Spell Reflection

Spell Reflection is an offensive ability that causes the affect unit to cast most single target spells back on their casters, ranging from basic small abilities to the strongest single target ultimates.

Mechanics
Spell Reflection acts as a passive effect, activating automatically when a reflectable single target spell is targeted at the unit. It may also come in form of a buff, reflecting spells while the buff is active. Spell Reflection only reflects spells upon cast, it does not react on already ongoing casts when being applied while already affected by a single target spell. When a spell gets blocked by Spell Block, it still gets reflected. Multiple layers of Spell Reflection do no stack, so that spells can only be reflected once per cast. With a very few exceptions, Spell Reflection does not reflect area of effect spells. It also does not reflect single target spells when hit as a secondary target. The unit must be the primary targeting order to reflect the spell. Projectile-based spells are usually reflected upon impact, and not upon cast, with a few exceptions.

The reflected spells are treated as if the reflecting hero literally cast the spell back at the enemy, with an instant cast time and without getting interrupted. This means that scaling values of reflected abilities are based on the reflecting hero's stats, and not on the original caster's. This also means that reflected spells receive upgrades only if the reflecting hero has Aghanim's Scepter (or any Aghanim's Scepter buff), regardless of whether the original caster has it or not. If a spell applies an effect to the caster on cast, so will it apply those effects on the reflecting hero upon reflecting.

Reflected spells do not count as a cast event, meaning that they do not proc any on-cast effects, and do not interrupt or intercept with the reflecting hero actions in any way. However, reflected channeling spells do require the reflecting hero to stand still in order to keep them up, although the reflecting hero is not orderd to stop upon reflecting such spells. Reflected spells are also not limited to the original spell's actual cast range, and will get reflected, regardless of how far away the original caster is, though this does not mean that spells with specific limited distances can exceed their set distances.

The reflected spell's effects take place before the caster's spell cast. This ensures that the spell gets reflected even when the reflecting hero dies to the spell, or blocks it with Spell Block. This does not prevent the original caster's spell to get canceled, if they die to the damage of the reflected spell. Due to the order, this means, when the cast and reflected spell is lethal to both, the original caster and the reflecting hero, the origincal caster dies first, followed by the reflecting hero. For example, if gets reflected while Axe and his target are below the kill threshold, Axe dies first to the reflecting hero's Cull, and then the reflecting hero dies to Axe's Cull. However, if the damage is delayed via a modifier (e.g. ), the reflecting hero dies first.

A spell's interaction with Spell Reflection may change if the ability gets changed by other abilities, talents or by. For example, when a single target turns into a non-targeted spell, Spell Reflection may no longer reflect it.

Spell Reflection does not reflect any active attack modifier and does not reflect any abilities of allies. Reflected spells are not subject to other sources of Spell Reflection, so that no reflect loop can happen. Reflected spells are still subject to Spell Block.

Not reflected abilities
These abilities are not reflected by Spell Reflection.

Fully reflected abilities
These abilities are fully reflected by Spell Reflection.

1 Projectile-based abilities, these are reflected upon impact, not upon cast.

2 These abilities can hit multiple targets, and are reflected by everyone hit by them.

3 These abilities can hit multiple targets, but are only reflected when primary target.

4 These abilities can be upgraded by talents and/or  so that they are no longer reflected by Spell Reflection.

5 Although projectile-based, these abilities are reflected on cast, not on impact.

Patch history
技能反弹