Early Stage (Levels 1–6)
Start in Human form and treat the first wave like a poke contest. Land Neurotoxin on anything with high current health, then auto-attack to chip further. Do not switch to Spider form immediately; save the cooldown until you see a clear all-in angle or need to dodge a key skill with Rappel. Your early damage is deceptively high, but you are squishy and lack sustain until you get a few points in Rampant Growth.
Position near the front but off to the side, making it harder for enemies to target you through minions. Use Snowball to close the gap on overextended squishies. If you land the mark, you can often burst them from 70% to zero by going Human Q → Snowball in → W → auto → R → Spider Q → W → Ignite. If you miss Snowball, back off and reset the rhythm. Do not force the dive if their cooldowns are up.
Push the first wave hard to get level 2 first. If you hit the spike before the enemy, look for an immediate all-in on the closest target. If you are pushed back, stall under tower and use Volatile Spiderling to clear ranged minions. If you get ahead early, zone them off the health relics. If you fall behind, play for the cocoon catch and let your team follow up.
Augments that boost poke or execute damage are ideal here. If you get a sustain augment, play more aggressively in Spider form after a successful trade. If you get a defensive augment, use it to survive the burst when you dive. Next move: secure the first health relic, look for a cocoon pick, and prepare for the first team fight.
Mid Stage (Levels 7–11)
Your burst window peaks here. You can delete most non-tanks with a full Human-to-Spider rotation. Position aggressively but with an escape plan. Use the side brushes to angle Cocoon around minions. A single stun on a carry often results in a kill if your team follows. Do not fish for cocoons constantly; the cooldown is long, and missing leaves you vulnerable to a counter-engage.
Trading rhythm shifts to burst-and-reset. Poke with Human Q and W, then back off. When you see a target around 60% health or lower, that is your signal. Land the cocoon, dump the rest of your Human kit, go Spider, and use W for the attack speed boost. Use Snowball to gap-close if the cocoon lands at max range, or save it to chase after they flash. Rappel is your primary survival tool; do not waste it for damage unless you are sure the target dies.
Push with your team when you have numbers or cooldown advantage. Stall if the enemy has strong wave clear or if your cocoon is down. If you are ahead, force fights around their tower, dive low-health targets, and reset before they can collapse. If you are behind, peel for your own carries. Use cocoon on the enemy diver, then Spider Q to execute a low-health threat if safe.
Augments that add mobility, penetration, or on-hit effects scale your dive potential. If you picked a defensive augment earlier, use it to initiate fights by soaking the first burst, then rappel out. Next move: group for the objective, look for the cocoon pick that starts a winning fight, and track enemy cooldowns before diving.
Late Stage (Levels 12+)
Tanks and bruisers become harder to kill. Your role shifts from primary assassin to opportunistic finisher and catch tool. Position behind your frontline or in fog of war. Do not walk up to poke unless it is safe; one catch on you can lose the game. Save cocoon for the highest-priority target that is actually reachable. Stunning a tank often wastes the cooldown.
Trading is now about patience. Let your team poke and chip. When a priority target drops below 50%, look for the angle. Snowball becomes a crucial setup tool; land it on a softened target, go in, and burst. Immediately look to Rappel to a minion, ally, or neutral target to escape the retaliation. If you stay on the ground after a dive, you will likely die.
Push as a unit. Do not split off to side lanes. Your wave clear is decent but not fast enough to solo push against a competent enemy. Stall if the enemy has a lead; wait for them to overextend or make a positioning error. If you are ahead, force the issue. Use cocoon to catch someone out of position, win the 4v5, and take towers or finish the game.
Augments that offer execute scaling, survivability, or cooldown reduction help you stay relevant. If you have a revive or shield augment, you can play more aggressively as the reset buffer. If you have damage-only augments, play like a pure assassin: go in only when the kill is guaranteed and your exit is planned. Next move: track the enemy carry’s position, wait for the right cocoon, and commit only when your team is ready to follow.
