Cassia Build Guide to Carrying [Buffs ---> Nerfs] by LPhure

Cassia Build Guide to Carrying [Buffs ---> Nerfs]

By: LPhure
Last Updated: Sep 19, 2020
20 Votes
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Cassia

Build: Scroll down for builds

Level 1
Level 4
Level 7
Level 10
Level 13
Level 16
Level 20

Threats to Cassia with this build

Threat
Low
High
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Threat Hero Notes
1
 Chromie Glass cannon Chromie. Just walk up on her
2
   No Threat
3
 Valla Cass has better damage. Impale is useful for catching Valla after Vault
3
 Sgt. Hammer Poke Hammer with Q's. Blind her in fights. Cass can match her split pushing but you have to get really aggressive to stop her push so try to do it safely. She will blast you away almost immediately if you go in on her.
3
 Tracer Keep trading damage with Tracer and she'll lose. Cass has better damage, sustain, and defense in Avoidance. Don't need BL to kill and Fend only rarely do you need as a finisher after her Recall + Blink. Land Qs
3
 Fenix Main focus is to constantly poke Fenix and do not let his shield regenerate. Salvo is weak to Avoidance. Keep running in his direction when he Warps to land Fend. Dive him during either of his R or if he stands too far from team.
3
 Illidan All his damage is tied to his AA so maintaining Avoidance is important. Save your blind to blind this blind dude when he starts to party. You will deny him both damage and self-sustain. You can cast Blind early while getting Hunted to have it land on him when the stun connects
4
 Samuro Focus on keeping Avoidance so he doesn't get free damage off of his clone combo. You can blind all 3 copies of him and hit SoL for ez damage. Tricky to poke him out of Wind Walk. Never use BL while he can drop clones or while clones are present.
4
 Sonya If you survive her Leap engage, which you should, throw the Ball and let it go to work. If she doesn't have leap........KEKW. Poke her while she's spinning on the wave and deny her free healing.
4
 Greymane Always save Blinding Light for when Grey jumps in. Don't stand behind Cocktail targets and out-poke him. Drop the Ball if he jumps you, just remember Eyes in the Dark screws up the Ball.
4
 Raynor New Avoidance now mitigates Pepper PogU. Ray Q is pretty good at stopping Fend. Poke him down and he'll be become unwilling to play aggressive when his sustain (E) is on CD.
4
 The Butcher Blind counters Butch engage and denies his Brand sustain. Drop it on him right before his charge hits. Also drop the Ball at the same time.
5
 Orphea Closing the distance is key to winning against Orphea. If she starts to Waltz around you'll be in trouble. Keep her within your AA range and burst her down quick before she can heal off of her passive. If you keep moving, you can't cleanly be hit by her ult.
5
 Abathur Abby hat makes everyone much harder to kill. He gives the enemy team a slight advantage to any even fight like 2v2s. Mines make travelling around the map difficult and dangerous for Cassia to get caught
5
 Garrosh Easy to poke. Easy to get tossed and taunted. Titan's Revenge.
5
 Mal'Ganis MG is op because of his trait sustain and armour giving talents. He gets less healing off Cassia bc Avoidance and Titan's Revenge will piece all of his armour. It's hard to not drop BL before his bats but it might be necessary to force.
5
 Li-Ming Close the gap on Mings before your hp gets too low, otherwise you're screwed. 1v1 you're stronger (burst cassia) post 7, unless you get poked down by her which is what she is always trying to do.
5
 Chen Barrel is really good against Cassia to get her out of position and once that happens you'll be looking to cut your losses. Hard to peel away from a Chen with his constant Qs. His self-shielding and Evasion (7) is a nice defense against all of Cassia's damage
5
 Deathwing You will never get Martial Law's 3% proc.Drop the Ball on him if he commits. If you can stay alive you will get infinite Ball Lightning Value because he can not get away. While diving, watch out for his Fear and Stun.
5
 Auriel Blind (13) and her knockback(E) are decent soft counters to Cassia. Aegis(10) straight up kills BL. Shield(20) delays the death of her teammates, forcing you to produce another round of damage to finish them off, maybe save Ball Lightning for that?
5
 D.Va Boosters(Q) will be used to cancel Fend fairly frequently. The best thing she has against Cassia is her AOE debuff(W) which can nullify both Fend and BL damage. *NOT UPDATED SINCE REWORK BUT BUNNY HOP SEEMS REALLY GOOD VS CASS*
5
 Kel'Thuzad Don't get hit by Chains and you're fine. Attack while it's on CD
6
   No Threat
7
   No Threat
8
 Artanis Hard to win 1v1 late game. Damage is just not quite high enough to overcome his shield without an active Ball Lightning
8
 Diablo Never go first against Diablo. Don't Fend or try for your combo until he burns his Charge and Overpower. At 16 he'll have access to a second Charge or Overpower and it'll be very hard to combo anyone on his team. He can peel you so easily too. His damage alone won't kill you.
8
