Naix, The Lifestealer - Dota Guide and Strategy

N'aix, the Lifestealer Guide

Written by : Sin_Cross

There once was a man in Lordaeron so consumed by greed that he was beyond remorse. Eventually caught trying to steal Prince Arthas' sacred ring, he was tried and hanged. Yet his body, so corrupted by his desire to steal, had risen by itself in the form of a monstrous ghoul. So came into being N'aix, his old name long forgotten: the embodiment of lust and greed, bent on stealing the life of every living creature he encounters.

Forward

Being the first hero I learned to play, N'aix was a hero I found both challenging and fun to play. After Icefrog remade N'aix in version 6.49, I found N'aix to be a very powerful hero and decide to write a guide for my favorite hero. In this guide, I'll cover everything you need to know about the new and improved N'aix.

Hero Stats

Strength: 25 + 2.4
Agility: 18 + 1.9
Intelligence: 15 + 1.75

Health: 625
Mana: 195

Damage: 52-62
Armor: 1.5 (8% Damage Reduction)

Attack Range: 100 (melee)
Movement Speed: 300

HP Regeneration: 1.00 HP/sec
Mana Regeneration: 0.61 Mana/sec
Attack Speed: 1.44 (+ 18% IAS)

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Huge damage output.
• Can outmatch most heroes 1v1.
• Extremely good jungler.
• Fast attacking hero late game.
• Very hard to kill.

Cons

• Low attack speed early game.
• Not the best tank.
• Skills require thinking and precise timing.
• Needs an ally to be effective early game.
• Somewhat lacking mana.

Why Should I Play N'aix?

QUOTE

The new N'aix sucks! Old N'aix was better!

Just because a hero became more team ordinated and harder to play, doesn't mean he's ineffective. In fact, N'aix now has one of the best heal/damage passive, a powerful attack speed booster, a slow that's also a stun and an ultimate that makes this guy extremely hard to kill. He can be just as an effective carry as Viper now. DotA is a team game, not soloing killing with passive abilities. N'aix may be harder to play now, but does it really hurt to use your head when playing DotA?

QUOTE

N'aix can't kill anything by himself!

Wrong! If you master his skills and know how to use them, he can kill almost any hero mid to late game. Of course, DotA is a team game and allies stuns and slows do help. Practice makes perfect, but you have a team for a reason. Work with your team and communicate. If you still can't get kills with your allies and Open Wounds, either you're going against a team with extreme skills or you're not using Open Wounds correctly.

QUOTE

N'aix desperately needs chasing power, IAS and survivability at the same time!

Not necessarily. In fact, N'aix only needs IAS and can do perfectly fine with no chasing or survivability items. Armlet provides with most of the elements N'aix needs. If your team coordinate their disables, N'aix wouldn't need to cast Open Wounds at all. N'aix has 3 survivability skills: Rage, Open Wounds and Infest. If you practice and master the powers of Infest, you will almost never die!

QUOTE

N'aix is so mana dependent!

He's not as mana dependent as Tiny, not to mention he's not a spell spammer. N'aix is a DPS/carry, meaning that he uses his attacks more than anything. Do not spam his skills, simply because you're not a caster. Use his skills when you need to, not when you want to. Making priorities and managing your mana are both crucial when playing N'aix. Ring of Basilius grants N'aix enough mana regeneration already.

QUOTE

I'm still not convinced!

Which hero has a Frenzy that doesn't give you extra damage and instead gives you magic immunity? Which hero has one of the best passive ability that gives you insane health regeneration and damage? Which hero has a slow that lasts 7 seconds that stops channeling spells? Which hero has one of the best instant heal/escape mechanism in the game? Watch my replays. If that doesn't help, then try playing him before you judge him.

Role in the Team

N'aix is a Strength DPS/carry while doubles as an anti-tank hero like Necrolyte due to Feast. N'aix should farm and survive until late game where his potential is high. However, he's not completely useless early to mid game since he's has Feast for added damage and Open Wounds for ganking. In team battle, he should target enemy strength heroes with high health first, although he can take down fragile casters quickly with Rage. Infest is a ridiculous escape mechanism that makes this hero incredibly hard to kill throughout the game.

Skills Info

QUOTE

Rage (Active)

N'aix goes into a maddened rage, becoming immune to magic spells and gaining increased attack speed.

