Bristleback


Bio

Rigwarl, the Bristleback
Play "It was a barkeep that got me into this mess. Yeah, I think I`ll pay em a visit when this is done."
Role: Carry / Durable / Initiator / Nuker
Lore   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     Rigwarl, the Bristleback Never one to turn his back on a fight, : Never one to turn his back on a fight, Rigwarl was known for battling the biggest, meanest scrappers he could get his hands on. Christened Bristleback by the drunken crowds, he waded into backroom brawls in every road tavern between Slom and Elze, until his exploits finally caught the eye of a barkeep in need of an enforcer. For a bit of brew, Bristleback was hired to collect tabs, keep the peace, and break the occasional leg or two (or five, in the case of one unfortunate web-hund).

After indulging in a night of merriment during which bodily harm was meted out in equal parts upon both delinquent patrons and his own liver, Bristleback finally met his match. ⃢₀ₜYour tusks offend me, sir,⃢₀₝ he was heard to drunkenly slur to one particularly large fellow from the northern wastes whose bill had come due. What followed was a fight for the ages. A dozen fighters jumped in. No stool was left unbroken, and in the end, the impossible happened: the tab went unpaid. Over the weeks that followed, Bristleback`s wounds healed, and his quills grew back; but an enforcer`s honor can be a prickly thing. He paid the tab from his own coin, vowing to track down this northerner and extract redemption. And then he did something he`d never done before--he actually trained, and in so doing made a startling discovery about himself. A smile peeled back from his teeth as he flexed his quills. Turning his back to a fight might be just the thing.

Voice: TJ Ramini ( Responses   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     v • d • e  Voice responses Hero responses Abaddon Alchemist Ancient Apparition Anti-Mage Arc Warden Axe Bane )

General Strategy

When it comes to a fight, Bristleback really puts his back into it. Reducing all damage arriving from the rear or from the sides, he wades into battle with barely a care, spraying enemies with damaging quills and slowing snot.

Abilities

Viscous Nasal Goo
Partially blocked by Linken`s Sphere. Does not pierce spell immunity. Play
Q
G
Ability
Target Unit
(Upgradable by Aghanim`s Scepter.⃂No Target)
Affects
Enemies
Covers a target in snot, causing it to have reduced armor and movement speed. Multiple casts stack and refresh the duration.
Cast Animation: 0.3+0
Cast Range: 600 (Upgradable by Aghanim`s Scepter. 0)
Radius: 0 (Upgradable by Aghanim`s Scepter. 750)
Max Stacks: 4 (Talent 8)
Armor Reduction per Stack: 1/1.4/1.8/2.2
Base Move Speed Slow: 20%
Move Speed Slow per Stack: 3%/6%/9%/12%
Hero Duration: 5
Creep Duration: 10
Cooldown symbol.png 1.5
Mana symbol.png 25
Upgradable by Aghanim`s Scepter. Viscous Nasal Goo becomes a no target area of effect ability, applying to all enemies within range.
Does not pierce spell immunity. Slow and armor reduction persist if debuff was placed before spell immunity and when not dispelled.
Partially blocked by Linken`s Sphere. Blocked upon impact. Not blocked when upgraded.
Modifiers
Debuff Viscous Nasal Goo: Dispellable with any dispel.
Having caught a cold while stuck in the snow, Bristleback turns it to his advantage.

Notes:

  • Places one debuff on the enemy. This debuff gets stronger when it gets refreshed with successive casts.
    • A number on the icon shows how many times the debuff was refreshed, including the first cast.


Quill Spray
Pierces spell immunity. Play
W
R
Ability
No Target
Affects
Enemies
Damage Attack damage is the amount of damage a unit is dealing with an unmodified basic attack; the base values are different for every hero. The total attack damage of a unit is the sum of dota2
Physical
Sprays enemy units with quills dealing damage in an area of effect around Bristleback. Deals bonus damage for every time a unit was hit by Quill Spray in the last 14 seconds.
Cast Animation: 0+0
Radius: 700
Base Damage: 20/40/60/80
Stack Damage: 30/32/34/36 (Talent 55/57/59/61)
Damage Cap: 550
Stack Duration: 14
Cooldown symbol.png 3
Mana symbol.png 35
Modifiers
Debuff Quill Spray: Undispellable.
Debuff Quill Spray Stack: Undispellable.
An enforcer`s honor can be a prickly thing. So can his quills.

