1. Pros and Cons 2. Abilities 3. Talents 3.1 Tier 2 - Level 4 3.2 Tier 3 - Level 7 3.3 HEROIC Tier - Level 10 3.4 Tier 5 - Level 13 3.5 Tier 6 - Level 16 3.6 FINAL Tier - Level 20 4. Laning Strategy 5. Map Breakdown

You can look around HeroesFire and find the typical builds for Lili - Traditional Healer and Serpent build. I've included both in the guide and these builds will be referenced in the talent section for your convenience. But when you've played Lili as much as I have, you start to notice talents and abilities that are really underplayed and for no good reason. Enter: Water Tribe Li Li

When to use this build:

As a solo-support at high-level play, it is strictly better to play Traditional Healer with variations based upon team compositions because you will need to heal your team. It's common courtesy.

If you have two supports, or your team is lacking damage, the Water Bender build will still heal a fair amount (especially mid-game to late game) but Li Li's healing and damage capacity will increase exponentially with each talent tier.

Pros

[+] Blind effect
[+] Versatile playstyle and builds
[+] Short cooldown heal
[+] Fast & mobile; hard to chase
[+] High DPS for a support
[+] Kung-Fu Panda™

Cons

[-] Poor Wave-clear
[-] Extremely dependent on positioning
[-] Positioning requires her to be near frontline
[-] Susceptible to Crowd-Control (Stuns, slows, roots)
[-] Lacks targeting ability
[-] Threats are heroes with large burst or crowd-control effects.

Healing Brew (Q) Cooldown: 3 seconds Mana: 30 Heal lowest Health ally (prioritizing Heroes) for 203.84 (+4% per level) Health. Given the prioritization of Healing Brew, Li li never wants to be below the health of teammates and positioning is important if you want to heal a certain hero that doesn't have the lowest health.

Level 4 (Tier 1): 228 Level 7 (Tier 2): 252 Level 10 (Tier 3): 277 Level 13 (Tier 4): 301 Level 16 (Tier 5): 326 Level 20 (Tier 6): 358.61

Cloud Serpent (W) Cooldown: 10 seconds Mana: 30 Summon a Cloud Serpent on target allied Hero that automatically attacks nearby enemies, doing 30.16 (+4% per level) damage per attack. Heroes can only have 1 Cloud Serpent at a time. Lasts for 8 seconds.

Level 4 (Tier 1): 33.78 Level 7 (Tier 2): 37.40 Level 10 (Tier 3): 41.01 Level 13 (Tier 4): 44.64 Level 16 (Tier 5): 48.26 Level 20 (Tier 6): 53.46

Blinding Wind (E) Cooldown: 10 seconds Mana: 40 Throw a cloud of Blinding Wind at the 2 nearest enemies (prioritizing Heroes), dealing 137.28 (+4% per level) damage. Affected targets miss all Basic Attacks for the next 2 seconds.

Level 4 (Tier 1): 153.75 Level 7 (Tier 2): 170.22 Level 10 (Tier 3): 186.70 Level 13 (Tier 4): 203.17 Level 16 (Tier 5): 219.65 Level 20 (Tier 6): 241.61

Combat Trait

Fast Feet (Passive) Upon taking damage, gain 10% Movement Speed for 1 second.

Heroic Abilities

Jug of 1,000 Cups (R) Cooldown: 70 seconds Mana: 100 Rapidly tosses brew to the most injured nearby allies, prioritizing Heroes, restoring a total of 1697.28 (+4% per level) Health over 6 seconds.

Water Dragon (R) Cooldown: 45 seconds Mana: 100 Summon a Water Dragon that after a delay hits the nearest enemy Hero and all enemies near them, dealing 199.68 (+4% per level) damage and slowing their Movement Speed by 70% for 4 seconds.

Conjurer's Pursuit is chosen for the need to sustain Li li's large mana requirements. Since Li Li can quickly spam her abilities, she needs the mana regeneration to keep up and this talent will help.

Mass Vortex allows Blinding Winds to hit 2 additional targets, to a total of 4. Blinding the majority of the team will help turn team fights in your favour. Later, this talent will grant you 20% ability power with Surging Winds.

