
Note: This guide was last updated for version 6.62. A lot has changed since then. I'll get around to updating it sometime in the future, but until then, please understand that it is rather outdated.
If you're unable to open up the spoiler boxes, refresh the page and try again. The spoilers contain a large majority of this guide's content, so be sure to not overlook them,
Mirana Nightshade
Priestess of the Moon

[2] Skills & Strategies
[3] Skill Build
[4] Item Build
[5] Alternative Items
[6] FAQ
[7] Replays
[8] Changelog & Credits
Able to fit into virtually any team line-up, Mirana provides strong ganking power early-game and can be turned into a viable semi-carry later on. With one of the best disables in the game, a high-damage nuke useful for both ganking and farming, and two escape/initiation mechanisms (one global and team-based), Mirana has one of the most lethal skillsets in the game if utilized properly.
Purpose of this guide: to provide a competitive and definitive look into Mirana Nightshade and her style of play. This guide will not address "fun" or "pub builds", nor will it be forgiving to newer players to the game. This guide seeks to address the subject of utilizing Mirana to her highest potential, and the skills and strategies entailed in doing so. We will be playing the Priestess as a ganking powerhouse early-on and a semi-carry afterwards. All skill and item builds will revolve around those two roles.
Overview of PotM's stats:
analysis of stats

Starfall: A great nuke that can be used for ganking earlier on and farming later in the game. It has a relatively large range, and even has a chance to still strike the enemy if they're slightly out of it.
Elune's Arrow: Mirana's signature skill, Elune's Arrow has the potential to be the longest single-target stun in the game. With a bit of practice, it can be one of the greatest ganking skills in DotA, and absolutely devastates in the laning phase with an adequete lane partner.
Leap: Mirana's personal initiation/escape tool, Leap can be used both to enter battle with a MS and IAS boost, or to escape from potentially dangerous situations. Leap can also be used to dodge most stuns in the game.
Moonlight Shadow: Although Moonlight Shadow has a high mana cost and long fade time, it is countered fully by the ability to grant your entire team invisibility for a few sweet seconds. Usable from saving a teammate to initiating with ease, MS is a great global ability with much utility.
Justification:
Whether Elune's Arrow or Leap is taken at level one is decided by whether you plan on an early First-Blood attempt with a max-range Arrow or suspect that you might be the victim of a First-Blood attempt. Generally, Elune's is taken first because you never know when opportunity may show its shy face.
Starfall is always maxed over Elune's, no matter your proficiency with Elune's. The simple fact of the matter is that you will always land Starfall, while you will always miss some Arrows. Thus, mastering Starfall over Elune's is a better investment of your skill points and has a higher RoI in comparison to maxing Elune's first.
Moonlight Shadow is not taken at level six because of the enormous mana cost that PotM cannot support at the level. Taking another level of Elune's instead is more beneficial and will add more damage to the secondary nuke in your arsenal.
Moonlight Shadow is taken at either 10 or 11, as team fights start to happen more frequently, and the invisibility is indispensible in fighting on your terms. Furthermore, it becomes more beneficial to start using it in saving allies from ganks as their respawn time is becoming longer and longer.
This guide will be focusing on a ganker build early-game. Additional options that work well with Mirana will be listed under the next section.
Starting items listed in the spoiler box:
core build:






Justification:
Extensions:







Justification:




Justification:
Mirana is a capable soloer, although she works better in a dual lane if your team has a more able solo (Zeus, Tinker, etc). Pairing up with a hero that has a strong early-game or a stun makes drawing first blood almost a joke with Elune's Arrow and easily allows Mirana and her partner to dominate the lane.
eg. Lina stuns while you stand back and fire off an arrow at the disabled target, providing over a six-second stun. With Light Strike Array, Dragon Slave, Elune's Arrow, and Starfall, its not hard to systematically dismantle your lane over and over again.
Of course, competent players won't exactly let Mirana just pick them off with a free Arrow. They'll attempt to hide behind creep so that its harder to target them. In these instances, its best to either use Arrow to snare a fleeing hero after your Starfall & lane partner's combo than to use it as an initiator.
Should I be focusing solely on ganking?
PotM should not be ganking all over the map like other roaming gankers such as Vengeful Spirit or Venomancer. Mind the fact that she needs a decent amount of farm like any other carry hero to perform well as the game progresses. Of course, PotM has harsh ganking potential, but don't let it wind you up underlevel and underfarmed -- finding a good balance between the two is key. Gank when there are opportunities available, but stick to the lane and farm if you're not assured of a kill.
How do I combo PotM's skills?
Mirana's skill combos are either,
What is your opinion about firing off blind arrows?
There are rare instances where you might get lucky by firing off a blind arrow into the dark, but for the most part, its much more beneficial to take the time to predict your enemy's movement path, and aim it carefully. With enough practice, aiming your Arrow at a moving target will start becoming more and more intuitive. However, patience will always pay off.
Can I use Starfall to harass?
Starfall can be used as a nuke to harass opponents to great effect. After you have ferried over a bottle, the mana cost is mitigated and you can use it more frequently. It has a decently long range and the chance to double-hit at melee range. Always last-hit two or three creep with Starfall when harassing the enemy. Never waste it to just damage the enemy, as it'll be mana wasted.

