Smoke Screen

• Ability Type: Active
• Targeting Type: Area
• Ability Hotkey: C

• Level
• Mana Cost
• Cooldown
• Casting range
• Area of Effect
• Duration
• Allowed Targets
• Effects

• 1
• 75
• 13
• 425
• 250
• 6 seconds
• Enemy Unit
• 40% miss, -25% IAS and MS, Silence

• 2
• 80
• 13
• 425
• 275
• 6 seconds
• Enemy Unit
• 50% miss, -25% IAS and MS, Silence

• 3
• 85
• 13
• 425
• 300
• 6 seconds
• Enemy Unit
• 60% miss, -25% IAS and MS, Silence

• 4
• 90
• 13
• 425
• 325
• 6 seconds
• Enemy Unit
• 70% miss, -25% IAS and MS, Silence

Blink Strike

• Ability Type: Active
• Targeting Type: Unit
• Ability Hotkey: B

• Level
• Mana Cost
• Cooldown
• Casting range
• Area of Effect
• Duration
• Allowed Targets
• Effects

• 1
• 50
• 20
• 700
• N/A
• N/A
• Any Target
• Deals 30 extra damage

• 2
• 50
• 15
• 700
• N/A
• N/A
• Any Target
• Deals 60 extra damage

• 3
• 50
• 10
• 700
• N/A
• N/A
• Any Target
• Deals 90 extra damage

• 4
• 50
• 5
• 700
• N/A
• N/A
• Any Target
• Deals 120 extra damage

Backstab

• Ability Type: Passive
• Targeting Type: N/A
• Ability Hotkey: K

• Level
• Mana Cost
• Cooldown
• Casting range
• Area of Effect
• Duration
• Allowed Targets
• Effects

• 1
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• Enemy Units
• Deals 0.25x the Agility of Rikimaru to the target

• 2
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• Enemy Units
• Deals 0.5x the Agility of Rikimaru to the target

• 3
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• Enemy Units
• Deals 0.75x the Agility of Rikimaru to the target

• 4
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• Enemy Units
• Deals 1.00x the Agility of Rikimaru to the target

Permanent Invisibility

• Ability Type: Passive
• Targeting Type: N/A
• Ability Hotkey: E

• Level
• Mana Cost
• Cooldown
• Casting range
• Area of Effect
• Duration
• Allowed Targets
• Effects

• 1
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• 3 second fade time

• 2
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• 2.25 second fade time

• 3
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• N/A
• 1.5 second fade time 

SKILL BUILD
Level 1 – Smoke Screen
Level 2 – Blink Strike
Level 3 – Smoke Screen
Level 4 – Blink Strike
Level 5 – Blink Strike
Level 6 – Permanent Invisibility
Level 7 – Blink Strike
Level 8 – Backstab
Level 9 – Backstab
Level 10 – Backstab
Level 11 – Permanent Invisibility/Smoke Screen
Level 12 – Backstab
Level 13 – Smoke Screen
Level 14 – Smoke Screen/Permanent Invisibility
Level 16-24 – Stats
Level 25 – Permanent Invisibility

