Sven
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Version Control
This article is mostly accurate for the latest version of the game (7.38), in which this hero/item was changed.
It has no changes in the current game version — 7.38b.
Sven
23 + 3.5
18 + 2.2
16 + 1.5
| Grants the following bonuses per level: | |
|
+77HP and +0.35HP regeneration +3.5 Main Attack Damage |
|
+0.37 armor and 2.2 attack speed |
|
+18MP and +0.075MP regeneration +0.1% base magic resistance |
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0 Projectile Speed
| ||
110 (128)
(1.9 BAT) | ||
0.4 + 0.3
| ||
0.6
| ||
Default
Gib Type | ||
2010-11-01
Released | ||
2004-02-03
(v0.60) | ||
Competitive Span
2010-11-01 — Present |
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| Cleaves down enemies with his incredible strength. | |
|---|---|
| The Rogue Knight lives by two creeds: Honor, as ordained by his own personal code, and Solitude. Always eager to charge into a fight. Using his iron gauntlet, he launches a Storm Hammer, stunning grouped enemies as he transports himself into battle, then closes in to cut them down with Great Cleave. Letting out a truly frightening Warcry, he ignites and calls upon God's Strength, a few swings of his gargantuan sword are often more than enough to slay on his hapless foes. | |
      | |
| Roles: |  Carry  Disabler  Initiator  Durable  Nuker |
| Adjectives | NicePecs, Nose Legs ( 2 ) |
Facets[edit]
Heavy Plate
Warcry additionally grants a physical damage barrier to all affected allied units upon cast.
Wrath of God
Grants Sven additional base attack damage per 
strength .
strength .Upgrades[edit]
Aghanim's[edit]
Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade:
Increases cast range, and transports Sven along the Storm Hammer. Can now be cast on invulnerable targets. Applies a basic dispel on the target upon projectile impact.
Sven does not travel with the Storm Hammer with Alt-Cast toggled on.
Aghanim's Shard Upgrade:
Warcry is now undispellable and passively grants armor to allied units within the radius.
Talents[edit]
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| +1s Storm Hammer Stun Duration | 25 | +50% God's Strength Damage |
| +8 Warcry Active Armor | 20 | +20% God's Strength Slow Resist |
| +25% Great Cleave Damage | 15 | -12s God's Strength Cooldown |
| +10% Vanquisher Damage | 10 | +5s Warcry Duration |
| ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ +2 All / / Attributes | ||
Bio[edit]
May my enemies share the fate of the Shattered Helm.▶️Sven, the Rogue Knight
Alias:
Rogue Knight
Lore:
Sven is the bastard son of a Vigil Knight, born of a Pallid Meranth, raised in the Shadeshore Ruins. With his father executed for violating the Vigil Codex, and his mother shunned by her wild race, Sven believes that honor is to be found in no social order, but only in himself. After tending his mother through a lingering death, he offered himself as a novice to the Vigil Knights, never revealing his identity. For thirteen years he studied in his father's school, mastering the rigid code that declared his existence an abomination. Then, on the day that should have been his In-Swearing, he seized the Outcast Blade, shattered the Sacred Helm, and burned the Codex in the Vigil's Holy Flame. He strode from Vigil Keep, forever solitary, following his private code to the last strict rune. Still a knight, yes...but a rogue knight. He answers only to himself.
Voice:
Innate[edit]
Vanquisher[edit]
Vanquisher 
Passive
Affects
Self
Applies an outgoing attack damage amplifcation to stunned enemy units.
Attack Damage Amp: 
20% (
30%)
20% ( 30%) - Applies a generic outgoing damage amplification on Sven's
attack damage on the 
stun-affected enemy unit.
- Stacks additively with other incoming damage manipulation sources.
- Does not interact with the following sources:
Allied units.
Spell damage sources.
modifier_sven_vanquisher
Hidden Modifier
Wrath of God[edit]
Wrath of God 
Passive
Affects
Self
_abilityicon_dota2_gameasset.png)
Grants Sven additional base attack damage per strength.
strength.Str to Base Attack Damage Bonus: 0/0.3/0.4/0.5
0/0.3/0.4/0.5 This ability levels up with God's Strength.
- Selecting the
facet unlocks this ability.
