Agility · Melee

Phantom Lancer

Creates illusions of himself to trick or attack foes

CarryNukerEscapePusherModerate to play

Win rate

52.8%

S across all ranks

Pick rate

12.0%

of public matches

Public picks

405.7K

in the sample

Pro scene

8 bans · 100% win rate

Win rate by rank

Herald53.5%
Guardian52.9%
Crusader52.6%
Archon52.8%
Legend53.0%
Ancient52.8%
Divine+52.6%

Bars start at 50%. Sample sizes: Herald 9.9K · Guardian 33.8K · Crusader 63.6K · Archon 96.3K · Legend 102.7K · Ancient 57.5K · Divine+ 41.9K.

Last 6 days

52.8%

Popular item build

Starting items

Bought before the horn

1
Iron Branch
55g
2
Quelling Blade
100g
3
Tango
90g
4
Faerie Fire
65g
5
Circlet
155g
6
Magic Stick
200g

Laning

The first minutes

1
Boots of Speed
500g
2
Power Treads
51%1,400g
3
Blade of Alacrity
1,000g
4
Wraith Band
505g
5
Yasha
51%2,100g

Mid game

Core items

1
Manta Style
53%4,650g
2
Aghanim's Scepter
55%4,200g
3
Ultimate Orb
70%2,800g

Late game

The full build

1
Eye of Skadi
77%5,900g
2
Bloodthorn
69%6,400g
3
Heart of Tarrasque
5,300g
4
Aghanim's Blessing
5,800g
5
Butterfly
5,450g
6
Diffusal Blade
2,500g

Most-bought items for Phantom Lancer in OpenDota’s sample of parsed public matches (2,164 purchases counted). Bars compare each item with the most-bought one in its phase. The percentage is the win rate in games where Phantom Lancer bought the item by minute 30 (green or red when it is clearly above or below Phantom Lancer’s average). Teams that are ahead buy items sooner, so a high number shows the item goes with winning games, not that it causes the win. Items with fewer than 100 games show no percentage. Cheap components are hidden from the mid and late game.

Best win rate by purchase time

Bought ≤ 12 min

Yasha
749 games
57%
Power Treads
1,175 games
51%

Bought 12–15 min

Manta Style
274 games
69%
Yasha
320 games
41%

Bought 15–20 min

Aghanim's Scepter
279 games
67%
Manta Style
566 games
48%
Yasha
75 games
35%

Bought 20–30 min

Eye of Skadi
290 games
77%
Reaver
84 games
75%
Ultimate Orb
813 games
71%

Final items compared within the same purchase window (at least 60 games each), so they are not simply ranked by how late or expensive they are. Still a correlation: a team that is far ahead can buy anything sooner.

