Favourite DOTA Strategy - Lanaya Strategy

	Lanaya - Templar Assassin Range: 140 | Move Speed: 305 Primary: AGI Str: 18 + 1.7 | Agi: 23 + 2.7 | Int: 20 + 2.0 Damage: 45 - 55 | HP: 492 | Mana: 260 HP Regen: | Mana Regen: Attack Speed: | Armor: 4
	Refraction (R) Manipulating psionic energy around herself granting a mystical refraction of light that protects her from external harm and giving her bonus damage for a limited number of instances. Lasts 20 seconds. Level 1 - 15 bonus damage, 3 instances Level 2 - 30 bonus damage, 4 instances Level 3 - 45 bonus damage, 5 instances Level 4 - 60 bonus damage, 6 instances Mana Cost: 75 Cooldown: 20 Comment: You'll use this skill a lot. It has three primary uses. The first is for last hitting creeps(so much easier.) The second is escaping.(3-6 hit protection.) The last is for hero killing. (Bonus damage really helps.)
	Meld (D) The art of Shakuras allows Lanaya to conceal herself at any time of the day and strike from the shadows with her armor-shredding blades. Deals bonus damage and reduces enemy armor for 10 seconds. Level 1 - 50 damage, -2 armor Level 2 - 100 damage, -4 armor Level 3 - 150 damage, -6 armor Level 4 - 200 damage, -8 armor Mana Cost: 100 Cooldown: 12 Comment: Noob laelion! You did not get this early game! Think. What good is Meld without Psi Blades? You do need last hit assistance, which is why Refraction is placed before Meld. I place this mid-game, after Refraction and Psi Blades are maxed. (Don't get me wrong. Meld is Lanaya's BEST skill.
	Psi Blades (B) Using her psionic powers, the Templar causes enemy units behind her target to feel the same pain as the target itself. This psionic power extends her attack range. Level 1 - 40 bonus damage, 60 spill Level 2 - 80 bonus damage, 120 spill Level 3 - 120 bonus damage, 180 spill Level 4 - 160 bonus damage, 240 spill Mana Cost: Cooldown: Comment: ((Note: The tip is wrong. It doesn't give damage, but range.)) This is what makes Lanaya a good farmer, as well as a good creeper. It has decent synergy with Radiance. I maxed this after Refraction so Meld has more effect. Just so meld has more effect in mid-game.
	Psionic Trap (C) Creates psionic traps on ground. When triggered, it will slow units within 400 range by 50% for 5 seconds. Level 1 - Max 5 traps Level 2 - Max 8 traps Level 3 - Max 11 traps Mana Cost: 15 Cooldown: 10 Comment: Well, I guess people want me to use this more often, which I'll try to do. Psionic Trap has some nice uses. You can use it on the chase, on the run, or as map wards. The map ward effect isn't as effective(Not much sight out of it.) or cool as the other two uses, but cluster-warding gets rid of that problem.

Skill Build: 1. Refraction 2. Psi Blades 3. Refraction 4. Psi Blades 5. Refraction 6. Psionic Trap 7. Refraction 8. Psi Blades 9. Psi Blades 10. Meld 11. Meld 12. Meld 13. Meld 14. Psionic Trap 15. Stats 16. Psionic Trap 17. Stats 18. Stats 19. Stats 20. Stats 21. Stats 22. Stats 23. Stats 24. Stats 25. Stats

Item Build: 1. Power Treads (1850) +65 Run Speed +35% Attack Speed +10 Selected Attribute Boots of Speed + Gloves of Haste + Boots of Elvenskin or Robe of the Magi or Belt of Giant Strength + Power Treads Recipe Scroll 2. Crystalis (2350) +35 Damage Passive: Critical Strike 10% Chance 1.75x Damage Multiplier Blades of Attack + Broadsword + Crystalis Recipe Scroll Critical+Meld=pwnage? I think that's right, sorta. 3. Stygian Desolator (4420) +60 Damage Passive: Corruption -6 Armor to Enemy Target 5 Second Duration Orb effects do not stack Mithril Hammer + Mithril Hammer + Stygian Desolator Recipe Scroll Not sure if the -6 armor from Desolator stacks on Meld. I've never really had the opportunity to check the opponent's armor decrease after a double-meld desolator attack. 4. Buriza-do Kyanon (6200) +75 Damage Passive: Critical Strike 20% Chance 2.2x Damage Multiplier Crystalis + Demon Edge + Buriza-do Kyanon Recipe Scroll Damage before defense, in my opinion. You can opt to get a Vanguard, which I'd advise for newer players. A lot of the time, it's 5. Vanguard (2275) +4 HP regen/second +250 Hit Points 65% to block 35 damage Ring of Health + Vitality Booster + Stout Shield Defense in farming, harassing, and hero-killing. Regen is love. 6. Eye of Skadi (7050) +200 Hit Points, +150 Mana +25 to All Attributes Passive: Frost Attack -20% Attack Speed -30% Run Speed 2 Second Duration for ranged heroes, 3 seconds for melee heroes Melee Eye of Skadi is an orb effect, and does not stack with orb effects; Ranged Eye of Skadi is NOT an orb effect, and stacks with some orb effects. Ultimate Orb + Ultimate Orb + Point Booster + Eye of Skadi Recipe Scroll Don't think this stacks with Desolator, despite not being an orb for ranged heroes. Without Desolator, this item makes you a beast to be reckoned with. 7. The Butterfly (6250) 30% Evasion +30 damage 30% increased attack speed +30 Agility Eaglehorn + Quarter Staff + The Butterfly Recipe Scroll Luxury item, really. I suggest you shoot for this right away, though...after you've completed the main parts to the item build. 8. Ring of Health (875) +4 hp/sec regen I prefer this over Tangos. But you can use Tangos, too. They're more effective, if not of equal usefulness.

