DotA2 Templar Assassin Skill Build Guide

DotA2 Templar Assassin (Lanaya): Lanaya, the Templar Assassin, came to her calling by a path of curious inquiry. Possessed of a scientific bent, she spent her early years engaged in meticulous study of nature’s laws–peering into grimoires of magic and alchemy, recreating experiments from charred fragments of the Violet Archives, and memorizing observations of the Keen recordkeepers. Already quiet and secretive by nature, the difficulty of acquiring these objects further reinforced her skills of stealth. Had she been less retiring, she might have become notorious among the guilds as a thief-scholar. Instead her investigations led her into far more obscure corners. As she devoted her furtive talents to unlocking the secrets of the universe, she instead unlocked a secret door that exists in nature itself: the entryway to the most Hidden Temple. The intelligences that waited beyond that portal, proved to be expecting her, and whatever mysteries they revealed in the moment of their discovery was nothing compared to the answers they held out to Lanaya should she continue in their service. She swore to protect the mysteries, but more to the point, in service to the Hidden Temple she satisfies her endless craving for understanding. In the eyes of each foe she expunges, a bit more of the mystery is revealed.

Templar Assassin Overview

FACTION: The Radiant
PRIMARY ATTRIBUTE: Agility
ATTACK TYPE: Ranged
ROLE(S): Carry, Escape, Ganker

Templar Assassin Stats

STR: 70.5 at 25 (18 + 2.1/level)
AGI: 90.5 at 25 (23 + 2.7/level)
INT: 70 at 25 (20 + 2/level)
Health: 1822 at 25
Mana: 1144 at 25
Damage: 53 – 59
Range: 140
Armor: 4.22
Movement: 305

Templar Assassin Skills

	Refraction (Active) Targetting Method: Instant | Allowed Targets: Self Templar Assassin becomes highly elusive, avoiding damage and gaining a bonus to her damage. The damage and avoidance effects are separate, and have a limited number of instances.
Duration: 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 attacks or 17 seconds Bonus Damage: 20 / 40 / 60 / 80 Mana Cost: 100 Cooldown Time: 17 Notes Damage blocks 100% of the incoming damage, independently of bonus damage ability gives to Lanaya. Only instances of more than 5 damage (after all reductions) will remove a charge. Disables and other debuffs go through Refraction. Refraction bonus damages add to Templar Assassin’s raw attack damage bonus, which can be a critical strike when it procs. This also means it works fully against buildings. While Refraction’s damage block is active, Templar Assassin and her allies will see a visual effect around her (a white “forcefield”). This is not visible to the enemy. Whenever Refraction blocks an instance of damage, a small visual effect will occur. This is visible to both allies and enemies. While Refraction’s self-damage bonus is active, Templar Assassin gains a visual effect (her psi-blades will be longer and glow more). This is visible to both allies and enemies. Since attack damage is decided when the projectile is made, activating Refraction with an attack projectile in the air will not give it the bonus damage or consume an instance.
	Meld (Active) Targetting Method: Instant | Allowed Targets: Self Templar Assassin conceals herself, becoming invisible as long as she remains still. If Meld’s invisibility is broken by attacking an enemy, Lanaya will deal bonus damage to the enemy and reduce their armor for 10 seconds.
Invisibility Duration: Indefinite Bonus Damage: 50 / 100 / 150 / 200 Armor Reduction: 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 Armor Reduction Duration: 10 Mana Cost: 50 Cooldown Time: 6 Notes Armor reduction doesn’t work against towers unlike Corruption. The bonus damage and armor reduction is only applied if Meld is broken by attacking a unit within range. The armor debuffs from Meld don’t stack instead they just reset the duration, They will however stack with Corruption so Desolator is a commonly bought item for her. Meld’s invisibility fade time is the fastest in the whole game at only 0.001 seconds. Meld places a buff on Templar Assassin rendering her invisible. Though it is not a channeling spell it will be broken if Templar Assassin is commanded to do anything in any way including the use of items. Turning will not break Meld. Although it cannot be broken by Templar Assassin being stunned or silenced, it will be broken by any abilities that forcibly change her position, such as the Knock-back of Greater Bash, Tornado And Gust etc. Axe’s Berserker’s Call deserves a special mention since it is an area of effect ability that forces Templar Assassin to break her own invisiblity to attack him if she is hiding too close to him. An attack using Meld consists of 2 separate parts of damage; normal and Meld bonus damage. Only the normal damage part can be a critical strike when it procs, However Meld’s bonus damage will benefit from the armor reduction at the same instance the debuff is applied while the normal attack does not, Melding again and striking however will cause BOTH instances to benefit from the armor reduction while resetting the duration of the armor reduction debuff while also being capable of doing an armor reduced critical strike if she has the right item.
	Psi Blades (Active) Targetting Method: Instant | Allowed Targets: Self Templar Assassin’s psi blades slice through the attacked unit, spilling and damaging enemy units directly behind it, while gaining bonus attack range.
Bonus Attack Range: 60 / 120 / 180 / 240 Spill Width: 68 Spill Range: 590 / 630 / 670 / 710 Notes Spilled damage hits invisible units. Attack effects (like Unique Attack Modifiers) will only will be applied to the primary target. Psi Blades spill damage will hit magic immune units. Psi Blades do not spill damage when attacking illusions or buildings. Psi Blades does not spill Meld damage. Even though her range is extremely low when she has not taken a point in Psi Blades, Templar Assassin is never classified as a melee hero. Remember this when considering items such as Stout Shield, Quelling Blade, Battle Fury, Skull Basher, and Vladmir’s Offering.
	Psionic Trap (Active) Targetting Method: Point Templar Assassin places mystical traps that invisibly monitor enemy movement. When sprung at her command, they exert a slowing influence of 30% in the area. Traps charge up to slow an additional 5% every second, up to 50%.
Cast Range: 2000 Maximum Traps: 5 / 8 / 11 Fade Time: 2 Trap Duration: Permanent Mana Cost: 15 Cooldown Time: 11 / 8 / 5 Notes Traps are spell immune. Traps do not prevent neutral creeps from spawning. It takes 4 seconds after the trap is placed for it to reach its maximum slow effect.

Templar Assassin Skill Build Guide

1. Psi Blades (1)
2. Refraction (1)
3. Refraction (2)
4. Meld (1)
5. Refraction (3)
6. Psionic Trap (1)
7. Refraction (MAX)
8. Meld (2)
9. Meld (3)
10. Meld (MAX)
11. Psionic Trap (2)
12. Psi Blades (2)
13. Psi Blades (3)
14. Psi Blades (MAX)
15. Stats (1)
16. Psionic Trap (MAX)
17. Stats (MAX)

Templar Assassin Item Build Guide

Starting Items

1. Healing Salve
2. Tango
3. Iron Branch x4

Early Game

1. Town Portal Scroll
2. Bottle
3. Boots of Speed
4. Magic Wand

Mid Game

1. Town Portal Scroll
2. Blink Dagger
3. Medallion of Courage
4. Desolator
5. Phase Boots
6. Power Threads

Late Game

1. Black King Bar
2. Butterfly
3. Daedalus
4. Assault Cuirass

Situational

1. Boots of Travel
2. Monkey King Bar
3. Manta Style
4. Heaven’s Halberd
5. Linken’s Sphere
6. Urn of Shadows