Mastering Ringmaster: Your Ultimate Guide to Dota 2's Newest Hero

Ringmaster is the latest hero to join the Dota 2 roster, bringing a unique mix of disables, nukes, and escape abilities to the game. As a ranged support hero, Ringmaster excels in Position 4 due to his strong base stats and high kill potential. With just a few levels, this hero can start roaming the map, providing crucial assistance wherever needed.

How to Get Started with Ringmaster in Dota 2

To help you get started, we’ve put together a guide detailing Ringmaster's spells, talents, and item builds.

Dota 2 Ringmaster Hero Overview

Ringmaster is a ranged Intelligence hero with three core abilities and an ultimate. Each of the three main abilities can be leveled up four times, while the ultimate can be leveled up three times. Here’s a quick overview of how they work:

• Tame the Beasts (Q): A channeling ability where Ringmaster twirls his whip for up to 1 second before cracking it, dealing damage to enemies in the area of effect (AOE) and causing them to become feared. The damage and fear duration depend on the channeling time.
• Escape Act (W): This spell targets an ally, turning them into an untargetable box, increasing their movement speed and magic resistance. The unit is silenced, muted, and disarmed for the duration. This ability can also be used on Ringmaster.
• Impalent Arts (E): Throws an enchanted dagger in a target direction, attaching to enemy units and dealing damage over time. If it hits an enemy hero, it deals a percentage of their maximum health as damage and slows them. This ability has four charges.
• Wheel of Wonder (R): Ringmaster throws a wheel at a target location. Enemies who face the wheel for more than 0.5 seconds get taunted and pulled towards its center. The wheel explodes after a certain duration.

Ringmaster also has an innate ability, Dark Carnival Breaker, which grants him an extra ability whenever an enemy hero dies within 925 units. This ability can be accessed in the Souvanair Slot (D), and it offers one of three random abilities:

1. Funhouse Mirror: Creates an imperfect illusion of Ringmaster for 18 seconds, which takes 300% damage and deals 28% damage. Casting it makes Ringmaster invulnerable for 0.2 seconds.
2. Strongman Tonic: Similar to Alchemist's Berserk Potion, this ability temporarily increases Ringmaster's or an ally's strength for four seconds.
3. Whoopee Cushion: Leaps forward 400 units, leaving a toxic pool behind for 3 seconds that slows enemies. It can be used to jump across cliffs.

These abilities are random and have a 3-second cooldown.

By picking up the Aghanim's Shard, Ringmaster gains a new ability called Spotlight. This area-targeted spell casts a bright, moving spotlight around the target area, causing enemies caught in it to miss 30% of their attacks. It also reveals invisible enemies within the spotlight.

Dota 2 Ringmaster Build Guide

Since Ringmaster is a new hero, players are still experimenting with his capabilities. Currently, most players prefer to use him as a Position 4 Support, though some have tried playing him as a Midlaner with less success. Here’s a recommended build:

Abilities and Talent Build

Ringmaster’s ability build is straightforward for a Support role. The first spell to max out is Impalent Arts due to its long range and damage potential. Pick up Tame the Beasts at level 2 and Escape Act at level 4.

• Level 10 Talent: Choose between extra cast range for Escape Act or extra AOE for Tame the Beasts depending on your playstyle.
• Level 25 Talent: The Escape Act talent is particularly strong in the late game.

Item Progression

Ringmaster’s solid starting stats for an Intelligence Support hero make him a strong contender early on. Start with a set of Tangos, a few stat items, and Observer and Sentry Wards. A Magic Stick is also useful in spam-heavy lanes.

• Core Items: Arcane Boots are essential due to the hero’s reliance on abilities and their mana cost. Consider picking up a Null Talisman and Aether Lens early to boost your stats and maintain a safe distance while casting spells.
• Mid-Game: You can choose between Mekansm (for Guardian Greaves) or Rod of Atos and Force Staff for better positioning and crowd control. The Aghanim's Shard is crucial if facing an enemy with invisibility, and the missed attack chance is invaluable.
• Situational Items: Depending on the matchup, Spirit Vessel or Eul's Scepter of Divinity can be effective. Late-game items like Scythe of Vyse or Lotus Orb provide additional utility, while Octarine Core reduces cooldowns for more frequent spell usage.

How to Play Ringmaster in Dota 2

When playing Ringmaster, start in the Offlane with your Position 3 as a Position 4 Support. With a high Health Pool and decent strength gain, you can play aggressively early on, using Impalent Arts to harass enemies and drain their health.

During the laning phase, focus on harassing the enemy duo to force them to spend more on regeneration, giving your team a gold advantage. At level 3, with one point in Tame the Beasts and two in Impalent Arts, you can start coordinating kills with your Position 3's stun.

In mid-game team fights, position yourself near the backline, using Escape Act to protect your cores and Wheel of Wonder to control the battlefield. Constantly spam Impalent Arts from a distance to chip away at enemy health.

Final Thoughts on Ringmaster

Ringmaster is a balanced hero with a unique toolkit, offering solid utility and damage in the Support role. While not as overpowering as some heroes upon release, Ringmaster provides valuable contributions to any team when played effectively.