Templar Assassin
Lanaya, the Templar Assassin, walks the path of seeking knowledge about all things. With a heart thirsty for knowledge, she focused early on studying natural laws—becoming deeply engrossed in books about magic and alchemy, attempting to recreate experiments recorded in fragments found in the Violet Archives.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“Precision creates power. Position creates opportunity. Control creates victory. Master these elements, and you become the blade that turns the tide of battle.”
Master Refraction Timing
Refraction is both shield and sword. Know when to absorb damage and when to unleash bonus damage. The cooldown equals duration - this is your rhythm.
Control the Space
Psi Blades control lanes, Traps control vision, Meld control engagements. Every ability commands space. Use them to dictate where fights happen.
Position is Everything
Your damage comes from perfect positioning. High ground advantages, spill angles, Meld positioning - master these to maximize your effectiveness.
Information Warfare
Your Traps are eyes across the map. Use them to track enemy movements, secure objectives, and create opportunities for surprise attacks.
Strike with Precision
Every attack should have purpose. Whether farming, harassing, or fighting - make each strike count towards your objective.
Patience and Aggression
Know when to be patient with Refraction on cooldown and when to be aggressively decisive with Refraction active. Balance creates dominance.
Hero Overview
Templar Assassin is a high-skill agility carry who dominates through precise positioning and calculated aggression. Her Refraction ability makes her surprisingly durable in the early game, while Meld provides excellent burst damage and ambush potential. With Psi Blades, she can farm efficiently and harass enemies from a distance.
TA's gameplay revolves around maintaining Refraction charges, using Meld for burst damage and positioning, and leveraging Psi Blades for farming and harassment. Psionic Traps provide map vision and initiation opportunities. The key is timing - knowing when to go aggressive with Refraction active and when to play defensively while it's on cooldown.
Pros
- Excellent burst damage with Meld + Refraction
- Strong laning presence with Refraction
- Efficient farming with Psi Blades
- Great map control with Psionic Traps
- High mobility and escape potential
Cons
- Vulnerable when Refraction is on cooldown
- Requires precise positioning and timing
- Struggles against heroes with good detection
- Relatively weak in prolonged teamfights
- High skill ceiling
Ability Analysis
Refraction
ActiveTemplar Assassin manipulates psyonic energy to shield herself from damage and gain bonus damage on her attacks.
Notes: Your bread and butter. Provides both survivability and damage output. The cooldown matches the duration, so you want to time your engagements to have Refraction available when needed. Bonus damage applies to each attack and can crit.
Meld
ToggleLanaya conceals herself and becomes invisible until she attacks or uses an ability. When she attacks out of invisibility, she deals bonus damage and reduces enemy armor.
Notes: Perfect for ambush and burst damage. Has no cast time and no fade time, making it excellent for disjointing spells and juking. Can be used to avoid tower shots and spells. The armor reduction works on Roshan.
Psi Blades
PassiveLanaya's attacks deal damage in a line behind the target enemy. Increases attack range with level.
Notes: Essential for efficient farming and harassment. Can hit multiple units and even invisible or ethereal targets. Use denies to position spill damage onto enemies. With Voidblades facet, Meld damage can also spill through wards.
Psionic Trap
ActivePlaces a trap on the ground that reveals nearby enemies. Can be detonated to slow and damage enemies in a large area.
Notes: Provides crucial map vision and initiation. Place at key locations like runes, high ground, and choke points. Traps don't give vision inside Rosh pit but are useful at the entrance. Can be used for stacking camps and split pushing.
Refraction (Shard Upgrade)
ActiveRefraction also gives bonus attack speed and lifesteal when active.
Notes: Shard upgrade significantly improves fighting potential. The attack speed helps in prolonged engagements while lifesteal provides sustain. Makes TA much more dangerous in drawn-out fights.
Psionic Trap (Aghanim's Scepter)
ActiveCan teleport to any of your traps globally with a short cooldown.
Notes: Transforms TA's mobility and initiation potential. Allows for global rotations, escape routes, and surprise engagements. Can be used to scout dangerous areas before teleporting to safety.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Templar Assassin is a precision-based agility carry who rewards calculated aggression and perfect timing. His Refraction ability provides both offensive and defensive capabilities, while Meld offers ambush potential and armor reduction.
Key Insights:
- Master Refraction timing to maximize both survival and burst damage
- Use Psi Blades for efficient farming and harassment
- Psionic Traps provide crucial map control and initiation
TA excels at both burst damage and sustained DPS when played with precision and patience.
