Night Stalker · Offlane (pos. 3)
Night Stalker Items: What to Buy and When
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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
This guide explains every item in Night Stalker's builds and when to buy it. Your spikes are level 6, when Dark Ascension comes online, and your core items: Blink Dagger and then Aghanim's Shard.
Strengths
- Reliable stun: Void sets up kills and interrupts enemy channels.
- Valve tags Night Stalker as Durable: it stays in fights longer than most heroes.
- Heavy magical burst: Valve lists it as a Nuker.
Weaknesses
- No escape in the kit: without good positioning and vision, Night Stalker is easy to catch.
- Melee: has to walk up to its target, which makes the lane harder against ranged heroes.
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 Night Stalker players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Damage buildOffensiveAdvancedMoves the popular items that add damage — Echo Sabre and Hand of Midas — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Night Stalker players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Survival buildDefensiveSituationalPrioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Black King Bar and Drum of Endurance. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Night Stalker 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 Night Stalker players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
191%- OfflaneMain91% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Blink DaggerActive: Blink.
- 2Aghanim's Shard
- 3Black King Bar+10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- 4Drum of Endurance+8 Strength. Active: Endurance.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Void›Crippling Fear›Midnight Feast
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
 | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Talents by level
- +100 Midnight Feast Lifesteal-35s Dark Ascension Cooldown25
- +75 Crippling Fear Radius+15 Strength20
- +25 Dark Ascension Damage20% Hunter in the Night Status Resistance15
- -1s Void Cooldown+10 Crippling Fear DPS10
Damage build
When to use it
Moves the popular items that add damage — Echo Sabre and Hand of Midas — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Night Stalker players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
191%- OfflaneMain91% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Echo Sabre+20 Damage, +15 Strength, +1.75 Mana Regeneration.
- 2Hand of Midas+40 Attack Speed. Active: Transmute.
- 3Radiance+55 Damage, +25% Evasion.
- 4Skull Basher+30 Damage, +10 Strength.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Void›Crippling Fear›Midnight Feast
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Talents by level
- +100 Midnight Feast Lifesteal-35s Dark Ascension Cooldown25
- +75 Crippling Fear Radius+15 Strength20
- +25 Dark Ascension Damage20% Hunter in the Night Status Resistance15
- -1s Void Cooldown+10 Crippling Fear DPS10
Survival build
When to use it
Prioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Black King Bar and Drum of Endurance. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Night Stalker players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
191%- OfflaneMain91% of matchesOff lane as the space-making core (pos. 3).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Black King Bar+10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- 2Drum of Endurance+8 Strength. Active: Endurance.
- 3Echo Sabre+20 Damage, +15 Strength, +1.75 Mana Regeneration.
- 4Eul's Scepter of Divinity+10 Intelligence, +2.5 Mana Regeneration, +20 Movement Speed. Active: Cyclone.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Void›Crippling Fear›Midnight Feast
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Talents by level
- +100 Midnight Feast Lifesteal-35s Dark Ascension Cooldown25
- +75 Crippling Fear Radius+15 Strength20
- +25 Dark Ascension Damage20% Hunter in the Night Status Resistance15
- -1s Void Cooldown+10 Crippling Fear DPS10
Abilities
- Void11 / 10 / 9 / 8s90 / 95 / 100 / 105 mpCreates a damaging void that slows an enemy unit and deals damage. At night, Void also mini-stuns, interrupting channeling abilities, and its effects lasts longer.
- Damage
- 80·160·240·320
- Day duration
- 1.25
- Night duration
- 1.6·2.2·2.8·3.4
- Move slow
- 50%
- Attack slow
- 50
- Damage per second when not visible
- 0
- Crippling Fear30 / 25 / 20 / 15s50 mpNight Stalker horrifies all nearby enemies, causing them to become silenced and take damage over time while near him. The effect lasts longer at night.
- Day duration
- 3
- Night duration
- 4.5·5·5.5·6
- Mana cost
- 0%
- Aura radius
- 350
- Damage per second
- 25·30·35·40
- Midnight FeastPassive39 / 36 / 33 / 30s
Hunter in the NightPassiveNight Stalker is in his element at night, attacking and moving with great swiftness.- Move speed
- 24%
- Attack speed
- 38
- Dark Ascension140 / 135 / 130s125 / 175 / 225 mpNight Stalker smothers the sun and summons instant darkness, so that he might use his powers at their fullest. Night Stalker gains flight and bonus damage during this time. Has unobstructed vision.
- Duration
- 30
- Bonus damage
- 50·100·150
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:Void›Crippling Fear›Midnight Feast
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
| · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
Strategy
1Starting items
What to buy before leaving the base, and what each item gives:
- Gauntlets of Strength — +3 Strength.
- Iron Branch — +1 All Attributes.
- Tango
- Circlet — +2 All Attributes.
- Magic Stick — Active: Energy Charge.
- Quelling Blade — Active: Chop Tree.
2Core items
Your spikes are level 6, when Dark Ascension comes online, and your core items: Blink Dagger and then Aghanim's Shard. Buy them in this order; each one is a power spike:
- Phase Boots — +50 Movement Speed, +18 Damage, +4 Armor. Active: Phase.
- Blink Dagger — Active: Blink.
- Aghanim's Shard
- Black King Bar — +10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- Drum of Endurance — +8 Strength. Active: Endurance.
3Late-game items
What players finish with once the core is done:
- Nullifier — +75 Damage, +10 Armor, 10% Movement slow. Active: Nullify.
- Assault Cuirass — +30 Attack Speed, +10 Armor.
- Skull Basher — +30 Damage, +10 Strength.
- Abyssal Blade — +35 Damage, +30 Strength, +30% Slow Resistance. Active: Overwhelm.
4Adapting to the game
The damage build moves the offensive items forward when you're ahead; the defensive one adds survival when the enemy focuses you. The situational builds in the matchups guide answer specific threats.
Tips
- Buy Blink Dagger as early as you can: it's your first real spike.
- Complete one item before starting the next: half-built items give less than one finished one.
- Look at the enemy team at every back and adjust the situational items.
- Don't sit on gold: spend it when you go back.
Changelog
- Guide created for patch 7.41.
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