Hero Discussion of the Day: Phantom Assassin (June 7, 2012)

With this week's Three-fer, I'll start with PA today, move to CK tomorrow, and end with Gyro on Tuesday. There will be no throwback discussion this week.

Phantom Assassin was last discussed on November 19.

Mortred, the Phantom Assassin

Mortred the Phantom Assassin is a melee agility Hero fitting the role of carry. She is most famous for her capability of dealing supremely outrageous damage, even to the point of hitting some enemy Heroes with one fell swoop and killing them. What makes her a great Hero, however, is her perfect ability build. Even as a super farm-dependent melee Hero, she can still relatively farm creeps at ease using her Stifling Dagger for last hitting. Not only does that eliminate the weakness most melee Heroes have, but it also saves her gold from buying important melee carry items like Quelling Blade. Her second ability complements as both her escape and initiate, while Blur gives her an edge against other Heroes that depend on their physical attacks by evading them. Her ultimate however is what connected Phantom Assassin with four digit integers. If the chance strikes, she can hit her opponents like a bullet train, completely obliterating them in seconds. She is recommended for intermediate players.

Lore:

Through a process of divination, children are selected for upbringing by the Sisters of the Veil, an order that considers assassination a sacred part of the natural order. The Veiled Sisters identify targets through meditation and oracular utterances. They accept no contracts, and never seem to pursue targets for political or mercenary reasons. Their killings bear no relation to any recognizable agenda, and can seem to be completely random: A figure of great power is no more likely to be eliminated than a peasant or a well digger. Whatever pattern the killings may contain, it is known only to them. They treat their victims as sacrifices, and death at their hand is considered an honor. Raised with no identity except that of their order, any Phantom Assassin can take the place of any other; their number is not known. Perhaps there are many, perhaps there are few. Nothing is known of what lies under the Phantom Veil. Except that this one, from time to time, when none are near enough to hear, is known to stir her veils with the forbidden whisper of her own name: Mortred.

"We are all one among the Sisters of the Veil. Where one falls, another rises."

Role: Carry / Escape

Strength	Agility	Intelligence
20 + 1.85	23 + 3.15	13 + 1
Damage	Armor	Movespeed
46 - 48	4.22	310
Attack Range	Base Attack Time	Missile Speed
128	1.7	N/A
Soundset	Icon

Stifling Dagger

Deals minor pure damage and slows the enemy unit's movement speed. Deals half damage to heroes.

Level	Mana Cost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	30	8	1200	N/A	1 second	Deals 50 damage, slows for 50%
2	25	8	1200	N/A	2 second	Deals 100 damage, slows for 50%
3	20	8	1200	N/A	3 second	Deals 150 damage, slows for 50%
4	15	8	1200	N/A	4 second	Deals 200 damage, slows for 50%

• Damage type: pure
• The projectile can't be dodged by blinking.

Phantom Strike

Teleports to a unit, friendly or enemy, and grants bonus attack speed while attacking if it's an enemy unit.

Level	Mana Cost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	50	14	700	N/A	3.00 seconds	Teleports to the target unit, and receives increased attack speed.
2	50	11	800	N/A	3.00 seconds	Teleports to the target unit, and receives increased attack speed.
3	50	8	900	N/A	3.00 seconds	Teleports to the target unit, and receives increased attack speed.
4	50	5	1000	N/A	3.00 seconds	Teleports to the target unit, and receives increased attack speed.

• The attack speed bonus only lasts as long as you target the Phantom Strike victim.

Blur

Phantom Assassin blurs out when enemy heroes come near, becoming increasingly evasive to enemy attacks and disappearing from the enemy minimap.

Level	Mana Cost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	20% dodge
2	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	25% dodge
3	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	30% dodge
4	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	35% dodge

• Does not stack with evasion from items (Talisman of Evasion, Butterfly, Heaven's Halberd).
• Phantom Assassin gains 80% transparency when a non-invisible enemy hero is in a 1600 radius.
• Has a 1.5 second delay before the transparency is applied or removed.
• Does not trigger from invisible heroes.

Coup de Grace

Mortred refines her combat abilities, gaining a chance of delivering a devastating critical strike to enemy units.

Level	Mana Cost	Cooldown	Casting Range	Area	Duration	Effects
1	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	15% chance to 2.5x critical
2	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	15% chance to 3.25x critical
3	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	15% chance to 4x critical

You should definitely take a look at GhostofGuns' guide to PA on playdota.

Be sure to take a look at DotaCinema's video overview of Phantom Assassin.

As always, check out last week's discussion of Slark or the complete HDotD archives.