Dota 2 - Ringmaster Guide

Dota 2’s newest hero and resident showman has proved to be an elusive hero to play and understand. Ringmaster comes with an array of abilities. With a unique blend of crowd control, nukes, and saves, the Ringmaster brings a dazzling twist to whichever lane he goes to. 

With the initial craze behind the Ringmaster dying down, most players would be looking at their turn to play the hero (if they can pick him fast enough or are lucky enough not to have him banned). So, let us briefly examine what makes the great Cogliostro Kettle the right Ringmaster for you!

The Ringmaster is a ranged intelligence hero, currently with no Aghanim's upgrade and only one facet. This makes understanding the hero somewhat easier. With his access to versatile abilities, high intelligence stat and high strength gain, the Ringmaster can effectively roam the map, giving his initial placement as a position 4 some merit.

Ringmaster Abilities

Ringmaster’s innate ability gives him access to the Dark Carnival Souvenirs. These are three single-use items that Ringmaster can use to varying effects. These are:

The Strongman Tonic -  increases your strength and, thereby, your hit points as an ally or yourself. The effects last for 4 seconds and then slowly go away over time.

Funhouse Mirror - This creates an imperfect illusion of yourself that takes more damage and deals less. It lasts for 8 seconds.

Whoopie Cushion - Propels the hero 400 units forward and leaves behind a stink cloud that slows down enemies.

You receive one random ability from these three each time an enemy in a 900 unit radius dies. You can get stacks of charges, so don’t be shy about using them. Generally, these abilities help you get into better positions, escape from enemies, or help allies. The tonic is good for saving an ally as it can give a temporary health boost, and the Whoopie Cushion and Funhouse Mirror can confuse enemies and keep their attention towards you while your allies do their work on killing them.

Tame the Beasts - Ringmaster’s first ability is a channeled nuke. This means it potentially deals with high amounts of damage, and some time is needed before the effects take place. The ability channels for 1 second and deals damage after channeling. Enemies hit will also be feared, [meaning they run towards their fountain and can't use spells or items for the duration]. The longer you channel, the higher the damage and the smaller the radius. Use this ability to harass enemies and disrupt ganks.

Escape Act - Ringmaster’s second ability creates an extradimensional box that prevents the ally [or yourself] trapped within from using any spells or items. But they also gain phased movement and increased resistance to damage. They also can’t be targeted. This is arguably one of Ringmaster’s strongest abilities, and you should use it to save allies who are being focused. Be mindful as to time it right; you don’t want to trap them while they are about to use BKB or satanic.

Impalement Arts - Ringmaster’s third ability provides great utility. It is a dagger that goes straight towards a path. The first enemy hit in the way gets hit by it and starts taking damage. This damage is based on their health, so it scales well as the game progresses. Significantly, it also slows the enemy down. Use it to continuously harass enemies and slow them during your own ganks. Don’t be afraid to shoot into places without vision; it will still hit the enemy!

Wheel of Wonder - The Ringmaster’s ultimate ability is his wheel of wonder. This throws a wheel to a designated area. If enemies are facing toward the wheel for more than 0.5 seconds, they are taunted and move toward the wheel. At the end of the duration, any enemies stuck within the area of the wheel will get damaged as the wheel explodes. This is your team's fighting ability and serves to deter and disrupt enemies. Don’t be afraid to use it.

Spotlight - Ringmaster’s final ability is something he gets from buying an Aghanim’s shard. As the name suggests, a spotlight shines around an area and moves randomly through that area. It slowly damages illusions and makes the enemy miss 30% of their attacks.

Ringmaster Talent Tree

Ringmaster’s talent tree essentially outlines his role as the game progresses. The left side gives strong buffs that complement Ringmaster’s job as a support, while the right side augments his crowd control and damage.

Ringmaster Item Guide

While Ringmaster has mostly been type-casted as a Position 4 support, his itemization stays relatively the same despite whichever lane he finds himself going to. 

You should get a magic wand, Null Talisman, and Arcane Boots during the early game. As you heavily rely on your spells, these items will ensure you have a sufficient mana pool while giving small boosts to your abilities.

During the midgame, as a support player, you should get Aether Lens, Rod of Atos, and Force Staff to help you better with disrupting and positioning. And as a core player, you should get much of the same, replacing the force staff with a kaya. 

As you progress into the late game. Items like Ethereal Blade, Lotus Orb, and Aeon Disk will ensure you don’t get nuked by enemy carriers. A blink dagger also doesn’t hurt to better augment your movement.

Overall, the ringmaster is a balanced hero who finds success in roaming and supporting. He relies on his abilities and key positioning but, when played right, is a linchpin in any team. So, what are you waiting for? Try out the hero now and find out if you have what it takes to be the star of the show as Dota 2’s newest hero, Ringmaster!

Check out our other guides:

• Dota 2 | New Hero Overview - Kez
• Dota 2 | Kez Hero Build Guide
• Dota 2 Guide: Positions Explained
• Dota 2 Guide: 10 Things for Getting Better at The Game
• Dota 2 | 3 Easiest Heroes to Play
• Dota 2 | 5 Best Heroes as of Patch 7.37
• Dota 2 | The International 2024 Compendium Guide