Cassia

Title
 Role
 Franchise

**Cassia**, the Amazon Warmatron, is a Ranged Assassin Hero hero from the *Diablo* universe. After shattering the Worldstone, the young Amazon Cassia had changed. She had seen hatred, terror, and destruction firsthand. If the Askari were to survive the coming darkness, they needed an army. She would begin their training immediately.

## Background

 This section concerns content exclusive to *Diablo* universe.

Cassia is one of the amazons of the Askari tribe at Skovos Isles. Following a prophecy from its oracles about the rise of the Prime Evils, Cassia departed from the isles and joined with several warriors (including Xul) to pursue the Dark Wanderer. Eventually they ended up killing all three of the Prime Evils but had to witness the destruction of the Worldstone by Tyrael to prevent the essence of Baal corrupting it and also the world itself. With her mission done, Cassia returned to the Skovos Isles, changed but still normal, training future amazons to fight against oncoming darkness.

## Gameplay

Cassia is a Ranged Assassin who specializes against Physical Attackers and deals increased damage to Blinded enemies.

### Strength

* Durable against damage as long as she can keep moving, see: stutter stepping.
* Can poke from long range with Lightning Fury
* Good waveclear with Fend if Minions are Blind

### Weaknesses

* Has lower Basic Attack range compared to other ranged Heroes
* No escapes
* Vulnerable during Stuns, Roots and Sleeps

## Abilities

*See **Data page** for a table of scaled values at key levels.*

Avoidance

While moving, Cassia gradually gains up to 30 Armor over 3 seconds. After remaining stationary for 0.75 seconds the Armor is rapidly lost over 0.5 seconds.

Avoidance remains charged while Fending.

**Type:** Defensive damage modifier**Affects:** Self**Properties:** Armor**Tickrate:** 16 per second**Duration:** 0.6875 seconds

* Grants one stack of Avoidance every 0.0625 seconds, increasing Cassia's Armor by 0.625. While stationary, Cassia loses 6 stacks every 0.0625 seconds.
* Does not stack with other positive Armor effects. Other defensive damage modifiers may stack.

Q
Lightning Fury
20 Mana Cooldown: 5 / 1.0 seconds
Hurl a lightning javelin that deals 158 damage to the first enemy hit and splits into two lightning bolts that deal 158 damage to enemies in their path.

**Type:** Spell Damage**Scaling:** 4.00%**Affects:** Enemies**Targeting:** Point target**Properties:** Bounce, Clamping, Skillshot**Cast time:** 0.125 + 0 seconds**Range:**
- Primary: 11.1
- Secondary: 8.95**Hitbox:**
- Primary: 0.6 x 1.25
- Secondary: 0.6 x 1.0**Missile speed:** 16

* Holds 2 charges.
* Secondary projectiles do not split and can hit enemies that are immune to skillshots. Otherwise, they have the same on-hit properties as the initial missile and interact with all talents affecting *Lightning Fury*.
* Primary target cannot be hit by the splitting secondary bolts.

W
Blinding Light
50 Mana Cooldown: 15 seconds
After 0.5 seconds, deal 50 damage and Blind enemies in the target area for 2 seconds.

Passive: Cassia deals 15% increased damage to Blinded targets.

**Type:** Spell Damage, Status effect / Offensive damage modifier**Scaling:** 4.00%**Affects:** Enemies / Self**Targeting:** Point target**Properties:** Area of Effect, Blind**Cast time:** 0.125 + 0 seconds**Range:** 8.0**Area of Effect:** Circle**Radius:** 3.0

* Passive bonus triggers from all Blinds.
* Passive bonus stacks additively with other offensive damage modifiers that can affect Cassia's Basic Attack damage.

E
Fend
50 Mana Cooldown: 10 / 0.5 seconds
Charge at an enemy, and upon arriving channel for 1.5 seconds, dealing 64 damage to enemies in front of Cassia every 0.25 seconds. Deals 50% reduced damage to non-Heroes. Avoidance remains charged while Channeling.

