Disclaimer: I am not a PRO pero maalam ako kay Natalia kasi ginamit ko siya para mapamaster 'yong isa kong account. Naabutan ko rin 'yong Natalia META bago tuluyang humina ang impact ng nga Assassin sa META.
Natalia WAS a nightmare of mages and mm previously. Natalia was originally the first one to introduced the silenced effect before Helcurt. She is not popular in the current META so I think she MIGHT be an unexpected and underrated pick for S12. Let's discuss her skills.
Passive: Assassin Instinct
Let's make it simplier
1. Attacks made from behind will deal an extra 15% damage. (Backstab Passive)
2. If in the bush for 2s without receiving or dealing damage, the hero will enter Stealth mode, and leaving the bush for 5s or dealing damage will make the hero reappear
What this means is that if you remain in a bush for 2s you’ll go invisible. Again an attribute which sets Natalia apart. You can roam around freely without the enemy knowing that you are present there well not exactly unaware as they will get an exclamation mark on top of their heads when you are near.
3. Stealth mode increases hero movement speed 20%, causes the next basic attack to deal 25% extra damage, and silences the target for 1s.
What this means is that when you are invisible you can move faster. And the attack that you make when you are invisible will silence the hero which means they won’t be able to cast any skill for 1s and you’ll deal a 25% extra damage.
Couple this with your damage from backstab you’ll be able to deal 25% + 15% = 40% more damage which is "masakit na" for early game
1st Skill (Level Max First)
Claw Dash (AoE Blink)
This ability is a good chaser cause with this ability if used properly you can even chase down and kill a running zilong in his ult if he is low hp. If you use this ability and hit an enemy whether jungle monsters, minions or enemy hero you can use it one more time(Max 2 Dashes). If you don’t hit an enemy the skill will go into cooldown.
You can trigger the backstab passive by mastering aiming with this skill.
2nd skill: Smoke Bomb
Now this is the skill which Natalia is most famous for. When you cast this skill and stand in the smoke bomb you are attack speed increases and you become immune to basic attacks
This makes her counter Marksman and othe heroes who relies on Basic Attacks.
Ultimate: (Level up when available)
Cold-blooded Strangling (AoE Burst)
Now this is a skill which can also be used in team fights as it does AOE(Area of effect) damage. It also slows down the enemy target which can help your teammates to do more damage or let them escape.
Skill Combination
The most used skill combination is you become invisible and then attack a target from behind to silence them and deal 40% more damage. Then use your 2nd skill and basic attack the hero. If he is running away and is out of smoke area then use your 1st skill to perform two dashes to chase him down. He would probably be dead by now if not then finish him with your ultimate. GAME OVER
Practice that skill combo since it is one of the basic mechanics in using Natalia in META.
For laning stage the best skill combo is one basic attack then use your first skill to dash through the minions in a line and then use it again to dash back. And a few more basic attacks and the lane is clear. It would take just about 3 seconds. Then you can go farm.
Battle Spell recommendations
Retribution- This will make it easier for you to steal to enemy farm, lord and turtle. It would also help to level up faster. You can buy the 2nd jungle item (nimble blade is recommended) so that retribution can be used on enemy heroes to slow them down. So if you cast your 2nd skill and use retribution they will be slowed down considerably and you’ll be able to kill them easily. Plus you will gain extra 30% experience from killing jungle monsters. Aim to stack the Nimble Blade up to 10 before the 10-minute mark.
Inspire- This gives a bonus attacking speed to your hero.
The right timing in using inspire is in taking down turrets and after using second skill as part of your skill combo.
Purify- This spell will be useful if you have a lot of cc(Crowd Controller) heroes in the enemy team because it is very easy for them to kill Natalia.
Equipment Sets
The equipment that you use for Natalia depends on the spell you choose and your playstyle
1st Set: With Inspire as battle spell
First start with Hunter's Knife
Then buy Rapid Boots
Your first main item should be Berserker’s Fury as it will give you an insane crit chance.
Next, buy Endless Battle since we are using inspire. Otherwise, prioritize attack speed item.
Next you need to buy Blade of despair since you have an extra attack speed from inspire, you don’t need any more attack speed item because inspire can be available at every teamfight with its 60 seconds cooldown.
And then build scarlet phantom.
Last item would be Windtalker (movement speed plus attack speed), Malefic Roar (for pushing and when Marksman built an armor item), or Haas' Claws for more lifesteal and attack power.
2nd Set: With retribution as spell
First start with Hunter's Knife and upgrade it to Nimble Blade so that you can use your retribution spell on enemies and slow them down.
Then buy Rapid boots.
Next buy Berserkers Fury (again to increase your crit chances).
Now buy Scarlet Phantom (As it increases crit chances and attack speed when you crit so you will crit a lot).
