Illusions
From Liquipedia Dota 2 Wiki
“ | ▶️ One of me ain't enough.
— Windranger
|
” |
Illusions are imperfect, weaker copies of heroes, created by abilities or items. They look like and are mostly treated like a hero, but are impaired, as they usually have incoming and outgoing damage penalties, dealing less damage and taking more damage than heroes. They are incapable of casting abilities or using active item abilities, and also have some passive abilities disabled. They also may not drop or pick up items or runes. Illusions yield a little gold and experience based on the hero's level. They do not soak up any experience and gold. Illusions cannot level up, the gold from last hits they make goes to their owners, and do not interfere with kill streaks or counters.
Illusions can be created from an allied, enemy, or the own hero. The illusions copies its appearance, level, all attributes, attack values, defensive values (e.g. base armor and base magic resistance) and abilities on their current level. All items owned by the main hero are copied as well, including all their stats (although some effects of abilities and items are disabled for illusions).
All illusions deal 60% less damage against buildings, making them weaker in pushing. This reduction stacks multiplicatively with the outgoing damage reduction values most illusions have, and also multiplicatively with the damage reduction hero damage does against structure armor type. However, due to the fact that illusions are based on heroes, their damage scales together with the heroes, making them still a significant pushing tool, especially in later phases of a match.
All illusions are invulnerable for 0.1 seconds as they spawn, regardless of which ability that spawns or creates them. Illusions also always play the same spawn sound upon spawning, which are only audible to allies, and the same death sound upon dying in any way, including upon expiring.
Visual Appearance[edit]
Illusions are always visually distinguishable to their allies, with an extra texture layer on their model and their unit portrait, and a creep health bar. Allied Illusions also have a duration indicator the left of their health bar.
For enemy illusions, this depends on the source ability. Some abilities create illusions that the enemy also sees as an illusion, with the extra texture layer and a creep health bar (but without the duration indicator), however, some other abilities create illusions that are camouflaged.
To the enemy, a camouflaged illusion looks identical to the hero they are based on. They do not show their illusion texture, and display the regular hero health bar with all its components (hero icon, player name, mana bar, other extra icons like the Battle Pass badges). Allies see them as illusions normally.
There are 7 different illusion textures.
- 1 Requires Aghanim's Scepter.
- 2 Requires Aghanim's Shard.
- 3 The Vengeance Illusion always uses the hero health bar, for enemies and for allies, but is otherwise distinguishable.
Illusion Creating Abilities[edit]
Main Article: Collision Size
Collision size also affects illusion-creating sources. Since two heroes (or units) cannot be in the same coordinates without phased movement, and they will be pushed 58-distance away upon losing phased movement, regardless of the collision sizes. In the following table, Phantom Lancer and Chaos Knight have a collision size of 18 and 27 respectively. The illusions will spawn at different distances depending on the affected target's collision size as follows:
- Example
- Chaos Knight casts
Chaos Bolt on an enemy Marci and Siege Creep. How far the Phantasm illusion will be spawned next to both of these enemy targets?
- Chaos Knight Collision Size:
- Marci Collision Size:
- Siege Creep Collision Size: 40
- Since both heroes' collision sizes are the same, the Phantasm illusion will spawn 58-distance away when Marci does not have phased movement.
- For the Siege Creep, the Phantasm illusion will spawn 87-distance away instead.
Sources[edit]
Illusion Creating Sources
Anti-Mage – Counterspell2b
Anti-Mage – Counterspell Ally2b
Bane – Fiend's Grip2a
Dark Seer – Normal Punch
Dark Seer – Wall of Replica
Hoodwink – Decoy
Manta Style – Mirror Image
Naga Siren – Mirror Image
Phantom Lancer – Spirit Lance
Phantom Lancer – Doppelganger
Phantom Lancer – Juxtapose
Ringmaster – Funhouse Mirror
Shadow Demon – Disruption
Spectre – Shadow Step
Spectre – Haunt
Terrorblade – Reflection
Terrorblade – Conjure Image
Runes – Illusion
- 1 Requires
talent.
- 2a Requires Aghanim's Scepter.
- 2b Requires Aghanim's Shard.
Strong Illusions[edit]
Strong Illusions behave the same as regular illusions but cannot be instantly killed by abilities as listed here.