- Grants Sven 1/1.3/1.4/1.5 total base attack damage per strength.
modifier_sven_wrath_of_godHidden Modifier
Hero Model[edit]
Details
Hidden Innate Abilities
Tap on the 
innate abilities for more details.
innate abilities for more details.Abilities[edit]
Storm Hammer[edit]
Sven unleashes his magical gauntlet that deals damage and stuns enemy units in a small area around the target.
Cast Animation: 0.2 + 0
Effect Radius: 
250/270/290/310
250/270/290/310 Damage: 80/160/240/320 ( 260/340/420/500)
260/340/420/500) Stun Duration: 1/1.2/1.4/1.6 (
2/2.2/2.4/2.6)
2/2.2/2.4/2.6) 
Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade
Increases cast range, and transports Sven along the Storm Hammer. Can now be cast on invulnerable targets. Applies a basic dispel on the target upon projectile impact.
Increases cast range, and transports Sven along the Storm Hammer. Can now be cast on invulnerable targets. Applies a basic dispel on the target upon projectile impact.
Max Travel Distance: ( 2200)
2200) 
Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade
Sven does not travel with the Storm Hammer with Alt-Cast toggled on.
Sven does not travel with the Storm Hammer with Alt-Cast toggled on.
Damage: 80/160/240/320
21/18/15/12
110/115/120/125
The Rogue Knight's iron gauntlet, taken from the school of his father, strikes his foes to their core.
- Storm Hammer is a unit-targeted area-of-effect ability, its ability target reticule must be unit-targeted on an enemy unit.
- Affects enemy units up to
600.00001029951 ( 950.00001029951) range away with the cast range and effect radius.
- Has a 1000-
projectile speed. 
- Grants a 225-radius flying vision while traveling.
- The
vision radius does not linger upon projectile impact.
- The
- Grants a
-
Alt-Cast activated modifies the following projectile properties:
- Applies a disabling
forced movement on Sven and moves him along with the Storm Hammer projectile utilizing the same projectile speed. - Stops traveling with the projectile in the following conditions:
- Upon
death. - When the travel distance between Sven and the affected target becomes ≤ 2200.
- Upon
- Has a 1000-
- The ability now has the following properties upon cast with Alt-Cast activated:
- Deals bonus
magical spell damage. - Does not disjoint incoming projectiles.
- Cannot act and grants Sven the following effects while being moved:
- The aforementioned ability effects no longer apply if the forced movement is interrupted in any way.
-
- Only the
basic dispel component affects 
invulnerable enemy units.
- Only the
- Deals bonus
- The ability is blocked upon projectile impact.
- Nullifies the ability when spell blocked on the primary target.
- The ability is reflected upon projectile impact.
- Alt-Cast (help needed)
- The ability's effects are still applied within the radius.
- Sven stops traveling with the projectile when Storm Hammer Alt-Cast is disjointed.
- With Alt-Cast activated, Sven transports to the first target, then the regular Storm Hammer projectile, without the ability upgrade is launched to the secondary target.
modifier_projectile_visionOn hidden entity
modifier_sven_stormbolt_hide
Hidden modifier
modifier_stunned
Stunned
- Sven's weapon emit particles during Storm Hammer's cast point visible to everyone.
-
- The ability effects are applied as follows:
- Applies the basic dispel on all affected enemy units within the radius.
- The magical spell damage.
- The stun debuff.
- The ability effects are applied as follows:
- The ability upgrade is determined if Sven has the ability upgrade during the ability's cast point.
- Alt-Cast is disabled by default upon acquiring the ability upgrade.
Great Cleave[edit]
W
C
Great Cleave
Sven cleaves all nearby enemy units with his attack.
First Width: 150
Distance: 200/500/600/700
200/500/600/700 End Width: 270/300/330/360
270/300/330/360 Cleave Damage: 50%/65%/80%/95% (
75%/90%/105%/120%)
75%/90%/105%/120%) The Vigil Knights still seek to reclaim the stolen Outcast Blade from Sven, a weapon capable of cutting wide swaths through lesser warriors.
- Deals
physical spell damage correspondingly to Sven's attack damage value, and is defined as:
- Affected by
damage block sources on the enemy individually within the area-of-effect. - Has the following damage flags:
- Stack independently with other cleave sources.
-
- The total ability area-of-effect is an isocseles trapezoid in front of Sven.
- Deals
modifier_sven_great_cleaveHidden modifier
-
- The damage is applied immediately to all valid enemy units within the area-of-effect regardless of the ability visual effects.