Next you need to buy Haas Claws (for the lifesteal)
Now buy wind talker (Since you don’t have enough attack speed as compared to when using inspire so we will get even more attack speed with this item)
And at last buy Blade of despair
3rd Set: Any spell ( Inspire, Retribution or even Purify)
Rapid Boots
Berserker's Fury
Endless Battle
Scarlet Phantom
Windtalker
Blade of Despair
Gameplay:
Early Game
Analyze which lane will only have one hero defending. That would be your target. Go to bush to trigger stealth mode then you should have chosen the best lane already after entering stealth mode.
Clear lane quickly first skill plus basic attackSss combo. Then enter stealth mode again then farm. Then enter stealth mode and clear a sidelane this time. Then secure the crab.
If you have high map awareness, you can even steal buffs in the enemy territory.
Always remember to ambush solo heroes but do not go 1v1. Always have a back-up to better secure kills. This is a team game remember?
Midgame
You should have three items before the 10-minute mark and killed 10 jungle monsters already. If not, farm more because you are behind in terms of gold and XP. You should be ahead since you are an Assassin. Ask your teammates to be lowkey and not engage fights while you are trying to be ahead in terms of gold and XP. But if you are already ahead, you are on the right track and you have a high chance winning. Just continue pushing and win teamfights.
Lategame:
This is when teamfights really happen. So let me discuss what you will do in a teamfight.
Hide in the bush and stay in stealth mode. As much as possible, do not let your enemies be aware that you are hiding. It is better if a Fighter is hiding with you.
Who engage first won't matter as long as your tank would be soaking the damage, the marksman and mage do the damaging, and the fighter is protecting you and preventing Backdoor Attacks by enemy Assassins and other backline destroyer. You will enter the fight when someone is out of position already. Master when to engage with Natalia. It can only be fully learned and understood through Experience.
Another tip is that you may also consider split pushing if your team can defend and survive against a 4v5 situation.
Conclusion: Natalia is replaceable in the META but if you are really a good Natalia user, better use it than other assassin that you still do not know how to use. She also shines in Late Game because of her massive damage to take down the main damage dealer plus the capability to split push and make an epic comeback.
The difference between the previous META and the S12 META for Natalia is that she can not win most 1v1 situations currently even against Marksman and especially Mages because of Mobility Skills and Capabilities. You really need someone to disable a hero first then that would be your target. Previously, Natalia can hypercarry but now she is not. She is now also team dependent thus Split Push is also one of the META for Natalia in order for her to still be a useful and good pick this S12.
Final Note: Visit all lanes! Push all lanes, Ambush all lanes, and win by dominating all lanes!
Natalia Full Guide for the S12 META By: AdminGanda
Natalia WAS a nightmare of mages and mm previously. Natalia was originally the first one to introduced the silenced effect before Helcurt. She is not popular in the current META so I think she MIGHT be an unexpected and underrated pick for S12. Let's discuss her skills.
Passive: Assassin Instinct
Let's make it simplier
1. Attacks made from behind will deal an extra 15% damage. (Backstab Passive)
2. If in the bush for 2s without receiving or dealing damage, the hero will enter Stealth mode, and leaving the bush for 5s or dealing damage will make the hero reappear
What this means is that if you remain in a bush for 2s you’ll go invisible. Again an attribute which sets Natalia apart. You can roam around freely without the enemy knowing that you are present there well not exactly unaware as they will get an exclamation mark on top of their heads when you are near.
3. Stealth mode increases hero movement speed 20%, causes the next basic attack to deal 25% extra damage, and silences the target for 1s.
What this means is that when you are invisible you can move faster. And the attack that you make when you are invisible will silence the hero which means they won’t be able to cast any skill for 1s and you’ll deal a 25% extra damage.
Couple this with your damage from backstab you’ll be able to deal 25% + 15% = 40% more damage which is "masakit na" for early game
1st Skill (Level Max First)
Claw Dash (AoE Blink)
This ability is a good chaser cause with this ability if used properly you can even chase down and kill a running zilong in his ult if he is low hp. If you use this ability and hit an enemy whether jungle monsters, minions or enemy hero you can use it one more time(Max 2 Dashes). If you don’t hit an enemy the skill will go into cooldown.
You can trigger the backstab passive by mastering aiming with this skill.
2nd skill: Smoke Bomb
Now this is the skill which Natalia is most famous for. When you cast this skill and stand in the smoke bomb you are attack speed increases and you become immune to basic attacks
This makes her counter Marksman and othe heroes who relies on Basic Attacks.
Ultimate: (Level up when available)
Cold-blooded Strangling (AoE Burst)
Now this is a skill which can also be used in team fights as it does AOE(Area of effect) damage. It also slows down the enemy target which can help your teammates to do more damage or let them escape.
Skill Combination
The most used skill combination is you become invisible and then attack a target from behind to silence them and deal 40% more damage. Then use your 2nd skill and basic attack the hero. If he is running away and is out of smoke area then use your 1st skill to perform two dashes to chase him down. He would probably be dead by now if not then finish him with your ultimate. GAME OVER
Practice that skill combo since it is one of the basic mechanics in using Natalia in META.
