Ace released a guide on Centaur Warrunner in Dota 2

Centaur Warrunner’s main feature is his innate ability, Horsepower. It converts 40% of your Strength into additional movement speed. Simply put, the more Strength you buy, the faster you become.

It’s important to understand that this bonus does not stack with the bonus from boots. That’s exactly why players have practically stopped upgrading Boots of Speed to Phase Boots or Power Treads on Centaur. Instead, all gold is invested in strength items like Heart of Tarrasque and Assault Cuirass. These items provide both strength and, consequently, movement speed. This is the foundation of the hero’s entire modern build.

Hoof Stomp is the primary tool for initiating fights. The ability stuns all enemies within a 325-unit radius, deals 70–280 damage, and roots them for 1.6–2.2 seconds. As you level up the ability, the cooldown decreases from 18 to 12 seconds. There is a slight delay before the ability activates—about 0.5 seconds. During this delay, the Centaur cannot attack but can move, so you can slightly adjust your position before casting the ability. Most team fights typically begin with a combination of Blink Dagger and Hoof Stomp.

Retaliate is an ability that makes Centaur incredibly troublesome against heroes who rely on auto-attacks. Every hit you take deals 15–45 base damage plus a percentage of your Strength. At max level, that’s already 40% of your Strength as physical damage for every attack you take. Moreover, Retaliate works even against targets immune to ability effects. If a carry activates BKB and tries to quickly kill you, they’ll still take damage in return. Combined with Heart of Tarrasque, which significantly boosts a hero’s Strength, Centaur becomes a true nightmare for melee carries.

Double Edge deals 120–300 base damage plus 60–150% of Strength to a small area around the selected target. At the same time, Centaur takes the same amount of damage. This effect is practically unnoticeable thanks to the massive health regeneration provided by Heart of Tarrasque and Helm of Dominator. Furthermore, it’s impossible to die from Double Edge—the ability always leaves the hero with at least 1 HP. That’s why it’s actively used for aggression on the lane and is almost always cast before a fight begins.

Stampede is the hero’s ultimate ability. For 3.5–4.5 seconds, the entire team gains maximum movement speed, allies become less vulnerable to incoming damage, and enemies caught under Centaur’s feet take damage based on his strength. This is less of a chase ability and more of a powerful tool for initiating fights or saving allies. It’s most often used to instantly close the distance before a Blink Dagger and Hoof Stomp combo, or to punish opponents who’ve pushed too far behind your carry.

Always take Hoof Stomp at level one. It lets you participate in early kills, helps finish off creeps, and punishes overly aggressive supports. At level two, the choice depends on the situation. If opponents are constantly attacking you directly, you should take Retaliate. If you and your support have the opportunity to quickly kill an opponent, it’s better to take Double Edge. After that, in most cases, Retaliate is fully maxed out first. Many players underestimate this skill order, even though it’s precisely what makes Centaur very strong in the lane and allows you to farm the jungle quickly with virtually no health loss.

The ultimate is unlocked at levels 6, 12, and 18. After that, players usually choose one of the two abilities. Hoof Stomp is leveled up if the game involves constant fights and requires more crowd control. Double Edge is chosen if you need to farm faster and destroy structures more effectively.

The first item to buy is the Helm of Iron Will. It provides powerful health regeneration, allowing you to constantly trade blows on the lane without having to return to base. Then, upgrade the item to the Helm of Dominator. Immediately after purchasing it, subjugate a suitable neutral creep. Next, buy the Ring of Tarrasque, and then, around the 19-minute mark, complete the Heart of Tarrasque. The hero’s massive health pool compensates for his relatively low armor. Next, around the 21-minute mark, acquire the Blink Dagger, which unlocks the primary combo for initiating with Hoof Stomp. The next essential item is the Black King Bar.

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After the BKB, players usually buy the Assault Cuirass. This item buffs the entire team with its armor aura, reduces enemy armor, and provides attack speed, which pairs perfectly with Retaliate. Depending on the situation, you can also purchase Aghanim’s Shard, Aghanim’s Scepter, Pipe of Insight, Lotus Orb, and Octrarine Core.