Lifesteal

Lifesteal allows the attacking unit to gain Health when damaging an enemy with a physical attack. The lifesteal ability can be gained via items, passive abilities or the auras of other units.

The amount of health a unit gains from lifesteal is calculated after all damage reductions such as Armor or Damage Block.

Lifesteal Unique Attack Modifier
Lifesteal as a Unique Attack Modifier is the most common form of lifesteal and can be used by both melee and ranged units. With the exception of Satanic's Unholy Rage ability, they are all passive abilities. Items that give this type of lifesteal are:



These items do not stack with each other. The one in the highest priority slot will override the others.

Lifesteal Aura
Lifesteal granted by an aura gives all melee units in the area of effect the lifesteal ability. Ranged heroes do not benefit from this aura. Lifesteal auras will stack with other lifesteal auras, but not with identical lifesteal auras. Lifesteal auras will stack with lifesteal granted by Unique Attack Modifiers. Items and skills that provide a Lifesteal Aura are:



Lifesteal and other Abilities

 * Critical Strike: Lifesteal is calculated after Critical Strikes, which means that it will increase the amount of life you steal.
 * Bash: Melee bashes (which deal magical damage) will not interact with lifesteal. Ranged Bashes (which deal physical damage) will interact with lifesteal.
 * Lifesteal will only work on the main target of the attack, abilities that cause an attack to hit more than one target (e.g. Cleave, Splash or Moon Glaive) do not add extra lifesteal, despite what the animation might show.
 * Illusions do not benefit from lifesteal or lifesteal auras, although they perform the animation.

Triggered Lifesteal
Certain lifesteal effects were written as triggered effects in the original Warcraft III engine. While such nuances are moot as of Dota 2, the following spells still behave differently than other lifesteal effects:


 * Feast is written as two separate effects. The damage is reduced by armor, but the heal to Lifestealer is not. For example, if Lifestealer were to attack a target with 1000 armor, he would deal no damage but would still be healed on each attack. Feast will not stack with Unique Attack Modifiers such as Critical Strike.
 * Open Wounds is unique in that it will grant allies lifesteal on the target. All damage dealt can grant lifesteal, including magical damage from spells. This is the only way magical damage can proc lifesteal.
 * Feast is written as two separate effects. The damage is reduced by armor, but the heal to Lifestealer is not. For example, if Lifestealer were to attack a target with 1000 armor, he would deal no damage but would still be healed on each attack. Feast will not stack with Unique Attack Modifiers such as Critical Strike.
 * Open Wounds is unique in that it will grant allies lifesteal on the target. All damage dealt can grant lifesteal, including magical damage from spells. This is the only way magical damage can proc lifesteal.
 * Open Wounds is unique in that it will grant allies lifesteal on the target. All damage dealt can grant lifesteal, including magical damage from spells. This is the only way magical damage can proc lifesteal.
 * Open Wounds is unique in that it will grant allies lifesteal on the target. All damage dealt can grant lifesteal, including magical damage from spells. This is the only way magical damage can proc lifesteal.
 * Open Wounds is unique in that it will grant allies lifesteal on the target. All damage dealt can grant lifesteal, including magical damage from spells. This is the only way magical damage can proc lifesteal.