Game Strategy
Early Game
Timeframe: 0-15 minutes Objective: Dominate lanes and secure core items Key: Use Refraction aggressively but manage cooldown timing; Harass with Psi Blades via last hits and denies; Place Psionic Traps for vision and escape; Fork players who walk up on you Items: Phase Boots (Priority #1); Desolator for burst damage; Bottle for mana management Tips: Learn creep aggro management to preserve Refraction charges; Use Meld to disjoint spells and tower shots; Practice Psi Blade spill angles for maximum efficiency; Deny creeps to position spill damage on enemies
Mid Game
Timeframe: 15-30 minutes Objective: Snowball advantage through good positioning Key: Use Meld for burst damage on ganks; Control vision with Traps at key locations; Farm efficiently with Psi Blades; Take advantage of Refraction cooldown timing Items: Desolator (Core damage item); Dragon Lance for range; Silver Edge against passive heroes Tips: Time fights to have Refraction available; Use Traps for initiation and escape; Practice Meld positioning for maximum damage; Be aware of enemy detection items
Late Game
Timeframe: 30+ minutes Objective: Execute perfect positioning and burst damage Key: Position for optimal Psi Blade spills; Use Aghanim's Scepter for global mobility; Focus key targets with burst damage; Maintain map control with Traps Items: Aghanim's Scepter (Mobility); Daedalus (Damage); Butterfly (Survivability) Tips: Refraction management is crucial late game; Use global Traps for surprise engagements; Focus on squishy priority targets; Be patient - wait for the perfect moment
Tips & Strategies
Refraction Management
- The cooldown equals duration, so you can maintain near-100% uptime with proper timing.
- Bonus damage applies to each attack and can crit with items.
- Overkill damage doesn't carry over to next Refraction layer.
- Use deny to reset the attuns without consuming Refraction.
Meld Positioning
- No cast time or fade time - instant for disjointing spells.
- Can be used to avoid tower shots and ranged attacks.
- Armor reduction works on Roshan and stacks.
- Position yourself above enemies for optimal attack angles.
Psi Blades Control
- Spill angle calculated from position when attack connects.
- Can hit ethereal and invisible units.
- Use denies to position spill damage onto enemies.
- With Voidblades facet, Meld damage spills through all wards.
Item Guide
Starting Items
Agility for increased damage, sustain for laning, and emergency burst protection.
Slippers, Tangos, Faerie Fire
Core Items
Desolator synergizes perfectly with Meld armor reduction. Phase Boots provide mobility and damage. Dragon Lance increases range for better positioning.
Desolator, Phase Boots, Dragon Lance
Situational Items
Daedalus for pure damage, Butterfly for evasion and attack speed, Skadi for survivability and slow, Silver Edge for breaking passives.
Daedalus, Butterfly, Eye of Skadi, Silver Edge
Counter Guide
Good With
Templar Assassin synergizes best with heroes who can provide setup and follow-up damage. Invoker can land perfect combos on enemies you call out or slow with Traps. Crystal Maiden provides mana regeneration and can safely channel Freezing Field behind your pressure. Shadow Shaman and Windranger provide additional lockdown that complements your burst damage. Dark Seer can Vacuum enemies into perfect positions for your Psi Blades, while Magnus creates devastating follow-up opportunities. Heroes who benefit from your ability to force positioning or provide setup for big damage abilities work exceptionally well with TA's precision-based playstyle.
Bad Against
TA struggles against heroes who can neutralize Refraction or provide consistent damage through her defenses. Batrider, Jakiro, Phoenix, and Venomancer excel at applying damage over time effects that can burn through multiple Refraction layers with a single spell. Dust of Appearance and Sentry Wards users like bounty hunters or supports with good vision control can shut down Meld entirely. Force Staff users can reposition out of your burst range. Naga Siren, Phantom Lancer, and Terrorblade with multiple illusions can quickly consume Refraction charges. The pattern is clear: heroes with DoT spells, detection, illusion generation, or strong displacement abilities pose significant threats to TA's hit-and-run playstyle.
Good Against
Templar Assassin dominates heroes who rely on positioning, channeling, or burst damage that can be absorbed. Enigma, Crystal Maiden, and Witch Doctor become sitting ducks when attempting to channel their ultimates in her presence. Sniper and Drow Ranger who rely on positioning become vulnerable to Meld burst and Trap initiation. Phantom Lancer and other illusion heroes struggle as Refraction blocks their damage while Psi Blades cleave through illusions. Melee carries who need to get close like Ursa and Life Stealer trigger Psi Blades repeatedly while being denied burst opportunities. Heroes dependent on positioning like Invoker lose their safety when suddenly engaged by Meld damage. TA's ability to absorb burst, control positioning, and deal massive spike damage makes her a nightmare for these hero archetypes.