Dota 2 · Phantom Assassin · Stifling Dagger
Phantom Assassin Dagger damage: base damage, attack scaling and procs
On this page
Stifling Dagger combines a base amount with a percentage of Phantom Assassin’s attack damage, deals physical damage and applies attack effects. It is not a fixed-damage projectile independent of her attacks.
What to do next ↓ · Find the failure cause ↓Mechanics source checked October 17, 2026 · Not match-tested · Practical recommendations are editorial, not guaranteed outcomes.
Identify this ability in your client: Stifling Dagger. Icon © Valve. Official Phantom Assassin page.
To understand a surprising hit, separate the formula from the attack effects and the target’s defenses. Looking only at the base spell number misses most of what the description is telling you.
What to do, in order
- Read the learned Dagger level’s base damage and attack-damage percentage.
- Use the attack-damage value relevant to the current situation rather than a number remembered before buffs changed.
- Treat the formula as damage before the target’s applicable defenses, not a promise of health removed.
- When a proc occurs, distinguish it from the basic formula. Chance-based attack effects remain chance-based.
- Check whether the slow actually applied separately from whether damage landed; the official notes distinguish those components against magic immunity.
Match the symptom to the cause
The damage changed without leveling Dagger
Its attack-damage scaling means a changed attack value can change the projectile’s damage.
A chance-based effect did not happen on one cast
Valve notes that chance-based effects retain their application chance. Applying attack effects is not a guarantee that every proc occurs.
It damaged a target but did not slow it
The official notes state that magic-immune enemies are not affected by the slow. Do not infer one component from another.
See the ability in the game
Apply it to one concrete situation
For an illustrative 200 attack damage at level 1, the basic formula is 65 + 0.30 × 200 = 125 physical damage before applicable defenses and additional attack effects. The 200 is a hypothetical input, not a recommended build or a measured damage result.
Current base tooltip values
Values below are the unmodified fields in Valve’s dated English ability data. Slash-separated entries are listed level values, not a recommended skill build. Read the field label: damage, range, duration and percentages have different meanings. Upgrades and modifiers can change your client’s values.
| Tooltip field | Listed base value(s) |
|---|---|
| Mana cost | 30 |
| Cooldown (seconds) | 6 |
| MOVE SLOW | -50% |
| SLOW DURATION | 2.1 / 2.4 / 2.7 / 3 |
| BASE DAMAGE | 65 / 70 / 75 / 80 |
| ATTACK DAMAGE | 30 / 45 / 60 / 75% |
Limits that matter
This is not a complete critical-strike or item-proc simulator. Attack effects, target defenses and upgrades can change the final outcome; do not label the worked example as guaranteed HP loss.
Related questions
Does Dagger give any vision?
Valve notes that it grants vision around its location while traveling and on impact. That is not a permanent reveal claim.
Are all four levels the same scaling?
No. Base scaling is 30/45/60/75% alongside base damage of 65/70/75/80.
Sources and review date
Valve’s English Phantom Assassin ability data, retrieved October 17, 2026, supplies the mechanics and numeric fields used here. Valve’s official hero page supplies the ability identity and official presentation. Our diagnostic sequence and worked situations are independently written explanations, not copied match reports. No ranked win-rate, personal playtest or current item-build claim is made.