Can a solo Rat work well?

Heeelllloooo! (VVGH)

Today, I'm here to ask your opinion: Can a solo Ratatoskr work well?
If yes, which build can be done to efficiently do what a solo should do? (Maybe tank?)

I'm bored playing with him as jungler so I'm trying to find new ways to revive one of my favorite characters in this game (mainly now that I have Ragnatoskr skin *-*) and I notice some people go solo with him.

I tried it in these two matches and worked pretty well:
first time
second try.

I would build him as a bruiser: sure Ratatoskr's still an assassin, but you need to be able to hold your own during the laning phase. So start with, say, Warrior's Blessing, Magic Acorn, and however many potions you think you'll need. After you're able to upgrade to Acorn of Yggdrasil, buy Gladiator's Shield if you're up against a physical enemy or Ancile if magical. You can also skip glad's and go straight for Breastplate of Valor if the enemy jungler is ganking a lot.

After you've gotten your protections against your lane opponent and the jungler (if necessary), it's time to start building up your power, CDR, and pen like you would if you were jungling. Speaking of which, your job in team fights is to be that second jungler who dives the back line and tries to pick off the squishy enemy gods. Do not try to act like a warrior solo and tank the front line because you will more likely get blown up.

I'm sure Kriega will come by and offer you better advice, but I hope mine gets you started at least.

Yep, I noticed everyone did a bruiser build to him on the videos that I watched.
Thanks.

Gulf's general suggestions seem pretty good to me.

• Any god with a global ult/escape can be nice to have. The fact that he can get to mid quickly to gank is good.
  
  
• He's got inherent protection reduction to help do more damage when they're counter-building you.
  
  
• He's got a stun to interrupt channeled abilities (e.g. Nike, Cerberus).
  
  
• He's got a slow for gap-closing/aggression, or you can use it for escape.
  
  
• He's usually built bruiser to begin, so buying protections is nothing new to him.
  
  
• He can be pretty mana hungry, so having the blue buff is nice.

But a lifesteal wouldn't be better than gladiator?

Gladiator's Shield procs only on enemy gods and is base in % of life and mana, two things that he doesn't have so much since his hp and mana pool are one of the lowest in the game.

So if you are looking for heal, Soul Eater wouldn't be better healing more?

Remember in Solo, a lot of building is about counter. Your suggestions of Soul Eater or other lifesteal options are nice for health sustain, but your main clear is going to come from ability use, so you won't get as much out of lifesteal (though arguably, Soul Eater does help due to ability lifesteal).

Keep in mind, I'm pretty sure the ability lifesteal from it is subject to the same AOE restrictions as magical lifesteal...in that AOE abilities only provide 33%...so his 2 and 3 will only give him 5% lifesteal from abilities.

Anyway, back to counter-building. You're going to look to exchange damage a lot in the early game...wave clear first, then boxing 1v1. Lifesteal items don't give protections. Gladiator's Shield, of course, is used against physical enemies, so you would skip it against magical gods. But that early protection WILL help. You're getting Glad for the variety of stats...cheap CDR, protection, some power, and the heal...not just the heal.

So we can say that gladiator is a core item (or at least almost) against physical enemies?

And what about magical? Ancile? Runic Shield doesn't worth, right? I mean, this item can be useful at early game, but at mid/late I can't see it working well due the low stats and de passive that drop the "boots power" and at mid late gane, with other items I guess that it doesn't make difference.

I'd say it's a solid item, but not necessarily core against physical enemies. Depends what you feel like. As Gulf said, you can just go straight into Breastplate of Valor if you prefer. Rat loves CDR (especially with the new longer early CD on his ult).

Ancile is a bruiser anti-magical item, and should get some function especially when you initiate on magical enemies...but it's not a must-buy.

Void Shield, to me, is more of a core item. Works well with his kit's protection reductions. He's not a basic attacker really, so you wouldn't get The Executioner, and Titan's Bane's total effectiveness will be reduced a bit by Flurry's prot reduction. As a Solo, you're also not looking to deal mass damage, so TB, which is a pure offense item, is perhaps not the best choice there.

And yes, overall agree with your assessment of Runic Shield. Estidien does say it can be extremely helpful early-game, but that's with specific gods in specific roles...not sure it's best for Rat. If you DO consider it, you'd definitely replace late.

You're going to want to start off with cheap items like Gladiator's Shield and Ancile, X. You'll sell them later for more expensive items like you would your blessing. They provide a decent power spike and early protections, but they're definitely not something you'll keep all game.

Wait a minute, should I sell Ancile? I never knew that it was a bridge item like Gladiator's Shield

So against a physical, I usually build this: Warrior's Blessing, Gladiator's Shield, Void Shield, Ancile, Brawler's Beat Stick. Later I change the blessing in Mantle of Discord, and gladiator in Breastplate of Valor. Should I change Ancile in other magical defense too (like Bulwark of Hope or Pestilence)?