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Null Talisman
Tango
Tango
Healing Salve
Arcane Boots
Null Talisman
Bottle
Urn of Shadows
Arcane Boots
Dagon 1
Blink Dagger
Blade Mail
Bloodstone
Eul's Scepter of Divinity
Necronomicon
Veil of Discord
Force Staff
Diffusal Blade
Ethereal Blade
Veil of Discord
Aegis of the Immortal
Sentry Ward
Gem of True Sight
Heaven's Halberd
Monkey King Bar
Sange and Yasha
Shadow Blade
Desolator
Divine Rapier
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4 | 8 | 10 | 12 |  |
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2 | 9 | 13 | 14 |  |
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6 | 11 | 16 |  |
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15 | 17 | 18 |
Nyx Assassin is well known to be one of the best nukers in the game, and is famed for his roaming and ganking abilities. In combo with his skills, a dagon can take an enemy straight from full health all the way down. He is also well known for his handy 2.77 second disable, which is identicle to lions except cheaper to cast and the stun lasts .77 seconds longer. Nyx Assassin is often thought to be a core hero in a game due to his disable, and the ability to stealthily take down a farming enemy carry without much difficulty. Whils't nyx seems so favourable from a description, it is important that you play him correctly. A bad nyx steals with his spells / dagon and can prove irritating to team mates. I hope this guide will help / enrich your knowledge of the hero as a whole, and boost your performance in public matches aswell as private lobbys. Hopefully my experience with this hero has covered everything about him, but if you have any suggestions, questions or queries feel free to post them in the comments section. Thanks, Michae l.
- Follow the build.
- You are a nuker.
- Whilst using Impale click on the hero to ensure that you hit your target rather than clicking in their direction (if the enemy has a linkens sphere then avoid clicking them with impale as it triggers the linken's passive!)
- Don't get a kill? Dont risk chasing unless the situation demands it - Its often a better idea to walk off.
- Cast all your spells on one hero to ensure a kill
- Try to give your kills to a friendly carry if available
- Dagon is your friend.
- Go side lane. You can go mid but it isn't advised.
- Spiked Carapace only blockes one instance of damage per source and only applies a stun likewise.
- Initiate with Vendetta and make use of the bonus 550 damage.
- Good luck :)
Impale, Nyx's first skill is the well known disable. It sends out spikes in a line infront of Nyx Assassin much similar to lions skill, but has a cheaper manacost and stuns for .77 seconds longer.
Mana Burn, Nyx's second skill is also a great nuke. This spell deals damage equal to 4x the enemy hero's inteligence stat, proving mainly effecting against inteligence heroes and casters. This spell also burns mana equal to the damage dealt.
Spiked Carapace This is one of Nyx's most well known skills. It negates damage done to you whilst spikes are activated (maximum 1 damage instance per source) and returns that damage to whoever dealt it to you. It also stuns the hero who tried to deal the damage. This spell proves very effective against other burst damage heroes such as lina, and equally handy escaping from pudge's wrath as the stun is activated from the rot damage. Note that this only reflects ONE DAMAGE PER SOURCE so only one stun is given to the attacker, no matter if they deal DoT damage or attack you multiple times whilst Spiked Carapace is up.
Vendetta This is your innitiating spell - when activated it turns you invisible with no delay, allowing you to move faster and giving you the ability to walk through units - the perfect chasing spell. This skill deals 550 damage if the invisibility is broken with an attack - this makes this spell's 260 mana cost every little bit worth it.
Pros:
- Not very item dependant lategame (only after Dagon is successfully built)
- High earlygame base hp regen
- Extremely high burst damage capable of single target instakills
Cons:
- Completely useless initiation against wards / dust / gem
- Not very capable against heroes such as pudge and other strength heroes
- Silences screw you over
If they have either 
Storm Spirit or outworld devourer then nyx is very ideal for the game. Likewise if they have 2-3+ squishy heroes which are agility or inteligence heroes, Nyx is more than perfect. The reason to pick Nyx against outworld devourer or Storm Spirit is due to the Mana Burn skill. I played a game some time back against an outworld devourer and took him down from full health to nil with only Impale and Mana Burn (using no other skills & items) in the late game (i believe i dealt in the range of 1100 damage using mana burn alone. It is also a good idea to pick Nyx Assassin if the enemy team have a hero like 
Sniper or 
Keeper of the Light as using spiked carapace can save you from them, or even help you kill them.. a good Nyx Assassin is always on the lookout for opportunities to use Spiked Carapace to enflict the most damage.
