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Heroes of Newerth Keeper of the Forest Guide

By X-Flame - 15th August 2010 - 19:18 PM

Keeper of the Forest, the DotA equivalent to Rooftrellen the Treant Protector, is a very interesting strength hero with built in camouflage for the entire team as long as they are near a tree. He plays the role as an initiator in team fights as well as a minor support with his eyes of sight and natures protection. Keeper has the ability to turn team fights around in an instant by creeping up invisible and popping his Root ultimate to keep enemies in place. While they take a fair amount of damage per second while immobilized your team mates can easily finish the job. A smart team will carry dust, Wards of Revelation or a Bound Eye, so always be wary before you walk in invisible with your team.


Keeper of the Forest


1. Skill Descriptions


Camouflage

The Keeper uses his influence over the forest to hide his allies from enemy sight. Grants invisibility to target unit so long as they remain near trees.

Camouflage Effects
Stealth with 0 second fade time Invisibility. Camouflage is dispelled if unit moves too far away from a tree.

Type: Magic
Range: 500
Cast Time: 1.0 Seconds
Mana Cost: 90 / 80 / 70 / 60
Cooldown: 3.0 Seconds
Applies Camouflage to target for 15 / 30 / 45 / 60 seconds. The Keeper can use abilities without breaking his own Camouflage.

Usage:
Camouflage is one of the skills that make people despise playing against Keeper. It's a great way to hide your team (if your mana pool is big enough) or yourself and surprise the enemy for a gank, or a great escape mechanism to save yourself and team. The short cooldown allows Keeper to spam it on his mates while he remains invisible himself if already camouflaged. Use it sparingly however because the mana cost eats away Keepers small starting mana pool and saving mana for his ultimate should be the priority.

Tree Sight


The Keeper links his mind with a target tree, sharing its vision.

Range: 2,000
Cast Time: 1.0 Seconds
Mana Cost: 100 / 75 / 50 / 25
Cooldown: 300.0 / 225.0 / 150.0 / 75.0 Seconds
Places a gadget on target tree. The gadget has an unlimited life time and a vision range of 600 / 630 / 660 / 690. The gadget also has true sight. The vision granted by the gadget is not obstructed by obstacles. The gadget is destroyed if the tree it was placed on is destroyed. Upgrading this skill will cause all of the placed gadgets to be upgraded.

Usage:
Free wards! The bane of the enemy team. This skill makes Keeper play a small supportive role by taking pressure off the warder of the team. Wards of Sight should still be bought but having numerous amounts of these "eyes" covers many juke spots and is great for countering invisible gadgets like Wards of Revelation or invisible heroes. Use this skill as much as possible and level it to 4 quickly because the cooldown is ridiculously long if not at level 4 which by then is roughly a ward a minute.

Nature's Protection


The Keeper grants part of the forest's power to the target ally, increasing their armor and regeneration for a period of time.

Type: Magic
Range: 500
Cast Time: 1.0 Seconds
Mana Cost: 30 / 35 / 40 / 40
Cooldown: 5.0 Seconds
Applies Nature's Protection to the target ally or building for 40 seconds.
Status Effect: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 Health Regeneration, 3 / 6 / 9 / 12 Armor

Usage:
This skill lets Keeper or his lane partner take a little more harassment than usual by buffing up their armor nicely and adding a small health regeneration bonus. Not only does it have a short cooldown, but the mana cost is relatively low which is good for Keeper's small mana pool. You can cast this skill while invisible without revealing yourself and can heal buildings too. Since the bases barracks heal over time, healing the outer towers is better. While laning it's a good idea to keep the towers up for as long as possible so dropping a Nature's Protection when the tower takes some hits is a wise decision.

Root


The Keeper calls upon the roots in the ground to disarm and immobilize his foes, as well as damage them over time.

Radius: 700
Cast Time: 1.0 Seconds
Mana Cost: 150 / 175 / 200
Cooldown: 160.0 Seconds
Applies Root to enemies in radius around self for 3 / 4 / 5 seconds. Interrupts channeling spells.