Early Game: Early game, like most heroes, Lanaya is fragile. These items help make her more sustaining in her early game pushes. RoH for sustainment. Tangos and Sapphire water work just as well, if not more effective. Start items with BoS, 2 Slippers of Agility, and two sets of Tangos (or wait till you can get RoH.) And maybe grab an Ironwood Branch or two. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The early game strategy is pretty straight-forward. Use Refraction for harassing and for last hits, and also if you need to run away. It's a versatile technique, so know when and when not to use it. Also, remember to DENY. The level gap between you and your opponent determines how well you play Lanaya and the number of kills that you will get. Lane scenarios: 1 melee hero- You are at the definite advantage here. Just beware of a nuke, since many STR heroes come with a single stun nuke, like Sven. Harass them with Refraction and hopefully, they'll go running back to base, leaving you to your leveling lonesome. What's better? You might even kill them. 1 ranged hero- Okay, more than half of these heroes have nukes. Beware of them, since they all have a bigger range than Lanaya. Come in ONLY for last hits and deny. Harass when they're not paying much attention to you. Later on, these heroes are pretty much buried. 2 melee/ranged heroes- Yeah, disadvantage. You do get more exp when you solo a lane with two enemy heroes, though. As with all other strats, come in only for denies and last hits. If you do decide to take the lane, make sure you have a lane partner. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your goal at this moment isn't really to push, but to level. All the scenarios above have two things in common. 1. Deny An easy way to do this is to press "A" then hold Alt. Holding Alt lets you view the health of all creeps in your view, so picking a target to deny becomes slightly more simple. 2. Last Hits Your way to make levels. Often, the opponent will try to deny back, so denying your creeps will put you at a stalemate...sorta. Wait till you can estimate whether or not YOU, not your creeps, can kill the target creep, then attack it. This yields you gold, as you must have noticed. xD Your Psi Blades is very useful. You can weaken other creeps while focusing on one, so the chances of you getting the gold are very high. The Wraith Bands balance out the damage problem with spill damage. =] Your ending inventory should be this, on most occasions. Haha! Full inventory! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And then maybe a Vanguard, if you were pretty successful. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As you can see, Lanaya will have a lot of damage to her advantage, so use that damage to harass, or to get early kills. Don't count on kills, your Meld is placed much later. But don't worry, you'll rack them up.