What these items do

Iron Branch
55
- +1 All Attributes
Use: Plant Tree: Targets the ground to plant a happy little tree that lasts for 20 seconds.
Quelling Blade
100
Active: Chop Tree: Destroy a target tree.
Full descriptionHide
4s
Active: Chop Tree. Destroy a target tree.
Passive: Quell. Increases attack damage against non-hero units by 8 for melee heroes, and 4 for ranged.
- Effects of multiple quelling blades do not stack.
Tango
90
Use: Devour: Consumes a target tree to gain 7 health regeneration for 16 seconds. Consuming an Ironwood Tree doubles the heal duration. Comes with 3 charges.
Faerie Fire
65
- +2 Damage
Use: Imbue: Instantly restores 85 health.
Full descriptionHide
5s
Use: Imbue. Instantly restores 85 health.
Circlet
155
- +2 All Attributes
Magic Stick
200
Active: Energy Charge: Instantly restores 15 health and mana per charge stored. Max 10 charges. Gains a charge whenever a visible enemy within 1200 range uses an ability.
Full descriptionHide
17s
Active: Energy Charge. Instantly restores 15 health and mana per charge stored. Max 10 charges. Gains a charge whenever a visible enemy within 1200 range uses an ability.
- Gains charges for spells cast by visible enemies in 1200 range.
- Certain abilities and item abilities will not add charges.
Boots of Speed
500
- +45 Move Speed
Movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack.
Power Treads
1,400
- +25 Damage
Active: Switch Attribute: Switches between +10 Strength, +10 Agility, or +10 Intelligence. Movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack.
Win rate when bought50.7% · 1,187 games
- ≤ 12 min51%1.2k
- 12–15 min–8
- 15–20 min–3
- 20–30 min–1
Full descriptionHide
Active: Switch Attribute. Switches between +10 Strength, +10 Agility, or +10 Intelligence. Movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack.
- Power Treads can be built using a Belt of Strength, Band of Elvenskin, or a Robe of the Magi.
Blade of Alacrity
1,000
- +10 Agility
Wraith Band
505
- +5 Agility
- +2 Strength
- +2 Intelligence
- +6 Damage
- +1.75 Armor
Yasha
2,100
- +16 Agility
- +15 Damage
- +10% Move Speed
Win rate when bought51.2% · 1,167 games
- ≤ 12 min57%749
- 12–15 min41%320
- 15–20 min35%75
- 20–30 min–23
Full descriptionHide
- Yasha-based movement speed bonuses from multiple items do not stack.
Manta Style
4,650
- +10 Strength
- +26 Agility
- +10 Intelligence
- +15 Damage
- +10% Move Speed
Active: Mirror Image: Creates 2 images of your hero that last 18 seconds. Melee images deal 33% damage, while Ranged images deal 25%. Illusions take 300% damage.
Win rate when bought53.3% · 1,078 games
- ≤ 12 min–18
- 12–15 min69%274
- 15–20 min48%566
- 20–30 min50%220
Full descriptionHide
34s125
Active: Mirror Image. Creates 2 images of your hero that last 18 seconds. Melee images deal 33% damage, while Ranged images deal 25%. Illusions take 300% damage. Dispel Type: Basic Dispel
- Has a 0.1 second cast time during which you are invulnerable.
- Many effects are removed upon using Manta.
- Yasha based movement speed bonuses from multiple items do not stack.
Aghanim's Scepter
4,200
- +10 All Attributes
- +175 Health
- +175 Mana
Passive: Ability Upgrade: Upgrades the ultimate, and some abilities, of all heroes.
Win rate when bought55.0% · 1,019 games
- ≤ 12 min–8
- 12–15 min–9
- 15–20 min67%279
- 20–30 min50%723
Ultimate Orb
2,800
- +15 All Attributes
Win rate when bought70.2% · 833 games
- ≤ 12 min–1
- 12–15 min–2
- 15–20 min–17
- 20–30 min71%813
Eye of Skadi
5,900
- +35 All Attributes
Passive: Cold Attack: Attacks lower enemy movement by -25% if they are melee and -50% if they are ranged.
Win rate when bought76.5% · 294 games
- ≤ 12 min–0
- 12–15 min–1
- 15–20 min–3
- 20–30 min77%290
Full descriptionHide
Passive: Cold Attack. Attacks lower enemy movement by -25% if they are melee and -50% if they are ranged. Attacks also lower enemy attack speed by -25% and Health Restoration by 50%. Lasts for 3 seconds.
Bloodthorn
6,400
- +25 Intelligence
- +70 Damage
- +4 Mana Regen
- +20 Damage
Active: Soul Rend: Silences a target for 5 seconds. At the end of the silence, an additional 60% of all damage taken during the silence will be dealt to the target as…
Win rate when bought68.8% · 112 games
- ≤ 12 min–0
- 12–15 min–2
- 15–20 min–6
- 20–30 min69%104
Full descriptionHide
15s150
Active: Soul Rend. Silences a target for 5 seconds. At the end of the silence, an additional 60% of all damage taken during the silence will be dealt to the target as magical damage. All attacks on the silenced target will deal additional damage equal to 50 if the attacker is a hero, and 25, if the attacker is a creep. Provides True Strike for your attacks and attacks from your controlled units against the silenced target.
Passive: Pierce. Grants each attack a 40% chance to pierce through evasion and deal 60 bonus magical damage.
Heart of Tarrasque
5,300
- +40 Strength
Passive: Behemoth's Blood: Your health regeneration is increased by 1.5% of your missing health.
Full descriptionHide
Passive: Behemoth's Blood. Your health regeneration is increased by 1.5% of your missing health.
- Multiple instances of Behemoth's Blood do not stack.
Aghanim's Blessing
5,800
Passive: Ability Upgrade: Upgrades the ultimate, and some abilities, of all heroes.
Butterfly
5,450
- +30 Agility
- +35% Evasion
- +30 Damage
Full descriptionHide
- Stacks diminishingly with other sources of Evasion.
Diffusal Blade
2,500
- +15 Agility
- +10 Intelligence
Active: Inhibit: Targets an enemy, slowing it for 4 seconds.
Full descriptionHide
15s25
Active: Inhibit. Targets an enemy, slowing it for 4 seconds.
Passive: Manabreak. Each attack burns 40 mana from the target, and deals 1 physical damage per burned mana. Illusions do not burn mana.
- Does not stack with other diffusal blades.

