Rikimaru, the Stealth Assassin, is one of the most feared and persistent hunting threats in DotA 1. Operating primarily as an Agility-based physical carry and roamer, he excels at catching vulnerable targets off-guard and shredding them from behind. Relying on perpetual invisibility, dynamic battlefield mobility, and high base armor, Rikimaru stalks his prey through the fog of war, turning every team fight into a claustrophobic nightmare for unsupported enemy spellcasters.
Base Stats & Attributes
Hero Attributes
| Attribute |
Base Value |
Growth (per level) |
| Strength |
18 |
+2.4 |
| Agility |
18 |
+1.4 |
| Intelligence |
14 |
+1.3 |
Statistics & Mechanics
| Statistic |
Value |
Mechanic |
Value |
| Damage |
57-61 |
Base HP Regen |
0.25/s |
| HP |
560 |
HP Regen |
+2.05/s |
| MP |
218 |
MP Regen |
+0.71/s |
| Armor |
5.6 |
Turn Rate |
0.6 |
| Move Speed |
320 |
Base Attack Time (BAT) |
1.7 |
| Attack Range |
150 (melee) |
Attack Animations |
0.3 / 0.3 |
Hero Skills Breakdown
1. Smoke Screen
Throws a smoke bomb down in the area, silencing opponents and causing them to miss on most of their attacks.
- Disarm/Silence Type: AOE Silence & Blind
- Duration: 6 seconds
- Debuff Zone: Static ground targeted effect area
| Level |
Area of Effect (AoE) |
Attack Miss Chance |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
280 |
25% |
20 sec |
75 |
| 2 |
310 |
35% |
17 sec |
75 |
| 3 |
340 |
45% |
14 sec |
75 |
| 4 |
370 |
55% |
11 sec |
75 |
2. Blink Strike
Teleports behind a unit and strikes it if it is a foe, dealing bonus magical damage.
- Damage Type: Magical
- Charge System: Max 2 charges
- Targeting: Unit-targeted (can target allies for positioning or enemies to attack)
| Level |
Bonus Damage |
Cast Range |
Charge Replenish Time |
Manacost |
| 1 |
25 |
600 |
25 sec |
50 |
| 2 |
50 |
700 |
20 sec |
50 |
| 3 |
75 |
800 |
15 sec |
50 |
| 4 |
100 |
900 |
10 sec |
50 |
3. Tricks of the Trade
Jumps in and phases out of the world, gaining invulnerability and invisibility, while striking enemy units. Every short interval, Rikimaru attacks a random target within the designated radius from behind, dealing a percentage of normal damage. This is a channeling ability.
- Invulnerability Type: Phased out of the world (banished/invulnerable)
- Target Selection: Random target within area
- Attack Interval: 0.5 seconds
- Duration: 2 seconds
- Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade: Improves cast range, increases active duration, and allows Rikimaru to nest inside an allied hero.
| Level |
Attack Damage % |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
70% |
21 sec |
50 |
| 2 |
80% |
18 sec |
50 |
| 3 |
90% |
15 sec |
50 |
| 4 |
100% |
12 sec |
50 |
4. Cloak and Dagger
Rikimaru becomes permanently invisible when not attacking. Every time Rikimaru strikes his enemy from behind, he deals bonus damage scaled off his Agility attribute. Casting spells will not break this invisibility.
- Invisibility Mechanic: Permanent Invisibility
- Invisibility Breaking Condition: Basic attacks only (casting spells does not break invisibility)
- Backstab Positioning: Active angle behind the target unit
- Leveling Note: Upgrading this skill in the ability tree temporarily breaks active invisibility during the learning animation.
| Level |
Fade Time |
Agility Damage Multiplier |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
4 seconds |
140% |
Passive |
0 |
| 2 |
3 seconds |
180% |
Passive |
0 |
| 3 |
2 seconds |
220% |
Passive |
0 |
Item Build Guide
| Phase |
Recommended Items |
Strategic Purpose |
| Early Game |
Power Treads, Poor Man's Shield, Wraith Band, Magic Wand |
Builds early Agility to directly boost Backstab damage, while providing raw survivability against lane harassment. |
| Core Items |
Diffusal Blade, Sange and Yasha, Black King Bar |
Diffusal Blade is the ultimate synergy item—purging targets keeps them trapped inside Smoke Screen while your illusions/clones burn mana. Sange and Yasha maximizes chasing speed and stats. |
| Late Game |
Butterfly, Abyssal Blade, Eye of Skadi |
Butterfly provides massive Agility scaling for backstab damage and evasion. Abyssal Blade adds hard lockdown, and Skadi slows targets to prevent them from turning around. |
Quick Gameplay Tips
- The Spellcasting Ghost: Because Cloak and Dagger prevents spells from breaking your invisibility, you can drop a Smoke Screen or use items (such as Diffusal Blade's purge) without revealing your physical position. Use this to silence and slow targets safely from the shadows before committing to physical strikes.
- Aggressive Backstab Chasing: When executing Blink Strike, Rikimaru automatically teleports directly behind the target. This guarantees an immediate Cloak and Dagger backstab trigger. If the target attempts to turn around and face you to mitigate the bonus damage, use the second charge of Blink Strike or step through them to consistently maintain rear positioning.
- Dodging Lethal Projectiles: Tricks of the Trade completely phases Rikimaru out of the map, granting instant invulnerability. You can time this skill to dodge incoming high-impact projectiles (such as Sven's Storm Bolt or Vengeful Spirit's Magic Missile) and buy precious seconds for your Blink Strike charges or fade time to recover.