So, about DA...

I use to love him, but I wanted to be a warping beast, and da jusyt doesn't have the mana for it.

I seem to be doing pretty good thus far.

I was looking for other people's builds and playstyles and such. I have mine pretty laid out, but I wanted some feedback on what other people are doing before I finalize it.

I've been using Essence of Magic (at least on Cataract). It lasts JUST long enough that in a (non-laggy) game you have enough time to activate it, Spine Attack, Warp Strike and Swap. Swap is dirt-cheap mana-wise anyway so that's not that big of a deal. You can also use Warp Area with it instead of Swap.

I used to get Demon Speed @ level 3, but I've been putting it off and off. I know that Ninki uses Warp Area decently well to basically "stall" for a second or two after swapping, but I don't work it into my build. Since swap puts you at such a high risk, Warp Area is like a "poor man's mist" letting you stall for a few seconds. You can evade hammer slams and Rain of Ice and stuff as well. So it certainly has utility. Ninki also uses Staff of Renewal.

But, EoM seems to work better against softies. If I'm on the mana-side, I tend to get Heaven's Wrath to farm. DA has such terrible anti-creep... DA does benefit a LOT from levels. He really really struggles up until level 10 or 11 or so, but level 15 he is terrifying unless he does some stupid like Warp Strike into Giants.

Oh, I do get Nature's Reckoning + Unbreakables as my only "mana items" when I get EoM. Usually I can hit 5-6k hp without too much of an issue. You just have to be careful with your ability usage, unless EoM is on cooldown. Though I'm sure you're familiar with that sort of restriction from using BotS.

DA is really fun, though I feel like the only team he is able to really work with is Oak + UB. Oak to Shield him as he goes nuts and UB to devour the poor soul who was swapped.

Yeah, item choice is the last little bit I'm working out.

I do like the idea of Natures Reckoning, but I never seem to get much of a benefit out of it as I spend most of my time going to and from different battles.

I did use Vlemish, but I'm feeling that Battlecrown might help a bit more.

Consumable Wise, I've REALLY gotten to like the big rejuvenation pots as after a gank op., I'm usually low on health and mana.

Favor wise, I've been using the Staff of Renewal. Having the shorter cool down on Swap/Warp Strike makes a big difference from what I've noticed. I used to use the EoM but I didn't feel the mana regen was enough and I relied to heavily on the activatable ability.

I don't think that DA has an established meta, like most of the other demigods do (I think Queen is probably the only major competitor for it). A lot of people use different favor items (Swift Anklet, EoM, Staff of Renewal, Blood, BotS, Amulet of Teleportation and Heaven's Wrath are all favor items I've all seen and used before).

I think most of it has to do with him being overall underwhelming and that everything he can do, Beast generally does better, so people just play a stronger character and never take the time to learn DA.

I'm sure he would also do quite well with a Rook on his team. Swapping back into tower farms is pretty brutal.

But I'm not sure. I just told you what I do. It may or may not be the best, but it tends to be decently effective.

I'm just looking for different people's input, I wasn't discounting yours

I enjoy playing the under-powered guys more then stronger characters, which is why I'm lovin DA. Swap is just... ridiculously fun.

I tried BotS, it worked great with Warp Area 2, but it was near worthless until 10 without NR firing more then once as Spine/Warp Strike both do less damage then their mana cost. (Spine finally breaks almost even at III and 150 over at IV)

But, regardless of everything else, appreciate the feedback

Reg/DA/Rook

DA swaps the victim into 6 mines behind 8 towers and directly into a perfectly timed hammer slam.

3050 damage in 1 second, a boulder roll follows along with a spine attack and warp attack and of course the 8 towers will hit for several thousand damage (not accounting for armor).

It could be an three second kill for everything but Oak/UB at level 10.

^lol once again, too theoretical.

What happened to learning Queen?

I decided to be fantastic at all Assassins first (Except Unclean Bitch)

Oh, for Assassin's Speed, is it activated on you being hit or you hitting someone? Wording wise it seems like it's when you hit someone.

