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Night Stalker Strategies

Melee, Carry, Disabler, Durable, Initiator, Nuker

71st

Popularity

51.91%

Win rate

Gameplay

 "I feed the darkness and the darkness feeds me."

Night Stalker is a myth to everyone as no one knows its origin story or history. There are just several ancient folktales from different races and cultures about the period when there was no daytime as everything was covered in darkness and night time engulfed the whole world. Therefore, creatures like Balanar the Night Stalker were dominant at that time. 

But their time was coming to an end soon, As on the First Day that the day time appeared on the world, the night creatures were wiped out totally except Night Stalker, an embodiment of evil. He loved granting the terror and horror to the younglings that was why he created Night Terror which is more well-known with the name Boogeyman. His prey are often the heedless and vulnerable who have been too far away from shined places or ignored the warnings from others. The presence of Night Stalker works as solid evidence that every child's worst nightmare is real.

night stalker dota 2 wallpaper

In-game, Night Stalker is described as:

“Once the sun goes down, Night Stalker's hunt begins. Charging through the shadowy forests, he snares prey in a slowing void as he tears them to shreds. Should sunrise threaten to end his terror, he can darken the skies to extend his onslaught..”

Ability Builds

  • Strength: 23 + 3 each level

  • Agility: 18 + 2.3 each level

  • Intelligence: 15 + 1.6 each level

  • Health: 660

  • Health regeneration: + 4.55 each second

  • Mana: 255

  • Mana regeneration: + 0.75 each second

  • Damage: 63-67

  • Amor: 5

  • Magic Resistance: 25%

  • Turn Rate: 0.6

  • Attack Range:150

  • Projectile speed: Instant

  • Attack Animation: 0.55+0.55

  • Movement: 295

  • Sight Range: 800/1800

  • Base Attack time: 1.7 seconds per attack

  • Damage Block: 16

  • Collision size: 24

Talents

night stalker talents dota 2

Notes:

  • The strength talent provides Night Stalker exactly 500 health, 2.5 health regeneration, and 25 attack damage.

Tips & Tactics

General

night stalker skill building guide dota 2

In this build I will focus on guiding you how to play Phoenix as an Offlaner. Then the first ability I recommend you max out is Void as it is a great tool for harassment besides the damage it deals. In addition, the attack speed reduction effect can make enemy heroes struggling to last hit. Furthermore, the mini-stun can prevent the enemy from escaping by using Town Scroll Portal or other channeling abilities.

The second ability to max out is Hunter In The Night due to the movement and attack speed it grants. With Hunter In The Night, Night Stalker can gank or support other lanes in the night time and gain the advantage for the team. It is also useful when chasing the enemies or escaping from the gank.

Crippling Fear is your last priority. Although this ability is great and can silence nearby enemies for a short period of time, it is really easy to dodge and get out so you should consider adding one point when the game is dragging to the mid as there are more teamfights occuring at this time. 

Abilities

Void

Void (Unit Target, Magical)

Effect: Nightstalker summons the dark matters covering the targeted enemy for a specific period of time which slows the target and deals damage. Void also applies mini-stuns which disrupt channeling abilities. The slow debuff will endure longer at night time. 

Mana cost: 80/90/100/110

Cooldown: 11/10/9/8

Cast Animation: 0.3+0.33

Cast Range: 525

Damage: 80/160/240/320 (Talent 125/205/285/365)

Move Speed Slow: 50%

Attack Speed Slow: 50

Day Slow Duration: 1.25

Night Slow Duration: 2.5/3/3.5/4

Day Stun Duration: 0

Night Stun Duration: 0.1

Upgraded from Aghanim’s Scepter:

  • Effect: Void become an AoE ability and its mini-stuns duration will be increased
  • Cast Range: 0
  • Night Stun Duration: 0.5
  • Radius: 900


Notes:

The night created by Eclipse also affects Void.

When Void is cast, the slow effect is applied first then the damage and stun debuff is the last.

When Hunter in the Night is active, Void has a cast backswing of 0.57

With an upgrade from Aghanim’s Scepter, Void becomes an AoE ability which can stun and deal damage on enemies within 900 radius.

  • Invisible units or units in the Fog of War won’t be affected by Void within the active range.

Crippling Fear

Crippling Fear (No Target)

Effect: Night Stalker generates dark matters in the field around him which horrifies the nearby enemies and silences them for a while. The debuff will remain longer at night time.

Cooldown: 30/25/20/15 (Talent 26/21/16/11)

Mana Cost: 50

Cast Animation: 0.2+0.43

Radius: 375

Day Duration: 3

Night Duration: 4/5/6/7

Aura Linger Duration: 0.5

Notes:

The night created by Eclipse also affects Crippling Fear.

The silence debuff radiates around Night Stalker in the form of aura which lasts for 0.5 seconds.

While the Crippling Fear is cast before the change of day and night time, the aura’s duration will stick to the time this spell is cast.

When Hunter in the Night is active, Crippling Fear has a cast backswing of 0.57

Hunter in the Night

Hunter in the Night (Passive)

Effect: Night Stalker is at his best at night, He gets his movement speed and attack speed increased.

Cooldown: 0

Mana cost: 0

Passive Move Speed Bonus: 22%/28%/34%/40% (Talent 32%/38%/44%/50%)

Passive Attack Speed Bonus: 20/40/60/80 (Talent 100/120/140/160)

Upgraded from Aghanim’s Shard:

  • Effect: Hunter in the Night becomes a castable spell which means when it is activated, a creep will be killed instantly. That consumed creep will heal his health and restore his mana. 
  • Cooldown: 20
  • Cast Animation: 0+1.07
  • Cast Range: 150
  • Active Max Health as Heal: 35%
  • Active Max Mana as Mana Restore: 35%

Notes:

The night created by Eclipse also affects Hunter in the Night.

With the upgrades from Aghanim’s Shard, Hunter In the Night can be cast by the Night Stalker. The origin passive from this spell still affects Night Stalker.

  • illusions, clones, creep-heroes, and Roshan are the units that Hunter in the Night can be cast upon.

  • With ancient creeps, they are immune to this spell during the day time but they are affected in the night time.

  • The consumed creep will grant gold and experience bonus if it is an enemy or neutral creep. If it is an ally, the denying effect will be applied.

  • Night Stalker will get healed and mana restored immediately right after the spell is cast regardless of visual effect.

Dark Ascension

Dark Ascension (No Target)

Effect: The darkness suddenly covers all the map and Night Stalker’s abilities reach their full potential. During this moment, Night Stalker can fly through the terrain and deal extra damage. Besides, his vision is unobstructed. 

Mana cost:125/175/225

Cooldown: 150/140/130 (Talent 90/80/70)

Cast Animation: 0.3+0

Attack Damage Bonus: 50/100/150 (Talent 100/150/200)

Duration: 30 (Talent 40)

Notes:

Daytime created by Supernova can outweigh the night time from Dark Ascension.

  • In the case that Supernova is cast to outweigh the Dark Ascension, Night Stalker is still granted with flying ability, bonus damage and unobstructed vision, however the vision is stuck to the daytime vision.

The cast backswing when this spell is cast in the nighttime is 0.5 seconds.

The damage which is granted from level 15 talent can be updated immediately on the currently running occurrence. 

Items