Hero Mastery

Necrophos

A tanky spell mid: Death Pulse nukes + heals, Heartstopper Aura chips enemy max HP, Sadist gives sustain, and Reaper's Scythe executes.

Mastery parameters

Your GPM, last hits and damage per game against other Necrophos players — average vs Top 20%.

Members only

Learning journey

1 Know the kit
2 Win the lane
3 Timing & rotations
4 Win the fights
5 Master

5 stages, each with one target from your own games and one short quiz. Make Necrophos your mastery hero to start — progress shows on Home and Arcana.

Phase by phase

The 1v1: last hits + rune control

You 70%Team 30%

Skills in lane — Pro cores max Death Pulse (Q) first — 99% of 399 games since patch 7.41, then Heartstopper Aura (E). First talent at level 11.
Level 6 — Reaper's Scythe — Reaper's Scythe scales with missing HP — use it to secure kills and extend the enemy's respawn timer.

Skills 1–7

Starting items

Iron Branch35%
Faerie Fire19%
Circlet of Nobility18%
Tango10%
Magic Stick9%
Observer Ward3%

Pros buy this phase

Boots of Travel96%
Power Treads4%

The Midlaner's job this phase

Focus on last hits & denies — a 10-creep lead by minute 5 is a real level advantage.
Minutes 6, 8, 10, …: check water/power runes. A full Bottle means you can spam spells.
Ask a support to arrive 30 seconds before power runes when your lane is rough.

Counters & weaknesses

Sustain hero (heals & lifesteal)

The items that shut Necrophos down, 3 heroes that trouble it, and your answer when you play it.

Members only

Why this way? How OpenAI Five learned

One hero, one role first
OpenAI's first bot played only Shadow Fiend, only mid, until it mastered it. Stay on Necrophos in one role before moving on.
Small, measurable rewards
OpenAI Five was rewarded for last hits and staying alive long before it understood winning. That's why each journey stage has one number to hit.
From yourself to the team
Its 'team spirit' rose over the game: early on, look after yourself; late, play for the team. Each phase's meter shows the split.
Use proven builds
OpenAI Five's builds were hand-written, not trial and error. Start from the pro build, then experiment.

Phase items: what pros buy on this hero (OpenDota). Parameters: percentiles of players on this hero (OpenDota). Item effects checked against Valve's own item data.