You will nearly be always tower hugging. So on, you will always use Smoke Screen near the tower to make creeps miss their attacks, or having tower going down slower.
Blink Strike isn’t taken level 1-3 because it is simply useless as their cooldown is too high. However, you max it out first as it becomes really handy to have a short cooldown.
You max out Permanent Invisibility as it helps you survive. However, the last level of it is completly useless in my opinion. Also, it makes it harder to use, as after attacking 1 unit, rikimaru won’t attack another unit as he will be invisible. If you are not facing problem facing the fading time of Permanent Invisibility, don’T bother leveling it, just keep leveling Backstab.
However, if you are facing only melee heroes and you are pretty much sure you will not have to tower hug, here is another build you can use for a better last-hitting.
Level 1 – Smoke Screen
Level 2 – Blink Strike
Level 3 – Backstab
Level 4 – Blink Strike
Level 5 – Blink Strike
Level 6 – Permanent Invisibility
Level 7 – Blink Strike
Level 8-10 – Backstab
Level 11 – Permanent Invisibility/Smoke Screen
Level 12 – Smoke Screen
Level 13 – Smoke Screen
Level 14 – Smoke Screen/Permanent Invisibility
Level 16-24 – Stats
Level 25 – Permanent Invisibility
Backstab is taken over Smoke Screen for a better last hitting. Smoke Screen is taken level 1 because it can still be effective.
However choose wisely your build. Don’t say : Smoke Screen isn’t worth leveling, it’s already silencing + a big chance to miss. Have you ever seen some1 with butterfly dying? I’m pretty much sure. So on, 40% chance to miss is a bit more, but it won’t garantee you invincibility in your screen. However, with a level 4 screen, I can beat anybody who has 3 times my hit point no problem, except if I would normally get owned.
I never use it for the slow only (Someone is running after you, screen so you can have an advantage), but I take my place near my tower for good protection. This way, even revealed, nobody can do shit against you. If ever it’s a ranged hero, place the screen in front of the tower, and go behind it. If he wants to evade it, he’ll be making a detour, or taking more damage from the tower.
ITEM BUILD
You start out with 2 circlets, 2 set of tangoes and 1 clarity potion. The circlets are for the stats, which help surviving, final hit and cast Smoke Screen.
However, if nobody on your team gets a courier or wants to share it, take a courier, 1 circlet, 1 tango and 2 clarity potion. You absolutly need that courier. It’s excellent for a blink strike target. Morph him into a flying courier later on. It can help you to blink strike over cliffs, and you are safe.
Alternative Build
Introducing the Magic Stick from 6.55. I love this new item… it’s cheap and always useful. It’s comparable to Bottle in term of rescue. Bottle needs at least 1 second to become effective, this item requires none
Note: Magic Stick is more than enough on Stealth Assassin. Some numbers.
About the mana: In a battle, it will normally fully replenish, so you will be left with MINIMUM 150 mana, which is enough to blink in and smoke screen.
About the hit point: You will be left with minimum 151 hit point, normally about 200. This is enough to land MINIMUM 2 hits because of your armor. Under Smoke Screen, they have 30% chance to hit, so they have 9% chance to hit twice in a row. Note that you will have bash and maybe maim if you use the sange and yasha build.
THE SANGE AND YASHA BUILD
The treads are always needed. Set on strength for more survivability. Only change into agility once it becomes late-game and you can survive nukes. Wraith are good for the agility. However, change for Bracers if your having difficulties to survive, because the enemy got wards and everything. Sange and Yasha simply fits Rikimaru way too well. Maim is excellent to keep anyone in the cloud, however relies a bit on luck. It provides nice hit points, nice MS to never lose sight of enemies, and nice agility. It should cost you 7470 gold + tangoes and clarities.
The gem? You buy it after Sange, because you will have all the strength you need to survive. If you are doing quite great and you finish hold that gem at level 14, you will already have 1613 hp and 14 armor, or 2967 EHP. EHP is defined as the real damage you need to take down the hero. But if you finish it after, you will have even more than 1600 hp. That gem is damn useful. You will be able to destroy all observer and sentry wards. The only thing that can risk your death if your playing well is another gem, which is also risky for them.
NOTE: Never buy a damn gem whenever the enemy team already has one! If you already have one, bring it back to town. You are susceptible to die. And if ever you destroy the danger, you have another one.
This is the perfect build you could hope for. You must get a basher first. A basher?!? You will probly think I’m kidding, but it is really useful for chasing and keeping someone in Smoke Screen. Note that Stealth Assassin is maybe the best hero that can hold a basher, and I’m really not kidding tongue.gif. Even void and troll can’t do better than him. He is nearly invincible to nukes, and will own any permabasher (Thanks to Screen). I will try to find a replay and show you how it owns.
After comes butterfly. I don’t see why I should explain that.
THE DIFFUSAL BLADE BUILD
