Pangolier is the most flamboyant hero in the history of Dota, he adds the spice and flavor that the game was missing for the longest time. Everything from his eclectic look to his eccentric accent, along with his exceptional toolkit is lauded by fans from all around the world. Pangolier makes a comeback in the current meta due to his excellent team fighting ability and impressive physical damage potential. He is also an exceptional spellcaster hero if played right. Another reason why Pangolier is a hot pick is his flexibility, as surely he is a consistent mid-pick, he can also be picked in the offlane and roaming support position, where he can excel against the right heroes. And obviously, he is one of the most charming heroes in Dota.
The handsome Pangolier is an excellent hero in the meta, but with certain builds and items, he can dominate the game quite effortlessly. We bring you the Best 5 Pangolier Builds in the current meta, these builds are highly effective and make sure Pangolier ends up crushing the game in his favor.
5. Nisha Build
Nisha is undoubtedly the best mid-laner in the professional scene currently. Nisha’s stellar and relentless performance on Secret shook everyone last International when he managed to place 2nd with Team Secret. The dashing Pangolier is a hero you may see him play often as it fits the bill of a mid-hero. Nisha is highly successful in converting his early-game aggression into late-game success. Nisha takes advantage of that by building items that allow him to destroy enemies while also sustaining himself in the game. This build may look highly risky on paper due to his aggressive swashbuckles and rolls but is one of the best if tried out in the game due to its damage and spellcasting potential.
Nisha enjoys the early-game fighting build which allows him to sit back and dish damage without worrying about his HP or mana. He prioritizes fighting early on in the game and rotating to other lanes to secure them, ensuring his teammates aren’t lacking behind. He also loves purchasing situational items that are exceptional against heroes he is facing, providing him with decent sustain throughout the game. This max Shield Crash Build allows him to farm and do swimmingly in fights with high damage. He also opts for Shield Crash and Swashbuckle talents which increase his fighting potential. If you want to climb MMR as a mid-laner, you should observe Nisha’s playstyle in the mid-lane.
Use This Build If:
- You are facing heroes that are squishy or have low armor
- If you want a self-sustainable build that helps you deal damage while also making you tanky at the same time
- If you want a skill and item build which allows you to fight from the early game
Skill Points
Level 1: Shield Crash - Allows Pangolier to deal AoE damage by jumping ahead in the direction he is facing. For each hero hit he gets a percentage of damage reduction, which is quite ideal if you’re facing high damage-dealing heroes. Pangolier can be the tanky frontliner with this spell.
Level 2: Swashbuckle - Pangolier dashes to the targetted area, dealing damage to enemies in a straight line. It is an exceptional skill to learn early on in the game as it deals high AoE damage and has a chance to proc Lucky Shot. Regardless of the meta, this skill remains a vital asset for Pangolier even in the late game as it scales with his physical damage.
Level 3: Swashbuckle
Level 4: Shield Crash
Level 5: Swashbuckle
Level 6: Rolling Thunder - Pangolier turns into a spell immune ball, which strikes enemies back and stuns them if they’re hit by him. Pangolier does have reduced turn speed under the ultimate but has overall increased movement speed. It is an excellent teamfight spell as you can also use Shield Crash under its duration. The spell immune factor of this spell makes it a highly effective early-game fighting spell.
Level 7: Swashbuckle
Level 8: Shield Crash
Level 9: Shield Crash
Level 10: +400 Swashbuckle Slash Range
Level 11: Lucky Shot - Grants a chance to disarm enemy heroes on physical attacks. It also has a chance to proc with Swashbuckle. It can be a great ability to skill against hard-hitting physical damage heroes.
Level 12: Rolling Thunder
Level 13: Lucky Shot
Level 14: Lucky Shot
Level 15: +3s Shield Crash CD in Rolling Thunder
Level 16: Lucky Shot
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Rolling Thunder
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: 30 Swashbuckle damage
Level 25: -20s Rolling Thunder Cooldown
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- Bottle - (675 Gold) Purchased at 1 minute. The bottle is an essential item on a mid-hero. Regardless of the hero you play, Bottle keeps you sustained through the laning phase by replenishing your mana and HP. It also ensures you store power runes for later instead of immediately using them. As Pangolier is played in the mid-lane by Nisha, a Bottle always comes in handy.