Notes:

  • The quills spread at a speed of 2400 and take 0.29 seconds to reach maximum range.
  • The quills do not form a ring. They affect every enemy within the expanding area of effect, so it cannot be avoided by blinking towards Bristleback.
  • The effect is centered at the cast location, it does not follow Bristleback.
  • Places one debuff on each hit enemy and a stack debuff on each cast on each hit enemy.
    • The first debuff shows the number of stack debuffs on the status icon. The stack debuffs are hidden.
    • The stacks` durations are independent from each other. Successive casts do not refresh previous stacks` durations.
    • With the current cooldown and stack duration, it can be stacked up to 5 times.
    • To reach the cap, additional procs from Bristleback are required.
    • The cap is reached with 19/17/16/15 (Talent 12/11/11/10) stacks. So to reach it, 14/12/11/10 (Talent 7/6/6/5) passive casts are required.
  • Checks how many stacks units have first and deals damage based on that, and then increases the number of stacks.
    • This means the first hit only deals the base damage.


Bristleback
Partially usable by illusions. Disabled by Break. Play
E
K
Ability
Passive
Affects
Self
Bristleback takes less damage if hit on the sides or rear. If Bristleback takes 210 damage from the rear, he releases a Quill Spray of the current level.
Back Damage Reduction: 16%/24%/32%/40%
Side Damage Reduction: 8%/12%/16%/20%
Damage Threshold: 210
Partially usable by illusions. Illusions gain the damage reduction, but not the passive Quill Spray procs.
Turning his back to a fight might be just the thing.

Notes:

  • Bristleback`s rear is considered to be within 70 degrees from the back. His side is considered to be within 110 degrees from the back.
  • A visual effect and sound play whenever his back receives damage. Taking damage from the sides only plays the visual effect.
  • Checks the damage source`s current position and compares it to Bristleback`s facing angle on each damage instance.
    • This means on e.g. damage over time effects, damage of an instance is only reduced when within the right angle.
    • Damage from e.g. Death Ward, Proximity Mines is reduced when facing away from them, since they are their own source.
  • Passive Quill Sprays proc when Bristleback`s back (not sides) collectively takes 210 damage (after all reductions)
    • The damage counter has no time limit. It only resets once a passive spray occurs.
    • Any exceeding damage is completely ignored, meaning that if an enemy deals an instance of e.g. 420 damage, the passive triggers only once.
  • Passive Quill Spray procs do not cost mana, have no cooldown and are independent from the active Quill Spray`s cooldown.
  • When Quill Spray is not learnt, passive Quill Sprays still proc, but neither deal damage, nor place the debuff.
  • Does not work against towers, but does work against fountains and damage from allies.


Warpath
Can be used by illusions. Disabled by Break.
R
W
Ability
Passive
Affects
Self
Bristleback works himself up into a fury every time he casts a spell, increasing his movement speed and damage.
Max Stacks: 5/7/9
Attack Damage Bonus per Stack: 18/24/30
Move Speed Bonus per Stack: 3%/4%/5%
Stack Duration: 14
Disabled by Break. Prevents gaining new stacks. Already existing stacks still provide bonus movement speed and attack damage.
Can be used by illusions. Whenever Bristleback gains a stack, all his illusions gain one as well. Illusions do not benefit from the raw damage bonuses.
Modifiers
Buff Warpath Stack: Undispellable.
`Temper, temper,` his mum always chided. But in a fight, a temper can come in handy.

Notes:

  • Using items does not trigger Warpath.
  • Bristleback`s size increases and more particles fly around him the more stacks he has.
  • Each stack has its own duration, successive spell casts do not refresh the duration of previous stacks.
    • Only the first cast`s buff is visible in the HUD. This buff has a number on it, showing the current amount of stacks.
  • The passive Quill Spray procs from Bristleback do not trigger Warpath.


