Maiev Abilities and Strategy

• It is often best to hold on to Fan of Knives's Cooldown to try and hit at least two Heroes than to use it at all, as its reset mechanic is very powerful.
• Using Umbral Bind against Minions or Structures can allow you to tether Heroes that are out of melee range.
• Spirit of Vengeance can be used through walls or from vents or bushes to surprise enemies.
• Recasting Spirit of Vengeance disjoints projectiles directly targeting Maiev.
• Containment Disc pierces Minions and Structures, and is particularly useful for denying strong Heroic Abilities or simply setting up.
• Vault of the Wardens allows you to pass through units, but not Structures nor terrain.
• With Cruel Chain, Spirit of Vengeance can be used after Umbral Bind towards enemies, so it will trigger Cruel Chain's extra damage, and blink would activate Pull, guaranteeing maximum damage.
• Since Bonds of Justice will only stacks on secondary enemies, try to always target a minion, mercenary, or structure with Umbral Bind to complete the quest faster.
• Against melee Heroes, you do not need to use your blink to get close. It is better to use Spirit of Vengeance towards them while they are marked by Umbral Bind, as it will guarantee that they take Spirit of Vengeance's damage twice.
• Warden's Cage has the same radius as Umbral Bind's Pull, and therefore it should be used right after applying it. It is not necessary to move backwards in order to Pull enemies into Warden's Cage, use these few seconds before the cage is active to deal damage or reposition yourself, since the enemies are already doomed into the area.
• With practice, you will know when Fan of Knives will hit 2 targets, and Naisha's Memento can be used right before it, because the Cooldown will be refreshed.

Fan of Knives (Q) Maiev

• Mana: 30
• Cooldown: 4 seconds

Deal 152 (+4% per level) damage to enemies in a crescent area.

Hitting at least 2 enemy Heroes with Fan of Knives reduces its cooldown to 0.5 seconds, and refunds its Mana cost.

Fan of Knives is Maiev's main sustain area of effect damage tool. It is characterised by an unusual crescent-shaped targeting reticle and, more importantly, the ability to essentially reset its cooldown and refund its Mana cost if it damages at least two Heroes. This mechanic makes it generally beneficial to hold onto Fan of Knives's cooldown to ensure resets if you are in the general vicinity of two or more opponents.

Fan of Knives synergises particularly well with Umbral Bind, Maiev's second Basic Ability, as Umbral Bind's tether effect can either force several enemy Heroes to remain uncomfortably close to each other or be used to pull them directly to you for securing double hits.

While claiming Mercenary Camps, waveclearing, or dueling, reseting Fan of Knives may be impossible or otherwise inconvenient. In such situations, Fan of Knives simply becomes a mediocre poking tool to be used on-Cooldown and so as to hit as many targets as possible. Fan of Knives's area of effect can be maximised against Minions by using the Ability from above or below a given wave.

Since Fan of Knives's unusual area of effect can take some time getting used to, and particularly when trying to land double hits, it may be worth turning Quick Cast off and spending some time in Try Mode to develop muscle memory.

Umbral Bind (W) Maiev

• Mana: 55
• Cooldown: 14 seconds

Maiev's next Basic Attack cleaves and applies a tether to enemy Heroes hit for 2.5 seconds. If a tethered Hero moves too far from Maiev, they are pulled toward her, dealing 110 (+4% per level) damage and breaking the tether.

Umbral Bind is Maiev's defining Ability by allowing to be one of the most reliable non-Tank initiator. Since it is relatively complex, it warrants some additional explanations.

Umbral Bind is a two-part Ability. The first part causes Maiev's next Basic Attack to be reset and to hit in an arc centered on its target. If at least one Hero is damaged by this arc, a large circle appears around Maiev for 2.5 seconds. If a Hero tethered by Umbral Bind attempts to cross this circle in any way—by walking, teleporting, or being displaced—they are damaged and pulled right back to Maiev. A single cast of Umbral Bind cannot pull a given Hero more than once, though it can pull more than one Hero.

There are two main strategies behind using Umbral Bind, which we may respectively label "pull" and "hold". The first and most common "pull" strategy involves trying to trigger Umbral Bind's pulling effect by moving away from Heroes affected by the tether to force them to cross the circle. This allows you to pulled opponents closer to your allies as a form of setup and away from other opponents to make supporting and counter-initiating more difficult. This can be achieved with relative ease by using Spirit of Vengeance, Maiev's third Ability, as a gap closer to reach your intended target(s). This strategy can also be used as a way to peel for allies. Spirit of Vengeance can also be used to trigger Umbral Bind's pulling effect by blinking away from tethered targets. If you manage to pull two or more Heroes together, make sure to use the opportunity to repeatedly cast Fan of Knives.

The second and least common "hold" strategy involves actively not trying to trigger Umbral Bind's pull effect by remaining near tethered Heroes and preventing them from crossing the circle. Since Umbral Bind's tether has a duration of 2.5 seconds, during which the affected Heroes generally will not use their gap closers to escape for fear of being pulled, the Ability then acts as a form of pseudo crowd-control, holding targets in range of potential damage sources.

Outside of Hero combat, Umbral Bind is also serviceable as a waveclear tool; an entire Minion wave can be damaged by hitting the center-most Minion from above or below, much like Fan of Knives. Be mindful, however, of the Ability's relatively long cooldown, as Maiev's effectiveness depends on it.