Root Effects:
Disarmed
Immobilized
Revealed
85 Magic damage per second

Usage:
Roots is the skill that makes the enemy heroes stay on their toes when they notice a Keeper gone missing in a gank or team fight. This skill is great for initiating a team fight for your side as it places all the opponents into the ground unable to attack and revealing stealth. The damage over time aspect is decent but usually not enough to finish a whole team so make sure your allies are there to follow up with chain stuns. Use this ultimate wisely as the cooldown is quite long and make sure you get as many foes as possible inside. One thing to be wary of however is the enemy can still cast while rooted, so be careful.


2. Skill Build for Keeper


Keeper can utilize two different skill builds. One is a safe build in which he maxes out his Nature's Protection first, while the other is referred to as the 'offensive' build, in which he maxes out his Tree Sight first.
  1. Tree Sight
  2. Camouflage
  3. Nature's Protection
  4. Tree Sight / Nature's Protection
  5. Tree Sight / Nature's Protection
  6. Root
  7. Tree Sight
  8. Nature's Protection
  9. Nature's Protection
  10. Nature's Protection
  11. Root
  12. Camouflage
  13. Camouflage/stats
  14. Camouflage/stats
  15. Stats
  16. Root
  17. and onward - Stats/Camouflage
Maxing out Tree Sight is important because having true sight wards with decent range for free is incredibly good. Being able to see your enemy before they see you ensures kills for your side from ganking and less chances for the enemy to gank you. Taking one level of Camouflage early is also wise because even though it only lasts 15 seconds, the ability to save a teammate or yourself from the enemy is very valuable. When going for this build, don't put any points into Tree Sight when it is still on cooldown, as it is better to put points into it when it's about to be ready, saving you some valuable seconds for your next eye. Take Root whenever possible as it's nothing to scoff at and continues to stay strong all throughout the game. Max Nature's Protection next for the big armor buff and hp regeneration and then take an extra point in Camouflage for the longer invisibility. You might opt to max out Camouflage for the reduced mana cost and the longer effect, but it is hardly needed, so the stats are usually the better pick.
  1. Tree Sight
  2. Camouflage
  3. Nature's Protection
  4. Nature's Protection
  5. Nature's Protection
  6. Root
  7. Nature's Protection
  8. Tree Sight
  9. Tree Sight
  10. Tree Sight
  11. Root
  12. Camouflage
  13. Camouflage/stats
  14. Camouflage/stats
  15. Stats
  16. Root
  17. and onward - Stats/Camouflage
This skill build focuses on Keeper and his laning partner to take on a ton of punishment by maxing out his Nature's Protection first. This allows him to be somewhat of a babysitter as well, though he's still heavily outclassed by similar babysitting heroes like Accursed. Always take an early point in Tree Sight to ward an important spot, such as the top rune (the bottom one can't be warded until you have Tree Sight level 3), or any spot you might think is important. After Nature's Protection, Tree Sight is maxed as the skill is great for several aforementioned reasons.


3. Item build


Starting


2 Minor Totems
1-2 Mana Potion(s)
1-2 Runes of the Blight
Loggers Hatchet

Keeper doesn't need too many hp regeneration items as that one level of nature's protection works fairly well, but by taking a few Runes of the Blight you can never go wrong, just make sure you don't use them on your tree sighted trees (obviously.) The Minor Totems are a really good, cheap way to get valuable stat points and Keeper needs this to expand his mana pool. You can opt to get a Pretender's Crown before the Hatchet as you can get the Hatchet at an Outpost. Mana Potions are needed in case you may have had to use Camouflage once or twice, or heal the tower with Nature's Protection. It's also nice to just have one lying around in case you need to gain that crucial mana early to be able to cast Root. The Loggers Hatchet is used on Keeper because his base strength of 26 gives him a high base damage early and being able to take the creep kills or denies before any enemy can get the last hit off is very useful.

3.2 Your Early Game


The early game for Keeper is pretty basic. He doesn't have the best lane control so don't let him babysit, he's more of a distraction/minor support until level 6. He can lane well with a disabler as his auto attacks do quite a bit of damage early, but if another combo is better on your team, then have Keeper with another teammate. Keeper has a VERY high base damage, so Loggers Hatchet lets you take creep kills and denies very easily. If the enemy comes to close, give them a whack but always stay close to trees in case they turn it around on you to camouflage yourself or team mate. Your jobs early are to place Eyes of Sight near rune spots or take out the enemy’s neutral creep camps but place the eyes in a place where they can't just walk up and Rune of Blight it or hatchet it down easily. Use them every chance they come off cooldown. Keep your lane partner/tower up with Nature’s Protection and get that level 6 quickly so you can set up ganks for your team early. When the mid game approaches you should be thinking, "What kind of Keeper build is needed for my team?"