 Blaze Meltdown(4) and Suppressive Flame (13) are very strong against Cassia. Juggernaut Plating (16) keeps him alive through your damage. Bunker fucks up Ball Lightning if enemies get in. His Charge (E) stun + Combustion(10) damage and slow combo is a strong engage on Cass. Hit Rockstopper beforehand if you can.
8
 E.T.C. Hard to commit against an ETC. He can keep you away with his E and trap you with his Q. You don't have any way to stop Mosh Pit unless you take Valkyrie and if you take Valkyrie well then you better have someone on your team to hyper carry a Cassia that took Valkyrie.
8
 Arthas Arthas is a good wall between you and your target. AOE slow and attack speed debuff(E) that can root after 16 keeps you at a distance. His W root can catch you out of position. He's also got good sustain (10) and defensive options (Armour at 7 and Spell Immune at 20).
8
 Johanna You can't run past a Joh to get at the backline unless she lets you. Blessed Shield is really strong at stopping Cass. Back up and put pressure on her when she tries to run up with W
8
 Kael'thas It's a war of attrition when it comes to trading damage with KT. War Matron can save you from some of his burst. Just don't Fend in right away because he will immediately hit you with an ez Gravity Lapse.
8
 Hanzo Hanzo's reach makes him hard to kill. Good poke damage with his Q build. Expect his big arrow to stop your dive. If you can make a beeline straight to him, he's easy to kill. You can also abuse the Fend glitch to chase him around terrain if he jumps over something
8
 Whitemane Big burst healing capabilities and 40% armour Aegis(10) is hard to overcome with Cassia's damage. Inquisition (W) + Subjugation(13) is a nice counter to a Cassia Fend/Dive combo
8
 Lt. Morales You can't beat medic heals. Grenade is a nice interrupt to Fend. Medic's close proximity to her healing target will split the damage of BL. Focus medic, poke her with Q, and combo her dead because you will never be able to kill anyone else on the enemy team until she dies.
8
 Zarya Zarya shielding is top tier and difficult to get through. Once you commit it's very hard to stop and run away if Zarya is there to deny you with her shields. Q build Zarya can also be decent poke damage while both her 10s can zone you away from your kill.
8
 Uther Uther is not going to kill you but he will absolutely get you killed. Fend will be met with a stun in your face (E) or Stun Lock (E + Benediction(16) + DStorm). He can blow cooldowns to deny a kill with his burst healing. He can also tank a lot of poke damage in general and with his Q.
8
 Nazeebo Spider build + Spirit(10) + Ice Block/Superstiion(13) = tough matchup. If a Naz doesn't build like this, then you should win. Toads are easy to dodge for Cassia because you are always moving, just don't be stupid and Fend upfront if he's purposely holding an E. Hard to proc Superstition given Cassia's shorter AA range and he always has it. Gargantuan(10) is whatever just don't stand on top of it, but Spirit(10) will force one of you to die.
8
 Valeera After the rework, Cassia has more options available to counter Vale. War Matron(13), Inner Light(4), and Rockstopper(20) all help you stay alive after Vale's 2.5s Silence. You can hit Rockstopper early if you see her coming, but definitely FEND as soon as the Silence is over and get War Matron. Until you have all these defensive options available, you have to play safe when alone. Ball Lightning has no value against stealth.
9
   No Threat
10
 Medivh He can deny kills really easily and port allies out of danger. Good poke. Both ults are strong at stopping Cass. Don't hard commit to kills with Medivh around and sit back a little more.
10
 Brightwing Polymorph(W), Pixie Dust(E), and Wind(10) are strong against and easily stop Cassia's combo. Can't hard commit against a BW.
10
 Jaina J has great burst and her slow will get you killed. You must sidestep Ring(10) and Blizzards(W) to live. Water Elemental(10) is also annoyingly effective and must be killed quickly. Ice Block(Trait) is a strong counter to BL and Fend. You're gonna be relying on Q to poke Jaina down and finish her off so I hope you're accurate.
10
 Deckard Everything Cain has counters Cassia. Pots, Ruby(4), a ranged slow, AOE root, big AOE sleep and a stun(16) are all very strong against Cassia. Walking on a Super Potion(13) completely ends your damage endeavors, and Bottomless Flasks makes everyone nearly unkillable for Cassia when used properly. Take advantage of his lengthy CDs and commit after he Books(10)
10
 Imperius Better 1v1 self healing (E) and shield (10). Slow (W) and Stun (Q) combo is strong cc against Cassia. Imperius can take a lot of abuse late and it'll be difficult to get damage on him without always being inside of his range. He's a damage monster with Burn the Impure(1) + Brand of the Solarion (20). Can never win a 1v1
10
 Zeratul Zera gets a lot of free damage and if you try to get the jump on him, his mobility is too good. He can't be locked down and killed without the help of the team. Ball Lightning has little to no value against him. Trying to break his stealth is either really hard with Q or not worth it (W).

