Riki

A 56.0% win rate at mid is one of the strongest numbers anywhere in the current patch, and it's a sharp jump above Riki's more traditional 51.4% carry number — permanent invisibility from level 1 gives a mid Riki an entirely different kind of lane presence than most heroes ever get to experience. The read most new players miss is that Cloak and Dagger's backstab bonus damage applies on every attack made from invisibility, not just the first, so repositioning between attacks to stay hidden is worth the effort even mid-fight. Below is the current 7.41e patch, the build that leans into the permanent-stealth identity, and the picks that make it much harder to use.

Role and Position Riki Plays

Riki splits mainly between carry (42.2%) and mid (32.0%), with mid carrying the notably higher win rate at 56.0%.

When to pick Riki:

• your team wants a hero with permanent invisibility, threatening kills and safe farming from level 1 onward;
• the draft benefits from Smoke Screen's high miss chance, shutting down enemy right-click damage in fights;
• the game plan rewards aggressive picking and roaming over straightforward teamfight presence.

When to skip him:

• the enemy has strong detection that removes his invisibility advantage;
• the team needs a hero with more direct teamfight AoE than a stealth-based single-target kit provides;
• the map favors grouped 5v5 fights over picking off isolated targets.

Riki's Strengths

• Cloak and Dagger grants permanent invisibility from level 1 along with bonus backstab damage on attacks made while hidden;
• Smoke Screen applies a heavy miss chance to enemies in an area, neutralizing right-click damage during a fight;
• Blink Strike provides a short-range blink-and-attack, useful for both engaging and repositioning while staying hidden;
• Tricks of the Trade channels rapid, fixed-damage attacks on random nearby enemies while Riki is phased out and untargetable;
• Permanent stealth makes Riki one of the safest heroes to farm and rotate with, especially without dedicated detection.

Riki's Weaknesses

• detection items and abilities remove his invisibility advantage entirely, exposing his relatively fragile frame;
• Tricks of the Trade's channel leaves Riki stationary, and while untargetable, doesn't stop area effects from landing nearby;
• relatively low base damage output without the backstab bonus from Cloak and Dagger;
• Smoke Screen's miss chance doesn't stop spells, so caster-heavy enemies can still fight through it;
• value depends heavily on staying unseen — a Riki who's been revealed loses much of what makes him dangerous.

Riki's Abilities

Cloak and Dagger (innate, passive) — grants Riki permanent invisibility when not attacking or using items, and adds bonus backstab damage to attacks made while invisible.

Smoke Screen (Q) — creates a cloud that damages enemies over time and applies a heavy miss chance, disabling active item use except for a few specific exceptions.

Blink Strike (W) — blinks to a target unit and attacks it, useful for repositioning, engaging, or escaping without breaking stealth for long.

Tricks of the Trade (ultimate) — channels while phased out of the world, periodically striking random nearby enemies with fixed physical damage while Riki remains untargetable.

Build, Items, and Strategies

Skill order: start Blink Strike for lane mobility and damage, take an early Smoke Screen for engage safety, and prioritize Tricks of the Trade at every level it's available.

Talents: the level 15 pick adding a percentage of Riki's base damage to Tricks of the Trade rewards a build that stacks raw attack damage alongside the ultimate's fixed numbers.

Starting items: Quelling Blade, a stack of regen, and enough sustain to farm efficiently while staying unseen.

Farming build — the default path: a fast-farming item into core damage items, since Cloak and Dagger's backstab bonus scales well with overall attack power.

Aggressive mid build — when played mid: prioritize items that boost early damage output, capitalizing on the faster level curve and permanent stealth from level 1.

Reactive items: a dispel or escape item for the rare moments detection reveals Riki unexpectedly.

Pro tip: reposition between attacks during a fight to stay invisible as often as possible — Cloak and Dagger's backstab bonus applies every time Riki attacks from stealth, not just the opening hit.

Footnote: exact item order flexes around whether Riki is played as a farming carry or a faster-scaling, more aggressive mid.

Timings, Roshan, and Power Spikes

0–10 minutes: farm safely with permanent invisibility, using Blink Strike for efficient last hits and lane trades.

10–20 minutes: first power spike — Tricks of the Trade online turns Riki into a genuine pick-off and teamfight threat.

20–35 minutes: second power spike — with a core damage item, Cloak and Dagger's backstab bonus and Tricks of the Trade's damage both scale up significantly.

Roshan window: permanent invisibility lets Riki scout and even solo Roshan more safely than most carries can attempt.

35+ minutes: hunt for isolated targets using Cloak and Dagger's stealth advantage rather than committing to grouped fights unnecessarily.

Footnote: these timings shift earlier when played mid, since the faster level curve and permanent stealth from level 1 both accelerate Riki's overall impact.

Riki Counters

Any hero or item with reliable detection is a strong answer: Sentry Wards and Gem of True Sight both remove Riki's entire stealth advantage.

— Bounty Hunter: Track reveals Riki's location and gold, undermining his ability to operate unseen.

— Bloodseeker: Thirst provides true sight on low-health enemies, indirectly revealing an approaching Riki.

— Any hero with strong burst damage: since Riki is fragile once revealed, a well-timed combo punishes a failed engage hard.

— Slardar: innate true sight and Amplify Damage both directly counter Riki's stealth-based playstyle.

Where Riki is strong on his own: against drafts with limited detection, where Cloak and Dagger's invisibility goes largely uncontested through the mid-game.

Footnote: detection is by far the most effective answer here — a Riki who can't reliably stay hidden loses most of his kill pressure and safety.

Synergies with Other Heroes

— Any hero who benefits from cross-map roaming pressure: Riki's permanent stealth supports constant, unseen ganks.

— Any hero with strong follow-up burst: a target caught by Riki's backstab is a softened target for teammates to finish.

— Enigma: Black Hole guarantees an isolated target stays in place long enough for Riki to land a full damage sequence.

— Any hero relying on jungle stacking: Riki's safety while invisible helps him farm and scout stacked camps efficiently.

— Tidehunter: Ravage groups enemies together, letting Tricks of the Trade's random strikes hit multiple targets more reliably.

These pairings work best around converting Riki's stealth advantage into a clean kill before the target can call for detection support.

What Experienced Riki Players Do

• reposition between attacks to maximize time spent invisible and stacking backstab bonuses;
• track enemy detection items and cooldowns closely before committing to an ambush;
• use Smoke Screen to neutralize a fight's right-click damage rather than only as an engage tool;
• prioritize isolated, squishy targets over grouped fights where the stealth advantage matters less;
• farm efficiently between ganks, using permanent invisibility to avoid unnecessary risk.

Insider insight: the real skill on Riki is treating invisibility as a resource to protect, not a permanent state to take for granted — active positioning to avoid detection and stay hidden between attacks makes the difference between a safe carry and an easy kill.

Conclusion

Riki rewards a player who thinks about visibility as a constant, active concern — Cloak and Dagger's permanent stealth is only as strong as the enemy's ability to detect it, and repositioning between attacks to stay hidden compounds real value over a fight. He performs notably better at mid than his more common carry role, but detection remains the single most reliable answer to his entire kit. Pick him against low-detection lineups; be cautious against drafts stacked with Sentry Wards, Gems, or innate true sight.