Attack Range

Attack range is the range at which a Hero may use his or her basic attack ability on another unit. There are two main subdivisions of attack range: melee and ranged Heroes. Attack range can be extended by certain abilities.

Melee and Ranged
Melee Heroes usually have an attack range of 128 units. The attack range of a Hero has no actual basis on whether that hero is ranged or not, instead it depends on the hero's missile speed (melee heroes always having "instant" missile speed while ranged heroes having specific missile speeds). Ex. the ranged hero Templar Assassin notably has a base attack range of 140 shorter than that of the melee Doom which is 150. A Hero's melee or ranged designation dictates how they interact with certain game mechanics. Dragon Knight, Lone Druid, Troll Warlord, and Terrorblade are the only heroes who can alter their melee-ranged distinction.

Melee Heroes earn a base of 36 experience when a nearby unit is denied, as opposed to ranged Heroes, which only earn 18. Melee Heroes also receive greater benefit from certain items, such as Stout Shield or Quelling Blade. Melee Heroes benefit exclusively from Lifesteal Aura and Cleave, while ranged Heroes benefit exclusively from other auras, such as Precision Aura.

Ranged Heroes also fire a projectile when they attack, the speed/missile speed of which can affect how long an attack takes to damage a unit. Attack projectiles can be dodged/disjointed by most Blink abilities. Melee unit attacks deal their damage instantly and cannot be dodged in this way.

Ranged Heroes also have a 25% chance to miss any unit they attack when firing uphill. Melee heroes do not have a chance to miss, even though some melee heroes can attack up cliffs.

Attack Range Comparison

 * Attack range can be modified by abilities; see below