Dota 2 - Night Stalker Build Guide

BIO
Of the Night Stalker, there is no history-only stories. There are ancient tales woven into the lore of every race and every culture, of an impossible time before sunlight and daytime, when night reigned alone and the world was covered with the creatures of darkness-creatures like Balanar the Night Stalker.

It is said that on the dawn of the First Day, all the night creatures perished. All, that is, save one. Evil's embodiment, Night Stalker delights in his malevolence. He created the primal role of the Night Terror, the Boogeyman, and as long as there have been younglings, his is the specter summoned to terrify them. This is a role he relishes-nor are these empty theatrics. He does indeed stalk the unwary, the defenseless, those who have strayed beyond the lighted paths or denied the warnings of their communities. Night Stalker serves as living proof that every child's worst nightmare....is true.

INTRODUCTION
He is one of the STR hero that can get kills easily on early-mid game. He have a powerful single target nuke and also have a mighty movement speed and attack speed. Oh and also don’t forget he also have a Silence that makes his enemy can’t escape. All of his skills are designed to make enemy can’t do anything while facing him. He can come from jungle easily and quickly, slowing the target, and also silencing the target. And then the target will move so slow and harassed by him until death, maybe death because his nuke, or his attacks.

PROS	CONS
Can easily solo killing a squishy hero	Low attack speed vs AGI carry on late game
High movement speed & attack speed at night	Doesn't have an AoE spell
High damage - Low cooldown nuke
Have a wide range vision at night

ROLE

Melee - Durable - Initiator - Chaser - Carry

STATS

LEVEL	1	15	25
HIT POINTS	587	1,332	2,244	SIGHT RANGE	1800 / 800
MANA	208	499	9	ATTACK RANGE	128
DAMAGE	57-61	96-100	144-148	MISSILE SPEED	N/A
ARMOR	6	10	16

ABILITIES
1. Void

Creates a damaging void that slows an enemy unit and deals damage. Void also mini-stuns, interrupting channeling abilities. The slowing effect lasts longer at night.

MANA COST: 80/90/100/110	COOLDOWN: 8
ABILITY: UNIT TARGET	AFFECTS: ENEMY UNITS
DAMAGE: MAGICAL	DAMAGE: 90 / 160 / 255 / 335
DAY DURATION: 2 / 2 / 2 / 2	NIGHT DURATION: 4 / 4 / 4 / 4
MOVE SLOW: 50% / 50% / 50% / 50%	ATTACK SLOW: 35% / 35% / 35% / 35%

Balanar creates a vortex of infinite night, tearing opponents violently into the eternal darkness that once was.
This is your main nuke. A single targetted - low cooldown nuke. You will spam this skill to a one unlucky target. On the early game, this skill is so painful for your enemy. You need to cast this immediately when it's off-cooldown. This way, your target cannot escape from you. Combined with your high movement speed (from your 3rd skill, and a silenced enemy (from your 2nd skill), you will kill your unlucky target easily.

2. Crippling Fear

Night Stalker horrifies the target enemy Hero, causing it to miss attacks and become silenced. The effect lasts longer at night.

MANA COST: 90/90/90/90	COOLDOWN: 12
ABILITY: UNIT TARGET	AFFECTS: ENEMY UNITS
DAY DURATION: 3 / 3 / 3 / 3	NIGHT DURATION: 5 / 6 / 7 / 8
DAY CHANCE TO MISS: 10% / 10% / 10% / 10%	NIGHT CHANCE TO MISS: 40% / 40% / 40% / 40%

A vision of the twisted maw of Balanar etches itself into the minds of the poor souls unlucky enough to cross his path.
Silence an enemy unit. This make you can attack your target comfortably without afraid of he will using his skills.

3. Hunter in the Night

Night Stalker is in his element at night, attacking and moving with great swiftness.

ABILITY: PASSIVE	MOVE SPEED: 20% / 25% / 30% / 35%
ATTACK SPEED: 30 / 45 / 60 / 75

The hunting prowess of Balanar improves as the night beckons.
With this, you become a very good chaser in Dota. You will gain lots of movement speed and also attack speed at night. So, if the day has turns into night, that;s your time to rock! Begin to roam around the map, and happily kill enemy's squishy hero. Start with your Silence, then Void, then just Right Click and silence again.

