Not all heroes manage to be a thorn in the side of every Dota player, none shall be as annoying and threatening as a Bristleback. He rarely takes any damage while returning tonnes of damage to his foes, his tanky nature makes him quite literally a hard nut to crack. Everything from his early game to his late game is quite a cakewalk if he manages to farm and fight with the right items. Bristleback is a threatening hero that is often banned in most MMR brackets due to his insane frontline and tanky nature. Playing Bristleback is quite like playing the game in easy mode. But, there is always room for improvement, without the right builds, you may feel like you’re playing the game in hard mode!

To assist you in picking the right item and skill builds, we have compiled this list of the best 5 Bristleback Builds in the current meta. The strengths of the mighty Bristleback only amplify thanks to these impressive builds.

5. Carry Build

Bristleback is a flexible hero. His potential to be played in any core position makes him a hot pick in the current meta. He excels well in the safe lane due to his fight and tank potential. Bristle is also known to fare well in pretty much all-carry matchups due to his survivability and ability to shove out enemies off the lane. He can also farm quickly and rotate to the other lanes when he gets his ultimate. It is difficult to stop an early game-farmed Bristleback, he just snowballs and runs over his enemies effortlessly.

Bristleback loves farming in the early game, his abilities deal AoE damage which further helps him farm faster. Carry heroes often build items that ensure they have enough damage and sustain to withstand a teamfight early on. Hence, items such as Hood of Defiance, and Vanguard are highly effective in the early stages of the game. As the game progresses, you can opt for Battlefury which offers incredible farm and fight potential due to its cleave. He can also build Skull Basher and Moon Shard, granting him damage and attack speed in the late game. Overall, this build is ideal if you want to be a dominating force right from the laning phase.

Use This Build If:

• If you want to participate in teamfights as early as possible
• If you are facing heroes that have low armor and are considered to be squishy
• If you want a self-sustainable build that helps you deal damage while also making you tanky at the same time
• If you want a skill build that is highly powerful right from the laning phase

Skill Points

Level 1: Quill Spray - Upon usage, it deals damage in an AoE. Due to its low cooldown, you can spam it multiple times as the damage stacks and amplifies further. It is an exceptional level 1 ability as it allows you to farm creeps and harass enemies at the same time, shoving them out of the lane.

Level 2: Bristleback - The eponymous passive spell deals less damage to Bristleback if he is hit in the rear or on the sides. If the damage reaches a certain threshold (200 damage), it releases the current level of Quill Spray, which further motivates Bristleback to the frontline with his rear side facing the enemies.

Level 3: Quill Spray

Level 4: Bristleback

Level 5: Quill Spray

Level 6: Warpath - Anytime Bristleback casts a spell, it increases his movement speed and damage. Since Bristle does not have a high mana cost on his spells, he can easily spam them and gain multiple Warpath stacks which can deal high damage if stacked with his other spells, decimating his feeble foes within seconds.

Level 7: Quill Spray

Level 8: Viscous Nasal Goo - Upon usage, it covers the targeted enemy in Bristleback’s snot, reducing their movement speed as well as their armor with each stack. This is a great way of slowing down enemies while weakening their armor at the same time.

Level 9: Bristleback 

Level 10: Bristleback   

Level 11: 1.5 Mana Regen

Level 12: Warpath 

Level 13: Viscous Nasal Goo

Level 14: Viscous Nasal Goo

Level 15: +150 Goo Cast Range 

Level 16: Viscous Nasal Goo 

Level 17: Stats

Level 18: Warpath 

Level 19: Stats

Level 20: +20 Quill Stack Damage

Level 25: +18 Warpath Damage Per Stack

Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)