In this image, you see me in the middle of using Starfall. After the stars fall (heh), I'll have netted three creep kills, damaged CM, and gotten the chance to double-strike her as she's within the 200 AoE range. Ignore the fact that Mirana is L25 in the image -- its for demonstration purposes only.
Why is Starfall maxed over Elune's Arrow?
One of the most hotly debated subjects over playing Mirana is whether to max Elune's Arrow or Starfall first. Taking one level of Elune's early is a constant, but some choose to max Arrow over Starfall as they're comfortable enough with their aiming skill. This guide's take on it is as follows:

Pros:
- A guaranteed 300 damage nuke with a chance to double strike for half the damage and to hit a target in a range up to 900.
- AoE, can strike multiple targets at once, and is easy to aim
- A lower cooldown than Arrow
Cons:
- Has a higher mana cost than Arrow when maxed (160 v. 100)

Pros:
- Adds damage to your arrow
- A lesser mana cost than Starfall, with more damage to a single target
- Generally deals more damage than Starfall
Cons:
- Competent opponents are able to dodge your arrow, hiding behind creep to lessen the chances of being struck
The major con of skilling Elune's Arrow first (that competent opponents will dodge your arrow a good deal of the times) plays a large role in the decision to max Starfall first over Elune's Arrow. Whereas Starfall costs 60 more mana than Arrow when maxed, it is a guaranteed hit and a solid nuke. Maxing out Arrow first is like putting all your eggs in one basket -- if you miss your arrow (and you will plenty of times against decent players), then your gank will fail. Ultimately, Elune's is better used for the long stun duration (that doesn't change based on level) than the damage.
Should I play Mirana as a glass cannon?
Building Mirana up as a paper tiger, such as a build consisting of Mjollnir and Butterfly, is not a bright idea. Some might argue that with two escape mechanisms, Mirana is one of the hardest heroes to kill in the game. This guide argues that with one silence or stun, Mirana is dead.
Be sure to give her some HP. If going for the popular Chain-Lightning / Skadi build, an early Point Booster works wonders.
Stacking Wraith Bands for additional HP is never a bad option. STR Treads are always good as well if you see yourself needing a bit more additional HP.
Why is Arrow maxed after Starfall if its primarily used for the stun?
Elune's Arrow is primarily used for the stun. However, the extra 270 damage it adds to your combo versus leaving it at level one is deadly in the middle stages of the game. For this reason, Arrow is maxed after Starfall to provide another high-damage single-target nuke to your arsenal.
Why is Bottle not taken as a starting item?
Contrary to popular belief in lower-level play, Bottle should never be taken as a starting item. Mirana specifically needs stat items in early-games to last-hit better as well as to improve her low base-HP. Using your team's courier to ferry over a bottle after you've farmed it is your best option, as PotM needs a bottle to help regen mana and HP, but not straight away.
Who are good allies for PotM?

Fellow disablers such as CM (Frostbite, Aura), Bane (Grip, Nightmare), and Rhasta (Voodoo, Shackles, Wards) are great allies for Mirana, allowing her to land her arrow easily. Heroes that have ground-targetted snares (e.g. Kunkaa, Lina) will find Mirana's Arrow a godsend as it allows them to easily land their spells. Any hero that detracts attention from Mirana (Axe, Tidehunter, etc) and allows her to not be the one absorbing the damage is also good ally of hers.
Some heroes can really take advantage of Moonlight Shadow. Initiators like Shaker or Tidehunter that can use the invisibility to set up the perfect Ravage or Echo Slam or channelers like Crystal Maiden that can abuse the invisibility to disappear off the map for a short duration while channeling will all appreciate Moonlight Shadow.
A major point to make is that Mirana a hero that will fit into almost any line-up, which is why you almost always see her in higher-tier play. Mirana isn't a hero you should be shy to pick, and will work well in most games.
Who does PotM fall to?