4. Darkness

Night Stalker smothers the sun and summons instant darkness, so that he might use his powers at their fullest. When used at night, it extends night time by Darkness' duration. Upgradable by Aghanim's Scepter.

MANA COST: 0/0/0	COOLDOWN: 180/150/120
ABILITY: NO TARGET	DURATION: 25 / 50 / 80

It is a humbling sight to see when the mightiest of warriors become afraid of the dark.
Because you will gain many advantages at night, this skill will be very useful for you. You will turn day into night for a certain period. In this skill duration, because of the natur of your abilities, you become more powerful, you get high movement speed, attack speed, vision, long Silence duration, and Long slow duration.

SKILLBUILD

Level 1: Void
Level 2: Hunter in the Night
Level 3: Void
Level 4: Crippling Fear
Level 5: Void
Level 6: Hunter in the Night   (Note: Here we doesn't take ultimate if it is still night time)
Level 7: Void
Level 8: Darkness
(Maybe here is the day is coming, so you need to take your Ultimate, or if it haven't day yet, you still can skip it)
Level 9 : Hunter in the Night
Level 10: Hunter in the Night
Level 11: Darkness
Level 12: Crippling Fear
Level 13: Crippling Fear
Level 14: Crippling Fear
Level 15: Stats
Level 16: Hunter in the Night
Level 17-25: Stats

Why maxed Void first?  This is your main nuke, you will need this for ganking and killing or early mid game. This skill have a high damage and also spammable. a very recommended skill.

Why maxed Hunter in the Night before Crippling Fear?  Crippling Fear level 1 is enough. Moreover, your attack speed and damage is needed to gank enemy on early-mid game. Recommended for you to take Hunter in the Night before Crippling Fear.

STRATEGY
Early Game
Balanar is a hero that get his real power at night. He should wait until day ends to operate and start ganking. On the first few minutes of the game, it is recommended for you to wait the night time with farming creeps calmly. At least, you should already have boots in the first night of the game.

Mid Game
Balanar is a carry-chaser hero that can easily get kills on early game. He mainly uses void and high movement speed to get some easy kills. You should maxed your Void first so you can spam it to get some easy kills on early mid game. Just use Void on a squishy hero and his Hp are already 60%, and after that he will be slowed, and you also have a Silence t make your target can’t do skills.  So he just can wait until his death. Just right click your hopeless target, and after your Void is off cooldown use it again to assure the kill.
After you already use lots of your mana, you need to go back to fountaain an refill your mana, you need mana mainly for spamming Void and get some easy kills.

Late Game
On late game, if you have Aghanim Scepter, you should lead your team through the fog of war. You have a very long distance of visibility that will helps team to scouts the fog area. You are Balanar, you become a beast at night, Lead your friend and if you accidentaly found someone in the fog of war, immediately cast Silence on him and your friends should come immediately to kill him. You have the potential of becoming a carry, maybe you can buy some carry items like Cuirass, Mkb etc.

ITEMBUILD
1. In early Game, I recommend you to buy Boots of Speed
Cost: 450

Flat movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack. + 50 Movement Speed

Why Boots of Speed? You need to start killing from the first night, you need the movement speed to out run your enemy.

2. Bracer
Total Cost: 525
Recipe: Circlet + Gauntless of Strength

+ 6 Strength         + 3 Agility + 3 Intelligence    + 3 Damage

Bracer is good for survivability in early game. This will adds damage too.

Upgrade your shoes into a more powerful Boots:
3. 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, thats what you need, attack speed and damages. Power threads is laso a flexible shoes, you can change it to STR, AGI, or INT for what you need.

