There's something you should note before proceeding. This guide is NOT aimed at new players who are just learning the game, but rather at experienced players looking to improve their playstyle with Akasha. Therefore, alot of basic information has been omitted.

Additionally, this is guide is NOT meant for competitive play. Although, some of the advice and tips given may be applied in competitive play as well.

In the Skills section of the guide, I have included everything I know about her skills that may not be immediately obvious upon first reading its description, along with some useful tips on their usage. I have also included a skill build.

In the Items section of the guide, I have given you my usual choice of starting items, optional follow-ups, proposed a variety of cores and footwear for different situations and shared my prefered luxuries.

At the end of the guide, I have included some general tips along with some replays of me playing Akasha for your viewing pleasure :P.

When I first started playing, the map version was 6.35/6.36... something like that! It was just before Mirana was put into the game. Anyways, at the time Akasha was one of the most played heroes! She was a top pick in competitive games if I remember correctly. In almost every pub game I played, if there was an Akasha, she would dominate.

However, after a series of nerfs and the introduction of heroes that better fulfill her role as a ganker, mass AOE and semi-carry, she was hardly picked anymore .

Believe it or not, it was at this stage that I began to play her! I used to own with her, despite all her nerfs. However, recently she has been buffed quite a bit, with lower cooldowns and a better Aghanims effect.

A little about me... hmmm... Well, I'm from Sri Lanka. I live in both England (during term time) and Sri Lanka (during holidays). I'm 19 years old and I'm a 2nd year engineering student at the University of Oxford.

I like to play DotA as a hobby and as a way of keeping in touch with my schoolfriends who are now scattered in universities all over the world! I usually play in Europe rooms 1-10 with my friends (on Skype ) and in the Sri Lankan room on Garena. I sometimes play in the High Level rooms when my friends aren't available.

I do play competitively in local tournaments in Sri Lanka, but not very often! And even then, I rarely get the opportunity to play Akasha! Hopefully, with her recent buffs I'll get to play her more often.

Here's my generic skill build. I do, on very rare occasions take Blink instead of Sonic Wave at level 6 though. More on this later.

Level 1 - Blink/Shadow Strike
Level 2 - Shadow Strike/Blink
Level 3 - Scream of Pain
Level 4 - Scream of Pain
Level 5 - Scream of Pain
Level 6 - Sonic Wave
Level 7 - Scream of Pain
Level 8 - Blink
Level 9 - Blink
Level 10 - Blink
Level 11 - Sonic Wave
Level 12 - Shadow Strike
Level 13 - Shadow Strike
Level 14 - Shadow Strike
Level 15 - Attribute Bonuses
Level 16 - Sonic Wave

At level 1, you're better off NOT picking a skill immediately, but picking either Blink or Shadow Strike depending on the situation.

Due to the recent duration damage buff at early levels, it now cancels regen items such as Clarity Potions and Healing Salves - thus preventing any quick healing on a first blood attempt. Plus, it now deals a total of 200 damage at level 1 over 15 seconds. Although, the slow at level 1 is hardly noticeable.

On the other hand, picking Blink at level 1 will help you escape first blood attempts on you. Additionally, if you're close enough, you can Blink in front of the hero your team is chasing, and block him. Finally, you're better off picking Blink, if you're not in range to use Shadow Strike.

Scream of Pain and Blink are then maxed first with priority to the former as your main killing and farming skills.

Sonic Wave is picked whenever possible, and used as your secondary nuke at the start of group/team battles. On the rare occasion that you level up from 5 to 6 in the midst of a battle and if you are low on mana, I'd suggest taking Blink over Sonic Wave. This is because Sonic Wave costs 250 mana at level 1, which is quite alot for just 290 damage. You're better off getting another Blink + Scream of Pain in, along with a few hits.

Shadow Strike is levelled last as it is the least helpful.

I take back what I initially said about taking a single level of this at early levels. With the recent early level duration damage buff to Shadow Strike, it now deals 30 damage every 3 seconds. This not only means that it deals a whooping 200 damage at level 1 (despite being over 15 seconds), but it will cancel any regen items such as Clarity Potions or Healing Salves as well.

