Attack Immunity

“

▶️ The shadows will protect me... — Dark Willow

”

Attack Immunity is a mechanic that prevents attack from affecting unit.

Instant attacks may target attack immune units if they are ranged instant attacks, but will have no effect when the unit is still attack immune on impact. Instant melee attacks cannot target attack immune units.

Definition

Mechanic	Definition	Examples
Ethereal	Grants Attack Immunity and self disarms. Immune to all physical damage, but usually (though not always) reduces self magic resistance.	Decrepify
Non-targetable	Does not includes Hide sources. Grants Attack Immunity and Phased. Not selectable and does not have a Hitbox. Cannot be targeted by both allies and enemies.	Hitch A Ride
Misc Non-targetable	Can be selectable and still has a Hitbox. However, it cannot be targeted by either allies or enemies.	Smoke Screen

Units with Attack immunity can not be targeted by attack.

• Instant attack also can not deal damage on them.
• Units with Attack immunity can disjoint any attack projectiles.
• Units with Attack immunity will not draw Aggro unless Taunt is rendered.
  • It means that neutral creeps will not look for sources when receiving damage from units with Attack immunity.

Unselectability

Main Article: Non-targetable

Most Unselectability sources also grant attack immunity.

Unselectability Sources

• Book of Shadows - Shadows
  
  The affected target is unselectable by the caster's enemies.
  The affected target's hitbox is not removed.
• Centaur Warrunner - Hitch A Ride
  

  
  The affected ally hero is unselectable.
• Crystal Maiden - Crystal Clone
  

  
  The created illusion is unselectable.
  The illusion is not attack immune.
• Dark Willow - Shadow Realm
  
  Dark Willow is unselectable by her enemies.
  Her hitbox is not removed.
• Ember Spirit - Sleight of Fist
  
  Grants invulnerability and Ember Spirit is unselectable.
• Juggernaut - Omnislash
  
  Grants invulnerability and Juggernaut is unselectable.
• Juggernaut - Swiftslash
  
  Grants invulnerability and Juggernaut is unselectable.
• Mars - Bulwark
  

  
  The created soldiers are invulnerable and unselectable by their allies and enemies.
• Outworld Destroyer - Astral Imprisonment
  

  
  Grants the affected ally hero invulnerability and they become unselectable.
• Riki - Smoke Screen
  

  
  The affected enemies within the radius are unselectable by their allies.
  They are not attack immune, but they cannot be attacked by their allies.
  Their hitbox are not removed.
  They are not phased.

¹ Requires Talent.

^2a Requires Aghanim's Scepter.

^2b Requires Aghanim's Shard.

Ethereal

Main Article: Ethereal

All ethereal sources also grant attack immunity.

Abilities Granting Attack Immunity through Ethereal

• Ethereal Blade – Ether Blast
• Ghost Scepter – Ghost Form
• Leshrac – Nihilism
• Muerta – Pierce the Veil
• Necrophos – Ghost Shroud
• Pugna – Decrepify

Version History

Version

Description

7.32

• Added
  new Hitch A Ride ability that uses the Attack Immunity mechanic.

7.28

• Added
  new Nihilism ability that uses the Ethereal mechanic.

7.19c

• Ink Swell no longer uses the Attack Immunity mechanic.

7.00

• Added
  new Ghost Shroud ability that uses the Ethereal mechanic.

6.87

• Units affected by Duel no longer ignore disarms and ethereal state.
• Ethereal now blocks in-flight attack projectiles fully, rather than just ones launched before entering Ethereal form. [?]

6.79c

• Units affected by Duel now fully ignore disarms and ethereal state.

6.79

• Can no longer orb-attack while attack restricted (such as Ethereal or under Frostbite).

6.67

• Created
  Ethereal Blade.

6.60

• Created
  Ghost Scepter.

5.62

• Added
  the Ethereal mechanic.
  • Decrepify is an ability that uses the Ethereal mechanic.

Patch History

Patch

Description

24 Aug 2018

• Added
  Ink Swell, an ability that uses the attack immunity mechanic.

31 Oct 2017

• Added
  Shadow Realm, an ability that uses the attack immunity mechanic.

Gallery

• 

  Attempting to attack an attack immune unit.

Mechanics Main Heroes Unit Type (Heroes / Clones / Illusions) Complexity Attributes Table Buyback Level Roles Gold Experience Animations Stats Armor Attributes ( Strength / Agility / Intelligence) / Universal) Health & Mana (HP Regen & MP Regen) Magic Resistance Movement Speed / Slow Resistance Status Resistance Turn Rate Misc Creep Controling Death / Denying Vision Unit Size (Collision Size / Bound Radius / Selection Box / Model Size) Gib Type / Shades Adjectives Buildings Towers / Barracks / Ancient / Fountain Effigy Neutral Buildings (Outposts / Watchers / Twin Gates / Lotus Pools) Abilities Type Active / Passive / Autocast Aura Accuracy / Evasion Channeling Damage Barrier Damage Block 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 Runes Bounty Rune Water Rune Wisdom Rune Power Runes ( Amplify Damage Rune / Arcane Rune / Haste Rune / Illusion Rune / Invisibility Rune / Regeneration Rune / Shield Rune) Misc Random Distribution Transformation 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 / No-Spell-Lifesteal / No-Spell-Amplification) Projectile Speed Spell Damage (Outgoing / Incoming) Modifiers Bash Cleave / Splash Corruption Critical Strike Lifesteal / Spell Lifesteal Mana Break On-hit Effects Misc Damage Instance Animation / 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 / Non-targetable Attack Speed Slow Debuff Immunity Spell Immunity Invulnerability Invisibility Blind Break Disarm Ethereal Silence Mute Trap Dispels Basic Strong Death Items Mechanics Courier Sharing / Selling Disassemble Recipes Neutral Item Drop