Complete Guide to Evasion in Dota 2
Master evasion mechanics, evasion stacking formulas, evasion items, True Strike counters, blind mechanics, and optimal itemization strategies against physical damage
Evasion Overview
Evasion: The Ultimate Physical Damage Counter
Evasion is a powerful defensive mechanic that allows you to completely dodge physical attacks. Understanding when to build evasion, how it stacks, and when it gets countered by True Strike is essential for optimal itemization.
Evasion is one of the most impactful defensive stats in Dota 2 against physical damage dealers. Unlike armor which reduces damage, evasion completely negates attacks based on a percentage chance. This makes it extremely powerful against high damage, low attack speed carries, but vulnerable to True Strike counters.
Why Evasion Matters:
- Complete Damage Negation: Evasion causes attacks to miss entirely, dealing zero damage
- Effective Against Burst: Great against high-damage right-click heroes (PA, Sven, Kunkka)
- Multiplicative Stacking: Multiple evasion sources stack together with diminishing returns
- True Strike Vulnerability: Countered completely by Monkey King Bar and some abilities
- Miss Chance Synergy: Works differently from evasion but achieves similar results
- Itemization Mind Games: Forces enemies to adapt their build or suffer penalties
Evasion Mechanics Basics
How Evasion Works
Evasion gives you a percentage chance to completely dodge incoming physical attacks. When an attack is evaded, it deals zero damage and doesn't trigger on-hit effects. Evasion uses pseudo-random distribution (PRD) to prevent long lucky/unlucky streaks.
Core Evasion Mechanics
Key Evasion Rules:
- Physical Attacks Only: Evasion only works against physical right-click attacks, not spells
- Zero Damage: Evaded attacks deal no damage and don't apply on-hit effects (bash, lifesteal, etc.)
- Pseudo-Random Distribution: Uses PRD to make evasion more consistent and prevent extreme luck
- Miss Text: When attacks are evaded, "MISS" appears above the defender
- True Strike Pierces: True Strike completely ignores evasion (but not miss chance)
- Works on Buildings: Some evasion sources work against towers, others don't
Evasion Effectiveness by Percentage
| Evasion % | Attacks Evaded | Effective HP vs Physical | Example Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15% | 3 out of 20 | +17.6% EHP | Talisman of Evasion |
| 25% | 1 out of 4 | +33.3% EHP | Heaven's Halberd |
| 35% | 7 out of 20 | +53.8% EHP | Butterfly |
| 50% | 1 out of 2 | +100% EHP | PA Blur (max stacks) |
| 75% | 3 out of 4 | +300% EHP | Butterfly + Halberd + Solar Crest |
| 100% | All attacks | Infinite EHP | Windranger Windrun (max level) |
Pro Tip: Pseudo-Random Distribution
Evasion uses PRD, meaning consecutive attacks are NOT independent. After several hits land, your next attack is more likely to be evaded. After several evasions, hits become more likely. This makes evasion more consistent than true randomness - you won't get hit 10 times in a row with 50% evasion.
Evasion Sources
Butterfly
35% Evasion
Butterfly Stats
- Cost: 5125 gold
- Evasion: 35% evasion
- Attack Speed: +35 attack speed
- Agility: +30 agility
- Active - Flutter: 30% movement speed for 4 seconds (25s CD)
- Aura: -30 attack speed to enemies in 1200 radius
Butterfly Strategy
- Best For: Agility carries (PA, Morphling, Medusa, Anti-Mage)
- Timing: Core late-game item for most agility carries
- Synergy: Incredible stats for agility heroes (damage, armor, attack speed)
- Counter Risk: Loses all defensive value if enemy builds MKB
- Double Butterfly: Some ultra-late game carries buy 2 Butterflies for stats + evasion
Pro Tip: Butterfly Timing
Butterfly is most effective when purchased before enemies can afford MKB (6200g). If you get Butterfly at 30 minutes and enemies don't have MKB until 40 minutes, you get 10 minutes of incredible survivability. The earlier you buy it, the more value you extract before the MKB counter.