I take blood with DA.

I get natures rekoning as soon as possible.

Unbreakables next.

Demon speed at 8.

Never get warp area-useless

#################################################################################################################
# Assassin's Speed
#################################################################################################################

AbilityBlueprint {
   Name = 'HDemonAssassinsSpeed',
   DisplayName = '<LOC ABILITY_DA_0032>Assassin\'s Speed',
   Description = '<LOC ABILITY_DA_0035>Demon Assassin has a [GetProcChance]% chance hit to become faster than the eye can see, increasing his Attack Speed by [GetAttackAmount]% and his Movement Speed by [GetMovementSpeedAmount]% for [GetDuration] seconds.',
   GetProcChance = function(self) return math.floor( Ability[self.Name].WeaponProcChance ) end,
   GetMovementSpeedAmount = function(self) return math.floor( Buffs[self.Name].Affects.MoveMult.Mult * 100 ) end,
   GetAttackAmount = function(self) return math.floor( Buffs[self.Name].Affects.RateOfFire.Mult * 100 ) end,
   GetDuration = function(self) return Buffs[self.Name].Duration end,
    AbilityType = 'WeaponProc',
    WeaponProcChance = 15,
    OnWeaponProc = function(self, unit, target, damageData)
        if not unit:IsDead() then
            Buff.ApplyBuff(unit, 'HDemonAssassinsSpeed', unit)
        end
    end,
   Icon = '/DGDemonAssassin/DA_AssassinsSpeed',
}

---

It's when DA attacks with autoattack. If it when he is hit, it is called onArmorProc (or something like that).

I like playing DA too. Typically, I build a spine, warp strike, speed DA. Might put a point into warp area, and finsih build off with evasion skills.

I know a lot people disagree but I like taking +15% speed favor, it stacks nicely with his speed ability. I only go the speed path if I feel I am on a competent team though. I found once I rush in and swap gank someone, then they usually start running when they see me for the next few minutes, helps with map control. Strategy here is try not to engage solo and be careful if you become group target due to low HP. Hit and move, then save enough mana for a kill. I've alos seen a few teammate get pissed off b/c the way I play him, constantly running back and forth in a fight, but I don't die very often.

If I'm not on a great team or have other squishys then I usually take BoF and stack health, but I find this more boring, even if more effective. Strategy here is a little looser, won't have damage or mana to hold lane against tier 1 demis for a while, but can really help push lanes early.

Either way, Burst damage is insane and mana usage has to be controlled until about lvl 10-12. He is also a late game god, but early squishy.

All things being equal, a good DA player is hard to beat. Lol, I remember beating a 1v1 health stacked UB with DA once, granted the guy prob wasn't tier 1 player.

I like the heaven's wrath da or else botf. No points in warp area.. that way you can max spine, strike, swap, and get assassin's speeeed.

a da with oak and erebus is brutal

I mostly get all his teleport and warping abilities (with spin attack.) I just love having the power to war around and area strike can finish off a dying opponent.

Skills:
Lvl 1: Warp Strike I
Lvl 2: Spine I
Lvl 3: Demon's Speed I
Lvl 4: Warp Strike II
Lvl 5: Swap I
Lvl 6: Spine II
Lvl 7: Spine III
Lvl 8: Demon's Speed II
Lvl 9: Save
Lvl 10: Spine IV + Swap II
Lvl 11: Warp Strike III
Lvl 12: Warp Strike IV
Lvl 13: Demon's Speed III
Lvl 14: Save
Lvl 15: Deadly Warp + Swap III
Lvl 16: Precision I
Lvl 17: Precision II
Lvl 18: Precision III
Lvl 19: Precision IV
Lvl 20: Warp Area 1 for funzies.

Starting Items:
Banded Armor
1 Health Pot
1 Mana Pot

Favor:
Staff of Renewal

After (Not always this order):
Scaled Helm
Unbreakable Boots
Nimoth's Chest Armor
Battlecrown
Swap Scaled Helm for Vlemish
Swap Banded for Boots of Speed
Swap Boots of Speed for Journeyman Threads

Consumables:
TPs (Ganks!)
Gadgets (Saves!)
Rejuvination Pots (for after fights!)

