Too bad none of the pubs I've played with ever build him as support.
Really? He works really well when built up like the support he is. Of course, I kind of go crazy with my builds for most things, so I'm clearly not one to talk.
Still, I've been relatively successful with a Keeper built like this:
Usually go for my tranquil boots immediately (after buying courier). Honestly, I don't see the point in getting any other regen or stats for starting items. The ring of regen will generally be enough to deal with a moderate amount of harass and the armor ring comes very quickly for extra protection.
After I get my boots, I tend to get a medallion. The additional armor is nice, but the reduction in enemy armor is the main appeal, obviously.
That buildup of armor and armor reduction is where I tend to focus most of my attention, crazy or not. Mek comes next. Standard support. Of course, wards and courier upgrades usually come before the Mek.
At that point, I like to start working towards an Assault Cuirass, which seems weird to me but I like it all the same. I usually stop around this point so I can let others get at all that nice gold, but if given a chance to continue, I go for a Shiva's and finish it all off with a Desolator.