- Arcane Boots (1300 Gold) - Purchased in 5 minutes. Arcane Boots are an essential item for Pangolier as It provides him with much-needed mana regen and sustains him through teamfight along with the increase in movement speed. It can be disassembled as well, allowing you to build different items with it later on in the game.
- Maelstrom (2700 Gold) - Bought at 11 minutes. Upon physical attacks, it has a high chance of releasing a lighting bolt that passes through enemies in proximity and deals damage to them. This allows Pangolier to farm faster while also providing him with increased attack damage. It also procs with Pango’s Swashbuckle, making it an exceptional item to farm and fight with. It is one of the primary items built on Pangolier due to the damage and AoE potential it provides.
- Aghanim’s Scepter (4200 Gold) - Purchased at 17 minutes. Upgrades Shield Crash by auto-casting Swashbuckle every 90 degrees around Pangolier. Sumail opts for this item as it deals the much-needed damage in teamfights. This instance of Swashbuckle does not share a cooldown with the actual ability and can also proc Lucky Shot, making it an ideal item for the late game.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 20 minutes. Blink Dagger is the classic item for mid-Pangolier which allows him to initiate and use pounce upon multiple enemies. It is an essential item for him regardless of the matchup he is facing as it allows him to dictate the pace and flow of the fight.
- Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 22 minutes. Pangolier gains the Roll Up ability. It turns him into a protective Ball, gaining magic immunity while also being able to turn in any direction. It can be cast whilst under Rolling Thunder Form, making it an ideal spell that can help him turn directions and avoid awkward situations.
- Aether Lens (2275 Gold) - Bought at 24 minutes. Aether Lens increases the cast range of all abilities by 225 and increases overall mana by 300. It is exceptional if Pangolier wants to further upgrade it to Octarine Core. You can just disassemble the earlier bought Arcane Boots into Aether Lens as well.
- Octarine Core (5275 Gold) - Purchased at 28 minutes. Octarine Core provides increased cast range, increased stats along with a 25% cooldown reduction for both items and spells. Spellcasting heroes like Pangolier benefit from the stats above as it enhances their gameplay and makes them deal higher damage in a fight while increasing their mana regen. It provides impressive stats for low mana pool heroes like Pango, helping him stay durable in the late game.
- Gleipnir (6150 Gold) - Bought at 31 minutes. Maelstorm and Rod of Atos can be upgraded into Gleipnir which roots multiple heroes in an AoE, all at once. Gleipnir is an essential item that provides Nisha with that much-needed lockdown he needs to beat enemies down without much effort. He can also use this item whilst under Rolling Thunder.
4. Abed Build
While being an amazing mid-laner, Abed is also a great Pangolier player. His farming speed is unparalleled, and so is his insane map awareness. Abed is known to be quite an aggressive mid-laner, but as a Pangolier, he is more than just aggressive, he is bloodthirsty, always in the mood for kills and ganks. His quick item timing combined with his mechanical skills on Rolling Thunder makes him great at the flamboyant Pangolin.
Abed often juggles around between skill builds, sometimes he prefers the max Swashbuckle build, which is great if you’re going a quick farm, or sometimes he may opt for the max Shield crash build, putting points in Shield Crash and Swashbuckle. Regardless of the build, Abed is a menace on Pangolier and it is quite evident in the highlight video. Abed also opts for all the necessary talents which help him deal high damage in a teamfight, his item build is very unorthodox in this matchup, opting for Force Staff and Ghost Scepter as he is facing both NP and LC. One takeaway that you can have from this highlight is that switching up builds according to the heroes you are facing is highly ideal and possibly game-winning.
Use This Build If:
- You want to deal high physical damage with Pangolier
- You are facing low magic-resistant heroes or squishy heroes with low HP and high armor
- You want a mid-Pangolier build that prioritizes teamfight and objectives over farming
Skill Points
Level 1: Swashbuckle - Pangolier dashes to the targetted area, dealing damage to enemies in a straight line. It is an exceptional skill to learn early on in the game as it deals high AoE damage and has a chance to proc Lucky Shot. Regardless of the meta, this skill remains a vital asset for Pangolier even in the late game as it scales with his physical damage.
