Illusions





Illusions are imperfect copies of another unit. To enemies they look exactly the same as the original unit (with the exception of and ), but to allies the illusions are very distinct from the original one (illusions have a different color than the original unit, usually blue). Illusions run equally fast and attack almost as fast but their attacks usually deal much less damage and they usually take much more damage. With a few exceptions, illusions are controllable by whichever player they are created by. There are two types of illusion abilities: Mirror Image type and Single Target type. Illusions deal 25% less damage against buildings.

Mirror Image
Mirror Image type illusions are created at the caster's location and are mixed up with the hero so that enemies will not know which is which. These abilities also provide a short period of invulnerability and dispel most buffs and some disables. The following abilities are Mirror Image type:

Other sources of illusions
Illusions usually are part of other abilities: here is a list of abilities that also spawn illusion, but on different ways than Mirror Image abilities.



Passive abilities Illusions can use

 * Attack range changes
 * Raw Health or Mana
 * Attack Speed bonuses from, and ,
 * Attack Speed buff from ,
 * Attribute Bonus (Strength, Agility and Intelligence)
 * Critical Strike (it should be noted that, just like for other units, the red number display the damage before any reduction, even before the illusion's outgoing damage reduction)
 * Evasion
 * 's Feedback (has halved effectiveness on ranged illusions)


 * Magic Resistance from abilities, and from base Magic Resistance
 * 's True Strike
 * Movement Speed bonus (except passive)
 * 's and 's bonus damage to creeps
 * 's True Sight
 * 's bonus night vision
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's (movement speed bonus only)
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's (movement speed bonus only)
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's (movement speed slow only)
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's

Passive abilities Illusions cannot use

 * Raw Damage, Armor or Attack Speed increase (Yasha, Leap, and auras are exceptions since they are based on the Endurance Aura in DotA)
 * Raw Health or Mana regeneration (including Fountain heal)
 * Lifesteal (regardless of what the animation may show; Illusions do however receive Lifesteal from Octarine Core)
 * Bash
 * Most Unique attack modifiers
 * Cleave
 * Damage Block (,, etc)
 * Magic Resistance from items (,, or )
 * Greater and Lesser Maim from items like, , and
 * 's spell block
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's

Auras on Illusions
In most cases, illusions will bestow the auras that the original hero has. The following auras are exceptions to this rule and are not bestowed by illusions:

Abaddon - Borrowed Time

Doom - Scorched Earth

Naga Siren - Song of the Siren (healing and sleep)

Necrophos - Heartstopper Aura

Outworld Devourer - Essence Aura

Vengeful Spirit - Vengeance Aura (debuff)

Witch Doctor - Voodoo Restoration

Lycan - Feral Impulse

Illusions usually will not benefit from auras, however, there are numerous exceptions of auras that increase Attack Speed or Movement Speed:
 * 's (attack speed bonus)
 * Doom's Scorched Earth (movement speed bonus)
 * 's
 * Bounty Hunter's Track (movement speed bonus)
 * 's (movement speed bonus)
 * 's Endurance (movement speed bonus)
 * 's Assault Aura (attack speed bonus)
 * Necronomicon Archer - Archer Aura
 * Ancient Thunderhide - War Drums Aura
 * Hellbear Smasher - Swiftness Aura

Illusions also benefit from the following auras which do not fall under the category of Attack Speed and Movement Speed:

Luna's Lunar Blessing (night vision bonus)

Terrorblade - Metamorphosis (transformation aura) - currently the aura does not function properly

Lycan - Shapeshift - Illusions created during Shapeshift will be in wolf form and gain a new Shapeshift buff lasting for 18 seconds. The buff provides them the critical strike and night vision. As for the movement speed, the speed is provided by an aura and the illusions are treated like all other units owned by Lycan. The illusions do not carry the aura. So when Shapeshift ends they have the same Movement speed as Lycan.

Illusions bestow and fully apply effects of the following negative auras:
 * 's
 * 's Burn Damage
 * 's Assault Aura (Armor Reduction bonus)
 * 's Freezing Aura
 * 's
 * 's
 * Undying - Flesh Golem

Buffs illusions can use
Illusions can benefit from the buffs that modify heroes' intrinsic values, such as Base damage, Base Attack Time, attack range, base armor, attributes, health/mana, etc. If illusions are created when any of the buffs is placed on an Hero, illusions benefit from it for the buff duration (duration is refreshed for the illusions upon creation).


 * 's Unholy Strength
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's (only when Split Shot is active before the illusions spawn)
 * 's (only when Berserker's Rage is active before the illusions spawn)

Abilities which interact differently with Illusions
There are a couple of different ways abilities can interact with illusions, notably they can instantly destroy illusions, deal bonus damage to them or ignore them.

Abilities which destroy illusions:
 * 's Hex
 * 's
 * 's (after 0.1 seconds)
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's (destroyed on the first damage tick)
 * 's (destroyed if look for 2 seconds)

Abilities which deal bonus damage to illusions:
 * 's Purge (100% of their hp as hp removal)
 * 's (25% of their current hp)
 * 's (100/200/300/400)

Abilities which ignore illusions:
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's
 * 's

Other illusion interactions:
 * 's (treats the illusion like a creep and puts in under Enchantress' control)