field to materialize.
 * In teamfights, Kinetic Field can split the battlefield and foil the enemy's attempts to get in position to cast their spells. Even if no actual enemy players are caught within, stopping rear-line supports from joining the fight can make a significant difference. Try to use the terrain to your advantage, such as chokepoints and cliffs.
 * Kinetic Field provides ground vision within the barrier for the duration of the spell. As such, it can be used to reveal the fog of war, such as up high ground or behind trees.
 * While enemies can cast re-positioning spells to escape the barrier, Force Staff cannot be used to break out (though enemies can still be pushed in). This makes Kinetic Field unique among lockdown spells, as the enemy will have fewer options for escaping the field. As well, while spell immunity will allow enemies to simply walk through the walls, the spell will directly manipulate their movement speed rather than act as an obstacle, meaning that spells such as can be foiled by preventing melee targets from passing through.


 * is an extremely powerful area disable that, if it catches more than one important enemy caster, can turn the battlefield in your favor if they are prevented from escaping its clutches.
 * Static Storm is best combined with Kinetic Field, as the combination creates a null area where enemies are silenced and cannot escape, making them easy prey for your teammates.
 * Due to its relatively short cooldown for an ultimate ability, Static Storm can be used tactically for single kills when combined with Glimpse and Kinetic Field. Early game engagements usually do not happen with high frequency, and the spell's cooldown decreases as it is leveled up.
 * Like Kinetic Field, Static Storm can be used to split the battlefield by preventing members of the opposing team from participating. Placing the storm over an area that the enemy must traverse through will render them helpless as they try to pass through, and can be further punished with Kinetic Field if they attempt to do so, trapping them within. As well, combining the spell's long cast range and short cast animation allows Disruptor to drop the cloud on already-casting enemies, potentially interrupting any channeling spells in the process.
 * Keep in mind that, without any additional lockdown, Static Storm is not a very strong disabling spell as enemies can simply walk outside of the storm if they are not otherwise hindered, and Kinetic Field takes time to form. If allies can initiate with large area disables like or, Static Storm can potentially disable entire teams and render them helpless.
 * Static Storm becomes an extremely deadly spell when upgraded with Aghanim's Scepter, as it gains the ability to mute enemies caught within. While it is still blocked by spell immunity, if used on the right targets at the right time, it can prevent Black King Bar from being activated, rendering its targets completely impotent.

Items
Starting items:
 * and a give health sustain so that you can last longer in lane without going back to base.
 * will allow Disruptor to maintain his mana pool in the laning stage. His mediocre base intelligence and static mana costs mean that casting spells in the early game will cost a disproportionately large amount of mana, so keeping it topped up in the early game can allow you to set up kills for your team more easily.
 * Two are cheap and can boost Disruptor's low base stats, as well as build into either a Magic Wand or Mekansm components.
 * should always be purchased at the start of a match by the supports. As Disruptor can be strong without early items, purchasing the courier should take priority.

Early game:
 * is important to get early on for Disruptor. Not only does it allow him to escape pursuing enemies more easily, the extra movement speed allows him to close in to cast more reliably, as at early levels it has a low cast range.
 * provides burst health and mana regen, important on any low-HP support who needs to regularly cast spells. A fully-charged Magic Stick allows Disruptor to cast any of his non-ultimate spells one more time even if he is completely out of mana.
 * A is a cheap purchase that provides Disruptor with useful stats, especially to his strength, giving him more HP.

Core items:
 * is a strong boots upgrade for Disruptor, as his mediocre base intelligence and intelligence growth mean that his mana pool is not very strong until very late in the game. Increasing the size of his mana pool and giving him a way to replenish his mana allows him to always have the mana to cast what he needs, while the extra movement speed helps with positioning.
 * is a good cheap upgrade to Magic Stick that provides all-around stats and increased charge storage. Both are necessary if playing as a hard support.
 * is a strong item to have in any teamfight. Besides the burst area heal for teammates, the item provides all-around stats as well as armor, increasing Disruptor's survivability.
 * are crucial to have for any team, as they provide map vision and allow coordinated teams to make use of knowledge of the enemies' movements. Disruptor can greatly benefit from having vision over enemies, as Glimpse has an extremely long cast range at maximum level.
 * should always be carried no matter what hero is played. For Disruptor, being able to teleport to a gank or fight is extremely important as his powerful spells can turn engagements completely around.
 * is a good all-around item to pick up on low-farm supports like Disruptor. It is easier to build than Blink Dagger, and can be used to re-position himself, allies or enemies. The extra intelligence also gives Disruptor a bigger mana pool to work with.