Strong Illusion Creating Sources
- 2a Requires Aghanim's Scepter.
Stats[edit]
Ability
Innate
Innate
Affects
Self
Self
This unit is an illusion. Its stats, level, ability levels, and items are all set upon creation and do not adapt to the original hero.
NOTES
- The following traits are copied from illusions based on the original hero:
- All attributes, Attribute Gain per Level, and the hero's Primary Attribute.
- Health, Mana and its regeneration values.
- Base Attack Damage, Attack Range, Attack Speed, Attack Animation and Projectile Speed.
- Base Armor
- Damage Block
- Base Magic Resistance, Status Resistance and Slow Resistance.
- Spell Damage Amplification
- Turn Rate
- Unit Size
- Evasion
- Vision
Talents, items, and passive abilities that provide the bonuses above.
- Only Total Attack Damage manipulation sources fully affects the illusion's main attack damage.
- Deals
40% damage to
buildings after all total attack damage manipulation sources. These values are innate to illusions and stack multiplicatively with Attack Classes.
- Against Roshan, the illusions deal
99.625% total damage due to the Strength of the Immortal buff.
- However, abilities from illusions deal full spell damage if they can be cast.
- Deals
- Both the illusion's
incoming damage multiplier and
outgoing damage multiplier based on the abilities creating them are handled by the Damage Manipulation modifier instead.
Magic Resistance Bonuses[edit]
Some sources of magic resistance work with illusions and some do not. Magic resistance increasing abilities do not affect illusions, except for Fate's Edict and magic resistance increasing talents. However, in the HUD, magic resistance is always displayed as if they were fully affected.
The following magic resistance sources affect illusions:
Magic Resistance Sources Affecting Illusions
The following magic resistance sources do not affect illusions:
Magic Resistance Sources Not Affecting Illusions
- 1 Requires Aghanim's Scepter.
- 2 Requires Aghanim's Shard.
Bounty[edit]
Illusions have a gold and experience bounty equal to two times their level. The gold bounty is granted to the player killing the illusion, while the experience is shared within the default experience area. However, the experience is only granted when the illusion is killed by a player. Expiring illusions, or illusions dying to lane creeps, towers, fountains or neutral creeps do not grant any experience.
Illusion bounty formula:
- EXPR
2 * IllusionLVL
The following table shows their bounties on each level:
Level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gold | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 46 | 48 | 50 | 52 | 54 | 56 | 58 | 60 |
The following illusions grant a fixed 5 and 5
, regardless of their level:
- Spirit Lance
- Doppelganger
- Juxtapose (created by Phantom Lancer and from his illusions)
- Wall of Replica
Copying Buffs and Debuffs[edit]
Usually when an illusion is created, it usually does not copy the buffs and debuffs the original hero has.
There are some exceptions, however, Illusions copy the toggled On / Off statuses of items and of some abilities.
The following buffs are copied by illusions:
Buffs Copied Upon Illusion Creation
- 1 Requires Aghanim's Scepter.
- 2 Unholy Strength's buff, and effects appear copied but only the strength is actually copied. Read the stats section for more.
- 3 The buff is copied, but illusions are not granted the attack speed bonus. Only the bonus night vision is copied.
- 4 Although copying the modifier upon creation, the aura overrides it, so that their form reverts once no longer affected by the aura.
Attack Modifiers[edit]
Main Article: Attack Modifiers
Attack modifiers are modifiers which apply an effect to a unit's basic attacks. These effects can widely vary, from healing, to damaging or even disabling effects. Most of these modifiers have their own rules. Some attack modifiers work with illusions and some do not, while some of them work partially or have their values decreased for balancing purposes.
The following attack modifiers fully work for illusions:
Attack Modifiers Copied Upon Creation
Abaddon – Curse of Avernus
Brewmaster – Drunken Brawler
Chaos Knight – Chaos Strike
Crystalys – Critical Strike
Daedalus – Critical Strike
Dragon Knight – Elder Dragon Form3
Drow Ranger – Marksmanship Split Shot1 2
Juggernaut – Blade Dance
Legion Commander – Moment of Courage
Luna – Moon Glaives
Lycan – Shapeshift
Lycan – Wolf Bite1
Mask of Madness – Lifesteal
Medusa – Split Shot2
Monkey King Bar – Pierce4
Morbid Mask – Lifesteal
Orb of Venom – Poison Attack
Phantom Assassin – Coup de Grace
Phantom Lancer – Juxtapose
Satanic – Lifesteal
Sniper – Take Aim
Spectre – Desolate
Templar Assassin – Psi Blades
Troll Warlord – Fervor
Venomancer – Poison Sting
Vladmir's Offering – Vladmir's Aura
Wraith King – Mortal Strike
Wraith King – Vampiric Spirit
- 1 Requires Aghanim's Scepter.
