Toro: The Harassing Tank

Build and Guide Toro: The Harassing Tank

Cheat Sheet
Skill Build
Start by placing a point into Bull Rush. This will help in clearing creep
waves (letting your laning partner get the last hit of course) as well as
provide a means of escape. Follow this up with Battlecry and then
Cracked Earth. I typically look to max Battlecry first because of its shield,
but there’s really no wrong way to go here. Just make sure to max Cracked
Earth at your earliest convenience.

Talents
Disrupt – Silencing a tower for few seconds is always helpful.
Heal - Used to keep you and teammates in the fight.
Sprint – Toro, like most Tanks, is a really slow character. This will help
whenever he needs to flee and/or rotate around the map.
Items
Hyoga’s Edge – mainly for early armor/magical defense and max HP.
Flashy Boots – for cooldown reduction.
Mantle of Ra – for armor, attack damage and magical damage over time.
The Aegis – for cooldown reduction, armor, and reduction in enemy attack
speed.
Gaia’s Standard – for magical defense, max HP, and speed boosts.
Medallion of Troy – for cooldown reduction, magical defense, max HP
and its shield.
Arcana
Strength
Life
Guard
Introduction
Toro is one of the strongest demon kings to ever walk the earth – as the
master of Thunder and Emerald Mountains, he commands respect. Players
looking to do the same on the battlefield will need to use Toro’s power
properly. They’ll need to know when to initiate a fight and how to control
the crowd. More importantly, they’ll have to realize that even though Toro
is strong, he isn’t exactly a killer; his out to shape fights, not win them…

Skills
Tough Hide (Passive) - Toro will not be affected by control effects when using abilities.
Damage taken also reduces by 20%.

Tough Hide helps in reducing incoming damage, but that’s why
it’s a great passive. The ability to circumvent control effects is
huge, especially during team fights. With proper timing, it’s
possible to keep Toro engaged without any pauses in his assault.

Bull Rush - Mana Cost: 80
Cooldown: 10 Sec.

Toro lunges towards his enemies, causing 115 (+163) physical
damage and knocking them into the air.

Level 1: Base Damage – 115. Cooldown: 10 sec.
Level 2: Base Damage – 130. Cooldown: 9.4 sec.
Level 3: Base Damage – 145. Cooldown: 8.8 sec.
Level 4: Base Damage – 160. Cooldown: 8.2 sec.
Level 5: Base Damage – 175. Cooldown: 7.6 sec.
Level 6: Base Damage – 190. Cooldown: 7 sec.

I mainly use Bull Rush to harass opponents. Or rather, that’s what I
use it for early on. Later in the game though, I use Bull Rush to
control the other team – once I’ve gotten my cooldown rather low,
I’m able to keep opponents off-balance using Bull Rush in
conjunction with Toro’s other abilities.

Battlecry - Mana Cost: 50
Cooldown: 10 sec.

Toro bellows with rage and gains a shield that absorbs 250
damage. Also deals 375 (+190) physical damage to enemies within
range and slows their movement speed by 35% for 1 second.

Level 1: Base Damage – 375. Cooldown 10 sec. Shield
Points: 250.
Level 2: Base Damage – 425. Cooldown 9.4 sec. Shield
Points: 300.
Level 3: Base Damage – 475. Cooldown 8.8 sec. Shield
Points: 350.
Level 4: Base Damage – 525. Cooldown 8.2 sec. Shield
Points: 400.
Level 5: Base Damage – 575. Cooldown 7.6 sec. Shield
Points: 450.
Level 6: Base Damage – 625. Cooldown 7 sec. Shield
Points: 500.

Battlecry is an all-around great ability (sans the slight delay in
activation). Not only does it do decent damage for a Tank, it also
slows enemies caught in the blast. The shield helps in keeping
Toro alive, giving him incentive to jump right into the fray.

Cracked Earth - Mana Cost: 150
Cooldown: 40 sec.

Toro leaps to the target area and stomps the ground 3 times. The
first 2 stomps deal 150 (+122) physical damage, and the third
stomp deals 200 (+163) physical damage. The first stomp reduces
enemies' movement speed by 30% for 1 second; the second stomp
reduces enemies' movement speed by 40% for 1 second; the third
stomp knocks enemies into the air.