Situational items:
 * allows to mute enemies, meaning that they cannot cast spells or use items, such as, as long as they are within its area of influence. Used properly, Disruptor can completely turn a fight to his team's advantage if he can catch the enemy unaware.
 * is very strong on Disruptor, as his minuscule cast animation allows him to cast his disables before most enemies are able to react. Blink Dagger allows him to close the distance instantly, giving the enemy even less chance to react.
 * gives Disruptor many powerful benefits. Besides the bigger mana pool and armor, the aura can hinder enemy physical attacks by reducing their attack speed, and the active can slow enemies' movement speed, which can make it easier to pen them in with.
 * is a strong teamfight item that gives Disruptor survivability against magic nukes, increasing his survivability if enemy casters try to remove him from the field at the start of a fight. The active allows Disruptor to protect his team against magic nukes, giving them another edge in teamfights.
 * gives Disruptor useful stats, and allows him to contribute more to fights by summoning minions to deal more damage to the enemy. At level 3, the Necronomicon Warrior provides True Sight, which can be extremely useful for providing vision over invisible enemy heroes so that disables can be targeted on them.
 * gives Disruptor good all-around stats and additional armor. The active can increase the potency of Static Storm, and weakens enemies trapped by Kinetic Field for any teammates with powerful magic nukes.
 * is an important team item that should be bought by a support as soon as possible.
 * As a support, Disruptor can benefit from buying many useful items for his team.
 * s are very powerful on Disruptor, as he is a ranged hero who possesses a vision spell. By using Kinetic Field on ward spots after placing a Sentry Ward, he can spot any enemy Observer Wards and destroy them with ease.
 * should be regularly carried if enemies have invisibility spells that they can use to escape. In Disruptor's case, being able to spot invisible enemies allows him to target them with Glimpse, followed by Kinetic Field.
 * is a good utility item that gives Disruptor more flexibility and overall team contribution, as well as augmenting his ganking prowess. The item itself provides the same amount of strength as a Bracer, and a small amount of mana regen that helps maintain his mana pool. The active can be used to add more damage to a gank, or to heal teammates.
 * are a cheap upgrade to Boots of Speed that provide Disruptor with survivability and mobility, useful for any hard support. The increased armor and passive HP regen can ensure that Disruptor is almost always at full health, and increases his survivability against physical attacks. The increased movement speed allows him to position for casting spells more easily, allowing him to gank more effectively.
 * is a helpful utility item. Besides giving Disruptor more armor and mana regen, the active can be used to reduce the armor of gank targets, making them easier to focus down after pinning them down with Glimpse and Kinetic Field, or can give an ally increased armor in a fight. It can also be targeted on Roshan to make claiming the Aegis of the Immortal easier.
 * has strong utility and increases Disruptor's flexibility. The active can be used to allow Disruptor to get closer to initiate on enemies, and allows him to provide the same benefit to allied initiators. It can also be used to protect teammates who are caught out of position, giving them tremendous resistance to magic nukes and allowing them to escape more easily if the enemy has no detection.
 * gives Disruptor many strong benefits, offensively and defensively. The item improves his mana pool and gives him strong mana regen, while the movement speed increases his mobility, allowing him to position for his spells more easily. The active can be used on himself to dispel debuffs such as silences, or on enemies to immobilize them prior to casting Kinetic Field.
 * improves Disruptor's survivability and gives him more mana for casting his spells. The active's long cast range allows him to place a soft disable on enemies from a great distance, which can be followed up with Kinetic Field to further limit their movements. The low cooldown on Cripple and Kinetic Field allows Disruptor to use this combination on a very low turnaround time.
 * provides Disruptor with a hard disable, something he otherwise lacks. Besides the overall attribute improvement and significantly buffed casting ability, using Hex on a target will cut their movement speed down to almost the minimum while at the same time silencing and muting them, making it a good leading disable prior to using Kinetic Field and Static Storm.
 * are a logical upgrade to already-purchased Arcane Boots and Mekansm, and provides Disruptor with additional teamfight contribution. The active restores both mana and HP at the same time, and can be used to purge debuffs off of Disruptor that may be hindering him from contributing to teamfights.