Ability
Viscous Nasal Goo
Covers a target in snot, causing it to have reduced armor and movement speed for 5 seconds. Multiple casts stack and refresh the duration.
↻ 1.75 sec.Mana 12 / 16 / 20 / 24
Bristleback
Abilities, roles and builds with an explanation for every purchase.
HERO GAME PLANWhat I want to do in the game
I fight with the right side facing the enemy, build up damage and buy regeneration for prolonged close-range fighting.
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 at hand
01 / ROLE IN THE TEAM
A pick is not a plan yet.
My recommendation is a starting point. We choose another position together with the team and for its needs.
03
Offlane · position 3
Initial recommendationMy resource is the team's space: I hold the lane and build for initiation or team protection.
01
Carry · position 1
I need protected farm, my item window and damage on important targets.
02 / ITEMS FOR A PURPOSE
What I buy and why.
This is an editorial starting plan based on hero mechanics. It is not presented as a match I have already tested or a popularity ranking.
Offlane · position 3
My starting plan
Here is my initial plan: I do my role's job first, then choose the items the team needs. I adapt the order and expensive purchases to the opponent.
01 / First stepPhase BootsHelp maintain close contact and pass through groups of units.
02 / FoundationVanguardHelps you fight up close early against suitable attacks. Does not solve the problem of heavy magic damage.
03 / FoundationAghanim's ScepterUnlocks or upgrades Bristleback. The exact effects are shown below in the abilities section.
04 / Next choiceBloodstoneSustains prolonged fights by restoring health from spell damage.
05 / Next choiceBlack King BarProvides a window for my actions against eligible magical damage and disables. I check effects that pierce the protection.
What I change for the situation 3 options
Shiva's Guard ↗Adds armor and pressure in an area, helping limit the enemy’s health restoration.
Pipe of Insight ↗Provides team protection against substantial magical damage.
Lotus Orb ↗Lets me remove an eligible negative effect and complicates the opponent's targeted focus.
I see the minute on the clock. And the situation too.
I do not assign one ‘correct’ minute to every purchase. I look at my gold, the next fight and the problem: am I missing mana, target access, control or protection? If an expensive slot will arrive too late, I get a useful answer earlier.
03 / HERO ABILITIES
Abilities. As in the game.
Original Valve icons and descriptions. Cooldowns and mana are shown by level from the data snapshot; talents and upgrades can change the values.
Ability
Quill Spray
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.
↻ 3 sec.Mana 35
Ability
Bristleback
Bristleback takes less damage if hit on the sides or rear. If Bristleback takes enough damage from the rear, he releases a Quill Spray of the current level.
Details and upgrades
Bristleback takes less damage if hit on the sides or rear. If Bristleback takes enough damage from the rear, he releases a Quill Spray of the current level.
Aghanim’s Scepter
Allows this ability to target a point. The hero turns their back to it and, after 0.5 sec., releases 5 waves of Quill Spray in a cone. During this ability, the hero is slowed by 40% and cannot turn or attack, but can cast spells in any direction. Wave interval: 0.4 sec.
Ability
Warpath
Bristleback works himself up into a fury every time he casts a spell, increasing his movement speed and damage.
Innates, upgrades and other forms2 abilities +
These abilities are not necessarily available at the same time. I check the condition beside the name: innate ability, another form or an Aghanim purchase.
From Aghanim’s Shard
Hairball
Coughs a quill-packed hairball towards the target location. Erupts at the location, hitting enemies with Viscous Nasal Goo stacks and Quill Spray.
Full description
Coughs a quill-packed hairball towards the target location. Erupts at the location, hitting enemies with Viscous Nasal Goo stacks and Quill Spray.
Innate
Prickly
Bristleback has bonus damage and debuff duration amp against enemy heroes that are behind him.
Full description
Bristleback has bonus damage and debuff duration amp against enemy heroes that are behind him.
Valve base stats +
- Health · base
- 604
- Mana · base
- 243
- Damage · Valve field
- 53–59
- Armour · Valve field
- 3.83
- Movement speed
- 295
- Attack range
- 150
- Strength · base / gain
- 22 / 2.8
- Agility · base / gain
- 17 / 1.8
- Intelligence · base / gain
- 14 / 2.8
These are fields from the official source. The hero's final values in the client account for attributes and other active mechanics.
KEEP EXPLORING
One hero. Many decisions.
Items, slang and real episodes help connect abilities with what happens in a match.