Break

Break

 

Changelogs

 

For other uses of the word Break, see Break (Disambiguation).

Break is a status effect that disables passive abilities. It does not disable passive components from items (i.e. Talisman of Evasion's evasion) and talents (unless stated). Break works completely independent from mute and silence.

Definition

Ability and Item Disables	Disabled Aspect / Definition	Examples
Silence	Fully prevent any active abilities order, except item casts. Autocast abilities that are currently set to Autocast have their functionality disabled. Toggled abilities are stuck in their current On / Off state for the duration, but their functionality is not disabled.	Global Silence
Break	Fully disable passive abilities, does not disable any item passives and Talents (with some exceptions). On-death passives (e.g. Reincarnation) and direct-synergy passives ( Caustic Finale with Burrowstrike) are generally not disabled.	Viper Strike
Mute	Fully prevent item cast orders, except ability casts.	Doom

Mechanics

See also: Silence and Mute

Break disables every aspect of the ability, including proc chances, innate cooldowns, attack modifiers and permanent bonuses. Only abilities with passive components are affected, but not passives components of items and talents. For example, when Blur is disabled by break, but Talisman of Evasion and derived items are not.

If a passive ability places a buff or debuff, those buffs and debuffs already in place are not nullified. For example, if an enemy is affected by Poison Sting, the ability's effects continues even if Break is applied on the caster. Break only prevents the caster's attacks from applying the effect. The same also applies to passive abilities which grants stacks (e.g. Essence Shift), Break just prevent them gaining new stacks, but usually does not disable already existing stacks.

However, the opposite is the case for auras when affected by Break. The aura itself continues to place its buff or debuff on units, but when Break is applied on the source of the aura, the buff or debuff is disabled for the duration. If the aura has a status icon in the HUD, they show 0 when affected by Break.

There is no set rule for which passive abilities are disabled by Break. However, most passive abilities which are dependent on another ability to function are not nullified (e.g. Grow and Divided We Stand).

Sources

Break Sources

• Viper – Viper Strike
• Silver Edge – Shadow Walk
• Phantom Assassin – Fan of Knives
• Hoodwink – Decoy
• Hoodwink – Sharpshooter
• Doom – Doom¹
• Shadow Demon – Demonic Purge^2a
• Shadow Shaman – Hex¹
• Primal Beast – Uproar^2a
• Hill Troll Berserker – Break

¹ Requires Talent.

^2a Requires Aghanim's Scepter.

^2b Requires Aghanim's Shard.

Disabled by Break

The following passive abilities are completely disabled by Break. Unless stated otherwise, this includes passive cooldowns, damage counters, or other small parts of the abilities.

