Cresht: The Resilient Sentry

Build and Guide Cresht: The Resilient Sentry

Cheat Sheet
Skill build:

I normally start by placing a point in Aquatic Shield. That way I can support my lane partner, keeping them alive so they can farm. That said, you can’t really go wrong here. Cresht’s abilities are pretty balanced in terms of use. Typhoon, Aquatic Shield – it doesn’t matter which one you max first. 

Talents:

Sprint – Great for escaping after engaging/supporting a teammate early on.

Heal - Used to keep you and teammates in the fight.

Disrupt – It silences structures – great for mid to late game pushes.

Items:

Sonic Boots – supplies armor and speed.

Mantla of Ra – adds attack damage, armor and constant magic damage to enemies.

Mail of Pain – for armor, max HP, and a passive that deflects damage back at enemies.

Gaia’s Standard – for magical defense, max HP, and speed boosts.

Hercules’ Madness – adds attack damage, armor, magic defense and more.

Amulet of Longevity – raises max HP, gives HP every five seconds, increases healing

Arcana

Strength – raises attack damage

Leech – adds life steal

Willpower – adds magical defense

Skill build sequence: 2 > 1 > 2 > 3 > 2 > 2 > 1 > 3 > 2 > 2 > 1 > 3 > 1 > 1 > 1

Introduction
Cresht, the Mermidon, is one tough cookie. Hardened through his trails in the Boiling Sea, this Tank has developed a unique skillset that enables him to endure the deadliest encounters – like a lopsided team fight – as well as increase his teammates’ survivability. His Aquatic Shield can be used to grant his allies a defensive barrier; he’ll hop to a location before conjuring a whirlpool to shield those around him. Typhoon can knock enemies away or towards say a tower, depending on his positioning. And Metamorphosis turns Cresht into a hulking monster capable of doing some serious damage. Basically, he’s great to have around.

Skill Build
Tidal Rage (Passive)

Cresht gains Rage with normal attacks when Metamorphosis is not active. When morphed, Cresht shakes the Earth each time he uses an ability, reducing movement speed of enemies in the area by 50% for 2 seconds and significantly increases his attack damage. 

In order to use Cresht’s ultimate (Metamorphosis), you have to build up enough Rage. This is good and bad. On one hand, you don’t have to worry about having enough mana to transform. It also allows you to cast his altered abilities once he transforms (as long as they aren’t already on cooldown). The bad thing is that you have to build Rage. While it isn’t a tough thing to do, it isn’t as easy as going back to the fountain to receive more mana.

Typhoon

Rage: 0

Cooldown: 6 sec.

Cresht’s lance swings grant Rage, knock back surrounding heroes and deal 360 (+122) physical damage. Under Metamorphosis, Cresht summons a geyser that deals 400 (+191) physical damage.

Level 1: Base Damage – 360. Damage (Morphed) – 400.

Level 2: Base Damage – 435. Damage (Morphed) – 480.

Level 3: Base Damage – 510. Damage (Morphed) – 560.

Level 4: Base Damage – 585. Damage (Morphed) – 640.

Level 5: Base Damage – 660. Damage (Morphed) – 720.

Level 6: Base Damage – 735. Damage (Morphed) – 800.

Typhoon is an all-around great ability. It’s can move enemy heroes away from your group when trying to flee. It can also knock them towards allies – I’d sometimes use Aquatic Shield to hop behind enemies and pop Typhoon to push them into our attacks/tower. Given it’s decent attack damage, especially when morphed, it isn’t bad at killing enemies either.   

Aquatic Shield

Rage: 0

Cooldown: 10 sec.

Cresht jumps to the target location, summoning a whirlpool that grants friendly heroes a shield, absorbing up to 500 (+72) damage. Cresht also gains Rage. Under Metamorphosis, Cresht jumps to the target location and summons a whirlpool that deals 380 (+144) physical damage to enemies within range. 

Level 1: Damage Reduction – 500. Damage (Morphed) – 380.

Level 2: Damage Reduction – 570. Damage (Morphed) – 430.

Level 3: Damage Reduction – 640. Damage (Morphed) – 480.

Level 4: Damage Reduction – 710. Damage (Morphed) – 530.