Heaven's Halberd
25% Evasion
Heaven's Halberd Stats
- Cost: 3400 gold
- Evasion: 25% evasion
- Strength: +20 strength
- Status Resistance: +20% status resistance
- Active - Disarm: Disarms target for 3 seconds (melee) or 5 seconds (ranged), 14 second CD
- Builds From: Sange + Talisman of Evasion
Heaven's Halberd Strategy
- Best For: Strength cores and tanky offlaners (Axe, Centaur, Mars, Bristleback)
- Disarm Value: Active disarm is incredible against right-click carries (5 second ranged disarm!)
- Cost Effective: Much cheaper than Butterfly (3400g vs 5125g)
- Utility Focus: Even if MKB counters evasion, the disarm active remains valuable
- Anti-Carry Item: Perfect for shutting down enemy physical damage dealers
Pro Tip: Halberd Disarm Priority
Always disarm the enemy carry at the start of fights, not during. A 5-second disarm on a Sniper or Drow means they deal zero damage for the entire early fight. Don't save it - use it immediately on their primary damage dealer to create a massive advantage.
Radiance
17% Miss Chance
Radiance Stats
- Cost: 5050 gold
- Miss Chance: 17% miss chance to enemies in 700 radius (NOT evasion)
- Damage: +60 damage
- Burn Aura: 60 magic damage per second in 700 radius
- Toggle: Can toggle aura on/off to control creep aggro
- Key Difference: Radiance applies miss chance (not evasion), works through True Strike!
Radiance Strategy
- Best For: Illusion heroes (Naga, Spectre, PL) and tanky frontliners (Necrophos, Bristleback)
- MKB Immune: 17% miss chance works even against Monkey King Bar carriers!
- Team Fight Value: Affects ALL nearby enemies, not just attackers targeting you
- Farming Tool: Primarily bought for farming speed, defensive miss chance is a bonus
- Stacks With Evasion: Radiance miss chance stacks multiplicatively with evasion items
Important: Radiance provides MISS CHANCE, not evasion. This is a crucial distinction because True Strike does NOT counter miss chance. Even if enemies have MKB, Radiance still forces 17% of their attacks to miss!
Other Evasion Sources
Items & Abilities
Talisman of Evasion
Cost: 1400 gold
Evasion: 15%
Component item for Butterfly, Heaven's Halberd, and Solar Crest. Cheap early evasion option.
Solar Crest
Cost: 2625 gold
Evasion: 15%
Active: Grant ally 15% evasion + 10 armor OR remove enemy 15% evasion + 7 armor
Support item with evasion. Active can grant evasion to allies or remove it from enemies.
Phantom Assassin - Blur
Ability: Blur (Passive)
Evasion: 10/20/30/40% (scales with enemy hero proximity)
PA's signature ability. Grants up to 40% evasion when no enemies are nearby, reduces when enemies get close. Pairs incredibly with Butterfly.
Windranger - Windrun
Ability: Windrun
Evasion: 100% for 2.5/3/3.5/4 seconds
Temporary 100% evasion plus massive movement speed. Makes WR completely immune to physical attacks during duration. Countered by True Strike.
Faceless Void - Backtrack (Removed)
Note: Old ability removed in patch 7.00
Previously allowed Void to "dodge" damage after taking it. Replaced with Time Walk heal mechanic.
Brewmaster - Drunken Brawler
Ability: Drunken Brawler
Evasion: 45/50/55/60%
Passive evasion with guaranteed crit after dodging. One of the highest natural evasion values in the game.
Troll Warlord - Whirling Axes (Ranged)
Ability: Whirling Axes
Miss Chance: 60% for 4/4.5/5/5.5 seconds
Applies massive miss chance in AoE. Works even against True Strike! One of the best defensive skills against physical damage.