Level 1: Base Damage – 150. Cooldown – 40 sec.
Level 2: Base Damage – 200. Cooldown – 35 sec.
Level 3: Base Damage – 250. Cooldown – 30 sec.

Cracked Earth isn’t a strong Ult. damage wise. It is, however, an
awesome means of disruption. Most players will either try to flee
after getting caught in the first blast/stomp. Because each stomp
slows their movement, they’ll either have to burn through their
escape abilities or use sprint. This proves useful – if they are
fleeing, they aren’t attacking. On the other hand, if they choose to
stay and fight, they’ll eventually be knocked into the air. This
disorientates opponents (any ability that was set to fire will need to
be queued up again).

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.

Disrupt - Cooldown – 60 sec.

Silences a structure for 5 seconds.

It’s pretty self-explanatory. Pop this when your team is looking to take down a
tower during mid to late game, but your creeps are far behind. It’s also great for
ganks; if a teammate ganks an enemy but fails to kill them before they make it
back to the tower, you can use Disrupt to allow them to safely finish the deed.

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. It’s also great for needing a little extra time to take out a tower
(if you’re tanking it).

Sprint - Cooldown – 100 sec.

Increases movement speed by 30% for 10 sec.

Most tanks are slow. Toro is no exception. Sprint can negate some of this
slowness during key moments if used properly.

Items
Starter - Hyoga’s Edge, Flashy Boots

Hyoga’s Edge is an inexpensive start when it comes to armor and magical
defense. Not only that, it offers 1200 Max HP and helps control fights –
it’s passive increases the wearer’s movements while slowing an attacker
with each basic hit. This goes well with Toro’s abilities, most of which
slows down the enemies he’s engaging.

The Flashy Boots will help Toro get around. There 10% cooldown
reduction is the main reason to get them though.

Mid Game -

Mantle of Ra, The Aegis

Mantle of Ra provides 330 armor and +80 attack damage while its passive
dishes out 100 (+4 per level) magic damage to nearby enemies every
second. It’s a good item to have in the early parts of the match. The reason
I moved it to the mid game is because the other items are needed sooner –
Hyoga’s Edge gives armor and much needed magical defense while the
boots are needed for their cooldown.

At this point we’ve built up a decent amount of armor. Now it’s time to go
back to Toro’s main attributes. The Aegis will offer up 20% cooldown
speed and a passive that slows an attacker’s attack and movement speeds.
The idea is for Toro to be able to use his abilities to control team fights
(this is done via knocking up and/or slowing opponents). So, items that
help keep him alive while also continuing to lower his cooldowns is a
must. The extra reduction is speed via The Aegis’ passive is a bonus.

End Game - Gaia’s Standard, Medallion of Troy

The reason I chose Gaia’s standard is twofold. 1. It offers more magical
defense, something this build is lacking. 2. It provides a 5% increase to
movement. Toro is slow, so any extra movement speed is great. That said, I
didn’t want to forgo any protections. Plus, the Standard also restores 8% HP
over 2 seconds when attacked.

The Medallion of Troy tops off this build with extra cooldown reduction, more
HP, and 360 magical defense. It also gains a shield that absorbs 300 (+50 per
level) magical damage every 18 seconds. Basically, it greatly increases Toro’s
magical defenses and allows him to use his abilities more often. It is possible to
switch this item with something else (if say, you’re coming up on physical
based attackers more often). That said, it’s still worth getting because of the
cooldown reduction.

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 Toro.

Strength – Attack Damage +0.9

Toro doesn’t hit that hard…at all. A little extra strength may help him squeeze
out a kill or two though.

Life – Max HP + 21

The more HP you have, the less you have to worry about armor.

Guard – Armor +2.5

…that said, it’s still a good idea to get some armor. He is a Tank after all.
Again, these are great for starting out. The pool holds more than just three of Arcana. For
instance, I was able to add Benevolence (Max HP +45, HP/5 sec +5.2, Movement Speed
+ 0.4%). It didn’t help Toro do more damage. It did however, help him rotate quicker and
live longer…even if only by a small margin.

