Dota 2 is like the ocean, featuring an ever-changing meta and sophisticated mechanics. It is so deep and challenging that in order to fully enjoy its bliss, you must first scale the high mountains of skill development. 

Although Dota 2 has such a factor called a range of ‘player experience’, you can already pass a tough yet exciting test with the right beginner hero. If your gameplay matches the likes of someone who delivers very fast and powerful hits, here’s what you need to know about Phantom Assassin. 

About Mortred, the Phantom Assassin

Carry is a difficult position for newbies to master. Yet if you want to be a strong Dota 2 player, you should start studying it now, and one of the best heroes to practice with is Phantom Assassin. 

Mortred, the Phantom Assassin is a member of the enigmatic Veiled Sisters, who are known for killing random individuals for unknown reasons. Yet most likely, it is to maintain a delicate balance in this universe. She can approach a target quickly and deliver strong strikes in the game. Her initial defence and health are low, but dodging allows her to evade direct hits.

Phantom Assassin uses her Stifling Dagger to inflict damage and delay an opponent. Her skill called Phantom Strike is an extremely useful teleportation mastery, for it allows her to immediately hop to an opponent and attack them more effectively. Another of her popular ability called Blur, on the other hand, is used to dodge assaults and temporarily become invisible.

By far of Dota 2’s meta changes, the most potent ability of Phantom Assassin is also the most simple to use because it is passive. This is Coup de Grace, and it improves the likelihood of a critical strike with the normal attack or Stifling Dagger. Read further on this page to get to know more about her abilities, item builds, and matchups. These basic qualities will help you understand how to effectively navigate her through the game. 

Abilities

Bring the best of Phantom Assassin as you learn all about her five following abilities. 

1. Stifling Dagger

This is your instrument for pestering, farming, and killing. The spell is quite effective at securing last-hits in the lane. Once hit, the spell delivers a slow debuff and does damage to a hero, including any item modifications and passive abilities.

2. Phantom Strike

Like what was mentioned above, this skill is both a mobility and killing tool for you. The spell causes Phantom Assassin to blink on top of the target, whether it is an adversary or a comrade. So, if you blink on top of an adversary, you will get an extra 2 seconds of attack speed.

3. Blur

Whenever enemy heroes are around, don’t forget that Phantom Assassin’s Blur skill can render her invisible. This spell is excellent for harvesting neutral stacks and travelling around the battlefield undetected, thereby making her very powerful against heroes that do not naturally build MKB — such as Anti-Mage, Spectre, and Luna — since it forces them to spend 5,000 gold on an item they don’t actually want. 

As previously stated, Phantom Assassin’s Blur may be used to avoid spells and ranged auto attacks if engaged at the right time. Meaning, it may also be highly disorienting and irritating to play against, so use this after your initial leap to give yourself some time. 

4. Coupe De Grace (Ultimate)

There isn’t much to say about Coup De Grace because it is what allows Phantom Assassin to get the job done: attacking with skill but passively. Her distinguishing attribute as a carry hero is the massive increase in her critical damage, thereby making her so strong among other Dota 2 beginner heroes. 

5. Aghanim’s Shards: Fan of Knives

This new upgrade to Phantom Assassin allows her to eliminate heroes that previously possessed annoying passives, such as Tidehunter, Spectre, and Bristleback, among others. The Area of Effect (AoE) break on this skill makes it difficult to miss, and it aids Phantom Assassin in cutting through even the tankiest opponents.

Item builds

Another interesting fact about Phantom Assassin is that she is heavily reliant on items. She will have a lot of difficulties in the fight if she doesn’t blast the first target she jumps on. So, here we list down the appropriate items you ought to bring out as we navigate you through the different phases of the game.  

1. Before the game starts

To begin with, you should bring out two sets of Tangoes, a Quelling Blade, an Iron Branch, Slippers of Agility, and a Faerie Fire.

Quelling Blade improves Phantom Assassin’s farming abilities. She can farm the gear she needs to start being successful in a match by being able to last-hit more readily and kill neutral camps faster. Second, Iron Branch provides a cost-effective boost to her qualities and may be upgraded into Magic Wand. Third, Faerie Fire allows you to survive the early combat and grants an additional two damage.

2. Early-game

Bring two Wraith Bands early in the game, to be followed by Power Treads and a Magic Wand. The former dramatically improves Phantom Assassin’s battle efficiency and survival by increasing agility and attack speed.

Phantom Assassin can switch to strength to gain more health, or intellect to use spells (i.e. Stifling Dagger than can attribute to her intelligence). The latter, on the other hand, can significantly boost her survival and effectiveness in the early game. It offers a minimal number of characteristics as well as massive charge storage for burst health and mana regen. Either way, both of which are critical for an agility hero with low strength and intellect.

3. Mid-game

You should go for Battle Fury, Desolator, and a Black King Bar in the mid-game. Battle Fury is vital for Phantom Assassin because she has little farming potential (i.e. farm-dependent melee hero). You should have no issue collecting all of the other equipment you need with this item because it offers you additional damage. 

You can, however, skip it when you need to enter combat as soon as possible. So, if the enemy side begins with a strong start, then it is where you should instantly summon Desolator to enter combat.

4. Late-game

The aim during the later-game is to obtain Abyssal Blade and Satanic. After you have finished your standard item build, you can consider Divine Rapier.

Abyssal Blade can provide Phantom Assassin with the lockdown and damage she requires to rapidly remove critical opponents in combat. After using Phantom Strike on an opponent, she can stun them with the smash. Satanic, on the other hand, increases her durability in team battles by letting her quickly replenish her health with Coup de Grace critical strikes.

Hero verdict: Matchups for Phantom Assassin

Phantom Assassin could be a viable carry, but only if she avoids heroes that aren’t good for her and work with those that compliment her abilities. Listed below are her hero matchups.

Heroes Phantom Assassin must avoid

• Axe
• Bane
• Broodmother
• Centaur Warruner
• Dragon Knight
• Lina
• Lion
• Morphling
• Omniknight
• Phoenix

Heroes Phantom Assassin can work well with

• Ancient Apparition
• Beastmaster
• Magnus
• Slardar
• Vengeful Spirit
• Shadow Fiend
• Dazzle

Phantom Assassin is a highly recommended Dota 2 hero for those who like assassins or heroes that rely heavily on their skills to deal damage and kill enemies. She is so powerful that she requires you to invest a lot of gold in order to make her more powerful with items.