Videos

Info

Hero Strategy   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     Contents 1 Gameplay 1.1 STYLE1 1.2 STYLE2 2 Ability Builds 3 Talents dota2 Counters   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     Contents 1 Bad against... 1.1 Others 1.2 Items 2 Good against... 2.1 Equipment   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     v • d • e Bristleback Equipment (collapse sets)Sets Charge of the Wrathrunner Debts of the Nightwatchman Emerald dota2 Gear   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     This is a list of cosmetic items that reflects Bristleback s design aesthetics. dota2 Responses   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     v • d • e  Voice responses Hero responses Abaddon Alchemist Ancient Apparition Anti-Mage Arc Warden Axe Bane Sounds   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     v • d • e  Dota 2 Sounds Hero Sounds Abaddon Alchemist Ancient Apparition Anti-Mage Arc Warden Axe Lore   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     Rigwarl, the Bristleback Never one to turn his back on a fight, Old Abilities   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     Quill Spray (pre 6.33) WR AbilityNo Target AffectsEnemies DamageMagical Begins spraying quills dota2 Changelogs   Hero   Strategy   Counters   Equipment   Gear   Responses   Sounds   Lore   Old Abilities   Changelogs     Contents 1 Version history 2 Patch history Version history edit] Version Description dota2
Bristleback
Strength primary attribute symbol.png
22 + 2.2
Agility attribute symbol.png
17 + 1.8
Intelligence attribute symbol.png
14 + 2.8
Level Base 1 15 25
Health “ Play Life becomes death becomes new life. As it should be.  Click to listen— Treant Protector ” Health (also known as HP, which can be short for: health pool or health points) represents the life dota2 200 640 1240 1680
H. Regen “ Play Life becomes death becomes new life. As it should be.  Click to listen— Treant Protector ” Health (also known as HP, which can be short for: health pool or health points) represents the life dota2 0 1.32 3.17 4.49
Mana Play Out of mana! “ Play It s a new age of magic! Click to listen— Keeper of the Light ” Mana (also known as MP, which is short for mana points) represents the magic power of a dota2 75 229 658 966
M. Regen Play Out of mana! “ Play It s a new age of magic! Click to listen— Keeper of the Light ” Mana (also known as MP, which is short for mana points) represents the magic power of a dota2 0.01 0.57 2.14 3.26
Damage Attack damage is the amount of damage a unit is dealing with an unmodified basic attack; the base values are different for every hero. The total attack damage of a unit is the sum of dota2 26‒36 48‒58 78‒88 100‒110
Armor 1 3.43 7.03 9.6
Spell Dmg   Spell damage   Spell damage sources     Spell damage is all damage which is not dealt by physical attacks. This includes all spells which deal magical, physical or pure damage. Even the damage dota2 0% 1% 3.8% 5.8%
Att / Sec The frequency with which units attack is measured in attack speed. A unit s attack speed can be modified by items, agility, abilities, and auras. Contents 1 Base attack time 2 Attack speed representation 3 Attack dota2 0.55 0.64 0.78 0.88
Movement Speed 290
Turn Rate Turn rate is the speed at which a unit can turn. When moving to a location, a unit first turns to face that location, then begins walking. Similarly, when targeting another unit with an attack 1.0
Vision Range Vision changes around while the hero moves. Vision describes what a unit can and cannot see from its current location and state. Places a unit cannot see are filled with the Fog of War, a dota2 1800/800
Attack Range Attack range is the range at which a hero may perform his or her basic attack on another unit. There are two main subdivisions of attacks: melee and ranged. Attack range can be extended by 150
Projectile Speed Instant
Attack Animation Every unit in Dota 2 has an attack animation. In mechanical terms, this is a delay between when an attack command is issued, and damage is dealt (in the case of melee units) or a 0.3+0.3
Base Attack Time 1.8
Magic resistance Magic resistance is an attribute of heroes, similar to armor. Instead of reducing physical damage, it reduces magical damage. All heroes, except for Meepo and Visage, possess 25% magic resistance from their armor type. This dota2 25%
Collision Size 24
Legs 2

