Abaddon

Hero

 

Strategy

 

Counters

 

Equipment

 

Gear

 

Talents

 

Relics

 

Responses

 

Sounds

 

Lore

 

Old Abilities

 

Changelogs

 

Known Bugs

 

Abaddon 22 + 2.8 23 + 1.5 18 + 2
Level 0 1 15 25 30 Health 200 640 1420 2220 2540 +1 +3.2 +7.12 +11.12 +12.72 Mana 75 291 627 1011 1155 +0 +0.9 +2.3 +3.9 +4.5 Armor -1 2.83 6.33 10.83 12.42 Damage Block 16 (50%) Magic Resistance 25% Status Resistance 0% Damage 28‒38 50‒60 89‒99 129‒139 145‒155 Attack Rate 0.71/s 0.84/s 0.96/s 1.12/s 1.18/s Attack Range 150 (600) Attack Speed ▶️ 120 (1.7s BAT) Attack Animation 0.56+0.41 Projectile Speed Instant Movement Speed ▶️ 325 Turn Rate 0.6 Collision Size 24 Vision Range (G) 1800 • 800 Legs 2 Gib Type Ethereal Ability Upgrades Borrowed Time Mist Coil Aphotic Shield Curse of Avernus

Abaddon, the Lord of Avernus, is a melee strength hero known as one of the most versatile characters in Dota due to his rather low mana dependence, short spell cooldowns and a large number of viable item choices. His ability to help sustain his allies and himself plus his strong tower diving capacity give him solid lane presence. Many of his abilities offer a large sum of utility, which makes him a strong support hero. Mist Coil serves as both a single target nuke and heal that helps shift the sustainability of both allied and enemy heroes in a lane at his will, though sacrificing a portion of his own health. Aphotic Shield holds as one of the most useful abilities in the game, able to shield a target from some damage while also able to reflect said damage to a huge area. The most important aspect is how it is able to dispel many status effects such as slows and stuns. His other abilities allow him to become a mix between a semi-carry and tank. Abaddon's passive, Curse of Avernus, allows his attacks to not only slow down his enemy, but also increase the attack speed of any ally attacking the same target while also silencing the target after a set of attacks. With his ultimate, Borrowed Time, Abaddon is able to shift all non-HP-removal damage he receives into health. When not on cooldown, Borrowed Time may activate passively when his health falls under a certain threshold, even under the most dire situations. Due to his powerful spells and versatility, Abaddon is an excellent addition to any team.

Bio

Abaddon, the Lord of Avernus

▶️ "The fog of war is no match for the mist of fate."

Lore:

The Font of Avernus is the source of a family's strength, a crack in primal stones from which vapors of prophetic power have issued for generations. Each newborn of the cavernous House Avernus is bathed in the black mist, and by this baptism they are given an innate connection to the mystic energies of the land. They grow up believing themselves fierce protectors of their lineal traditions, the customs of the realm—but what they really are protecting is the Font itself. And the motives of the mist are unclear.

When the infant Abaddon was bathed in the Font, they say something went awry. In the child's eyes there flared a light of comprehension that startled all present and set the sacerdotes to whispering. He was raised with every expectation of following the path all scions of Avernus took—to train in war, that in times of need he might lead the family's army in defense of the ancestral lands. But Abaddon was always one apart. Where others trained with weapons, he bent himself to meditation in the presence of the mist. He drank deep from the vapors that welled from the Font, learning to blend his spirit with the potency that flowed from far beneath the House; he became a creature of the black mist.

There was bitterness within the House Avernus—elders and young alike accusing him of neglecting his responsibilities. But all such accusations stopped when Abaddon rode into battle, and they saw how the powers of the mist had given him mastery over life and death beyond those of any lord the House had ever known.

Voice:

TJ Ramini (Responses)

Abilities

Mist Coil

▶️▶️QD

Ability
Target Unit

Affects
Enemies / Allies

Damage
Magical / Pure

Abaddon releases a coil of deathly mist that can damage an enemy unit or heal a friendly unit at the cost of some of Abaddon's health.

