Phantom Assassin · Carry (pos. 1)
Phantom Assassin Items: What to Buy and When
More Phantom Assassin guides
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 Phantom Assassin's builds and when to buy it. Your spikes are your core items: Battle Fury and then Desolator.
Strengths
- Mobility: Phantom Strike gets Phantom Assassin in and out of fights.
- 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
- Low base armor (1): vulnerable to physical harass early on.
- Item-dependent: weak until Battle Fury 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 Phantom Assassin players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Damage buildOffensiveAdvancedMoves the popular items that add damage — Battle Fury and Desolator — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Phantom Assassin players buy in the public matches we measured.
- Survival buildDefensiveSituationalPrioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Battle Fury and Black King Bar. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Phantom Assassin 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 Phantom Assassin players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
191%- Safe laneMain91% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
Starting items
Early game
Core items
- 1Battle Fury+50 Damage, +7.5 Health Regeneration, +2.75 Mana Regeneration. Active: Chop Tree.
- 2Desolator+55 Damage.
- 3Black King Bar+10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- 4Manta Style+10 Strength, +26 Agility, +10 Intelligence. Active: Mirror Image.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Stifling Dagg…›Phantom Strike›Immaterial
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
 | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
Talents by level
- Triple Strike Stifling Dagger+10% Coup de Grace chance25
- +200 Phantom Strike Cast Range+60 Phantom Strike Attack Speed20
- +20% Immaterial Evasion+15% Stifling Dagger Damage15
- +0.8s Phantom Strike Duration-2.0s Stifling Dagger Cooldown10
Damage build
When to use it
Moves the popular items that add damage — Battle Fury and Desolator — to the front. Choose it when your lane went well and you can afford to be greedy. Built from what Phantom Assassin players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
191%- Safe laneMain91% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Battle Fury+50 Damage, +7.5 Health Regeneration, +2.75 Mana Regeneration. Active: Chop Tree.
- 2Desolator+55 Damage.
- 3Skull Basher+30 Damage, +10 Strength.
- 4Divine Rapier+100 Damage.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Stifling Dagg…›Phantom Strike›Immaterial
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
Talents by level
- Triple Strike Stifling Dagger+10% Coup de Grace chance25
- +200 Phantom Strike Cast Range+60 Phantom Strike Attack Speed20
- +20% Immaterial Evasion+15% Stifling Dagger Damage15
- +0.8s Phantom Strike Duration-2.0s Stifling Dagger Cooldown10
Survival build
When to use it
Prioritises the popular items that keep you alive — Battle Fury and Black King Bar. Choose it against heavy disables or burst, or when you are the enemy's focus. Built from what Phantom Assassin players buy in the public matches we measured.
Where it's played
Picked before the game: the main lane first, then the alternatives.
191%- Safe laneMain91% of matchesSafe lane as the farming core (pos. 1).
Starting items
Core items
- 1Battle Fury+50 Damage, +7.5 Health Regeneration, +2.75 Mana Regeneration. Active: Chop Tree.
- 2Black King Bar+10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- 3Manta Style+10 Strength, +26 Agility, +10 Intelligence. Active: Mirror Image.
- 4Aghanim's Scepter+10 All Attributes, +175 Health, +175 Mana.
Boots
Late game
Skill order
Max order:Stifling Dagg…›Phantom Strike›Immaterial
| Ability | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | ● | · | ● | · | · | · | ● | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | · | · | ● |
| · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ● | · | ● | · | ● | ● | · | · |
Talents by level
- Triple Strike Stifling Dagger+10% Coup de Grace chance25
- +200 Phantom Strike Cast Range+60 Phantom Strike Attack Speed20
- +20% Immaterial Evasion+15% Stifling Dagger Damage15
- +0.8s Phantom Strike Duration-2.0s Stifling Dagger Cooldown10
Abilities
- Stifling Dagger6s30 mpThrows a dagger slowing the enemy unit's movement speed, dealing 65+30% of Phantom Assassin's attack damage as physical damage and applying attack effects from items and abilities.
- Move slow
- -50%
- Slow duration
- 2.1·2.4·2.7·3
- Base damage
- 65·70·75·80
- Attack damage
- 30%·45%·60%·75%
- Phantom Strike0.1s35 / 40 / 45 / 50 mpTeleports to a unit, friendly or enemy, and grants bonus attack speed while attacking if it's an enemy unit.
- Bonus attack speed
- 80·120·160·200
- Duration
- 3
Blur45s50 mpPhantom Assassin blurs her body, disjointing incoming projectiles, increasing her movement speed, causing her to be impossible to see until she comes near enemy heroes or towers.- Duration
- 30
- Vanish radius
- 500
- Vanish buffer
- 0.8
- Mana cost reduction during blur
- 0%
- Buff duration after blur
- 0
- Mana cost reduction after blur
- 0%
Fan of Knives14s80 mpPhantom Assassin releases sharp blades around her, dealing a percentage of each victim's max health on impact and applying Break.- Max health damage
- 30%
- Break duration
- 4
- Radius
- 550
- ImmaterialPassivePhantom Assassin focuses inward, increasing her ability to evade enemy attacks.
Stacks diminishingly with other sources of Evasion.
- Bonus evasion
- 25%·35%·45%·55%
- Coup de GracePassivePhantom Assassin refines her combat abilities, acquiring a chance of gaining Deadly Focus with each attack. When attacking with Deadly Focus, Phantom Assassin will consume the buff and guarantee a critical hit. Stifling Dagger has a bonus chance to cause Deadly Focus.
- Chance of deadly focus
- 17%
- Dagger chance of deadly focus
- 34%
- Critical damage
- 200%·325%·450%
- Deadly focus duration
- 6·8·10
Most played skill order
The most played order in the last 31 professional matches with this hero. Highlighted levels are the points spent on talents.
Max order:Stifling Dagg…›Phantom Strike›Immaterial
| 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:
- Iron Branch — +1 All Attributes.
- Quelling Blade — Active: Chop Tree.
- Tango
- Magic Stick — Active: Energy Charge.
- Faerie Fire — +2 Damage.
- Circlet — +2 All Attributes.
2Core items
Your spikes are your core items: Battle Fury and then Desolator. Buy them in this order; each one is a power spike:
- Power Treads — +45 Move Speed, +10 Selected Attribute, +25 Attack Speed. Active: Switch Attribute.
- Battle Fury — +50 Damage, +7.5 Health Regeneration, +2.75 Mana Regeneration. Active: Chop Tree.
- Desolator — +55 Damage.
- Black King Bar — +10 Strength, +24 Damage. Active: Avatar.
- Manta Style — +10 Strength, +26 Agility, +10 Intelligence. Active: Mirror Image.
3Late-game items
What players finish with once the core is done:
- Skull Basher — +30 Damage, +10 Strength.
- Satanic — +25 Strength, +25 Damage, +25% Lifesteal. Active: Unholy Rage.
- Abyssal Blade — +35 Damage, +30 Strength, +30% Slow Resistance. Active: Overwhelm.
- Aghanim's Scepter — +10 All Attributes, +175 Health, +175 Mana.
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 Battle Fury 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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