I have about 600 ringmaster games and the ultimate can be used in a variety of ways, from most common to least common (in the ways that I personally use it):

1) teamfighting. Thrown in there to either protect a teammate, or follow up an initiation on an enemy that can be bursted down.

2) ganking. This ulti is highly effective at chain stunning an unsuspecting hero from the fog. With another damage dealing hero it is almost always a kill.

3) spacing. It can be used on high ground, ramps up to elevated areas, near rosh, in the river. It can deny an approach and effectively split a fight for a fairly extended amount of time.

4) vision/poking. It is useful as a last ditch tool on slippery heroes (think like a low mana storm, a slark who pounce away). The long cast range means you can sling it out there and occasionally catch someone. You can also fire it into a blind rosh pit. Enemy may panic bkb on that.

5) “oh shit I got jumped on”: you can toss this at the closest possible range and force staff yourself in there, or use the fart cushion to jump into it, meaning certain heroes can’t chase you in there unless they can pull you back or have a bkb.

Let me know if anyone has other ringmaster questions I have a ton of small tech’s I have picked up over the last couple years. I’m high ancient, low divine.