Zeratul Build

[Jpex]

Ive been playing as Zera alot lately and he is probably one od my favorite characters, ive been working around trying to find an awesome build for him and i just cant get it, so if you have any ideas or you have a good Zera build you use, go ahead and post it.

 

I was thinking something like this. Tell me what you think

[Legomancer]

if you can sell Macete for something that would help you. I don't know what because I don't play agility heroes. Maybe a carapace for tankyness or a darwins for leech? Or a mantle for OPness?

[Jpex]

if you can sell Macete for something that would help you. I don't know what because I don't play agility heroes. Maybe a carapace for tankyness or a darwins for leech? Or a mantle for OPness?

Yeah later on I sell Machete for Pyre which im starting to think to get earlier

[xNOVAxPRIMEx]

why no khali blade? especially with arcbound

 

EDIT:

I think the other options are just situational, like galactic defender is nice for int burst characters, pyre for tanks, something with strength if you need a bit more life.

[shogigut]

My two cents.

 

For me I like to start with machette and leeching saber, then it depends:

 

If your team is ahead, likely to reach lvl 11 faster, then rush time splitter to get some kills

 

If your team is behind, I would like a phase cloak hoping to get them off guard, and start building sinobi for tankiness

 

After this things branches even further, in general revolver, splitide scythe, khali blade + arcbound ravager are all good items to get, and I would absolutely get darwin's might at some point (at least glutton's bite if not enough money and upgrade it latter). Have tried agressor's guise before but love splitide scythe more for the spell resist and extra dmg

[Kbizzle]

Im a fan of zera too. My build is personal opinion and not meant to be the right/perfect/"One and only" build - just trying to help give you insight on tweaking your own build

 

I too used to get HoM, but recently stopped including it into my build as it is expensive as a starter item, and just getting a leeching saber and stacking AGI has seemed to work better in my favor.

 

1)Open with Machette, and work on getting leeching saber and another Machette.

• Mechette's provide everything you could want, AGI, leech, weapon dmg, and HP.
  
• Saber is nice for the added leech and the minerals over time.
  
• SOMETIMES I add a kenetic battery for mana regen as its quick and cheap. Lately i have been omitting it however.
  

 

2) My first main item is Phase Cloak - gives AGI and Weapon dmg, and a great unique for getting in or out of situations. I prefer this as I like to cloak, get in to the close to the enemy, Bubble, then immediately phase strike for the dmg and to put me behind the target immediately. I am NOT a fan of the phase strike > bubble combo as there is a slight second before the bubble where the enemy can twist/turn/whatever and screw up the backstabbing.

 

3) Next is Phantom Menace or Pyre.​ This is situational, but lately is usually phantom menace as it provides mad AGI and the movement speed is always welcome. Since the pyre nerf i try to stay away from it and just stack AGI as much as possible to take advantage of backstab. I might get a pyre first if im up against a tanky Drake/Balrog/Micro. I will definitely get a pyre is there is two or more tanky STR characters. Lately I have been omitting pyre from my Zera build.

 

4) Next on this list is to buy atleast a Nullifierif you are up against any casters (Rancor, Cypress, Rory, etc), as well as upgrade Phase Cloak into Shinobi Style. Extra AGI, extra weapon dmg, HP boost, movement speed while cloaked. If you invest in phase cloak you may as well upgrade it for the ~1800 it costs. completely worth it.

 

5) Turn that Nullifier into Sliptide Scythe. More AGI, Spell Resist, additional on-hit spell DMG, additional movement speed. This item is especially great paired with phantom and chasing enemies while backstabbing. Also great inside bubble as well. This item simply complements Zera greatly.

 

6) Ocelots Revolver, and turn it into Black Hole Magnum as soon as you can. Should I need more Leech before completing BHM, then I start working on darwins by at least picking up a gluttons.

 

7) Next item is situational - if you need leech, Darwins Might all the way. However if the leeching saber + any additional leech you may have is sustaining you pretty good, than proceed with either Masamune or Time Splitter. Either item here will serve you well. I always tend to go masamune since it 's unique increases time (on top of eh other awesome stats), but I have also had great success with Time Splitter as well.

 

8) Last item is always time spltter if i didnt get darwins

 

End build is usually something like this:

• Shinobi
  
• Phantom
  
• Sliptide
  
• Blackhole
  
• Masamune
  
• Darwins/Timesplitter
  

As i mentioned I used to be fan of the HoM. The Bubble > Phase Strike > HoM combo is very powerful, however stacking AGI will give you the attack speed, as well as the bonus dmg from backstabs that I feel make HoM unnecessary.

 

Hope this gives you some insight!

[residente]

Zeratul is a scrub because he is agility and not a caster, fu Zeratul u must burn in an oven

[SourDiesel]

First, I'd highly recommend against getting HoM. HoM can be strong early but it is a weak item going into the late game. The reason is the active bonus to attack speed and the attack speed cap. You're forced to make a decision whether you want to always be at the attack speed cap (which you should be) or only at cap when you proc HoM. In the first case, you've mitigated HoM's greatest asset, in the second case you've made your hero weaker during the CD on HoM.

 

Personally, my build for Zeratul always starts with two machete's. Combined with proper talents, two machetes will enable you to jungle quickly and efficiently as well as gank early in the game. Depending on whether I think the game can be won early or not, I'll go up to four machetes to begin racking up kills/towers.

 

After that I go:

 

Lethal Barb + Khali Blade (together with just about any other combination of agil items, you will hit the attack speed cap and crit enough to stay there at all times)

 

Gluttons Bite (eventually used to build Darwin's, I will get this before the Barb/Blade if I only get two machete's)

 

The final items, and their order depend upon who the enemy heroes are. I'll always get Masamune for the damage and breaking the attack speed cap. I'll always get sliptide scythe for the huge spell resist and solid damage (this item can make the difference between surviving a spell nuking long enough to leach your life back or dying before you have a chance to get your ult off). And, I'll always get Darwins for the superior leach and bonus life. The sixth and final item will almost always be either a pyre or a time splitter; pyre if the enemy is tank heavy and splitter if they're squishy. The order I get these items in is totally dependent on the enemy. Sometimes, you need a pyre early to deal with a strong tank. Sometimes scythe has to come first to deal with a cyprus or rancor. If I don't NEED any item I'll get masamune first.

[Doom]

Final build for Zeratul IMO should be:

 

Time Splitter, Massume, Pyre, BHM, Darwin's Might/Organic Carapace/FoE, Sliptide. You may consider replacing an item with Yamato, for additional breaking of A.S. cap.

[shogigut]

To crit or not to crit, that is the question

[BestZeratul]

I think carapace is much better than darwin if you want hp, because as zera you want to use your ultimate and not fight with other heroes head on (because unless you are super far ahead you are going to lose those fights, and if you are this far ahead you can get lockbox and argus crystal and still win the game).

 

Situational items I would add are :

- galactic defender for reasons already mentionned

- masamune because it basically does HoM's job but better, and since you fight with chrono you won't take too much damage against most team comps

- warp shard if your farm isn't excellent and your team relies on very good chronospheres from you (it gives you a ton of survivability against a lot of teams as well)

[Takeray]

Items I consider:

 

Black Hole Magnum- TimeSplitter- Schyptide- Hive- Pyre- Gravity- Masamune- Agressors Guise- Phantom Menace- Lethal Barb- Yamato Reactor- Bandit's Artifice.

 

I mean what I play getting enormous W damage increasing it or getting part as true.

 

Since I consider he can oneshot squishies and getting chonosphere where he can control battle I don't consider Leech as important like with other agility heros.