Cast Animation: 0.25+0.4

Cast Range: 575

Self Damage Percentage: 50%

Enemy Target Damage: 110/160/210/260 ( 165/215/265/315)

Ally Target Heal: 110/160/210/260 ( 165/215/265/315)

Projectile Speed: 1300

 Radius: 500

5.5 ( 4.5)

50

Causes Mist Coil to apply a Curse of Avernus stack on enemies. Lowers Cooldown for Mist Coil by 1.

Can be cast on Spell Immune allies.
Cannot be cast on spell immune enemies.
Self damage pierces spell immunity.

Blocked upon impact, as primary and secondary target, therefore, Abaddon still loses health.

Can be disjointed by enemies and allies.

Ability Draft Notes:

Curse of Avernus must be drafted as well for it to get applied.

A mysterious vapor from the Font of Avernus now infuses the breath of Abaddon, who releases it at will.

Notes:

• The projectile travels at a speed of 1300.

• Deals pure damage to self and magical damage to enemies.

• The self-inflicted damage is applied instantly upon cast and never lethal, so it cannot be used to deny oneself.
  • Deals 55/80/105/130 ( 82.5/107.5/132.5/157.5) damage to self.

• If the target ally turns invulnerable or hidden before projectile impact, it still gets healed by it.

• The heal and damage increasing talent immediately upgrades all of Abaddon's currently flying Mist Coil projectiles.

• The level 25 talent adds a 500 radius to this ability. The ability must be centered over a unit still.
  • Upon cast, Abaddon sends coils towards every ally and enemy within the radius, excluding himself.
  • These behave just like a regular cast, and can be disjointed normally.
  • Also targets units inside the Fog of War and invisible units. However, invisible targets instantly disjoint it.
  • The self-damage stays the same, regardless of how many Mist Coils are released.

• With Aghanim's Shard, Mist Coil first applies its damage, then the Curse of Avernus stack based on its current level.

Aphotic Shield

▶️▶️WT

Ability
Target Unit

Affects
Allies / Enemies

Damage
Magical

Summons dark energies around an ally unit, creating a shield that absorbs a set amount of damage before expiring. When the shield is destroyed it will burst and deal damage equal to the amount it could absorb to an area around it. Removes certain types of negative buffs and stuns on cast.

Cast Animation: 0.3+0.33

Cast Range: 550

Damage Radius: 675

Shield Capacity: 110/140/170/200 ( 210/240/270/300)

Burst Area Damage: 110/140/170/200 ( 210/240/270/300)

Duration: 15

12/10/8/6 ( 11/9/7/5)

100/110/120/130

Causes Aphotic Shield to apply a Curse of Avernus stack on enemies. Lowers Cooldown for Aphotic Shield by 1.

Shield persists if it was placed before spell immunity.

Modifiers

modifier_abaddon_aphotic_shield: Dispellable with any dispel.

Ability Draft Notes:

Curse of Avernus must be drafted as well for it to get applied.

The powers of the black mist rise to absorb attacks like the black mist absorbs light.

Notes:

• Applies a strong dispel on the target upon cast.
  • ↓↓ Double-tapping automatically targets self.

• Aphotic Shield fully negates damage (after all reductions), causing several on-damage effects to not trigger.

• Aphotic Shield has the second lowest priority in the group of damage negating effects.
  • This means when combined with other damage negating abilities (e.g. Borrowed Time or Refraction), the shield does not absorb any damage until the other sources are gone.

• Does not deal damage to invisible units or units in the Fog of War.
  • Losing the Aphotic Shield buff always causes it to burst and deal area damage, no matter how the shield was lost.

• The area damage is independent from the amount of absorbed damage. It always deals the full 110/140/170/200 ( 210/240/270/300) damage.

• The shield capacity and damage increasing talent does not affect any of the current active Aphotic Shields.
  • Increases both shield capacity and burst area damage despite the talent description stating it increases the shield capacity only.

• Successive casts on the same unit do not stack. Upon recast, the previous shield gets destroyed (dealing area damage) and a new one gets applied.

• With Aghanim's Shard, Aphotic Shield first applies its damage, then the Curse of Avernus stack based on its current level.