Rigwarl the Bristleback is a melee Attack range is the range at which a hero may perform his or her basic attack on another unit. There are two main subdivisions of attacks: melee and ranged. Attack range can be extended by strength Strength is the attribute that grants health and health regeneration. For each point of strength a hero gets: 20 Health 0.06 Health regeneration Additionally, strength heroes also get 1 attack damage per strength point. To dota2 hero   Main   Mechanics   Attributes Table   Release Dates   Grid Layout     Heroes are the essential element of Dota 2, as the course of the match is dependent on their intervention. During dota2 famous for his array of synergistic spells with low mana cost and cooldown. He is able to slow his enemies down and reduce their armor with Viscous Nasal Goo, then hit them with a barrage of Quill Sprays, making him an effective chaser when ganking Play “By the forge of creation.” This section is under construction. It may still lack crucial information or contain unvalidated statements. You can help by coordinating with the autors and offer your help. Ganking is the enemies. His low strength gain makes him less tanky than most strength heroes, but he becomes substantially more durable when he turns around due to his passive Bristleback, which reduces damage taken from behind. In the right hands, Bristleback is a powerful ganker in the early stages of the game, and a powerful hard carry The heroes in Dota 2 are defined by the roles that they are suited to play as a combination of their attributes, abilities, and items, and the ways that these shape the game. Although the dota2 in the later stages depending on how much farm he gets.

Talents

Hero Talents
+25 Quill Spray Stack Damage 25 +30 Health Regen
10% Spell Lifesteal 20 +50 Attack Speed
+4 Max Goo Stacks 15 +225 Health
+2 Mana Regen 10 +8 Strength attribute symbol.png Strength
Notes:
  • Health regen and mana regen are added as bonuses and do not benefit illusions.
  • Upgrading health increases maximum health capacity and keeps the current health percentage.
  • The spell lifesteal stacks additively with that of Octarine Core.
  • The spell lifesteal heals for 2% from non-hero units. Treats creep-heroes as creeps and does not heal off of illusions.

Recommended items

Starting:

  • Stout Shield is a strong pickup, as it helps cut down on lane harass when Bristleback is at his least tanky state and builds into Vanguard.

Early-game:

Core:

Situational:

Rigwarl, the Bristleback

Recommended Roles
Carry Durable Initiator Nuker

Never one to turn his back on a fight, Rigwarl was known for battling the biggest, meanest scrappers he could get his hands on. Christened Bristleback by the drunken crowds, he waded into backroom brawls in every road tavern between Slom and Elze, until his exploits finally caught the eye of a barkeep in need of an enforcer. For a bit of brew, Bristleback was hired to collect tabs, keep the peace, and break the occasional leg or two (or five, in the case of one unfortunate web-hund).

After indulging in a night of merriment during which bodily harm was meted out in equal parts upon both delinquent patrons and his own liver, Bristleback finally met his match. "Your tusks offend me, sir," he was heard to drunkenly slur to one particularly large fellow from the northern wastes whose bill had come due. What followed was a fight for the ages. A dozen fighters jumped in. No stool was left unbroken, and in the end, the impossible happened: the tab went unpaid. Over the weeks that followed, Bristleback`s wounds healed, and his quills grew back; but an enforcer`s honor can be a prickly thing. He paid the tab from his own coin, vowing to track down this northerner and extract redemption. And then he did something he`d never done before⃢₀ₔhe actually trained, and in so doing made a startling discovery about himself. A smile peeled back from his teeth as he flexed his quills. Turning his back to a fight might be just the thing.

Abilities

Viscous Nasal Goo
Ability: Unit Target
No Target
Affects: Enemy Units
Covers a target in snot, causing it to have reduced armor and movement speed. Casts on the same target stack and refresh the duration.
Upgradeable by Aghanim`s Scepter to affect all units within range.
QG
25
1.5
Base Movement Slow:
Move Slow Per Stack:
Armor Loss Per Stack:
Maximum Stacks:

Duration:

Cast Range:
Cast Point:
Scepter Radius:
Scepter Ability:
₠20%
₠3% / 6% / 9% / 12%
₠1 / 1.4 / 1.8 / 2.2
₠4
8 (Level 15 talent)
₠5
₠600
₠0.3
750
Changes targeting type to
₠No Target

