Dota 2 - Phantom Assassin (Mortred) Build Guide

BIO
Through a process of divination, children are selected for upbringing by the Sisters of the Veil, an order that considers assassination a sacred part of the natural order. The Veiled Sisters identify targets through meditation and oracular utterances. They accept no contracts, and never seem to pursue targets for political or mercenary reasons. Their killings bear no relation to any recognizable agenda, and can seem to be completely random: A figure of great power is no more likely to be eliminated than a peasant or a well digger. Whatever pattern the killings may contain, it is known only to them. They treat their victims as sacrifices, and death at their hand is considered an honor. Raised with no identity except that of their order, any Phantom Assassin can take the place of any other; their number is not known. Perhaps there are many, perhaps there are few. Nothing is known of what lies under the Phantom Veil. Except that this one, from time to time, when none are near enough to hear, is known to stir her veils with the forbidden whisper of her own name: Mortred.
INTRODUCTION
Mortred is a hero that have the biggest Critical Strike in DotA. She is a decent carry on late game. The critical is her trademark. On a late game she can deal more than 1000 damage in a blow with her critical. That's just too much for some squishy hero like Crystal Maiden or Shadow Demon and those squishy heroes will just explode like a small cockroach. Usually, Mortred player buy Bkb and Battlefury to make her get a cleaving attack. And with cleaving attack and magic immunity, nothing can stop her.

PROS	CONS
Highest Critical Damage in DotA	Weak on early game
Have a skill to dodge attacks	Needs many items to reach the maximum potential
Can last hits from long range although she is a melee (Using one of her skill) and the manacost is low
Low attack speed on early-mid game

ROLE

Melee - Carry - Escape

STATS

LEVEL	1	15	25
HIT POINTS	530	1,022	1,754	SIGHT RANGE	1800 / 800
MANA	169	351	741	ATTACK RANGE	128
DAMAGE	46-48	90-92	142-144	MISSILE SPEED	N/A
ARMOR	4	10	`18

ABILITIES
1. Stifling Dagger

Deals minor pure damage and slows the enemy unit's movement speed. Deals half damage to heroes.

MANA COST: 30/25/20/15	COOLDOWN: 8
ABILITY: UNIT TARGET	AFFECTS: ENEMY UNITS
DAMAGE: PURE	DAMAGE: 50 / 100 / 150 / 200
SLOW: 50%	DURATION: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

The first skill learned by the Sisters of the Veil often signals an incoming hit.
A single target, slowing skill that deals some damage. On early game, this skill is useful for last hitting the creep that too far to be attacked. With the low mana cost, this skill become spammable so you can use this skill last hits every time you need it.
This skill can also be used on a hero. This will make the targetted hero to be slowed and cannot run away from you so you can easily harass him. Don't try to be over-aggressive on early game, it is recommended to use this only for creeps for early game, and then if you need to gank on mid-late game you can use this on a hero.

2. Phantom Strike

Teleports to a unit, friendly or enemy, and grants bonus attack speed while attacking if it's an enemy unit.

MANA COST: 50/50/50/50	COOLDOWN: 14/11/8/5
ABILITY: UNIT TARGET	BONUS ATTACK SPEED: 100% / 100% / 100% / 100%
MAX ATTACKS: 4

Mortred's silken veil is the last thing her unfortunate target sees.
Jump into a unit, you can jump into foe to attack him or you can jump into ally to escape from enemies.
You get increased attack speed after you jump, a good speed booster for a carry that need lots of attack speed like you.
With a good attack speed, it will trigger more critical attack to demolish the enemy.

3. Blur

The Phantom Assassin becomes hard to see by blurring her body and disappearing from the enemy minimap when near enemy heroes. Some enemy attacks miss.

ABILITY: PASSIVE	EVASION: 20% / 25% / 30% / 35%
RADIUS: 1600 / 1600 / 1600 / 1600

Meditation allows a Veiled Sister to carefully anticipate her opponents in combat.
Gives you additional evasion to help you evade physical attacks from enemy. This is a very good defense against enemy's carry that will protects you from death.

4. Coup de Grace

Phantom Assassin refines her combat abilities, gaining a chance of delivering a devastating critical strike to enemy units.

ABILITY: PASSIVE	CRITICAL DAMAGE: 250% / 350% / 450%
CRITICAL CHANCE: 15% / 15% / 15%

A divine strike, Mortred honors her opponent by choosing them for death.
The best critical attack in DotA. 450% damage on level 3 is no joke for anybody. With a decent damage on late game, this skill will provide you with 1000++ attack on late game. So if you can land some attack to the enemy, it is almost 100% that your team will win the game.