Level 2: Shield Crash - Allows Pangolier to deal AoE damage by jumping ahead in the direction he is facing. For each hero hit he gets a percentage of damage reduction, which is quite ideal if you’re facing high damage-dealing heroes. Pangolier can be the tanky frontliner with this spell.
Level 3: Swashbuckle
Level 4: Shield Crash
Level 5: Swashbuckle
Level 6: Rolling Thunder - Pangolier turns into a spell immune ball, which strikes enemies back and stuns them if they’re hit by him. Pangolier does have reduced turn speed under the ultimate but has overall increased movement speed. It is an excellent teamfight spell as you can also use Shield Crash under its duration. The spell immune factor of this spell makes it a highly effective early-game fighting spell.
Level 7: Swashbuckle
Level 8: Shield Crash
Level 9: Shield Crash
Level 10: +400 Swashbuckle Slash Range
Level 11: Lucky Shot - Grants a chance to disarm enemy heroes on physical attacks. It also has a chance to proc with Swashbuckle. It can be a great ability to skill against hard-hitting physical damage heroes.
Level 12: Rolling Thunder
Level 13: Lucky Shot
Level 14: Lucky Shot
Level 15: +3s Shield Crash CD in Rolling Thunder
Level 16: Lucky Shot
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Rolling Thunder
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: 30 Swashbuckle damage
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- Bottle - (675 Gold) Purchased at 1 minute. The bottle is an essential item on a mid-hero. Regardless of the hero you play, Bottle keeps you sustained through the laning phase by replenishing your mana and HP. It also ensures you store power runes for later instead of immediately using them. As Pangolier is played in the mid-lane by Abed, a Bottle always comes in handy.
- Arcane Boots (1300 Gold) - Purchased in 6 minutes. Arcane Boots are an essential item for Pangolier as It provides him with much-needed mana regen and sustains him through teamfight along with the increase in movement speed. It can be disassembled as well, allowing you to build different items with it later on in the game.
- Diffusal Blade (2500 Gold) - Purchased at 12 minutes. Allows Pangolier to slow the targeted enemy for 4 seconds, while also passively burning mana upon each physical attack. It is a much-needed item against high mana spell-casters or even against pesky heroes. Pangolier can quickly rip through both enemy HP and Mana with his Swashbuckle attacks.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 16 minutes. Blink Dagger is the classic item for mid-Pangolier which allows him to initiate and use pounce upon multiple enemies. It is an essential item for him regardless of the matchup he is facing as it allows him to dictate the pace and flow of the fight.
- Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 17 minutes. Pangolier gains the Roll Up ability. It turns him into a protective Ball, gaining magic immunity while also being able to turn in any direction. It can be cast whilst under Rolling Thunder Form, making it an ideal spell that can help him turn directions and avoid awkward situations.
- Linken’s Sphere (4600 Gold) - Purchased at 21 minutes. Blocks one single targeted spell every 14 seconds, and also provides increased stats and mana regen for Zeus. This build has enough offensive items, and having a balance of offensive and defensive items can be extremely useful in the late game, helping Zeus stay alive in the high-pressure teamfights.
- Octarine Core (5275 Gold) - Purchased at 27 minutes. Octarine Core provides increased cast range, increased stats along with a 25% cooldown reduction for both items and spells. Spellcasting heroes like Pangolier benefit from the stats above as it enhances their gameplay and makes them deal higher damage in a fight while increasing their mana regen. It provides impressive stats for low mana pool heroes like Pango, helping him stay durable in the late game.
- Force Staff (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 30 minutes. Pushes Pangolier or the targetted unit in the direction they are facing. It is not a common item on Pangolier, but as Abed is facing Nature’s Prophet, he decides to opt for a force that can save him from getting trapped in his Sprouts.
- Ghost Scepter (1500 Gold) - Purchased at 31 minutes. As Abed is facing hard-hitting heroes like Legion Commander, he opts for Ghost Scepter which makes him unable to take any physical damage while also being unable to deal any physical damage at the same time. It also amplifies the magic damage that Pangolier takes, but there isn’t much magical damage that he is facing, hence he can safely purchase the Ghost Scepter.
