Opportunistic B*stard Playstyle

Introduction

Rikimaru the Stealth Assassin

Out of all the Assassins in DotA 2, Riki is probably the both the most annoying, and most easily countered (Up for debate). Once he gets his ultimate, Permanent Invisibility, Riki sends a shockwave of nervousness throughout the entire enemy team. The moment he shows up in a pick, he's immediately counter-picked. A badly played Riki, however, is easily controlled and dominated even with his invisibility.

This guide is steeped in Assassin lore, combining both the mindset of anyone who plays a stealth game, and the evil of someone who likes seeing people dead. It's actually very experimental but I've had a lot of good games, following this guide, and it generally turns out well.

Rikimaru is very item reliant, and as such, you will need to farm very well to get the most out of him. Farming out of stubborn opponents who don't learn to take a buddy with them is best.

Let's dive in, to the opportunistic bastard gameplay.

Skillset

Smoke Screen

Smoke Screen is Rikimaru's first skill, and his AoE disable. It is mainly used for forcing people to make a choice: Fight you within the AoE, miss, and have no access to your skills; or turn tail, and expose their back to you, increasing the damage they take. Be prepared to use this defensively, though, as it slows down anyone who's chasing you as well as stops them from stunning you with spells.

Level this up quickly to improve its effectiveness and range. Don't just catch your opponent in the middle, learn to assess the situation and smoke accordingly to lengthen the time your opponent stays slowed and silenced.

Blink Strike

Like the various "Blink Strikes" of the game, Rikimaru's version is tailored to suit his skillset. It teleports you BEHIND your enemy, ensuring a Backstab hit as well as bonus damage. It has a very high cooldown at first, but feel free to go crazy with it once it's maxed. As an escape tactic, you can use this on a distant unit (creep or hero) to put some distance between you and your enemy.

Because of its usefulness and low cooldown when maxed, max this next. To increase its effectiveness, you can use this first, followed by Smoke Screen, and then use it as a chasing ability. If your opponent chooses to fight you, this skill puts you at an advantage each time you use it.

Backstab

Rikimaru's offensive passive ability. Backstab deals magical damage, which means that it can only be mitigated by Planeswalker's cloak, Hood of Defiance, and abilities with similar effects. Always try to be behind your opponent to make maximum use of this skill.

This skill is leveled third, not first or second, because this playstyle tries to keep you alive first, and lets you kill second. The damage Backstab deals with Rikimaru's Agi growth alone is dangerous in early and mid game. Furthermore, once leveling it up, your opponents will be unprepared for the sudden and drastic increase in your offensive power.

Permanent Invisibility

Rikimaru's primary escape mechanism and ganking potential lies in this skill. It allows you to stay invisible except when you're using a skill, item, or attacking. Be prepared though, as getting this skill all but ensures that your opponents will carry Sentry Wards, Gems of True Sight, or Dusts of Appearance. With this you can properly position yourself just before you strike.

Now WHY would I leave leveling this skill up until last? That's insane! And counter-intuitive! It's because you're not supposed to break cover unless you can kill or force the opponent to run. And you're not supposed to take on any more than 1 opponent unless it's a team fight. You are an assassin, not a warrior. Emerge, kill, and disappear. The improved fade-time is irrelevant to you, and the faster you can kill, the better.

Items

I'll discuss only a few items here. Mostly items that sound good, but may not be a good idea. Let's start with an item that will be nigh invaluable for you.

Diffusal Blade
Nevermind the fact that it burns mana. The Agility bonus this item gives gives you an insane Backstab growth, attack speed, and damage output. The Intelligence bonus is small, but its increase on your mana pool and mana regeneration helps you stay out longer.

Its most valuable characteristic is its Purge active. Purging a target caught in Smoke Screen keeps them there longer, and an escaping target is now easier to catch. Any buffs and debuffs are also removed, so a lot of bonuses are removed from your target. Purge can also be cast on yourself. Seems stupid if you're escaping but if you have been dusted, immediately Purge yourself and fade into the shadows. That's right, it removes dust... and Bounty Hunter's Track, Drow Ranger's, Death Prophet's, and Silencer's Silence, and Slardar's Amplify Damage. It keeps you alive, and helps you escape.

Here are some builds I've seen that will not work with this style:
Mask of Madness
At first it sounds good. An increase in attack speed and movespeed will defninitely net you a kill! But you're a paper hero who can be easily killed once seen. Don't risk it.

Skull Basher
You'd be better off getting an Agility item for the bigger damage bonus, and the unreliable Bash isn't needed if you use your Diffusal Blade properly.

Playstyle

So how do you play this build? It's not just about the items and the skill build, it's about how you move and kill.

Laning Phase:

With your Backstab, try to last hit the creeps. Make sure not to get too harrassed. You can take a bit more risk once you have your Poor Man's Shield. Always be aware of stunners, as they will try to kill you early to keep you from getting your items and leveling up.

If you have a stunner and/or nuker with you, you can try to kill the squishier heroes. Rely on your high damage output with Backstab but don't go too far. Know when to move back and let them live.

Level 6-8:

This is the start of your roaming phase. Use this time to kill the squishiest hero in your lane, then start to roam. Don't be predictable, and be opportunistic. If you know you can catch up to a hero escaping from your ally, don't be afraid to step in and kill that sucker.

Opportunistic Bastard Unveiled:

This starts once you have your Diffusal Blade. Roam. Don't stay in one lane for too long as that renders you vulnerable. Always be aware of where your opponents are and how fast they can get to you. Once you see a hero who's alone, estimate your chances of winning, and take the kill once the chances are 80% or higher.

Always start off with Smoke Screen and a Blink Strike. Immediately Purge the sucker to keep him in your Smoke Screen. If your Blink Strike is maxed, keep using it. However, you should kill the opponent before your Smoke Screen dissipates.

Team Fights:

Approach your enemies from behind. Always try to catch as many nukers and spell users as you can within your Smoke Screen. Take out the nukers first, especially if they're very easy to kill. If there's no immediate need to take out as many as you can, fade out and get a feel on whom you should take out next.

Targets: Who to Kill and Who to Avoid

Initial Targets:

Most Intelligence Heroes except for Ogre Magi and Enchantress - Intelligence heroes are often very low on health and armor. Taking them down shouldn't take more than a few seconds. Beware the stunners, though, and try to fade out when it looks like they're going to be able to leave your smoke screen. Another tactic is to wait until they turn to face you and blink behind them to wreck their casting.

Drow Ranger, Sniper, Shadow Fiend, Luna, Mirana, Venomancer - Be aware that these Agility heroes will often carry a Shadow Blade. Your Smoke Screen will not prevent them from using it so approach with caution.

Broodmother, Templar Assassin, Nyx Assassin, Clinkz, Bounty Hunter, Slark, Phantom Lancer, Anti Mage, Queen of Pain, Windrunner - These heroes have very annoying escapes or invisibility skills. Don't chase them too far if you can't kill them outright.

Beware:

Most Strength heroes - they have high health and you may need assistance fighting them.

Avoid:

Slardar the Slithereen Guard - His Amplify Damage will break your bones the moment you get caught. Take him on only if you're sure you can kill him before he hits you with the ult.

Barathrum the Spirit Breaker - You need only appear on the map for a few seconds before his Charge of Darkness sticks to you. He will often carry a Dust of Appearance just so he can troll you. When you hear or see him coming, time it right, and Smoke Screen yourself. Once he dusts you, Purge yourself and keep running.

Thanks for reading! If you find anything wrong or have any questions, I'll try to answer them. Test out the build and tell me your experiences. If it doesn't work out, maybe you can help me change it up.