• Soul Ring (855 Gold) - Purchased at 5 minutes. Soul Ring consumes 170 health temporarily to convert it into 150 mana. After 10 seconds, the health is reverted along with the unused mana pool. This is an exceptional item on Tidehunter as it allows him to sustain in the laning phase without any mana problems.
• Vanguard (1825 Gold) - Purchased at 8 minutes. Has a high chance of blocking 60 damage upon each physical attack, making sure Bristleback is tanky throughout the early game. Vanguard is an effective item on Bristleback as it allows him to fight mercilessly and frontline without worrying about his health.
• Hood of Defiance (1500 Gold) - Purchased at 11 minutes. Upon usage, it creates a barrier that absorbs 350 magical damage, saving Bristleback from drastic magic damage. It can also be upgraded into Pipe of Insight or Eternal Shroud.
• Power Treads (1400 Gold) - Bought at 12 minutes. It provides 45 movement speed and 25 attack speed along with toggleable attributes, which offer everything from increased mana pool to armor and even strength, helping Bristleback in all stages of the game 
• Black King Bar (4050 Gold) - Purchased at 20 minutes. Provides magic immunity upon usage, making Bristleback invulnerable during team fights. It is essential in most matchups as he has low magical resistance.
• Eternal Shroud (3300 Gold) - Bought at 23 minutes. Upon usage, it creates a spell shield that lasts for 12 seconds and can absorb up to 400 mana. It also converts the damage dealt into mana, providing immense sustain to Bristleback, allowing him to frontline and spam his spells without worrying about running out of mana.
• Heart of Tarasque (5000 Gold) - Purchased at 31 minutes. Heart grants immense HP and increased health regen, which helps Bristleback frontline and tank a teamfight. It allows Bristle to soak up significant damage and quickly regen back due to the regen buff.
• Battlefury (4100 Gold) - Purchased at 33 minutes. Allows melee heroes like Bristleback to deal 70% of their damage as cleave damage. As the Prominent focus of this build is to split push and farm quickly as a carry Bristleback, which pays off in the late game, Battlefury is quite essential as it is the gateway to acquiring other items quickly.
• Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 41 minutes. Grants Hairball ability, which upon cast attacks the targeted enemy with a stack of Nasal Goo and Quill Spray, dealing damage and reducing their armor, it also stacks with normal Goo and Spray usage. It is not a frequently built item but it is useful in the right matchups as it stacks with Quill and Goo.
• Skull Basher (2875 Gold) - Purchased at 43 minutes. Grants Bristleback a high chance of bashing enemies upon physical attacks. It also increases his attack damage and allows him to deal bonus physical damage. It can further be upgraded into Abyssal Blade.
• Abyssal Blade (6250 Gold) - Purchased at 44 minutes. Skull Basher is upgraded into Abyssal Blade, which stuns the targetted unit, it pierces spell immunity. Hence, it can be a useful item to temporarily disable any heroes under the effect of Black King Bar.
• Moon Shard - (4000 Gold) - Purchased 49 minutes into the game. It grants 140 Attack Speed and 200 Bonus Night Vision. Upon consumption, the bonuses are halved. Bristleback benefits greatly from increased attack speed bonuses. 

 

4. Qojva Build

Qojva is one of the most-watched Dota streamers and pro players. His highly skilled playstyle laced with a pinch of humor is entertaining for his fans all around the world. He loves playing a variety of heroes, but Bristleback remains one of his go-to heroes when in doubt. The hero is highly underrated but is a punishing force if in the right hands. Qojva builds a mixture of items that allow him to act both defensively and offensively, meaning there is a balance in his playstyle. 

He is a team player who often changes items and skill builds, depending on the matchup he is facing. The mix of the right offensive and defensive items make sure that there is no stone left unturned when it comes to winning a teamfight. This build has all the goodies, including items that help you sustain the early game, like Soul Ring, and Vanguard, and late-game items like Eternal Shroud, Sange, and Kaya. This is a highly suitable build for an offlane utility Bristleback. This build can be changed slightly to accommodate a few more utility items.

Use This Build If:

• You want an extremely reliable carry build for the late game
• If you want a utility build that can help save you and your allies in a teamfight
• You want a front-lining build that allows you to stand your ground against multiple enemies
• If you want a self-sustainable build that helps you deal damage while also making you tanky at the same time

Skill Points

Level 1: Quill Spray - Upon usage, it deals damage in an AoE. Due to its low cooldown, you can spam it multiple times as the damage stacks and amplifies further. It is an exceptional level 1 ability as it allows you to farm creeps and harass enemies at the same time, shoving them out of the lane.

