ICARUS THE PHOENIX!!!

IntroductionIcarus is a fun hero to play, there are so many ways to effectively use his skills and it’s possible to play a lot of different roles, I'm going to cover them in this guide. In the hands of a skilled player he can be a force to be reckoned with from beginning to end, but even in the hands of a bad player, he can still be*hard to kill. I’m writing this guide to share my knowledge and to improve myself and others that also like to play this hero. Inevitably, I will also leak out some obvious and non obvious tips on how he can be countered. If I get good feedback I will update this guide so feel free to discuss it and share ideas.
Note that I answer your questions and clear out some doubts that you might have later in the FAQ section of this guide.

With that out of the way lets Dive in to the world of Icarus the Phoenix

Basic Information
19 + 2.9
12 + 1.3
18 + 1.8


Affiliation: Sentinel
Damage: 54 - 64
Armor: 0
Movespeed: 290
Attack Range: 500


Pros:
• High base damage
• Really high Str gain
• Very versatile
• Nice range
• One of the best escape/chase mechanisms
• One of the best Area of Effect heal, which is also a nuke
• Cool flashy animations
• It can be very fun and addicting to play him


Cons:
• 0 base armor and 4 at level 25
• Low base Agi and Agi gain
• Low Movement Speed
• High cooldowns
• Spells also cost Hp

Playstyle Phoenix’s attribute and skill set allows him to play many roles. In the beginning, with his high base damage and his Fire Spirits, he excels at dominating the lane by getting easy last-hits/denies AND him or his lane partner won’t need to return to fountain, which can either make him a good farmed Semi-Carry for mid and late game, or a Babysitter if he is paired with a hard Carry.
He can be a good Ganker because he can deal good burst damage and his skills allow him to chase and finish off fleeing enemies and he can also Support nicely by healing when necessary.
His Fire Spirits can kill the whole wave of enemy creeps while healing your own creeps at the same time which makes him a good Pusher.
With his high Hp, he can even become a good Tank with two lifes (or even three with refresher!) if his armor problem is fixed.
His versatility however has limits and as such he won't be a good Roamer, he is no Hardcore Carry and he definitely is no Jungler.

It’s up to you to adapt to your team and enemy picks!

Skill Usage
Icarus Dive
Click here for skill discription
Dive has a range of 1400 which is even greater than dagger, it can be used over obstacles and it can be cancelled when at the maximum range for better escaping.
In the beginning it is mostly used for chasing and escaping, but you can also save allies with this skill by disarming your enemies.
You can also use it to set up your Fire Spirits, and you will need to use it frequently right before Supernova.
If you have good reflexes you can use it to avoid getting Dismembered after you get hooked by Pudge.
Although it takes 10% of your current hp to cast you will need some awareness in using it because of the 30sec cooldown.
Be aware that if you Dive when affected by some abilities of other heroes, like Ensnare and Pit of Malice, it WILL go on cooldown without doing a damned thing and you are probably screwed, so NEVER use Dive when under such spells. Don't know if Icefrog intended this or not


Fire Spirits
Click here for skill discription
This is the skill you will be using most frequently it can be used to heal you or your lane partner and to hurt your enemies for 120/200/280/360.
It requires good timing to use this skill to its max potential and when used at the right time, it can make you have 400 extra hp for the enemy to chop off, which can turn the tide of a battle.
When using it you get the sub ability which you should try to use it on the enemy every time you can, it will still heal you and your enemy will hate you for the heavy harassing.
You can use it to save allies and to kill enemies and you can even cancel Clarities and Salves with it, which further improves your lane dominance.
Because it takes 10 seconds for the spirits to grow, you can use it at your fountain and teleport to a tower, both your mana and hp will be regenerated while you tp and you've got the spirits fully ready to farm/defend the tower.
When it's maxed, it does almost the same damage as a level1 Dagon.
Always activate it before engaging the enemies in battle.



Sun Ray
Click here for skill discription
The famous flashy laser. You should use this skill whenever the enemy is out of range. Remember it is a channelled spell, so don’t even use it if you are nearby an enemy that can stun/silence you or you will have lost 25% of your hp for nothing.
At late game if Icarus did not farm much, this skill will do more damage than the normal attack, that Centaur will take tons of damage if he is focused with this baby (although you should consider if hitting the tank hard is more useful than trying to kill other heroes).
Since you can target the ground, this spell is really useful to force out that camping Sand King/Lanaya and also to finish off low hp invisible heroes.
Also if Dive is on cooldown, Sun Ray can be used for escaping by using the sub-ability you can fly over cliffs. It can’t be abused however, because of its cost of 25% of current life points AND it costs 4% of your mana per second, so your mana will go down really fast like Storm’s ROFL (although not as fast).


