Since I bought this new SB avatar I figured I'd try to learn how to play him.

What are your guys preferred builds? It seems like he is a versatile hero item-wise, like Nomad. Guides always suggests different things, Core items vary from Shieldbreaker, Frostburn, Runed Axe, Shrunken etc. I also see builds suggest Riftshards, isn't that completely pointless considering he got a built-in crit already? I don't really see the need for Runed on him, considering he has a nice early presence which shouldn't be wasted...

Any other Swiftblade tips?

steamboots
staff
pk
demonic
charged hammer

gg

pub build:

ghost marcher
runed axe or null
frostburn
savage mace

For a carry SB, not a ganker or whatever that build is.



Why Frostburn after Runed? Seems like a waste not going straight for Savage.

frostburn good movespeed, ok damage, and good survivability. with just runed + marchers you get like no hp and die instantly to disable

if u have good farm: ghosts -> runed -> frostburn -> whatever u need, like savage, butterfly, sols/daemonics, shrunken, brutalizer, abyssal, frostwolf+geos
if bad farm skip runed axe and take part in early/mid fights

I will never understand people who put steamboots on a hero that needs the unitwalking and already has one of the highest attack speed animations in the game. If you say for stats, go rethink it. You can just get other things for survivability.

Also, I usually go Ghostmarchers, RA, shieldbreaker, and some situational stuff after, but probably savage or something. I also like PK on swift, that's fun.

same applies to magebane but people always go steamboots on him cuz duM

Tbh, on that note, I don't get why people rush a hotbl on mb. But that's just me.

hotbl is stronk because he's squishy otherwies

with that + his magic shield he's really tanky for a carry

but phase > steam imo since he already has high attack speed and imo the damage + mobility of phase is great