Kez · Carry (pos. 1)
Kez Guide
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This guide is assembled by the site from match data and the game's own information — nobody wrote it by hand. Official and community guides appear alongside it when they exist.
Overview
Kez is a melee Agility hero that Valve tags as Carry, Escape and Disabler. It is played mainly as Carry (pos. 1): 62% of the public matches we measured, by starting lane and starting items. In this guide you play it as Carry (pos. 1): your job is to farm efficiently, hit your item timings and win the late game. The kit brings crowd control (silence) with Talon Toss and sustain with Raptor Dance. Its ultimate is Raptor Dance. This patch, Kez wins 45.3% of the 150,243 public matches we measured (D tier on our ladder).
Strengths
- Reliable silence: Talon Toss sets up kills and interrupts enemy channels.
- Scales into a late-game threat as the items come in.
- Clear job in the team: farm efficiently, hit your item timings and win the late game.
Weaknesses
- Melee: has to walk up to its target, which makes the lane harder against ranged heroes.
- Low base armor (1): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
- Item-dependent: weak until Mage Slayer is done.
Build cheat sheet
Pick the build that fits what you want to do this game.
- Most-played buildBalancedRecommendedThe items most bought with this hero, phase by phase. Pick it when you don't have a clear reason to deviate. Built from what Kez players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Damage buildOffensiveAdvancedMoves the popular items that add damage — Desolator and Crystalys — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Kez players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Team utility buildUtilitySituationalBuilt around the popular items that help your allies — Mage Slayer and Battle Fury. Choose it when your team needs saves and auras more than your damage. Built from what Kez players buy in the public matches we measured.
Builds
Most-played build
When to use it
The items most bought with this hero, phase by phase. Pick it when you don't have a clear reason to deviate. Built from what Kez players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
230%168%- Safe laneMain68% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
- MidPriority 230% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Mage Slayer
- 2Desolator
- 3Black King Bar
- 4Aghanim's Scepter
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Kazurai Katana›Echo Slash›Grappling Claw
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
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Talents by level
- +1 Echo Slash Attack+80% Shodo Sai Critical Strike25
- +3.5% Kazurai Katana Damage Per Second40 Bonus Attack Speed During Falcon Rush20
- +1 Raptor Dance Strike+2.0s Falcon Rush Duration15
- +12% Magic Resistance+50 Raptor Dance Radius10
Damage build
When to use it
Moves the popular items that add damage — Desolator and Crystalys — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Kez players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
230%168%- Safe laneMain68% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
- MidPriority 230% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Desolator+55 Damage.
- 2Crystalys+32 Damage.
- 3Butterfly+30 Agility, +35% Evasion, +20% Base Attack Speed Percentage.
- 4Battle Fury+50 Damage, +7.5 Health Regeneration, +2.75 Mana Regeneration. Active: Chop Tree.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Kazurai Katana›Echo Slash›Grappling Claw
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
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Talents by level
- +1 Echo Slash Attack+80% Shodo Sai Critical Strike25
- +3.5% Kazurai Katana Damage Per Second40 Bonus Attack Speed During Falcon Rush20
- +1 Raptor Dance Strike+2.0s Falcon Rush Duration15
- +12% Magic Resistance+50 Raptor Dance Radius10
Team utility build
When to use it
Built around the popular items that help your allies — Mage Slayer and Battle Fury. Choose it when your team needs saves and auras more than your damage. Built from what Kez players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
230%168%- Safe laneMain68% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
- MidPriority 230% of matchesMid lane, one against one (pos. 2).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Mage Slayer+18% Magic Resistance, +5.5 Health Regeneration, +2.5 Mana Regeneration.
- 2Battle Fury+50 Damage, +7.5 Health Regeneration, +2.75 Mana Regeneration. Active: Chop Tree.
- 3Linken's Sphere+16 All Attributes, +6.5 Health Regeneration, +4.25 Mana Regeneration. Active: Transfer Spellblock.
- 4Divine Rapier+100 Damage.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Kazurai Katana›Echo Slash›Grappling Claw
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Talents by level
- +1 Echo Slash Attack+80% Shodo Sai Critical Strike25
- +3.5% Kazurai Katana Damage Per Second40 Bonus Attack Speed During Falcon Rush20
- +1 Raptor Dance Strike+2.0s Falcon Rush Duration15
- +12% Magic Resistance+50 Raptor Dance Radius10
Abilities
- Echo Slash21 / 18 / 15 / 12s75 / 90 / 105 / 120 mpKez slashes forward in a 800 distance line with his Katana, attacking enemies in an area and applying a brief 100% impact slow. After a short delay, the area is attacked again. Heroes take bonus damage.
- Attack damage
- 70%·80%·90%·100%
- Bonus hero damage
- 20·40·60·80
- Attacks
- 2
- Echo delay
- 1.2
- Slash radius
- 200
- Grappling Claw13 / 11 / 9 / 7s40 mpKez swings on a grappling hook towards the target unit or tree. When the grappling hook collides with the target, that unit has slowed movement speed. Upon reaching the enemy target, Kez lands an attack on them.
- Slow duration
- 0.7·0.8·0.9·1
- Move slow
- 70%·80%·90%·100%
- Kazurai Katana24 / 18 / 12 / 6s40 mpKatana attacks and abilities apply a stacking damage over time to enemies that deals a percentage of the original attack's damage as additional damage over time.
Kez may activate the ability to impale the target with his attack, preventing them from moving or turning. The target's Katana debuff bursts, causing some of the stacks to deal damage instantly.