Abilities Disabled by Break

• Abaddon – Borrowed Time¹
• Abaddon – Curse of Avernus²
• Alchemist – Corrosive Weaponry
• Alchemist – Greevil's Greed
• Alpha Wolf – Critical Strike
• Alpha Wolf – Packleader's Aura
• Ancient Black Dragon – Dragonhide Aura
• Ancient Black Dragon – Splash Attack
• Ancient Black Drake – Magic Amplification Aura
• Ancient Frostbitten Golem – Time Warp Aura
• Ancient Rock Golem – Weakening Aura
• Ancient Rumblehide – War Drums Aura
• Anti-Mage – Counterspell¹
• Anti-Mage – Mana Break
• Astral Spirit – Natural Order⁶
• Axe – Counter Helix
• Beastmaster – Inner Beast
• Bloodseeker – Blood Mist
• Bloodseeker – Thirst
• Boar – Poison¹⁰
• Bounty Hunter – Jinada
• Bristleback – Bristleback
• Bristleback – Warpath³
• Centaur Courser – Cloak Aura
• Centaur Warrunner – Retaliate¹
• Chaos Knight – Chaos Strike
• Chen – Divine Favor
• Crystal Maiden – Arcane Aura
• Dawnbreaker – Luminosity
• Dragon Knight – Dragon Blood
• Drow Ranger – Marksmanship⁴
• Earth – Demolish
• Earthshaker – Aftershock
• Elder Titan – Natural Order⁶
• Ember Spirit – Fire Remnant
• Enchantress – Untouchable
• Faceless Void – Backtrack
• Faceless Void – Time Lock
• Fire – Permanent Immolation
• Flagbearer Creep – Inspiration Aura
• Ghost – Frost Attack
• Gyrocopter – Flak Cannon
• Hellbear – Death Throe: Rush
• Hellbear – Swiftness Aura
• Hellbear Smasher – Death Throe: Power
• Hill Troll Berserker – Break
• Hill Troll Priest – Heal Amplification Aura
• Hoodwink – Scurry
• Huskar – Berserker's Blood
• Juggernaut – Blade Dance
• Kobold – Prospecting Aura
• Kobold Foreman – Speed Aura
• Kobold Soldier – Steal Weapon
• Kunkka – Tidebringer
• Legion Commander – Moment of Courage
• Lifestealer – Feast
• Lifestealer – Ghoul Frenzy
• Lina – Fiery Soul³
• Lone Druid – Demolish
• Lone Druid – Entangling Claws
• Lone Druid – Spirit Link
• Luna – Lunar Blessing
• Luna – Moon Glaives
• Lycan – Feral Impulse
• Lycan Lane Wolf – Cripple
• Lycan Wolf – Cripple
• Mars – Bulwark
• Medusa – Cold Blooded
• Medusa – Split Shot
• Meepo – Ransack
• Mega Flagbearer Creep – Inspiration Aura
• Minor Imp – Eldritch Explosion
• Monkey King – Jingu Mastery⁷
• Mud Golem – Shard Split
• Muerta – Gunslinger
• Naga Siren – Rip Tide
• Necronomicon Archer – Archer Aura
• Necronomicon Warrior – Last Will
• Necronomicon Warrior – Mana Break
• Necrophos – Heartstopper Aura
• Night Stalker – Hunter in the Night
• Ogre Magi – Multicast
• Outworld Destroyer – Essence Flux
• Pangolier – Lucky Shot
• Phantom Assassin – Blur¹
• Phantom Assassin – Coup de Grace
• Phantom Lancer – Juxtapose
• Phantom Lancer – Phantom Rush
• Primal Beast – Uproar
• Razor – Storm Surge
• Riki – Cloak and Dagger
• Roshan – Bash⁹
• Rubick – Arcane Supremacy
• Sand King – Caustic Finale
• Satyr Mindstealer – Mana Aura
• Satyr Tormenter – Unholy Aura
• Shadow Fiend – Necromastery³
• Shadow Fiend – Presence of the Dark Lord
• Skeleton Warrior – Rally
• Slardar – Bash of the Deep
• Slark – Essence Shift^{3, 8}
• Slark – Shadow Dance¹
• Sniper – Headshot
• Sniper – Take Aim¹
• Spectre – Desolate
• Spectre – Dispersion
• Spirit Bear – Demolish
• Spirit Bear – Entangling Claws
• Spirit Bear – Spirit Link
• Spirit Breaker – Greater Bash⁹
• Super Flagbearer Creep – Inspiration Aura
• Sven – Great Cleave
• Templar Assassin – Psi Blades
• Tidehunter – Kraken Shell
• Timbersaw – Reactive Armor³
• Troll Warlord – Berserker's Rage
• Troll Warlord – Fervor⁷
• Tusk – Tag Team
• Underlord – Atrophy Aura³
• Ursa – Fury Swipes³
• Vengeful Spirit – Vengeance Aura
• Venomancer – Poison Sting¹⁰
• Vhoul Assassin – Envenomed Weapon
• Viper – Corrosive Skin
• Visage – Gravekeeper's Cloak
• Warlock Golem – Flaming Fists
• Warlock Golem – Permanent Immolation
• Weaver – Geminate Attack
• Wildwing Ripper – Toughness Aura
• Wraith King – Mortal Strike³
• Wraith King – Vampiric Spirit

¹ These abilities have passive components which are disabled by Break.

² Allies do not gain the Curse of Avernus speed buff upon attacking an already cursed enemy.

³ Does not grant stacks while disabled by Break. However, their already existing stacks still fully work.

⁴ Although the ability's particle effects still visually react on enemy presence, all passive components of Marksmanship are disabled.

⁵ Fully disabled by Break, even when using their active component.

⁶ Only disables Natural Order's armor reduction.

⁷ These abilities neither apply new stacks, nor do already existing stacks grant any bonuses during Break.

⁸ Essence Shift still grants permanent bonuses on kill conditions when disabled.

