Kez stats, abilities and strategy
Flexible melee master with two sets of weapons and abilities
When it comes to strategy, Kez tends to wing it — he's able to swap on the fly between his katana and sai to slash, dash, swoop, and parry as the needs of the battlefield demand. But when he puts his mind to it, he can account for any eventuality, choosing the right tool to attack, escape or simply outwit his enemies with a little advance planning.
Win Rate 45.8%
Pick Rate 4.2%
Attributes
538 +61.6/lvl
315 +20.4/lvl
19 +2.8/lvl
27 +3.5/lvl
20 +1.7/lvl
Stats
Damage:
50 - 56 + 3.5/level (165 - 171 at level 30)
Range:
225
Armor:
5.5 + 0.6/level (24.8 at level 30)
Movement:
315
Roles
Carry
Durable
Nuker
Pusher
Support
Escape
Disabler
Initiator
Patch 7.38b
- Base Intelligence increased from 18 to 20
- Strength gain increased from 2.6 to 2.8
Patch 7.38
- Base Armor decreased by 1
- Base Agility increased from 26 to 27
- Base Movement Speed decreased from 320 to 315
- Removed Hero of the Flightless Facet
Facets
Flutter
Win Rate: 45.7%
Pick Rate: 62.3%
Kez deals extra damage on the first attack or ability after switching to Katana, and gains bonus movement speed after switching to Sai.
Patch 7.38
- Switch Discipline: Kez deals 12% more damage on the first attack or ability after switching to Katana, and gains 12% bonus movement speed for 2 seconds after switching to Sai
Shadowhawk
Win Rate: 45.9%
Pick Rate: 37.7%
Triggering a Shodo Sai Mark from invisibility deals bonus critical damage.
Patch 7.38b
- Now scales with ultimate abilities instead of Shodo Sai
- Shodo Sai: Invis Bonus Crit rescaled from 50% to 40/60/80/100%
Patch 7.38
- Shodo Sai: Triggering a Shodo Sai Mark from invisibility deals 50% more critical damage. When Kez triggers a Shodo Sai Mark, reduce the cooldown of both Shodo Sai and Kazurai Katana by 20/30/40/50%
Abilities
PASSIVE: No
Kez switches between his Kazurai Katana and Shodo Sai.
He gains different attack capabilities and abilities based on the weapon equipped. The abilities level up together, and when an ability is used, the associated alternate weapon ability also goes on cooldown.
Switch Discipline cooldown decreases by 0.2s per Hero level.
KATANA ATTACK RANGE: 225
KATANA BASE ATTACK TIME: 2
KATANA BONUS DAMAGE: 12%
KATANA SWAP BONUS DAMAGE: %
SAI ATTACK RANGE: 150
SAI BASE ATTACK TIME: 1.5
SAI SWAP MOVEMENT SPEED: %
SAI SWAP SPEED DURATION:
8
FACET: Flutter
Kez deals extra damage on the first attack or ability after switching to Katana, and gains bonus speed after switching to Sai.
Aghanim's Scepter
Casting any weapon ability refreshes the cooldown of Switch Discipline.
Casting a weapon ability that would set its alternate weapon ability on cooldown does not do so if it's the first one used within %scepter_cooldown_timer% seconds after casting Switch Discipline.
KATANA SWAP BONUS DAMAGE: %
SAI SWAP MOVEMENT SPEED: %
SAI SWAP SPEED DURATION:
Patch 7.38
- Katana Bonus Damage decreased from 20% to 12%
As former followers of the Shodo, the leaders of the Kazurai Order can switch effortlessly between twin disciplines of martial mastery over sai and blade.
Echo Slash
DAMAGE TYPE: Physical
PASSIVE: No
Kez slashes forward in a line with his Katana, attacking enemies in an area and applying a brief slow. After a short delay, the area is attacked again. Heroes take bonus damage.
Destroys trees. Doesn't apply Cleave.
ATTACK DAMAGE: 70% / 80% / 90% / 100%
BONUS HERO DAMAGE: 25 / 45 / 65 / 85
ATTACKS: 2
ECHO DELAY: 1.2
SLASH RADIUS: 200
DISTANCE: 800
MOVE SLOW: 100%
SLOW DURATION: 0.25
20 / 18 / 16 / 14
85 / 100 / 115 / 130
LEVEL 25 TALENT: +1 Echo Slash Attack
Kez and his master Kraw have worked tirelessly to train the Kazurai new ways to keep the flyers off balance by improving upon ancient techniques.
Grappling Claw
AFFECTS: Unit
PIERCES DEBUFF IMMUNITY: No
PASSIVE: No
Kez swings on a grappling hook towards the target unit or tree. When the grappling hook collides with the target, that unit has slowed movement speed until Kez arrives. Upon landing, he attacks with bonus lifesteal.