Level 1 - 30% Increased Attack Speed and Magic Immunity. Lasts for 2.5 seconds.
Level 2 - 45% Increased Attack Speed and Magic Immunity. Lasts for 3.25 seconds.
Level 3 - 60% Increased Attack Speed and Magic Immunity. Lasts for 4 seconds.
Level 4 - 80% Increased Attack Speed and Magic Immunity. Lasts for 4.75 seconds.

Cooldown: 15 seconds.
Manacost: 75

A very good hero killer with every low cooldown despite it's short duration. Level this after you get maxed Feast for more faster damage output. This also can be used as an escape mechanism if timed correctly.

Skill Mechanics:

When you activate Rage, you temporary gain increased attacked speed and magic immunity. N'aix's body will turn black when he is in Rage. Think of this skill as a very short Frenzy except no extra damage taken with the Avatar ability from Black King Bar added in.

Additional Information:

• Activating Rage will cancel out most debuffs that are currently on N'aix.
• Bash from a melee hero goes through Rage; ranged bash does not.
• Rupture can be cast on N'aix while Rage is activated but it will not do damage as long as Rage is active.
• The returned damage from Blademail is considered magical damage so N'aix will not take damage.
• Mechanism’s heal works through Rage but the armor does not.

Here are some notable spells that go through Rage:

• Doom
• Ensnare
• Purge (Only Medusa’s)
• Entangle (Rage removes it)
• Overgrowth (Rage removes it)
• Fiend’s Grip (No damage)
• Sanity's Eclipse (No damage)
• Echo Slam (Echo damage)
• Nether Swap
• Lightning Grapple
• Omnislash
• Death Ward
• Landmines (Not Remote Mines)
• Wild Axes
• Toss
• Counter Helix
• Exorcism
• Ravage (No stun or damage, but throws you in the air)
• Chronosphere
• Haunt
• Global Silence
• Culling Blade
• Mass Serpent Wards
• Earthbind
• Charge of Darkness
• Track
• Nether Strike
• Viper Strike (Slow only)
• Primal Roar (Stun only)
• Reaper's Scythe (Stun only)
• Reverse Polarity (Stun only)
• Dismember (Stun only)
• Rot (Slow only)
• Pit of Malice
• Passive skills such as Degen Aura, Maim, Poison Sting, even Feast!

Click here for the complete list of spells that go through Rage.

***Credits goes to Chameleon12 for his old premium N'aix guide's Rage section.***

QUOTE

Feast (Passive)

Regenerates a portion of enemy's current HP and deals the same portion per attack.

Level 1 - 4%.
Level 2 - 5%.
Level 3 - 6%.
Level 4 - 7%.

One of the best passive healing ability in the game that also gives N'aix more damage. N'aix needs Feast for jungling, healing and killing. This is the ability that makes N'aix such a powerful DPS/carry.

Skill Mechanics:

Feast is a passive ability based on the enemy's remaining health, not the enemy's max health. When N'aix attacks the enemy, Feast calculates how much health is 4/5/6/7 percent of the enemy's remaining health is. Once it figures it out, it restores N'aix's a number of HP equal to that number. Then when N'aix damages the enemy with his attack, the same number is added to the damage inflicted. Remember this: the less health the enemy has, the less number of HP N'aix will regenerate and the less number of bonus damage will be added.

Example:

N'aix starts a battle with Sven. N'aix has 100 damage and 1,000/2,000 health while Sven has 2,000/3,000 health and 10 armor. Before N'aix's 100 damage is subtracted from Sven, Feast comes into effect. Assuming N'aix has level 4 Feast, it heals N'aix by 7% of 2,000 (or 140 HP), making N'aix health 1,140. Immediately, it also adds 140 to N'aix's damage for a total of 240 damage to Sven. Now 10 armor reduces the 240 damage by 37.5%, making the damage taken by Sven equal 150, since 240 - .375(240) = 150.

Additional Information:

• The damage Feast adds to N'aix's attack is physical damage, reducing armor gives you bonus damage.
• Golems and siege units are also affected by Feast since they are only immune to magic.
• Feast does not work on Roshan or buildings.
• Images are unaffected by Feast.
• The Lifesteal occurs after armor reduction, so if N'aix had 10%, he will gain 15 health from Sven.

QUOTE

Open Wounds (Active)

N'aix rends the enemy, slowing his movement speed and allowing his allies to feast on his life force, regenerating a portion of the damage dealt. Victim slowly recovers movement speed over 7 seconds.