3. Bzm Build
Young Bzm is not only an impressive mid-laner but also an exceptional team fighter and team player. He is known for his versatile hero pool and exceptional Pangolier plays. He has a very hyper-aggressive but disciplined play style on this hero. Pangolier as a hero suits Bzm’s playstyle very well. His insane reactions made him fall under the radar for OG. Pango is a hero that was spammed by Bzm even when it was nerfed into oblivion, just shows how dedicated he was to this hero. Bzm goes a pretty standard Pangolier item build, but it's his spell build that is the center of focus here.
Bzm loves to cripple his enemies by fighting as soon as he gets Rolling Thunder on Pangolier, not giving them any chance to use their spells or escape. Along with that, he is known to build items like Gleipnir and Gleipnir that allow him to become more elusive and sustain himself from his foes. The build is highly common but works amazingly versus low armor and squishy heroes in particular. This build also allows you to be a menace right from the early game and be excellent at controlling the tempo and pace of the fight. In this highlight, Bzm demonstrates that tweaking the skill builds even slightly can change the trajectory of the game.
Use This Build If:
- You want an extremely reliable Pangolier build that is fit for the late game
- You want to be in control of the teamfight as a mid-Pangolier
- You want to be involved in more teamfights from the early stages of the game
Skill Points
Level 1: Shield Crash - Allows Pangolier to deal AoE damage by jumping ahead in the direction he is facing. For each hero hit he gets a percentage of damage reduction, which is quite ideal if you’re facing high damage-dealing heroes. Pangolier can be the tanky frontliner with this spell.
Level 2: Swashbuckle - Pangolier dashes to the targetted area, dealing damage to enemies in a straight line. It is an exceptional skill to learn early on in the game as it deals high AoE damage and has a chance to proc Lucky Shot. Regardless of the meta, this skill remains a vital asset for Pangolier even in the late game as it scales with his physical damage.
Level 3: Swashbuckle
Level 4: Shield Crash
Level 5: Swashbuckle
Level 6: Rolling Thunder - Pangolier turns into a spell immune ball, which strikes enemies back and stuns them if they’re hit by him. Pangolier does have reduced turn speed under the ultimate but has overall increased movement speed. It is an excellent teamfight spell as you can also use Shield Crash under its duration. The spell immune factor of this spell makes it a highly effective early-game fighting spell.
Level 7: Swashbuckle
Level 8: Shield Crash
Level 9: Shield Crash
Level 10: Lucky Shot - Grants a chance to disarm enemy heroes on physical attacks. It also has a chance to proc with Swashbuckle. It can be a great ability to skill against hard-hitting physical damage heroes.
Level 11: +400 Swashbuckle Slash Range
Level 12: Rolling Thunder
Level 13: Lucky Shot
Level 14: Lucky Shot
Level 15: +3s Shield Crash CD in Rolling Thunder
Level 16: Lucky Shot
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Rolling Thunder
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: 30 Swashbuckle damage
Level 25: -20s Rolling Thunder Cooldown
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- Bottle - (675 Gold) Purchased at 1 minute. The bottle is an essential item on a mid-hero. Regardless of the hero you play, Bottle keeps you sustained through the laning phase by replenishing your mana and HP. It also ensures you store power runes for later instead of immediately using them. As Pangolier is played in the mid-lane by Abed, a Bottle always comes in handy.
- Power Treads (1400 Gold) - Bought at 5 minutes. It provides 45 movement speed and 25 attack speed along with toggleable attributes, which offer everything from increased mana pool to armor and even strength, helping Pangolier stay durable in all stages of the game.
- Diffusal Blade (2500 Gold) - Purchased at 11 minutes. Allows Pangolier to slow the targeted enemy for 4 seconds, while also passively burning mana upon each physical attack. It is a much-needed item against high mana spell-casters or even against pesky heroes. Pangolier can quickly rip through both enemy HP and Mana with his Swashbuckle attacks.
- Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 16 minutes. Pangolier gains the Roll Up ability. It turns him into a protective Ball, gaining magic immunity while also being able to turn in any direction. It can be cast whilst under Rolling Thunder Form, making it an ideal spell that can help him turn directions and avoid awkward situations.