Stunners and heroes with long disables make short work of Mirana, disabling her ability to leap out of dangerous situations. For the same reason, Silencers such as Krob, Drow, and Bloodseeker also destroy her ability to get out of sticky situations.
Other heroes to watch out for are heroes with high burst damage combos (NA, Lion, Lina) or heroes with long DoT spells that might still kill you even if you're long gone (Doombringer, Venomancer's Poison Sting + Nova combo). Any hero that eliminates PotM's escape mechanism is always a constant threat on the battlefield.

Replay One

Replay Two
July 30th, 2009: guide finished and submitted for final publishing.
- Thanks to Lancerlove for the great merged Boots image.
- Thanks to ArtiQ for going through my guide and helping to correct grammar mistakes
If you're unable to open up the spoiler boxes, refresh the page and try again. The spoilers contain a large majority of this guide's content, so be sure to not overlook them,
Mirana Nightshade
Priestess of the Moon
Table of Contents[1] Introduction
[2] Skills & Strategies
[3] Skill Build
[4] Item Build
[5] Alternative Items
[6] FAQ
[7] Replays
[8] Changelog & Credits
Introduction to MiranaWith good reason, Mirana has emerged as arguably the most-often picked hero in higher-level play. Since her introduction, she has consistently been a top pick and ban, and is considered among the ranks of the most balanced heroes in DotA (if not the most).
Able to fit into virtually any team line-up, Mirana provides strong ganking power early-game and can be turned into a viable semi-carry later on. With one of the best disables in the game, a high-damage nuke useful for both ganking and farming, and two escape/initiation mechanisms (one global and team-based), Mirana has one of the most lethal skillsets in the game if utilized properly.
Purpose of this guide: to provide a competitive and definitive look into Mirana Nightshade and her style of play. This guide will not address "fun" or "pub builds", nor will it be forgiving to newer players to the game. This guide seeks to address the subject of utilizing Mirana to her highest potential, and the skills and strategies entailed in doing so. We will be playing the Priestess as a ganking powerhouse early-on and a semi-carry afterwards. All skill and item builds will revolve around those two roles.
Overview of PotM's stats:
| STR: 17 + 1.85x | AGI: 20 + 2.75x | INT: 17 + 1.65x | ||||
| HP: 473 | MP: 221 | DMG: 38-49 | ||||
| ATK Range: 600 | Armor: 1.7 | MS: 300 |
analysis of stats
Skills & Strategies
Starfall: A great nuke that can be used for ganking earlier on and farming later in the game. It has a relatively large range, and even has a chance to still strike the enemy if they're slightly out of it.
Elune's Arrow: Mirana's signature skill, Elune's Arrow has the potential to be the longest single-target stun in the game. With a bit of practice, it can be one of the greatest ganking skills in DotA, and absolutely devastates in the laning phase with an adequete lane partner.
Leap: Mirana's personal initiation/escape tool, Leap can be used both to enter battle with a MS and IAS boost, or to escape from potentially dangerous situations. Leap can also be used to dodge most stuns in the game.
Moonlight Shadow: Although Moonlight Shadow has a high mana cost and long fade time, it is countered fully by the ability to grant your entire team invisibility for a few sweet seconds. Usable from saving a teammate to initiating with ease, MS is a great global ability with much utility.
Skill BuildThe cookie-cutter build:
1 - Elune's Arrow / Leap
2 - Leap / Elune's Arrow
3 - Starfall
4 - Starfall
5 - Starfall
6 - Elune's Arrow
7 - Starfall
8 - Elune's Arrow
9 - Elune's Arrow
10 - Moonlight Shadow / Leap
11 - Leap / Moonlight Shadow
12 - Leap
13 - Leap
14 - Moonlight Shadow
15 - Stats
from this point on, L3 Moonlight Shadow can be taken at any level based on the circumstances of the game. If your team needs the extra 2-second duration and the shorter fade-time, it's perfectly acceptable to grab the last level.
16~24 - Stats
25 - Moonlight Shadow
Justification:
Whether Elune's Arrow or Leap is taken at level one is decided by whether you plan on an early First-Blood attempt with a max-range Arrow or suspect that you might be the victim of a First-Blood attempt. Generally, Elune's is taken first because you never know when opportunity may show its shy face.
