Nyx Assassin

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Nyx Assassin

#88

17 + 2.7

18 + 2.9

21 + 2.6

Grants the following bonuses per level:
	+59.4HP and +0.27HP regeneration
	+0.48 armor and 2.9 attack speed
	+31.2MP and +0.13MP regeneration +0.1% base magic resistance
	+3.69 Main Attack Damage

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494 +3.7

327 +1.05

4 Armor (612.56 EHP)

27.1% Magic Resist (677.64 EHP)

51 ‒ 55 ▶️ Damage (53.2 Avg)

Instant Projectile Speed Melee units have their projectile speed set to 900, if they should ever need it.

150 Attack Range (600)

100 (118) Attack Speed (1.7 BAT) Attacks per Second is defined as ΣAS / BAT / 100

0.46 + 0.54 Animation

310 / 340 ▶️ Move Speed

0.6 Turn Rate This unit takes 0.175s to turn 180°.

27 Collision Size

24 Bound Radius

1800 / 800 Vision Range

Goo Gib Type

npc_dota_hero_nyx_assassin

2012-07-26 Released

2004-02-03 (0.60)

Competitive Span 2012-07-26 — Present

Version Control This article has been updated to the latest version (7.38c) and is mostly accurate.

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This page is about the hero. For the goddess in Dota 2 lore, see Nyx (Goddess).

Reflects enemy damage and stuns.
Within the colony of zealot scarabs, the queen goddess Nyx selected a single grub to answer her highest calling. And so, through designed metamorphosis, the Nyx Assassin came into being. The telepathic scarab Devours and burns his prey's minds, while sending out rows of subterranean spikes to Impale them from below. Armored with a Reflecting Carapace, he stuns attackers and reverses any counterattack. Sacrificing mobility by Burrowing into the ground, the Nyx Assassin deprives itself of unnecessary sensories, increasing its regenerative powers and resistance while greatly increasing the reach of its other powers. But the goddess' servant is deadliest when unseen. A distracted target has no chance to react as the Nyx Assassin pierces its body with massive mandibles, thereby fulfilling an unspoken Vendetta in the name of his queen.
Roles:	Disabler Nuker Initiator Escape
Adjectives	Legs ( 6 )

Facets

Mana Burn

Mind Flare removes unit-targeted enemy's mana based on its max mana.

Scuttle

Vendetta grants unobstructed pathing and unlocks max movement speed upon cast.

Upgrades

Aghanim's

Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade:

New Ability

Grants the Burrow ability.

The scarab buries himself beneath the battlefield over a short duration. Grants self cast range bonus, health and mana regeneration bonus, incoming damage reduction, and cooldown reduction bonus.

While burrowed, Nyx is stationary, unable to attack, and invisible.

While Nyx is Burrowed, Impale does not require facing the point-targeted location to cast.

While Nyx is Burrowed, Mind Flare does not require facing the point-targeted location to cast.

While Nyx is Burrowed, Spiked Carapace immediately stuns all enemy units within the radius.

Aghanim's Shard Upgrade:

A successful Vendetta attack now applies Break.

Talents

+80 Agility	25	+600 Mind Flare Radius
+100 Impale Damage	20	+0.5s Spiked Carapace Buff Duration
-3s Mind Flare Cooldown	15	+40 Vendetta Damage
+0.2s Impale Stun Duration	10	+0.25× Spiked Carapace Reflect Damage Factor
▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ +2 All / / Attributes

Bio

The blessing of Nyx gives me all the purpose I require.

▶️  Nyx Assassin

Lore:

Deep in the Archive of Ultimyr, shelved between scholarly treatises on dragon cladistics and books of untranslatable spells, there is an ancient tome of entomological curiosities. Compiled by scholars, the book describes the telepathic talents of the zealot scarab, a strange species of social insect with abilities unique to all the seven planes.