For those of you too lazy to calculate, it deals a total of 200/270/320/400 magic damage over its duration. The initial values for the slow given (20%/30%/40%/50%) makes the skill look pretty good. However, the slow decreases as a cubic function. For those who don't know what that means:


Credit for the graph goes to xyf890228. Main thread - Shadow strike slow

The graph plots the target's movespeed as a percentage against the time elapsed for level 4 Shadow Strike.

Looking at the graph, the slow decreases rapidly at the start. Over the first 3 seconds the slow has already decreased to 40% of it's initial value (From 50% to 20% at level 4). So really speaking, it only slows significantly at levels 3 and 4, and that too only for about 3 seconds.

Another major disbenefit of this skill is that it makes the target hero deniable for the duration of the spell!

In my opinion, this is your best skill! It is extremely versatile. It can be used for chasing, escaping and positioning both your Scream of Pain and Sonic Wave in ganks or team battles.

Keep in mind that if you target Blink further than the maximum distance, you will only teleport 80% of the maximum distance. So try and get used to the range of the spell at each level to get the most out of it! I suggest playing a single player game on WTF mode and mess around a bit with it to try and get a feel of it's range.

Remember you can't blink to unexplored areas, just like Furion's teleport! So make sure you explore the area on top of cliffs and stuff whenever you walk by them.

Blocking
Akasha isn't the largest hero alive, and so she doesn't have too big a collision size. However, her Blink gives her the ability to position herself perfectly to block a fleeing or chasing hero's movement.

YouTube - Blocking Clip

Here's a short clip of me saving Sand King by blocking his chaser, Bloodseeker, in order to buy time for my Scream of Pain to cooldown.

Spell/Attack Dodging
Most spells, both AOE and single targeted can be dodged with Blink. The same applies to physical attacks. Since Blink has a casting time, unlike spells like Phase Shift and Leap, it is quite difficult to dodge spells casted close to you, as you have very little time to react. Therefore, in situations like these, you will have to try and predict when a spell will be casted. Some heroes have a different casting animation, so they may be easier to spot.

YouTube - Spell Dodging Clip

A call for a lane switch by Void who was mid resulted in me being level 3, whilst Lina was level 4! However, with a bit of luck, I managed to predict when she would cast her Light Strike Array, and bagged a kill while I was at it.

Fake Blink
You can do a fake Blink by casting blink and then immediately pressing S to stop. The black shroud appears where you are going to Blink to, however you don't actually Blink there! I have rarely used this, although it can be used for mind games, so I thought it was worth mentioning! I'll upload a clip here once I do something useful with it .

Your farming tool and your low cooldown AOE nuke! It's a shame that despite it being an AOE spell, it still can't hit invisible units!

Nothing much to be said here really, just position yourself with Blink and scream as loudly as you can! Although you must be careful when Blinking into fog and following it up with a Scream of Pain. After Blinking into fog, it takes a split second for the fog to clear up. If you cast Scream of Pain as soon as you Blink into fog, your Scream of Pain will not hit anyone! Remember, it only hits units you can see!

There is something else you should note. The AOE of the spell increases slightly per level - 400/425/450/475. A total difference of 75 between levels 1 and 4. 75 Range may seem insignificant, but since this is the first skill you max, you'll start getting used to it's 475 range. Which means at lower levels you might end up missing your Scream of Pain on occasion... well at least it's happened to me!

A great team battle starter, secondary nuke in ganks and a possible farming tool (provided you have Aghamin's Scepter - 40 second cooldown). Plus it can be used to finish off invisible heroes.

At level 1 it only does 290 magic damage with a mana cost of 250. Therefore, at early levels it may be better to use Scream of Pain over this, chase a little with Blink, and cast another Scream of Pain later on. On many occasions I've started off a battle early game with Sonic Wave, then Blinked in to finish off heroes, only to find out that I didn't have any mana for Scream of Pain! So be cautious of your mana at early levels before using this.

Later on in the game, always use this to start a battle, do not save it as a finisher! I know it may seem like a waste to use such a high cooldown spell, when you may not even bag a single kill! However, think about it logically, say a battle is about to take place in a rough circle. If you are standing at a point outside the circle, it is easy to position your Sonic Wave so that it hits as many, or all of the opposing heroes. However, if you've Blinked in and fought a little first, you'll be standing somewhere in the middle of that circle. There is no way you can position it to hit many heroes!

