Overview

Voden is a nuisance Hero that's flexible, quick and capable of pressuring single or multiple targets. His use of poisoned arrows, combined with a decoy, make him incredibly frustrating to fight against. Although he deals less direct damage in comparison to Charnock, his damage output shouldn't be underestimated. His bow attacks are quick to charge when upgraded and his poison is able to finish off opponents if they try to flee when low health. What makes Voden particularly formidable is the fact that he also has the option of obtaining a super jump, thanks to Hidden Spring. I will stress however that to obtain his super jump, it requires investment in his upgrade path.

With effective management of your stamina and thanks to his mobility, Voden is more than capable of harassing enemies, pressuring Control Points and securing a wound. He makes a valuable addition to most team compositions but does require that the player has good aiming as it can often be challenging to hit fast moving targets with a single arrow. 

Guide Updated: 1 February 2016.

Skills

This section of our guide contains a list of Voden skills, what they do, which upgrades you should choose (and when) as well as what those upgrades are for. 

Base Skills

Arrowed is your default attack as Voden. It requires a period of charge and the longer you hold (until the maximum charge) it will deal more damage. As is to be expected, arrows have a flight path and a drop off as they fly. You need to take into account this arc whilst aiming as unlike Imani and her bullets, they don't fire exactly straight. What you should also be aware of is that you when you're powering up Arrowed, you won't gain any stamina as it places you in combat. As such, I'd recommend you get into the habit of powering up and releasing quickly, multiple times, before moving to a new location. 

Poison Spores acts similarly to burning in the sense that it applies a damage over time effect to those affected. Using the skill places a poisoneous pool at Voden's feet, that allows him to fire poisoned arrows. Enemies who stand in the pool will be automatically poisoned and the duration of poison on your arrows only lasts 4 seconds so you need to make it count. I've found that Poison Spores and using it to infect your arrows is much more useful during mid-range skirmishes as it reduces your arrow travel time and allows you to spread poison to more targets. 

Green Man creates a decoy that you can place anywhere. By default it's placed at your feet and will automatically attack a target. Its appearance and animations are identicle to Voden with the exception that it cannot move. Clever use of the decoy is vital not just for your survivability but for confusing the enemy as to your true location. Using Green Man at the right time can absorb a powerful attack or allow you to slip away unseen as your double remains. 

Hidden Spring is similar to Sven's Healing Waters. It provides you and those in the pool with regeneration. When upgraded Hidden Spring also allows you to also super jump, like Uncle Sven. Hidden Spring's primary use is undoubtedly to heal and mitigate incoming damage but it's also invaluable once upgraded. Having the super jump allows you to escape easily and also grants you and your team access to "secret" which is a path you can take to wound the enemy Guardian.

Natural Roots is a strong Focus skill that provides an AOE immobilize to all enemies hit. Its duration is 3 seconds by default and if timed correctly, you can immobilize a large number of players that your team can then burst down. In a 1 on 1 situation, Natural Roots is also incredibly strong as it allows you to quickly attack the immobile player or run away for a gaurenteed escape. I will forewarn however that it's a fast projectile that requires exceptionally good accuracy to land because if you don't hit a Hero with it, the skill will go on cooldown and you'll have wasted your Focus. 

Skill Upgrade Paths and Order

Below is the upgrade path I would recommend for each skill. It offers Voden incredibly high damage output whilst balancing survivability. There are some variables which I'll discuss below but for the most part, these upgrade paths make Voden a formidable and flexible Hero. The numbers below on each image correspond to when you should upgrade that individual skill, and for ease it's listed below in order. This build order is important as it provides Voden with early survivability and mid to late group wide damage improvements. Please note that there are also some variables with Voden depending on the playstyle you prefer. See full variables further below. 

Level 2: Geyser (E)

Level 3: Dead Eye (LMB)

Level 4: Bow Flex (LMB)

Level 5: Burst Forth (E)

Level 6: A Ways Away (Q)

Level 7: Leaf No Trace (Q)

Level 8: More Spores (RMB) 

Level 9: Contagion (RMB)

Level 10: Natural Roots (Focus)

View the full build here. For a support based alternative, look here.

Dead Eye allows Voden to deal more damage when powered up. It's fairly significant and allows you to pressure enemy Heroes much easier. What this upgrade path does mean, however, is that you rely heavily on the ability to aim well to truly maximize the additional damage Dead Eye affords. As for the second upgrade, Longshot significant increases the trajectory speed of your arrows and allows them to deal maximum damage irrespective of distance traveled. It allows you to poke from much further and still maintain high damage. 