Unlike most grubs of his colony, Nyx Assassin did not arise from metamorphosis with the plodding thoughts and blunted appendages common to the worker caste of his kind. For his was a special transformation, guided by the grace of Nyx. He was the chosen one, selected from the many and anointed with an extract of the queen goddess herself. Not all survive the dark blessing of the queen's chamber, but he emerged with a penetrating mind, and dagger-like claws–his razor sharp mandibles raking the air while his thoughts projected directly into the minds of those around him. Of all zealot scarabs, he alone was selected for the highest calling. After his metamorphosis, he was reborn, by grace of Nyx, with abilities which shaped him for one thing and one thing only: to kill in the name of his goddess.

Voice:

Dempsey Pappion (Responses)

Innate

Nyxth Sense

Nyxth Sense

Ability

Passive

Affects

Enemy Heroes

The Nyx Assassin senses invisible enemy heroes within the radius, including enemy heroes within the Fog of War.

Radius: 350

Aura Linger Duration: 0.5

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• Creates a negative aura centered around Nyx that applies True Sight within the radius.
  • Considers clones, illusions, and creep-heroes as heroes.
  • Affects the following units:
    • Fogged units.
    • Invulnerable units.
  • Does not affect the following units:
    • Hidden units.

modifier_nyx_assassin_nyxth_sense

Hidden Modifier

Hero Model

Hero Model

Ability

Passive / Channeling

Affects

Self

Nyx's hero model has the following hidden innate abilities.

It may only perform or utilize the ability's functions upon a successful channeling.

Details

Hidden Innate Abilities

Tap on the innate abilities for more details.

Abilities

Impale

Q

E

Impale

▶️

Ability

Point

Affects

Enemy Units

Damage

Spell / Magical

Rock spike burst from the earth along a straight path.

Immediately damages and stuns enemy units while being hurled into the air.

Cast Animation: 0.3 + 0

Cast Range:  750

Spikes Travel Distance: 750

Spikes Radius: 140

Damage: 100/160/220/280 ( 200/260/320/380)

Stun Duration: 1.1/1.4/1.7/2 ( 1.3/1.6/1.9/2.2)

Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade
While Nyx is Burrowed, Impale does not require facing the point-targeted location to cast.

Cast Animation: 0 + 0

Cast Range: ( 1250)

Spike Travel Distance: ( 1250)

17/15/13/11

90/100/110/120

All zealot scarabs possess intimate knowledge of underground pathways, using them to their advantage.

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• 
  • Affects units up to 890 ( 1390) range with the travel distance and spike radius.
  • Applies the following ability effects to affected units:
    • A 350-distance upward movement over the first 0.5 seconds of the debuff duration.
      • Not affected by status resistance sources.
    • Stun
  • 
    • The spike that hit enemy units is visually larger and elevated. This also visually applies on the following units:
      • Fogged units, and additionally release some dust particles.
      • Invisible units.
      • Untargetable units.

• When interrupted, Impale prematurely applies the landing effects at the affected enemy unit's current location.

• 
  • SCEPTER NOTES
    While Burrowed, Impale does not require Nyx facing the point-targeted location to cast the ability.

• DBF IMMUNITY
  The forced movement applied no longer affects the debuff immune enemy unit.

modifier_nyx_assassin_impale

Impale: Stunned.

• Has a 1600- projectile speed.

• 
  • The ability effects are applied as follows:
    1. Both the upward movement and the stun debuff.
    2. The landing magical spell damage.

Mind Flare

W

R

Mind Flare

▶️

Ability

Unit

Affects

Enemy Heroes

Damage

Spell / Magical

Deals a base damage based on the affected enemy unit's max mana, and additional damage equal to a percentage of the damage taken from Nyx previously.

Cast Animation: 0.4 + 0

Cast Range:  800

Enemy Max Mana to Damage Factor: 0.25/0.3/0.35/0.4

Min Damage: 0

Accumulated Damage Factor: 0.2

Damage Timer: 15

Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade
While Nyx is Burrowed, Mind Flare does not require facing the point-targeted location to cast.