Keeper of the Light - Blinding Light
Ability: Blinding Light
Miss Chance: 80% for 4/5/6 seconds
Knockback + 80% miss chance. Extremely powerful defensive support ability that works through True Strike.
Evasion Stacking
Evasion Stacking Formula
Total Evasion = 1 - (1 - Eā) Ć (1 - Eā) Ć (1 - Eā) Ć ...
Multiple evasion sources stack multiplicatively, not additively. This creates diminishing returns but still provides significant defensive value.
Understanding Multiplicative Stacking
Unlike armor which stacks additively, evasion stacks multiplicatively. Each additional source of evasion is less effective than the previous, but still valuable. The formula calculates the chance to be HIT, then subtracts from 100%.
Common Evasion Combinations
| Evasion Sources | Individual % | Total Evasion | Hit Chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butterfly | 35% | 35% | 65% |
| Butterfly + Heaven's Halberd | 35% + 25% | 51.25% | 48.75% |
| Butterfly + Solar Crest | 35% + 15% | 44.75% | 55.25% |
| Butterfly + Halberd + Solar Crest | 35% + 25% + 15% | 58.54% | 41.46% |
| PA Blur (40%) + Butterfly | 40% + 35% | 61% | 39% |
| 2Ć Butterfly | 35% + 35% | 57.75% | 42.25% |
| Brewmaster (60%) + Butterfly | 60% + 35% | 74% | 26% |
Evasion Stacking Calculation Examples
Example 1: Butterfly + Heaven's Halberd
Butterfly: 35% evasion (65% hit chance)
Heaven's Halberd: 25% evasion (75% hit chance)
Formula: 1 - (0.65 Ć 0.75) = 1 - 0.4875 = 0.5125
Total Evasion: 51.25%
Not 60% (35 + 25), but 51.25%. The second evasion source only applies to the 65% of attacks that got through the first evasion check.
Example 2: Triple Evasion Stack
Butterfly: 35% (65% hit)
Heaven's Halberd: 25% (75% hit)
Solar Crest: 15% (85% hit)
Formula: 1 - (0.65 Ć 0.75 Ć 0.85) = 1 - 0.4146 = 0.5854
Total Evasion: 58.54%
Adding Solar Crest's 15% evasion only adds 7.29% total evasion (from 51.25% to 58.54%). Diminishing returns are significant when stacking multiple sources.
Example 3: PA Blur + Butterfly (Ultra Late Game)
PA Blur: 40% evasion (60% hit)
Butterfly: 35% evasion (65% hit)
Formula: 1 - (0.60 Ć 0.65) = 1 - 0.39 = 0.61
Total Evasion: 61%
PA with max Blur + Butterfly evades 61% of attacks. Combined with her high armor from agility, she becomes extremely tanky against physical damage - until MKB.
Pro Tip: Diminishing Returns vs Consistency
While stacking evasion has diminishing returns on the percentage, it still provides linear effective HP gains. Going from 35% to 51.25% evasion increases your physical EHP by 25%. However, stacking too much evasion (75%+) becomes inefficient - it's better to diversify with armor or HP items unless you're certain enemies won't build MKB.