Level 2: Bristleback - The eponymous passive spell deals less damage to Bristleback if he is hit in the rear or on the sides. If the damage reaches a certain threshold (200 damage), it releases the current level of Quill Spray, which further motivates Bristleback to the frontline with his rear side facing the enemies.

Level 3: Quill Spray

Level 4: Viscous Nasal Goo - Upon usage, it covers the targeted enemy in Bristleback’s snot, reducing their movement speed as well as their armor with each stack. This is a great way of slowing down enemies while weakening their armor at the same time.

Level 5: Quill Spray

Level 6: Warpath - Anytime Bristleback casts a spell, it increases his movement speed and damage. Since Bristle does not have a high mana cost on his spells, he can easily spam them and gain multiple Warpath stacks which can deal high damage if stacked with his other spells, decimating his poor foes within seconds.

Level 7: Quill Spray

Level 8: Bristleback  

Level 9: Bristleback 

Level 10: Bristleback   

Level 11: Viscous Nasal Goo 

Level 12: Warpath 

Level 13: Viscous Nasal Goo

Level 14: Viscous Nasal Goo

Level 15: +150 Goo Cast Range 

Level 16: +1.5 Mana Regen

Level 17: Stats

Level 18: Warpath 

Level 19: Stats

Level 20: +20 Quill Stack Damage

Level 25: +12% Spell lifesteal

Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)

• Vanguard (1825 Gold) - Purchased at 8 minutes. Has a high chance of blocking 60 damage upon each physical attack, making sure Bristleback is tanky throughout the early game. Vanguard is an effective item on Bristleback as it allows him to fight mercilessly and frontline without worrying about his health.
• Soul Ring - (855 Gold) Purchased at 10 minutes. Soul Ring consumes 170 health temporarily to convert it into 150 mana. After 10 seconds, the health is reverted along with the unused mana pool. This is an exceptional item on Tidehunter as it allows him to sustain in the laning phase without any mana problems.
• Phase Boots (1400 Gold) - Bought at 12 minutes. Increases Bristleback’s movement speed while also providing him with increased damage and armor. The active allows him to phase through enemies and also increases his turn rate. It is an exceptional item in the early game for most offlane heroes
• Aghanim’s Scepter (4200 Gold) - Purchased at 20 minutes. Turns Viscous Nasal Goo into an AoE ability, while also increasing the number of maximum stacks. Aghanim’s is an exceptional item if you are facing mobile heroes or heroes with high armor, as stacks of Goo reduce armor and movement speed.
• Eternal Shroud (3300 Gold) - Bought at 22 minutes. Upon usage, it creates a spell shield that lasts for 12 seconds and can absorb up to 400 mana. It also converts the damage dealt into mana, providing immense sustain to Bristleback, allowing him to frontline and spam his spells without worrying about running out of mana.
• Kaya and Sange (4100 Gold) - Purchased at 26 minutes. Provides immense bonuses such as increased stats, status resistance, spell damage amplification, along with health and mana amplification. It is an effective item on spellcasting heroes like Bristleback. Besides, it offers extreme survivability with increased stats, making him durable in a teamfight. This item ensures he never runs out of mana.
• Lotus Orb (3850 Gold) - Purchased at 30 minutes. It is known to purge enemy debuffs. It is exceptional if you face enemies who have single-targeted spells, as it can reflect the spells to them if timed right. It also provides increased armor and mana regen, sustaining the tough porcupine.
• Abyssal Blade (6250 Gold) - Purchased at 36 minutes. Skull Basher is upgraded into Abyssal Blade, which stuns the targetted unit, it pierces spell immunity. Hence, it can be a useful item to temporarily disable any heroes under the effect of Black King Bar.

