Top 10 Aghanim’s Scepters for Position 4s
Image by Karkeng Chan Jia Jyn
Next in our series for Top 10 Aghanim’s Scepters is the position 4. This position is known for their playmaking abilities on the map. Not all Aghanim’s Scepters are upgraded equally though, so here is our top 10 list of the best upgrades for this position.
Mirana
Starstorm
- Passively triggers Starstorm periodically
- If there are no units to affect, the spell waits until there is a nearby enemy
This upgrade was nerfed and fell off the map but thanks to a recent change reducing its cooldown, it's back in the meta.
This upgrade turns Mirana into a jumping burst damage cannon and one of the best, if not the best, wave clearers in the game. A double Starstorm kills every creep in a wave, and she can follow it up with an arrow to kill the siege creep.
Mirana can unleash a triple Starstorm or at the very least, a double Starstorm in a large area for massive burst damage. No matter how tanky the hero, they’ll feel that. By blinking or leaping in, casting Starstorm, and then leaping out, Mirana can consistently pump out high burst damage in a large area with little risk.
Pugna
Lifedrain
- Removes the cooldown
Pugna’s Lifedrain is a great spell that has a lot of versatility. If your enemy has no stun, then they’ll have a hard time winning a health trading war if you’re casting Lifedrain.
Usually, you’d save Lifedrain for when you have a perfect set up because of its cooldown but with this upgrade, you have much more flexibility for when you want to use it.
The potential for this spell opens up greatly with no cooldown. You can save your allies one second, and then regain your health by draining an enemy the next second. Pair this with an Aether Lens and a tanky teammate, and running at the enemy will be a jog in the park.
Lion
Finger of death
- Increases the damage from 600 / 725 / 850 to 725 / 875 / 1025
- Decreases mana cost from 200 / 420 / 650 to 200 / 420 / 625
- Decreases the cooldown from 160 / 100 / 40 to 100 / 60 / 20
- Hits all enemy units within 325 radius of the primary target
Finger of Death is one of the most well-recognized spells in the game. When you see that red lighting bolt, you can’t help but notice. This upgrade turns that single lighting bolt into a multi lightning bolt in a 325 radius.
This turns one of the best single target burst damage spells into arguably the best area of effect burst damage spells. At level three, it becomes a 20-second cooldown which is surprising considering how powerful this spell is. All in all, this upgrade is one of the best in the game because of all the ways this powerful spell becomes upgraded.
Dark Willow
Shadow Realm
- Attacking no longer ends Shadow Realm
- Each attack has bonus damage for the duration of the buff
When Dark Willow activates Shadow Realm, she becomes untargetable for a maximum of five seconds. This makes Shadow Realm one of the best survivability spells in the game. The damage buff is nice but how many squishy supports are able to become untargetable?
With this upgrade, Dark Willow turns into a long-range burst damage right-clicker. She can start teeing off on enemies from 1075 attack range. This has great potential for base defense since she can deliver high amounts of damage from a long distance and doesn't have to worry about getting jumped on since she’s untargetable.
Venomancer
Poison Nova
- Increases the damage per second
- Decreases the cooldown
Venomancer makes this list thanks to the huge damage increase in an already powerful spell. With an Aghanim's Scepter upgrade on Poison Nova, the damage becomes too high to fight into. If Venomancer builds this item at around 20-30 minutes, most heroes won't have any way to deal with it.
If, as a position 4, you build Aghanim's Scepter early, that becomes a massive boost to team fight. Your only disable is a slow but when you apply the Poison Nova debuff to multiple enemies, they have to run away, which turns it into a sort of debuff, or they'll fight while losing a massive amount of health.
Disruptor
Static Storm
- Increases the duration and applies Mute
One of the few abilities in the game that can mute enemies. Static Storm becomes an incredible lockdown spell when combined with Kinetic Field with this upgrade.
Enemies will be muted, silenced, trapped, and receiving a ton of damage. With just one other ally, you can deliver a huge amount of damage to as many as five heroes, who might not be attacking back because being trapped, muted, silenced, and damaged can cause panic and running in circles syndrome.
Sand King
Burrowstrike
- Increases the cast range
- Applies Caustic Finale poison to heroes hit by Burrowstrike
This upgrade turns Burrowstrike into a 1400 range AoE stun. It also applies Caustic Finale to heroes hit by Burrowstrike.
With this item, you almost don’t have to buy a blink dagger. The range is so long and it opens up a lot of playmaking potential. You can use it to escape, stunning enemies in the way, and also to initiate from a far distance. The Caustic Finale buff is also useful for dealing with heroes such as Phantom Lancer or Terrorblade.
