Assassin(Extra) Overview

Overview

Assassin is combo-dictated assassin hero(heh) who excels in chaining multiple abilities to decimate single target. Designed to thrive when relentlessly attacking foes with base attack and multitude of abilities, he will be a deadly force in mechanically proficient player's hands.

What's Different

*Note: Lot of the background information in this document is based on my outdated Warcraft 3 experience(before I got my hands on dota 2 modding, so 2014 September), so the details might be different now. You may skip this section if you have not played Warcraft 3 map.

Assassin in Warcraft 3 had several issues to be addressed:

1) Defining character
Assassin was heterogeneous in concept. He inherited the tools of existing assassin heroes at the time and became a melting pot of assassin archetype; pseudo-Tsubame Gaeshi on E, pseudo-Gae Dearg on R, and pseudo-Presence Concealment on F, and the usual stereotype melee buffs. As a result, he remained rather bland hero with lacking character that sets him apart from others. Except...

2) Extreme upfront damage
Up to 2700 instant pure damage combo that is very easy to pull off. Ouch.

To tackle with these issues, The focus was shifted to the truly unique aspect of his gameplay; the lengthy combo that consists of multiple E casts and occasionally R. No other heroes had the feeling of the arcade fighting game where you press the keys in right order and timing in succession for satisfying combo, integrated very well into gameplay. Assassin's kits now mainly revolve around chain combo, helping player to perform a fluid sequence of abilities with meaningful and discernable passive and buffs.

Gameplay

Assassin's primary source of damage comes from Fierce Tiger Strike(E) and No Second Strike(R). Using these two abilities at right time will decide the fate of your prey. These abilities can be used in conjunction with C and S scroll for quick pickup on fragile target in early game. Due to being mana-gated, however, he needs several important pickups to become the true combo master of Fate/Another.

As the game progresses, Assassin can acquire his key Attributes to remedy his mana issues. Thanks to easier application of Mark of Fatality from Attribute:Improve Martial Arts and strong mana refund on Attribute:Furious Chain, the devastating combo of [E-E-C Scroll-R-E] only costs 1000 mana during mid-game. With AGI ratio and stackable bonus speed buff, Assassin can also integrate strong right-clicker capability to his build that will keep his damage output relevant in late game.

However, while it is satisfying to land full combo perfectly, it also implies Assassin has to be under the nose of his foes for long period to be effective. It is where new defensive kits come in. The stereotype melee passive/buffs on Innate, Q and W were reworked upside down to add more depth to Assassin's gameplay by rewarding the fast reflexes, while providing enough offensive power that is a good match to their predecessors. With the vision provided by Mark of Fatality, momentary resistance from Cosmic Orbit, and the cleanse from Attribute:Dual Class, Assassin can deal with most of threats from moderate range.