 

3.  Crystalis Build

Crystalis, the rising superstar shook everyone last International when he managed to place 2nd with Team Secret. Crystalis has a long way to go when it comes to his Dota career, his raw mechanical skill and impeccable game knowledge are given guidance by none other than Puppey. Bristleback is a hero you rarely see getting played by Crystalis, as it is not your typical carry hero, but he fits the bill extremely well against certain matchups. Crystalis takes advantage of that and builds items that allow him to destroy enemies while also sustaining himself in the game.

Crystalis often juggles around between skill builds, sometimes he prefers the max Quill Spray build, which is great if you’re going for a quick teamfight build and farm build, or sometimes he may opt for the max Bristleback build, which helps him stay tanky and resilient through a fight. Regardless of the build, Crystalis is a menace on Bristleback, his win rate is evidence of that. His item build is situational, but considering the heroes he is facing, it is highly viable and strong.

Use This Build If:

• If you want to participate in teamfights as early as possible
• If you want a self-sustainable build that helps you deal damage while also making you tanky at the same time
• If you want a skill build that is highly powerful right from the laning phase

Skill Points

Level 1: Quill Spray - Upon usage, it deals damage in an AoE. Due to its low cooldown, you can spam it multiple times as the damage stacks and amplifies further. It is an exceptional level 1 ability as it allows you to farm creeps and harass enemies at the same time, shoving them out of the lane.

Level 2: Bristleback - The eponymous passive spell deals less damage to Bristleback if he is hit in the rear or on the sides. If the damage reaches a certain threshold (200 damage), it releases the current level of Quill Spray, which further motivates Bristleback to the frontline with his rear side facing the enemies.

Level 3: Quill Spray

Level 4: Bristleback

Level 5: Quill Spray

Level 6: Warpath - Anytime Bristleback casts a spell, it increases his movement speed and damage. Since Bristle does not have a high mana cost on his spells, he can easily spam them and gain multiple Warpath stacks which can deal high damage if stacked with his other spells, decimating his feeble foes within seconds.

Level 7: Quill Spray

Level 8: Viscous Nasal Goo - Upon usage, it covers the targeted enemy in Bristleback’s snot, reducing their movement speed as well as their armor with each stack. This is a great way of slowing down enemies while weakening their armor at the same time.

Level 9: Bristleback 

Level 10: +15 Damage

Level 11: Bristleback  

Level 12: Warpath 

Level 13: Viscous Nasal Goo

Level 14: Viscous Nasal Goo

Level 15: +8% Bristleback back/side damage reduction 

Level 16: Viscous Nasal Goo

Level 17: Stats

Level 18: Warpath 

Level 19: Stats

Level 20: +20 Quill Stack Damage

Level 25: +12% Spell lifesteal

Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)