Level 5: Damage Reduction – 780. Damage (Morphed) – 580.

Level 6: Damage Reduction – 850. Damage (Morphed) – 630.

Aquatic Shield is what keeps everyone alive. Hopping to an ally who’s just about to die, shielding them from a powerful attack at the last second, often turns the table in a fight. It’s also is great for escaping a dire situation. A well-placed jump could put a decent amount of distance between you and your pursuers. The fact that Cresht is also shielded when he lands, means getting away with low health is possible. 

Metamorphosis

Rage: 100

Cooldown: 40 sec.

Cresht consumes all Rage and morphs into his true form, growing in size and gaining an absorbtion shield. He then summons a massive tidal wave, pushing enemies aside and stunning the enemies at the end of the wave, also dealing 400 (+153) physical damage. Cresht gains movement speed while riding the wave, and loses speed once he leaves it. 



Level 1: Base Damage – 400.

Level 2: Base Damage – 500.

Level 3: Base Damage – 600.

I’m surprised at how versatile Metamorphosis is in terms of controlling the battlefield. It can stun foes, push them around, slow them – all while inflicting damage. Knowing the right time to use this ult. can change how team fights are approached (and ultimately won).

Note: I personally like to max Aquatic Shield first. That said, you can’t really go wrong here. As long as you upgrade Metamorphosis whenever possible, you’re golden!

Recommended Talents
Out of all of the Talents, these are the ones I like using the most – only one is available per match, so picking the best one for the playstyle/build is important. I’ve placed them in order based on how I play and when they are unlocked.

Sprint

Cooldown – 100 sec.

Increases movement speed by 30% for 10 seconds.

This, combined with the jump from Aquatic Shield, helps to keep Cresht ahead of his pursuers. 

Heal

Cooldown – 120 sec.

You and nearby teammates instantly recover 15% HP and gain 15% movement speed for 2 seconds.

Heal should be used when things get hairy. It’ll allow you to flee as well as heal anyone near you.

Disrupt

Cooldown – 60 sec.

Silences a structure for 5 seconds.

This is another Talent that works well with Aquatic Shield. Poping this when going for a tower will give you five seconds of uncontested attacks (as long as no enemy heroes are present). When it wears off, activating your shield will allow you to stay near the tower. If you’re teammates are paying attention (and everyone is properly leveled/geared) you should be able to down the tower without taking any damage.

Items
Starter: Sonic Boots, Mantle of Ra

I tend to get the boots first for speed and low costing armor. You shouldn’t need to flee so early in the game. That said, if you’re ganked, you can use your speed and Aquatic Shield to get out of trouble. 

Mantle of Ra will further increase Cresht’s armor as well as raise his attack damage. The constant damage is what we’re looking for though; it deals 100(+4 per level) magic damage to nearby enemies. This is great given how Cresht will be more concerned with supporting his teammate than actually fighting.

Mid Game: Mail of Pain, Gaia’s Standard

Mail of Pain and Mantle of Ra will both bost Cresht’s damage output. While Ra will do constant magical damage, Pain will deflect 15% of physical damage taken back to enemies. Meaning it’s not safe to attack/be near him even when he’s not focused on fighting. These items will also increase his max HP and armor.

Gaia’s Standard will grant some much-needed magical defense, more HP and a 5% movement speed buff. It’s also regenerate 8% HP over 2 seconds (with a 10 sec. cooldown) when taking damage.

Items that increases Cresht’s longevity without forsaking attack damage is what we’re after! 

End Game: Hercules’ Madness, Amulet of Longevity

Hercules’ Madness will increase Cresht’s attack damage while adding more armor/magical defense. Its passive is great in that it further increases his attack damage by 40 and grants a shield when his HP is below 40%.

Amulet of Longevity grants more HP than you’ll ever need. We’re talking +1700 max HP, +100 HP/5 sec. and a passive that increases your overall HP by 10%. Not only that, it also boosts healing taken by 20%. With the proper teammates nearby, there’s absolutely no reason to run from a fight.

Arcana
You’ll unlock tons of different Arcana through continued play; the pool will fill up over time. Early on, you’ll only have access to level 1 Arcana though. Here are three good ones to have when using Cresht.