The starting build is always the same. A bit more expensive, but note that basher is only needed once purge charges are gone. So on, you can start owning once you hit diffusal blade. What’s good about this is you have a much better damage output, but have less slowing potential after you used all charges of purge. With the buff, diffusal blade now provides 25 agility, and burns 20 mana. It is pain for the enemy as they get out of the screen with normally no mana and sometimes no life tongue.gif
This build rock on against a Skeleton King. However, note that backstab and basher animation occur on images, but they do NOT have any effect. So on, they don’t gain anything from backstab and bash. However, they really gain permanent invisibility as well as feedback. It litterally increases damage of Rikimaru by 80%, which is a lot. If you are able to keep the enemy in the cloud with the basher, it’s destructive.
Why a second diffusal blade?!? 25 bonus agility still rocks, and you will not need anymore purges.
No more gem?!? If ever your still scared by wards once you reached that part of the game, GET OUT OF HERE! Simply because you own anybody, either they see you first or you see them first.
POSSIBLE ITEMS
Hand of Midas
I am from those who like this item. Also, it is excellent for Stealth Assassin, as he will maybe always be in the jungle when it’ll be cooled down. Don’t bother getting a big creep, get the first one you find. Also, the IAS is good for permabashing until you get that eaglehorn. If ever you got difficulties farming that eaglehorn and you are about 1k away from it, don’t bother keeping hand of midas. Sell it right now!
VANGUARDIt can be good if you need some hit points and regeneration, but doesn’t need the mana regeneration. It can be good to tower dive, as you will pretty much nullify 65% of creeps damage. However, I recommend to sell it for eaglehorn later on.
Bottle
Note that it is a really nice item to have with rikimaru, as he moves a lot. It can solve all your mana as well as hit point problems.
Boots of Travel
With the recent buff to it, I believe it’s now viable on Rikimaru. If the enemy has a gem, you only need to nuke THIS guy and others will block him and everything. Until they find you, you will have tp’ed. It does a nice combo with Helm of the Dominator. Global teleportation. However, not quite recommended to waste orb effect on Helm of the Dominator.
Note that the following list of items are there to fill the missing slot in the inventory.
Buriza-do Kyanon
Monkey King Bar
They increase pretty well the damage output from Rikimaru, but they don’t help it’s survivability. Note that Bashes stacks. Look for guides if you don’t trust me. Chances that bash number 2 will not diminish. However, the chances that at least 1 of the 2 bashes occurs dinimishes, simply because of logical. So on, if both bashes occur at the same time, it will deal the full damage of both bashes. So on, MKB is still an option.
Divine Rapier
Only make sure you can rape the enemy if you want to carry this item tongue.gif It can really be game-breaking, as pretty much anybody will die to it. However, note that enemies will surely come for you, so making sure you destroyed all wards before going somewhere is a good idea.
Manta Style
I always make this item when facing skeleton king. Early-game, the purge can be a replacement to maim. However, late-game, you might miss the movement speed bonus and everything else. Also, you can trick the enemy. Illusions get permanent invisibility, so you can fake having an illusion rune and sending an illusion to the enemy. He will just kill the illusion. Then you send the second, he thinks its you, he wastes all its spells and you kill him.
I don’t recommend it in really serious game, but it can be a funny item to try, except if you are really facing skeleton king and you want to be annoying
Perseverance —> Linken Sphere
I will leave the choice to you. I used to put it in my Core Build, but I agree it is highly situational. Note that it can be really handy as it can easily save your life, as most people will try to disable you, and set a ward. If ever they can’t disable you, you are safe.
Black King Bar
You can also take this instead of Linken’s Sphere. You will mess up the regeneration as well as the stats, but it is cheaper and does the anti-magic job much better.
Sange—> Desolator, Satanic, Eye of Skadi
It doesn’t stack anymore with SnY. So on, you are paying 2050 gold for 16 agility and 15% attack speed bonus… Not worth it anymore. However, it is a MUST if you take an orb effect other than Sange and Yasha. However, I recommend Skadi only in non-serious game, maybe even only in -em games or games where you are already owning and farming it is no longer a problem. Sange and Yasha simply output it in every aspect with the recent buff.
REJECTED ITEMS
Eye of SkadiIt might slow and help to keep someone in the screen, but it is much more expensive from sange and yasha. SY might slow only by 5% more and it doesn’t always proccess, but you’ll lose the high mobility it provides, so I have to say no to it. As said before, Sange and Yasha simply output it in every aspect with the recent buff. You can buy it, but you’ll have MUCH better results with Sange and Yasha.
RadianceSome people might think I’m kidding having to call this item, but I’ve seen it severally. Even thought it might work it pubs (Oh yea it does… I even tried it), it only reveals your position, and the enemy can simply land a ward and kill you, leaving you without any escape.
Vladimir’s Offering
It’s not because it reveals you, because it doesnt. That’s the problem. There are much better vlad carrier than you, as your allies will only have the effect from vlad when you’ll be visible, or revealed and vulnerable.