Reasoning:
Skills:
I like to get Demon's Speed at levels 3 and 8 rather then skilling up Warp Strike. Level III doesn't increase the Strike's range and I prefer to use the ability to position myself rather then to do damage so I like having the lower mana cost of rank II as the range is the same.
I get Warp Strike IV at 12, which is just two levels later then the earliest you could get it and the benefit I have is 10% bonus movement speed from 8+ (5% from 3-7). I like using this speed to compensate for getting Boots of Speed later.
I try to time it so I get the Boots of Speed around level 8. This gives me a BIG jump in movement speed. From 5% to 20%.
It surprises the enemy when you go from 6.3 speed to 7.2 all of a sudden.

Obviously you want the highest range Swap as possible. Save points 9 and 14. At 10 you want your 1,150 spine and longer range swap (matches your Warp Strike II range) and at 15 you want your 75% chance to deal 1,400 damage and even longer range swap (matches Warp Strike IV).

For end game, I've been at am impasse between Assassin's Speed and Precision. At first I wanted Assassin's Speed for the movement speed but quickly realized that its very easy to hit the speed cap with DA.
Boots of Speed + Demon's Speed III: 7.5 (+25%)
Journeyman's + Demon's Speed III: 7.8 (+30%)
Journeyman's + Demon's Speed III + Journeyman's Proc: 10.8

Now that isn't the speed cap, but I like to grab a Wand of Speed near the end of the game to port grab/getting where I need to be.
Boots of Speed + Demon's Speed III + Wand of Speed: 9 (+50%)
Journeyman's + Demon's Speed III + Wand of Speed: 9.3 (+55%)
Journeyman's + Demon's Speed III + Journeyman's Proc + Wand of Speed: 12(Cap) (+105%)

At the end of a game, I don't feel the 15% dodge will be a big boon as most of the heavy damage late game comes from abilities, not AAs.
I do like Precision for damage end game. A 40% chance to do 1.5 damage stacks very well with artifacts if the game goes that far. Yeah, Assassin's Speed gives you 30% attack speed, but I don't feel that a 15% chance to get this 30% amounts to the damage that Precision will give.

Items:
I don't like to get NR. If you know me, you know I have HORRIBLE luck. This, as well as spending most of my time running between fights/flags and such, leaves me very few times that I'm alone at a grunt wave. Also, I prefer two mana helms (as you all know, I'm an admitted Mana Whore) and having those two plus NR isn't a good combo.

I like big rejuv pots with DA. Usually after a 2v2+, at the end of (or sometimes in the middle of) I'm completely 0m and usually half health or less. This lets me back off between cooldowns, pop the pot, then warp back in. With the Staff of Renewal, you can Warp Strike very fast, so you're not really killing a cooldown to get back in. If a fight ends, victorious or not, I like to go run for flags and such. After a 3v3, most people are running back if it was an even fight. Being able to be near full Health/Mana without runnin back helps. At least for me.

The items I listed aren't in any real order. It's what is an issue at the moment.

But that's generally what I do.

Edit: whoops.

This is similar to the build I used to use, minus not getting NR. Keeping Warp Strike cheap does help, and I tend to use it positionally as well, instead of offensively.

I also like purple pots

I tried something as an experiment and it sorta works until you play good players using good demigods (but this can be said for any DA build)... maybe someone else can give it a shot and see if they can make use of it.

Overview- No helms, heavy AA and team reliance. Needs a speed item to stay in AA on targets.

EoM

Spine I
Warp Strike I
Crit
spine II
Swap
Crit II
Spine III
Crit III
Save
Spine IV + Swap II
Crit IV
Warp Stike II
Warip Strike III
Warp Strike IV
Deadly Warp

Basically, the goal is to use mana pool and EoM dumping Spine shots constantly, you get ALOT of shots before oom and off EoM timer. You can take the standard 3 health items (banded, unbreakable and Nimoth), and then choose whatever floats your boat for the last 2 items.

