N'aix, the Lifestealer, is a premier Strength carry in DotA 1 renowned for his unparalleled ability to shred high-health tanks and sustain himself through grueling physical altercations. Driven by built-in magic immunity and potent life-draining passive mechanics, he serves as an apex predator against heroes who rely heavily on massive health pools or crowd-control spells to survive. Backed by solid baseline Agility growth alongside his core Strength attribute, N'aix scales into a terrifying physical powerhouse capable of turning an opponent's own vitality against them.
Base Stats & Attributes
Hero Attributes
| Attribute |
Base Value |
Growth (per level) |
| Strength (Primary) |
25 |
+2.9 |
| Agility |
18 |
+2.6 |
| Intelligence |
15 |
+1.8 |
Level 1 Statistics & Mechanics
| Statistic |
Value |
Mechanic |
Value |
| Damage |
57-67 |
Base HP Regen |
0.25/s |
| HP |
700 |
HP Regen (Total) |
+2.75/s |
| MP |
230 |
MP Regen (Total) |
+0.76/s |
| Armor |
2.6 |
Turn Rate |
1 |
| Move Speed |
325 |
Base Attack Time (BAT) |
1.85 |
| Attack Range |
150 (melee) |
Attack Animations |
0.39 / 0.44 |
Hero Skills Breakdown
1. Rage
N'aix goes into a maddened rage, becoming immune to magic spells and gaining increased attack speed.
- Special Mechanics: Grants full Spell Immunity for the duration, preventing the application of most magical disables and offensive spells. Works similarly to a built-in Black King Bar.
| Level |
Attack Speed Bonus |
Duration |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
50 |
3 seconds |
18 seconds |
75 |
| 2 |
60 |
4 seconds |
18 seconds |
75 |
| 3 |
70 |
5 seconds |
18 seconds |
75 |
| 4 |
80 |
6 seconds |
18 seconds |
75 |
2. Feast
Regenerates a portion of enemy's maximum HP and deals the same portion per attack.
- Damage Type: Physical (based on target's health).
- Special Mechanics: Simultaneously inflicts bonus physical damage and heals N'aix for the exact same value on every basic attack. Scale directly with how much maximum health the opponent possesses.
| Level |
Maximum HP Percentage Per Attack |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
1.50% |
0 seconds |
0 (Passive) |
| 2 |
2.25% |
0 seconds |
0 (Passive) |
| 3 |
3.00% |
0 seconds |
0 (Passive) |
| 4 |
3.75% |
0 seconds |
0 (Passive) |
3. Open Wounds
Naix rends the enemy, slowing his Movement speed and allowing his allies to feast on his life force, regenerating a 50% of the damage dealt. Victim slowly recovers Movement speed over 8 seconds.
- Total Duration: 8 seconds.
- Lifesteal Aura Effect: Grants 50% Lifesteal to N'aix and any of his allied units attacking the target. Applies to all forms of damage dealt to the victim.
- Movement Slow: The victim experiences an intense initial movement slow, gradually recovering their movement speed over the 8-second timeframe.
| Level |
Cast Range |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
200 |
24 seconds |
140 |
| 2 |
300 |
20 seconds |
140 |
| 3 |
400 |
16 seconds |
140 |
| 4 |
500 |
12 seconds |
140 |
4. Infest
The Lifestealer tears its way into the unfortunate body of a target unit, laying dormant and undetectable inside its living frame until he is ready to come to form. When he comes out of the unit, he deals magical damage to all nearby enemy units. If the infested unit is an enemy, the Lifestealer will devour it first, gaining the health the unit currently has.
- Damage Type: Magical (on eruption).
- Targeting Rules: Can target allied heroes, allied creeps, or enemy creeps.
- Devour Mechanic: If used inside an enemy creep, N'aix consumes it instantly upon popping out, restoring his health by the current health value that the creep possessed.
- Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade: Unlocks the Assimilate sub-ability, allowing N'aix to swallow an allied hero into his own body to shield them and heal them.
| Level |
Eruption AOE Damage |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
150 |
100 seconds |
50 |
| 2 |
275 |
75 seconds |
50 |
| 3 |
400 |
50 seconds |
50 |
Item Build Guide
| Phase |
Recommended Items |
Strategic Purpose |
| Early Game |
Power Treads, Bracer, Hand of Midas |
Power Treads provide essential early attack speed to trigger Feast more frequently. Bracer beefs up his early health pool. Hand of Midas accelerates his gold and XP scaling, which fits his farm-heavy nature perfectly. |
| Core Items |
Armlet of Mordiggian, Skull Basher, Desolator |
Armlet is unmatched in cost-efficiency, providing huge Strength and damage that N'aix easily sustains via Feast. Skull Basher locks down targets inside Open Wounds, while Desolator drops enemy armor to amplify physical lifesteal. |
| Late Game |
Assault Cuirass, Abyssal Blade, Aghanim's Scepter |
Assault Cuirass covers his armor needs and gives massive attack speed to optimize his passive shredding. Abyssal Blade adds a reliable spell-immune pierce lock. Aghanim's Scepter introduces critical utility, letting him save or transport key allies. |
Quick Gameplay Tips
- The Taxi Infest Gank: Coordinate with high-mobility allied heroes (such as Storm Spirit, Spirit Breaker, or Blink Dagger initiators). Infest them before they launch across the map, hiding yourself safely inside their frame. As soon as they land on top of an unsuspecting target, burst out to deal the AoE damage and immediately follow up with Open Wounds.
- Unburrow for the Last Hit Heal: When navigating a dangerous teamfight or escaping at low health, look for high-HP enemy jungle creeps or lane creeps. Infesting an enemy unit and instantly erupting allows you to devour them completely, instantly adding their remaining health pool back to your own bar as a massive emergency heal.
- The Armor Shred Synergy: Always remember that Feast deals physical damage based on a target's maximum health pool. To maximize this damage, focus on building armor-reduction items like Desolator or Assault Cuirass. Dropping the enemy's armor rating significantly multiplies both the actual damage dealt by Feast and the amount of HP N'aix recovers on every swing.
