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Rubick Hero Analysis
Rubick. Source: https://artstation.com/

Rubick Hero Analysis

According to Dotabuff, Rubick was once a viral hero thanks to his unique ability to steal and use enemy spells, making him a versatile and dynamic pick in any match. Recent changes have lowered his trendiness, but Rubick's traits and benefits remain impressive. His high skill ceiling, strong lane presence, and crowd-control capabilities make him a hero worth mastering. Rubick's gameplay revolves around strategic positioning and timing, rewarding players who can effectively manage their abilities and steal game-changing spells.

Description

Rubick is a ranged intelligence hero who often plays a support role. His in-game mechanics revolve around his unique ability to steal and utilize enemy spells, making him incredibly versatile and adaptive in various game situations. His primary role is to provide utility and control during team fights while disrupting the enemy's strategies.

In-Game Specifics

Laning Phase: During the laning phase, Rubick excels at harassment and controlling the creep equilibrium. His Fade Bolt is a crucial ability that damages multiple enemies while reducing attack damage. This spell is particularly effective for securing last hits on creeps and harassing enemy heroes simultaneously, which can tilt the lane in his team's favour​.

Mid-Game: As the game transitions to the mid-game, Rubick's role expands to include more team fight participation and utility. His Telekinesis ability provides a reliable crowd control tool to initiate fights, disrupt enemy formations, or save allies by lifting and throwing enemies away. The lifted target can be strategically placed to maximize the stun duration on multiple foes, making it a pivotal ability in skirmishes and ganks​.

Spell Steal Ability: Rubick's ultimate ability, Spell Steal, sets him apart from other heroes. This ability allows him to steal the last spell cast by an enemy hero and use it as his own. The diversity of spells Rubick can steal makes him highly adaptable. For instance, he can steal powerful ultimates like Black Hole or Ravage, turning the tide of battles. Effective use of Spell Steal requires keen awareness and timing and a good understanding of enemy heroes' abilities​.

Itemization: Rubick's item build is tailored to enhance his spell-casting range, mana pool, and survivability. Core items include Arcane Boots for mana sustain, Aether Lens to extend his spell-casting range, and Blink Dagger for positioning. In the game's later stages, items like Aghanim's Scepter further boost his effectiveness by reducing the cooldown of Spell Steal and improving other spells he uses. These items make Rubick a formidable presence on the battlefield, capable of influencing the outcome of team fights with his stolen spells​.

Positioning and Team Fights: Positioning is crucial for Rubick. He must stay at the edge of fights to avoid being caught out while still being close enough to cast his spells effectively. This delicate balance allows him to remain a threat without becoming an easy target. In team fights, Rubick's goal is to stay alive long enough to steal a high-impact spell and use it decisively. His Fade Bolt helps mitigate enemy damage output, while Telekinesis and stolen spells provide control and damage, making him an essential part of his team's strategy​.

Lore: Rubick is the son of Aghanim, a legendary wizard. He inherited his father's talent for magic and took it further, mastering the art of spell theft. Rubick's thirst for magical knowledge and power drives him to constantly study and confront other spellcasters, making him a feared opponent on the battlefield.​

Latest Updates. Source: https://tradeit.gg/ 
Latest Updates. Source: https://tradeit.gg/

Latest Updates

Rubick's recent updates in Dota 2 have introduced several significant changes that affect his gameplay. The most notable update is from Patch 7.34, which brought a series of tweaks and improvements to his abilities and itemization. Here's a detailed breakdown of these updates:

Patch 7.34 Adjustments:

  • Arcane Supremacy: This passive ability now provides an increased spell damage boost of 14% to 26% and extends Rubick's cast range by 100 to 250 units. These changes make Rubick's spells more potent and allow him to cast from a safer distance.
  • Spell Steal: The cooldown for Spell Steal has been reduced by adding Aghanim's Scepter, making it possible to steal and use spells more frequently. It significantly boosts Rubick's utility in team fights, allowing him to adapt and respond to various enemy abilities swiftly.