Evasion + Miss Chance Stacking
Evasion and miss chance stack multiplicatively with each other as well:
- Butterfly (35% evasion) + Radiance (17% miss): 1 - (0.65 Ć 0.83) = 46.05% total avoidance
- Halberd (25%) + Tinker Laser (100% miss 3s): 100% avoidance for 3 seconds, then 25% after
- Solar Crest (15%) + Troll Axes (60% miss): 1 - (0.85 Ć 0.40) = 66% total avoidance
- Combining evasion items with miss chance abilities creates extremely high physical damage avoidance
True Strike & Counters
Monkey King Bar
True Strike
Monkey King Bar Details
- Cost: 6200 gold
- Damage: +40 damage
- Attack Speed: +45 attack speed
- True Strike: Attacks cannot miss from evasion or elevation
- Pierce: 75 magic damage on-hit (pierces spell immunity)
- Purpose: Hard counter to all evasion sources
MKB Strategy
- When to Buy: When enemy has Butterfly, PA Blur, Windranger, Brewmaster, or multiple evasion sources
- Don't Rush: MKB is expensive (6200g) and only good if enemies actually have evasion
- Wasted Gold: If enemies don't have evasion, MKB is gold inefficient (other damage items are better)
- Doesn't Counter Miss Chance: MKB doesn't work against Radiance, Tinker Laser, Kotl Blinding Light
- Core vs Evasion Heroes: Mandatory item against PA, Windranger, high evasion carries
Pro Tip: MKB Purchase Timing
Don't rush MKB too early. If PA only has Blur (40% evasion) but no Butterfly yet, you can often delay MKB and buy more damage items first. Only buy MKB when evasion is actually preventing you from killing targets. The earlier you're forced to buy MKB, the more value their evasion item provided.
True Strike Abilities
Built-In Counters
Sniper - Headshot
Passive: Headshot
Effect: All attacks have True Strike
Sniper's attacks cannot miss from evasion. Built-in MKB effect, making him strong against evasion heroes without needing to buy MKB.
Medusa - Stone Gaze
Ultimate: Stone Gaze
Effect: Attacks against petrified enemies have True Strike
During Stone Gaze, all attacks against facing enemies have True Strike. Removes evasion advantage completely.
Bloodseeker - Thirst
Passive: Thirst
Effect: Attacks have True Strike when enemies below 25% HP
Bloodseeker gets True Strike against low HP enemies. Ensures he can finish off evasion heroes reliably.
Void Spirit - Resonant Pulse
Ability: Resonant Pulse
Effect: Attacks have True Strike for 6/8/10/12 seconds after cast
Temporary True Strike buff. Allows Void Spirit to ignore evasion in fights without buying MKB.
Juggernaut - Omnislash
Ultimate: Omnislash
Effect: All Omnislash attacks have True Strike
Omnislash slashes cannot miss. Guaranteed damage against evasion heroes during ultimate.
Templar Assassin - Meld
Ability: Meld
Effect: Meld strike has True Strike
The attack out of Meld cannot miss. Ensures TA's burst damage lands against evasion.
Brewmaster - Earth Spirit
Ultimate Summon: Earth Spirit
Effect: Attacks have True Strike
Brewmaster's Earth Spirit attacks ignore evasion during Primal Split.
Silver Edge
Item Active: Shadow Walk
Effect: Attack out of invisibility has True Strike
The initial attack when breaking invisibility cannot miss. Useful for initiating on evasion heroes.
Critical Warning: If the enemy carry has True Strike (MKB, Headshot, etc.), evasion items like Butterfly lose ALL defensive value. The 5125 gold Butterfly becomes just a stat stick. Always check enemy inventories and abilities before committing to evasion items. If they already have True Strike, buy armor or HP items instead.
Miss Chance vs Evasion
Evasion
Evasion Characteristics:
- Applied On: Defender (the hero being attacked)
- Source: Items (Butterfly, Halberd) and abilities (PA Blur, WR Windrun)
- True Strike: Completely negated by True Strike (MKB)
- Effect: Causes attacks to miss when checked
- Visual: "MISS" text appears above defender
- Common Items: Butterfly, Heaven's Halberd, Solar Crest
Evasion Best Against:
Evasion is best against heroes who WON'T build MKB (supports, casters, tanks) or CAN'T afford MKB yet (early-mid game timing).
Miss Chance
Miss Chance Characteristics:
- Applied On: Attacker (the hero attacking)
- Source: Radiance aura, blind abilities (Tinker Laser, Kotl Blinding Light, Troll Axes)
- True Strike: NOT countered by True Strike (works through MKB!)
