r/DotA2•9 yr. ago

Semi-daily hero tips. Day 90: Templar Assassin

Tip

DISCLAIMER

A lot of you probably know about the weekly hero discussion, but that often ends up in a meta discussion (whether or not the hero needs buffs, etc) or a meme war than actual tips to play, itemize and build the hero.

This is what I'd like to do. Please discuss any notes I made and possible improvements while also giving tips of your own if you have them.

The roles, skill builds and item builds, as well as a lot of the notes are my opinion on matters and should not be seen as a must do or don't. Also remember that almost every single build or role is situationally possible.

A lot of the tips on heroes were also mentioned in tsunami's amazing hero tips series he did over the last couple of years.

Templar Assassin

Notes:

Attacking almost anything triggers psi blades. This includes your own creeps, couriers and even wards. Attacking buildings or illusions doesn't trigger psi blades.
As TA, try to draw as little aggro as possible before you actually attack the enemy hero. Every unit takes off an equal amount of refraction charges
Cast your refraction way before going into a fight so you can cast it again when it wears off.
Meld has no cast time and no fade time, handy for juking and disjointing spells and projectiles
Meld is an offensive skill, not a defensive one!
You have no collision when melded
For a good laugh, buy a Shadow Blade and cast Meld during the fade time. Then walk away a second later and watch the enemy team angrily attack the ground
~~Psi blades will spill even if the projectile arrives after a creep dies (denies too)~~ (fixed, u/Tindies)
Shared unit control is very handy so your team can detonate traps for you
Put traps on the runes, high ground, rosh, etc.
Counters: Viper, Veno, Ember, DK, Pudge, DS, Batrider (DoT), Naga, LD (Radiance), Slark (Dark Pact), Kunkka (Torrent), PL, CK, TB (illusions), Alchemist (Radiance, acid spray), Gyro (rocket barrage)
OoV and HP removal do not burn off refraction charges
lvl 1 and 2 ion shell can hurt TA without burning refraction
You can't break Meld with stun or silence (it's a purgeable buff, not a channeled spell)
Position changing spells do break meld (even fissure)
Versus: Ask yourself if you have vision and the power to go through refraction before you go in to try and kill her
Versus: Move around when you're mid
Versus: Sentries in mid to remove traps and find her in meld
Versus: OoV can disable blink dagger through refraction
Good versus: Invoker, LS, SF, Techies, Zeus, Nyx, Centaur, Clock, LC, Lina, Puck, Rubick (refraction + blink)
The max slow on traps is only reached 4 seconds after placement. Try to anticipate as much as possible where the enemy hero will be instead of where he is. (/u/Paradox_D)
If you preemptively place a trap in the river and one on the enemy high ground in mid lane, your chances of solo killing someone grows a lot. (/u/Paradox_D)
Stack ancients while going to check runes.

Role: mid

Item build: (Bottle, Wand, RoA,) Blight stone, Treads(/Phase), Blink(/Drum/Yasha), Desolator, (Hurricane Pike, BKB, Crystalys --> Daedalus, Bloodthorn, MKB)

Skill build: lvl 1 refraction or psi blades, max refraction --> Meld --> Psi blades. You probably want an early 2nd level in psi blades as well for the extra range.

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Posted Jun 2, 2017, 5:41 AM UTC · edited

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