Kez Dota 2 Hero Build – Guide to play like pros in Dota 2 Update 7.39

Dota 2

May 31, 2025

Marcus Wong

Kez excels as a transforming Dota 2 carry hero, whose two contrasting weapon disciplines, the ‘Kazurai Katana’ and the ‘Shodo Sai’, grant him a mix of sustain, mobility, defense and incredible burst damage.

It’s baffling how a single hero can be everything all at once (he has eight different skills), which highlights how versatile and overpowered Kez is as a hero.

Kez Dota 2 Build (Image credit: Dota 2)

Kez Dota 2 Build and Gameplay Guide

Kez’s Skills

Unlike most Dota 2 heroes, Kez’s unique trait is that he has two different styles he can Switch Disciplines: Katana or Sai. With Katana, he delivers devastating cleaves and impales that shred through enemy lines. Whereas, with Sai, he becomes an agile jack-of-all-trades, who can parry attacks, dash between opponents, and apply powerful marks that stack before delivering explosive burst damage in rapid succession.

These traits allow Kez to lead the charge in the safe lane, slip away from ganks, and punish overextensions with precision.

Kez’s two disciplines: Katana and Sai (Image credit: Dota 2)

While Dota 2 patch 7.39 introduced major changes to the map, hero mechanics and neutral item changes, Kez’s core toolkit remains largely intact, albeit he suffered yet another nerf in this patch. This is the consecutive time he received a nerf back in December and another one much earlier.

On the bright side, his established skill builds and playstyle continue to be relevant. Carry players can leverage the same flexible play patterns, which is great in a patch, where most heroes are still experimental after their respective updates.

Kez Dota 2 Skill Build Guide

These skills are available when Kez is in his Katana discipline:

Echo Slash (Q) – This is Kez’s main damage-dealing skill, so prioritize maxing this first for absolute lane dominance. Its cleave damage and low cooldown let you farm creep waves safely and even threaten trades against other opponents.
Falcon Rush (W) – Second in priority, this offers mobility to gank, dodge incoming attacks, and even chase fleeing enemies. A maxed Rush further extends its range and damage ramp, making Kez a phenomenal ganker when he hits his level-6 timing as a mid pick.
Grappling Claw (E) – One point early grants a reliable stun and gap closer. You typically add more points later for more frequent lockdowns, but it remains lower priority than your two core DPS abilities since it’s plentifully reliable as is.
Raptor Dance (R) – Your ultimate, which you should upgrade whenever available at levels 6, 12, and 18. The invulnerability duration, magic immunity bursts, and survivability are crucial during high-stakes team fights. Kez strives in scenarios where he can outlast the opponents, after all, he does have the sustain to do so.

Meanwhile, these abilities are only available when Kez in in his Sai discipline, which he can ‘Switch Discipline’ as his innate ability:

Falcon Rush (Q) – This ability allows Kez to rush towards enemy targets to deliver echoing secondary attacks. While in this state, Kez has phased collision, slow resistance, and an attack rate that is less affected by attack speed.
Talon Toss (W) – Kez throws a Sai at the target unit, applying a damage attack and silence.
Shodo Sai (F) – As the name suggests, this is Kez’s primary ability in this form. Whereby, with the Sai, he has a chance to Mark enemies. The next attack or ability damage from Kez 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.
Raven’s Veil (R) – Lastly, this ability 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.

Kez’s skillset (Image credit: Dota 2)

Dota 2 Talent Tree Options for Kez

These are the talent tree options that have the highest pick rate and win rate to consider.

Level 10: +12% Magic Resistance to withstand heavy spell lineups.
Level 15: +2s Falcon Rush Duration for extended chases or escapes.
Level 20: +4% Kazurai Katana DPS to amplify your mid-game damage spikes.
Level 25: +1 Echo Slash Attack for that extra hit.

As for his facets; Flutter and Shadowhawk, one deals extra damage when switching disciplines while the latter triggers a Shodo Sai Mark from invisibility that deals bonus critical damage. It also increases Raven’s Veil invisibility duration. The Shadowhawk offers more value as a facet, which makes it better than the other.

Kez’s Dota 2 Item Build Guide

Kez can be played as a typical hard carry or mid pick, so a common Dota 2 item build should do the trick. It has the usual stats items, followed by BKB for fights, and eventually just maxing out damage items.

Your mid-game core items must include:

Power Treads: Swapable attributes and stats boost.
Falcon Blade: Mana sustain and DPS that fuels Sai rotations without running out of mana.
Aghanim’s Scepter: Refreshes your ultimate’s utility, letting you chain invulnerability bursts in prolonged fights.
Black King Bar: Essential for uninterrupted combo execution under enemy lockdown.

Then, when it’s late game territory, you can consider any item that can leverage on your Echo Slash’s multi-hit attacks, such as:

Daedalus: Crits amplify your Katana burst after Aghanim’s upgrades.
Eye of Skadi: Overall tankiness with stats and kiting power with slows.
Butterfly: Evasion against heavy physical damage lineups and additional agility stats.
Satanic: Lifesteal for clutch survivals during BKB windows.

Gameplay Tips & Playstyle for Kez

Thanks to Kez’s flexible skillset, there are many tasks you can do depending on the situation. With Katana form active, you may use Grappling Claw to initiate, then immediately follow with Echo Slash to maximize impale cleaves.

In Sai form, weave Falcon Rush into Talon Toss, use the dash to get into range, then mark enemies fast and detonate. It’s wise to activate your ultimate at the start of teamfights to absorb key spells and counter fights with your full DPS rotation back on cooldown. A skilled display of Kez’s skills is to anticipate incoming enemy attacks by switching to Sai mid-fight to parry critical attacks, then swap back for clean-up.

Since his introduction, Kez has become one of Dota 2’s most technically rewarding carries, and still is in Dota 2 Patch 7.39. By mastering the art of discipline swaps, sequencing your abilities for a wombo combo, and choosing the right item build, you can dominate the entire game from laning phase till the late game.