- Effect: Causes attacker to miss regardless of evasion
- Visual: "MISS" text appears above attacker
- Common Sources: Radiance (17%), Tinker Laser (100%), Kotl Blind (80%)
Miss Chance Best Against:
Miss chance is best against heroes who HAVE True Strike (Sniper, MKB carriers) because it works through True Strike. Even Sniper with Headshot will miss 17% against Radiance!
Key Differences Explained
| Property | Evasion | Miss Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Applied To | Defender (target) | Attacker (source) |
| Countered by MKB | ā Yes (completely) | ā No (still works) |
| Countered by True Strike Abilities | ā Yes | ā No |
| Stacks with Each Other | Multiplicatively | Multiplicatively |
| Stacks Evasion + Miss | ā Yes (multiplicatively) | |
| Pseudo-Random | ā Yes (uses PRD) | Varies by source |
| Common Items | Butterfly, Halberd | Radiance |
| Uptime | Permanent (passive) | Aura/debuff duration |
Practical Example: Evasion vs Miss Chance
Scenario: Enemy Sniper has Headshot (True Strike)
- If you have Butterfly (35% evasion): Sniper's Headshot ignores it completely. You take 100% of attacks. Butterfly is USELESS defensively.
- If you have Radiance (17% miss chance): Sniper still misses 17% of attacks despite Headshot. Radiance STILL WORKS!
- Lesson: Against True Strike sources, miss chance is far superior to evasion.
When to Choose Each:
- Choose Evasion Items: Early-mid game before MKB, against teams without True Strike, on agility carries who scale with Butterfly stats
- Choose Miss Chance Sources: Against True Strike heroes (Sniper, MKB carriers), for AoE fight impact (Radiance affects everyone), when you need farming + defense (Radiance)
- Combine Both: Radiance + Butterfly is incredibly powerful - even if they buy MKB, Radiance still works!
Blind Mechanics
Tinker - Laser
100% Miss Chance
Laser Blind Details
- Ability: Laser (Q)
- Miss Chance: 100% for 2/2.5/3/3.5 seconds
- Damage: 80/160/240/320 pure damage
- Range: 650
- CD: 14 seconds
- Mana: 95/120/145/170
- Works Through True Strike: Yes! Even MKB carriers miss 100% for the duration
Laser Strategy
- Anti-Carry: Completely shuts down right-click carries for 3.5 seconds
- MKB Immune: Works even if enemy has Monkey King Bar or True Strike abilities
- Rearm Synergy: With Rearm, Tinker can spam Laser to keep carries permanently blinded
- Target Priority: Always Laser the enemy carry at fight start (PA, Sven, Sniper, etc.)
- Pure Damage Bonus: Also deals significant pure damage as a nuke
Pro Tip: Laser vs PA
Tinker's Laser is one of the best PA counters in the game. It applies 100% miss chance (works through Blur), deals pure damage (ignores armor), and can be spammed with Rearm. A good Tinker can make PA completely useless in fights by keeping her permanently blinded.
Other Blind Abilities
Miss Chance Sources
Keeper of the Light - Blinding Light
Miss Chance: 80% for 4/5/6 seconds
Effect: Knockback + miss chance in AoE
Incredible defensive support ability. 80% miss chance in AoE for 6 seconds is game-changing against physical damage lineups. Works through True Strike!
Troll Warlord - Whirling Axes (Ranged)
Miss Chance: 60% for 4/4.5/5/5.5 seconds
Effect: AoE cone miss chance + slow
Troll's defensive ability. Apply 60% miss chance to all enemies in front of you. Great for kiting and surviving physical damage.
Brewmaster - Drunken Haze
Miss Chance: 45/60/75/90%
Duration: 5 seconds
Single-target blind with massive miss chance. At max level, 90% miss chance for 5 seconds essentially disables a carry completely.
Lycan - Shapeshift
Effect: Wolves gain 50% evasion during Shapeshift
Lycan's wolves become much tankier during ultimate, helping them survive in fights and push towers.
Riki - Smoke Screen
Miss Chance: 40/50/60/70%
Duration: 6 seconds
AoE zone with silence + miss chance. Forces enemies to either fight at 70% miss chance or walk out of the zone.