SKILLBUILD

Level 1: Phantom Strike
Level 2: Stifling Dagger
Level 3: Stifling Dagger
Level 4: Phantom Strike
Level 5: Stifling Dagger
Level 6: Coup de Grace
Level 7: Stifling Dagger
Level 8: Phantom Strike
Level 9 : Phantom Strike
Level 10: Blur
Level 11: Coup de Grace
Level 12: Blur
Level 13: Blur
Level 14: Blur
Level 15: Stats
Level 16: Coup de Grace
Level 17-25: Stats

Why take Phantom Strike for level 1? You need Phantom Strike to escape if enemy wants to get firstblood by killing you. By jumping into nearby ally or creep, you can escape from firstblood.

Why maxed Stifling Dagger first? You need to increase this skill on early game for lower mana and more damage to last hit the creep. More level of this skill also makes you can harass more for enemy hero, with  more damage and more slow. Nuke is more effective on early game because enemy Hp is still low ( a few hundreds).

Why maxed Phantom Strike before Blur? Maxed Phantom Strike first gives many advantages because of the lower cooldown of this jumping skill. With lower cooldown you can catch your target by jumping and attacking him with more attack speed for every 5 seconds. You can also easier to escape if you are being chased.

STRATEGY
Early Game
On early game, you need to get as much farm as you can. The more creeps you can kill the better. Use Stifling Dagger to last hit the creep that too far to attack. As a carry, your main job is to farm because you need many items to be the best in the game. If you cannot succeed in farm, your team will have a hard time in the late game teamfight. Don't be too aggressive on early game, inexperienced Mortred player usually thinks that she is strong so he weirdly Phantom Strike and attack the stronger early-game hero which lead to a fool death.

Mid Game
You should still farm on this stage of the game. This is your only responsibility on early-mid game. You should get the best item you can get. You can change from lane to lane and get the farm you need. As a carry, farm is your main priority, if lane creeps is already empty, you should do the jungle creeps.
If there is a teamfight near your farming area, you should help your team win the teamfight. Use Stifling Dagger on a target and then jump and attack an enemy. With constant attack, you will trigger your Critical Strike that is your most deadly weapon.

Late Game
On this stage of the game, you should already have the items you need. Your farm on early-mid game should be paid off. Show your high Critical Damage to the enemy. If you can jump to the enemy and land some Critical Strike on this stage of the game, your team will be likely to win the teamfight. Your Critical blow are almost sure deals 1000++ damage. And usually you are already equipped with the Battlefury, that means a cleaving 1000++ damage should be received by the enemy. And no one can survive it.

ITEMBUILD
1. Quelling Blade
Cost: 225

Active: Destroy Tree - Destroy a target tree. Passive: Quell - Gives bonus attack damage against non-hero units, depending on the type of hero you are.   MELEE BONUS: 32%     RANGED BONUS: 12%      Cooldown: 5

Why Quelling Blade? Makes you easier to lasthit every creeps with its additional damage.

2. Poor Man's Shield
Cost: 550

Passive: Damage Block - Blocks physical attack damage, depending on the type of hero you are. Poor Man's Shield will always block attacks from enemy Heroes, but has a chance to block damage from creeps. MELEE BLOCK: 20     RANGED BLOCK: 10     BLOCK CHANCE: 60%     + 6 Agility

Why Man's Shield? Makes you easily lasthit every creeps and can defend yourself with the damage blocking ability.

3. Battlefury
Total Cost: 225
Recipe: Broadsword, Claymore, Preserverance

Passive: Cleave - Deals a percent of attack damage in a 225 AoE around the target. Does not work on ranged heroes. Cleave damage on non-primary targets is not reduced by armor values. + 65 Damage + 6 HP Regeneration     + 150% Mana Regeneration      CLEAVE DAMAGE: 35%

Why Battlefury? Makes you faster in farming creeps. Makes your gold flow faster. Your job is to farms, this item will really help.
And on the teamfight, it will splash your ultra high crits which is 100% annoys your opponent.