Curse of Avernus

▶️EF

Ability
Passive

Affects
Allies / Enemies

Abaddon strikes an enemy, slowing the target's movement speed. If the target gets hit 4 times, they become affected by a chilling curse causing them to be silenced and slowed, and all attacks against them gain an attack speed boost.

Required Hits: 4 ( 3)

Initial Move Speed Slow: 10%/15%/20%/25% ( 20%/25%/30%/35%)

Curse Move Speed Slow: 15%/30%/45%/60%

Curse Attack Speed Bonus: 40/60/80/100

Initial Debuff Duration: 5

Curse Debuff Duration: 4.5

Speed Buff Duration: 4

Increases base slow by 10%.

Disables placing the initial debuff, or increasing its counter. If already cursed, prevents allies from gaining the speed buff upon attacking the cursed enemy.

Modifiers

modifier_abaddon_frostmourne: Undispellable. Persists death.

modifier_abaddon_frostmourne_buff: Dispellable with any dispel.

modifier_abaddon_frostmourne_debuff: Dispellable with any dispel.

modifier_abaddon_frostmourne_debuff_bonus: Dispellable with any dispel.

While the baptized draw strength from the Font, the gifts of Avernus are debilitating to the uninitiated.

Notes:

• Each successful attack done on an enemy unit without the curse debuff, places the initial debuff, or increases its counter if it already has the debuff.

• The initial debuff's duration gets refreshed on each hit. The required hits do not need to all happen within 5 seconds.

• When the initial debuff's counter reaches 4 ( 3), it gets removed and replaced by the curse debuff.

• Any allied heroes attacking the cursed enemy gets the speed buff. The buff is granted upon successfully landing an attack on the cursed target.
  • This means missed attacks do not grant the buff. For ranged heroes, this also means they gain the buff only on projectile impact.
  • The speed buff only works when attacking cursed targets. When executing an attack against a unit that is not cursed, the buff gets removed.

• The speed buff is only granted to allied heroes, illusions and clones. Non-hero units do not get the buff. Treats creep-heroes as creeps.

• The debuffs can be placed on buildings, but cannot be placed on wards or allied units.

Borrowed Time

▶️RB

Ability
No Target
( Aura)

Affects
Self
( Allied Heroes)

When activated, all damage dealt to you will heal instead of harm. Most negative buffs will also be removed. If the ability is not on cooldown, it will automatically activate if your health falls below 400.

Cast Animation: 0+0

Passive Health Threshold: 400

Duration: 4/5/6 ( 7/8/9)

 Radius: 1600

 Mist Coil Trigger Health Threshold: 525

 Aura Linger Duration: 0.5

60/50/40 ( 52/42/32)

0

Increases duration. While Borrowed Time is active, anytime an ally takes more than 525 damage while within 1600 range of Abaddon, an individual Mist Coil will automatically fire towards that ally.

The passive activating when below 400 health is disabled.
The ability to fire Mist Coils at allies is not disabled.

Modifiers

modifier_abaddon_borrowed_time_passive: Undispellable. Persists death.

modifier_abaddon_borrowed_time: Dispellable with death only.

modifier_abaddon_borrowed_time_damage_redirect: Undispellable. Persists death.

Ability Draft Notes:

Mist Coil must be drafted as well for it to get applied.

The most unnatural of all the gifts of the Font of Avernus, this power defies mortal understanding. What should hurt, instead heals; and what should kill gives strength anew.

Notes:

• Interrupts Abaddon's channeling abilities upon cast. Does not interrupt channeling abilities when passively activated.

• Borrowed Time can be manually activated even while stunned, cycloned, slept, taunted, hidden, or during Forced Movement.

• It cannot be manually activated, but can passively activate while silenced, hexed or prevented from acting.
  • Abaddon is unable to ⇧ Shift-queue this ability.

• Applies a strong dispel on Abaddon upon activating, be it manually or passively activated.

• Activates automatically when a damage instance (without the HP Removal flag) drops Abaddon's health below 400, or hits Abaddon while already below 400 health.
  • The damage is dealt before Borrowed Time is activated, meaning if the damage instance exceeds Abaddon's current health, he dies without Borrowed Time activating.
  • This also means that it does not save Abaddon from instantly killing effects (e.g. Culling Blade and Ice Blast).