- Maelstrom (2700 Gold) - Bought at 19 minutes. Upon physical attacks, it has a high chance of releasing a lighting bolt that passes through enemies in proximity and deals damage to them. This allows Pangolier to farm faster while also providing him with increased attack damage. It also procs with Pango’s Swashbuckle, making it an exceptional item to farm and fight with.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 23 minutes. Blink Dagger is the classic item for mid-Pangolier which allows him to initiate and use pounce upon multiple enemies. It is an essential item for him regardless of the matchup he is facing as it allows him to dictate the pace and flow of the fight.
- Skull Basher (2875 Gold) - Purchased at 26 minutes. This grants Pangolier a high chance of bashing enemies upon physical attacks. It also increases his attack damage and allows him to deal bonus physical damage. It procs with Swashbuckle, making it an ideal teamfight item on Pangolier.
- Aghanim’s Scepter (4200 Gold) - Purchased at 31 minutes. Upgrades Shield Crash by auto-casting Swashbuckle every 90 degrees around Pangolier. Sumail opts for this item as it deals the much-needed damage in teamfights. This instance of Swashbuckle does not share a cooldown with the actual ability and can also proc Lucky Shot, making it an ideal item for the late game.
- Gleipnir (6150 Gold) - Bought at 34 minutes. Maelstorm and Rod of Atos can be upgraded into Gleipnir which roots multiple heroes in an AoE, all at once. Gleipnir is an essential item that provides Bzm with that much-needed lockdown he needs to beat enemies down without much effort. He can also use this item whilst under Rolling Thunder.
- Abyssal Blade (6250 Gold) - Purchased at 38 minutes. Skull Basher is upgraded into Abyssal Blade, which stuns the targetted unit, it pierces spell immunity. Hence, it is a useful item for Pangolier to temporarily disable any heroes under the effect of Black King Bar.
2. NTS Build
We have a lot to say about NothingToSay, he is one of the rising superstars from China. His excellent stint at PSG.LGD proved that he can play a plethora of heroes in the mid-lane. His ruthless performance has landed him a spot on this list. Pangolier isn’t a hero that he plays often, but when NTS brings out the big guns, there is no way to stop his wrath. His dominant playstyle on this hero has won him games and earned him recognition as one of the best players in the game.
NothingToSay rotates as early as he can with this build. He ensures that all his lanes are secured and no one is lagging in terms of levels or farm when is playing the flashy Pangolier. He builds an early game Linken’s Sphere due to the security it provides in a fight, while also increasing his stats. He prioritizes Shield Crash, as it deals damage to enemies in an AoE upon cast, making it deal high damage if combined with his ally spells. NTS’ Mid Pangolier Build is definitely a hard-hitting one and must be tried if you are looking to expand your hero pool or get better on Pangolier.
Use This Build If:
- You want an aggressive Pangolier build that can secure you kills in the early game
- If you want a build that allows you to rotate early on and get involved in more skirmishes
- You are facing squishy or mobile heroes, this build helps you catch them and decimate them within no time
Skill Points
Level 1: Shield Crash - Allows Pangolier to deal AoE damage by jumping ahead in the direction he is facing. For each hero hit he gets a percentage of damage reduction, which is quite ideal if you’re facing high damage-dealing heroes. Pangolier can be the tanky frontliner with this spell.
Level 2: Swashbuckle - Pangolier dashes to the targetted area, dealing damage to enemies in a straight line. It is an exceptional skill to learn early on in the game as it deals high AoE damage and has a chance to proc Lucky Shot. Regardless of the meta, this skill remains a vital asset for Pangolier even in the late game as it scales with his physical damage.
Level 3: Shield Crash
Level 4: Swashbuckle
Level 5: Swashbuckle
Level 6: Rolling Thunder - Pangolier turns into a spell immune ball, which strikes enemies back and stuns them if they’re hit by him. Pangolier does have reduced turn speed under the ultimate but has overall increased movement speed. It is an excellent teamfight spell as you can also use Shield Crash under its duration. The spell immune factor of this spell makes it a highly effective early-game fighting spell.
Level 7: Swashbuckle
Level 8: Shield Crash
Level 9: Shield Crash
Level 10: +400 Swashbuckle Slash Range
Level 11: Lucky Shot - Grants a chance to disarm enemy heroes on physical attacks. It also has a chance to proc with Swashbuckle. It can be a great ability to skill against hard-hitting physical damage heroes.