Item Build Updates:

  • Aether Lens: Integrating Aether Lens into Rubick's core build has become more critical. This item extends his casting range and provides essential mana regeneration, allowing Rubick to sustain his spellcasting throughout longer engagements.
  • Blink Dagger: This remains a staple item for Rubick, facilitating quick repositioning and the ability to initiate or escape during fights. It is especially crucial for stealing high-impact spells from enemies like Black Hole or Ravage​​.

Gameplay Statistics:

  • Rubick's pick rate has stabilized around 3.8%, with a win rate fluctuating around 48.8%. These statistics reflect his situational utility and the importance of skill in maximizing his potential. Talents such as "-25% Stolen Spell Cooldown" at level 20 and "+40% Spell Amplification for Stolen Spells" at level 25 remain popular, enhancing his effectiveness in prolonged games​.

Talent Adjustments:

  • Level 10 Talents: "+150 Telekinesis Landing Damage" or "-12% Fade Bolt Damage Reduction" give players options to either boost Rubick's control or enhance his survivability.
  • Level 15 Talents: "+0.4s Telekinesis Lift/Stun Duration" improves his crowd control, while "-25% Stolen Spell Cooldown" significantly enhances his ultimate's effectiveness, making it a favoured choice for many players​.

Benefits

  • High Skill Ceiling: Rubick's complexity and the variety of spells he can steal make him a very high skill ceiling hero. This makes him rewarding for players who invest time in mastering his abilities.
  • Strong Lane Presence: His Fade Bolt ability allows him to secure last hits and harass enemy heroes efficiently. This helps maintain lane control and creates pressure early in the game.
  • Crowd Control: Telekinesis is a powerful tool for initiating fights, disrupting enemy formations, or saving allies. The ability to lift and throw enemies provides significant control in team fights.
  • Versatile and Adaptive: Rubick's ability to steal and use enemy spells allows him  to adapt to various situations. He can turn the tide of battle using high-impact spells like Black Hole, Ravage, or Chronosphere against the enemy team.
  • Spell Amplification and Cast Range: With his passive Arcane Supremacy, Rubick benefits from increased spell damage and cast range. This makes him effective in dealing with damage and controlling enemies from a safe distance​.

Downsides

  • Squishy: Rubick has low health and armour, making him susceptible to being quickly killed if incorrectly positioned. His survivability heavily relies on staying out of harm's way.
  • Dependent on Enemy Spells: His effectiveness largely depends on the spells he can steal from enemies. Rubick's impact can be significantly reduced if the opposing team has heroes with weak or passive abilities.
  • Mana Intensive: Rubick's abilities require substantial mana, necessitating careful management. He can sustain spellcasting in prolonged fights with proper items like Arcane Boots and Aether Lens.
  • High Complexity: The necessity to understand and effectively use a wide range of enemy spells adds to Rubick's complexity. This makes him less approachable to newer players and requires substantial game knowledge.
  • Positioning-Dependent: Rubick's effectiveness in fights is heavily dependent on his positioning. Poor positioning can lead to quick deaths or missed opportunities to steal and use crucial spells​.
Rubick. Source: https://redd.com 
Rubick. Source: https://redd.com

Abilities

  1. Telekinesis: Lifts a target enemy into the air and slams them into the ground, stunning and damaging nearby enemies.
  2. Fade Bolt: Fires a bolt of energy that bounces between enemy units, dealing damage and reducing their attack damage.
  3. Arcane Supremacy: Passively increases Rubick's spell damage and cast range.
  4. Spell Steal: Rubick's ultimate, allowing him to steal the last spell cast by an enemy hero and use it as his own​.