Abilities

Spirit Lance

10 / 9 / 8 / 7s120

Sends a magical spirit lance to a target enemy unit that damages and slows, while summoning an illusory phantom to attack the unit.

LANCE DAMAGE: 100 / 160 / 220 / 280
SLOW DURATION: 3
MOVEMENT SLOW: -14 / -21 / -28 / -35%
ILLUSION DURATION: 3.5 / 5 / 6.5 / 8
ILLUSION DAMAGE: 15%
ILLUSION DAMAGE TAKEN: 400%
BOUNCE RADIUS: 0
BONUS ILLUSION DAMAGE: 0%

Illusions within 675 range of Phantom Lancer will mimic the cast animation.

Aghanim’s ScepterSpirit Lance bounces once on enemies, prioritizing Heroes. Increases Spirit Lance illusion damage.

Doppelganger

22 / 18 / 14 / 10s70

Phantom Lancer briefly vanishes from the battlefield. After 1 second, Phantom Lancer and any of his nearby illusions reappear at a random position within the targeted location, along with two additional doppelgangers. Extends duration of all illusions. The two added doppelgangers have different properties: one takes normal damage and deals none, while the other takes 500% bonus damage and deals -80% less damage. DISPEL TYPE: Basic Dispel

TARGET AREA SIZE: 325
ILLUSION GATHER RANGE: 900
REAPPEAR DELAY: 1
DOPPELGANGER DURATION: 8
ILLUSION DURATION EXTENSION: 2

This ability can be used to dodge projectiles, and dispel debuffs.
Trees near a reappearing unit will be destroyed.
Phantom Lancer and his allies can see which illusion is the 100% damage illusion.

Phantom Rush

15 / 11 / 7 / 3s

When targeting an enemy for an attack, Phantom Lancer quickly charges into range, gaining increased movement speed and evasion.

MIN RUSH DISTANCE: 275
MAX RUSH DISTANCE: 600 / 675 / 750 / 825
COLLISION RADIUS: 0
EVASION: 20 / 30 / 40 / 50%

If the attack order is cancelled, the movement speed bonus is lost.
Rush movement speed is 800.

Aghanim’s ScepterIncreases Range. Whenever Phantom Lancer Rushes through enemies, he creates Juxtapose illusions that attack them. Additionally, every 600 units rushed creates a Juxtapose illusion that rushes to the target alongside Phantom Lancer.

Illusory Armaments

Innate

Whenever an illusion of Phantom Lancer is created, its outgoing damage cannot go below a fixed value for 3 seconds.

MIN DAMAGE: 17%

Juxtapose

Ultimate

Phantom Lancer has a chance to fracture his presence on an attack, creating an illusion of himself. Illusions also have a chance to fracture further. Illusions created from Phantom Lancer last for 8 seconds, while illusions created from other illusions last 4 seconds.

MAX ILLUSIONS: 6 / 8 / 10
HERO TRIGGER CHANCE: 40 / 45 / 50%
ILLUSION TRIGGER CHANCE: 9%
ILLUSION DAMAGE: 15%
ILLUSION DAMAGE TAKEN: 600%
SEARCH RADIUS: 0

Aghanim’s ShardAdds an active ability to Juxtapose. Renders Phantom Lancer invisible for up to 8 seconds while generating a duplicate image to confuse enemies. His movement speed is increased by 15% during this invisibility.

Talents

-4s Doppelganger Cooldown

+2s Illusory Armaments Duration

+100 Spirit Lance Damage

-70% Juxtapose Illusion Damage Taken

50% Illusion Spirit Lance Damage

+125 Doppelganger Cast Range

+1s Spirit Lance Slow Duration

+3% Juxtapose Illusion Trigger Chance

Base stats

Attributes

Strength21+2.2/lvl
Agility26+3.4/lvl
Intelligence21+1.8/lvl

Damage: 52–62
Attack time: 1.7s
Attack range: 225 (melee)
Move speed: 285
Armor: 4.3
Magic resistance: 25%
Health: 582 (+4.1/s)
Mana: 327 (+1.1/s)
Vision day / night: 1800 / 800