• Vanguard (1825 Gold) - Purchased at 6 minutes. Has a high chance of blocking 60 damage upon each physical attack, making sure Bristleback is tanky throughout the early game. Vanguard is an effective item on Bristleback as it allows him to fight mercilessly and frontline without worrying about his health.
• Soul Ring - (855 Gold) Purchased at 8 minutes. Soul Ring consumes 170 health temporarily to convert it into 150 mana. After 10 seconds, the health is reverted along with the unused mana pool. This is an exceptional item on Tidehunter as it allows him to sustain in the laning phase without any mana problems.
• Phase Boots (1400 Gold) - Bought at 10 minutes. Increases Bristleback’s movement speed while also providing him with increased damage and armor. The active allows him to phase through enemies and also increases his turn rate. It is an exceptional item in the early game for most offlane heroes.
• Eternal Shroud (3300 Gold) - Bought at 15 minutes. Upon usage, it creates a spell shield that lasts for 12 seconds and can absorb up to 400 mana. It also converts the damage dealt into mana, providing immense sustain to Bristleback, allowing him to frontline and spam his spells without worrying about running out of mana.
• Black King Bar (4050 Gold) - Purchased at 19 minutes. Provides magic immunity upon usage, making Bristleback invulnerable during team fights. It is essential in most matchups as he has low magical resistance and is often on the frontlines during a teamfight.
• Aghanim’s Shard(1400 Gold) - Purchased at 21 minutes. Grants Hairball ability, which upon cast attacks the targeted enemy with a stack of Nasal Goo and Quill Spray, dealing damage and reducing their armor, it also stacks with normal Goo and Spray usage. It is not a frequently built item but it is useful in the right matchups as it stacks with Quill and Goo.
• Kaya and Sange (4100 Gold) - Purchased at 26 minutes. Provides immense bonuses such as increased stats, status resistance, spell damage amplification, along with health and mana amplification. It is an effective item on spellcasting heroes like Bristleback. Besides, it offers extreme survivability with increased stats, making him durable in a teamfight. This item ensures he never runs out of mana.
• Heart of Tarasque (5000 Gold) - Purchased at 31 minutes. Heart grants immense HP and increased health regen, which helps Bristleback frontline and tank a teamfight. It allows Bristle to soak up significant damage and quickly regen back due to the regen buff.
• Shiva’s Guard (4850 Gold) - Purchased at 36 minutes. Upon usage, it emits a freezing wave that deals 200 damage and slows the enemy for 40% of their movement speed. This slow is impressive and lasts for 4 seconds. The increased armor and survivability ensure Bristleback stays durable in fights while reducing enemy healing in an AoE.
• Overwhelming Blink (6800 Gold) - Purchased at 42 minutes. Increases strength and deals damage in an AoE that deals attack and movement speed slow to enemies, while also making them take 150% of your strength as damage. Bristleback benefits heavily from this item as he can use it twice, decimating his enemies within no time.

 

2. Dreamcocel Build

The rising star from SEA, Dreamcocel is a force to be reckoned with. He is an exceptional carry player with a highly versatile hero pool and vast game knowledge. Dreamcocel takes Bristleback to the safe lane as that is where his true potential is unlocked. His exceptional farming style and aggressive demeanor ensure there is no stone left unturned when it comes to winning the lane. Dreamcocel is known to build items that are rather unorthodox but work in that specific matchup. His skill build is standard, but his item build is worth taking a look at.

Dreamcocel loves the early-game sustain build which allows him to sit back and dish damage without worrying about his HP or mana. He focuses on fighting early on in the game and rotating to other lanes to secure them, ensuring his teammates aren’t lacking behind. He also loves purchasing situational items like Bloodthorn and Satanic on Bristleback which are exceptional against heroes that he is facing. This build may look highly risky on paper but is one of the best if tried out in the game due to its damage and spellcasting potential. 

Use This Build If:

• If you are facing heroes that have low armor and are considered to be squishy
• If you want a self-sustainable build that helps you deal damage while also making you tanky at the same time
• If you are facing highly mobile heroes
• If you want a skill and item build which allows you to skirmish right from the early game

Skill Points

Level 1: Quill Spray - Upon usage, it deals damage in an AoE. Due to its low cooldown, you can spam it multiple times as the damage stacks and amplifies further. It is an exceptional level 1 ability as it allows you to farm creeps and harass enemies at the same time, shoving them out of the lane.

Level 2: Bristleback - The eponymous passive spell deals less damage to Bristleback if he is hit in the rear or on the sides. If the damage reaches a certain threshold (200 damage), it releases the current level of Quill Spray, which further motivates Bristleback to the frontline with his rear side facing the enemies.

Level 3: Quill Spray

Level 4: Bristleback

Level 5: Quill Spray

Level 6: Warpath - Anytime Bristleback casts a spell, it increases his movement speed and damage. Since Bristle does not have a high mana cost on his spells, he can easily spam them and gain multiple Warpath stacks which can deal high damage if stacked with his other spells, decimating his feeble foes within seconds.

Level 7: Quill Spray

Level 8: Viscous Nasal Goo - Upon usage, it covers the targeted enemy in Bristleback’s snot, reducing their movement speed as well as their armor with each stack. This is a great way of slowing down enemies while weakening their armor at the same time.