Strength – Attack Damage + 0.9

Cresht’s attacks are decent for a Tank. For the most part though, most don’t expect him to kill anyone given his role as a supporting hero. That’s why he’s able to catch people off guard; they won’t expect him to hit as hard as he does with the right build and Arcana!

Leech – Life Steal + 0.4%

You really can replace this with any defensive Arcana. I personally like life steal; you can swap it with something like Fortify (Armor +5.4) no problem.

Willpower – Magic Defense +2.5

My particular build doesn’t have a ton of magical defense. Using an Arcana like Willpower will offset this. 

Again, these are great for starting out. The pool holds more than just three of Arcana. Colossus (Max HP + 75) and Mythril (Armor +5, Magic Defense + 5) are good choices once unlocked/purchased.

Early Game
Similar to my Lu Bu build, I’d start by getting the Sonic Boots. They don’t cost that much to complete, and it gives Cresht a decent amount of armor while reducing incoming attack damage by 15%.

In terms of abilities, putting points into Aquatic Shield is a smart move. It’ll help shield you and your laning partner when dealing with foes early on. It’ll also make it easier to escape a pesky jungler looking to gank. That said, Typhoon can be of use as well. How useful depends on your timing and position, relative to your foes; moving behind them and knocking them into your tower or ally’s ability is a risky, but often rewarding tactic. This is especially true if you’re with someone with a slow moving AoE move as you’ll knock fleeing enemies back into it. Don’t forget to secure the Mantle of Ra to help lane. It’ll keep you alive while you batter creeps with it’s passive.

Mid Game
At this point, Mail of Pain should be completed given its relatively low cost. You should also be accustomed to maneuvering around with Aquatic Shield – whether to quickly shield allies from attack or to get behind enemies and whack them with Typhoon. All and all, you’ll be engaging in team fights more often.

Once Gaia’s Standard is acquired, you can start being more aggressive. Sticking with someone is the smart move, though I’ve been known to split push if a lane is clear (with the understanding that I’ll need to quickly flee if things of south). 

Late Game
Hercules’ Madness will allow you to really do damage. You won’t be hitting as hard as other heroes (Marksmen, Mages, etc.) of course. It is possible to snag a bunch of kills from unsuspecting foes though. Some of this will come by way of Metamorphosis. Activating it from behind a group to push them into your allies, stunning them so they can’t get away; using your hard-hitting moves to deal damage and slow their movement speed; disrupting a losing battle using the wave…these things are all rather easy to do. And thanks to Madness, they’ll all sting just a little bit more than usual.

The match is usually over by the time I get Amulet of Longevity. Still, this last item is great of keeping Cresht in the fight (hence its name). A good healer’s efforts will be boosted by the amulet’s passive and the +100 HP/5 is nothing to sneeze at. Team fights are yours to control.

FAQ/Tips
There’s really no wrong way to go when it comes to Cresht’s abilities. You could level his first two evenly throughout the match and be fine. It really comes down to how and when you use them. And don’t be afraid to use Metamorphosis outside of team fights. It’s possible to save a teammate using the wave; saving an ally and possibly getting a kill (if they did enough damage before fleeing) is better than waiting for the “perfect” moment.

As always, make sure to watch out for controls. It’s good to have Typhoon ready to push back enemies looking to close in after you’ve been stunned or frozen. Know when to flee and when to jump back into battle using Aquatic Shield, being mindful of its cooldown.

Matchups
Cresht works well with Marksmen thanks to his shield. Early kills can be racked up when they aren’t forced to flee back to a tower. Valhein and Yorn are always good choices. Healers like Mganga are great partners, especially during the end game (after you’ve purchased the Amulet of Longevity).

There isn’t really anyone who gives me trouble when playing as Cresht. The problem comes in when you’re so locked down by controls that you can’t escape (fighting enemies like Grakk and Azzen’ Ka at the same time isn’t a good idea). When that happens, any Marksmen with a decent build can take you out. The other issue has to do with being too eager. Jumping into a losing fight, even to save a friend, might be a bad choice; your Aquatic Shield will be on cooldown for one. Knowing when to do what is key.