However, if they have 2+ strong and tanky strength heroes such as 
Pudge / 
Lifestealer / 
Centaur Warrunner etc you are better off as some other hero, because your burst damage will do considerably little damage to them, and in turn they will see you as a tasty snack instead!
On your Team:
Friends:
- Carry Heroes such as 
Juggernaut or Antimage because protecting them with your disable is your priority
- Supports willing to De-ward against sentries for you (such as 
Chen etc...)
On enemy Team:
Friends:
- Inteligence heroes such as outworld devourer or Storm Spirit
- Squishy agility heroes such as Juggernaut
- Nukers such as 
Lina
- Spiked Carapace huggers such as Sniper's 
Assassinate and Keeper of the Light's 
Illuminate
Foes:
- Strength heroes such as Centaur Warrunner or Pudge
- Silencing heroes such as 
Drow Ranger or 
Death Prophet
Step by step guide on how to pull off your Nuking Combo:
0 - Focus a hero. Cast all the following spells on ONLY THAT HERO. If you know that wards exist here then that helps! (this means you can choose between initiating with Vendetta or Blink Daggering in.)
1 - Initiate with your Vendetta or Blink Dagger when appropriate
- Locate an enemy hero and alert your team that you are going to gank them
- When you near them, pop your Vendetta or prepare to Blink Dagger in.
- When you reach them, ensure your allies are in place, and right click.(or Blink in, and use vendetta as a nuke before/after impale)
(make sure to right click as you need the bonus 250/400/550 damage)
2 - Immediately after the Vendetta damage is applied, use Impale
- Be sure that you have attacked with Vendetta first (its easy to accidentally impale without attacking by casting Impale too soon - take your time.
- Try to catch as many heroes / creeps in Impale as possible to maximise damage output.
TIP - To avoid missing with this ability, click on the hero rather than in the direction of the hero.
- Take care not to click the enemy hero with impale if they have a linkens sphere as this sets off the item. Clicking in the direction of the hero instead guarentees the stun without setting off the linkens.
3 - Cast Mana Burn on your victim to ensure they can't cast any/many spells on you and to help with damage output
- This should be used in combination with Impale as it has a slight casting animation, meaning you cant cast this whilst moving and it can slow you in chases.
4 - Make sure that all this time you are adding to the damage output with your auto attacks (this always helps)
5 - Burst them with your dagon to secure the kill
- DON'T steal with your dagon
- Allow your carry to get the kill if he is available to maximise his farm (this may mean not using your dagon but that is ok.
6 - Retreat.
General tip - Avoid using Vendetta for escapes - you are better off using Spiked Carapace if it is available or using Impale. Vendetta for an escape is a last resort.
As Nyx Assassin, your main role is a Ganker and a Nuker(your other role is a disabler). In this chapter I will explain to you how to Gank successfully, what lane to go in and how to get the most out of your laning phase.
To start off with, you are probably better off going on bottom (radiant) and top (dire) and leaving mid to a more appropriate hero such as Sniper (although it doesn't really matter which lane you choose, the side lanes are more accustomed to Nyx Assassin. (if you have to go mid build my secondary situational starting build so that you can quickly save up for a bottle (or buy a bottle straight away!)). In terms of items, you do not have to start with a null talisman if they have lots of heroes capable of harrassment - do not forget that you are that squishy, melee bug... feel free to buy some more regen and complete the null talisman ASAP. You then want to build up your Arcane boots after your talisman is complete to ensure you can gank and cast spells without fear of running out of mana. Try to complete your boots from the side shop to avoid unnessacary courier trips.
Once you hit the big level 6, it is time for you to go ganking. Level 6 is the major turning point from when Nyx Assassin changes from being weak only one nuke and a disable to being a fully functional nuker. Your main targets are the enemy carry, with your priority being to kill them or harm them enough for them to take a trip to their spawn. As soon as you hit level 6, you may not be able to secure direct kills as you cannot instakill with level one manaburn and no dagon, but you can kill people with 2/3 or less health without any issues. Be sure to alert the lane you are going to gank so that your team members can join in the gank too and secure the kill (and hopefully allow the friendly carry to get the kill).