Cassia

Build: scroll down

Level 1
Level 4
Level 7
Level 10
Level 13
Level 16
Level 20

Talent Builds Top

*Talent builder is bugged so the build is down here...:uthermeh:


Hi everyone! What did I miss?



Quoted:

Cassia Patch notes
Talent changes since rework buffs
Talents:
Level 16
Power Strike [Q]
Additional functionality: Heroes hit by Lightning Fury reduce its cooldown by 1 second.

Really nice buff making Power Strike a realistic alternative to Static Electricity for the Q throwing maniacs.

Level 7
Surge of Light [Active]
Damage reduced from (300) to 240 (since rework)
Damage taken amount required to activate increased from 500 to 650.
Developer Comment: "Surge of Light continues to dominate Cassia's Level 7 talents, and has become a prime reason to take the hero..."
SoL is a fourth ability of course it's going to dominate a talent tier and nerfing the damage doesn't change that fact. Oh, and yeah, we only play Cassia because of a level 7 active talent lmaooo

The devs are trying so hard to nerf SoL into balance instead of having to again rework/re-order the level 7 talent tier. I would not be surprised if they continue to be unhappy with the data and move SoL up to level 13 or 16 and if that happens...yikes.

Level 1
Charged Strikes [Passive]
Bonus Attack Speed reduced from 20% to 15%.
Bonus Basic Attack damage reduced from 20% to 15%.
Straight nerf to AA build.
Level 4
Plate of the Whale [Trait]
Bonus Health Regeneration reduced from 7 to 6.
Bonus Health Regeneration when fully charged reduced from 14 to 12.
Nerfing the inferior sustainability option at 4... LULW

Build #1 Hyper Carry: 1,3,3,1,1,2,4



Basic Combo
Lightning Fury > Ball Lightning > Blinding Light > Surge of Light > Fend > Lightning Fury

Go toe-to-toe with any assassin, Big 1v5 potential; Super aggressive playstyle


- Alternative 1: Impale is not only a very strong finisher to combo with cc, but also a great gap closer for those slippery heroes. Yes! Cassia can now catch more heroes she couldn't before! Teleport Shadow Waltz Vault

- Thunderstroke is so strong against mages and squishies right now

- ALWAYS FULL CHANNEL FEND FOR War Matron. Being Protected during and 1 second after is extremely necessary to stay alive in the middle of a team fight.
- Inner Light How can you say no to a 25% heal
- Static Electricity lightning bolts will proc Inner Light CDR
- Rockstopper for diving or when getting focused.


- Sustain Combo: Inner Light > Lightning Fury > Fend > Inner Light (Aim for max Lightning bolt procs with Fend for max CDR) and keep an eye on it mid-fight

- Static Electricity Become a spear throwing machine with 4 charges. After 16, just focus on poking the backline
- Static Electricity helps a lot with taking camps. Pretty easy to solo now with Blind + SoL + a million Qs

The goal of this build is to target and kill backline assassins. Poke them down with Lightning Fury and once they're low, burst them with a combination of Ball Lightning, Fend, and Surge of Light. The new changes to Inner Light can keep Cassia healthy and Avoidance allows her to get into the backline without sustaining too much damage. The problem this build has is overcoming additional enemy healing on the target, or if the target has some form of self-healing or shielding (This is reflected in the Threats section above). You have to commit to get kills but if your damage is not enough because of enemy healing, sustain, or shielding then you'll end up feeding a bunch of deaths.