Spirit of Vengeance (E) Maiev

• Mana: 50
• Cooldown: 13 seconds

Send a shadow of Maiev outward that will return to its cast location, dealing 150 (+4% per level) damage to enemies along both paths. If an enemy Hero is hit, reduce the cooldown by 4 seconds.

Spirit of Vengeance is Maiev's gap closer. It is most often used as a way of rapidly getting close to a target to hit them with Umbral Bind, as most players will generally run away from Maiev to avoid being hit. If you do manage to hit a Hero with Umbral Bind without using Spirit of Vengeance, this Ability can instead be used to very quickly trigger a pulling effect by casting Spirit of Vengeance in the appropriate direction.

As with most gap closers, Spirit of Vengeance can also be used to escape dangerous situations. It should be noted, however, that being Rooted, Silenced, or Stunned prevents Blink—the Ability that replaces Spirit of Vengeance—from being used. In general, Vault of the Wardens allows Maiev to use Spirit of Vengeance quite aggressively.

As with Maiev's other Basic Abilities, Spirit of Vengeance can be used as a mediocre waveclear tool, with the advantage of being relatively long-ranged. It also deals a reasonable amount of damage if it is allowed to hit the same target twice (once on the projectile's way out, and once on its way back). Simply remember not to use it as such if there is impending Hero combat.

In this section we discuss how this Heroic Ability works and give some tips on how to use it. If you are looking for a detailed explanation on when and why you should pick it, check out the dedicated section in the Talent Build page.

Containment Disc (R) Maiev

• Heroic
• Mana: 50
• Cooldown: 40 seconds

Throw a glaive in the target direction. If an enemy Hero is hit, Containment Disc can be reactivated to remove their vision and Time Stop them for 4 seconds. Leaving Containment Silences the enemy Hero for 1 seconds.

Containment Disc automatically activates 6 seconds after hitting a Hero.

Containment Disc is a unique Ability that is primarily used to instantly take specific Heroes out of the game for a lengthy time period, preventing them from using key Abilities. Containment Disc can be used at any enemy during a teamfights, as it will have great value on all of them. Squishy Heroes will be severely punished by the Silence, Tanks and Bruisers will lose all their momentum and peeling capabilities for 5.5 seconds, and Healers will not be able to protect their teammates as well. It can also be used for killing enemies separated from their team. It should be used at will, as the cooldown is very low.

Containment Disc is also an excellent tool for holding lone Heroes in place while your nearby teammates collapse on them. Containment Disc can be used in this manner to great effect during the rotational phases that many of the Maps call for, netting your team easy kills that would otherwise be very difficult to get. Containment Disc's crowd control effect can also allow you or your teammates to escape otherwise deadly situations.

Since Containment Disc's remaining duration is clearly indicated by an orange or purple bar (Color Blind Mode) found just above the crystal-like effect of the Ability itself, you or your teammates can prepare your Abilities for when Containment Disc is about to expire, as to follow up rightly. It is advised to use Umbral Bind just as Containment Disc's Silence is about to expire, to prevent your target from using Abilities that may help them escape.

It should be noted that Containment Disc is a skillshot and can therefore be avoided or otherwise missed, making it important to learn the projectile's speed. Furthermore, Containment Disc does not Time Stop its target on hit, and must be reactivated (through Contain) to take effect. If it is not reactivated within 6 seconds, it will activate on its own.

In this section we discuss how this Heroic Ability works and give some tips on how to use it. If you are looking for a detailed explanation on when and why you should pick it, check out the dedicated section in the Talent Build page.

Warden's Cage (R) Maiev

• Heroic
• Mana: 80
• Cooldown: 100 seconds

Summon 8 Warden Avatars as a cage around Maiev. After 1.5 seconds, enemy Heroes that come in contact with an Avatar consume it and are knocked to the center of the cage. Warden Avatars last 5 seconds.

Warden's Cage is Maiev's more combo-oriented Heroic Ability choice, and doubles as a way to hinder dive. Generally, Warden's Cage follows Maiev's typical Spirit of Vengeance plus Umbral Bind combo to lock down tethered Heroes for an extended period of time. Simply ensure that your allies are nearby and ready to follow up. Otherwise, it can be used following opposing initiation to make following up more difficult and creating some breathing room for whoever is being targeted.

The main thing to account for when casting Warden's Cage is it's relatively lengthy 1.5 seconds set up time, making it always beneficial to cast against opponents under the effects of Umbral Bind, crowd control, or currently fighting.

Vault of the Wardens (D) Maiev

• Cooldown: 13 seconds

Leap into the air, becoming Immune to all hostile effects for 0.75 seconds.

After reaching Level 20, Vault of the Wardens gains an additional charge.

A large part of Maiev's survivability can be attributed to Vault of the Wardens. With proper timing, it can be used to avoid a large number of dangerous Abilities, as it provides an instantaneous invulnerability effect on a very short cooldown. Its 0.75 seconds duration, however, makes developing quick reflexes and, more importantly, knowing what to avoid, essential to mastering Vault of the Warden. In general however, it can be used with some degree of success after initiating with Spirit of Vengeance and Umbral Bind, as this is where opponents are most likely to try and retaliate against you. It is worth noting that Vault of the Warden allows Maiev to pass through units for its duration, though not Structures nor terrain.