Level 1 - 10%. (LIFESTEAL)
Level 2 - 15%. (LIFESTEAL)
Level 3 - 20%. (LIFESTEAL)
Level 4 - 25%. (LIFESTEAL)

Cooldown: 30/25/20/15
Manacost: 70/80/90/100

A very unreliable slow, but very powerful if timed correctly. Leveling this skill only improve its Lifesteal and cooldown, not slow. Not the best slow in the world for killing, but very useful for your team.

Skill Mechanics:

Allow me to clarify again that leveling Open Wounds does not increase the slow, it only increase the Lifesteal percentage. When you cast Open Wounds on a target, it gains the Open Wounds status for 7 seconds. Open Wounds stuns the target for the 1st second, slows by 70% for the 2nd second, slows by 40% for the 3rd second and slows by 10% for the remaining 4 seconds. In other words, the target slowly gains back the movement lost. N'aix or his allies can regenerate health if they deal damage to the target with the Open Wounds status.

Additional Information:

• Open Wounds has a 600 cast range.
• Having such a short cast time, be sure to order an attack again or else N'aix will switch targets.
• You can use Open Wounds to stop channeling spells like teleporting.
• Both physical and magical damage heals the ally that's damaging the enemy with Open Wounds.
• Linken's Sphere blocks the stun from Open Wounds, but not the slow.

QUOTE

Infest (Active)

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 consume it and come to form. Regains health from the infested unit.

Level 1 - Allied and Neutral units. Consumes current health.
Level 2 - Allied, Enemy and Neutral units. Consumes current health.
Level 3 - Allied, Enemy and Neutral units. Consumes max health.

Cooldown: 100/70/40
Manacost: 150/100/50

An ultimate that's both a powerful instant self-heal and a reliable escape mechanism. Use it when you're neutraling or when you're in danger. Infest is the reason why N'aix almost never dies.

Skill Mechanics:

When N'aix cast Infest on a unit, N'aix enters the body and N'aix is removed from the game (he is invulnerable and everything else in the game does not affect N'aix in anyway). He doesn't have any stats, attack, items or skills except a Consume ability. N'aix freezes in time and uses the unit as a shield almost. The only way N'aix exits the unit is either if the unit dies or N'aix activates the Cosume ability which kills the unit instantly and receives a self-heal. N'aix can only Infest non-Ancient units and N'aix cannot Infest heroes, buildings, or Roshan.

Additional Information:

• Enemies do not see the green orb on top of the unit you Infested.
• N'aix's hidden and paused status is similar to that of Astral Imprisonment and Phase Shift.
• The moment N'aix Infest a unit, all stats, buffs, debuff, regeneration stops until N'aix consumes the unit.
• Auras of N'aix while he's inside a unit still affects units around the Infested unit, except Radiance.
• N'aix can still gain experience if the Infested unit is in experience range.

Here are some notable units that N'aix can Infest:

• All neutral creeps except the Ancients and Roshan
• Non-Ancients
• Dominated creeps
• Persuaded creeps
• Enchanted creeps
• Magic Immuned units
• Non-Resistance skin units
• Non-Flying units
• Non-Hero units
• Eidolons
• Liberated Souls
• Treants
• Rexxar's Quilbeast
• Spiderlings
• Weaver's Watchers
• Zombies
• Necronomicon summons

Skill Build

1. Feast
2. Open Wounds
3. Feast
4. Rage
5. Feast
6. Infest
7. Feast
8. Rage
9. Rage
10. Rage
11. Infest
12. Open Wounds
13. Open Wounds
14. Open Wounds
15. Stats
16. Infest
17. Stats
18. Stats
19. Stats
20. Stats
21. Stats
22. Stats
23. Stats
24. Stats
25. Stats

Skill Build Explanations

• Feast is maxed first to help early game jungling, regeneration and damage.
• Leveling Open Wounds does not increase slow percentage, so one level is needed until later.
• Rage is taken after Feast since they both help you kill, but Rage has a very short duration.
• Leveling Infest whenever possible will increase it's potential as a heal and escape mechanism.
• N'aix does not need extra stats early game as long as you don't spam your spells.

Item Builds

I have listed two very different builds that are both very effective, pick the one that best fit your situation. Desolator N'aix consists of very cheap and effective items, armor manipulation and heavy damage. Dominator N'aix is designed for higher level play where lane control, mass disables and teamwork are all present.

Starting Items

Jungling Items:

1. Animal Courier (225)
2. Stout Shield (300)
3. Ancient Tango of Essifation (90+)

Note: Use your Courier to transport your first Tangos while you jungle.