YouTube - Sonic Wave Positioning Clip

This is a perfectly positioned Sonic Wave. A 5v4 team battle took place leaving the rest of my team on the run. Choke points like these are the best places for you, as you can practically guarantee hitting at least 3-4 heroes with your spells.

All of Akasha's skills can be animation cancelled! Most notably her Blink and Scream of Pain. Simply spam click to move as soon as you cast your spells in order to avoid the after animation. I think a video will help show the massive difference this makes!

YouTube - Animation Cancelling Clip

Additionally, her normal attacks can also be animation cancelled the same way. It's basically the same as any other hero.

Well, that's what I usually get, but it's upto you really! If you're in a dual lane against spammers, you could opt for a wand and a few Branches instead. However, for solo mid I'd really suggest this, as the +8 damage helps quite a bit with the last hitting!

I might be stating the obvious here, but the tangos are for healing if you get harassed, and the salve is for healing after surviving a gank.

Empty Bottle
This really is optional, with the mana cost and the frequency of your spells. The mana regen from the Bottle is hardly helpful. Usually the Perseverence from Linken's or the Void Stone from Guinsoo's is alot more beneficial.

Point Booster
(Only buy this if you're having trouble farming up an Ultimate orb for your core, or if you've picked Aghanim's Scepter for your core - click on the next tab for more info). Provides excellent hp and mana for its cost. It's picked over Bracers as it gives almost the same benefits as 2 Bracers for a slightly higher cost, with the added benefit of being convertable into an Eye of Skadi or Aghanim's Scepter later on.

Picking a core item can be tricky sometimes. (After picking a core, the others become luxury choices obviously). Here are some of my favourites:

Guinsoo's Scythe of Vyse
This is by far my favourite core. Nothing much to be said really - I think the Hex speaks for itself ! The mana regen + max mana pool lets you spam your low cooldown spells, as well as allowing you to cast your high mana cost Sonic Wave in alot more situations. Always go for the Ultimate Orb first - higher max hp helps you survive ganks, not regen. If this isn't your choice for your core, then make sure this is your first luxury - Hex is priceless.

Linken's Sphere
With a 6 second cooldown Blink, the only way anyone can hope to kill you is with disables or burst damage. Even if the opposition has several disables, seeing your Linken's activate will give you a split-second heads up for you to Blink to safetly. Once again, always go for the Ultimate Orb first.

Aghanim's Scepter
My least favourite core, but a decent item nevertheless. Brings your Sonic Wave's cooldown to 100/70/40 seconds and adds a bit more damage to it. However, it does not provide the necessary mana pool nor mana regen to support the lower cooldown. On the plus side, it is easy to build up.

At level 3, the 40 second cooldown makes Sonic Wave a viable farming tool, as well as allowing 2 casts per battle, one just before the start and once again towards the end. In this way, it is considered more of a luxury rather than a core item.

Necronomicon
To be honest, I've rarely gotten this on her. I think it's better suited on heroes like Rexxar and Atropos. Although it is popular in competitive play. I haven't used it enough to give you much advice on this as yet.

Picking the correct footwear is important. Here are your viable choices:

Barefoot
Wait... what? Yes, you usually go barefoot for the first 20 or so minutes into the game, or at least until you get your core item. Heck, I've even done a core + a luxury item before getting any footwear! You really don't need any additional movespeed when you have Blink to chase and move around with early game.

Still a little sceptical? Here's some calculations for you.
Assumptions:
- Level 4 Blink - 6 second cooldown
- Reasonable mastery of the Blink skill, which means you will Blink ~1100 distance each cast
- Reaction + casting time after Blink has cooled off is ~1 second

Taking into account the above assumptions, you will be Blinking a distance of ~1100 every ~7 seconds.
This will give you 1100/7 = +157.14 movespeed
Akasha's base movespeed = 300
Therefore, final movespeed = 457.14
Plus, you can Blink across obstacles as well. Not many heroes can outrun you within the first 20 or so minutes of the game.