Secret Build #1.5 Power Strike Lightning God



Build #1 but take Power Strike at 16 and follow these two steps
Step 1: Stack 2 marks with Power Strike
Step 2: Proc 3rd mark and start combo
Combo: Ball Lightning > Surge of Light > Lightning Fury > AA (maintain distance for BL) > Blinding Light (re-blind) > Fend > Lightning Fury > Second Ball Lightning ( Infinite Lightning)
Insane Ball Lightning damage and value by keeping the enemy blinded and the ball bouncing
Higher quality


Build #2 Basic Attacks: 3,3,1,1,3,3,3

Destroy Tanks and Bruisers; sit-back and get your damage playstyle



- Martial Law's 3% increase it not further increased by 20% from Blinding Light nor does the increase to 3% affect any healing from Ring of the Leech
- Super strong late game at 16 and 20. Her AA damage shreds Tanks and Bruisers
- Inner Light is much better than Ring of the Leech. The 25% heal is so good it transcends any specific build synergy.
- Grounding Rod is necessary to proc Martial Law. If you don't take one, don't take the other.


This build capitalizes on having a strong basic attack, which is good, but in order to get damage you need to continue attacking over a period of time. Because your damage comes from attacking over a period of time, you need to be alive and within range to continue doing that damage. By not having any mobility, don't be surprised if you get jumped aggressively while trying to get your AA damage by heroes like Imperius E.T.C. Orphea Li-Ming

Hero and Ability Breakdown Top

Cassia - Amazon Warmatron

Cassia Hero Spotlight
-Cassia has no natural mobility or cc. A simple slow can lead to Cassia getting caught, which is why positioning is the key to success for playing Cass. ^In ranked, people understand this fact and will exploit it heavily

- Cassia is mana efficient. If you find yourself constantly thirsty for mana, you're probably using Blinding Light too much.

- Blinding Light + Fend is Cassia's bread and butter burst combo used for securing kills

- Cassia fits as a late-game hero capable of big burst damage, or helpful AA damage. She does an adequate job at countering all-in AA heroes like Illidan or The Butcher with her ability to drop blinds.

Cassia is a late game hero. Weak pre 10, stronger at 13, power spike at 16


Avoidance

HotS Guide to Stutter Stepping
- You absolutely need to be profcient in stutter-stepping until it's as natural as breathing! If you aren't stutter-stepping during fights you'll be destroyed by AA attackers
- Avoidance makes Cassia "deceptively tanky". 65% 40% 30% mitigation against basic attacks means Cassia can withstand some poke damage.

Lightning Fury

- Lightning Fury splits perpendicularly which can allow you to hit targets that would otherwise be impossible to hit (much like Gilnean Cocktail). Learn its trajectory and practice throwing it at minions, and structures to reach targets behind them.
- Lightning Fury comes out slow relative to other skill shots, Snipe for example. Get comfortable with its speed and trajectory

Blinding Light

- 15s cooldown; Be selective and conservative in it's use
- Can be used to deny damage from heroes whose damage comes from auto attacking The Butcher Imperius
- Can reveal stealth, proc Spell Shield, and stop regenerative abilities Shield Capacitor

Fend

- Be patient and wait until your opponent burns their mobility before going in (ex: Teleport, Vault, Run and Gun)
- Very strong when paired with allied hard cc to keep the target in the Fend area

Ball Lightning

- Always take if the team needs increased damage output
- Look to maximize its damage. Don't throw it if a second bounce isn't guaranteed.
- I recommend throwing it early once a team fight is initiated or if you're dived on.
- Keep an eye on it and dance within its bounce range to keep it up or transfer it between enemies.
- The Ball prioritizes enemies over Cassia
- ^Ball Lighting will **** its pants when interacting with heroes who can stealth themselves Samuro, Valeera, Greymane's Eyes in the Dark or against those who can be put into an untargetable state ( Ice Block, Void Prison, Bunker Drop). IT WILL JUST DISAPPEAR!

Valkyrie

- Great for pulling backline heroes
- Synergizes very well with cc abilities such as Entangling Roots
- Preps enemies to be hit by Blinding Light + Fend
- The way enemies grabbed by Valkyrie collide with terrain and fall out of the Valkyrie's grab is so ridiculous that I can never recommend taking this heroic except for very specific circumstances and 4 fun

Archive Top

Cassia's first buff after rework

Old Rework tips/changes


Old Fast Travel and Guide Changes

Old Builds1 Top

Spoiler: Click to view

Old Builds2 Top

Spoiler: Click to view

Old builds3 Top

Spoiler: Click to view

True Sight/Burst Build Top

As of Patch 27.5, True Sight has been removed from Cassia's talent list.

Click for immediate nostalgia

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