Witch Doctor - Voodoo Switcheroo (Aghs)
Effect: Swaps positions and makes target attackable
While not a blind, forces position swaps which can mess up enemy targeting and kiting.
Why Blinds Are Superior to Evasion:
- True Strike Immunity: Miss chance works even against MKB and True Strike abilities
- AoE Application: Many blinds affect multiple enemies (Blinding Light, Whirling Axes, Smoke Screen)
- Temporary But Strong: 100% miss for 3 seconds > 35% evasion forever in many scenarios
- No Item Counter: There's no item that removes miss chance (unlike MKB vs evasion)
- Combo Potential: Can stack with evasion items for near-immunity during blind duration
When to Buy Evasion Items
Buy Evasion Items When...
- Enemy Physical Damage: Enemy has multiple physical damage carries (Sven, PA, Troll, Ursa, etc.)
- No True Strike: Enemy heroes lack built-in True Strike abilities (no Sniper, Bloodseeker low HP situations)
- MKB Timing Window: You can get evasion item 5-10 minutes before enemies can afford MKB (6200g)
- Agility Carry: You're an agility carry and Butterfly provides amazing stats beyond evasion
- Halberd Utility: You need the disarm active and evasion is a bonus (vs right-click carries)
- Multiple Item Slots: Enemies lack item slots for MKB (already have 6 items)
- Support Economy: Enemy supports/offlaners won't build MKB, so evasion works against them
- Radiance Farming: You're a farming carry (Naga, Spectre, PL) and Radiance provides farm speed + miss chance
Best Evasion Items by Situation:
- Butterfly: Agility carry late game (PA, Morphling, Drow, Medusa) (5125g)
- Heaven's Halberd: Strength offlaner vs enemy carry (Axe, Centaur, Mars) (3400g)
- Radiance: Illusion/farming heroes (Naga, Spectre, PL, Alch) (5050g)
- Solar Crest: Support providing armor/evasion utility (2625g)
Avoid Evasion Items When...
- Enemy Has MKB: If enemy carry already has Monkey King Bar, evasion is worthless defensively
- True Strike Heroes: Enemy has Sniper (Headshot), Bloodseeker, Medusa with Stone Gaze active
- MKB Rush Potential: Enemy is farming fast and can get MKB before you get value from evasion
- Magical Damage Team: Enemy team is mostly magical/pure damage (Zeus, Lina, OD, Tinker)
- Better Alternative Exists: Armor/HP items provide better EHP against this enemy lineup
- You're Not Agility: Butterfly stats are wasted if you're not an agility hero
- Need BKB First: Magical damage is killing you before physical; prioritize spell immunity
- Item Slot Pressure: You need other core items and can't afford to buy evasion item
Better Alternatives to Evasion:
- Assault Cuirass: Better vs physical damage if enemies have True Strike (5050g)
- Shiva's Guard: Armor + utility vs physical/magical hybrid teams (4600g)
- Heart of Tarrasque: Raw HP tank against all damage types (5000g)
- Black King Bar: Spell immunity vs magical damage (4450g)
- Satanic: Lifesteal for sustain vs all damage types (5050g)
Evasion Itemization by Hero Type
Agility Carry (PA, Morphling, Drow)
Core Build: Damage items ā Butterfly (30-35 min)
Timing: Get Butterfly when you need survivability but before enemy MKB
Alternative: If enemy rushes MKB, skip Butterfly and buy Satanic/Skadi instead
Butterfly is core on agility carries due to incredible stats. The evasion is a bonus defensive layer that often forces enemy to delay their build for MKB.
Strength Offlaner (Axe, Centaur, Mars)
Core Build: Blink/Initiation ā Heaven's Halberd (20-25 min)
Purpose: Disarm enemy carry + evasion for survivability
Value: Even if enemy gets MKB, the disarm active remains extremely valuable
Heaven's Halberd is built for the disarm first, evasion second. It's a win-win item that provides value even if countered.