4. Power Threads
Total cost: 1400
Recipe: Gloves of Haste, Boots of Speed, Belt og Giant Strength/ Robe of Magi/ Band of Elvenskin

Active: Switch Attribute - Changes selected attribute between Strength, Agility and Intelligence. Flat movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack. + 55 Movement Speed + 8 Selected Attribute   + 30 Attack Speed

Why Power Threads? It will gives you attack speed, that's what you need, attack speed and damages. Power threads is also a flexible shoes, you can change it to STR, AGI, or INT for what you need.
STR for Survivability, AGI for damage and attack speed, and INT for mana.
This will gives you an instant +152 HP if you change it from AGI/INT into STR, this is needed to survive in condition where your HP is so low while you are using AGI or INT Thread.
This will gives you an instant +104 mana if you change it from AGI/STR into INT Thread, this is needed to gain an instant mana in condition where your mana is so low while you need more mana to do the skill.

4. Black King Bar
Total cost:: 3900
Recipe: Ogre Axe, Mithril Hammer, Recipe

Active: Avatar - Grants magic immunity. Duration and cooldown decrease with each use. Some Ultimate abilities are able to disable through Black King Bar. + 10 Strength + 24 Damage     DURATION: 10/9/8/7/6/5     Cooldown: 80

Why Black King Bar? It gives you survivability in a teamfight because you will get magic immunity during teamfight.

5. Dominator > Satanic
Total Cost: 5850

Recipe: Tarrasque + Helm of the Dominator + Recipe 

Active: Unholy Rage - Increases Lifesteal by 175% for 3.5 seconds. Passive: Lifesteal - Gives Lifesteal on attacks. Satanic is a Unique Attack Modifier, and does not stack with other Unique Attack Modifier. + 20 Damage    + 25 Strength    + 5 Armor    LIFESTEAL: 25%   Cooldown: 35

Why Satanic? It will really helps you to survive in a hard condition in a teamfight. It will gives you lifesteal, Strength, and Armor, thats all what you need to survive in a teamfight. If your HP become low, immediately use the Unholy Rage, attack your enemy and your HP will full again in seconds.

6. Butterfly
Total cost:: 6000
Recipe: Talisman of Evasion, Eaglesong, Quarterstaff

+ 30 Agility            + 30 Damage + 35% Evasion      + 30 Attack Speed

Why Butterfly?
It gives you more damage and more attack speed that makes you become much more powerful. It also gives evasion to helps you survive in teamfight. Butterfly is always a good item for a carry.

7. Boots of Travel
Total cost: 2450
Recipe: Boots of Speed + Recipe

Active: Teleport - Teleports you to an allied non-hero unit or structure. Flat movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack. + 100 Movement Speed Manacost: 75   Cooldown60

Why Boots of Travel? With the creeps becoming more powerful in pushing your base, you need fast teleport to save your Throne/Tree.
Also, this item will give you 1 free slot that before is used for Teleport Scroll if you don't have this Boots.

8. You can increase your DPS more. Choose your own DPS items.As a carry, damage is your priority.

	Mjolnir	MKB	ABYSSAL	DIVINE RAPIER
DAMAGE	24	88	100	300
ABILITY	Chain Lightning	100% HITS	STUN	NONE
CHANCE	25% DAMAGE: 160	MINIBASH 35% DAMAGE: 100	MELEE: 25 % RANGE: 10%	NONE
OTHER	+ 80 Attack Speed	+15 ATK SPEED	+10 STRENGTH 2 SEC STUN	NONE

Mjolnir: Gives you a massive attack speed and also gives a Chain Lightning that can easily triggered (it have 160 damage and damaging all enemies in the area). The additional attack speed makes you get more crit chance from your ultimate.
MKB: 100% HITRATE will helps you to fight some evasion heroes like Mortred or Rikimaru.

ABYSSAL: A decent +100 damage and makes you become a Stunner

RAPIER: Be careful if you choose to hold this. 1 hit kill is a sure. 2-3 hits is the worst. Need protection from your support. Must come if the situation is clear safe for you to come inside the teamfight. Need some disabler friends.

GOOD ALLIES

1. Supportive Heroes
(Example: Shadow Shaman, Crystal Maiden, Vengeful Spirit)

Supportive heroes have disables and nice skill to helps carries and makes a teamfight easier for the team.

Shadow shaman: Have hex, shackles, and wards to helps you disables enemy

Crystal Maiden: Have 1 lockdown, 1 slower, and have +mana regeneration

Vengeful Spirit: Have stun, swap, and +damage aura

2. Initiator Hero

(Example: Tidehunter, Earthshaker, Treant)

They have initiating skill that will make your way into the teamfight. After they use their skill, you can jump into the enemy and kill them all!

ANNOYING ENEMY

1. Early Game Harasser - Mid Game Ganker

(Example: Venomancer, Shadow Shaman, Balanar)

 If they suceeded in obstruct your farm, you will have a hard time on mid-late game because your item will be suck.