Spiked Tree

[Mort]

dmortb.net/MTG/Spiked tree/1.jpg

[/img]
Oak the Spiked Tree[/center]

Spiked Tree is an strong overall rounded hero, he can help supporting, tanking, killing, he might not be the best tank but pare him up with another tank, especially damage dealing ones, and he will certainly help the team a lot.

Armor Type:

Heavy

Damage Reduction:
Chaos 100%
Hero 100%
Magic 125%
Normal 100%
Pierce 100%
Siege 100%
Spells 125%

Skills:

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Innate: Barkskin
Anti-magic potion and purification can remove the effect of this skill
A buff spell that can be cast on any friendly unit that gives 15+ armor as well as a 25% increase in damage. Useful spell in all stages of the game. Like most buff spells can be auto casted.

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Level 1: Hardened Skin (Passive)
Increases STR which increases your health as well as damage because his primary attribute is STR. Very good for early killing as well as a good boost to your health for tanking.

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Level 1: Poison Gas
This skill will be countered by monsters' SpellBlock
A spell that damages one target a large amount then deals splash damage to other creeps around it. IT also decreases the affected creeps armor. Another good early killer but if you want to maximize the amount of creeps you kill with it try to group them up.
Note:The area of effect will increase with level.

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Level 6: Feedback Aura (Passive)
Gives a thorn aura which deals damage back to most melee creeps that attack a target with the aura on. Best with other tank heroes, if your the only tank its probably best to get a Holy Warrior instead unless he's needed for early kills or a specific strategy. Since his aura isn't a strong as the Holy Warrior's self thorns. However remember this skill can screw over your team on the stun waves. So make sure they have anti magic potions and are never hit when it's effects aren't up, either that or be confident you can clear them easily.

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Level 10: Rootage Trap
This skill will be countered by hero's SpellBlock
An offensive ability that can be cast on enemy heroes who will be unable to move, attack or use a potion while they're rooted. The duration of the spell is increased per level, but try to use it like all offensive skills when they're already in trouble. This spell gives a pre animation that warns the root effect is about to take place so it can be dodged like a stun.

Summary:
He can be a tanking character however if you have a better tank act as a secondary tank as he starts to lose effectiveness somewhere in mid game. Concentrate on either poison gas or hardened skin early on to kill, but later get both. If your afraid of possible permanent stunning by stun waves don't get his thorn aura until after the golem wave. Rootage Trap is a good offense but can be countered with blink just like stun, otherwise try to use it when they're getting low on health or would run away soon. You should move like a mid fielder going from the front lines to help tank or the back to be safe while you time rootage trap.



Suggested Playstyles:


If you are main tank:

Focus on getting the Hardened Skin at first, it increases health and along with his Innate Barkskin increases his damage greatly.
Get Poison Gas whenever you think you'll need it.
His level 6, Backfire Aura, helps him kill as a tank, but remember that stunner's will target you all the time when you have thorns.

Item suggestions: Armor, Elite Elven Boots, Thirsting Blade, Nimsha, and so on. Maybe the Ring of Victory if you think it's needed.


If there is another tank:

I recommend getting Hardened Skin at first, but later focus more on Poison Gas, since it will help both you and Main Tank to kill faster.
Get his Backfire Aura to help both you and the tank to kill faster.
At start i recommend both you and the other tank to keep the front line, later on you might want to back down and just boost the Main Tank with backfire and Barkskin, throwing a Poison Gas when you think it's worth it.

Item Suggestions: Armor, Elite Elven Boots


I excluded the Rootage Trap, since it is something you should get asap and use as it fits.





Things that you might want to know/find useful:

• Backfire Aura will make stunner's stun you all the time until either you or them are dead(either Spiked Tree moves away at those waves or all heroes nearby uses anti-magic pot, or relearn the skills, removing backfire aura for that wave, you could even not get it until after all stunner levels)
  
  
• Later on, relearn your skills, remove Hardened Skin, it gives +115 Strength, but later on, no matter if you are main tank or just supporting tank, you should relearn and put these point into +stats, +stats gives +116 to all stats at level 29 and after that it just keep increasing your STR/AGI/INT all the time.
  If you are supporting tank, you should do it earlier, since you'll be needing more mana than hp, so IMO you should relearn before you can get stats to level 29, just to get the extra mana.
  