Farming Carry (Naga, Spectre, PL)
Core Build: Radiance (15-20 min) ā Stats/Evasion later
Primary Value: Farming acceleration, miss chance is bonus
Late Game: Can add Butterfly if team lacks True Strike
Radiance is primarily a farming item. The 17% miss chance works through True Strike, making it always valuable defensively unlike evasion.
Support (Any Support Hero)
Core Build: Solar Crest (15-20 min) as utility item
Usage: Use on carry for 15% evasion + 10 armor, or on enemy to remove armor
Value: Cheap evasion utility that benefits team
Solar Crest is a support's evasion item. The active provides evasion to allies or removes it from enemies, plus the mana regen and stats are great for supports.
Pro Tip: Force Enemy Into Bad Choices
Sometimes buying evasion is correct even if there's a chance enemy builds MKB, because it forces them into a difficult decision. If you buy Butterfly at 30 minutes as PA, the enemy carry must choose: continue their core build (Daedalus, BKB) or rush MKB. Either way, you benefit - they either can't kill you, or they delay their power spike. The key is getting evasion early enough to extract value before the MKB comes online.
Counter-Itemization
How to Counter Enemy Evasion
1. Assess Evasion Threat Level
Low Threat: Single 15-25% evasion source (Talisman, Halberd component)
Response: Delay MKB, buy damage items first. Low evasion isn't worth rushing MKB.
Medium Threat: Butterfly (35%) or PA with Blur (40%)
Response: Consider MKB after 1-2 core items. Test if you can still kill them without MKB first.
High Threat: Multiple evasion sources (PA Blur + Butterfly = 61%)
Response: Rush MKB after minimum core items. Can't fight them without True Strike.
Critical Threat: 75%+ evasion (triple stack or Brewmaster)
Response: MKB is mandatory ASAP. You literally cannot hit them without True Strike.
2. Choose the Right Counter
3. Timing Your Counter Purchase
Scenario 1: Enemy PA has Blur but no Butterfly yet
Wait on MKB. 40% evasion is annoying but not game-losing. Buy 1-2 damage items first (Daedalus, BKB), then assess if you need MKB when she gets Butterfly.
Scenario 2: Enemy carry just completed Butterfly (30 min)
Start building MKB immediately. You have ~5-10 minutes to complete it before their evasion becomes unbeatable. Prioritize MKB over other luxury items.
Scenario 3: Multiple enemies have evasion items
Rush MKB after 1 core item. Cannot participate in fights effectively without True Strike when facing multiple evasion sources.
Scenario 4: You're ahead and farming fast
Consider getting MKB earlier to prevent enemies from ever getting value from their evasion items. Deny their itemization by having counter ready.
Counter-Itemization Decision Tree:
- Step 1: Identify all evasion sources (items + abilities). Calculate total evasion %.
- Step 2: Check if your hero has built-in True Strike. If yes, skip MKB.
- Step 3: Assess if you can kill them without MKB (test in a fight). If yes, delay MKB.
- Step 4: If evasion is preventing kills, start MKB immediately after current item.
- Step 5: Complete MKB, then continue normal build. Don't rush more than 1 MKB per team.
Common Mistake: Rushing MKB too early when enemy only has low evasion or hasn't finished evasion item yet. MKB costs 6200g - that's a LOT of gold. If you can delay MKB by 5-10 minutes and still fight effectively, you can get an extra damage item (Daedalus, BKB, Skadi) and be much stronger. Only rush MKB when evasion is ACTUALLY preventing you from getting kills, not preemptively.
Evasion Quick Reference
Butterfly
35%
Best evasion item
Heaven's Halberd
25%
+ Disarm active
Radiance
17%
Miss chance (MKB proof)
MKB
True Strike
Hard counter (6200g)
Evasion Stacking
Multiplicative
Diminishing returns
Miss vs Evasion
Different
Miss works vs MKB
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