Boots of Speed
This should be your usual choice after getting your core item. Very cost efficient and helps you keep up with fast heroes. Usually upgraded to a Boots of Travel later in the game.

Power Treads
Generally gotten half way through your core if you feel you need the extra hp and attack speed first. This usually happens if you're having trouble staying alive.

Boots of Travel
Bought after your core or first luxury, tending towards the latter. Helps you farm, push, and join team battles asap. Basically, it helps to get you to the right place at the right time.

Saving up for 1 or even 2 luxury items shouldn't be a problem for a hero like Akasha. Honestly speaking, almost any item can be justified on her with the correct reasoning and situation. I've just listed a few of the most common ones in order of preference.

Eye of Skadi
Gotta love this item! 25 to all stats as well as a 30% movespeed slow which stacks with your Shadow Strike. It gives you everything you need. Coupled with Blink and a Hex, you should be able to take care of melee carries unscratched.

Mjollnir
Akasha has an agility gain of 2, however her base damage isn't great. Therefore, it's her attack speed that makes her a viable semi-carry, and so Mjollnir is the perfect item for her, as it abuses her above average attack speed (agility gain) to deal more damage. Plus it works with Skadi's slow!

Stygian Desolator
A wonderful item - cheap and effective. Abuses your above average attack speed with +60 damage. Plus the -6 armour helps your teammates dish out more damage as well! On the downside, it does not stack with Skadi's frost effect, which is why it's below Mjollnir.

Shiva's Guard
Gives you extra armour to survive those carries, and it gives you a 200 damage AOE nuke and slow.

Heart of Tarrasque
Assault Cuirass
Tanking items, not much to be said here. Get them if your team lacks a tank obviously. In most cases, Shiva's is picked over Assault, unless you need the extra attack speed.

Monkey King Bar
Buriza-Do Kyanon
Divine Rapier
Between MKB and Buriza, I'd pick MKB. As I said before, it's your attack speed that makes you a viable semi-carry, not your damage. Divine Rapier is obviously the best, and with your Blink, it's pretty hard to lose it! Although losing it might cost you the match, so be careful.

Remember Akasha isn't a stand and deliver type of hero. She is meant to be played as a Hit n' Run hero! Apart from your Sonic Wave, your spells have a cooldown of 8, 6 and 7 seconds. So unleash your spells first, and then if your targets fight back, try and buy some time by running away into the fog. Once your spells have cooled off, you can Blink back in to cast them.

Sonic Wave first, then Blink in and cast Scream of Pain. I can't stress this enough. Choke points like Roshan's lair and the river are your favourite, you can almost guarantee that your AOE spells will hit all of them.

Try Blinking unpredictably, rather than in a straight line to your tower or fountain. Sometimes when heroes are chasing you, they might run ahead of you anticipating a Blink in that direction, Blinking in a completely different direction can really screw them over!

Yes, you do face the direction you are about to blink in, but sometimes, in the heat of battle, with all those spells flying around, your opponents may not notice.

If all the enemy heroes are missing, they are most likely in your forest... or Roshaning. In this case, when getting around, DO NOT use your Blink, save it for when you run into the enemy heroes and have to Blink to safety. Several times I've blinked into the next neutral camp to find myself surrounded by 5 unfriendly heroes!

Well, here's the replay - Akasha Guide Replay 1.

I was busy for a while at the start, so by the time I got to the lane I had missed a few waves already, giving Mirana the early advantage. However, I did manage to farm up an Ultimate Orb and Void Stone pretty quickly. I was initially going for a Linken's as my core. However, as I was doing well, I switched my core to a Guinsoo's instead. I managed to pull off some good Sonic Waves as well.

Well, here's the replay - Akasha Guide Replay 2 - Surprising Fight Back!.

I rushed a Guinsoo's as I knew Void would be a big problem, especially since he was doing so well early! I quickly followed it up with an Aghanims Scepter, as we were on the defense. With the 40 second cooldown I could cast it defensively before the battle to slow down their push, and then once more during the battle. The rest of the choices are pretty straightforward. Although I picked Buriza as my final item. Usually I'd pick MKB or Divine Rapier, but since it was so late in the game, Buriza was a better choice and of course the Divine Rapier was too risky!

Coming soon!

Coming soon!