• Borrowed Time fully negates damage (after all reductions), causing several on-damage effects to not trigger.

• Borrowed Time converts damage into healing after reductions.

• Borrowed Time has the highest priority in the group of damage negating abilities.
  • This means when combined with other damage negating effects (e.g. Aphotic Shield or False Promise), Borrowed Time negates the damage while the others do not.
  • For False Promise, this means that Borrowed Time first turns damage into heals, and then it is registered by False Promise as a heal and not as damage.

• As with all damage manipulating effects, Borrowed Time only negates and heals from the 3 damage types. It does not heal from HP Removal.
  • The only exceptions are Heartstopper Aura and False Promise, which it does heal from. However, it does not passively activate from them.

• With Aghanim's Scepter, Borrowed Time provides a 1600 radius aura, its buff lingers for 0.5 seconds.
  • Places a damage counting buff on allies within the radius, counting any damage the ally takes after all reductions.
  • The damage counter does not react on damage flagged as HP Removal.
  • The counted damage is checked on each damage instance. This means only one Mist Coil may be released per damage instance, no matter how big it was.
  • If the counted damage is higher than the 525 health trigger threshold, the threshold value gets subtracted from it, and a Mist Coil gets released.
  • Since the threshold value gets subtracted from the counted damage, excess damage of big damage instances are not lost, and directly count towards the next possible trigger.
  • This means a single 1575 damage instance (3 times larger than the trigger threshold) triggers one Mist Coil, but the next two damage instances are guaranteed to trigger a Mist Coil each.
  • The damage counter has no reset timer. It only resets when the ally loses the buff in between damage instances.
  • The released Mist Coils are based on the current level are passively cast automatically and instantly, regardless of mana and cooldown.
  • Mist Coil notes fully apply. If it is not learned, no coils are released.
  • The aura does not affect invulnerable or hidden units.

Talents

Hero Talents
500 AoE Mist Coil	25	-1 Curse of Avernus Attacks Required
-8s Borrowed Time Cooldown	20	+100 Aphotic Shield Health
+55 Mist Coil Heal/Damage	15	+65 Damage
+8 Strength	10	+15 Movement Speed

Notes:

• The strength talent effectively grants Abaddon 160 health, 0.8 health regeneration, and 8 main attack damage.

• This attack damage talent is added as bonus attack damage.
  • Does not benefit illusions and is not affected by most percentage-based damage increasing or reducing effects.

Recent Changes

Main Article: Abaddon/Changelogs

Version

Description

7.30c

• Talents:

Level 20 left talent changed: +9 armor ➜ -8s Borrowed Time cooldown.

7.30

• Reduced base strength and gain from 23 + 3 to 22 + 2.8.
• Increased Aphotic Shield cast range from 500 to 550.
• Talents:

Level 20 right talent changed: 15% cooldown reduction ➜ +100 Aphotic Shield capacity/damage.

Level 25 right talent changed: +180 Aphotic Shield capacity/damage ➜ -1 Curse of Avernus attacks required.

7.29

• Increased turn rate from 0.5 to 0.6.
• Increased health regeneration from 0.5 to 1.
• Mist Coil
  • Changed self damage from a fixed 75/100/125/150 to 50% of the enemy damage values.
  • Reduced cast backswing from 0.67 to 0.4.
  • Rescaled damage/heal from 120/165/210/255 to 110/160/210/260.
• Aphotic Shield
  • Reduced cast backswing from 0.5 to 0.33.
  • Increased mana cost from 100/105/110/115 to 100/110/120/130.
• Aghanim's Scepter upgrade:
  • Increased Borrowed Time duration from 6/7/8 to 7/8/9.
• Aghanim's Shard upgrade:
  • Now also reduces Mist Coil and Aphotic Shield cooldowns by 1.
• Talents:

Level 15 left talent: +50 Mist Coil damage/heal increased to +55.

Level 20 left talent: +8 armor increased to +9.

Level 25 left talent: 425 AoE Mist Coil increased to 500 AoE.