- Does not proc cleave when attacking the following units:
- Allied units.
- Does not damage the following units:
- Neither proc nor damage the following units:
Warcry[edit]
No / Aura
Affects
Allied Heroes / Allied Units
Sven's Warcry heartens his allied heroes for battle, increasing their armor and movement speed.
Cast Animation: 
0 + 0
0 + 0Effect Radius: 700
700 Move Speed Bonus: 6%/9%/12%/15% ( 9%/12%/15%/18%)
9%/12%/15%/18%) Armor Bonus: 5/8/11/14 (
13/16/19/22)
13/16/19/22) Duration: 8 (
13)
13) 
Aghanim's Shard Upgrade
Warcry is now undispellable and passively grants armor to allied units within the radius.
Warcry is now undispellable and passively grants armor to allied units within the radius.
Aura Radius: ( 1200)
1200) Armor Bonus: ( 6)
6) Aura Linger Duration: ( 0.5)
0.5) 40/35/30/25
30/35/40/45
Calling a few lines from the Vigil Codex fortifies Sven's obedience to his rogue code. So poetic!
Heavy Plate
Warcry additionally grants a physical damage barrier to all affected allied units upon cast.
Barrier: 
70/140/210/280
70/140/210/280 - The ability has the following properties:
- Interrupts Sven's
channeling abilities upon cast. - The ability considers
clones, 
illusions and 
creep-heroes as heroes.
- Interrupts Sven's
- Both leveling up the ability and learning the following talents do not update the current active instance:
- The duration increasing talent.
- The armor bonus increasing talent.
- The duration increasing
- Grants flat
bonus armor.
- The ability upgrade adds a passive
aura to Warcry.
- Does not affect the following units:
Buildings
Ward-type units.- Invulnerable units.
Hidden units.
- Fully affect the following units:
- Does not affect the following units:
modifier_sven_warcryWarcry: Armor increased by x. Movement speed increased by x%.
modifier_sven_warcry ()Warcry: Armor increased by x. Movement speed increased by x%.
modifier_sven_warcry_auraHidden modifier
modifier_sven_warcry_passiveWarcry Aura: Armor increased by x.
- Grants 11/14/17/20 ( 13.5/16.5/19.5/22.5) flat bonus armor to allied units within the radius while active.
- Heavy Plate grants a
physical damage barrier upon cast that 
absorbs physical damage instances (after all reductions).
- Does not proc on-damage effects until the barrier capacity is depleted.
- Stacks additively with the same damage-type barrier sources, and independently with other damage-type barrier sources.
- Has the highest priority in the group of damage barrier, its capacity is depleted first when combined with other damage-type barriers.
- When combined with other higher-priority damage-negation sources, the barrier does not absorb any damage until the damage-negation sources expire.
God's Strength[edit]
No
Affects
Self
Channels his rogue strength, granting bonus damage and slow resistance for the duration.
Cast Animation: 0.3 + 0
Attack Damage Bonus: 110%/150%/190% (
160%/200%/240%)
160%/200%/240%) Slow Resist Bonus: 30% (
50%)
50%) Duration: 35
110/105/100
100/125/150
With the strength that shattered the Sacred Helm, the Rogue Knight stands unopposed in melee combat.
- Grants the following bonuses upon cast:
- Flat
bonus attack damage based on Sven's current main attack damage, values are periodically checked and the bonus values are updated immediately. - Stacks multiplicatively with other slow resistance sources.
- Flat
- Both leveling up the ability and learning the following talents do not update the current active instance:
- The slow resistance increasing talent.
- The damage increasing talent.
- The slow resistance increasing
modifier_sven_gods_strengthGod's Strength: Base damage increased by x%.
Recent Matches[edit]
Main Article: Sven/Matches
| Date | Tier | Tournament | Picks | Score | vs. Picks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25, 2025 - 17:20 PET | Tier 3 |   | EPL World AM S15 |      |   | 0 : 1 |  |      |
| Mar 25, 2025 - 18:00 CET | Tier 1 |  | FISSURE Universe 4 |    |  | 0 : 1 |  |      |
| Mar 24, 2025 - 17:30 PET | Tier 3 | | EPL World AM S15 |   |  | 0 : 1 | |   |
| Mar 24, 2025 - 20:30 CET | Tier 1 | | FISSURE Universe 4 |   |   | 0 : 1 |   |    |
| Mar 24, 2025 - 14:00 PET | Tier 3 | | EPL World AM S15 |    | | 1 : 0 |  |     |
Recent Changes[edit]
Description
- Rescaled base strength and gain from 25 + 3.2 to 23 + 3.5.
