Dota 2: How to play Windranger like OG's Ceb - Item build

At the ESL One Dota 2 Stockholm Major, Windranger emerged as one of the most successful heroes of the tournament by winning 13 out of the 16 games she appeared in.

Out of those 16 games, Stockholm Major champions OG picked Windranger 12 times for stand-in position 5 support Sébastien "Ceb" Debs.

Ceb was one of the standouts at the Stockholm Major, winning 11 out of his 12 games on Windranger.

The two-time The International champion proved to the world that he is truly a force to be reckoned with, whether he plays as an offlaner or a support.

If you want to play arguably the flashiest position 5 hero right now, then let's break down how Ceb played his support Windranger.

We previously broke down which among Windranger's skills and talents Ceb prioritized, so check that out first if you haven't already.

In this article, we will be looking at which items Ceb prioritized on the hero and the order he typically purchased them.

What items does Ceb buy for Windranger?

Ceb's main focus when building Windranger is to prioritize mobility items.

As a support, the hero's most important skill is Shackleshot and it's far easier to land two-man Shackleshots when the player can dictate the angle witch which they approach the fight.

The other thing Ceb focuses on is to purchase multiple sustain items to keep his Windranger ready to fight at all times.

The hero has no downtime as a support and Ceb abuses that aspect to stay on the battlefield as long as possible.

Core items

Tranquil Boots

Ceb's first item for Windranger is Tranquil Boots, as that item solves the hero's health issues for the rest of the game.

Windranger is one of the best users for Tranquil Boots in the game, and that's all thanks to Windrun.

She moves at max movement speed when she uses Windrun with Tranquil Boots, something the other early game boots are unable to provide at all times.

Besides the max movement speed she gets from the item, Windranger is also able to dodge incoming physical attacks with Windrun, allowing the bonus health regeneration and movement speed to stay active on the item.

Ceb rushed these boots in every single game of the Major and it paid off for him big time.

Null Talisman

With Tranquil Boots solving his health regeneration needs for the entire game, Ceb's next focus was ensuring he kept his mana pool topped up, and Null Talisman is a cheap and effective way of doing that.

Ceb bought at least one Null Talisman whenever he played Windranger. The item provides a solid amount of mana regeneration and intelligence for the hero.

While the item's new max mana bonus mechanic is worse than its previous mana cost reduction mechanic, it is still worth buying a Null Talisman or two in order to have as much mana as possible to cast all your spells.

Magic Wand

There is no hero in Dota 2 who doesn't benefit from Magic Wand in some way or another, and Windranger is no exception.

The item offers three to all stats along with the ability to recover 300 health and mana and only costs 450 gold total.

Ceb often rushes either Magic Wand or Tranquil Boots as his first item and usually has both by the end of the laning stage.

Lyralei is a hero who tends to be in the middle of the fight during the mid-game thanks to Windrun and Shackleshot, and thus accumulates Magic Wand charges quickly.

Aghanim's Shard

Ceb tends to purchase Aghanim's Shard the moment the item is available.

Forced movement in Dota 2 is one of the strongest mechanics in the game and Gale Force applies forced movement in a massive area-of-effect.

Dota 2 patch 7.31 nerfed Gale Force's cast range from global to 1500. While that is a blow to the spell, the 1500 cast range is still very generous, and enough to allow Windranger to cast the spell from the edge of the fight and stay safe. The ability's push speed was also reduced from 250 to 240 in patch 7.31d.

Despite those nerfs, Gale Force remains one of the most disruptive spells in Dota 2.

If Ceb gets Aghanim's Shard as soon as it's available, then so should you.

Blink Dagger

Landing Windranger's Shackleshot is no easy feat, especially on two enemies. Even with Windrun's extra movement speed, it can be near impossible to get the spell to land during team fights.

That's why Ceb opts for Blink Dagger early in the game.

With Tranquil Boots, Null Talisman, and Magic Wand providing all the sustain he needs, Ceb's main objective after that is landing as many two-hero Shackleshots as possible, and that's why Blink Dagger is a core item on the hero.

Luxury items

Wraith Pact

Arguably the most important item in Dota 2 right now is Black King Bar, with Wraith Pact coming in a close second.

Wraith Pact provides a ton of useful auras to core heroes, and more importantly, the Wraith Totem which reduces enemy's damage by 30%.

Ceb's core item build is relatively inexpensive for a position four support. Windranger is also pretty good at farming thanks to Powershot and should be able to purchase a Wraith Pact late game.

Force Staff

Most supports have to pick between Force Staff or Glimmer Cape for their item build.

For Ceb, the option is easy. Force Staff provides the hero with extra health and intelligence, two attributes Windranger always needs.

The Force active ability gives Windranger more freedom during fights, especially when Blink Dagger is disabled. Force Staff allows the hero to get better angles for Shackle Shot, as well as save allies.

Lotus Orb

In terms of the stats it provides, Lotus Orb isn't the best fit for Windranger.

Ceb's item build already provides plenty of health and mana regeneration. The extra armor is nice but Windrun is usually enough to outright avoid physical damage in fights.

The Echo Shell active, however, is very strong in certain games. The ability dispels allies and removes annoying debuffs such as silences and slows.

Windranger might be able to dodge Juggernaut's Omnislash, but her allies can't, and in such situations, Lotus Orb is the best item to buy.

If you haven't already, check out the first part of this guide that broke down which among Windranger's skills and talents Ceb prioritized.

Otomo is a long-time gaming enthusiast and caster. He has been playing games since he was 10 and is the biggest Dota 2 fan.

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