- Duration
- 7
- Damage per second
- 3%·6%·9%·12%
- Impale duration
- 0.5
- Stacks as burst damage
- 50%
- Max burst stacks
- 500
Switch Discipline8sKez switches between his Kazurai Katana and Shodo Sai.
He gains different attack capabilities and abilities based on the weapon equipped. The abilities level up together, and when an ability is used, the associated alternate weapon ability also goes on cooldown.
Kez deals extra damage on the first Katana hit or ability after switching to Katana, and gains bonus speed after switching to Sai.- Katana movement speed
- 0
- Katana attack range
- 225
- Katana base attack time
- 1.9
- Katana bonus agility base damage
- 12%
- Katana swap bonus damage
- 12%
- Sai movement speed
- 0
- Raptor Dance40 / 35 / 30s100 / 125 / 150 mpKez enters into an uncontrollable state for 1 second, becoming invulnerable for 0.2s and receiving a basic dispel.
If the cast completes successfully, Kez performs a series of deadly radial slashes around him that deal damage based on the max health of the target and heal Kez for a percentage of all damage dealt.
- Strikes
- 4
- Radius
- 450
- Base damage
- 40·70·100
- Max health as damage
- 2.5%
Falcon Rush21 / 18 / 15 / 12s85 / 90 / 95 / 100 mpKez gains the ability to rush towards enemy targets to deliver echoing secondary attacks. While in this state, Kez has phased collision and slow resistance.- Rush range
- 525
- Rush speed
- 850
- Echo attack damage
- 30%·35%·40%·45%
- Slow resistance
- 15%·30%·45%·60%
- Duration
- 3.75·4.5·5.25·6
- Echo proc chance reduction
- 50%
Talon Toss13 / 11 / 9 / 7s60 / 65 / 70 / 75 mpKez throws a Sai at the target unit, applying a fixed damage attack and silence.- Radius
- 0
- Damage
- 60·120·180·240
- Silence duration
- 2·2.25·2.5·2.75
Shodo Sai24 / 18 / 12 / 6s30 / 20 / 10 mpKez has a chance to critically strike the target when attacking with Sais.
Kez may activate the ability to disarm himself, lock his facing, and parry attacks and attack effects from the targeted direction for 1.5 seconds. If an attack is parried from an enemy Hero in this way, that Hero is stunned for 0.4s and gains a Mark. When a Marked target is attacked by Kez, it will guarantee a critical str- Critical chance
- 20%
- Critical damage
- 125%·150%·175%·200%
- Mark stun duration
- 0.5·0.6·0.7·0.8
- Mark duration
- 8
- Parry bonus critical strike
- 0%
- Parry bonus mark stun
- 0
Most played skill order
The most played order in the last 100 professional matches with this hero. Highlighted levels are the points spent on talents.
Max order:Kazurai Katana›Echo Slash›Grappling Claw
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Strategy
1Early game
The first ten minutes are about last hits. Stay close to your supports, deny when you can and only trade when the enemy offlaner overextends: a death now costs more than any kill is worth. Trade right-clicks only when the enemy walks up to last hit, and step back as soon as their support shows up.
- Early items: Perseverance and Wraith Band.
2Mid game
With Mage Slayer done, farm the lanes the map lets you farm safely and join the fights that happen near you. Your team is making space; your job is to turn that space into items like Desolator. Your spikes are level 6, when Raptor Dance comes online, and your core items: Mage Slayer and then Desolator.
- Core items: Mage Slayer, Desolator and Black King Bar.
3Late game
Late, you are the win condition. Farm dangerous areas only with vision, group for Roshan and high ground, and keep gold for buyback: dying before the fight loses the game.
- Late items: Daedalus and Crystalys.
4Team fights
Walk in after the enemy has used their key disables and hit whatever you can reach safely: your survival is the fight. Use Raptor Dance where it hits the most enemies or catches the key target.
Tips
- Last-hit every creep you can in the first ten minutes: Kez needs Mage Slayer before taking real fights.
- If you can't see the enemy supports on the map, assume they are coming for you and farm closer to your towers.
- Once Desolator is done, stop farming alone: move with your team to take towers and Roshan.
- From the mid game on, keep enough gold for buyback before buying your next big item.
- Plan fights around Raptor Dance: without it, Kez is far less threatening.
Matchups
Strong against
- Disruptor63.6%win rate in the matchup
Kez wins 63.6% of the 184 games measured against Disruptor this patch.
184 matches
- Tiny62.6%win rate in the matchup
Kez wins 62.6% of the 179 games measured against Tiny this patch.
179 matches
- Templar Assassin59.8%win rate in the matchup
Kez wins 59.8% of the 107 games measured against Templar Assassin this patch.
107 matches
- Queen of Pain58.6%win rate in the matchup
Kez wins 58.6% of the 140 games measured against Queen of Pain this patch.
140 matches
- Pudge57.5%win rate in the matchup
Kez wins 57.5% of the 127 games measured against Pudge this patch.
127 matches
Weak against
- Largo43.1%win rate in the matchup
Kez only wins 43.1% of the 102 games measured against Largo this patch.
102 matches
- Windranger44.6%win rate in the matchup
Kez only wins 44.6% of the 195 games measured against Windranger this patch.
195 matches
- Ember Spirit46.5%win rate in the matchup
Kez only wins 46.5% of the 155 games measured against Ember Spirit this patch.
155 matches
- Jakiro47.0%win rate in the matchup
Kez only wins 47.0% of the 198 games measured against Jakiro this patch.
198 matches
- Tidehunter47.2%win rate in the matchup
Kez only wins 47.2% of the 125 games measured against Tidehunter this patch.
125 matches
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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