**Type:** Spell Damage / Movement: Dash**Scaling:** 4.00%**Affects:** Enemies**Targeting:** Unit target**Properties:** Area of Effect, Stationary channel**Cast time:** Instant**Range:** 6.0**Area of Effect:** Radial**Radius:** 6.0**Arc:** 45 degrees**Missile speed:** 7.0 (dash)**Tickrate:** 8.0 per second (x12)**Damage per tick:** 32

* Structures cannot be directly targeted, but can take area damage from *Fend*.
* *Fend* is interrupted if the target moves farther than 12 range from Cassia.
* *Fend*'s channel can be canceled after 0.5 seconds by reactivating the ability.
* Damage penalty against non-Heroes stacks additively with other offensive damage modifiers that can affect *Fend*'s damage.

R
Ball Lightning
60 Mana Cooldown: 60 seconds
Throw a ball of lightning at an enemy Hero that bounces up to 6 times between nearby enemy Heroes and Cassia, dealing 180 damage to enemies hit.

**Type:** Spell Damage**Scaling:** 4.00%**Affects:** Enemy Heroes**Targeting:** Unit target**Properties:** Bounce**Cast time:** 0.125 + 0 seconds**Range:** 5**Radius:** 5.5 (bounce)**Tickrate:** 2.0 per second (x7)

* Initial cast is interrupted if the target moves more than 3 units beyond its maximum range.
* Prioritizes the closest enemy Hero and only bounces back to Cassia if there are no enemy Heroes in its bounce range.
* Ball Lightning going through Cassia consumes a bounce normally.
* Cannot bounce to enemies out of vision.
* *Ball Lightning* grants vision in 4.0 radius around the projectile.

R
Valkyrie
60 Mana Cooldown: 60 seconds
Summon a Valkyrie that rushes to Cassia after 0.75 seconds, pulling the first enemy Hero hit, dealing 225 damage and Stunning them for 0.5 seconds at the end of her path. The Valkyrie knocks back all other enemy Heroes in her way.

**Type:** Spell Damage, Crowd control**Scaling:** 4.00%**Affects:** Enemy Heroes**Properties:** Knockback, Skillshot, Stun**Cast time:** 0.125 + 0.25 seconds**Range:** 12**Hitbox:** 3.0x0.75**Missile speed:** 12**Knockback duration:**
- Primary: 1.0 seconds (max)
- Secondary: 0.1875**Knockback speed:**
- Primary: 12
- Secondary: 20

* Damage is dealt upon impact, and the Stun is applied when the impaled enemy Hero reaches the cast location.
* The impaled enemy is Unstoppable while being pulled by *Valkyrie*.
* Secondary targets are knocked away perpendicular to *Valkyrie*'s direction.

## Talents

1

Thunderstroke
Increase the damage of Lightning Fury by 15.

❢ Quest: Lightning Fury's damage is increased by 1.5 every time it hits a Hero.

**Type:** Bonus damage**Scaling:** -**Affects:** Ability

Impale
Increase Fend's cast range and area of effect by 25%. It deals an additional 50% damage to enemies below 50% Health.

**Type:** Offensive damage modifier**Affects:** Ability**Bonus cast range:** 1.25**Bonus radius:** 1.5

* Stacks additively with other offensive damage modifiers that can affect *Fend*'s damage.

Charged Strikes
Gain 15% Attack Speed. Every 3rd Basic Attack deals 20% bonus damage and bounces to nearby enemy Heroes.

**Type:** Physical Damage / Offensive damage modifier**Scaling:** -**Affects:** Enemy Heroes / Self**Targeting:** No target**Properties:** Attack Modifier (non-Structures), Bounce**Cast time:** Instant**Radius:** 3.5

* Bounce radius is extended by the target's unit radius.
* Stacks additively with other offensive damage modifiers that can affect Cassia's Basic Attack damage.
* Still progresses through the 3-hit cycle if Cassia is Blinded or the target is Evading, though the 3rd hit bonus will also miss entirely in that case.