Recent changes

latest 12 patches

7.41e2026-07-30
- Juxtapose:Aghanim's Shard cooldown increased from 15s to 18s
7.41c2026-05-06
- Phantom Rush:Aghanim's Scepter bonus max rush distance decreased from +625 to +575
7.41a2026-03-27
- Spirit Lance:Slow Duration decreased from 3.75s to 3s
- Talents:Level 10 Talent Spirit Lance Slow Duration decreased from +1.25s to +1s
7.412026-03-24
- Illusory Armaments:Min Damage increase changed from 2% per 3 level ups to 2% per 3 levels
7.40c2026-01-21
- Illusory Armaments:Min Damage at level 1 decreased from 18% to 17%
- Doppelganger:Mana Cost increased from 50 to 70
7.40b2025-12-23
- Spirit Lance:Damage increased from 70/140/210/280 to 100/160/220/280
- Phantom Rush:Toggling is no longer disabled by silence
7.402025-12-15
- Agility gain increased from 2.8 to 3.4
- Removed Divergence and Lancelot facets
- Illusory Armaments:Ability Reworked
- Whenever an illusion of Phantom Lancer is created, it can't have less than 18% of Phantom Lancer's damage for 3s. Damage increases by 2% with every 3 Phantom Lancer's level ups
- Phantom Rush:No Longer provides bonus Agility while active
- Cooldown rescaled from 13/10/7/4s to 15/11/7/3s
- Now provides 20/30/40/50% evasion while rushing
- No longer has a 2s linger effect
- Evasion bonus is lost once the target is reached or the rush is cancelled
- Juxtapose:Illusion Damage decreased from 15/17/19% to 15%
- Talents:Level 10 Talent +10 Phantom Rush Agility replaced with +3% Juxtapose Illusion Trigger Chance
- Level 15 Talent -1s Spirit Lance Cooldown replaced with +125 Doppelganger Cast Range
- Level 15 Talent +2.5s Phantom Rush Bonus Agility Duration replaced with 50% Illusion Spirit Lance Damage
- Level 20 Talent +6% Juxtapose Damage replaced with -70% Juxtapose Illusion Damage Taken
- Level 20 Talent +15% Spirit Lance Illusion Damage replaced with +100 Spirit Lance Damage
- Level 25 Talent +20% Illusory Armaments Damage replaced with +2s Illusory Armaments Duration

Lore

The remote village of Pole had no knowledge of the wars raging in the heart of the kingdom. For them, the quiet of spear fishing, and a family meal were all that a full life required. Yet war came for them nonetheless. Joining the able-bodied conscripts as they filed passed their homes, the humble lancer Azwraith vowed to bring peace to his kingdom, and in so doing, his people. Placed with his kin in the vanguard of the final assault against the Dread Magus Vorn, the cost to his fellows was absolute. As the charging force battled toward the fortress, Azwraith alone among his kind remained standing, and he alone was able to infiltrate the keep. Focused and infuriated by the slaughter of his brothers, Azwraith bested each of the wizard's deadly traps and conjured guardians. Soon the simple fisherman arrived at Vorn's tower sanctum. The pair dueled through the night, pike to staff, as chaos raged below, and with a deafening cry Azwraith pierced his enemy. But the wizard did not simply expire; he exploded into uncountable shards of light, penetrating his killer with power. As the dust settled and the smoke of combat began to clear, Azwraith found himself standing among a throng of his kin. Each seemed to be dressed as he was, each seemed armed as he was, and he could sense that each thought as he did. Aware that his allies were approaching, he willed these phantoms to hide themselves, and one by one they began to vanish into nothingness. As the soldiers came upon the sanctum, they found the warrior that had bested the wizard. When they approached their champion, the lancer vanished. The pikeman who had stood before them was no more than another phantom.

Win rates come from public Dota 2 matches (OpenDota), 3.4M matches counted, refreshed Oct 24, 2026. Tiers use the win rate in the chosen rank: S 52.5%+, A 51%+, B 49%+, C 47.5%+, D below; heroes with too few games are left unrated. Hero data and patch notes are Valve’s. Builds Forge is an unofficial fan site, not affiliated with Valve.

Phantom Lancer

Win rate by rank

Popular item build

Best win rate by purchase time

Bought ≤ 12 min

Bought 12–15 min

Bought 15–20 min

Bought 20–30 min

What these items do

Iron Branch

Quelling Blade

Tango

Faerie Fire

Circlet

Magic Stick

Boots of Speed

Power Treads

Blade of Alacrity

Wraith Band

Yasha

Manta Style

Aghanim's Scepter

Ultimate Orb

Eye of Skadi

Bloodthorn

Heart of Tarrasque

Aghanim's Blessing

Butterfly

Diffusal Blade