Early Game
Toro is all about controlling fights. In that sense, he acts more like a warrior –
he’ll be engaging enemies first, dealing out damage, and disrupting attackers.
He’s still a tank though. Meaning, you’ll need to focus on being supportive more
often than not. Starting out, I make sure to place a point in Bull Rush before
partnering with someone. I’d prefer to link up with someone who can capitalize
on my ability to slow enemies. That said, you can’t choose your teammates. What
you don’t want to do is go it alone given Toro’s kit.

At this point, I’d start building Hyoga’s Edge and help lane. Bull Rush comes in
handy here as it’ll allow you to run through creeps, damaging them and knocking
them into the air. It also helps you peruse or escape attacking enemies. I wouldn’t
get too aggressive till Battlecry is unlocked though.

Grabbing Flash Boots will be a big boon given the cooldown reduction. Bull Rush
will be coming usable more often, allowing it to become a better means of
harassment. Partnering that will Battlecry (which slows enemies) will make it
possible to get early kills. Combined with Disrupt, following up on gank attempts
via tower dives is more feasible – you can surprise a person who thinks they’re
safe hiding behind a tower, knocking them into the air without taking damage.

Mid Game
At this point, if things are going well, you should already have Mantle of Ra. In
any case, once it’s purchased, you’ll be able to better clear creeps while staving
off attacks in lane. The goal is to build The Aegis as soon as possible (rotate when
needed but don’t seek out fights just yet).

Once the Aegis is purchased, it’s time to go on the offensive. You’ll have a decent
amount of armor, a nice cooldown reduction, and passives that’ll help lock down
opponents. Still don’t go it alone of course. Remember you’re to play a supportive
role. Only dive head first into team fights when you know your teammates will be
able to back you up. Otherwise, continue to knock around those looking to attack
weaker heroes on your team.

End Game
Toro’s unique passive well help when it comes to mages with powerful control
abilities. Knowing when you use your abilities and how long they last (giving you
a window were crowd control is mute) is key. That said, getting Gaia’s Standard
will make dealing with them less of a headache.

Once Medallion of Troy is purchase, all bets are off. As the match progressed,
you should have been getting more and more aggressive. At this point though,
Toro’s cooldowns are low enough for him to be a major pain to the opposing
team. He’ll be slowing and knocking up enemies left and right. It’s even possible
to lock them down with an ability loop. Getting in with Bull Rush and quickly
following up with Battlecry, will allow you to chain in Cracked Earth. If you’re
lucky enough to land all three stomps, you’ll be in position to follow up with
another Bull Rush (give or take a few seconds). Even if your targets outlive the
slows, you should be able to stay in range long enough to get off another Bull
Rush.

By continuing this loop, you can really take it to the opposing team. It will be
risky of course. You’ll be their main target before long. Hopefully, your
teammates will be able to dispatch most of the threats before your health gets too
low.

FAQ/Tips
It’s dangerous to go it alone. That should be the mantra for all Tanks. This is
especially true when dealing with any hero with strong control-based attacks
(including an opposing Toro). Outside of that though, there isn’t much that can
stop a good Toro. Time your attacks well, incorporate the aforementioned loop
(when you can) and know when to engage/leave a fight.

Counters
Toro plays well with any Marksmen with a stun (Valhein comes to mind) and any
hard-hitting Mage. He doesn’t do that well with most Warriors, at least early on,
given how long it can take for them to kill enemies. Don’t expect him to finish off
anyone either. It happens, sure. But Toro doesn’t hit hard enough for him to be
consider a threat on those lines. No, he is best suited to disrupt fights, making it
easier for his teammates to flee and/or get kills.

While Toro’s passive is great for crowd control, it isn’t as effective as it could be.
It usually comes down to your timing and how many abilities are being sent your
way. One or two enemies, no problem. Three is too much on a good day. Rival
Toros, Grakk, Arthur, Cresht – there are a bunch of heroes that can make the
going get tough. Still, if you use your head and stick with others, you won’t have
much to worry about…most of the time!