How Ancient Apparition and Phantom Assassin perform as teammates in Dota 2 7.41e, from ranked matches.
In Dota 2 7.41e, Ancient Apparition and Phantom Assassin win 54.02% of ranked matches when playing on the same team, over 13,778 matches.
Getting a target low with Phantom Assassin often draws a reaction, but Ancient Apparition's Ice Blast can secure the kill from across the map even if they escape. This turns a successful gank into a confirmed takedown. PA’s initial burst from a Phantom Strike combo is frequently enough to bring a hero into shatter range for the ultimate. In lane or during ganks, a well-placed Cold Feet can also hold an enemy in place long enough for PA to close the distance and start hitting. The combination isn't about overwhelming burst, but rather about ensuring that PA's aggression pays off more consistently.
Throughout the game, this dynamic allows Phantom Assassin to take more aggressive farm and apply pressure, knowing a global assist is available. However, Ancient Apparition offers very little direct protection. If PA overcommits or gets chain-stunned, AA can't save her with a defensive spell. This puts the burden on the PA player to choose engagements wisely. Enemies will often try to bait out PA's jump and then collapse on her, knowing her backline support can't physically peel for her. The outcome often depends on whether PA can get her damage off before the enemy can retaliate.
How this pairing performs across skill brackets — the duo's team win rate in recent ranked matches, split by average match rank. Ranks with too few recent matches are omitted. These rows use the last 30 days of quality-filtered ranked matches, all patches in that span combined — a wider window than the patch-scoped count above, so the per-rank match totals can exceed it.
| Rank | Team win rate | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Herald & Guardian | 54.91% | 958 |
| Crusader & Archon | 54.14% | 2,257 |
| Legend & Ancient | 48.98% | 1,329 |
| Divine & Immortal | 50.43% | 232 |
This duo's team win rate in each recent balance patch — whether the pairing is trending up or down. Patches without enough matches are omitted.
| Patch | Team win rate | Change | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.41e | 54.02% | ▲ +1.4pp | 13,778 |
| 7.41d | 52.67% | ▲ +0.3pp | 144,217 |
| 7.41c | 52.39% | ▲ +1.6pp | 61,634 |
| 7.41b | 50.82% | — | 60,533 |
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Data updated Aug 17, 2026.