Laning/Soloing Items:

1. Animal Courier (225)
2. Ironwood Branch (57)
3. Ironwood Branch (57)
4. Ironwood Branch (57)
5. Ironwood Branch (57)
6. Ancient Tango of Essifation (90+)

Note: You may upgrade your Courier if your team needs it.

Starting Items Explanations

• N'aix does not need extra stats early game due to good starting stats and Feast.
• You should buy the team's Courier since N'aix doesn't need too much starting items.
• Tangos are need for uninterrupted health regeneration during jungling/laning/soloing.
• Stout Shield allows N'aix to Jungle by absorbing damage taken from creeps.
• Branches are a cheap way to boost some early health and mana while farming in your lane.

Desolator N'aix





Core Items:

1. Gloves of Haste (550)
2. Boots of Speed (500)
3. Belt of Giant Strength (450)
4. Power Treads Recipe Scroll (350) >>> Power Treads
5. Scroll of Town Portal (135+)
6. Sobi Mask (325)
7. Ring of Protection (175) >>> Ring of Basilius
8. Gloves of Haste (550)
9. Helm of Iron Will (950)
10. Blades of Attack (650)
11. Armlet of Mordiggian Recipe Scroll (700) >>> Armlet of Mordiggian
12. Mithril Hammer (1,610)
13. Mithril Hammer (1.610)
14. Stygian Desolator Recipe Scroll (1,200) >>> Stygian Desolator

Gold Spent: 9,755+

Luxury Items

1. Mask of Death (900)
2. Ring of Regeneration (375)
3. Vladmir's Offering Recipe Scroll (625) >>> Vladmir's Offering
4. Hyperstone (2,100)
5. Plate Mail (1,400)
6. Chainmail (620)
7. Assault Cuirass Recipe Scroll (2,000) >>> Assault Cuirass

Gold Spent: 17,775+

Item Build Explanations

• A Scroll of Town Portal should be carried at all times since you're not buying BoT.
• Treads and Armlet gives you more Strength, attack speed and damage; fits right in.
• RoB fixes two weaknesses N'aix have: mana and armor.
• Desolator combined with Armlet and Feast will give you insane damage.
• Vladmir and AC will give you Lifesteal and plus armor for your team and minus armor for your enemies.

***Credits goes to Patccmoi for introducing to the Armlet + Desolator combo.***

Dominator N'aix





Core Items:

1. Gloves of Haste (550)
2. Boots of Speed (500)
3. Helm of Iron Will (950)
4. Blades of Attack (650)
5. Armlet of Mordiggian Recipe Scroll (700) >>> Armlet of Mordiggian
6. Scroll of Town Portal (135+)
7. Mask of Death (900)
8. Helm of Iron Will (950) >>> Helm of the Dominator
9. Boots of Travel Recipe Scroll (2,200) >>> Boots of Travel
10. Ogre's Axe (1,000)
11. Broadsword (1,200)
12. Black King Bar Recipe Scroll (1,600) >>> Black King Bar

Gold Spent: 11,335+

Luxury Items

1. Demon Edge (2,600)
2. Javelin (1,400)
3. Javelin (1,400) >>> Monkey King Bar
4. Broadsword (1,200)
5. Blades of Attack (650)
6. Crystalys Recipe (500) >>> Crystalys
7. Demon Edge (2,600)
8. Buriza-do Kyanon Recipe Scroll (1,250) >>> Buriza-do Kyanon
9. Messerschmidt's Reaver (3,200)
10. Satanic Recipe Scroll (1,100) >>> Satanic

Gold Spent: 27,235+

Item Build Explanations

• Armlet is bought first for early Strength, attack speed and damage.
• HotD will give you Lifesteals and creeps to help you gank and Infest in.
• Scroll of Town Portals should be carried until you get Boots of Travel for pushes and ganks.
• Black King Bar should be gotten since disables kill N'aix in higher level play.
• MKB and Buriza will give you high damage and Satanic and AC will give you more tanking potentials.

Which Build to Use

Desolator N'aix:

This build is built for your average pub to TDA games. It's all about dealing insane damage to tear enemies apart with Rage and Feast. Jungling works extremely well with this build because you can generally get Treads around the 10 minute mark at the very least. However, N'aix has only average Strength and well organized disables can hinder his performance. Generally, go this build if you know the enemy won't be warding or ganking you tremendously throughout the game and when you want to dominate with your DPS potential mid to late game.

