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Rubick, the Grand Magus, is one of Dota 2's most important heroes. He has been a staple of the pro scene since the very first International and a pub player's favorite support for years.
Rubick is the all-time most picked hero in the Dota 2 pro scene. He has been picked 632 times over the 9 Internationals, the next most-picked hero is Sand King with 547 appearances at TI.
Rubick's design is something unique in Dota. Rubick's first skill, Telekinesis, lifts a hero and throws him back down to the ground, stunning any hero within a 325 area. His second skill, Fade Bolt, is a nuke that bounces from enemy to enemy dealing 8% less damage every bounce.
His 3rd skill, Arcane Supremacy, is passive and gives a bonus cast range and spell damage amplification. Rubick's ultimate is the single most unique spell in Dota 2. Spell Steal allows Rubick to steal the last spell cast by an enemy hero.
This ultimate is what makes Rubick absolutely broken since his mere existence in the game makes enemy heroes think twice before casting any spell. Rubick has the potential to change the game in a matter of seconds with just one perfectly timed stolen spell.
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How to play Rubick in Dota 2?
Rubick is best played as a Soft Support in Dota 2. His laning is very weak as both his active skills have high cooldowns and mana costs to be spammable. He is best played as the off-lane support stacking camps and roaming around the map looking for kills.
All three of his skills are useful and Rubick needs levels fast. The tome of knowledge at 10 minutes is best reserved for Rubick. Once Rubick gets to level 6, players should use the smoke of deceits to start making plays. The best spells to steal are low cooldown stuns which can remain useful throughout their duration.
Rubick's Early Game
It is best to start a game with a lot of regeneration for both Rubick and the core in the lane. The best choice is two sets of tangos, two clarities, a healing salve, and a magic stick. Max Fade Bolt with one value point in both Telekinesis and Arcana Supremacy until Spell Steal is unlocked.
Most support heroes in Dota 2 have the ability to harass the enemy's cores. Rubick's only option is to use Fade Bolt, which is why the clarities are necessary. The magic stick can be rushed into a magic wand if the enemy heroes are spell spammers for some bonus regeneration.
Brown boots should be the first item bought owing to Rubick's slow movement speed. Players can upgrade to Arcane Boots and then disassemble it to finish Aether Lens for maximum efficiency. The remaining boots can then be upgraded to Tranquil Boots for health regeneration and movement speed.
Rubick's Mid Game
Given the state of Dota 2, players will finish Aether Lens well into the mid-game unless the game is a stomp. Aether Lens is pretty much the only item Rubick needs. With Aether Lens, Rubick has a longer cast range than any other hero in Dota 2, allowing him to cast spells from ridiculous distances.
The only other items Rubick needs mid-game are Blink Dagger and Aghanim's Shard. Blink Dagger allows Rubick to position himself better while Aghanim's Shard gives players a bonus saving mechanism. Shard also allows Rubick to steal the Shard's upgraded abilities from enemies, making it doubly useful.
Rubick's durability is poor. An item that can save Rubick is also recommended. Glimmer Cape, Force Staff, Eul's Scepter, and Ghost Scepter are all viable depending on the enemy heroes. Glimmer Cape should be the best option as it gives bonus magic resistance and invisibility thus reducing all kinds of damage.
Rubick's Late Game
A good Rubick player in the late game is one of the most feared things in Dota 2. Rubick only needs one late-game item, Aghanim's Scepter. Aghanim's Scepter reduces the cooldown of Spell Steal from 14 seconds to 2 seconds and allows Rubick to steal Scepter's upgraded spells from the enemy.
This makes Rubick insanely good late in the game, stealing and casting spells every few seconds and wreaking havoc on the enemy team from far away. Late in the game, Rubick players must dictate the flow of the game. Using the smoke of deceit, Rubick's team can try to find the enemy off-guard and win fights.
Rubick's ability to counter enemy spells can make him the perfect counter-initiator for the team. Even if Rubick's teammates run into an enemy Black Hole, Rubick can just steal and cast his Black Hole from a huge distance away. Some luxury items like Octarine Core or Windbreaker can be made if Rubick has the gold.
Rubick is the signature hero of several pro players like Fy, Jerax, and Yapzor. Rubick is one of the most picked heroes in the game and the single most picked hero in the Dota 2 pro scene. His ability to make incredible, flashy plays will forever cement him as one of Dota 2's signature heroes.
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