Recommended Items

Starting items:

• Tango regenerates health so Abaddon can stay in lane.
• Healing Salve also restores health to Abaddon.
• Clarity fuels Abaddon's powerful Aphotic Shield in the laning stage of the game, so he can get last hits and damage the enemies at the same time.
• Iron Branch gives Abaddon cheap attributes. It builds into Magic Wand, or combines with Tango to heal him more.
• Enchanted Mango increases health regeneration, gives burst mana to use Aphotic Shield.

Early game:

• Magic Wand provides Abaddon increased attributes and burst health and mana restoration, giving him much more survivability and allowing him to use his abilities more.
• Boots of Speed give Abaddon movement speed bonus, as he needs good positioning in order to make use of his abilities. It also allows him chase down enemies with Curse of Avernus easier.

Mid game:

• Phase Boots give great movement speed and armor so Abaddon can run at the enemies.
• Blade Mail can be a powerful semi-carry item that fills in several of Abaddon's deficiencies. The bonus armor increases his tankiness and the bonus damage increases his damage output for fighting and farming. The active can allow Abaddon to use his HP pool offensively during fights, discouraging the enemy from focusing him down when he does not have Borrowed Time activated.
• Solar Crest's armor and mana regeneration give Abaddon survivability and mana sustain, and the active allows Abaddon to either enhance a teammate's survivability against physical attacks, or induce an armor debuff and slow on enemies to reduce their ability to fight.
• Radiance increases Abaddon's attack damage and gives him a burn aura that forces the enemy to engage him. The aura also inflicts a blind debuff on the enemy, causing them to miss attacks directed at any friendly units so long as Abaddon is nearby.

Late game:

• Assault Cuirass greatly increases Abaddon's armor and attack speed, giving him physical survivability and increased damage output to allow him to carry effectively. The aura also greatly benefits teammates, and reduces enemy armor, allowing Abaddon and his team to deal more damage.
• Shiva's Guard increases Abaddon's armor and intelligence, improving his tankiness and mana pool. The passive aura greatly reduces enemy attack speed, which stacks with Curse of Avernus, and the active ability inflicts minor damage and slows enemy movement speed as well.
• Guardian Greaves boost Abaddon's survivability and support his team. The health and mana replenishment bring amazing sustainability, and the dispel allows Abaddon to remove debuffs from himself that may be preventing him from participating effectively in fights. The aura also gives Abaddon and his teammates enhanced survivability especially when they are running low on health.

Situational items:

• Orb of Venom allows Abaddon to apply a slow with his attacks, and stacks on top of Curse of Avernus. The item fits an aggressive Abaddon who prefers to gank regularly in the early game.
• Tranquil Boots increase movement speed to give Abaddon better positioning, allowing him to get his abilities off more easily. The health regeneration allows Abaddon to recoup the health cost of Mist Coil, ensuring that he never puts himself at too much risk when using it.
• Soul Ring adds strength and health regeneration, as well as mana at the cost of health; the item synergizes well with Tranquil Boots which pay for the health cost.
• Urn of Shadows gives Abaddon a way to heal allies and himself after using Mist Coil. It also sustains him with mana regeneration so he can use his abilities more.
• Drum of Endurance gives Abaddon attributes and mana regeneration, as well as blessing his team with movement speed and attack speed, giving them an edge in ganks and pushes.
• Heaven's Halberd's increased strength, status resistance, and evasion give Abaddon much more survivability; and, the active allows him to disarm an enemy carry during a fight, preventing them from contributing.
• Vladmir's Offering is a solid item on Abaddon, no matter what role he takes. Its aura grants armor, mana replenishment, lifesteal, and bonus damage to Abaddon and all nearby allies, making it a powerful item to have present in any fight.
• Pipe of Insight gives Abaddon greatly increased magic resistance and HP regen, allowing him to shrug off magic nukes and vastly increasing his survivability. The active allows Abaddon to further protect his teammates through shielding them from the enemy's magic nukes for a short time, synergizing with Aphotic Shield.
• Crimson Guard is a powerful utility item that benefits Abaddon both as a carry and a support. The damage block, increased HP and bonus armor make Abaddon much harder to bring down with physical damage, and the active gives all nearby allies enhanced damage block and armor, increasing their resistance to physical damage for a short duration.
• Lotus Orb can be a very powerful utility support item that further allows Abaddon to keep his teammates alive. The item gives Abaddon increased armor for tankiness and mana and HP regen for self-sustain, allowing him to always be ready to participate in fights. Using the active on himself or a teammate discourages the enemy from casting single-target spells on them, as they can be turned back against the enemy; if Abaddon is not the target of the Echo Shell, he can also remove any disables placed on the targeted ally with Aphotic Shield, effectively using the enemy's disables against themselves with no effect on Abaddon's team.
• Aghanim's Scepter extends the duration of Borrowed Time and allows Abaddon to shield his allies from damage. The reduced damage can also force the enemy to heal Abaddon as it is redirected to him during the ultimate.
• Heart of Tarrasque grants massive bonus to strength and health, ensuring Abaddon can survive against the heaviest damage. By staying alive, he can deal sustain damage with Radiance and Aphotic Shield in fights.
• Octarine Core bolsters Abaddon's survivability by giving him a larger health and mana pool. The cooldown reduction allows him to cast more Mist Coils and Aphotic Shields during fights, especially when paired with his level 20 cooldown reduction talent. Spell Lifesteal is also strong on Abaddon, as his Coil and Shield both frequently deal magic damage, allowing him to heal when these abilities are used offensively, keeping his Borrowed Time from proccing and allowing him to stay alive longer in fights.