Shake It Off significantly reduces a stun and root that might otherwise get you killed; however, this talent doesn't help you with slows or other crowd control effects. Interestingly, this talent is more effective with the Water Bender build because Li Li can afford to shake off a stun with Water Dragon whereas a stun could devastate other builds by cancelling Jug of 1,000 Cups

Water Dragon is picked up for the ability to slow multiple enemies for 70% for 4 seconds more than it is for the damage. Timing and position is everything with this ability. The small delay will allow you get into position or it can predict the range to the opponent if used inappropriately. The slow can be viewed as disengage tool similar to Mighty Gust. Alternatively, it can be viewed as a ganking tool, in which the ability is activated out of enemy sight and initiates a fight where the target(s) cannot escape easily. Giving Li Li an offensive ability with a low cooldown is perfect for the high mobility and offensive capability of this build.

Surging Winds is picked because the talent can give Li Li a consistent 20% bonus Ability Power (4 stacks of 5%) in team fights with Mass Vortex. The increase in power increases damage and healing capabilities significantly. Because Blinding Winds has travel time, stacks may be gained at differnt times but because each stack refreshes the duration (8 secs), the duration could be longer than Blinding Winds cooldown.

Two For One doubles your healing capacity for a small cost of cooldown (only 1.5 seconds). This talent is picked to give your team much more sustain but also to get around the prioritization of her heals. If Li Li is lower than an ally, the heal is prioritized on her but with this talent, you can heal yourself and an ally. The synergy with Kung Fu Hustle is amazing as well, allowing you to heal two allies every second 2 seconds.

Kung Fu Hustle is taken to maximize all the talents we've taken so far with the Water Bender build. Li li excels at a close proximity to her enemy, healing frontline allies and blinding enemies that stray to close. You'll find that Fast Feet will be active most of the time just from your positioning and that means that you're taking damage that will also activate Kung Fu Hustle and allows you to heal/blind/slow more often. There is a lot of synergy between this talent and others we've taken with this build. Conjurer's Pursuit gives you the mana to spam your lowered CD abilities. Mass Vortex with Surging Winds on lowered cooldowns guarentee's an almost persistent 20% ability power in team fights. Two For One on a shorter cooldown allows for wider healing and finally Water Dragon could be used twice or more a fight (one as an engage tool, a second time as a disengage or chase). This talent is extremely effective against any lingering or AOE damage effects since it will trigger upon any damage like Fast Feet.

Laning Strategy

• Aid allies clearing waves.
• Be proactive with your heals. If you hold Q, you will constantly use Healing Brew after every cooldown.
• Blind enemies during waves to prevent them from harrassing and clearing.
• Harrass enemy heroes with Blinding Wind and then with basic attack when they are blinded.
• Use Cloud Serpant sparingly to conserve mana but don't be afraid to use it to harrass a melee opponent.
• Gather as many regeneration globes as possible to help you continue this strategy or if you've taken Conjurer's Pursuit

General tips:

• Always be soaking EXP unless ganking or taking an objective.
• Fight on the same tier level (or above) and try to lead opponent in experience.
• Rotate to other lanes whenever necessary for early ganks or more experience.
• Take mercenaries when you have room in your lane (i.e. the wave is too far into enemy territory).
• Be careful of enemy heroes trying to gank you. Don't over-extend in your lane.
• Pay attention to Map Objectives, they often take precedence over your lane.

Early Game (1-7)

Tier 1 - Level 1
LANING: Lane with a teammate and accompany them if they roam from lane to lane. Make sure all three lanes have at least one teammate so that you don't lose exp (you might be forced to soak a lane alone but communicate that you'd rather accompany a teammate).
Focus on winning your lane and getting globes.
Take a team-mate to capture a mercenary at roughly 2 minutes (depending on map).

Tier 2 - Level 4
Most map objectives start when you are around level 4. Help your team win objectives (See Map Objectives above)
Mass Vortex will benefit you most here with the contested objectives and the teamfights that are likely to ensue.

Tier 3 - Level 7
Shake It Off will allow you to play a little more aggressively and helps your survivability. You should be very cautious when this talent is down however.
Soak as much experience as possible so that you're team is first to heroic talents.

Mid Game (10-13)

Tier 4 - Level 10

If you are level 10 and your opponents are not very close, initiate a fight immediately to capitalize on your heroic abilities. Water Dragon will allow you to capitalize on the level advantage by initiating a gank. Vice versa, it could help you disengage from a fight that isn't going your way.

Tier 5 - Level 13
This tier is usually when teams start to play aggressive and stop laning altogether. Surging Winds is almost perfect to capitalize on teamfights, increasing your damage and healing by giving you ability power. This is where Li Li can start playing aggressively, having the right defensive and offensive traits.

