Hero Mastery

Night Stalker

A night predator: Hunter in the Night grants big speed + attack in the dark, Void mini-stuns + slows, Crippling Fear silences, and Darkness forces night.

Mastery parameters

Your GPM, last hits and damage per game against other Night Stalker players — average vs Top 20%.

Members only

Learning journey

1 Know the kit
2 Win the lane
3 Timing & rotations
4 Win the fights
5 Master

5 stages, each with one target from your own games and one short quiz. Make Night Stalker your mastery hero to start — progress shows on Home and Arcana.

Phase by phase

The 1v1: last hits + rune control

You 70%Team 30%

Skills in lane — Pro cores max Void (Q) first — 79% of 380 games since patch 7.41, then Midnight Feast (E). First talent at level 11.
Level 6 — Darkness — Darkness forces night and blinds enemy vision. Pop it and hunt — you're fully dominant in the dark.
First night — Every night is your power spike: use Hunter's speed + attack to hunt supports and win the lane.

Skills 1–7

Starting items

Gauntlets of Strength42%
Iron Branch25%
Tango8%
Circlet of Nobility6%
Magic Stick5%
Quelling Blade4%

Pros buy this phase

Phase Boots57%
Power Treads27%
Drum of Endurance15%
Blink Dagger1%
Essence Distiller1%

The Midlaner's job this phase

Focus on last hits & denies — a 10-creep lead by minute 5 is a real level advantage.
Minutes 6, 8, 10, …: check water/power runes. A full Bottle means you can spam spells.
Ask a support to arrive 30 seconds before power runes when your lane is rough.

Counters & weaknesses

Magic burst hero

The items that shut Night Stalker down, 3 heroes that trouble it, and your answer when you play it.

Members only

Why this way? How OpenAI Five learned

One hero, one role first
OpenAI's first bot played only Shadow Fiend, only mid, until it mastered it. Stay on Night Stalker in one role before moving on.
Small, measurable rewards
OpenAI Five was rewarded for last hits and staying alive long before it understood winning. That's why each journey stage has one number to hit.
From yourself to the team
Its 'team spirit' rose over the game: early on, look after yourself; late, play for the team. Each phase's meter shows the split.
Use proven builds
OpenAI Five's builds were hand-written, not trial and error. Start from the pro build, then experiment.

Phase items: what pros buy on this hero (OpenDota). Parameters: percentiles of players on this hero (OpenDota). Item effects checked against Valve's own item data.