Hints and Tips to Master

Mastering Rubick requires understanding his abilities and honing your gameplay strategy to maximize his potential. Here are some detailed hints and tips to help you excel with Rubick:

Maximize Spell Steal Utility:

  • Timing and Priority: Always aim to steal high-impact spells, particularly those with game-changing effects like Black Hole, Ravage, or Chronosphere. Be patient and wait for the right moment to steal these spells during team fights​.
  • Understanding Enemy Abilities: Knowledge of enemy spells and cooldowns is crucial. Please familiarize yourself with the most impactful spells of your opponents to prioritize them for stealing​.

Effective Use of Telekinesis:

  • Initiation and Disruption: Use Telekinesis to lift high-priority targets, disrupting their actions during crucial fight moments. This can break channelling spells or prevent enemies from using escape mechanisms​.
  • Positioning for Maximum Impact: Try to position the thrown enemy in a way that stuns multiple targets. This requires good spatial awareness and understanding of enemy positioning​.

Fade Bolt Efficiency:

  • Harassment and Control: Use Fade Bolt frequently in the laning phase to harass enemies and secure last hits. The damage reduction on enemy heroes makes winning trades easier for your team​.
  • Wave Clear and Pushing: In the mid to late game, Fade Bolt becomes an excellent tool for clearing creep waves quickly, allowing you to apply pressure on lanes without revealing your position​.

Positioning and Awareness:

  • Stay on the Periphery: Maintain a safe distance at the edge of team fights. This minimizes your risk of being targeted while allowing you to cast spells effectively​.
  • Map Awareness: Keep an eye on the minimap and enemy movements. This helps in anticipating ganks and positioning yourself to steal crucial spells or assist in engagements​.

Centaur Warrunner:

Centaur's durability and initiation with Hoof Stomp and Stampede allow Rubick to position himself safely and effectively during fights. Centaur can soak up damage, providing the frontline presence Rubick needs to stay alive and cast his spells​.

Brewmaster:

Brewmaster's Primal Split can create chaos in fights, distract enemies, and make it easier for Rubick to steal crucial spells. The additional control Brewmaster provides with his abilities complements Rubick's need for safety and positioning​.

Dazzle:

Dazzle's Shallow Grave and healing abilities offer Rubick protection and sustainability in fights. Weave also synergizes well with Rubick's spell amplification, making the team's magic damage more potent​.

Puck:

Puck's ability to create space with Dream Coil and Illusory Orb allows Rubick to manoeuvre and steal spells without being immediately targeted. Puck's high mobility and control abilities help keep enemies in check, providing Rubick with the breathing room he needs​.

Undying:

Undying's Tombstone and Decays create a chaotic environment in team fights, making it easier for Rubick to cast spells without being focused. Undying's tackiness and constant presence in fights can divert attention away from Rubick​.

Rubick Plagueroad Apothecary Skin. Source: https://nocookie.net/ 
Rubick Plagueroad Apothecary Skin. Source: https://nocookie.net/

Counters

Rubick can struggle against certain heroes that can easily disrupt or overpower him. Here are five heroes that are particularly effective against Rubick:

Riki:

Riki's ability to silence with Smoke Screen and his invisibility make him a significant threat to Rubick, who relies on casting spells and positioning to be effective. Riki can easily hunt and eliminate Rubick due to his low health pool​.

Lycan:

Lycan's high mobility and damage output can quickly overwhelm Rubick. His wolves can scout and harass, making it difficult for Rubick to find safe positions during fights​.

Anti-Mage:

Anti-Mage's Mana Break and Mana Void are particularly effective against Rubick, who relies heavily on his mana pool. Anti-Mage's ability to blink in and out of fights makes it hard for Rubick to control him or escape​.

Nyx Assassin:

Nyx's Mana Burn and Vendetta allow him to burst down Rubick quickly. His ability to counter Rubick's spells with Spiked Carapace also makes him a natural enemy, as it reflects and stuns Rubick when he casts his spells​Clockwerk:

Clockwerk's Hookshot and Cogs can trap Rubick, making it difficult for him to escape or reposition. Clockwerk's close-range combat and battery assault disrupt Rubick's spell-casting abilities and make him an easy target​.

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