Cast Animation: 0 + 0

Cast Range: ( 1300)

Talent Upgrade
Mind Flare is now an area-targeted ability and applies all ability effects to all enemy units within the radius.

Radius: 600

11/9.5/8/6.5 ( 8/6.5/5/3.5)

100/105/110/115

The tome in Ultimyr describes one scarab with the ability to eat away at the minds of lesser beings.

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Mana Burn

Mind Flare removes unit-targeted enemy's mana based on its max mana.

Enemy Max Mana Burn Factor: 0.16/0.19/0.22/0.25

---

• 
  • Places a jolt_damage_tracker that accumulates all damage instances from all damage types on all heroes upon learning the ability, including Nyx itself.
  • Applies only the accumulated damage as spell damage to units without mana.
  • Does not accumulate damage from the following sources:
    • HP Removal sources.
    • No-reflection flag damage sources.
  • The damage counter resets in the following conditions:
    • Upon Mind Flare cast.
    • Upon the unit's death.

• 
  • Deals a single magical spell damage instance in the combat log.
  • Considers clones, illusions, and creep-heroes as heroes.
  • 
    • All ability effects are applied immediately despite the visual effects, and cannot be disjointed.
  • Deals only the accumulated damage to units without mana.

• Subsequent casts only count damage instances since the last time the ability was cast, including the bonus damage instance of Mind Flare.

• TALENT NOTES
  The talent upgrade changes the ability targeting functionality from unit-targeted to area-targeted.
  • Now deals damage based on each affected unit's mana and accumulated damage.
  • Affects the following secondary units:
    • Fogged units.
    • Invisible units.
    • Untargetable units.
  • Does not affect the following units:
    • Hidden units.
    • Invulnerable units.

• 
  • SCEPTER NOTES
    While Burrowed, Impale does not require Nyx facing the unit-targeted enemy or the area-targeted location to cast the ability.

• SPELL BLOCK
  Procs Spell Block sources upon cast.
  • TALENT NOTES
    Spell Block sources proc on the primary target nullifies the area-targeted ability effects upon cast.

• SPELL REFLECT
  Spell Block notes apply.

• SOULBIND
  The unit-targeted ability causes the area-targeted talent to apply all ability effects to enemy units within the radius around both targets.

modifier_nyx_assassin_jolt_damage_tracker

Hidden modifier

• Deals a 0-damage instance in the following conditions:
  • Ancient creeps with no mana.
  • When both the unit's current mana and the accumulated damage value is 0.

Spiked Carapace

E

D

Spiked Carapace

▶️ ▶️

Ability

No

Affects

Enemy Units

Damage

Source

While above ground, Spiked Carapace reflects, negates one damage instance per damage source, and stuns the damage source as well.

Cast Animation: 0 + 0

Reflect Radius: Global

Reflect Damage Factor: 1.25 ( 1.5)

Reflect Instance per Source: 1

Carapace Duration: 2

Stun Duration: 0.4/0.8/1.2/1.6 ( 0.9/1.3/1.7/2.1)

Spiked Carapace under the scarab's hood is akin to wielding a Blade Mail.

Damage reflected from the item's active ability deals 0-damage instances while Spiked Carapace is active.

Damage Instance: 0

Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade
While Nyx is Burrowed, Spiked Carapace immediately stuns all enemy units within the radius.

Effect Radius: ( 300)

Can only affect the same enemy units once per buff.

Downtime: 2

23/18/13/8

40

While their carapaces are relatively thin, they're guarded by a retractable field of razor-sharp spikes.

• Details
• Status Effects
• Misc.
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• 
  • 
    • Recasting the ability refreshes the buff duration.
    • Can only affect the same enemy units once per cast.
    • Only reflects player-based damage back to its damage source.
  • Interrupts Nyx's channeling abilities upon cast.
  • Does not break Vendetta's invisibility upon cast, but not other invisibility sources.
  • 
    • SCEPTER NOTES
      While Burrowed, casting Spiked Carapace immediately stuns all enemy units within 300 radius.
      • Affects the following units:
        • Lane creeps.
        • Neutral creeps.

