Cast Animation

Every time a unit uses an ability, it must go through its Cast animation in order to successfully activate it. The duration of the cast animation determines how fast a unit can use abilities and recover from them. For example, a hero like Leshrac will have a hard time chaining his abilities because of his enormous cast animation; at the other side, Invoker, having no cast animation at all, can chain abilities as fast as his cooldowns allows (and how fast his player can press buttons). Cast animation is divided between Cast point and Cast backswing.

Cast point
The cast point (also known as Cast frontswing) is the delay between when an ability command is issued, and the ability is actually performed. For example, if Death Prophet is issued to cast Crypt Swarm, she must first raise her hands in the air before the bats are actually summoned, and this animation takes 0.5 seconds to do so. Therefore, it's said that she has a cast point of 0.5, and this means there will always be a delay of a half second before Death Prophet casts any hero ability (the cast point of a unit is shared with all of its abilities).

An ability will only apply its effect, enter cooldown and expend mana if it successfully reaches the casting point. For example, if Death Prophet starts casting something and she is disabled exactly at 0.49 seconds of her animation, the ability will fail but it won't start cooling down nor draw from her manapool. Inversely, if she's stunned exactly at 0.5, the ability will already have been successfully used, applying its effects, beginning its cooldown, and consuming mana. Because the casting animation can be interrupted by its own user (by using the stop command), it's possible to cancel one's own ability even after the cast point has started (but not finished). There are many applications for this trick, like baiting enemies into running away or correcting a misaimed spell. Obviously, this can only be done with units with a lengthy enough cast point (usually 0.3 seconds or greater), as it would otherwise be difficult to cancel a spell.

It's worth mentioning that the longer the cast point of a hero is, the easier it is for opponents to react to it and even disable you before you can use your abilities. For example, Clockwerk can easily prevent Earthshaker and Leshrac from casting their abilities entirely with Battery Assault's consistent mini-stuns.

Channeled abilities
Channeled abilities must first be casted to start the actual channel, and then effect will start happening. Once started, their mana costs and cooldowns are applied, even if it gets interrupted immediately after. For example, Bane, having a 0.5 cast point, will not waste Fiend's Grip if he gets stunned at 0.49 of his animation, but he will lose it if he gets stunned at 0.5 seconds, only applying one tick.

Zero cast point
Certain abilities have no cast point (like Queen of Pain's Scream of Pain, and Earthshaker's Echo Slam), and will be cast instantly regardless of the user's cast point. Toggleable abilities always have no cast time.

Delayed cast point
Other abilities have delayed cast point, meaning that these abilities will have the user's base cast time plus an arbitrary amount of casting to be successfully performed. For example, Sniper's Assassinate has a 1.7 delayed cast point. This means that Sniper, who has 0.3 cast point, will take 2 seconds to cast his ultimate in total. Other than having an extended casting, delayed cast point abilities do not differ at all from normal cast point abilities: Sniper will only fire the shot, spend mana and send his ultimate into cooldown if he successfully casts for 2 seconds, and it can be canceled by all usual means. Delayed cast point must not be mistaken with channeling, the latter requires continuous casting to keep the effect going on, the former only needs a longer period of cast until its effect happens.

Active items
All items with active abilities are considered to have no casting time.

Cast backswing
The cast backswing is the delay between a successfully finished cast point and when another queued command will be performed. For example, after Warlock being issued to use Shadow Word, it takes 0.5 seconds until he actually applies his curse (the cast point). After that, it takes another 0.5 seconds until Warlock proceeds with his activities, usually becoming idle or autoattacking any enemy within range (the cast backswing). This totalizes a 1 second cast animation for Warlock, and a 0.5 backswing to him. Just like cast point, the cast backswing is shared with all the unit's abilities: this means Warlock takes 0.5 to recover himself from any successfully cast ability.

Unlike the cast point, the backswing is purely cosmetic and interrupting it has no negative effect whatsoever (it can be stopped by any command, not only the stop order). Because of this, the backswing can and should be canceled by immediately issuing another order once the cast point is done, shaving off a few precious seconds. This is mostly noticeable on Crystal Maiden and Keeper of the Light, since they have a small 0.3 cast point but a huge 2.4 backswing. Backswing cancel is an extremely important skill in serious Dota 2 play.

To reiterate, the backswing cast animation only serves as a hindrance and should always be canceled immediately to make the most out of your abilities and movements. However, the backswing could be used as an estimate when stunlocking, allowing for maximum stun time.

Channeled abilities
Channeling abilities have backswing as well, but they only happen when the channel is completed. Because often the channel is interrupted, either by enemy's crowd control or by user's input, it's rare having to deal with it.

Delayed and zero cast point
Delayed and zero cast point abilities have backswing as usual. It's interesting to note that abilities with no cast point, with proper backswing cancel, can have no cast animation at all (for example, when playing Necrophos and spamming Death Pulse).

Active items
Items never have backswing.

List of abilities with no cast point
''Because all active items have no cast point, they will not be listed here. Also, there are many heroes with zero cast point (Dragon Knight, Ember Spirit, Techies, Invoker, Sand King and Venomancer), but only abilities that have no cast point despite the hero are going to be listed here.''


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List of abilities with no cast backswing
''Does not include abilities that also do not have a cast point. Abilities have no cast point nor cast backswing can be found in the list above.''


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List of abilities with delayed cast point
''Note that certain abilities, like Sand King's Epicenter, require a complete channeling before the effect starts. This is NOT the same as delayed cast point, and thus they will not be listed here.''