So... Hi from Hyperversum and welcome to my "first" guide and blah blah blah, you know those things.
Technically, not my first. I am re-making my guide for new player on how to play Crystal Maiden, that even after years is my most player, most successful and cutest hero.

I don't pretend to be the greatest CM player, but since I’ve a winrate higher than 60% 80% and a ratio of 5:1 about win and loss with her, I think that I know what I’m going to say, and I'm going to do it because I want to share what I had learn about this beautiful blonde with magic power on cold and ice

As said, this isn't just a build, but a guide for begginers in order for them to get a general feeling on how to play CM at a good but general level. Don't look here if you are trying to improve your already good gameplay, I am not the perso for that!

But you're here for the Maiden, right? So, just start!
Crystal Maiden (AKA Rylai or CM), is a very strong support with an AoE nuke/slow, a root, an aura that makes her everyone's best friend and herultimate.

As we can see she isn't a damage dealer, a carry but a very good support, one of the best in my opinion, in particular in lane and for early roaming.
She's a great potential for combo and early game kills, but you must drop those spells at the right moment on the right target, as her basic Intelligence is quite low and her mana-pool won't be big enough for multiple spells in a row.

In my opinion when you pick her you have to understand the role of the 5th player if you want to getthe best of out her if you want to get the best out of her, you can't get lucky or hope to play CM as a 4th most of the time.
You shouldn’t aim for a Ultrakill during a team fight with a BKB, Blink Dagger and Scepter but for a good babysitting, early kills, control and usefulness during fights. You're a support, you know your role: courier, wards, strategic items and deaths to protect your carry.
It's an hard job, but it's yours job. And being a good Ward ♥♥♥♥♥ wins games. And why do you play? Exactly, win.


This is my style Crystal Maiden style, an aggressive way to have easy kills and allow your carry to farm and then being the center of a new Glacial Era in a big teamfight, after have shoot all your items.
The introduction of talents and new items changed a bit the approach for this style, but the core is still the same.

Pro:
+ I love her
+ Very strong support through all the match
+ 2 her spells give you a incredible nuking power in early game
+ DAT AURA
+ DAT ULTIMATE
+ Absolutely not items dependant
+ Sexy & cute

Contro:
- Squishy.
- Squishy. A LOT.
- No escape mechanism
- Obvious low right-click damage
- 275 start movement speed (Now you know why she loves to slow down enemies)
- Playing her will make you be the first target in every teamfight and gank.

Meh:
- I am not too fond of her talents as opposed to those of other supports, but they still do the trick

Crystal Nova: Ah, Nova! This is an AoE slow spell that does some damage and slow enemies movement and attack for 3.5, very good in laning phase.
It has a radius so it's easy to land and it can hit a lot of enemy, so it's also good for initiate a fight. In mid/late game you can also use this for pushing lanes, after all, why not? Anyway, the best thing about this spells is that by using it with Frostbite at low levels people will be an easy prey for your carry! It also gives you a 900 radius ground vision for 6 seconds, another useful effect

Frostbite: This is the SPELL. Why? It block your enemy and prevent blink (deal with it Anti-Fun), and also deal damage through time, in fact when you cast it and every half second after it deals 50 damage, making a 150 damage nuke at level 1 and a 200 damage at level two, really worth it.
Beware that an enemy hit by frostbite isn't stunned (even if it stun the enemy for 0.1 second, so you can stop channeled skills), but rooted and disarmed, so he can still use items and skills, so be careful: nukes or skills such Dismember (your nightmare) can still hit you. Why I love this spell? Because with this and Nova you can make an enemy an easy target for your carry. I'll explain.
Notice that on creeps (Which level is lower than 6) it lasts 10 seconds, so you can farm a bit in the jungle, a classical source of money for CM.

Arcana Aura: Everyone loves Rylai, and with this they will love you more and more.
It gives mana regeneration for all your team, and its regeneration is double for you (in fact CM doesn't need item for mana regeneration in like 80% of the matches).
In any case I DON'T pick it at 1. Why? At 1 with Frostbite you can take a random kill with your carry (it happens a lot) and.... how much mana will need your team in the first 2 minutes?
You're the support, the 5th player, not their ♥♥♥♥♥.

Freezing Field: Your ultimate, your team-fighting breaking skill. 70 icebergs will fall on your enemies in a very big AoE and deal A LOT of damage, it also slow movement and attack speed. Also this great Spell have weaknesss: it costs a huge amount of mana at 2 at 3 and it is channeled for 7 seconds, so it's easy to stun you and block it. (Black King Bar and other items can help you to cast it without problem). Usually you won't pick this up until lv 11-12.
In addition you can use it to secure an important kill or for self-defense , even if I don't recommend it(show Riki who is dangerous!)

For Rylai there isn't an absloute skill tree, you have to search the good one through the match.
Usually i prefer to play safely at first, takin 2 points in frostbite, 1 nova and aura and then search a kill. But if the enemy are very aggressive taking 2 points of the aura wcan give more use of frostbite for self defense.

So, while describing Frostbite and Nova i said that with you can secure a first blood for your carry. How? In a lot of way! I'll describe one of my favorite combo: CM and CK (Chaos Knight).