Rubick
Spell Steal
- Stolen ultimates will always have the scepter upgrade
- Reduces the cooldown
- Increases the cast range
Spell Steal is one of the most powerful spells in the game. Spells stolen by Rubick become even stronger when used by Rubick because he has 0 cast time. We saw how useful spells like Fissure were on Rubick at The International 2018 in game five of the grand finals with JerAx
This upgrade also reduces the cooldown to two seconds and always applies the Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade on the stolen ability. With a two-second cooldown and an Aether Lens, a Rubick in a good position can unleash devastating combos in team fights. Heroes like Enigma or Tidehunter will be hesitant to use their ultimate when they know a Rubick is lurking in the background.
Kunkka
Torrent Storm
- Continuously releases visible Torrents around Kunkka
A new ability and recent addition, Torrent Storm creates 20 random intervals of Torrents in an 1100 radius in a 0.25-second interval for five seconds. For comparison's sake, Fissure on Earthshaker has a 1400 distance so you’re getting an extremely large area of effect storm of torrents surrounding Kunkka.
This is very scary to fight into for any hero without Black King Bar. Say goodbye to using any sort of channeling ability unless you want to test lady luck. When this spell becomes activated, you really can’t fight in an 1100 radius unless you’re ahead but even then, the amount of disables combined with a Ghost Ship and follow up spells means you’ll be facing a huge area of effect stun-lock.
Earthshaker
Enchant Totem
- Becomes a point targeted ability
- Causes you to jump in the air and land at the target spot, casting Enchant Totem there
This upgrade allows you to fly through the air for 1100 distance and when you land, Enchant Totem is cast.
This is similar to a Blink Dagger effect, except not instant, and you are able to cast it even while taking damage.
This sets up Earthshaker to initiate multiple times in a fight, using Fissure to start, then jumping in and stunning with Aftershock and Enchant Totem, and then using Echo Slam. This can be done multiple times in a fight (except Echo Slam), so the stun locking potential of Earthshaker enhances greatly.
You also gain a great survivability boost. You can jump away across terrain while being chased by the enemy even if they’re attacking you, unlike a Blink Dagger. With a five-second cooldown, you should be able to juke out enemies across high and low ground if they’re not killing you within those few seconds.
What about pos 4 qop aghs?
Pugna no cd? Really?
@Ashley Lanchester
https://dota2.gamepedia.com/Pugna
yeah, really.
Pugna aghs also increases damage. I feel like that maybe more significant since they lowered the CD on Life Drain.
Lion aghs is literally game griefing
What about weaver?
Free save every 17 sec
Started playing Pugna like "walking fountain". It is extremely powerful healing only one main ally - and it is very easy, btw.
"The Caustic Finale buff is also useful for dealing with heroes such as Phantom Lancer or Terrorblade."
It no longer applies on illusions.
Weaver? And sniper?
Arguably best in the meta rn
Silencer too.
In one fine game Chaos Knight position 4 will come with aghs. Create 4 or 5 illusions of 100% outgoing damage of an ally carry is ggwp!
Without Earth shaker in enemy team, imagine chaos knight with aghs and refresher. Imagine 5 snipers or 5 Drows or 5 arcwardens or any full farmed carries. I feel that's gg. Moreover ck can jungle, roam, with high ms and 4 sec stun. I feel he can turn the game upside down for enemies.
Elder Titan aghs?
Why no Jakiro aghs? Better cast range, damage and duration. It deals more damage than all the above aghs, it can even kill a stack of ancient camps alone.
veno sand king and kunkka pos 4.
Do you live in 2017 dude.
@Kapten ET is position 3 dude.
Mirana aghs but no phoenix aghs? cmon man
Mirana aghs shouldnt be on the list . Its just a farming steroid unlike the other scepters that can heal/stun/disable
sniper, weaver and zeus.
Techies.
ммммм гаганим
@Maverick Moriarity!
CK sadly has a new Aghs for quite some time now.
Phantasm now also creates one Illusion of every allied hero (plus dispelling them which is nice)
I know that nobody plays this hero. But since it’s my most played hero I feel compelled to say that the Elder Tian aghs in insane. You can regularly get yourself a 8-10 second BKB on a much shorter cool down. Combined with the lvl 15 spirit damage talent you can just touch their team with the spirit and run at the supports hitting for about 500 damage spell immune.
oh my god how wrong this article is. Aghanims are generally poor choice for position 4, they have much better options, apart from some aghanims that are REALLY strong. Like weaver, sniper, zeus. And those from article are just underwhelming, lion going aghs is an obvious trolling/griefing
Qop aghs pos4 . It's good cause just 30s cd. And more dmg