Level 9: Bristleback 

Level 10: Bristleback 

Level 11: +15 Damage

Level 12: Warpath 

Level 13: Viscous Nasal Goo

Level 14: Viscous Nasal Goo

Level 15: Viscous Nasal Goo

Level 16: +8% Bristleback back/side damage reduction

Level 17: Stats

Level 18: Warpath 

Level 19: Stats

Level 20: +20 Quill Stack Damage

Level 25: +18 Warpath Damage per stack

Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)

• Vanguard (1825 Gold) - Purchased at 5 minutes. Has a high chance of blocking 60 damage upon each physical attack, making sure Bristleback is tanky throughout the early game. Vanguard is an effective item on Bristleback as it allows him to fight mercilessly and frontline without worrying about his health.
• Soul Ring - (855 Gold) Purchased at 7 minutes. Soul Ring consumes 170 health temporarily to convert it into 150 mana. After 10 seconds, the health is reverted along with the unused mana pool. This is an exceptional item on Tidehunter as it allows him to sustain in the laning phase without any mana problems.
• Phase Boots (1400 Gold) - Bought at 10 minutes. Increases Bristleback’s movement speed while also providing him with increased damage and armor. The active allows him to phase through enemies and also increases his turn rate. It is an exceptional item in the early game for most offlane heroes
• Aghanim’s Scepter (4200 Gold) - Purchased at 16 minutes. Turns Viscous Nasal Goo into an AoE ability, while also increasing the number of maximum stacks. Aghanim’s is an exceptional item if you are facing mobile heroes or heroes with high armor, as stacks of Goo reduce armor and movement speed.
• Mage Slayer (2400 Gold) - Purchased at 20 minutes. Mage Slayer is an exceptional item if you are facing heroes that deal immense magical damage. Bristleback’s physical attacks on such enemies reduce their magical damage output by 35% for 6 seconds. It is a staple item on Bristle due to his low magic resistance. It can further be upgraded into Bloodthorn.
• Satanic (5050 Gold) - Bought at around 25 minutes. Can lifesteal on physical attacks upon activation, and also provides basic dispel from the latter. Great to sustain in the ultra-late game as you can be surrounded by multiple enemies at once. It also works on Quil Spray.
• Bloodthorn (6800 Gold) - Bought at 28 minutes. It silences the targeted enemy for 5 seconds, making them take 30% of the total damage dealt during the silence. The attacks will also have True Sight, and deal critical damage under its duration, it is not a usual item on Bristleback but against the matchup, he is facing it's an exceptional item.
• Black King Bar (4050 Gold) - Purchased at 33 minutes. Provides magic immunity upon usage, making Bristleback invulnerable during team fights. It is essential in most matchups as he has low magical resistance and is often on the frontlines during a teamfight.
• Abyssal Blade (6250 Gold) - Purchased at 38 minutes. Skull Basher is upgraded into Abyssal Blade, which stuns the targetted unit, it pierces spell immunity. Hence, it can be a useful item to temporarily disable any heroes under the effect of Black King Bar.

 

1. Frontliner Build

Bristleback is a highly reliable frontliner due to the damage he soaks up right from the get-go. This build offers durability along with high nuke damage potential which may decimate your enemies within no time. It is advised that you begin this build with Quill Spray, and then max Bristleback. You may also put a few points in Viscous Nasal Goo, depending on the heroes you face. As you are the primary frontliner, you should purchase tank items like Vanguard and Bloodstone which help you stay resilient in a fight.

Bristleback has various item builds that supplement his abilities and enhance his fight potential. As a frontliner, it is often advised to build items that lower your cooldowns, and increase your HP, while also building items that can sustain you in a fight. Heart of Tarasque is an essential item on Bristleback, which offers all the mentioned benefits. Bristle can also opt for Moon Shard and Aghanim’s Shard which increase his spellcasting potential and attack speed. When it comes to teamfight, items such as Aghanim’s Scepter, and Bloodstone can get the job done and secure the game for him. Overall, this is an ideal build if you aim to tank the fights and shield your teammates.

