Night Stalker
From Liquipedia Dota 2 Wiki
Night Stalker
23 + 3
18 + 2.2
15 + 1.6
| Grants the following bonuses per level: | |
| +66HP and +0.3HP regeneration +3 Main Attack Damage | |
| +0.37 armor and 2.2 attack speed | |
| +19.2MP and +0.08MP regeneration +0.1% base magic resistance | |
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Instant Projectile Speed
| ||
100 (118)
(1.7 BAT) | ||
0.55 + 0.55
| ||
0.6
| ||
Default
Gib Type | ||
2011-06-11
Released | ||
2004-04-30
(2.60) | ||
Competitive Span
2011-06-11 — Present | ||
Version Control This article has been updated to the latest version (7.38c) and is mostly accurate. |
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| Empowered by the shadows of nightfall. | |
|---|---|
| The beast of bedtime tales, Balanar is the primal terror that every child knows to fear. Once the sun goes down, Night Stalker's hunt begins. Charging through the shadowy forests, he snares prey in a debilitating Void, slowing and forcing his quarry to flee, arms withering and spells fizzling as their hearts are stricken with Crippling Fear. Should sunrise threaten to end his terror, the Hunter in the Night transforms through a Dark Ascension, spreading his wings under the blackened veil of night, and goes on the prowl for ever more victims. | |
| Roles: | |
| Adjectives | Blue, Flying, NicePecs, Wings Legs ( 2 ) |
Facets[edit]
Night Reign
Starts the game at nighttime, with nighttime having a longer duration than daytime.
+15s Nighttime Duration
-15s Daytime Duration
-15s Daytime Duration
Starts the game with a free Hunter in the Night level and increases its maximum ability level.
+1 Ability Level
Voidbringer
Increases the maximum ability level of Void which makes it into an area-of-effect spell.
+1 Ability Level
Upgrades[edit]
Aghanim's[edit]
Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade:
Adds a toggle functionality to the ability that drains max mana per second beyond its debuff duration while active.
Reduces cooldown.
Reduces cooldown.
Aghanim's Shard Upgrade:
The hunter consumes a creep while restoring some of its max health and mana.
Talents[edit]
| -40s Dark Ascension Cooldown | 25 | +100 Hunter in the Night Attack Speed |
|---|---|---|
| +20 Strength | 20 | +20 Crippling Fear Damage per Second |
| +20% Hunter in the Night Status Resist | 15 | +25 Dark Ascension Attack Damage |
| +5s Dark Ascension Duration | 10 | -1s Void Cooldown |
| ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ +2 All | ||
Bio[edit]
I feed the darkness and the darkness feeds me.▶️Balanar, the Night Stalker
Alias:
NS
Lore:
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.
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.
Innate[edit]
Heart of Darkness[edit]
Heart of Darkness 
Passive
Affects
Self
The Darkness grants Night Stalker health regeneration amplification during nighttime, but applies a self health regeneration reduction during daytime.
Health Regen Amp: 
20%
Health Regen Reduction: 
20%
Details
- Affects all
health regeneration sources.
Night Reign[edit]
Passive
Affects
Self
Starts the game at nighttime, with nighttime having a longer duration than daytime.
Nighttime Duration: 315
Daytime Duration: 285
- Selecting the
facet unlocks this ability.
- Has the following Time of Day duration:
- Each cell beneath the day duration represents 15 seconds in-game time.
Time Pre-Game Day Duration (10:00 Cycle) Regular Facet
Hidden Modifier
Hero Model[edit]
Hero Model 
Passive / Channeling
Affects
Self
Balanar's hero model has the following hidden 
innate abilities.
He may only perform or utilize the ability's functions upon a successful channeling, excluding passive innate abilities.
He may only perform or utilize the ability's functions upon a successful channeling, excluding passive innate abilities.
Only Balanar and certain hero models ascends the z-axis upon Dark Ascension cast.
Z-axis Ascend: 150
Details
Hidden Innate Abilities
Tap on the 
innate abilities for more details.
- Dark Ascension grants the following hero models all ability effects, except ascending the z-axis:
Abilities[edit]
Void[edit]
Creates a damaging void that slows an enemy unit and deals damage.
Cast Animation: 0.3 + 0.47
Cast Range: 
525
Max Ability Level: 4
Damage: 80/160/240/320/400
Move Speed Slow: 50%
Attack Speed Slow: 50
Slow Duration: 1.25
Effect Radius: 
0/0/0/0/350
During nighttime, Void also mini-stuns with a longer slow duration.
Slow Duration: 2/2.5/3/3.5/4
Stun Duration: 0.1
11/10/9/8/8 (
12/11/10/9/9)
90/95/100/105/105
Balanar creates a vortex of infinite night, tearing opponents violently into the eternal darkness that once was.
Voidbringer
Increases the maximum ability level of Void which makes it into an area-of-effect spell.
Max Ability Level: 5
- Grants bonuses only during
-
Voidbringer
- Decreases the number of times +2 All Attributes can be skilled from 7 to 6.