Dominator N'aix:

Unlike the previous build, this build is leaning towards higher level play, or possibly league games. Lane control with BoT, not getting disabled with BKB and having extra creeps to Infest with HotD are all vital. Jungling for an Armlet can be fairly difficult, but it's still possible. This build is relatively hard due to controlling creeps like Chen and lack of DPS/carry potentials. However, if you know you will be playing with and against team players, this route is the safest and most effective route to go in the elite level.

Situational Items


Bracer

Bracers may be gotten if you want some early game stats. However, N'aix already has pretty decent starting stats and RoB is enough to take care of his mana. I prefer skipping these and farm directly towards your core items, you should have no problems doing this too.


Mask of Madness

N'aix is actually one of the better candidates for MoM. However, pure damage items kill enemies faster and the extra damage taken will effective you very much if you get disabled in team battle. A good pub stomping item because of Berserk, but almost unless after ganking season (BKB is needed to be effective late game).


Heart of Tarrasque

Possible for N'aix, but it's an over kill. N'aix is a DPS/carry, not a tank, meaning Satanic would be a far better option due to N'aix's high damage output. However, if your team needs a tank or if you're having trouble staying alive, buy this and you will be very hard to take down.


Kelen's Dagger of Escape

A good item for escaping out of tough situations and very useful both offensively and defensively. A decent item on just about any hero. Just don't make a habit of buying this every game because N'aix has 3 skills to help his escape from sticky situations.


Sange and Yasha

Gives a bit of everything N'aix needs and very easy to put together, but too costs too much for its mediocre bonuses. Maim doesn't always trigger and you're better off with Desolater or HotD as an orb. Only get this at last resort if you're having an extremely terrible game where you can't farm.

Rejected Items


Bottle

Even if you use the Bottle + Infest trick, N'aix has Feast and Infest to replenish his health full. The only good part about this item is that it replenish N'aix's mana. However, you should focus on farming for late game. RoB is better and save the runes for the gankers on your team (Bottle suits them more).


Radiance

One Radiance is needed per team and Viper or tanks should be the holder of this item. Even if N'aix is the team tank, you're more of an Anti-tank and DPS hero, meaning that you'll find Desolator or MKB better. Also, Radiance also doesn't work with Infest because it kills enemy creeps, something you don't want when you want to cast Infest.


The Butterfly

A possible counter to out of control late DPS heroes, but too expensive (Blink dagger is better). Gives N'aix attack speed and evasion. Most of time your allies should be providing you with stuns to deal with late game DPS heroes, but buy this if you're constantly getting killed by unstoppable heroes like Perma-bashers.


Eye of Skadi

Useful if you rush it and buy it before the game ends, but costs too much for a slow. You're better off getting cheaper items that help you kill faster. Only rush this in fun games like pubs. Just don't make a habit since your team should provide you with additional slows/stuns if Open Wounds isn't enough.


Mjollnir

The orb effect doesn't work with Feast unlike Lifesteal and Corruption. It's made for hereoes like Razor or ranged Agility heroes who can use this item more effectively. It's too expensive for the damage granted from Chain Lightning and Static Charge since Desolator and Armlet are cheaper and efficient.


Diffusal Blade

If your team really needs Purge against certain heroes, Diffusal Blade can be an option. However, it takes over an orb effect and it doesn't really synergize with Feast. Mask of Madness is a better option for ganking since Lifesteal and the speed boost from Berserk help you chase and kill faster.


Shiva Guard

Very expensive, but does help your team and N'aix's weaknesses: mana, armor and a slow. However, Vladmir's Offering fixes that and your allies should be aiding you with their stuns/slows. Unless you're facing a team of all fed late game DPS heroes that are dangerously fast, don't buy this.


Necronomicon

Gives N'aix Strength, Intelligence and summons to Infest, all of which helps N'aix. However, this doesn't improve your DPS abilities at all and summons are too weak unless upgraded. Summoners should buy this and max it to level 3; N'aix should focus on DPS items since he is a very effective DPS hero.


Hood of Defiance

N'aix is actually one of the worst hero for HoD. He doesn't need the health regeneration since he has Feast and Infest, both of which takes care of his health all game. Rage already grants you 100% spell immunity, and Black King Bar is a better option if you need more protection against spells.


Cranium Basher

Perma-bash only works in low level play where no teamwork is involved, but only get this is you're facing enemy DPS heroes that are giving your team a problem. Adding raw damage items are a more ideal choice for N'aix. Bashers are not that effective if they disable you, so a BKB is possible with this item.

This guide is taken from Dota-Allstars.com and written by Sin_Cross all credits goes to him.