Variables: If you're finding aiming with Voden challenging and/or until you've practiced him more, Spread the Pain and Piercing Arrows are good alternatives. It allows Voden to fire 5 arrows instead of one and allows those arrows to pierce targets. It's a much more forgiving upgrade line (as you can afford to miss and still deal damage). Alternatively and the recommended variable, take Bow Flex over Longshot. It allows you to charge your LMB 33% quicker, allowing you to deal damage much faster at mid ranges. 

More Spores increases the duraton of Voden's Poison Cloud and in addition to this, the radius of your Poison Cloud is considerably larger. The impact of both of these things is to allow you to not only infect more people, but to also use Poison Spores as an area denial skill. Placing it in a particularly narrow corridor creates an exceptional choke point. For the second upgrade, Contagion is an amazing choice and a particular favourite. Anyone infected by your poison will pass it on to other players they're near. In particularly busy team fights it's very common for teams to group together and because of that, your group pressure from a single poison arrow is significant as it'll quickly spread. If you keep firing arrows into the group, it's a large amount of AOE pressure that the opposition has to deal with. 

Companion's Boon and Spore Imitation allow your clone to deal double damage but to also throw a homing Poison Cloud at enemies nearby. In comparison to the right upgrade path, the left is clearly defined as damage orientated and it allows Voden to deal much more damage as long as his clone survives. 

Variables: If you're seeking more survivability, take Alternative Root and A Ways Away. Both allow Voden to project his decoy up to 20 meters away. The significance of this is that you can quite comfortably confuse your enemies by placing it far from yourself. If you're around a corner and you place it on a nearby cliff, it's almost gaurenteed that your enemy will waste skills on your decoy. This buys you precious time to change position or release a volley of arrows. Combined with A Ways Away you will be able to switch with said decoy much quicker, allowing you to slip away. 

Geyser allows Hidden Spring to become a super jump as well as a healing pool. It's invaluable for escaping or reaching difficult locations that others can't follow and a must-have for Voden. Burst Forth allows Hidden Spring to slow and launch enemies when it's first placed down. If you're out of stamina and Margrave or Knossos suddenly leap on you, it provides you with an amazing opportunity to escape. The fact you'll then be able to still utilise its healing and super jump is incredible for prolonging your life. 

Nature's Wrath allows your Focus to break the armor of every player affected by Natural Roots, allowing you and your team to deal much higher damage to them when they're trapped. 

Talents

Level 3: Easy Strider

Key to being effective with Voden is moving from location to location, confusing the enemy. Easy Strider reduces stamina drain when sprinting by 25% but also increases your base movement speed by 10%. If you're being chased and have a full stamina bar, it pretty much gaurentees your escape even if your skills are on cooldown. 

Level 5: Toxin

Toxin allows your poison to last longer to the point where enemies infected will take damage for much longer, that also prevents them going out of combat. 

Level 7: Calling the Shots

A standard upgrade for Hero's, when you infect enemy players with poison nearby allies (including yourself) will gain a 10% damage bonus. Calling the Shots provides a boost that's easy to maintain and helps your entire teams damage output. 

Level 9: Hero's Might

Voden deals high damage, but it isn't as high as Charnok or assassins such as Tripp or Wu. Taking Hero's Might gives you a nice little damage boost that also affects your poison.

Threat

This section of our guide contains a list of tactics for fighting against other Hero's with Voden. Please note that only the Heroes that are the highest risk and threat to Voden are included in this list. 

Aisling is relativly easy for Voden to deal with because she absolutely no way of following you onto different levels of each map. Due to her lack of mobility, she'll have to run around far too many paths for pursuit of you to be worth it. I will forwarn however that going toe to toe with her in melee range is a very bad idea. If you do find yourself in said range, use Green Man to quickly teleport away before hitting her with poisoned arrows. When she attacks you again, use Hidden Spring to slow her before sprinting away (and repeating the process). Be aware that most Aisling players take Aura of Healing so she'll likely heal to near full unless you kill Cador. 

Threat: 7/10

Charnok deals massive damage and can instantly burst down your Green Man decoy. Combined with his outrageously strong Focus skill, you have to be very careful against him. The best thing to do is to stay medium range (but far enough back so he can't use Dragon's Breath) and get him loaded up with poison. He's an easy target to hit and because of that, he'll soak up a lot of your damage before being forced to us Detonate. If you can avoid his Hot Hail, you can quite easily heal through his auto attacks to finish him off.

Threat: 7/10

Knossos has a fierce combination of knockdowns and immobilizes. I've found the best approach is to run rather than fight him, but if you have to, use Hidden Spring the moment he arrives at your feet. Knossos will always try to use Gore the moment they're upon you. By dropping Hidden Spring you'll be able to leap the moment he arrives, hopefully avoiding the Gore and navigating over him. Once you have, drop your Poison Spores and fire at least two arrows at him. When he gets near you again and if he doesn't have his focus (if he does you're doomed) use Green Man to trade places as far away as possible. Hit him with as many arrows as you can before using Hidden Spring a second time. 