4

Plate of the Whale
Regenerate 6 Health per second while Avoidance is active. If fully charged gain an additional 12 Health per second.

**Type:** Healing**Scaling:** 4.00%**Affects:** Self**Tickrate:** 1.0 per second

Ring of the Leech
Basic Attacks against your primary target heal you for 20% of their damage. If an enemy is Blinded, this also affects Lightning Fury and Fend.

**Type:** Healing**Scaling:** -**Affects:** Self**Properties:** Attack Modifier, Lifesteal

Inner Light
Cooldown: 70 seconds
Activate to heal for 25% of your maximum Health over 5 seconds. Enemy Heroes hit by Lightning Fury lower the cooldown of this ability by 10 seconds.

**Type:** Healing**Scaling:** -**Affects:** Self**Targeting:** No target**Properties:** Heal over Time**Cast time:** Instant**Tickrate:** 2.0 per second (x10)

7

Grounding Rod
Enemies hit by Lightning Fury or Fend are Slowed by 20% for 2 seconds.

**Type:** Crowd control**Affects:** Enemies**Properties:** Slow

Seraph's Hymn
Primary Basic Attacks against an enemy Hero grant 10 Mana and reduce the cooldown of Blinding Light by 2 seconds.

Passive: Increase the passive damage bonus of Blinding Light from 15% to 30%.

**Type:** Offensive damage modifier**Affects:** Self**Properties:** Attack Modifier

* Stacks additively with other damage modifiers affecting Cassia's Basic Attack damage output, including baseline bonus damage against Blinded targets.

Surge of Light
Cooldown: 0.25 seconds
**Active:** After taking 650 damage with Avoidance active, Cassia can activate Avoidance to deal 220 damage to enemies around her.

**Type:** Spell Damage**Scaling:** 4.00% (damage & threshold)**Affects:** Enemies**Targeting:** No target**Properties:** Area of Effect**Cast time:** Instant**Area of Effect:** Circle**Radius:** 5.5

10

Ball Lightning
Cooldown: 60 seconds
Throw a ball of lightning at an enemy Hero that bounces up to 6 times between nearby enemy Heroes and Cassia, dealing 180 damage to enemies hit.

Valkyrie
Cooldown: 60 seconds
Summon a Valkyrie that rushes to Cassia after 0.75 seconds, pulling the first enemy Hero hit, dealing 225 damage and Stunning them for 0.5 seconds at the end of her path. The Valkyrie knocks back all other enemy Heroes in her way.

13

War Matron
Cassia becomes Protected while channeling Fend and for 1 additional second if the channel is completed.

**Type:** Status effect**Affects:** Self**Properties:** Protected

War Traveler
Gain 5% Movement Speed. While Avoidance is fully charged, gain an additional 10% Movement Speed and Mounting is instant.

**Type:** Status effect**Properties:** Movement Speed buff

Gloves of Alacrity
Gain 1 Basic Attack range. While Avoidance is fully charged, gain an additional 1 Basic Attack range.

16

Power Strike
Lightning Fury pierces, but only splits on Heroes. Enemy Heroes hit reduce its cooldown by 1 second and become marked for 15 seconds. Upon reaching 3 marks, remove the marks and cast a Blinding Light at their feet.

**Type:** Spell Damage / Crowd control

* Reapplying a mark refreshes its duration.

Static Electricity
Gain 2 additional charges of Lightning Fury. Fend's impact launches a lightning bolt toward each nearby enemy Hero.

**Type:** Spell Damage**Affects:** Enemies**Radius:** 6.5

* "Lightning bolts" have the same properties as secondary projectiles from *Lightning Fury*.

Martial Law
Basic attacks against enemy Heroes deal bonus damage equal to 1% of their maximum Health. Increase this to 3% if they are Stunned, Rooted, Slowed, or Blinded.