- 2 The damage reductions of Marksmanship and Split Shot are the only reductions which affect illusions.
- 3 All 3 modifiers of Elder Dragon Form (Corrosive Breath, Splash Attack and Frost Breath) work for illusions.
- 4 Only the accuracy works for illusions.
Mana Break[edit]
Mana Break abilities or talents are copied by illusions from the original hero, illusions with Mana Break burns less mana than real heroes.
Mana Break Sources
- 1 Requires
talent.
- 2a Requires Aghanim's Scepter.
- 2b Requires Aghanim's Shard.
Not Copied[edit]
These attack modifiers are not copied upon creation and do not work for illusions:
Attack Modifiers Not Copied Upon Creation
Abyssal Blade – Bash
Battle Fury – Cleave2
Battle Fury – Quell
Orb of Blight – Lesser Corruption
Bounty Hunter – Jinada
Desolator – Corruption2
Echo Sabre – Echo Strike
Eye of Skadi – Cold Attack2
Faceless Void – Time Lock
Gleipnir – Chain Lightning
Javelin – Pierce
Kunkka – Tidebringer2 3
Lifestealer – Feast
Maelstrom – Chain Lightning
Magnus – Empower
Meepo – Ransack
Monkey King Bar – Pierce
Mjollnir – Chain Lightning
Monkey King – Jingu Mastery
Quelling Blade – Quell
Riki – Cloak and Dagger Backstab
Sand King – Caustic Finale
Skull Basher – Bash
Slardar – Bash of the Deep
Slark – Essence Shift
Sniper – Headshot
Spirit Breaker – Greater Bash
Sven – Great Cleave
Tiny – Grow
Troll Warlord – Berserker's Rage Root
Troll Warlord – Fervor
Ursa – Fury Swipes
Winter Wyvern – Arctic Burn
Weaver – Geminate Attack
- 2 The particle effects of these attack modifiers appear and their sounds play, but their effects are not applied.
- 3 Tidebringer is always on Autocast for illusions, so they proc whenever off cooldown, but none of its effects are applied.
Active Abilities[edit]
Illusions may not use active abilities and items, but they might inherit ongoing abilities from the original hero if the ability was cast before creating the illusion. Only a few abilities have different effect when the cast is an illusion.
Notable Differences
- Even when the illusion is allowed to cast abilities, Borrowed Time still does not auto-activate when below 400 health.
- When the casting illusion dies, the fire trail immediately disappears, instead of staying for its remaining duration.
- All persuaded units die instantly when the illusion dies.
- Cannot be used by illusions at all. Attempting to cast this makes the illusion perform a regular attack.
- Illusions cannot cast this ability.
- When the illusion dies while having the Astral Spirit out, the Astral Spirit dies as well. It does not return.
- When the illusion dies, Nature's Attendants ends immediately, instead of continuing to heal nearby allies for the remaining duration.
- When the illusion dies, Diabolic Edict ends immediately, instead of continuing to damage nearby enemies for the remaining duration.
- When the illusion dies, Lightning Storm immediately stops bouncing.
- Although it can be toggled, Mana Shield does not work for illusions at all.
- Since the ability does not affect illusions, the casting illusion is not turned invisible.
- Illusions cannot cast this ability.
- Illusions cannot cast this ability.
- Only attack modifiers which work for the illusion can proc. This means Stifling Dagger cast by illusions can, for example, never bash.
- When the illusion dies or expires during Supernova, the Supernova does not end, continuing to damage and then stun enemies at the end.
- When the illusion dies, Fade Bolt immediately stops bouncing.
- When the illusion dies, Epicenter ends immediately, instead of continuing to release its pulses.
- Even though Greater Bash does not work for illusions, Charge of Darkness still applies the bash radius.