• This ability has two components, both independent of each other:
  • The damage negation.
  • The damage reflect instance.

• 
  • Grants Nyx 1 damage negation instance per incoming damage sources, causing certain on-damage effects to not proc.
    • Has precedence over damage barrier sources.
    • Neither prevents death not instant kill sources applied to Nyx.

• or
  • The incoming damage instance reflected is the same damage type as the source with the HP Removal flag.
  • The reflected damage value is defined as:
    • EXPR
      ReflectDmg = SourceDmg × 1.25
    • The reflected damage instance has the following properties:
    • Utilizes Blade Mail's buff and has precedence over it.
      • No-reflection flag.
      • No-spell-lifesteal flag.
      • No-spell-amplification flag.
  • 
    • Affects the following units:
      • Fogged units.
      • Invisible units.

• Neither works on nor affects the following units:
  • Ally units.
  • Buildings
  • Lane creeps.
  • Ward-type units.

modifier_item_blade_mail

Hidden modifier

modifier_nyx_assassin_spiked_carapace

Spiked Carapace: The next player-owned damage instance will be reflected, damaging and stunning the hero that caused it.

modifier_stunned

Stunned

• The ability effects are applied as follows:
  • 
    1. The stun debuff.
    2. The reflected damage.
  • 
    1. The damage negation component.
    2. The damage reflect component.

Burrow

D

F

Burrow

▶️

Ability

No

Affects

Self

The scarab buries himself beneath the battlefield over a short duration. Grants self cast range bonus, health and mana regeneration bonus, incoming damage reduction, and cooldown reduction bonus.

While burrowed, Nyx is stationary, unable to attack, and invisible.

Cast Animation: 1.5 + 0

Cast Range Bonus: 500

Max Health as Health Regen Bonus: 1%

Max Mana as Mana Regen Bonus: 1%

Damage Reduction: 40%

Cooldown Reduction: 25%

While Nyx is Burrowed, Impale does not require facing the point-targeted location to cast.

Cast Animation: 0 + 0

While Nyx is Burrowed, Mind Flare does not require facing the point-targeted location to cast.

Cast Animation: 0 + 0

While Nyx is Burrowed, Spiked Carapace immediately stuns all enemy units within the radius.

Stun Radius: 300

0

Some castes of Zealot scarab are known to create small burrows to lie in wait, ready to ambush their prey.

• Details
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• Acquiring Aghanim's Scepter unlocks this ability in the      fourth ability slot.

• 
  • Applies the following ability effects on Nyx while Burrowed:
    • Disarm
    • Generic incoming damage reduction on Nyx.
      • Stacks additively with other incoming damage manipulation sources.
      • Does not affect HP Removal sources.
    • Invisibility
    • Mute
    • Phase movement.
    • Root
  • Can still be affected by other forced movement sources, and does not Unburrows.
  • Neither changes Nyx's facing angle nor reduces its turn rate.
  • Asides from the aformentioned Nyx's abilities, other targeted abilities, and item abilities still require facing the target to cast within its cast range.

• The following conditions unburrows Nyx Assassin:
  • Upon the Unburrow sub-ability or Vendetta cast.
  • Upon Nyx's death

• SPELL STEAL
  Instantly self-unburrows upon losing ability.

• ABILITY DRAFT
  Acquiring Aghanim's Scepter while drafting Vendetta unlocks this ability.

modifier_nyx_assassin_burrow

Burrowed: Stationary, invisible, and unable to attack. Gaining bonus health and mana regeneration and taking reduced damage.

• Losing the ability upgrade does not unburrows Nyx immediately.
  • Nyx can still use the Unburrow sub-ability, and Burrow will no longer be in      fourth ability slot upon unburrow.