3.3 Mid Game Items


Marchers > Steam Boots
Power Supply
Talisman of the Exile
Always carry a Homecoming Stone.
Sustainer

There are a few ways to build Keeper. If you are against a spam heavy team, using those Minor Totems to make a Power Supply is always a good option. When it comes to boot types, Steam Boots are the best option that comes to mind for a few reasons. The ability to switch between strength, agility or intelligence benefits Keeper more than Ghost Marchers or farming for the Post Haste. Plated Greaves would be the second option if your team is fragile to physical damage. The reason why steams are taken is because the strength gain gives Keeper more damage and higher hp making him able to somewhat tank, and also being able to switch to intelligence to get that Root or Camouflage off when it counts is always handy. Ghost Marchers aren't really needed because Keeper isn't the best for chasing and he already has a built in escape mechanism. Talisman of the Exile are taken for that extra intelligence gain to expand the mana pool later on for when you make the Restoration Stone for the double ultimate fun. The Sustainer is for the previously mentioned Restoration Stone.

3.4 Your Mid Game


As the mid game starts to open up, this is when Keeper needs to stay busy. During this stage in the game, Keeper has some decent strength, damage, and mana so he can waltz around in the enemy neutral camp and place Tree Sight while invisible and farm their neutral creeps. Also having a Homecoming Stone handy to teleport gank is always important if you decide to start dropping Tree Sight everywhere. If your team is on the offense, place offensive wards. If your team is on the defense, place defensive wards. Don't go out of your way to run up the map and place Tree Sight in the enemy camp or juke zones while they are smashing your bottom tower. Play smart, and don't get caught while trying to sneak up and Root the enemy. Make sure you check the opponents’ items if they are carrying dust, Wards of Revelation or a Bound Eye. Keeper is very good for crowd control, because he snares all the enemies in place so if there are two initiators on the team, you should ultimate first and then your allies should follow up with the second devastating ultimate. Maintain your farm and stay strong as you head to the late game.

3.5 Late Game Items


Restoration Stone
Portal Key
Frostfield Plate

Restoration Stone allows you to reset all of your cooldowns, the main one here being your ultimate. Being able to use Root twice for a 10 second snare if used correctly is devastating! If you manage to get it off, it would not be surprising if genocide occurs. The only problem with double ulting however right at 16 is Keeper doesn't have the mana to do it unless you calculate it right by changing your Steam Boots to intelligence, and perhaps having some other intelligence gain items like a Frostfield Plate. Frostfield Plate seems unorthodox but the armor bonus, intelligence gain for the mana, and the effect on use ability is quite nice once all the enemies are rooted. Make sure you time it right before Roots is about to end for the maximum potential to slow as the enemies try to escape. Portal Key is always good. A smart team does indeed buy items to counter your Camouflage so a Portal Key initiation is always a great way to start a team fight as well as escape.

3.6 Situational Items


Barrier Idol
Abyssal Skull
Mock of Brilliance
Demonic Breastplate

As Keeper of the Forest isn't the best semi-carry (if you will) he becomes more of a support/tanker while using his ultimate to perfection. An Abyssal Skull is a great item for him if your team consists of a few melee heroes including yourself. The life steal aura is very useful as well as the base damage and mana regeneration bonuses. Demonic Breastplate is good to get if your team needs an armor buff and no one else is making one. Barrier Idol is used against heavy magic casting teams which may include a Pyromancer, Plague Rider, or Glacius just to name a few. The health regeneration is also always nice. Mock of Brilliance was always an item that people strive to get on DotA with Treant. The +60 damage gain and 40 damage per second aura is very nice as it stacks with your ultimate. However, this item is very expensive and should only be farmed for if your early game and mid game farm was executed flawlessly. Keeper is not a carry by any means but if gold is in your favor, getting a quick Mock is very strong. Never spend all game farming for it however, you need to make the decision based on how your team is performing, and what items are needed to help your team out the most at the present time.