Late Game (16-20)

Tier 6 - Level 16
Two For One will allow you to really sustain your team by essentially doubling your healing capacity. At this point, a full team roam can be effective to capitalize on long death timers. Roaming will also help capture objectives, catch enemies out of possible, and help take boss camps quickly. It will also decrease the likelihood of getting ganked yourself. Laning can be prioritized if you indeed to reach level 20 before the opposing team and have a decisive team-fight.

Tier 7 - Level 20
Once you have Kung Fu Hustle, you should be playing a bit more aggresively with your team. Don't be afraid to soak some damage to lower your cooldowns but don't overextend too far. You should position just behind your warriors. Spam your abilities - constantly heal your allies, blind your enemies and keep them slowed with Water Dragon

Battlefield of Eternity

Lane with allies. Defend your Angel/Demon Immortal first and focus on Heroes. Let your assassin(s) do the damage to the Immortal. Your job is to keep everyone alive and sustain the team. Try to capture bruiser camps just before immortals to divert your enemies attention during the objective.
Battlefield of Eternity is a contesting-oriented map.

Blackheart's Bay

Go top with team for watchtower. First treasure chest is at 50 seconds but clear top quickly before it. Use your heals to keep your team in the fight but use your blind to disrupt enemy attacks on the chest. Cloud serpant can allow you to clear chests much faster by essentially allowing you to attack twice.
Maintain control of Pirate Captain area, and keep an eye on both team's coin collection.
Help team-mates with a surplus of coins, focus enemy heroes with coins.
Blackheart's Bay is a contesting-oriented map

Cursed Hollow

Utilize your mobility, and sustainability to contest the curse.
Stay grouped with your team for the objectives.
- Don't be afraid to give up a curse if your team is too far away or if several teammates are dead.
Curses spawn in a set of three (in close intervals). Their position is at one of six locations randomly chosen but there will never be three curses in a row on the same side of the map.
Be very aware of Boss camps, when they spawn and if the enemy is doing theirs or invading yours.
This is a push-oriented map where huge level advantages can be gained during the Curse phase.

Dragon Shire

Take a side lane but you can also lane middle effectively with your sustain. Never solo.
Dragon Knight is prioritized over anything. Take it if its open.
Save your heroic to capture moon or sun shrines.
This is a contesting-oriented map.

Garden of Terror

Your sustainability is amazing on this map, allowing you to fight for the Giant Terrors.
Prioritize small plant camps over larger ones. Your whole team should do either the top or bottom terror rather than splitting up.
If you are in the Terror, roam from lane to lane planting seeds and destroying structures unless you can push a fort/core. This is a push-oriented map.

Haunted Mines

Lane with the majority of your team.
Time your capture of your side's Siege Camp so they reach the enemy golem as its about to reach the gate.
Middle mercenary camp can be taken if you lost the mines.
This is a push-oriented map, contesting is limited to the Mines themselves.

Infernal Shrines

First shrine spawns: 1:45 and next shrines starts 1:45 after the last Punisher is killed.
Shrines locations are random.
Win the teamfight or zone the enemy team out before you start the objective.
When defending a Punisher, bait it over the gate so that your fort can quickly dispatch it. Be wary of stuns.
This map has the tendency to snowball quickly due to the strength of the Infernal Titans. This is heavily a contesting-oriented because of the Shrines' importance and frequency.

Sky Temple

First Temples are at top and middle and appear at 1:30.
next Temples start 2 minutes after the last temple ends.
Second temple is bottom, take bruiser camp before it starts to pressure top while bottom shrine is contested.
Zone the enemy out of the Temples.
Be careful with boss since both sides have easy access to it and lots of bushes to gank.
The Temple zones and boss camp are contesting-oriented.

Tomb of the Spider Queen

Since the lanes are so close together you can maintain a 4-man gank squad that roams top and middle lane while an ally soaks bottom lane.
Turn in the Spider Gems frequently but be aware that ganks are bound to happen at the turn-in zone.
Be wary of enemy ganks and ambushes.
This is a push-oriented map, contesting is limited.

Towers of Doom

Tower spawning is randomly between 1:20 and 1:50. First one is bottom.
The camps are incredibly important on this map since they do a lot of siege damage and even do direct damage to the core if the enemy keep has been taken.
This is a constesting-oriented map with pushes made to capture keeps so that shrines and pumpkin camps can deal more damage to core.