Ancient (unit type)

"Ancient creep" redirects here. For the neutral ancient camps, see Ancient Camps.

The Ancient unit tag causes the tagged units to be treated differently by spells and other effects. It also turns them completely immune (i.e. untargetable) for some spells, mainly spells which instantly kill the target.

The following units are ancient creeps: Ancient Black Dragon, Ancient Black Drake, Ancient Granite Golem, Ancient Rock Golem, Ancient Thunderhide, Ancient Rumblehide, Ancient Prowler Shaman, Ancient Prowler Acolyte, Roshan, Animal Courier, Flying Courier, Earth, Storm, Fire, Void, Astral Spirit, Familiar, Warlock Golem, Tombstone.

Spell interactions

If a spell has different effects on heroes as it does on creeps, then it uses the creep effect on ancient creeps. For example, spells with different durations on creeps than on heroes use the creep duration.

Not affecting

The following spells are unable to target or affect units tagged as ancients.

• Astral Spirit – Natural Order
• Chen – Holy Persuasion¹
• Clockwerk – Power Cogs
• Dark Seer – Vacuum
• Doom – Devour²
• Doom – Doom
• Elder Titan – Natural Order
• Elder Titan – Earth Splitter
• Enchantress – Enchant³
• Enigma – Demonic Conversion
• Enigma – Midnight Pulse
• Hand of Midas – Transmute
• Helm of the Dominator – Dominate
• Lone Druid – Entangling Claws
• Necrophos – Heartstopper Aura
• Pudge – Meat Hook
• Shadow Demon – Soul Catcher
• Spirit Bear – Entangling Claws
• Vengeful Spirit – Nether Swap

¹ Can target ancients when having Aghanim's Scepter. Still cannot be cast on creep-heroes.

² Can target ancients after the required talent is chosen. Still cannot be cast on creep-heroes.

³ Can target ancients after the required talent is chosen. Still treats creep-heroes as heroes.

Unique

The following spells treat units tagged as ancients differently than regular creeps.

• Crystal Maiden - Frostbite
  
  Uses the hero duration against ancient creeps, rather than the creep duration.
• Diffusal Blade - Inhibit
  
  Does not root enemy ancient creeps like how it does when used on regular creeps.
• Earth Spirit - Boulder Smash
  
  Cannot be cast on ancient creeps to smash them. Ancient creeps are affected by the damage/slow normally.
• Juggernaut - Omnislash
  
  Cannot be cast on ancient creeps. Can jump onto ancient creeps and damage them normally.
• Lifestealer - Infest
  
  Cannot be cast on ancient creeps when on level 1. Can target them normally when on level 2 or 3.
• Mirana - Sacred Arrow
  
  Does not instantly kill ancient creeps like how it does when hitting regular creeps.
• Phoenix - Sun Ray
  
  Does not affect/damage enemy ancient creeps. Does affect/heal allied ancient creeps.
• Timbersaw - Chakram
  
  Does not affect ancient creeps when passing through them. Does affect ancients while stationary.
• Timbersaw - Second Chakram
  
  Does not affect ancient creeps when passing through them. Does affect ancients while stationary.
• Tiny - Toss
  
  Cannot toss ancient creeps. Can target ancient creeps to toss units towards them.

Mechanics Main Stats Armor Attributes ( Strength / Agility / Intelligence) Health & Mana (HP Regen & MP Regen) Magic Resistance Movement Speed Status Resistance Turn Rate Misc Collision Size Gib Type / Shades Legs Vision Abilities Type Active / Passive / Autocast Aura Accuracy / Evasion Channeling Damage Block / Magic Damage Barrier Damage Manipulation Damage Over Time Talents Teleport Targeting Area No Target Point Unit Vector Combinations Casting Cast Range / Motion Buffer Cast Animation (Cast Point + Backswing) Cooldown Reduction (Flat / Current Flat / Percentage) Reset Charge-based Attack Damage Attack Damage Instant Attack Heroes Attack Classes Attack Range (Acquisition Range) Attack Speed (BAT / Interval) Damage Types (Physical / Magical / Pure / Instant Kill) Flags (HP Removal / No-reflection) Projectile Speed Spell Damage (Outgoing / Incoming) Modifiers Bash Cleave / Splash Corruption Critical Strike Lifesteal / Spell Lifesteal Mana Break On-hit Effects Animation Definition Orb Walking Status Effects Disables Cyclone Disabling Orders Forced Movement (Knockback) / Upward Movement Fear (Hypnosis) Hide Hex Root Leash Stun Sleep Taunt Movement Move Speed Slow Flying Movement Phased / Tree Walk / Unobstructed Movement Other Attack Immune Attack Speed Slow Spell Immunity Invulnerability Invisibility Blind Break Disarm Ethereal Silence Mute Trap Items Mechanics Sharing / Selling Disassemble Recipes Neutral Item Drop