Let’s take a good look at some of the best items you can get for Phantom Assassin.
There are a few heroes in Dota 2 that have the firepower and presence of Phantom Assassin. This is a hero that has been in Dota 2 for many years and has earned its name as one of the best carries in the game. Phantom Assassin is one of the few heroes in Dota 2 that is not influenced by the meta. Sure, there are patches where the hero is better than other carries, but she is always a viable pick, especially in some matchups.
People who want to utilize PA’s full potential will usually pick the safelane because the hero can get the items she needs. However, PA is also a legit mid-laner because she can easily destroy some weak midlaners. Hence, you can often find the hero battling against the likes of Zeus, Shadow Fiend, Lina, and more.
In order to use PA’s incredible damage capabilities, people need to know which items to get. That’s why it is important to take a good look at some of the best items for the hero and how to utilize them properly.
Power Treads/Phase Boots
The first item that people need to get is something that gives movement speed. Even though Phase Boots used to be the go-to option for most players, nowadays, Power Treads is more popular. Both types of items have their pros and cons because Phase Boots gives more damage and the ability to chase the enemy heroes. On the other hand, Power Treads provides more stats and attack speed. The fact that you can switch the PT to Intelligence gives PA enough mana to use her skills in tricky situations.
Battle Fury
The second item on our list is the preferred option from players in all skill brackets. Battle Fury is one of the best items for any melee carry because it gives damage, as well as HP/Mana regen.
Another thing that makes Battle Fury a must-have for some melee’s, such as PA, is the cleave effect. The latter allows heroes to farm much faster than usual. This gives them the chance to get more items faster, which is always a plus, especially for carries.
It should be noted that Battle Fury is also one of the most cost-efficient items in the game. Although it costs a little bit over 4000 gold, the item is a lot cheaper than some of the other options on the list.
Desolator
The second item that allows Phantom Assassin to do tons of damage is called Desolator. It costs almost the same amount of gold as Battle Fury, but Desolator provides more damage than this item. What’s even more impressive is that the item reduces the enemy’s armor, allowing PA to do even more damage.
Unfortunately, Desolator has a few cons compared to BF, such as the lack of the cleave effect. That’s why most people prefer to purchase the item mentioned above before getting Desolator.
Keep in mind that Deso can be successfully combined with many other items, such as Assault Cuirass. The latter also removes armor from enemies, which will increase Phantom Assassin’s damage output.
Skull Basher
The third item that gives Phantom Assassin a lot of damage and the ability to stun an enemy unit randomly is called Skull Basher. The item is a lot cheaper than things, such as Battle Fury, but it isn’t as effective. Sure, it gives some damage, HP, and the ability to randomly stun, but the item’s effect is not reliable. That’s one of the reasons why people who get this item always upgrade it to an Abyssal Blade.
Abyssal Blade is one of the best items you can get for PA for numerous reasons. Besides loads of additional damage, the item allows PA to have a secure stun when needed. Needless to say, this stun is usually enough to kill most enemy heroes, especially during the late game when PA’s critical strikes can easily do over 2000 damage.
Black King Bar
Every carry hero needs a Black King Bar in order to deal damage during the later stages of the game. Since Phantom Assassin is not the tankiest hero in Dota 2, this item is a must, and you should try to get it as soon as possible. This doesn’t mean you should get it right away because you need some damage items. In most cases, Phantom Assassin players purchase Black King Bar as their second or third item, depending on the game.
As you know, BKB’s duration lowers each time you use it. That’s why you should be careful when you use it because the item won’t be that effective later on. Needless to say, it is almost impossible to participate in teamfights if you don’t have this item.
Satanic
Every hero that does tons of physical damage benefits from lifesteal because this effect allows it to stay on full HP most of the time. That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of the best items for Phantom Assassin is Satanic. Although it is one of the most expensive items in the game, Satanic is an excellent option for every PA player. It gives tons of Strength, lifesteal, and damage. All of those stats allow the hero to be a lot more aggressive.
Assault Cuirass
This item’s not as common as the other ones, especially regarding the lower MMR brackets. Unlike other items on this list, this one doesn’t provide a lot of stats, nor damage. However, it gives loads of attack speed and armor, making it extremely useful against other damage dealers.
Another reason AC is a situational item is that it lowers the enemy’s armor. In other words, it works really well against high-armored carries/tanks and does wonders in conjunction with Desolator.
Eye of Skadi
The last item we want to include on this list is Eye of Skadi. This is one of the must-haves for every carry because it gives tons of HP, damage, and the ability to slow enemy units on every attack.
Despite the fact that Skadi is an excellent item, most PA players don’t purchase it early on. Some people don’t even get it at all because they want to purchase items that deal more damage.