Predecessor Builds > Sparrow > Poke Sparrow

Playstyle: Early Game

• Playing with a mana and penetration build is largely the same as other Sparrow playstyles, with the caveat that you'll have to focus on playing around your cooldowns, as your DPS from basic attacks won't be as powerful as a typical carry build.
• Due to not rushing Kingsbane or other such sustain you will also most likely be lacking in it compared to your opponent until the mid-game. Bloodletter by itself is a fair pickup for early game sustain, if necessary.
• Landing a [RMB] is more rewarding after landing basic attacks, but don't be afraid to spam it when you have the mana to spare. Maxing [RMB] first, while tempting, increases its mana cost significantly.
• Don't waste your [Q] on waveclear if you might need its slow to kite and chase. [Q] does not have a mana cost increase, but the damage increase is not worth it when most of its power is tied up in the physical power scaling and slow, and only the slow sees slight improvements through leveling it up.
• Your [E] is your most valuable ability because it allows you to match up against attack speed carries for its duration. It is risky to fight in auto-range at all without it. Its CD starts upon activation, and landing basic attacks extends its duration. This is why we max it first, as getting its CD lowered is necessary to maximize uptime.
• When your ult comes online, you are at an advantage compared to other carry ults, as they are rather contextual, while yours is a "do more damage" button. Only use it if you're sure that the opponent can't escape out of your range, though, as any half-decent opponent will be aware of this and bail out if they see your ult.

Playstyle: Mid-Late Game

• When people start roaming and grouping up for teamfights, you will need to play a little aggressive. Your poke is now a major source of damage, and you'll need to apply that to pressure and zone as your first line of defense.
• If you catch someone with your [Q], don't overly commit, as now you have no self-peel.
• Your passive and Mutilator will provide anti-tank DPS, but if you need even more Breach is your best bet. Otherwise, it is easily substituted with the items available in Defensive Measures.
• If you need more survivability; Mesmer has a spell-shield, Dread has insane utility in its passives and mana regen, and Augmentation provides a good chunk of health along with a speed boost for your ult. Unfortunately, there isn't an optimal choice for armor - the best option is Citadel, but that will at best help you punish physical melee opponents that get too close for comfort.
• Tainted Blade is comparable to Augmentation in stats, but its passives are very different, with more of a focus on making your damage stick. Sustain is rather common in hero kits and builds, so it's fairly general use.