Gameplay

Roles:	Support Carry Durable
Complexity:	★☆☆
Playstyle:	Unlike the other scions of his house, Abaddon drank deeper than any from the prophetic vapors that flowed from the Font of Avernus. Now a being of unnatural powers, Abaddon releases deathly Mist Coils to damage adversaries and heal allies. The black mist swirls around his compatriots, forming an Aphotic Shield that absorbs attacks before bursting in a wide radius. But the Font's greatest gift is revealed only in the desperation of battle. Bestowed with Borrowed Time, Abaddon charges the enemy ranks, riding down foes with his cursed blade, his health returning with each welcoming blow. For all that was meant to kill did nothing but make the Lord of Avernus even more formidable.

Strategy & Tips

Counters &
Matchups

Audio

Responses

Sounds

History

Lore

Old Abilities

Changelogs

Equipment

Abaddon Equipment (expand sets) Sets Anointed Armor of Ruination Arsenal of the Demonic Vessel Compendium Rider of Avarice Darkness Wanderer's Armor Set Drowned Horseman Echoes of the Everblack Endless Night Enveloping Despair Mark of the Mistral Fiend Merciless Mists Rider of Avarice Sermon of the Frozen Apostle Set The Brinebred Cavalier Trenchknight Vespertine Guard Mount Dreadsteed of Avernus Hallgul the War Mount Soulhoof Weapon Blackmist Blade Demon Edge Emissary's Blade Fractured Sword Hollow Ripper Iceshard Mace of the Chosen Mistblade Mistbreaker Phantom's Reaper

Trivia

• Abaddon's title, Lord of Avernus, is a reference to the famous crater in Italy, which was, in ancient times, believed to be the entrance to the underworld.
• In DotA, Abaddon's third ability was originally called "Frostmourne." It was changed in the transition to Dota 2 due to copyright reasons, since Frostmourne exists as a famed weapon in the Warcraft universe. When using Curse of Avernus, Abaddon says 'The mistblade bites', which is similar to Arthas's Quote: 'Frostmourne hungers'. Similarly, his first ability was originally named "Death Coil", but was likely changed to differentiate it from the ability used by death knights in the Warcraft universe; one of his responses when using Mist Coil references the original name.
• In the Christian Bible, Abaddon is the name of an angel who rises from the Abyss and commands an army of locusts. Coming from Hebrew, Abaddon as a name translates to "Destroyer".
• Abaddon's response to killing Phoenix "That Phoenix flew too close to the mist." is a reference to the Greek myth of Icarus and Daedalus where Icarus flew to close the sun and crashed to the sea when his wax wings melted.

Gallery

• 

  Splash artwork

• 

  Concept art

• 

  Concept art

• 

  Concept art

• 

  Hero icon progress