SupernovaClick here for skill discription
This is Icarus’s egg ultimate which is all about timing and precise placement. Although you are a sitting duck during the 6 seconds, it does massive damage in a 1000 radius. It can also be used to instantly activate all 4 Fire Spirits for even more AoE damage. You will be fully regenerated after its use so think of it like a free regeneration rune that also damages opponents. The mindset you need to have to pull this ulti off is how far should you ulti without risking a heavy focus while at the same time not being so much far away that you will do little to no damage. Enemies will feel a lot of pressure while they are suffering from your Supernova and are more prone to mistakes, try to use that to your advantage.\

Boots Choice
This is the way to go, since Birdie has so little agility, the increased attack speed from these boots will almost double your DPS output.
These boots are also viable if you get good farm early and are playing a semi-carry, porting to towers to farm all the creeps when you get the chance

Unless you are a pure supporter, I strongly recommend against getting these, as there are better mana items and hell, you can even change your Power Treads to Int if needed.

These are the only rejected boots on Phoenix… why? You get more DPS from treads and you already have 2 skills that should be enough to chase. You can’t even phase while on Sun Ray mode.


Double Supernova Build
Icarus can handle the sacrifice just fine, but the sole purpose of this item is the extra mana for…


Your first thought might be: “I’m a sitting duck for 6 seconds, why do I want to be a sitting duck for 12 seconds???” In a teamfight, you Dive, Spirits and Supernova, then Dive and Supernova again. Well I will do the math for you:
That is 250 + 400 + 600 and 2.5 second stun + 250 + 600 and another 2.5 second stun. If you can pull this off it will most likely win EVERY team fight. As a plus, refresher has a really nice buildup that will give you a nice DPS boost and regeneration. The only downside to this strategy is that pipe totally nullifies your damage, altough you still have 2 Dives to use and 7 disarm on the other team which is not to be underestimated.


Ethereal Build

An ethereal'd enemy will take huge damage from your FS AND your ulti. Plus they can't attack you in this form and because of the slow they most likely won't escape Supernova stun.
Because of this, you can do a really awesome combo with it. When your Fire Spirits are buzzing use it and Ulti right away (spirits will implode on the spot). Your spirits will do almost 600 dmg and your magic ulti willl also do more damage, and since he is slowed and can’t attack, the enemy will be fried. Plus it will fix your agility problem by increasing your attack speed and also slightly raising your armor. The ethereal blast is really good to anti-carry so you can go for this build to counter heroes like Mortred, Rikimaru or Void.


Radiance Build
->

If you are a great last-hitter you can get it before minute 20. Radiance suits Phoenix well because he is a hard to kill hero and it will provoke more enemies to focus him, so you can use Dive + Ulti combo when low hp, it is constant AoE damage when egg and on normal form. Go for this build when you feel there are lots of squishy heroes on the other team. It is also a great item to push with.
If you can get it before the 20minute mark, great! If not, don't waste time farming because this is the moment when Icarus's skills are at their best to kill other heroes.


Later in the game you can also further improve his tankyness and DPS at the same time with the following:
The best armor item for non-int heroes. If you are planning to tank you will need this. Both the chain and the plate mail will drastically improve your survivability. Raises both your armor and attack speed, plus pushing will be easier.
The most expensive item in the game (besides Rapier) and for a good reason. It increases your hit points, damage, armor and gives you another source to fully regenerate yourself.


Ganker/Support Items
Good extension if you started out with a bracer
Cheap armor and mana regen + good item to gank with
Good bonuses and gives you an extra heal
-> Useful for every team and one supporter must buy it
Same as above

These next items you shouldn’t be farming, but since you shouldn’t be dieing that much, they will make up for all gold spent.
This is a great item for almost every hero, the extra stats, the chicken-maker and the mana regeneration will help you maintain your Sun Ray for longer periods of time AND one enemy won’t be attacking your Supernova.
This item is an easier to make alternative to the above, will provide you with more Sun Ray time and also gives a nice DPS boost. Plus it’s funny to use Soul Burn and Dive at the same time, the poor guy won’t be able to attack and cast spells.
A strong upgrade to your core helm if you got it, it will provide a nice boost to the damage from your Fire Spirits and your ultimate.
The Str boost is fine, invisible detection and you have time to micro your summons perfectly while you are in egg form, since you won’t be doing anything for 6 seconds.
Yes I still didn’t mention Hood. It will NOT reduce the damage you take from using your own spells, since it's direct HP removal, which means it can't be reduced by increased armor or magic resistance. Phoenix’s already natural high Str already allows him to survive a good amount of nuking so you can leave this to another hero. But if for some reason you get Hood you should upgrade it to Pipe.

It will definitely fix your armor problem, it is a good item to anti-carry and the slow is also fine. But if you buy it thinking it will boost your Lasering you are wrong, it doesn’t give you extra mana regeneration, only from the raw Int (which isn’t much), and since you will have a higher mana pool, Sun Ray will also be more expensive. Even while playing support, Assault is the better option since the aura will boost your team mates and will be of greater use while storming the enemy base or even protecting your own base. You will WANT a team mate to build it though, since the -40% Attack Speed aura helps you from getting killed while in Supernova mode.

This item will allow for perfect Fire Spirit usage (although you can train yourself to do this with Dive), and an extra escape mechanism, you can dagger with the spirits blinking, kill the target, then escape with Dive. But for it’s high price is it really worth it?
This item heals almost half than Fire Spirits does, the armor bonus is too low for its price. Ask yourself if you really need an extra heal.