**Type:** Spell Damage**Scaling:** -**Affects:** Enemy Heroes**Properties:** Attack Modifier, Percent Damage

20

Infinite Lightning
Ball Lightning can now bounce indefinitely. Every bounce reduces its cooldown by 5 seconds.

* It is possible to have multiple Ball Lightnings active simultaneously.

Imprisoning Light
The impaled Hero is Blinded for 5 seconds. Upon impaling a Hero, Cassia's Valkyrie creates a wave of light that deals 200 damage to nearby enemies. The wave Silences and Roots them for 3 seconds.

**Type:** Spell damage, Crowd control**Scaling:** 4.00%**Affects:** Enemies**Properties:** Area of Effect, Blind, Root, Silence**Area of Effect:** Circle**Radius:** 4.0**Wave delay:** 0.0625 seconds

* Blind is applied when the target arrives at the end location.
* The pull target takes the additional damage upon impact as well, but is not affected by the Root and Silence effects.

Titan's Revenge
Cassia's Basic Attacks now ignore Armor and while Avoidance is fully charged they deal an additional 20% bonus damage.

**Type:** Offensive damage modifier**Affects:** Self**Properties:** Attack Modifier

* *Titan's Revenge* empowered Basic Attacks only ignore positive Armor.
* Bonus damage stacks additively with other offensive damage modifiers that can affect Cassia's Basic Attack damage.
* Basic Attacks still consume enemy Block stacks after taking this Talent (without their damage being reduced by those stacks).

Rockstopper
Cooldown: 30 seconds
Activate to fully charge Avoidance and increase its Armor value to 60 for 4 seconds

Losing Avoidance removes this bonus.

**Type:** Defensive damage modifier**Affects:** Self**Properties:** Attack Modifier

* Does not stack with other positive Armor effects. Other defensive damage modifires may stack.

## Builds and guides

**Icy Veins Cassia Guide**

**Cassia Community Build Guides @ HeroesFire**

**Cassia Community Build Guides @ Heroes Hearth**

## Trivia

* Cassia represents the Amazon class from *Diablo II* (June 2000).
* Cassia is a javelin-using Amazon, commonly referred to by Diablo players as a *Javazon.*
* Cassia is voiced by Jessica Straus.
* Wondrous Cassia is a reference to Wonder Woman.
* Bloodsail Pirate Queen Cassia is a reference to the Bloodsail Buccaneers from *World of Warcraft* (November 2004).
* A number of Cassia's talents reference items and skills from *Diablo II*:
	+ Cassia's trait, *Avoidance*, is similar in name to *Avoid* and similar in function to *Evade*, both from the Passive and Magic Skills tree.
	+ The talent *Charged Strikes* references *Charged Strike* from the Javelin Skills tree.
	+ The talent *Impale* references *Impale* from the Spear Skills tree.
	+ The talent *Pierce* references *Pierce* from the Passive and Magic Skills tree.
	+ The talent *Penetrate* references *Penetrate* are a reference to the Skill from the Passive and Magic skills tree.
	+ The talent *Inner Light* may be a variation on *Inner Sight* from the Passive and Magic Skills tree.
	+ The talents *Thunderstroke, Seraph's Hymn, War Traveler, Thundergod's Vigor,* and *Titan's Revenge* are references to Unique items of the same names.
	+ The talents *Plate of the Whale* and *Ring of the Leech* use *Diablo II* item suffixes. The Whale suffix gives the wearer a bonus to health; the Leech suffix grants lifesteal.

## Gallery

* Cassia's artwork
* Cassia home screen
* Thunder Goddess Cassia Concept Art

### Abilities

* Q: Lightning Fury
* W: Blinding Light
* E: Fend
* R1: Ball Lightning
* R2: Valkyrie

## External links

* Cassia Hero Week
* Cassia - Heroes of the Storm
* Cassia - Diablo Wiki (Wikia)
* Cassia Balance Changelog - Heroes Patch Notes
* Cassia Sound Files - Sounds of the Storm

  **Melee Assassins**
 ***Unknown*** | Mekkatorque