- Even though Greater Bash does not work for illusions, Nether Strike still applies the bash radius.
- Illusions cannot cast the blue Chakram.
- Illusions cannot cast this ability.
- Illusions cannot cast this ability.
- Illusions do not have the charge meter above them.
- When the illusion dies, Arc Lightning immediately stops bouncing.
Casting Fake Abilities[edit]
Within a certain conditions, some abilities causes all illusions owned by the illusion creator within certain range from the target will also fake cast the ability, while the real hero casts the ability.
This is mainly for camouflaging the real hero and their illusions. The illusions still cannot use any active abilities.
These illusions have the following behavior:
- The illusion play the whole cast animation and cast the fake ability at the same time the real ability is cast.
- When illusions currently are not having any order and are standing still, they all turn to face the target and cast the ability.
- When canceling the cast (S), the illusions still play the full cast animation, but do not release the fake ability.
- When illusions are moving or attacking, they continue to do so and do not turn to face the target. They still play the cast animation, overriding their move or attack animations.
- They play the whole cast animation and release their fake ability at the same time the real ability is released.
- These fake abilities do not interact with anything.
Fake Abilities Cast by Illusions
Passive Abilities[edit]
These passive abilities are fully functional for illusions:
Functional Passive Abilities
Axe – Counter Helix
Disruptor – Electromagnetic Repulsion
Enchantress – Untouchable
Kez – Kazurai Katana
Medusa – Split Shot
Naga Siren – Rip Tide
Naga Siren – Eelskin
Night Stalker – Hunter in the Night
Ogre Magi – Multicast
Phantom Assassin – Immaterial
Phantom Lancer – Phantom Rush
Shadow Fiend – Necromastery
Tidehunter – Kraken Shell
Treant Protector – Nature's Guise
Troll Warlord – Fervor
Visage – Gravekeeper's Cloak
- 1 Warpath does proc when illusions cast abilities. Also, since Warpath always applies a stack on all owned illusions by default, illusions casting abilities get 2 stacks per cast.
- 2 This is an innate ability. All illusions owned by Faceless Void are not frozen in time during Chronosphere.
Partially Functional Passive Abilities
- 1 The health restore and max movement speed limit works, but not the movement speed bonus, hero detection and vision.
- 2 Only the damage block/reduction works.
- 3 Only the health regeneration bonus works.
- 4 Only the damage per second and slow bonus works.
These passive abilities do not work for illusions:
Not Functional Passive Abilities
Abaddon – Borrowed Time1
Alchemist – Greevil's Greed
Anti-Mage – Counterspell1
Centaur Warrunner – Retaliate
Drow Ranger – Marksmanship
Faceless Void – Distortion Field
Gyrocopter – Side Gunner
Infused Raindrops – Magical Damage Block
Linken's Sphere – Spellblock
Meepo – Divided We Stand
Pangolier – Lucky Shot
Pudge – Flesh Heap
Razor – Storm Surge
Shadow Fiend – Requiem of Souls1
Slark – Shadow Dance1
Spectre – Dispersion
Wraith King – Reincarnation
Wraith King – Vampiric Spirit (Death Delay)
Zeus – Static Field
Zeus – Lightning Hands
- 1 The passive components of these active abilities do not work for illusions.
Aura[edit]
These auras are bestowed by illusions upon creation:
Bestowed Auras Upon Creation
Assault Cuirass – Assault Aura
Beastmaster – Inner Beast
Buckler – Buckler Aura2
Centaur Warrunner – Retaliate Aura
Crystal Maiden – Arcane Aura
Elder Titan – Natural Order1
Guardian Greaves – Guardian Aura
Headdress – Regeneration Aura
Luna – Lunar Blessing
Lycan – Feral Impulse
Mekansm – Mekansm Aura
Necrophos – Heartstopper Aura
Pipe of Insight – Insight Aura
Radiance – Burn2 3
Ring of Basilius – Basilius Aura
Shadow Fiend – Presence of the Dark Lord
Shiva's Guard – Freezing Aura
Underlord – Atrophy Aura4
Undying – Plague Aura
Vengeful Spirit – Vengeance Aura
Veil of Discord – Basilius Aura
Vladmir's Offering – Vladmir's Aura
- 1 Despite the illusions not having an Astral Spirit, their Natural Order always bestows the armor reduction and the magic resistance reduction aura.