All abilities are empowered to use their night time version.
Void: Slows move speed by x% and attack speed by x.
Stunned
- Has a 0.73- cast backswing when the passive component of Hunter in the Night is active during
- The ability effects are applied as follows:
- Both the
movement speed slow and the
attack speed slow
debuff.
- The
magical
spell damage.
- The
stun
- Both the
Crippling Fear[edit]
Horrifies all nearby enemy units, causing them to become silenced and take damage over time while near the Night Stalker.
Cast Animation: 
0 + 0
Radius: 375
Damage per Second: 25/30/35/40 (
45/50/55/60)
Damage Duration: 3
Silence Duration: 3
Aura Linger Duration: 0.5
Crippling Fear is more effective during nighttime.
Damage Duration: 4.5/5/5.5/6
Silence Duration: 4.5/5/5.5/6
Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade
Adds a toggle functionality to the ability that drains max mana per second beyond its debuff duration while active.
Reduces cooldown.
Adds a toggle functionality to the ability that drains max mana per second beyond its debuff duration while active.
Reduces cooldown.
30/25/20/15 (
25/20/15/10)
50
The max mana loss per second is affected by mana loss manipulation sources. Drains mana in 1-second intervals, starting 1 second beyond its original debuff duration.
A vision of the twisted maw of Balanar etches itself into the minds of the poor souls unlucky enough to cross his path.
- Grants bonus duration only during
- Creates a negative aura upon cast centered around Night Stalker that applies the following effects:
Silence
- Affects the following units:
Hidden units.
Invulnerable units.
- Affects the following units:
- Deals 2.5/3/3.5/4
- Creates a negative aura upon cast centered around Night Stalker that applies the following effects:
- The Time of Day neither update the ability values nor change the
aura's duration.
Crippling Fear: Silencing nearby enemies
Silenced: Silenced by Crippling Fear
- Deals the following
75/90/105/120 (
112.5/150/192.5/240
Hunter in the Night[edit]
Night Stalker is in his element at night, attacking and moving with great swiftness.
Max Ability Level: 4
Move Speed Bonus: 16%/22%/28%/34%/40%
Attack Speed Bonus: 15/35/55/75/95 (
115/135/155/175/195)
Status Resist Bonus: (
20%)
Aghanim's Shard Upgrade
The hunter consumes a creep while restoring some of its max health and mana.
The hunter consumes a creep while restoring some of its max health and mana.
Cast Animation: 0 + 1.07
Max Health as Heal: 
(
25%)
Max Mana as Mana Restore: 
( 25%)
( 35)
( 50)
The hunting prowess of Balanar improves as the night beckons.
Night Reign
Starts the game with a free Hunter in the Night level and increases its maximum ability level.
Max Ability Level: 330
- Grants bonuses only during
- Stacks multiplicatively with other
status resistance sources.
- Adds an active component to Hunter in the Night.
- Can be cast on all units, including allied units, except heroes.
- Considers
clones,
illusions and
creep-heroes as heroes.
- Considers
- Cannot be cast on the following units:
Ancient creeps during
Buildings
Ward-type units.
Roshan
- The
Tormentor.
- Instant kills, and grants both its
gold and
experience bounty of the unit-targeted enemy creep or
neutral creep upon cast.
- Counts as a
deny on allied units.
- Counts as a
- Instant kills, and grants both its
- Can be cast on all units, including allied units, except heroes.
The acquired ability is a passive ability on Rubick, unless he has Aghanim's Shard equipped.
Hidden modifier
- The ability effects are applied immdiately regardless of the ability visual effects.
- The active component has a minimum cast range of 150 despite having a 125-
- The active component has a minimum cast range of 150 despite having a 125-
Dark Ascension[edit]
No
Affects
Self
Smothers the sun and summons instant darkness, so that he might use his powers at their fullest.
Grants Night Stalker flying movement, unobstructed vision and bonus attack damage during his ascension.
Grants Night Stalker flying movement, unobstructed vision and bonus attack damage during his ascension.
Cast Animation: 0.3 + 0
Attack Damage Bonus: 50/100/150 (
75/125/175)
Flying Vision Factor: 1
Duration: 30 (
35)
140/135/130 (
100/95/90)
125/175/225
It is a humbling sight to see when the mightiest of warriors become afraid of the dark.
Has the following priorities among Time of Day manipulation sources.
Set nighttime sources work independently of each other.
Set
The appearance of the game clock changes upon Dark Ascension cast.
- Supernova's
- However, the
flying vision granted is still limited to Night Stalker's current daytime vision.
- However, the
- Grants the following bonuses:
- Flat
bonus attack damage.
- The attack damage increasing
- The attack damage increasing
vision radius.
- Sets the current Time of Day to
death.
- Flat
- Trees within 150-radius centered around Night Stalker are destroyed when the ability duration ends.
- Rubick neither ascends above the z-axis nor turns into a flying unit.