Threat: 8/10

Mozo is tricky for Voden because her rate of fire from Magic Bolt is ridiculously fast and her Arcane Vortex provides a valuable shield. If you get too close to her, there's also every chance she'll portal away or slow you with Attractor Beam. Fortunately she's rather squishy, so try to bait her into using Vortex and once it's on cooldown, then use Poison Spores. If you can land a few poison arrows, she'll take enough damage to retreat or at the very least Dimension Door away. If she does, use Green Man decoy to follow her, while still firing arrows. 

Threat: 7/10

The Margrave is always a threat to any Hero because he's so relentless in his pursuit. His armor, combined with his damage, make him a headache to fight. If you've all your cooldowns available, it'll honestly take too long to burst him down to the point where I'd argue it's easier to run than stay and fight. If you had to fight, you need to kite him exactly the way you would against Knossos (above). Fights are usually on a knife edge against him, especially if he's got his Focus skill. 

Threat: 8/10

Tripp is a pain for Voden because she moves so fast it's incredibly hard to land your Arrowed skill. If you have your Focus and land it on her, she's a free kill. If you don't, the best you can hope for is that she touches your Hidden Spring and is slowed enough so that you can infect her with at least one poisoned arrow. If you do, she's much easier to bring down once you can track her in stealth. You should also be sure to use Green Man decoy to avoid her initial burst. 

Threat: 8/10

Tyto The Swift should be renamed Tyto The Annoying. He can follow Voden easily with his mobility and his damage over time rodent make him a nuisance to fight. If he uses Blade Dance the only thing you can do is sprint away or use Hidden Spring to leap over it. That takes considerable practice and there's every liklihood that you'll die to that skill alone before you've practiced. When Tyto is running for you, use Green Man to switch places, hit him with poisoned arrows, and kit him until he's on you. Once he is, use Hidden Spring to snare him before getting distance. 

Threat: 9/10

Wu, similarly to Tripp, is horrendous to fight against as Voden. His mobility combined with his pull make him incredibly hard to fight against. I'd always suggest you run and if you have to fight him, kite as much as humanly possible. Use Green Man decoy straight away and keep him poisoned. Try to dodge his Tongue Lash and if you do, use Hidden Spring to kite him again (whilst crossing your fingers and praying for miracle). 

Threat: 8/10

Xenobia’s is easy to kill as Voden as long as you don't let her near you. If you do, she can quickly chain-CC you to death before you can even switch places with your decoy. Kiting her just by running and using terrain is the best method so that can't hit you with Gaze of Envy. You should also try to save enough stamina you can dodge Words of Spite (she lifts her arms in the air) as well as Mark of Despair (a clearly defined AOE on the ground). 

Threat: 7/10

Tips

This section of our guide contains a list of tips and tricks we think will help your Voden play. We'll continue to add to the list as required and if you have any tips you'd like to share, let us know in the comments below and we'll place them here. 

1. Always try to preserve your stamina as much as possible. You need it to escape easily. 

2. Green Man decoy is a valuable tool for causing opposing Hero's to waste their cooldowns. Be clever about where you place it. 

3. Hidden Spring is a valuable heal that will keep you and your team mates alive. Be sure to place it where you and they can benefit from it. 

4. Remember that Hidden Spring also provides a super jump. Make use of it to access areas that other enemy Hero's can't easily follow. 

5. Always maximise your Arrowed attack before releasing it - it does much more damage. 

6. In a group fight don't just constantly apply poison to the same target. Be sure to hit different targets to make maximum the use of Contagion. 

7. Your Focus skill requires pin-point accuracy. Using it in a group fight is often best as it's then hard to miss with. If you have to use it 1 on 1, slow the person first with Hidden Spring. 

8. Use Voden's mobility to regularly wound the enemy Guardian. Your speed combined with Hidden Spring often allows you to get in and out incredibly easily.

9.  Even though you're agile, you're still squishy if caught in an immobilize or root. Be sure to learn and dodge skills (such as Cador's War Cry) that can keep you in one place. 

10. Voden is incredibly good at killing enemy Creatures thanks to Green Man decoy acting as a distraction. Make use of this to disrupt enemy backlines. 

11. If you're after a build that makes Voden highly support based, look here.

Ten Ton Hammer would like to thank GGUnleashed for their awesome Gigantic Skill Calculator! We'd also like to thank TehWolfman and Killboy for their input on this guide.