LIFESTEAL: 65% / 85% / 105% / 125%
MOVE SLOW: 80%
16 / 13 / 10 / 7
50
700 / 800 / 900 / 1000
Patch 7.38b
- Lifesteal increased from 50/75/100/125% to 65/85/105/125%
Patch 7.38
- No longer grants flat bonus hero lifesteal
- Lifesteal on attack rescaled from 100% to 50/75/100/125%
The Kazurai have the speed and reach to drag even the highest flyers from the skies.
Kazurai Katana
ABILITY: Passive
DAMAGE TYPE: Physical
PIERCES DEBUFF IMMUNITY: Yes
DISPELLABLE: Yes
DEBUFF [E]: Yes
Katana attacks and abilities apply a stacking damage over time to enemies that deals a percentage of the original attack's damage as additional damage over time. Affected enemies have non-stacking reduced health regeneration.
DURATION: 5 / 6 / 7 / 8
DAMAGE PER SECOND: 6% / 7% / 8% / 9%
REGEN REDUCTION: 20% / 25% / 30% / 35%
IMPALE DURATION:
STACKS AS BURST DAMAGE: %
200
FACET:
When Kez triggers a Shodo Sai Mark, reduce the cooldown of Kazurai Katana.
Aghanim's Shard
Kez may activate the ability to impale the target with his attack, briefly stunning himself and the target in place. The target's debuff bursts, removing it and causing the attack to deal bonus damage based on the stack amount.
LEVEL 20 TALENT: +5% Kazurai Katana Damage Per Second
Patch 7.38
- Aghanim's Shard Cast Range increased from 150 to 200
- Aghanim's Shard cooldown increased from 5s to 20/15/10/5s
To fight back against the reach of Imperia and her Queensguard, the Kazurai had to become skilled in the ways of attrition.
Raptor Dance
AFFECTS: Area
DAMAGE TYPE: Pure
PIERCES DEBUFF IMMUNITY: Yes
PASSIVE: No
Kez enters into an uncontrollable channel for %AbilityChannelTime% second, becoming invulnerable for %invuln_period%s and receiving a basic dispel, remaining immune to magic damage for the remainder of the channel and the duration of the slashes. If the channel completes successfully, Kez performs a series of deadly radial slashes around him that deal damage based on the max health of the target and heal Kez for a percentage of all damage dealt.
STRIKES: 2 / 3 / 4
RADIUS: 450
BASE DAMAGE: 75
MAX HEALTH AS DAMAGE: 4%
40 / 35 / 30
100 / 125 / 150
Patch 7.38b
- Invulnerability period increased from 0.1s to 0.2s
Patch 7.38
- Now follows global Lifesteal rules (as a result, gained creep penalty)
- No longer provides debuff immunity and a hard dispel
- Now provides a basic dispel and 0.1s invulnerability period on cast, and complete magic damage immunity for the duration
Unleash the inner fury of the Flightless to feast on the essence of your foes.
Falcon Rush
PASSIVE: No
DISPELLABLE: Yes
DEBUFF [E]: Yes
Kez gains the ability to rush towards enemy targets to deliver echoing secondary attacks. While in this state, Kez has phased collision and an attack rate that is less affected by attack speed.
DURATION: 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
RUSH RANGE: 525
EVASION: 0%
RUSH SPEED: 1000
KATANA BASE ATTACK RATE: 1.5 / 1.4 / 1.3 / 1.2
SAI BASE ATTACK RATE: 1.3 / 1.2 / 1.1 / 1
ATTACK SPEED FACTOR: 6% / 8% / 10% / 12%
CURRENT ATTACK RATE:
20 / 18 / 16 / 14
85 / 90 / 95 / 100
LEVEL 20 TALENT: +50% Falcon Rush Evasion
LEVEL 15 TALENT: +2s Falcon Rush Duration
Patch 7.38
- Can now change targets while rushing
- Rush Range decreased from 575 to 525
- Sai Base Attack Rate increased from 1.2/1.1/1.0/0.9s to 1.3/1.2/1.1/1s
- Katana Base Attack Rate increased from 1.4/1.3/1.2/1.1s to 1.5/1.4/1.3/1.2s
- Attack Speed Factor increased from 6/7/8/9% to 6/8/10/12%
An ancient Shodo technique used to hunt faster aerial foes, stealing the advantage and delivering multiple attacks within a single flap of their prey's panicking wings.
Talon Toss
AFFECTS: Unit and area
DAMAGE TYPE: Physical
PIERCES DEBUFF IMMUNITY: No
PASSIVE: No
Kez throws a Sai at the target unit. The Sai detonates when it hits, dealing damage and applying silence to all enemies in the area.
RADIUS: 275
DAMAGE: 75 / 125 / 175 / 225
SILENCE DURATION: 1.75 / 2 / 2.25 / 2.5
16 / 13 / 10 / 7
75
1200
Patch 7.38
- Now deals physical damage
The Shodo learned to rely upon distance and disorientation to survive against much stronger opposition.