Dark Ascension: Temporarily turns day into night, granting flight, bonus damage and unobstructed vision.
- Replaces the in-game clock's status with Night Stalker's minimap icon regardless of the source.
Recent Matches[edit]
Main Article: Night Stalker/Matches
| Date | Tier | Tournament | Picks | Score | vs. Picks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 2025 - 11:05 CEST | Tier 3 | EPL Season 25 | 0 : 1 | |||||
| Apr 10, 2025 - 19:20 CEST | Tier 3 | EPL Season 25 | 1 : 0 | |||||
| Apr 10, 2025 - 14:00 CEST | Tier 2 | FISSURE Special | 0 : 1 | |||||
| Apr 10, 2025 - 14:55 SGT | Tier 3 | EPL World SEA S4 | 0 : 1 | |||||
| Apr 09, 2025 - 14:50 EDT | Tier 1 | ESL One Raleigh 2025 | 0 : 1 |
Recent Changes[edit]
Description
- Reduced Heart of Darkness
Talents:
- LVL 15 +30% Hunter in the Night status resistance bonus reduced to +20%.
- Increased Void
Voidbringer radius from 0/0/0/0/300 to 0/0/0/0/350.
- Reduced Hunter in the Night
- LVL 10 +6s Dark Ascension duration reduced to +5s.
- Attribute Bonus
- ADDED the
- Reduces ability max level by 1.
- ADDED the
- Now reduces
- Now reduces
- Void
- No longer applies a 100/200/300/400 vision radius reduction on the affected enemy unit.
- Increased max ability level from 4 to 5.
- U Rescaled cooldown from 11/10/9/8 to 11/10/9/8/8.
- U Rescaled mana cost from 90/95/100/105 to 90/95/100/105/105.
- U Rescaled
- U Rescaled damage from 80/160/240/320 to 80/160/240/320/400
- REMOVED the
Blinding Void facet.
- ADDED the
- LEVEL 5 Enables the Target Point/Area ability functionality type during
- U Now has 0/0/0/0/300 effect radius.
- LEVEL 5 Enables the Target Point/Area ability functionality type during
- Hunter in the Night
- Increased max ability level from 4 to 5.
- Rescaled movement speed bonus from 22%/28%/34%/40% to 16%/22%/28%/34%/40%.
- Rescaled attack speed bonus from 20/40/60/80 to 15/35/55/75/95.
- ADDED the
- This is also Night Stalker 's
- This is also Night Stalker 's
- LVL 10 +80 Void damage ➜ -1s Void cooldown.
- LVL 15 +35% Hunter in the Night status resistance bonus reduced to +30%.
- LVL 25 -50s Dark Ascension cooldown reduced to -40s.
Dota Plus Progress[edit]
Main Article: Hero Challenges
Relics track a hero's actions and statistics, and display in-game notifications when a milestone is reached. They are only available to Dota Plus subscribers.
| Night Stalker's Relics | Voice Lines | |
|---|---|---|
Mega Kill Streaks Kill Assists Kills |
Bronze |
|
Silver |
||
Gold |
||
Platinum |
| |
Master |
| |
Grandmaster |
| |
Equipment[edit]
| Sets | |
|---|---|
| Arms | |
| Taunt | |
Trivia[edit]
- Many of Night Stalker's responses that refer to his vampiric qualities make reference to Bram Stoker's Dracula, a film adaptation of the classic novel starring Gary Oldman.
- ▶️ "If I ever get my claws on that bird." is likely a reference to the rooster that crows when the game transitions from nighttime to daytime.
- Additionally it is a reference to a line used by "Looney Tunes" character Sylvester the cat when describing "Tweety Bird."
- Night Stalker's deep and raspy voice is a possible reference to Batman.
- In an earlier version DotA, there existed a hero similar to Night Stalker called File:Void Demon icon.png [[Void Demon|]]. His first ability "Time Void" had similar effects to the present Void ability, except it also stunned the target for 5 seconds. Void Demon also had an ability similar to Omniknight's Degen Aura, though it had a larger radius of 600 units. His third ability was a pushing spell called "Quake" which was useful for destroying towers. Finally, his ultimate was called "Mass Haste". This aura gave Void Demon and nearby allies benefits similar to Night Stalker's Hunter in the Night, except that it had no conditions and enabled Void Demon and his team to hunt Heroes relentlessly both day and night. Ultimately, Void Demon was replaced with Night Stalker as his skill set was deemed too powerful.
- "In the forest of the night" is a reference to the poem The Tyger by William Blake.
- Warcraft 3 similarities:
- In DotA, Night Stalker uses the model of Tichondrius, a campaign-only variant of the Undead Dreadlord hero.
- Crippling Fear is based on the Firelord's Soul Burn, a single target silence that deals damage over time.
Gallery[edit]
Day model
Night model
Concept art
Low Violence model
Ability icon progress
Hero icon progress
Old game clock modifier
Bone Harvest sprite - alive
Bone Harvest sprite - dead