Level 12: Rolling Thunder
Level 13: Lucky Shot
Level 14: +3s Shield Crash CD in Rolling Thunder
Level 15: Lucky Shot
Level 16: Lucky Shot
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Rolling Thunder
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: 30 Swashbuckle damage
Level 25: -20s Rolling Thunder Cooldown
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- Bottle - (675 Gold) Purchased at 1 minute. The bottle is an essential item on a mid-hero. Regardless of the hero you play, Bottle keeps you sustained through the laning phase by replenishing your mana and HP. It also ensures you store power runes for later instead of immediately using them. As Pangolier is played in the mid-lane by Sumail, a Bottle always comes in handy.
- Arcane Boots (1300 Gold) - Purchased in 6 minutes. Arcane Boots are an essential item for Pangolier as It provides him with much-needed mana regen and sustains him through teamfight along with the increase in movement speed. It can be disassembled as well, allowing you to build different items with it later on in the game.
- Diffusal Blade (2500 Gold) - Purchased at 12 minutes. Allows Pangolier to slow the targeted enemy for 4 seconds, while also passively burning mana upon each physical attack. It is a much-needed item against high mana spell-casters or even against pesky heroes. Pangolier can quickly rip through both enemy HP and Mana with his Swashbuckle attacks.
- Linken’s Sphere (4600 Gold) - Purchased at 21 minutes. Blocks one single targeted spell every 14 seconds, and also provides increased stats and mana regen for Zeus. This build has enough offensive items, and having a balance of offensive and defensive items can be extremely useful in the late game, helping Zeus stay alive in the high-pressure teamfights.
- Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 23 minutes. Pangolier gains the Roll Up ability. It turns him into a protective Ball, gaining magic immunity while also being able to turn in any direction. It can be cast whilst under Rolling Thunder Form, making it an ideal spell that can help him turn directions and avoid awkward situations.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 26 minutes. Blink Dagger is the classic item for mid-Pangolier which allows him to initiate and use pounce upon multiple enemies. It is an essential item for him regardless of the matchup he is facing as it allows him to dictate the pace and flow of the fight.
- Aghanim’s Scepter (4200 Gold) - Purchased at 33 minutes. Upgrades Shield Crash by auto-casting Swashbuckle every 90 degrees around Pangolier. Sumail opts for this item as it deals the much-needed damage in teamfights. This instance of Swashbuckle does not share a cooldown with the actual ability and can also proc Lucky Shot, making it an ideal item for the late game.
- Skull Basher (2875 Gold) - Purchased at 34 minutes. This grants Pangolier a high chance of bashing enemies upon physical attacks. It also increases his attack damage and allows him to deal bonus physical damage. It procs with Swashbuckle, making it an ideal teamfight item on Pangolier.
1. Sumail Build
The one and only, King Sumail is by far one of the best players in Dota history. From winning Ti at the age of 15 to still being relevant after so long, he is one of the greats. His highly dominant demeanor in-game is overshadowed by his strong and offensive playstyle. Pangolier may not be the hero he is known for but his excellent playstyle may make one believe that it is one of his signatures. In the current meta, the hero is highly a punishing force if in the right hands. Sumail builds a mixture of items that allow him to act both defensively and offensively, meaning there is a balance in his playstyle as a Pangolier, opting for orthodox items but with an offensive playstyle.
It is known that Sumail is a team player who often changes items and skill builds, depending on the matchup he is facing. The mix of the right offensive and defensive items make sure that there is no stone left unturned when it comes to winning a teamfight with a swashbuckling Pangolier. In this video, the build has all the goodies, including items that help you sustain the early game, like Bottle, and Arcane Boots, and late-game items like Aghanim’s Scepter, Linken’s Sphere, and Diffusal Blade. This is a highly suitable build for an optimum fight-oriented mid-Pangolier.
Use This Build If:
- You want to play Pangolier in the mid lane
- You want an early game brawling build that allows Pangolier to rotate and fight from the get-go
- You are facing squishy low HP or low armor enemies.
Skill Points
Level 1: Shield Crash - Allows Pangolier to deal AoE damage by jumping ahead in the direction he is facing. For each hero hit he gets a percentage of damage reduction, which is quite ideal if you’re facing high damage-dealing heroes. Pangolier can be the tanky frontliner with this spell.