For fighting, basically it is get on them with AA, eg: Swap into team, warpstrike back, wand of speed, and deal ridiculous amounts of AA.

Naturally you will need a mana item when warp strike starts to be leveled.

It is alot of fun.

My DA Build has been up for a while. I got some positive and some negative feed back for it. I should up date it cause there are a few things i do differently now but really nothing major (the skill tree is the same). I have been getting NR around lvl 5 to 10 (i still get unbreakable boots first) just to try to speed up the the xp to get lvl 10 as fast as possible. I find at lvl 10 i am needing more manna cause i am usually in multiple fights before going back to the crystal so around there im most likely dropping NR for a Plenor. I also have a couple of moves i have been trying to use that i don't have posted, but then maybe i should keep somethings to myself . Personally i use anklet and have for a long time. EoM imo is a useless favor. SoR is a little weak as well mostly cause it is not good till way late in the game when you can tank damage in a fight and you have enough manna to just spam spine and warp. That brings me to another thing i think most people playing right now spam their powers too much early in the game. DA's powers are strong but take allot of manna spamming them is usually not the best idea. HW people use to lvl only so its not as good of a pairing as it is with reg, honestly I can more often than not stay with a DA using this item in lvl's unless they are stealing xp from their teammates in which case you should win anyway. Blood....eh its blood it can be good but i don't see it giving any advantage to DA, you still can't hold a lane very well and speed=gank so you will have more kills which means more money for say HP, i will say Alterschism and OMG_ZEX both play blood and both play a mean DA. Still speed is definitely your friend as DA so a WoS is a great idea. Journyman's are definitely a perfect item as well (got some negative reviews for that item but i have seen allot more people going to them in more recent history, great item if you can afford it don't shaft your team). Really the key imo is to optimize the gank and that means BURST which DA is pretty much the best at. Oh yeah and i totally agree with you to get the full swap and full Precision in the end.

I love playing as DA. Lots of people tend to be careless and go on about playing with low health. Thats when DA is most dangerous since he can come out of nowhere and deal lots of damage pretty quickly. I try to play the game like a big cat. One that looks for the weakest and easiest dinner. One that wont put me much at risk.

Start out with Anklet + Banded armor + 2 mana pots + totem

Spine I

Warp Strike I

Save

Spine II + Warp Strike II

Swap

Save

Spine III + Wapr Strike III

Save

Spine IV + Warp Strike IV + Swap II

Crit I

Crit II

Crit III

Crit IV

Deadly Warp

Your DA game is strong. I cant recall how many times you blinked in the opposite direction you were running and our Oak kept barreling on in the wrong direction. Cartoon Lolz.

I am sold on the speed, the only way I could keep you in scepter smiting distance was to pop a stun in between bites and prey Reg was paying attention to snipe you before you Tp'd out.

I speed helps a LOT. When I get DS1, against an Oak or anyone at 6.0 movement and melee, I can usually weave my attacks so I hit them and move out of range before they finish their attack.

It's not a whole lot of damage, and I stop doing it because its such a pain in the ass late game, but at the start, if you weave 400-500 dmg in, it helps.

Quoting OMG_Teseer,

reply 23

I speed helps a LOT. When I get DS1, against an Oak or anyone at 6.0 movement and melee, I can usually weave my attacks so I hit them and move out of range before they finish their attack.

It's not a whole lot of damage, and I stop doing it because its such a pain in the ass late game, but at the start, if you weave 400-500 dmg in, it helps.

This is the most insane micro I've ever seen

Quoting OMG_Splitshadow,

reply 24

Quoting OMG_Teseer,
reply 23
I speed helps a LOT. When I get DS1, against an Oak or anyone at 6.0 movement and melee, I can usually weave my attacks so I hit them and move out of range before they finish their attack.

It's not a whole lot of damage, and I stop doing it because its such a pain in the ass late game, but at the start, if you weave 400-500 dmg in, it helps.

This is the most insane micro I've ever seen

Go watch the koreans play starcraft.

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