You start as always, buying courier and other items, warding and then run (Like Rylai can do it...) into your lane for deny, harass and other support things.
At your side will be the great Chaos Knight with his Reality Rift and his high starting damage.
So, what to do? You start to harass one enemy (maybe the carry) and, as you see the chance CK cast the Reality Rift in a way that bring the enemy closest to you. Now, you simply freeze him. Your damage and spells, Chaos Knight damage and possibly creeps will destroy him.
After it's even easier, due to your Nova and Chaos Bolt, with them the enemy cannot move.

This is obviously just one idea, maybe you can want surprise them by the forest, trying to bring them under tower, freezing them for a Blade Fury of Juggernaut, stun the enemy for hours with Wraith King (as zStArSz wrote in comments) or other high damage skills and even prepare the shot for a Pudge's hook!. You're the Queen of early games, take advantage of this fact.

As i said before you don' t really need big items, but you'll need some! In particular, pay attention to the boots you choose and don't forget something to increase your Int, since CM has a low grown.

Courier: You should buy it, but if another support do it, i won't complain about it. The same for the flying courier
Wards: Your main job after babysitting your carry is placing wards, obviously.
Branches: 150 gold for +3 at every stats and the base of a wand or Meka? I don't see any better idea for shopping at the fountain. Take just 2, they are enough to make a Wand!
Tango: Who don't need them?
Clarity: Usually i buy one, after all it can help you and your carry.
Faerie Fire: It doesn't offer you anything particularly interesting. If you have some money than usual think about...
Enchanted Mango: THIS DELICIOUS MAGIC FRUIT. While the +1 Health regenaration couldn't make your panties wet, a quick restoration of 150 mana will. This is just insane for an early game CM, it simply allows you to spam one more spell (frostbite?) and get a kill that otherwise you wouldn't get. It is way better than Clarity for you.
Bracer: A very good item, but not my favorite. A lot of stats and it is built into Drum, but, at least in my matches, the Drum is built by another hero, usually i go for another item...
Urn of Shadows: This is the item that i buy for increase my hp. Less stats, ok, but it gives you also a good heal since you'll be aggressive, more mana regeneration and it is always good, in particular if you don't have any Urn users as Pudge or Nightstalker. In the past, i use to build it sometimes, now it is a must on CM.
Tranquil Boots: Best boots for CM, in my opinion. Hp regeneration, armor and a very good movement speed (perfect for the roaming CM). Why don't buy them?
Phase Boots: The only other boots for CM, in particular if you plan to be VERY aggressive, but i don't like them.
Arcane Boots: A little new thought about this: it makes sense sometimes. In some matches you need a greater mana pool but still can't afford the right items or you may need to recharge your mana during a fight or even recharge your whole team faster? Yeah, it can makes sense even on CM, but it depends on you party composition.
Meka: Best support item, i have to explain why? Istant heal, good aura and increase your survivability. Skip it only if another support is crying to buy it, in particular if he is a better hero for the Meka (Necrophos?)
Force Staff: The other core item. It increases your mana amount and gives you a good hp regeneration, but its most important feature is the effect. Saving an ally, escape or move an enemy can be very useful.
Eul: Another very good item. Movement speed, incredible regeneration, intelligence and good effect. If you feel the necessity, it's always a good item.
Aghanim: Very powerful, but it costs too much. You shouldn't play CM and aim for this item.
Blink dagger: Great position item, can replace Force Staff in some cases, but it doesn't give any stats
Shadow Blade: Good for land your ultimate, but honestly i don't like it as Aghanim

Friends of the Maiden:
Everyone that can go in a combo with you for early kills in lane: CK, Juggeranut, Ursa. You will help 'em a lot if you can get some kills early.

Kunkka, Enigma and other intiator in late game: your skills can help them land their ulti, and when they land it your ulti can kicks in and deal a huge damage.

Lina: My other pupil. In a trilane with CM and a carry these two sisters can assure a first blode any time. Burst damage, stun... everything you will ever need.

Foes:
Ehm.... More or less any burst damage hero (due to your low survivability) and gankers like Pudge, but also annoying disabler that can stop your ultimate (if the enemy team has Earthshaker, Vengeful and similar, probably you'll need a BKB).

Last advice: Ok, you're the support, this is a fact. Some people don't understand your job, this is a fact. But you're important just as any other heroes. A team of 5 carry can't farm and will lose the match for sure. Support exist to help carry to farm, to protect them and make them arrive at the late game ready to destroy the enemy team, and the support is always ready to fight, even at that time.
I, as a support, I am proud of my work.
So.... also you should be proud of it!



P.S. From EspressoPronto ( Thank you once again) here are links to the pics!
Image #1 and #5 --> "If you support me, I promise I’ll carry you." by stayawayiamsick
http://stayawayimsick.tumblr.com/post/71296393344/if-you-support-me-i-promise-ill-carry-you

Image #2 --> "Babysitters" by keterok
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2013/297/c/2/babysitters_by_keterok-d6rp7ap.png

Image #3 --> "0477: Professional Babysitter" by Agito666 http://agito666.deviantart.com/art/0477-Professional-Babysitter-404899465

Image #4 --> http://shelzie.tumblr.com/post/42014605601/requested-by-a-friend-regular-teammate-i-probably

P.S. Check also my new guide, this is the link http://steamproxy.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=255079544

Windranger is waiting new players!