Starfall is always maxed over Elune's, no matter your proficiency with Elune's. The simple fact of the matter is that you will always land Starfall, while you will always miss some Arrows. Thus, mastering Starfall over Elune's is a better investment of your skill points and has a higher RoI in comparison to maxing Elune's first.
Moonlight Shadow is not taken at level six because of the enormous mana cost that PotM cannot support at the level. Taking another level of Elune's instead is more beneficial and will add more damage to the secondary nuke in your arsenal.
Moonlight Shadow is taken at either 10 or 11, as team fights start to happen more frequently, and the invisibility is indispensible in fighting on your terms. Furthermore, it becomes more beneficial to start using it in saving allies from ganks as their respawn time is becoming longer and longer.
Item BuildAs PotM is one of the most versatile heroes in the game, her item build both depends on the role she intends to play as well the needs of her team.
This guide will be focusing on a ganker build early-game. Additional options that work well with Mirana will be listed under the next section.
Starting items listed in the spoiler box:
core build:
Justification:
Extensions:
Justification:
Alternative Items
Justification:
FAQShould Mirana solo a lane or take a dual?
Mirana is a capable soloer, although she works better in a dual lane if your team has a more able solo (Zeus, Tinker, etc). Pairing up with a hero that has a strong early-game or a stun makes drawing first blood almost a joke with Elune's Arrow and easily allows Mirana and her partner to dominate the lane.
eg. Lina stuns while you stand back and fire off an arrow at the disabled target, providing over a six-second stun. With Light Strike Array, Dragon Slave, Elune's Arrow, and Starfall, its not hard to systematically dismantle your lane over and over again.
Of course, competent players won't exactly let Mirana just pick them off with a free Arrow. They'll attempt to hide behind creep so that its harder to target them. In these instances, its best to either use Arrow to snare a fleeing hero after your Starfall & lane partner's combo than to use it as an initiator.
Should I be focusing solely on ganking?
PotM should not be ganking all over the map like other roaming gankers such as Vengeful Spirit or Venomancer. Mind the fact that she needs a decent amount of farm like any other carry hero to perform well as the game progresses. Of course, PotM has harsh ganking potential, but don't let it wind you up underlevel and underfarmed -- finding a good balance between the two is key. Gank when there are opportunities available, but stick to the lane and farm if you're not assured of a kill.
How do I combo PotM's skills?
Mirana's skill combos are either,
1) Leap or walk up close to the target, Starfall, attack, and stun the hero when he tries to runDo not use Moonlight Shadow to help yourself gank except in the most dire of circumstances, as the mana cost is high and most ganks can be accomplished without using such a costly skill. MS should be saved for better situations where you might find yourself wishing it wasn't on cooldown.
2) Initiate with Arrow, leap to the hero, Starfall, and finish off with regular attacks
What is your opinion about firing off blind arrows?
There are rare instances where you might get lucky by firing off a blind arrow into the dark, but for the most part, its much more beneficial to take the time to predict your enemy's movement path, and aim it carefully. With enough practice, aiming your Arrow at a moving target will start becoming more and more intuitive. However, patience will always pay off.
Can I use Starfall to harass?
Starfall can be used as a nuke to harass opponents to great effect. After you have ferried over a bottle, the mana cost is mitigated and you can use it more frequently. It has a decently long range and the chance to double-hit at melee range. Always last-hit two or three creep with Starfall when harassing the enemy. Never waste it to just damage the enemy, as it'll be mana wasted.
In this image, you see me in the middle of using Starfall. After the stars fall (heh), I'll have netted three creep kills, damaged CM, and gotten the chance to double-strike her as she's within the 200 AoE range. Ignore the fact that Mirana is L25 in the image -- its for demonstration purposes only.
Why is Starfall maxed over Elune's Arrow?
One of the most hotly debated subjects over playing Mirana is whether to max Elune's Arrow or Starfall first. Taking one level of Elune's early is a constant, but some choose to max Arrow over Starfall as they're comfortable enough with their aiming skill. This guide's take on it is as follows:

Pros:
- A guaranteed 300 damage nuke with a chance to double strike for half the damage and to hit a target in a range up to 900.
- AoE, can strike multiple targets at once, and is easy to aim
- A lower cooldown than Arrow
Cons:
- Has a higher mana cost than Arrow when maxed (160 v. 100)

Pros:
- Adds damage to your arrow
- A lesser mana cost than Starfall, with more damage to a single target
- Generally deals more damage than Starfall
Cons:
- Competent opponents are able to dodge your arrow, hiding behind creep to lessen the chances of being struck
The major con of skilling Elune's Arrow first (that competent opponents will dodge your arrow a good deal of the times) plays a large role in the decision to max Starfall first over Elune's Arrow. Whereas Starfall costs 60 more mana than Arrow when maxed, it is a guaranteed hit and a solid nuke. Maxing out Arrow first is like putting all your eggs in one basket -- if you miss your arrow (and you will plenty of times against decent players), then your gank will fail. Ultimately, Elune's is better used for the long stun duration (that doesn't change based on level) than the damage.
Should I play Mirana as a glass cannon?
Building Mirana up as a paper tiger, such as a build consisting of Mjollnir and Butterfly, is not a bright idea. Some might argue that with two escape mechanisms, Mirana is one of the hardest heroes to kill in the game. This guide argues that with one silence or stun, Mirana is dead.
Be sure to give her some HP. If going for the popular Chain-Lightning / Skadi build, an early Point Booster works wonders.
Stacking Wraith Bands for additional HP is never a bad option. STR Treads are always good as well if you see yourself needing a bit more additional HP.
Why is Arrow maxed after Starfall if its primarily used for the stun?
Elune's Arrow is primarily used for the stun. However, the extra 270 damage it adds to your combo versus leaving it at level one is deadly in the middle stages of the game. For this reason, Arrow is maxed after Starfall to provide another high-damage single-target nuke to your arsenal.
Why is Bottle not taken as a starting item?
Contrary to popular belief in lower-level play, Bottle should never be taken as a starting item. Mirana specifically needs stat items in early-games to last-hit better as well as to improve her low base-HP. Using your team's courier to ferry over a bottle after you've farmed it is your best option, as PotM needs a bottle to help regen mana and HP, but not straight away.
Who are good allies for PotM?
Fellow disablers such as CM (Frostbite, Aura), Bane (Grip, Nightmare), and Rhasta (Voodoo, Shackles, Wards) are great allies for Mirana, allowing her to land her arrow easily. Heroes that have ground-targetted snares (e.g. Kunkaa, Lina) will find Mirana's Arrow a godsend as it allows them to easily land their spells. Any hero that detracts attention from Mirana (Axe, Tidehunter, etc) and allows her to not be the one absorbing the damage is also good ally of hers.
Some heroes can really take advantage of Moonlight Shadow. Initiators like Shaker or Tidehunter that can use the invisibility to set up the perfect Ravage or Echo Slam or channelers like Crystal Maiden that can abuse the invisibility to disappear off the map for a short duration while channeling will all appreciate Moonlight Shadow.
A major point to make is that Mirana a hero that will fit into almost any line-up, which is why you almost always see her in higher-tier play. Mirana isn't a hero you should be shy to pick, and will work well in most games.
Who does PotM fall to?
Stunners and heroes with long disables make short work of Mirana, disabling her ability to leap out of dangerous situations. For the same reason, Silencers such as Krob, Drow, and Bloodseeker also destroy her ability to get out of sticky situations.
Other heroes to watch out for are heroes with high burst damage combos (NA, Lion, Lina) or heroes with long DoT spells that might still kill you even if you're long gone (Doombringer, Venomancer's Poison Sting + Nova combo). Any hero that eliminates PotM's escape mechanism is always a constant threat on the battlefield.
Replays
Replay One
Replay Two
Changelog & CreditsJuly 28th, 2009: guide originally written for version 6.61b, submitted in draft mode.
July 30th, 2009: guide finished and submitted for final publishing.
- Thanks to Lancerlove for the great merged Boots image.
- Thanks to ArtiQ for going through my guide and helping to correct grammar mistakes
Author: Corsair July
Map Vers.: 6.6x
The Priestess of the Moon
A competitive guide to Mirana
Last Comment:07/04/2011
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Current Rating: 7.29
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