For laning stage the best skill combo is one basic attack then use your first skill to dash through the minions in a line and then use it again to dash back. And a few more basic attacks and the lane is clear. It would take just about 3 seconds. Then you can go farm.
Battle Spell recommendations
Retribution- This will make it easier for you to steal to enemy farm, lord and turtle. It would also help to level up faster. You can buy the 2nd jungle item (nimble blade is recommended) so that retribution can be used on enemy heroes to slow them down. So if you cast your 2nd skill and use retribution they will be slowed down considerably and you’ll be able to kill them easily. Plus you will gain extra 30% experience from killing jungle monsters. Aim to stack the Nimble Blade up to 10 before the 10-minute mark.
Inspire- This gives a bonus attacking speed to your hero.
The right timing in using inspire is in taking down turrets and after using second skill as part of your skill combo.
Purify- This spell will be useful if you have a lot of cc(Crowd Controller) heroes in the enemy team because it is very easy for them to kill Natalia.
Equipment Sets
The equipment that you use for Natalia depends on the spell you choose and your playstyle
1st Set: With Inspire as battle spell
First start with Hunter's Knife
Then buy Rapid Boots
Your first main item should be Berserker’s Fury as it will give you an insane crit chance.
Next, buy Endless Battle since we are using inspire. Otherwise, prioritize attack speed item.
Next you need to buy Blade of despair since you have an extra attack speed from inspire, you don’t need any more attack speed item because inspire can be available at every teamfight with its 60 seconds cooldown.
And then build scarlet phantom.
Last item would be Windtalker (movement speed plus attack speed), Malefic Roar (for pushing and when Marksman built an armor item), or Haas' Claws for more lifesteal and attack power.
2nd Set: With retribution as spell
First start with Hunter's Knife and upgrade it to Nimble Blade so that you can use your retribution spell on enemies and slow them down.
Then buy Rapid boots.
Next buy Berserkers Fury (again to increase your crit chances).
Now buy Scarlet Phantom (As it increases crit chances and attack speed when you crit so you will crit a lot).
Next you need to buy Haas Claws (for the lifesteal)
Now buy wind talker (Since you don’t have enough attack speed as compared to when using inspire so we will get even more attack speed with this item)
And at last buy Blade of despair
3rd Set: Any spell ( Inspire, Retribution or even Purify)
Rapid Boots
Berserker's Fury
Endless Battle
Scarlet Phantom
Windtalker
Blade of Despair
Gameplay:
Early Game
Analyze which lane will only have one hero defending. That would be your target. Go to bush to trigger stealth mode then you should have chosen the best lane already after entering stealth mode.
Clear lane quickly first skill plus basic attackSss combo. Then enter stealth mode again then farm. Then enter stealth mode and clear a sidelane this time. Then secure the crab.
If you have high map awareness, you can even steal buffs in the enemy territory.
Always remember to ambush solo heroes but do not go 1v1. Always have a back-up to better secure kills. This is a team game remember?
Midgame
You should have three items before the 10-minute mark and killed 10 jungle monsters already. If not, farm more because you are behind in terms of gold and XP. You should be ahead since you are an Assassin. Ask your teammates to be lowkey and not engage fights while you are trying to be ahead in terms of gold and XP. But if you are already ahead, you are on the right track and you have a high chance winning. Just continue pushing and win teamfights.
Lategame:
This is when teamfights really happen. So let me discuss what you will do in a teamfight.
Hide in the bush and stay in stealth mode. As much as possible, do not let your enemies be aware that you are hiding. It is better if a Fighter is hiding with you.
Who engage first won't matter as long as your tank would be soaking the damage, the marksman and mage do the damaging, and the fighter is protecting you and preventing Backdoor Attacks by enemy Assassins and other backline destroyer. You will enter the fight when someone is out of position already. Master when to engage with Natalia. It can only be fully learned and understood through Experience.
Another tip is that you may also consider split pushing if your team can defend and survive against a 4v5 situation.
Conclusion: Natalia is replaceable in the META but if you are really a good Natalia user, better use it than other assassin that you still do not know how to use. She also shines in Late Game because of her massive damage to take down the main damage dealer plus the capability to split push and make an epic comeback.
The difference between the previous META and the S12 META for Natalia is that she can not win most 1v1 situations currently even against Marksman and especially Mages because of Mobility Skills and Capabilities. You really need someone to disable a hero first then that would be your target. Previously, Natalia can hypercarry but now she is not. She is now also team dependent thus Split Push is also one of the META for Natalia in order for her to still be a useful and good pick this S12.
Final Note: Visit all lanes! Push all lanes, Ambush all lanes, and win by dominating all lanes!
Natalia Full Guide for the S12 META By: AdminGanda