Level 2: Swashbuckle - Pangolier dashes to the targetted area, dealing damage to enemies in a straight line. It is an exceptional skill to learn early on in the game as it deals high AoE damage and has a chance to proc Lucky Shot. Regardless of the meta, this skill remains a vital asset for Pangolier even in the late game as it scales with his physical damage.
Level 3: Shield Crash
Level 4: Swashbuckle
Level 5: Swashbuckle
Level 6: Rolling Thunder - Pangolier turns into a spell immune ball, which strikes enemies back and stuns them if they’re hit by him. Pangolier does have reduced turn speed under the ultimate but has overall increased movement speed. It is an excellent teamfight spell as you can also use Shield Crash under its duration. The spell immune factor of this spell makes it a highly effective early-game fighting spell.
Level 7: Swashbuckle
Level 8: Shield Crash
Level 9: Shield Crash
Level 10: +400 Swashbuckle Slash Range
Level 11: Lucky Shot - Grants a chance to disarm enemy heroes on physical attacks. It also has a chance to proc with Swashbuckle. It can be a great ability to skill against hard-hitting physical damage heroes.
Level 12: Rolling Thunder
Level 13: Lucky Shot
Level 14: Lucky Shot
Level 15: +3s Shield Crash CD in Rolling Thunder
Level 16: Lucky Shot
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Rolling Thunder
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: 30 Swashbuckle damage
Level 25: -3s Swashbuckle Cooldown
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- Bottle - (675 Gold) Purchased at 1 minute. The bottle is an essential item on a mid-hero. Regardless of the hero you play, Bottle keeps you sustained through the laning phase by replenishing your mana and HP. It also ensures you store power runes for later instead of immediately using them. As Pangolier is played in the mid-lane by Sumail, a Bottle always comes in handy.
- Arcane Boots (1300 Gold) - Purchased in 7 minutes. Arcane Boots are an essential item for Pangolier as It provides him with much-needed mana regen and sustains him through teamfight along with the increase in movement speed. It can be disassembled as well, allowing you to build different items with it later on in the game.
- Diffusal Blade (2500 Gold) - Purchased at 11 minutes. Allows Pangolier to slow the targeted enemy for 4 seconds, while also passively burning mana upon each physical attack. It is a much-needed item against high mana spell-casters or even against pesky heroes. Pangolier can quickly rip through both enemy HP and Mana with his Swashbuckle attacks.
- Linken’s Sphere (4600 Gold) - Purchased at 19 minutes. Blocks one single targeted spell every 14 seconds, and also provides increased stats and mana regen for Zeus. This build has enough offensive items, and having a balance of offensive and defensive items can be extremely useful in the late game, helping Zeus stay alive in the high-pressure teamfights.
- Aghanim’s Scepter (4200 Gold) - Purchased at 25 minutes. Upgrades Shield Crash by auto-casting Swashbuckle every 90 degrees around Pangolier. Sumail opts for this item as it deals the much-needed damage in teamfights. This instance of Swashbuckle does not share a cooldown with the actual ability and can also proc Lucky Shot, making it an ideal item for the late game.
- Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 26 minutes. Pangolier gains the Roll Up ability. It turns him into a protective Ball, gaining magic immunity while also being able to turn in any direction. It can be cast whilst under Rolling Thunder Form, making it an ideal spell that can help him turn directions and avoid awkward situations.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 29 minutes. Blink Dagger is the classic item for mid-Pangolier which allows him to initiate and use pounce upon multiple enemies. It is an essential item for him regardless of the matchup he is facing as it allows him to dictate the pace and flow of the fight.
- Boots of Travel (2500 Gold) - Purchased at 30 minutes. Allows you to teleport on allied creeps anywhere on the map. Purchasing this item grants Pangolier extreme mobility, making him highly active and providing him with increased global potential.
- Aether Lens (2275 Gold) - Bought at 32 minutes. Aether Lens increases the cast range of all abilities by 225 and increases overall mana by 300. It is exceptional if Pangolier wants to further upgrade it to Octarine Core. You can just disassemble the earlier bought Arcane Boots into Aether Lens as well.
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