- 2 Illusions copy the toggled On / Off status of these auras.
- 3 Burn is weaker on illusions, dealing damage per second, instead of 60.
- 4 Illusions bestow the Atrophy Aura. When an enemy dies within aura range of an illusion, Underlord gets the damage bonus, if he owns the illusion, otherwise the illusion itself gets the damage.
These auras are not bestowed by illusions upon creation:
Not Bestowed Auras
- 1 Requires Aghanim's Scepter.
Ability Interactions[edit]
Most abilities treat illusions like regular heroes. However, some abilities have a different effect or interact in a different way with illusions. A few abilities do not affect illusions at all.
Instant Kill[edit]
These abilities instantly destroy illusions when used on them, unless the illusions are strong illusions.
Instant Killing Illusion Abilities
- 1 Instantly kills the target upon landing if it is not a hero or a clone.
- 2 Requires a
talent.
- 3 Requires Aghanim's Scepter.
- 4 Requires Aghanim's Shard.
- 5 Only hexes when cast from Nothl Projection.
Creep Duration[edit]
These abilities uses the non-hero or creep duration on them, instead of hero duration:
Treats Illusions as Non-Hero Units
Abaddon – Borrowed Time Aura1
Ancient Apparition – Ice Blast
Bloodseeker – Thirst
Chen – Hand of God
Dark Seer – Wall of Replica
Earth Spirit – Rolling Boulder
Enchantress – Enchant
Guardian Greaves – Guardian Aura
Invoker – E.M.P.
Io – Spirits
Kunkka – Ghostship
Mirana – Moonlight Shadow
Nature's Prophet – Wrath of Nature
Pudge – Flesh Heap
Riki – Tricks of the Trade
Skywrath Mage – Concussive Shot
Skywrath Mage – Mystic Flare
Slark – Essence Shift
Slark – Pounce
Smoke of Deceit – Disguise
Spectre – Haunt
Spectre – Dispersion2
Spectre – Shadow Step1
Undying – Decay
Urn of Shadows – Soul Release
Visage – Soul Assumption
Witch Doctor – Paralyzing Cask
- 1 Requires Aghanim's Scepter.
- 2 Requires Aghanim's Shard.
Ward Units[edit]
These ward units require the creep amount of attacks to destroy them, instead of the hero amount when attacked by an illusion.
No Effect[edit]
These abilities do not affect, cannot target, or do not work against illusions:
No Effect On Illusions
Alchemist – Greevil's Greed1
Alchemist – Aghanim's Scepter Synth2
Broodmother – Spin Web2
Necrophos – Heartstopper Aura
Observer and Sentry Wards – Share Wards2
Rubick – Spell Steal
Shadow Fiend – Necromastery1
Tango – Devour2
Templar Assassin – Psi Blades
Underlord – Atrophy Aura1
Viper – Nethertoxin
- 1 These abilities ignore the death of illusions, so killing them does not make these abilities apply their effects.
- 2 These abilities do not have a target or do not place their buffs or debuffs on illusions.
Other Interactions[edit]
These abilities have different interactions with illusions. They either do not treat them as heroes, or apply different effects on them.
Other Interactions
- Illusions do not provide any bounty when dying while tracked.
- Warpath places its buff/grants a stack to the caster and all illusions under the caster's control.
- Illusions deal 75% less damage against protected buildings, instead of 25% like any other unit. They also deal 60% less damage against unprotected buildings.
- Damages illusions, but does not count them for the damage and speed buff.
- Deals additional damage based on current health to illusions. Illusions are treated as creeps.
- Does not grant victory damage when defeating an illusion in a Duel.
- Does not drain mana from illusions.
- Grants 0.375 damage resistance against attacks from illusions.
- Does not steal intelligence from illusions, neither when they are attacked nor when they die.
- Deals damage against illusions on top of dispelling.
- Allied illusions cannot enter a Snowball. Only Tusk's own illusions can. Added illusions do not increase the damage.
Recent Changes[edit]
Main Article: Illusions/Changelogs
Description
- U The Spirit Bear is no longer restricted from having illusions.
- The
Vengeance Illusion now uses a hero health bar, instead of the regular unit health bar.
- Illusions incoming damage amplification is now calculated as very last, after all other damage-based calculations are done.