? Item: Arcane Boots ??
Total cost: 1450
Recipe: Boots of Speed + Energy Booster

Active: Replenish Mana - Restores mana in an area around the hero. Flat movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack. + 60 Movement Speed   + 250 Mana MANA RESTORED: 135 Mana Needed: 25    Cooldown: 55

Why Arcane Boots? With Arcana Boots, you can fill your mana for your skill and spam Void whenever you want. This will makes you can get kill by relying on your Void on early game. You buy this with the cost of attack speed, or even damage if you prefer Phase Boots. But if you succeeded by getting lots of kills, then you can buy some nice items for the late game.
But this item will provoking your team to blame you because Power Threads is considered better from the community views.

For the sake of the team, buy:
4. Aghanim Scepter,

Passive: Ultimate Upgrade - Upgrades the ultimates of certain heroes. + 10 All Attributes   + 200 Health   + 150 Mana

Why Aghanim's Scepter? The radius of your Sight at Night will increase dramatically, this way, your team can roam and find a weak target and catch him.
Also make you can know enemy that will gank you so you can run before they arrive at your place.

Usually people buy this:
5. 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.

Now, what's next:
It is recommended for you to go full damage and attack speed so you may like this kind of items:
6. 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? It is your job to deal a damage to all of the enemy. This items gives you an AoE attack that will deal damage to all the enemy.

7. Assault Cuirass
Total cost:: 5300
Recipe: Platemail, Hyperstone, Chainmail, Recipe

Passive: Assault Aura - Grants attack speed and armor to nearby allied units, and decreases armor for nearby enemies. Multiple instances of Assault Aura do not stack. + 35 Attack Speed     + 10 Armor       AURA ATTACK SPEED: 20 AURA BONUS ARMOR: 5                ARMOR REDUCTION: 5

Why Assault Cuirass?
Increase attack speed that makes your damage flowing rapidly, it is very good because you also gives you +Aura for the team that is very important for late game,
it will increase your team's defense by a lot.
- Aura for the enemy:
Will make your enemy to suffer more from your teams damage.

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

	DAEDLUS	MKB	ABYSSAL	DIVINE RAPIER
DAMAGE	81	88	100	300
ABILITY	CRITICAL 2.4	100% HITS	STUN	NONE
CHANCE	25%	MINIBASH 35% DAMAGE: 100	MELEE: 25 % RANGE: 10%	NONE
OTHER	NONE	+15 ATK SPEED	+10 STRENGTH 2 SEC STUN	NONE

DAEDLUS: Daedlus will provide you with the a powerful Critical Strike.

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 disabler friends.

And also don't forget about:
2 items that is "a must have" for late game:
9. Heart of Tarrasque
Total cost: 5500
Recipe: Reaver + Vitality Booster

Passive: Health Regeneration - Restores a percentage of max health per second. This ability is disabled if damage is taken from an enemy Hero or Roshan within the last 4 seconds if your hero is melee or 6 seconds if your hero is ranged. + 40 Strength   + 300 Health     HEALTH RESTORED: 2%    Cooldown:

Why Heart of Tarrasque? It helps you survive in hard late game teamfights. Who can survive, is the winner!

10. 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 Ancient.
Also, this item will give you 1 free slot that is saved for Teleport Scroll if you don't have this Boots

And for the late game, for more survivability, you should buy this:
11. 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 unholy rage, and attacks your enemy and your HP will be full again in seconds.

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. Ranged-Carries
(Example: Clinkz, Drow Ranger, Sniper, Nevermore, Weaver)

You need to combine your decent slowing ability with their damage. It will be so powerful to crush opponents. Your silence is also powerful and make them can attack enemy pleasantly.

ANNOYING ENEMY
1. Observer Ward

Why this item is becoming your most annoying enemy? If they place this in the vital spot where you will run to kill them, then they will know your presence and immediately retreat, it will very harm you.

2. Enemy that have lots of Hp and high survivability, and powerful that you will have a hard time solo killing them
(Example: Ursa, Centaur, Naix)

 Your damage maybe isn't enough to solo kill them, maybe if you want to solo kill heroes that have lots of HP like them, you can get killed, so be careful.

VIDEO SECTION
1. Dota Guide of Night Stalker

Watch this and learn to play using Balanar. A nice tutorial on how to kill people with Balanar.

2. Another Guide of Night Stalker 

If you want to play with this hero, nothing wrong with checking every guide on the internet.

FANART