LogFAQs > #963289963

I didn't forget, but I *did* spend most of the past day unconscious. Lovely emergency medicine for a condition I have that hasn't flared up for in three years. I do, however, need to hold off on the second hero writeup, although the ranking remains the same.

91 - Chaos Knight (melee Strength)
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/7/9/5/AAAACbAADAk7.jpg
Basic Abilities: Chaos Bolt, Reality Rift, Chaos Strike, Phantasm
Shard Ability: Improves Chaos Bolt to spawn a Phantasm illusion for six seconds which attacks the target by default; cast range of Chaos Bolt is improved.
Scepter Ability: Improves Phantasm to create an extra phantasm illusion around every allied hero under CK's control; this includes CK himself and clones (Meepo/Tempest Double.) Doesn't interrupt his allies abilties/disjoint projectiles/hide allies like CK gets, but they are repositioned randomly with their clone and have a basic dispel applied.
Notable (only) 7.31 changes: Chaos Strike now deals 1.5x damage to creeps.

Somehow, the actual avatar of chaos gets brought up less than Phantom Assassin, Faceless Void, Ogre Magi, or Spiritbreaker when it comes to RNG discussions, despite Chaos Knight being an odd duck that relies more on luck than similar luck-based heros. There's a good, simple, short and sweet reason for this: despite being "randomness incarnate," Chaos Knight has a very simple aesthetic: red everywhere, including your K/D/A. He's forced to build stats, and hope for high rolls, because oh lord does he need way more than any other similar melee carry, what with his atrocious damage spread and attack windup. His cast point is also crap, too, and he will *very* frequently find himself trying to cast either Chaos Bolt or Reality Rift on someone only for them to duck behind a tree and waste two seconds of your time with the gigantic windup.

And even on a "lucky streak," CK is losing out. There's just so much arbitrary bullshit that goes along with it. 33% crit that lifesteals? Sure, but enjoy getting the low end of your damage spread there. Gigantic outgoing 4 second stun? During its travel time, the victim got Lotus Orbed and you beaned yourself with it too. Reality Rift properly snagged a support that got a little too close and brought him to your team? Enjoy your Phantasms failing to crit entirely. Extremely out of position and fling a Chaos Bolt at the nearest ganker in the hopes to get away? It rolled low (and damage inversely high) and they're immediately on you in the time it took you to turn around and pitch it.

CK used to be one of the premier partners of Io, and that still works to some extent, as he's not going to be spamming Chaos Bolt on his own with that crappy intelligence (and thank goodness for that, because a lucky CK early game with a steady supply of mana is extraordinarily painful) but it says a lot about a hero when you need another partnered hero to do something on your own, and as a carry, that just doesn't fly, especially when support items have been receiving buffs for years to allow them to semi-carry if it goes well. CK's just reliant on Armlet Treads/Phase copious Mangos Satanic to Phantasm Reality Rift and zzzz.

Really, the most interesting part of CK at this point is some time waaaay back in DotA:Allstars when he just had Critical Strike, but at level 1 it had a 1% chance to crit for 999% damage and 99% chance to do nothing. At least, I think he did. I could be imagining that in my current fever state.

Reminder for next hero hint: "Nice mana, idiot."