  
• Even if Poison Gas wont kill later on, it still is useful to remove spellblock and it lower the creeps armor, by 50 at level 10, so any melee will kill faster.
  
  
• Barkskin should always be used on all melee heroes, it increases their Damage by 25% and that could be a lot, and if needed, use it on a spellcaster to increase their armor if a creep is attacking them.
  
  
• You dont wanna cast barkskin on melee that can't handle the thorns at the turtle wave.
  
  
• Tree can't tank alone after 1st Bonus wave, after that he needs to either fall back and only support the tank, or have plenty of help from teammates.
  
  
• You can only dodge Rootage Trap by Teleporting, using Anti-magic potion will not end/stop it.
  
  

Additional Spell Info

Hardened Skin(gives points to strength)
7
11
17
25
35
47
61
77
95
115
Poisoned Gas
(initial dmg to target:reduced armor:aoe damage for 20secs)
200:05:10
500:10:30
1000:15:60
1400:20:110
3800:30:270
6200:35:380
9000:40:520
13000:45:690
19000:50:900

lasts 60 secs

Spiked Tree Backfire Aura
AoE = 200 + (Lv*100)
Damage Returned = Lv*9

Level 1: Area of Effect 300, Damage Returned 9%
Level 2: Area of Effect 400, Damage Returned 18%
Level 3: Area of Effect 500, Damage Returned 27%
Level 4: Area of Effect 600, Damage Returned 36%
Level 5: Area of Effect 700, Damage Returned 45%
Level 6: Area of Effect 800, Damage Returned 54%
Level 7: Area of Effect 900, Damage Returned 63%
Level 8: Area of Effect 1000, Damage Returned 72%
Level 9: Area of Effect 1200, Damage Returned 81%
Level 10: Area of Effect 1300, Damage Returned 90%

[Cheezeman]

Barkskin is (Auto-castable) or however you prefer to write it.
I would like to see all of the auto-cast spells having a suffix telling you it's Auto-castable, it's really useful.
Yes, you mention it in the text but I would like to see within a paranthesis after the name that it's auto-castable.
I mean like Innate: Barkskin (Auto-castable)

I can make a list of all spells that can be auto-casted if you want me to.

[Mort]

That won't be necessary, as all icons(i think) for the next version will have 3 different layouts, auto-castable, cast-able & passive(changes on the borders around the skill).
So all i have to do is add a bit of information in the Introduction thread, explaining the different borders, however, most of them are obvious for anyone whom have played Wc3 for a period of time.

[ingenting]

Jan 25, 2009 14:17:17 GMT -5 Cheezeman said:

Barkskin is (Auto-castable) or however you prefer to write it.
I would like to see all of the auto-cast spells having a suffix telling you it's Auto-castable, it's really useful.
Yes, you mention it in the text but I would like to see within a paranthesis after the name that it's auto-castable.
I mean like Innate: Barkskin (Auto-castable)

I can make a list of all spells that can be auto-casted if you want me to.

LOL i already have that question for you in trivia
thx!!

[Cheezeman]

Jan 25, 2009 14:59:54 GMT -5 ingenting said:

Jan 25, 2009 14:17:17 GMT -5 Cheezeman said:

Barkskin is (Auto-castable) or however you prefer to write it.
I would like to see all of the auto-cast spells having a suffix telling you it's Auto-castable, it's really useful.
Yes, you mention it in the text but I would like to see within a paranthesis after the name that it's auto-castable.
I mean like Innate: Barkskin (Auto-castable)

I can make a list of all spells that can be auto-casted if you want me to.

LOL i already have that question for you in trivia
thx!!

Maybe spare it for someone else? I already know all spells that can be auto-casted ;D
Reason for this is because I'm the guy who provided Pedro and Bruno with the correct auto-cast borders for spells that didn't have them

[Mort]

Well I had to give that answer, at least if I wanted someone else to get it...

[Cheezeman]

Jan 25, 2009 15:44:42 GMT -5 Mort said:

Well I had to give that answer, at least if I wanted someone else to get it...

I know, it isn't just you, me, ingenting and marx who read this guide...
That's why I didn't quote you but rather ingenting

[worldtop]

some new player asked how would he use the "rootage trap" spell on enemy's hero?
just for the record...............
click on the spell and look over the other side to aim ur victim hero....................