Magnus

Magnus the Magnoceros is a monstrous melee strength hero who is usually played as a ganker, initiator, or semi-carry. His ability to battle multiple heroes at once gives him an excellent presence in team fights. In addition to his teamfight presence, he can buff allies or himself with bonus damage and cleave, capitalizing on his ability to group up multiple enemies. As a hero who possesses multiple area-of-effect abilities with a manageable mana cost, and a very powerful ultimate that serves as a great team fight initiation ability, Magnus is truly a force to be reckoned with.

Unmentioned Items

 * Black King Bar makes it easier for Magnus to use his ultimate, as he can place himself in the middle of heroes without being interrupted. It can also be used so that he can live longer against too many disablers.
 * Shiva's Guard gives Magnus an additional nuke once he's in the middle of the enemy team, much needed armor, and a large boost to his somewhat small mana pool.
 * Shadow Blade gives Magnus additional attack speed and as invisibility for a better cast of his ultimate and also a good escape mechanism.

Tips

 * Magnus is one of the few melee heroes who can solo the middle lane well, because of his skill set. It is ideal for him especially if he is needed to be a carry in the late game.
 * Most of Magnus' abilities work effectively only if his targets are in front of him. When surrounded, Magnus will be forced to change directions too much, not only delaying him from casting spells in rapid succession, but also rendering his spells' area-of-effects useless. As such, place Magnus in the side lines, or until his enemies are in a manageable range in front of him. You should only place yourself in the middle when planning to cast your ultimate, Reverse Polarity, since it forces all of the targets you hit to be in front of you.
 * Shockwave is Magnus's ranged nuke, one with a low mana cost:
 * Shockwave is Magnus's signature laning ability, since it's perfect for both harassing heroes and last-hitting creeps. Thanks to the mana cost and low cooldown, Magnus is able to perform this ability continuously, so long as he receives a stable mana supply.
 * Though usually used against disabled enemies, Shockwave can act as a great finisher to fleeing enemies. Make sure to cast it carefully, since it has a limited range.
 * Take note of Shockwave's limited area-of-effect. Much like Lion's Earth Spike, Shockwave directly affects targets in a straight path. Aim to hit multiple targets to maximize its effectiveness.
 * Empower is a great buff that boosts base damage for a long duration, as well as grant cleave with each attack on melee heroes. Use it as much as you can on allies or yourself whenever possible, especially when a team fight is ensuing. Outside of team fights, Empower could be used for farming in lanes or jungles.
 * Don't be afraid to cast Empower on ranged allies, especially if they are carries; ranged heroes like Drow Ranger or  Weaver can greatly benefit from the base damage boost, since it adds more power to their already devastating auto-attacks.
 * In comparison, a Battle Fury has a cleave radius of 225, and does 35% damage. Empower has a smaller radius of 200, but deals 50% damage at its highest level. This ability can, in some cases, act as a free Battle Fury.
 * Skewer is a tricky ability to use effectively:
 * When the target is moving, determine its path ahead of time, since there is a short delay in deploying. The closer you are to the target, the sooner Skewer will land.
 * To maximize its range, always target Skewer's landing point from a distance.
 * Note that Skewer is not a disable; it does not interrupt targets from casting their spells. Skewer is more of a crippling ability used to push targets to a certain distance and slow them, making escape more difficult.
 * Always try to Skewer in front of an enemy; the farther the target is pushed away from safety, the better.
 * Though it is offensive in nature, Skewer can also act as a quick escape mechanism, functioning similarly to a slower Force Staff. You can charge toward cliffs to make it more difficult for your pursuers to chase you.
 * During the laning phase, try to Skewer enemy heroes toward your tower; they will be forced to take tower damage, giving you additional offense while fighting them.
 * Skewer placement is usually ideal when in front of a hero. This can easily be attained with a Blink Dagger, as it lets you blink in front of your enemy for an easier placement. Invisibility can also be used to your advantage, as you can easily place yourself in front of the target without their knowledge (unless of course they have methods to prevent invisibility).
 * Skewer also makes a good initiation ability; you can use it to quickly dash in the middle of multiple enemy heroes, so that you can stun all of them with Reverse Polarity.
 * Skewer has a long cooldown of 30 seconds, so make sure to use it only when you really need it; otherwise, you will lose either an escape ability, or an offensive cripple.
 * Reverse Polarity is one of the most powerful team fight disables in the game:
 * When planning to cast, place yourself in the middle of as many heroes as you can. The more heroes you disable, the more advantage you gain in the team fight.
 * The enemy targets' designated landing point make it easier for your allies to land their area-of-effect spells.
 * The pull also synergizes well with Magnus's frontal target spells. While your affected targets are stunned in front of you, you can cast Shockwave in a line, cleave with Empower, or trample them with Skewer. Note that only Skewer will displace them from the pulled location.
 * Though very powerful, Reverse Polarity's huge drawback is its cooldown. Use it carefully.
 * If possible, pave your way into an area full of enemy heroes with Skewer, then cast Reverse Polarity. Skewer's charge will help you get to the area faster, and will guarantee you stunned targets if you manage to drag heroes with you.
 * Maximize Reverse Polarity's disable with a Refresher Orb; casting Reverse Polarity>Refresh>Reverse Polarity will damage your targets for a total of 100/250/400 magic damage and disable them for 4.50/6/7.50 seconds, depending on the timing of the second cast.

Trivia

 * In transition to Dota 2, Magnus's race was changed from Magnataur to Magnoceros, most likely to avoid copyright issues with Blizzard, since the Magnataur are an existing race in the Warcraft universe.
 * "Magnus" means "great" in Latin.
 * Magnus's lore was written by Greg Kasavin of Supergiant Games. In Greg's original draft, the Magnoceri were a dying race due to the males having the tendency of killing the females after mating, leading Magnus to go on a search for a new mate that could please him. Magnus still has many rivalry lines directed towards female heroes referencing that original draft.
 * Magnus is named after Gustav Magnus, a German physicist who discovered the Magnus effect, an effect in which a spinning ball/cylinder curves away from its principal flight path.
 * Reverse Polarity acts similarly in this regard, moving everyone around himself to a position in front of him.