As soon as you obtain your dagon, your item dependantness goes away. Focus on getting kills for your team and upgrading your dagon. Allowing your friendly carry to farm is your priority, so you want to try and limit any threats to your carry.
So... Many players are struggling to decide whether to get a Bottle, or Urn of Shadows. As Nyx Assassin is centred around ganking, it is paramount that he has items which are beneficial to his role. For this reason he sees many matches where a bottle or urn are necessary to be purchased. Question is, which to buy?
A Bottle sees many benefits. To start with it's burst heal and mana regeneration should be taken into account. Although the heal is nowhere compared to an Urn of Shadows, the Bottle has three charges, and when all three of these are used the Bottle beats one charge of an urn. The Bottle also gives mana regeneration, something which is needed on nyx, as Nyx Assassin can commonly be found starved of mana without multiple Arcane Boots on the team.
However, an Urn of Shadows has its benefits too - the fact that you can use it on team mates is very helpful, and adds to the help you can give to your team. If you play as nyx you often need a hasty retreat. This is where the heal comes in handy, and the urn is also handy for finishing off escaping heroes on less than 150 health. The stats are also a handy bonus with the Urn of Shadows which isn't seen on a Bottle.
Overall, there is no better item. Although in preferance i prefer the Bottle, It is entirely situational to the game you are playing in. Often when your team have multiple arcane boots, then an Urn of Shadows is more appropriate, but if your team already have an urn then an Urn of Shadows is a no go zone. Keep in mind that if the circumstances point against an urn AND a Bottle then it is completely OK to go for neither and start building your dagon right away. Keep in mind this also saves you a nice sum of 603/875 gold, So getting neither is often a very good decision.
What you need:
As Nyx Assassin, your most needed item is a dagon if you wish to play Nyx Assassin as a nuker. This is because the raw 800 damage can increase your total damage output up to and over 1500 during the late game, all within a few seconds. You want to max out your dagon as to reduce the mana cost and maximise the damage output.
Ethereal Blade? Ethereal Blade is an interesting item. Whilst not being very beneficial early game, it is very effective late game. As well as its bonus damage of 2x your primary attribute +75 damage, it boosts magic damage taken by your target. This means that your damage output can be increased by alot, and it protects you from auto attack centred enemies in the proccess. This is a good item to get as luxury after your dagon.
Eul's Scepter of Divinity is an interesting item for discussion. Whilst not being very popular to most players as nyx, I find it the perfect item for him with my playstyle. Getting this item can also not be a good idea in many matches, where a Blink Dagger is often MUCH more beneficial. Often you will find yourself in the position where you struggle to initiate with your Vendetta and have to find another stealthy way in to pull off your Impale. In terms of a euls, The movespeed stat great and the 150% mana regen is needed for you to pull off kills without constant trips to base. The active is just another piece to the cake (although don't worry if you don't use it much - its often hard to find situations to use it and you can end up fumbling with your activatable items). In most matches I normally get this built straight after my Dagon (although this is an entirely situational item).
Blink Dagger in many games is a must. In countless games i have played as Nyx Assassin i have found myself completely useless without a Blink Dagger as the invisibility from Vendetta simply isn't enough. When you are struggling in a match to balance your farm and ganking potentions due to lack of ganking power and uselessness of Vendetta then often a Blink Dagger is the appropriate item to get. This item is ofcourse also entirely situational, and is not needed for every match!
WHY NOT TO GET DAMAGING ITEMS ON NYX ASSASSIN:
- Firstly, you are not 
Bounty Hunter. You do not use your auto attacks when fighting, you only cast your spells / items. For this reason, getting an item such as a daedalus is a complete waset of 5750 gold, you are better off spending it on an ethereal blade (if you have already built your dagon) or on a dagon for the 800 damage burst.
- NEVER GET A RAPIER - the number of guides about nyx I have seen picturing a Divine Rapier is astonishing. When playing nyx you should not think for a second about buying a rapier. It is not only wasted by you not using your autoattacks, but the chance that you lose it if you die means that you can easily ruin the game for you and your team mates. a Divine Rapier is a no go zone for Nyx Assassin.
Thanks for reading! I hope my guide helped you. I put alot of effort into writing this guide so I would appreciate it if you put your compliments / suggestions in the comments section below - I would love to continue to improve my guide and hopefully help more people out with learning Nyx Assassin, but for this to happen I need your support! (see any mistakes? inform me and i will change them!)
Thanks,
Michae l.
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