Other Items
DPS Items

Get these if you have extra gold and the game is lasting too long, you can do some serious damage with them.
MKB will be be really effective versus enemies like Mortred, Panda, Windrunner and any hero that makes a Butterfly.
Get Buriza as your 5th/6th item, your high damage will provide some nice crits.
Butterfly will give you awesome attack speed, some damage, and evasion, which will make you even harder to kill, it's really a viable item incase the other team can dish out lots of damage through normal attacks.
If you pair up Desolator with Assault and Medallion it will do serious damage. Of course don’t buy it if you took Lifesteal as an orb effect…
Armlet can be obtained in mid game and it will give you the attack speed you need but it will also hurt you, and you already have 3 skills that do that.
Get Divine if you are pub-stomping for the lulz

Slow & Tank Items

These Items will give you a nice boost to your stats, increasing damage output and survival. If you just want to boost survivalness, armor is probably your best option, but these also give you a slow to help you and your allies.
SnY has an easier buildup, but also less stats. The slow is luck based but you get extra MS to compensate.
Skadi is harder to build, but the stat gain and hitpoint boost is also bigger.

Tank Items

These items will make Icarus beefier, if you really need it, though I recommend the above items instead of these. Bloodstone will give you great mana regeneration for Sun Ray. HoT will give you the most hp and some damage boost. Vanguard’s damage block won’t improve his survivability much since he is a ranged hero and will delay better items, but also doable, I guess.

Spell Protection Items

You can get these to allow you to Laser uninterrupted, both will boost your hp but BKB is more reliable vs a stun heavy team while Linkins Sphere can let you Laser for longer times.

Icarus and Other Heroes
Good allies:

Any hero with an AoE stun

These guys can make the other team watch you reborn.

King of Versatility
This guy has so many spells that have perfect synergy with Icarus. His Alacrity will give you a really awesome boost if you are farmed. His Cold Snap can be used on a target you use Sun Ray on, procing a lot of ministuns. With his deafening Blast (the only other Disarm spell in the game besides Dive) you will never worry about your Supernova being destroyed. His Ice Wall provides a really reliable slow (Ghost Walk too but not as much), so that enemies will see your ultimate from begining to end.

The Snowballer
this guy can help you land perfect Fire Spirits on the enemy, saving Dive for another occasion.

Ethereal Maniac
This guy is a free ethereal blade with a better cooldown.

Any hero carrying Shiva's Guard

The reduced attack speed from its aura will further reduce the chances enemies have to destroy your egg. The slow will also increase the probability of them getting hit by your stun.

Any hero with a skill to keep an enemy in place for a long time

These guys can make a poor fella from the other team watch the whole Supernova process and at later stages they will allow you to laser your enemy to death.

The Taxi-Driver-Master-Buffer
This guy is here since he is everyone’s good ally


Worst enemies:

The STFU'er
This guy WILL screw your Dive + Supernova combo. He won't let you shoot your Fire Spirits. He will screw your escape attempts. He won’t let you use Sun Ray. He is just a pain in the ass.

Armor Reducing
/
These guys and heroes wearing these items will reduce your already low armor down to negative values, especially if you didn’t farm an Assault Cuirass and trust me, having negative armor HURTS REALLY BAD. As a special note, if you ever have Venge on the lane and at lvl 2 he doesn’t have his aura, immediately ask to change lane or he will hurt you bad and not even your heal will save you.

High Attack Speed

If you go on egg form near these guys they can solo handily turn you into a scrambled egg, ESPECIALLY TROLL, even if he is not there he will make the rest of his team have an egg feast!

Meepo Attack Squad
and sometimes
Like high Att Speed heroes, this guy and his clones can make short work of your egg. NEVER use Dive when under his net, it will go on cooldown without doing a damn thing! Basically if they catch you with the net, you are screwed.

Anti-Tanks

These guys can kill you easily, no matter how high your max hp is.

High Mobility

While these guys aren't particularly bad for your hp, they can escape anything you throw at them really easy and live to tell the tale. To hit them with the spirits you must aim them manually. 90% of the times don't even bother lasering them, they will just laugh at you for losing a crap load of hp, and unless they are distracted by something else, your ulti will never stun them.


 Runes and Icarus
Icarus isn’t a Rune dependant Hero, nor does he gain lots of benefits from them, but they are handy at times.

Regeneration
You can pick it up if needed, this rune is good for any hero that needs it.

Haste
This rune lets you nail perfect spirits on the enemy’s head while attacking him at the same time, but you don’t really need it that much, pick it up if no one wants it. Also Sun Ray cancels your haste.

Illusion
If you took Radiance, this rune is awesome, just send one illusion to a lane and another to the enemy’s woods and watch your gold go up. If you don’t have Radiance then this rune isn’t that much useful, enemies will always know which one is the real Icarus since all your skills will give you away. Even so, your illusions will do better damage and last longer than lots of other heroes.

Double Damage
Phoenix’s high base damage makes this rune great for him, just pick it up and go get easy kills.

Invisibility
This rune is really useless on Icarus for the same reason Lothar is. Enemies will just LOL at spirits flying. Best to leave it to someone that can really shine with it.