- Reduced base
agility from 21 to 18. - Increased base armor from -1 to 0.
- Wrath of God
- No longer reduces base attack damage .
- Reduced strength to base attack damage bonus from 0.4/0.5/0.6/0.7 to 0/0.3/0.4/0.5.
- No longer reduces
- Rescaled Storm Hammer effect radius from 270 each level to 250/270/290/310.
- Great Cleave
- Reduced distance from 700 on each level to 400/500/600/700.
- Reduced end width from 360 on each level to 270/300/330/360.
- Reduced cleave damage from 40%/60%/80%/100% to 50%/65%/80%/95%.
- Warcry
- Reduced movement speed bonus from 10%/14%/18%/22% from 6%/9%/12%/15%.
- Rescaled armor bonus from 6/8/10/12 to 5/8/11/14.
- Increased Heavy Plate damage barrier from 60/120/180/240 to 70/140/210/280.
Talents:
- LVL 10 +20 attack speed ➜ +10% Vanquisher damage bonus.
- Increased Vanquisher attack damage bonus from 17% to 20%.
- Reduced God's Strength mana cost from 100/150/200 to 100/125/150.
Dota Plus Progress[edit]
Main Article: Hero Challenges
Relics track a hero's actions and statistics, and display in-game notifications when a milestone is reached. They are only available to Dota Plus subscribers.
| Sven's Relics | Voice Lines | |
|---|---|---|
 Towers destroyed Kill Assists Kills |
 Bronze |
|
 Silver |
||
 Gold |
||
 Platinum |
| |
 Master |
| |
 Grandmaster |
| |
Equipment[edit]
| Sets | |
|---|---|
| Weapon | |
| Head | |
| Shoulder | |
| Back | |
| Belt | |
| Arms | |
| Kinetic Gems | |
Trivia[edit]
- Sven is named after Danish bodybuilder and actor Sven-Ole Thorsen.
- In earlier versions of DotA, Sven had the fun name "Arnold Schwarzenegger".
- ▶️ "Twas only a flesh wound" and ▶️ "It was but a scratch" are references to the Black Knight from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".
- ▶️ "Blame the host" and ▶️ "Bad host" are references to the original "Warcraft III" DotA gameplay when game stability depended on the quality of internet connection on the host player.
- Storm Hammer was named Storm Bolt in the early beta phases and was renamed into Storm Hammer at one point. It is also its original name in DotA and reflected in one of Sven's cast responses in Dota 2, where he is referring to it as ▶️ "Storm Bolt".
- Rubick also has the same response when casting an acquired Storm Hammer.
- Warcraft 3 similarities:
- Sven's hero concept is originally inspired by the, Felguard Overlords.
- Great Cleave is identical to the Felguards' Cleaving Attack.
- Storm Hammer's original iteration was identical to the Mountain King's Storm Bolt.
- The area of effect was added much later in 6.60, until then, the abilities were identical.
- In DotA, it was called Storm Bolt as well. The name was used during the early beta of Dota 2, but got renamed at some point.
- One of Sven's cast responses for Storm Hammer still refers to it as ▶️ "Storm Bolt".
- Sven's old ability Toughness Aura was identical to the Paladin's Devotion Aura, a passive aura that grants armor to allies.
- Warcry's original iteration was identical to the Scroll of Protection, a consumable item that grants armor to allies when used.
- God's Strength's original iteration was identical to the Druid of the Claw's Roar, but only affecting Sven himself.
- As such, God's Strength was dispellable, and did not turn Sven red.
- Later on, the ability was reworked to its current iteration, becoming undispellable and turning Sven red when cast.
- In DotA, this was achieved through a transformation spell, using the Felguard Bloodfiend model.
- Sven's hero concept is originally inspired by the, Felguard Overlords.
Gallery[edit]
Concept art
Sven's default weapon, the Outcast Blade
Early model of the Outcast Blade
Ability icon progress
Hero icon progress
Sven on the Replay Takeover splash art in the New Bloom 2014 update.
Bone Harvest sprite - alive
Bone Harvest sprite - dead
