Countess Mid v0.4.3

Early Game Notes

• Use your RMB as a heal so that you can safely get through the early game under the constant assault from your ranged opponent.
• (Q+RMB) is a good engage for some poke damage + a bit of healing.
• (E) is very mana hungry so avoid using it early on unless you're going for a kill.

The Build

Core Items

1. Epoch: Safest counter to delayed or long duration ults you'll face in mid such as Shinbi, Fey, Howi, Gideon, Gadget and can save you from openers like grux pull or steel ult.
2. Wraith Leggings: Very useful for securing kills early game and provides some much needed penetration going into the mid game.
3. Tainted Scepter: Extra burst and anti-heal makes this a strong second item (or first if facing another countess). If the enemy team has no healers can replace with Combustion or build Megacosm earlier.
4. Oblivion Crown: Additional burst power + large boost to magical damage. Built 3rd or later to get the most initial value out of the magic power boost.
5. Caustica: Some more penetration and also provides additional mps.
6. Megacosm: Great max hp% shred item for tanky enemies.

Tank Items

• World Breaker: Makes you a little more durable while still providing a good boost to damage and pairing well with tainted scepter.
• Golem's Gift: Very situational but good when facing a physical enemy in mid or if the enemy team consists largely of physical damage dealers.
• Dream Binder: Gives some extra durability, a slow, and a damage boost. Overall a good item if you're looking for more health & tenacity.
• Spellbreaker: Provides extra safety when blinking on enemies and the magic damage boost while active helps your long range (E) poke.

Alternative Items

• Azure Core: A strong item but takes very long to stack and will delay your early game power spike while building the t2 item.
• Combustion: Good burst item but countess doesn't need any help with wave clear so it's typically better to build Tainted Scepter.
• Timewarp: Being a 1s reduction makes this more viable especially if you're good at timing it (it does count down on the item icon)

Alternative Crests

• Time-Flux Band: A good item if you know how to use it and if you're really good can synergize well with Timewarp.
• Tempest: Extra Sustain
• Obelisk: good in long fight if you're willing to stack it up.

Notable Enemies

• Howitzer: The AOE basic attacks will keep you constantly suppressed in the minion wave and his abilities prevent you from getting close. Probably one of the worst match-ups but you can get through the early game if you play safe by managing your mana well and using your RMB as a health pot and grabbing some kills from the side lanes to stack your passive when you can.
• Belica: The knock-up hard counters your (Q) and leaves you vulnerable while the drone saps your mana and is difficult to destroy as a melee hero. Play safe and coordinate with your jungle to kill as she has no escapes or try to bait the knock-up then dump your kit on her.
• Gadget: Similar to Howi in that she's hard to approach but not as oppressive. You just need to avoid getting whittled down by her low cooldown sticky mine and getting rooted by her gate.
• Murdock: While more rare you will run into it and he is a menace to melee heroes with the knockback and root making it hard to blink on him.
• Shinbi: Very similar to fighting countess just anti-heal is not effective on her but is very effective on you. DO NOT let her get between you and your tower if she has the lead as you will not be able to shake her off. Due to her mobility you'll need to bait her dash for a successful jungle gank which requires coordination which can be hard to pull off if you're with randoms.

What did v0.4.3 Change?

Honestly not much.
- This build wasn't heavily reliant on the Megacosm abuse so while your end game won't be as deadly (to tanks) it doesn't affect your early-mid game at all.
- Timeworks was added as an alternative item choice as the 1s cd reduction when timed right can be deadly.

Final Notes

• In the late game be careful blinking in with your (Q) as one source of CC is enough to kill you so try to poke with your (E) until someone isolates themselves or your allies engage.
• When going for river camps try to gank the side lane if the enemies are pushed too far, especially if you grabbed the grey movement speed buff.
• v0.4.3 didn't do much to this build but I did cull some of more extraneous alternative items that provided little to no value compared to the others.