Mid Game: Your mid-game starts as soon as you get level 2 Meld, if you followed my skill build. You can start grabbing kills now. Here's a killing how-to: When using Lanaya to kill, patience is of utmost importance. Why? You need to wait until they are in range of your Meld enhanced attack. Pick a lane and push up to the point where you know your opponent will retreat in your direction. In advance, use Meld to render yourself invisible. Estimate the earliest time you can get a shot off with the Meld bonus, turn on Refraction, and watch them die. With BoT, chasing is pretty simple. You may have problems with Wind Walking heroes, so be wary. You will most likely get the kill(unless you get ksed), because of your bonus damage from items you have and the armor loss from your Meld attack. Now, the Double Meld trick. Very simple trick. I've been asked for clarification on this. I'll divide it to steps, I guess. 1. Use Meld near your target, do NOT attack yet. 2. Wait until it is completely refreshed. Do not worry, your current Meld status is still undergoing. 3. Now you can attack your target. Hit them once, hit the Meld again, and you get a good amount of bonus damage. Meld is your priority skill for killing, though you need patience. If you see a tank in the area, you can kill them, but it'll be much easier if you use the Double Meld trick. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At this point, you should have, minus the Wraith Bands if you sold them: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, your item build branches in mid-game, after you attain Butterfly or Buriza. Right now, you need to pick an orb effect that best suits your situation. Ask yourself these questions: 1. Do I wanna go on an all out attack? --Stygian Desolator --This is most popular. 2. Do I need more chasing power? --Eye of Skadi 3. Do I wanna be in-between, and up close and personal? --SnY 4. Am I fighting INT heroes with channel spells? --MKB (Not orb effect. lawl.) Go with whichever suits the battle, and go for the item. Most times, it's SnY. This is a pretty expensive inventory for Lanaya, but Psi Blades will assist you in neutral farming. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Killing with Psionic Trap: To me, the trap limit isn't much of a burden. The trap strategy is pretty easy to understand. If you played Techies, then you know how and where to set traps. For Lanaya, just set them wherever the escape route would be for them. If there is an opening in the forest, set one at its entrance and go chase them. Meld and Refract their butts. Often times, you would just need to set it behind them. Remember, timing is key. If you miss the trigger, then your opponent WILL know what you're doing and be smart and switch to another lane. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Escaping: Wow. No escape item in the item list? Why is that? You're a noob, laelion! With capital 0s! No, not really. If you noticed, Refraction blocks single-target spell damage and physical damage, and Meld is an instant invisibility move. When you know you're gonna die, hit Refraction and run. That's all there is to it. Your only problem is if they carry a Gem of True Sight or they have a slow effect, *ahem* Drow Ranger. Or if their hero name is Leshrac. He'll eat through your protections like a hungry bear in the middle of a lot of fish...you get my point. If you're that anal about escapes, get Lothar's Edge. The Wind Walk can help in killing. Wind Walk into the fray, Meld and stay invisible, then Double Meld+Refraction. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your mid-game is pretty short, from when you finish level 3 Psionic Trap or level 3 stats. The ending inventory branches, like I said, so depending on the situation, you should have these items. You probably won't finish said items, so just work towards it in late game. Oh, and sell the Wraith Bands, no more use for them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stygian build Finish the Desolator recipe in late game. You'll deal insane amounts of damage. Skadi Build In late game, get the next Ultimate Orb and then the Skadi recipe. You;ll have one or two extra slots when you finish all your items, so fill it with whatever. SnY build You'll have good chasing power and movespeed (over 400, soon to be 420+, I think) with Yasha, and the much-loved Maim. All you need is the recipe. MKB build Yeah, I know. But more damage is always good, right? Get the Quarterstaff and then the MKB recipe. In relation to all the item builds, Radiance is all you need to complete it, and you'll pretty much own the game. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Late Game: You've amassed kills, and hopefully minimal deaths. All that's left is push, right? Wrong. You still have Roshan! Kill him with your Refraction and Meld, and then you push. Here's some fun ways to play around with Lanaya. You can set Psionic traps in all of your lanes, then using your BoT to get there and gank! The best spots to lay traps are the entrances to the river. There are two paths, to the top and to the bottom lanes, in the middle lane. Lay a trap or two there, and at the ends of the river. There's also the entrance to Roshan, lay one there, so they'll be all paranoid and run away. If you've finished Radiance, sit in the middle of a creep collision, and Meld. It's often fun to see your Radiance do all the work for you, sometimes even a hero will be there. Your Psi Blades makes for effective farming, so USE IT TO FARM. There's not much to do but to level to 25, and push, while feeding your thirst for kills. And remember to finish your situational item and Radiance. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your ending inventory should at least have this, plus the situational orb/MKB item. Yeah, it's an expensive build, and half the time you can own without completing much of it. Just a recap on the items you should have: Desolator build: Skadi build: Note: More anti-chase. I still wonder if bashers would've worked better. Oh, well. SnY build: Notes: This'll kill big time. Beware of gankers though. When you see one, Meld. I don't think they can target you. >.> MKB build: Notes: With this, you can destroy INT hero filled teams within 10 seconds. Lotsa bonus damage is a god-send. HoD is a good complement to this build. This is just a view of the items that'll work great with Lanaya, but these builds, 75% of the time, you'll never get, due to the length of time it'll take farming to get these items. You can opt to get Linken's Sphere, or anything that involves the RoH, namely a Vanguard or a Hood of Defiance. If you need health big time, go get an HoT. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Good luck!

Conclusion: All in all, Lanaya is a very powerful hero. There is no best hero, there are only comfortable heroes. Lanaya is comfy to me, that's for sure. Highlights to Lanaya: 1)Can reach devastating amounts of damage. 2)Refraction is a multi-use ability. Escape, creeping, killing, you name it. IMBA! 3)Crazy gank ability. 4)Farms very well with Psi Blades. Disadvantages: 1)Pretty frail, and easy to harass early game. 2)Moot health, but RoH backs it up, as well as SnY. 3)Requires patience for enemy heroes to come in range of a Meld attack. 4)Meld is not very good as an escape tool, and LE works better in combos with Meld. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Allies and enemies: Generally, these heroes have some sort of slow, or disable. Or in Zeus's case, a killsteal skill. Sad to say, these are the same kinds of heroes that can put you to back to Aiur as well. Again, generally. These heroes have a counter to Lanaya one way or another. Aiushtha's speed reduction is a total douche in the butt, and Tormented Soul eats you alive. A good amount of these heroes are AoE skill dependent heroes, which attack through your Meld invisibility, and cancel it. When you see them, you may as well hack at them as much as possible. Hopefully, I'll have pictures up. Thanks for reading. =3 A lot of the comments I've read were very helpful. I hope to make more and better changes. Have fun, play hard. It's just a game. =]