Phantom Assassin is much more popular in lower brackets: 8.1% of Very High matches, 11.8% of High and 17% of Normal. She wins 50.3% / 50.7% / 51.5%. Stifling Dagger and Phantom Strike start her fights, Blur hides her on the map, Immaterial gives her evasion and Coup de Grace lands the critical hits. Her team starts behind, gaining more XP in only 42.9% of games before minute 15 and 44.2% up to minute 35, but 54.5% after. She wins 38.7% of games under 25 minutes, 51.2% at 25–50 and 52.6% past 50.
Countered by PhoenixPhoenix wins the early game: its team gains more XP in 59.5% of games before minute 15. Fire Spirits greatly reduce the attack speed of every enemy they hit, and Phantom Assassin's damage is all in her attacks.
The gap grows: Phoenix's team gains more XP in 63.9% of games between minutes 15 and 35. Phoenix's damage is magic, which Immaterial's evasion can't dodge: Fire Spirits, Icarus Dive, Sun Ray and the burn of Dying Light. Sun Ray also heals the allies Phantom Assassin is attacking, and Supernova stuns everyone nearby when it explodes.
Phoenix has to win before Phantom Assassin's late game. It wins 76.2% of the 130 games under 25 minutes and 54.4% of 25–50 minute games (4,431 games), but only 45.8% past 50 minutes (996 games), and its XP-gain share drops to 44.4% after minute 35. The advantage is even across brackets: +6.22 in Very High, +5.62 in High and +5.57 in Normal. Phoenix wins 54.3% / 53.5% / 52.9% (Very High / High / Normal) against her, against its usual 51.6% / 51.4% / 51.6%.
Best teammate: LycanThis pair loses the lane badly: their team gains more XP in only 34.2% of games before minute 15. Both heroes want farm first, and neither protects the other early.
Wolf Bite is the reason this pair works. Lycan bites Phantom Assassin and gives her the properties of Shapeshift: more speed and Lycan's critical strikes for her and Lycan's units. Both also gain 40% lifesteal and share the healing while they stay within 1200 range of each other. Howl lowers the armor and attack damage of every enemy within 2000 range, and at night everywhere on the map, so her critical hits land harder and enemies hit her for less. The XP-gain share recovers to 49.8% between minutes 15 and 35.
The pair wins 53.8% of 25–50 minute games (1,325 games) and 53.7% past 50 minutes (201 games), and 67.1% of the 82 games that end before 25 minutes. Their XP-gain share is 50.6% after minute 35. The advantage is high in every bracket, +8.87 in Very High, +9.15 in High and +11.66 in Normal, and the pair wins 56.4% / 54.6% / 53.8% (Very High / High / Normal), with Lycan normally at 51.6% / 49.4% / 46.5%. Lycan is a rare pick, so this comes from only 1,608 games: a strong pairing, but a less certain one than those below.
Based on 2,111,000 public ranked matches of patch 7.41, played 30 September – 14 October 2026. Advantage is the win-rate difference from what the two heroes' own win rates predict, times two (+6 is about 3 win-rate points), weighted over the skill brackets. The live numbers on the Phantom Assassin page update every few hours. More guides: Dota 2 counter guides.