Affected By:₠
Having caught a cold while stuck in the snow, Bristleback turns it to his advantage.
Notes
  • Max movespeed slow: 32% / 44% / 56% / 68%.
  • Max movespeed slow: 136% (Level 15 talent).
  • Max armor reduction: 4 / 5.6 / 7.2 / 8.8.
  • Max armor reduction: 17.6 (Level 15 talent).
  • The goo projectile travels at 1000 speed.
  • Blocked by Spell Immunity and Linken`s Sphere.
  • Can be dispelled.
Quill Spray
Ability: No Target
Affects: Enemy Units
Damage: Physical
Sprays enemy units with quills dealing damage in an area around Bristleback. Deals extra damage for every time an enemy was recently struck by a quill. Casts on the same target stack and refresh the duration.
WR
35
3
Base Damage:
Damage Per Stack:

Damage Cap:

Duration:
Radius:
₠20 / 40 / 60 / 80
₠30 / 32 / 34 / 36
56 (Level 25 talent)
₠550
₠14
₠625
An enforcer`s honor can be a prickly thing. So can his quills.
Notes
  • Quill spray deals damage radiating out from Bristleback at 2400 speed.
  • Cannot be dispelled.
Bristleback
Ability: Passive
Affects: Self
Rigwarl covers his back in spines, causing him to take reduced damage when hit from the rear or sides. Automatically releases a bonus Quill Spray of the current level each time his rear receives a damage amount up to the threshold.
EK
Reduced Damage (Rear):
Reduced Damage (Side):
Damage Threshold:
₠16% / 24% / 32% / 40%
₠8% / 12% / 16% / 20%
₠210
Affected By:₠
Turning his back to a fight might be just the thing.
Notes
  • Does not reduce HP Cost or Tower damage.
  • Bristleback`s rear is considered to be within 70 degrees from the back.
  • Bristleback`s side is considered to be within 110 degrees from the back.
  • For a visual of Bristleback passive reduction areas, see here.
  • The bonus Quill Spray does not cost mana and does not have a cooldown.
  • Illusions gain the damage reduction part of this ability, not the Quill Spray bonus.
  • Disabled by Break.
Warpath
Ability: Passive
Affects: Self
Every time Rigwarl casts a spell, he works himself into a fury. Movement speed and attack damage increase per stack. Repeated casts stack and each stack has an independent duration.
RW
Movespeed Per Stack:
Damage Per Stack:
Maximum Stacks:
Stack Duration:
₠3% / 4% / 5%
₠20 / 25 / 30
₠5 / 7 / 9
₠14
Affected By:₠
`Temper, temper,` his mum always chided. But in a fight, a temper can come in handy.
Notes
  • Maximum movement speed bonus: 15% / 28% / 45%.
  • Maximum attack damage bonus: 100 / 175 / 270.
  • Using items will not earn Warpath stacks.
  • Bristleback visually grows slightly larger per stack.
  • The bonus Quill Spray triggers from Bristleback`s passive does not earn a Warpath stack.
  • Illusions benefit from the original`s casts and will receive the movement speed bonus.
  • Disabled by Break.

Talent Tree

Talent Tree
+20 Quill Stack Damage 25 +25 Health Regen
-40s Respawn Time 20 +50 Attack Speed
+200 Health 15 +4 Max Goo Stacks
+2 Mana Regen 10 +8 Strength

Recommended Items

Standard Build
Starting Items Early Game Mid Game Late Game

Overview


Although his spells seem very weak at first glance, Rigwarl is not to be underestimated. Quill Spray, Viscous Nasal Goo, and Warpath all provide relatively small effects when used only once, but each ability stacks when cast multiple times. Enemies of the Bristleback will soon find themselves covered in goo and shredded by constant quill fire if they aren`t careful. Quill Spray deals increasing damage with each cast on the same target, and due to its low cooldown and mana cost it can be very deadly over time. When Rigwarl sees that his enemies are sufficiently weakened, he can move in for the kill with Viscous Nasal Goo. This ability slows the target and reduces their armor, increasing the damage of Quill Spray and Bristleback`s physical attack and making it impossible to escape. Furthermore, casting spells puts Bristleback on the Warpath, which increases his movement and attack speeds as he uses his abilities. Bristleback`s signature skill