How Nyx Assassin and Shadow Shaman perform as teammates in Dota 2 7.41e, from ranked matches.
In Dota 2 7.41e, Nyx Assassin and Shadow Shaman win 53.20% of ranked matches when playing on the same team, over 8,855 matches.
Playing against this duo feels like you're constantly looking over your shoulder. Nyx Assassin excels at finding isolated targets, and his Impale provides the perfect setup for Shadow Shaman to follow up. Once the stun lands, Shaman can easily land a full duration Shackles or a Hex, locking a single hero down for an exceptionally long time. This guarantees kills on most heroes, especially if Shadow Shaman also has Serpent Wards available to add damage. The chain of control is simple but very effective at creating man-advantage situations across the map.
This pick-off potential defines the mid-game. Nyx Assassin can roam ahead and scout, creating openings for Shadow Shaman to join for a gank. It forces opponents to play closer together and invest more in vision to avoid getting caught. The reason this combo isn't overwhelming is that both heroes are vulnerable if their initial burst is survived or turned. A well-timed save from a support can leave both Nyx and Shaman out of position. They rely on getting the jump, and can be punished by teams that force fights head-on instead of letting themselves get separated.
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 | 56.83% | 505 |
| Crusader & Archon | 52.98% | 1,378 |
| Legend & Ancient | 53.06% | 1,227 |
| Divine & Immortal | 53.55% | 366 |
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 | 53.20% | ▲ +0.3pp | 8,855 |
| 7.41d | 52.89% | ▼ -0.0pp | 106,692 |
| 7.41c | 52.91% | ▲ +0.5pp | 43,949 |
| 7.41b | 52.40% | — | 45,509 |
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Data updated Aug 17, 2026.