Unburrow

D

F

Unburrow

▶️ ▶️

Ability

No

Affects

Self

Nyx emerges from the burrow.

Cast Animation: 0 + 0

0

Sub-ability of Burrow.

• Details
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• 
  • Replaces Burrow until the sub-ability or Vendetta is used, or upon Nyx's death.
  • Interrupts Nyx's channeling abilities upon cast.
  • Instantly reverts all ability bonuses granted by Burrow.

• 
  • Utilizes a different sound effect when the sub-ability is cast within river-based terrain.

Vendetta

R

V

Vendetta

▶️ ▶️

Ability

No

Affects

Self / Enemies

Damage

Spell / Pure

Nyx becomes invisible and gains a movement speed bonus. Grants the next attack a faster attack animation with attack range bonus.

Cast Animation: 0 + 0

Fade Time: 0

Move Speed Bonus: 16%/18%/20%

Attack Range Bonus: 75

Attack Animation Factor: 1.7

Duration: 60

The attack breaking invisibility deals pure spell damage bonus with the attack.

Spell Damage Bonus: 300/400/500 ( 300.5/400.5/500.5)

Break Duration: ( 4)

Aghanim's Shard Upgrade
A successful Vendetta attack now applies Break.

80/70/60

180/240/300

The scarab kills for the glory of his queen.

• Details
• Status Effects
• Misc.
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Scuttle

Vendetta grants unobstructed pathing and unlocks max movement speed upon cast.

Set Move Speed Bonus: 200%
Scuttle Duration: 15

---

• 
  • Does not interrupt Nyx's channeling abilities upon cast.
  • Grants the following bonuses while active:
    • Phase movement.
    • Attack range bonus based on the caster's attack range type.
    • Reduces the attack point of the next attack.
      • Does not reduce the attack backswing.
    • FACET NOTES
      Scuttle grants unobstructed movement.
  • 
    • Recasting the ability refreshes the buff duration and updates the ability to the current level.
    • The buff dispels in the following conditions:
      • Upon reaching the cast point of abilities, including item abilities.
      • Upon a successful attack.
    • 
      • Does not break invisibility in the following conditions:
        • Missed attacks.
        • Items being picked up, dropped, or attacked.
        • Runes being denied.
        • Upon Spiked Carapace cast.

• 
  • The attack breaking Vendetta's invisibility has the following properties:
    • True strike.
    • The total attack range for the attack is defined as:
      • EXPR
        AtkRange = 225 + EnemyBoundRadius
    • Applies the spell damage bonus.
      • Does not affect the following units:
        • Buildings
        • Ward-type units.

• SHARD NOTES
  Acquiring the ability upgrade immediately update the current instance.

• FACET NOTES
  The Scuttle buff is independent of the Vendetta buff.

modifier_nyx_assassin_vendetta

Vendetta: Moving x% faster and is phased. Next attack will deal bonus damage and apply Break to the enemy.

modifier_nyx_assassin_vendetta_armor_reduction

Vendetta: Has magic resistance reduced by x%

• For ranged heroes, the invisibility is lost upon projectile hit.
  • Therefore, the spell damage bonus will not be applied if another action was queued before the projectile hits.

• The ability effects are applied as follows:
  • 
    1. The Scuttle buff.
    2. The Vendetta buff.
  • 
    1. The Break debuff.
    2. The pure spell damage.
    3. Nyx's attack instance.

Recent Matches

Main Article: Nyx Assassin/Matches

Date	Tier		Tournament	Picks		Score		vs. Picks
Apr 13, 2025 - 16:15 MSK	Tier 4		CG Challenger 2			1 : 0
Feb 18, 2025 - 21:00 BRT	Tier 4		Liga dos Ursitos			1 : 0
Feb 18, 2025 - 20:00 CET	Tier 3		EPL Season 24			1 : 0
Feb 18, 2025 - 20:00 CET	Tier 3		EPL Season 24			1 : 0
Feb 18, 2025 - 20:00 CET	Tier 3		EPL Season 24			0 : 1

Recent Changes

Main Articles: Changelogs, Old Abilities and Hero Lore

Version

Description

7.38c
(2025-03-27)

• Reduced Mind Flare cooldown from 13/11/9/7 to 11/9.5/8/6.5.