Shodo Sai
PIERCES DEBUFF IMMUNITY: Yes
PASSIVE: No
DISPELLABLE: Strong Dispels Only
Kez's attacks and abilities with the Sai have a chance to Mark enemies. The next attack or ability damage from Kez gains True Strike and will stun the enemy and deal a critical strike, consuming the buff.
Kez may activate the ability to disarm himself, lock his facing, and parry attacks and attack effects from the targeted direction for 2 seconds. If an attack is parried from an enemy Hero in this way, that Hero is stunned and Marked, taking additional critical strike and stun when the debuff is triggered.
The sub-ability may be used to cancel the blocking early.
CHANCE TO MARK: 17%
MARKED DURATION: 8
MARKED CRITICAL STRIKE: 140% / 160% / 180% / 200%
MARKED STUN DURATION: 0.5
PARRY BONUS CRITICAL STRIKE: 25% / 50% / 75% / 100%
PARRY BONUS STUN DURATION: 0.5
20 / 15 / 10 / 5
30 / 20 / 10 / 0
FACET:
When Kez triggers a Shodo Sai Mark, reduce the cooldown of Shodo Sai.
LEVEL 25 TALENT: +100% Shodo Sai Mark Critical Strike
Patch 7.38b
- Can now block all physical attack sources (still can't Mark non-hero units)
Patch 7.38
- No longer slows Marked targets
- Aghanim's Shard no longer grants bonus movement speed
The Shodo may have lost their way, but Kez and the Kazurai can still use Shodo knowledge for the good of the people.
Raven's Veil
PIERCES DEBUFF IMMUNITY: Yes
PASSIVE: No
DISPELLABLE: Strong Dispels Only
DEBUFF [E]: Yes
Kez releases a wave of smoke that applies his Mark to nearby enemies, briefly reducing their vision. Kez receives a basic dispel and gains bonus movement speed and invisibility until he attacks or casts a spell.
WAVE RADIUS: 1500
WAVE SPEED: 1500
DURATION: 7 / 8 / 9
BLIND DURATION: 4
BONUS MOVEMENT SPEED: 15% / 25% / 35%
40 / 35 / 30
100 / 125 / 150
LEVEL 15 TALENT: Raven's Veil Mark Applies Parry Bonus
Eying either threat or opportunity, Shodo masters slip instantly into shadow to reset the terms of any engagement in their own favor.
Cancel
PASSIVE: No
Stop blocking physical attacks.
Talents
+1 Echo Slash Attack
+ 1.9 %
+100% Shodo Sai Mark Critical Strike
+50% Falcon Rush Evasion
+5% Kazurai Katana Damage Per Second
+ 4.6 %
Raven's Veil Mark Applies Parry Bonus
+ 4.7 %
+2s Falcon Rush Duration
+1.5 Mana Regen
+ 1.0 %
+12% Magic Resistance
Win Rate
Pick Rate
Patch 7.38c
- Level 25 Talent Shodo Sai Mark Critical Strike increased from +75% to +100%
Strategy
Rush {cornucopia} as early as possible when facing a difficult lane. Use it to get an early {battle-fury} and get consumables in the meantime to keep your HP and mana up.
Use Echo Slash to secure the ranged creep last hit.
Look to farm instead of fighting or rotating to acquire {battle-fury} as early as possible. Your farming speed goes up exponentially with it.
Plant {observer-ward} for yourself in the area you are farming to secure vision for yourself and your team.
Build items that give you tankiness such as {black-king-bar} or {sange-and-yasha}. These items provide good overall stats and durability with damage.
Raptor Dance applies a basic dispel on cast and gives you a minor invulnerability period alongside high magic resistance. Use it to get yourself out of roots or slows as well as dodge magic damage combos from enemy heroes while dealing massive AoE damage.
You can stop Teleports and channeled spells on enemy heroes by Marking them with Raven's Veil and then targeting them with an ability or right click.
Shodo Sai can be activated to stun enemy heroes while facing them when they are right clicking you. It can give you an initiation to follow up with Falcon Rush and the rest of your spells. Particularly useful against ranged heroes.
Counter Strategy
Look to disrupt Kez while he's jungling by placing deep {observer-ward} and smoking on him.
Kez is squishy early on and needs levels to ramp up in strength. Look to pressure him on early levels.
Kez has multiple mobility spells to close the gap on your or dodge spells. Be mindful of your positioning and spell casting.
Raptor Dance applies a basic dispel on cast and provides high magic resistance for the duration. Avoid wasting spells that might get dispelled or dodged.
Lore
"I was born with a price on my head. As I got better at causing trouble, that price went up. Every time Queen Imperia raised the bounty, I knew I must have done something right. I think that's the worst part about being gone so long in Icewrack... I've got to get that price back up to a respectable number."