3.7 Alternative build


In addition to building a quick Restoration Stone, there is an alternative build, which recommends utilizing Keepers enormous potential to stay alive and tank like almost no other hero.

Marchers
Mock of Brilliance
ALWAYS Homecoming Stone
Steamboots OR IPB Image Plated Greaves

Key to this build is farming up a quick Mock of Brilliance in order to make the enemy heroes focus on you. There is not a single hero that can take several seconds of Mock exposure along with your ultimate, so you will become a serious threat to the enemy team. After that, you tank up and take as many hits as possible while your Mock does its work. Should you pick this build, the best lane that you should go to is solo mid, as you will be able to maximize your farming potential.

Optional:
Shamans Headdress INTO Barrier Idol
Nullstone
Barbed Armor

If their team has a lot of magic damage, you may choose to build Shamans Headdress and build it into a Barrier Idol if they also have a lot of area of effect heroes. Nullstone is there for the solid stats it gives, along with giving you a solid protection against nukes. If you still get pounded on too much, you can build yourself Barbed Armor to return the favor.

Late game:
Demonic Breastplate
Kuldra's Sheepstick
Restoration Stone
Behemoths Heart

Late game your Mock will become less of a threat to the enemy team, so you should focus on support items, such as Deamonic Breastplate and Kuldra's Sheepstick. You may also choose to build a Restoration Stone for the double ultimate, or straight-out Behemoths Heart to make yourself nigh invincible.


4. Hero Specific Strategies and Techniques


4.1 Heroes that work well with Keepers Ultimate

  • Glacius
  • Swiftblade
  • Magmus
  • Behemoth
  • Wretched Hag
All of these heroes have a very potent area of effect damage skill or ultimate and when used well synchronized with Keeper's Roots, they have an absurd damage dealing potential. Most of those heroes will be using a Portal Key or blink ability to follow up with your ultimate so make sure you initiate first to immobilize their team making it easier for your teammates.

4.2 Laning with a Keeper


He isn't the best babysitter, or ganker to start off so using Keeper competitively is a gamble. He has no disable until 6 so his synergy and lane control is lacking. His wards (or Eyes of Sight) and ultimate are nice but his early game isn't that strong. He has the ability to work with a carry somewhat, by armoring them and camouflaging them if they are getting ganked but other than that he's a tough one to fit into a strong line up. He has the ability to dish out nice damage to fragile intelligence heroes or carries so placing him in the lane against the opponents carry would be the best idea. If against the opponents carry, he can ward their neutrals and deny very well with his high base damage.

Keeper is also able to go solo mid. Solo mid is Keepers best lane if he opts to go for a quick Mock of Brilliance build. Using his high base damage, he will be able to last hit and deny almost every creep before the enemy can, and his high strength and his amazing strength gain will allow him to take a ton of punishment, especially when combined with the Natures Protection build. And as soon as you hit level 6, go to the sidelanes and use your ultimate to get a potential double kill for one of your allies.

4.3 Countering Keeper of the Forest


Alright so you’ve read all the above and may be thinking 'so this is how you play Keeper, but what I really want to know is how do you counter this dude!!??' Keeper, though being a rather strong supportive hero, is far from being unbeatable though. His Camouflage tricks can easily be stopped by any form of invisibility detection, such as Bound Eye, Wards of Revelation or Dust. In addition, if Pestilence can use his Swarm ability on him before he's able to initiate, he won't be able to properly initiate as you'll be able to spot him easily. His eyes can be everywhere, but some proper scouting and a Hatchet, Runes of Blight, or area of effect attacks that take down trees will remove them easily. His Root, as strong as it may seem at times, is only a debuff. This means that it can be cleansed with any purge, such as Nullfire or Electrician's Cleansing Shock. You can also free yourself or any ally using Tablet of Command. In addition, it does not silence you, meaning you can still blow all your spells while being trapped.


5. Replays and Videos



A replay showcasing a very interesting build by [Empr] player phe`v.


6. Changelog


08/15/10 First release


7. Contributions

  • Kaberb for writing most of the guide
  • X-Flame for the finishing touches