7.38
(2025-02-19)

• Increased strength gain from 2.5 to 2.7.
• Increased agility gain from 2.3 to 2.9.
• Increased intelligence gain from 2.5 to 2.6.
• Increased base attack damage from 12‒16 to 26‒30.
• REMOVED Mana Burn . [?]
• Impale
  • Reduced cooldown from 18/16/14/12 to 17/15/13/11.
  • Reduced mana cost from 100/110/120/130 to 90/100/110/120.
• Mind Flare
  • No longer instant kills non- ancient creeps .
  • Reduced enemy max mana to damage factor from 0.2/0.25/0.3/0.35 to 0.25/0.3/0.35/0.4.
  • Reduced accumulated damage factor from 0.25 to 0.2.
  • ADDED Mana Burn facet.
    • Now additionally applies 0.16/0.19/0.22/0.25 * EnemyMaxMP mana burn on the unit-targeted enemy.

• Talents:  

  LVL 10  +40 Vendetta damage ➜  +25% Spiked Carapace reflected damage.  

  LVL 15  +0.5s Spiked Carapace carapace duration ➜  +40 Vendetta damage.

7.37b
(2024-08-14)

• Rescaled Impale cooldown from 17/16/15/14 to 18/16/14/12.

Dota Plus Progress

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.

Nyx Assassin's Relics	Voice Lines
Three Hero Impales Spiked Carapaces Leading To Kills Damage During Burrow Vendetta Impale Mana Burn Combos Dagons Leading To Kills Mana Reduction Damage From Invisibility Courier Kills Blinks Leading To Kills Channels Cancelled Triple Kills Mega Kill Streaks Kill Assists Kills	Bronze	▶️ Heehehheh Nyx, Nyx. ▶️ Nice.
	Silver	▶️ How did this happen? ▶️ Talentless.
	Gold	▶️ Nyx chichcichcihcihchi. ▶️ I'm waiting for you.
	Platinum	▶️ Assassinated.
	Master	▶️ Nyx, Nyx, Nyx, Nyx.
	Grandmaster	▶️ You almost had it.

Trivia

• In Disruptor's splash art you can see the silhouette of Nyx Assassin in the background.

• Warcraft 3 similarities:
  • Nyx Assassin's hero concept is originally based on Anub'arak, a campaign-only variant of the Undead Crypt Lord hero.
    • In DotA, Nyx Assassin's title is Nerubian Assassin. It was changed to Nyx Assassin in Dota 2, removing any affiliation with the Nerubian, a race within the Warcraft universe.
    • His name in DotA was Anub'arak as well, but was dropped to avoid copyright issues with "Blizzard Entertainment".
    • Impale's original iteration was identical to the Crpyt Lord's Impale.
    • Spiked Carapace is inspired by the Crpyt Lord's Spiked Carapace.
    • Nyx Assassin's old ability, Urna Swarm, was identical to the Crypt Lord's Carrion Beetles.
  • Nyx Assassin's old ability, Mana Burn, was identical to the Demon Hunter's Mana Burn.
  • Vendetta's original iteration was identical to the Blademaster's Wind Walk.
  • Burrow is inspired by the Burrow ability, that is common amongst the Nerubian race.
  • Nyx Assassin has a 1/8 chance to spawn in with the name "A'noob Arak".

Gallery

• 

  Splash artwork

• 

  Concept art

• 

  Concept art

• 

  Ability icon progress [?]

• 

  Hero icon progress

• 

  Bone Harvest sprite - alive

• 

  Bone Harvest sprite - dead