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, 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.

• Bane – Enfeeble
• Chen – Holy Persuasion¹
• Clockwerk – Power Cogs
• Dark Seer – Vacuum
• Doom – Devour²
• Doom – Doom
• Elder Titan – Natural Order
• Elder Titan – Earth Splitter
• Enchantress – Enchant³
• Enchantress – Nature's Attendants
• Enigma – Demonic Conversion
• Enigma – Midnight Pulse
• Hand of Midas – Transmute
• Helm of the Dominator – Dominate
• Keeper of the Light – Blinding Light
• Nature's Prophet – Sprout
• Necrophos – Heartstopper Aura
• Outworld Destroyer – Arcane Orb
• Pangolier – Rolling Thunder
• 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 Stats Armor Attributes (Strength / Agility / Intelligence) Collision size Health (Health regeneration) Magic resistance Mana (Mana regeneration) Movement speed Status resistance Turn rate Vision Attack Attack animation Attack damage Attack modifier (Bash / Cleave & Splash / Critical strike / Lifesteal / Mana break) Attack range Attack speed Cast animation Cast range Damage types Motion buffer range Projectile speed Spell damage Spell lifesteal Abilities Abilities Aura Channeling Cooldown Damage block Damage manipulation Damage over time Evasion Talents Teleport Status effects Attack immunity Break Cyclone Disable Disarm Ethereal Fear Forced movement Hex Hide Hypnosis Invisibility Invulnerability Leash Phased Root Silence Sleep Slow Spell immunity Stun Taunt World Experience Gold Glyph of Fortification Map (Minimap) River Scan Runes Time of day Trees Gameplay Creep control techniques Denying Disjoint Dispel Ganking Harassment Hero complexity Initiating Item passive stacking Item sharing Jungling Lane Pushing Random distribution Roles Trap Units Ancient creeps Buildings Couriers Creep-heroes Heroes Illusions Lane creeps Neutral creeps Roshan Summons & Wards