Use This Build If:

• You want an extremely reliable teamfight build for the late game
• If you have squishy teammates and want to be the tanky frontliner and initiator of teamfights
• If you want a self-sustainable build that helps you deal damage while also making you tanky at the same time
• If you want a skill build that is highly powerful right from the laning phase

Skill Points

Level 1: Quill Spray - Upon usage, it deals damage in an AoE. Due to its low cooldown, you can spam it multiple times as the damage stacks and amplifies further. It is an exceptional level 1 ability as it allows you to farm creeps and harass enemies at the same time, shoving them out of the lane.

Level 2: Bristleback - The eponymous passive spell deals less damage to Bristleback if he is hit in the rear or on the sides. If the damage reaches a certain threshold (200 damage), it releases the current level of Quill Spray, which further motivates Bristleback to the frontline with his rear side facing the enemies.

Level 3: Quill Spray

Level 4: Viscous Nasal Goo - Upon usage, it covers the targeted enemy in Bristleback’s snot, reducing their movement speed as well as their armor with each stack. This is a great way of slowing down enemies while weakening their armor at the same time.

Level 5: Quill Spray

Level 6: Warpath - Anytime Bristleback casts a spell, it increases his movement speed and damage. Since Bristle does not have a high mana cost on his spells, he can easily spam them and gain multiple Warpath stacks which can deal high damage if stacked with his other spells, decimating his poor foes within seconds.

Level 7: Quill Spray

Level 8: Bristleback 

Level 9: Bristleback 

Level 10: +1.5 Mana Regen

Level 11: Bristleback 

Level 12: Warpath 

Level 13: Viscous Nasal Goo

Level 14: Viscous Nasal Goo

Level 15: +150 Goo Cast Range

Level 16: Viscous Nasal Goo

Level 17: Stats

Level 18: Warpath 

Level 19: Stats

Level 20: +20 Health Regen

Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)

• Vanguard (1825 Gold) - Purchased at 5 minutes. Has a high chance of blocking 60 damage upon each physical attack, making sure Bristleback is tanky throughout the early game. Vanguard is an effective item on Bristleback as it allows him to fight mercilessly and frontline without worrying about his health.
• Arcane Boots (1300 Gold) - Purchased at 8 minutes. Boots are an essential item for Bristleback as they provide him with mana regen and sustain through teamfight along with the increase in movement speed. The best part about this item is that it can be disassembled, meaning you can convert it into different items such as Lotus Orb, or Bloodstone, giving him optimum farm potential.
• Bloodstone (4400 Gold) - Purchased at 12 minutes. Upon activation, it increases spell lifesteal by 2.5x while converting the damage dealt under its duration into mana. This ensures Bristleback does not run out of mana in a teamfight. Bristle highly relies on spellcasting, hence it is ideal that he has enough mana to shell out in a fight.
• Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 15 minutes. Grants Hairball ability, which upon cast attacks the targeted enemy with a stack of Nasal Goo and Quill Spray, dealing damage and reducing their armor, it also stacks with normal Goo and Spray usage. It is not a frequently built item but it is useful in the right matchups as it stacks with Quill and Goo.
• Aghanim’s Scepter (4200 Gold) - Purchased at 19 minutes. Turns Viscous Nasal Goo into an AoE ability, while also increasing the number of maximum stacks. Aghanim’s is an exceptional item if you are facing mobile heroes or heroes with high armor, as stacks of Goo reduce armor and movement speed.
• Phase Boots (1400 Gold) - Bought at 21 minutes. Increases Bristleback’s movement speed while also providing him with increased damage and armor. The active allows him to phase through enemies and also increases his turn rate. It is an exceptional item in the early game for most offlane heroes
• Moon Shard - (4000 Gold) - Purchased 24 minutes into the game. It grants 140 Attack Speed and 200 Bonus Night Vision. Upon consumption, the bonuses are halved. Bristleback benefits greatly from increased attack speed bonuses. 
• Heart of Tarasque (5000 Gold) - Purchased at 28 minutes. Heart grants immense HP and increased health regen, which helps Bristleback frontline and tank a teamfight. It allows Bristle to soak up significant damage and quickly regen back due to the regen buff.

 

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