⁹ Break only prevents Greater Bash from proccing on attacks. Still works fully with other abilities.

¹⁰ Plague Ward's Poison Sting is also disabled.

Not Disabled by Break

The following passive abilities are not disabled by Break.

Abilities Not Disabled by Break

• Anchor – Spell Immunity
• Ancient (Building) – Reinforced
• Ancient Granite Golem – Granite Aura
• Armor – Armor Corruption
• Attack Damage – Piercing
• Attack Damage – Reinforced
• Attack Damage – Runty
• Attributes – Attribute Bonus
• Bash – Bash
• Batrider – Sticky Napalm
• Beastmaster – Max Health Aura
• Beastmaster – Movespeed Aura
• Brewmaster – Drunken Brawler
• Carrion Beetle – Spell Immunity
• Carrion Flies – Spell Immunity
• Cleave – Cleave
• Courier – Passive Bonus
• Courier – Phased
• Courier – Spell Immunity
• Dark Seer – Normal Punch
• Dazzle – Bad Juju
• Death – Reincarnation
• Death Prophet – Exorcism
• Earth – Debuff Immunity
• Earth – Drunken Brawler
• Effigy Building – Reinforced
• Enigma – Demonic Summoning¹
• Faceless Void – Chronosphere²
• Faceless Void – Time Walk
• Fiend's Gate – Spell Immunity
• Fire – Drunken Brawler
• Fire – Permanent Phase
• Flagbearer Creep – Runty
• Forged Spirit – Melting Strike
• Fountain – Reinforced
• Ghost – Piercing
• Harpy Scout – Piercing
• Harpy Stormcrafter – Piercing
• Lua error: Found no Cargo data for "HD93129 - Reinforced".
• Hill Troll – Piercing
• Hill Troll Berserker – Piercing
• Hill Troll Priest – Piercing
• Ice Spire – Spell Immunity
• Invisibility – Invisibility
• Invoker – Exort
• Invoker – Quas
• Invoker – Wex
• Io – Spirits
• Io – Tether
• Lua error: Found no Cargo data for "Irismus - Reinforced".
• Land Mine – Invisibility
• Legion Commander – Duel
• Lich – Chain Frost
• Lich – Ice Spire
• Lone Druid – True Form
• Lycan – Summon Wolves
• Lycan Wolf – Invisibility
• Mana Break – Mana Break
• Marci – Bodyguard
• Marci – Sidekick
• Marci – Unleash
• Medusa – Mana Shield
• Meepo – Divided We Stand
• Mega Flagbearer Creep – Runty
• Mega Melee Creep – Runty
• Mega Ranged Creep – Piercing
• Mega Siege Creep – Reinforced
• Melee Barracks – Reinforced
• Melee Creep – Runty
• Monkey King – Wukong's Command
• Muerta – The Calling
• Necronomicon Warrior – True Sight
• Ogre Magi – Dumb Luck
• Ogre Magi – Fireblast
• Plague Ward – Piercing
• Plague Ward – Poison Sting
• Plague Ward – Spell Immunity
• Proximity Mine – Invisibility
• Psionic Trap – Invisibility
• Puck – Dream Coil
• Pudge – Flesh Heap
• Ranged Barracks – Reinforced
• Ranged Creep – Piercing
• Razor – Plasma Field
• Roshan – On The Move
• Roshan – Spell Block
• Roshan – Strength of the Immortal
• Rubick – Spell Steal
• Sand King – Burrowstrike
• Sand King – Epicenter
• Sand King – Sand Storm
• Serpent Ward – Piercing
• Shadow Fiend – Requiem of Souls³
• Siege Creep – Reinforced
• Silencer – Glaives of Wisdom
• Skywrath Mage – Shield of the Scion
• Slardar – Guardian Sprint
• Slark – Depth Shroud
• Spectre – Spectral Dagger
• Spell Immunity – Spell Immunity
• Spiderling – Poison Sting
• Spiderling – Spawn Spiderite
• Spirit Bear – Return
• Storm – Drunken Brawler
• Super Flagbearer Creep – Runty
• Super Melee Creep – Runty
• Super Ranged Creep – Piercing
• Super Siege Creep – Reinforced
• Sven – Warcry
• Tidehunter – Anchor Smash
• Tiny – Grow
• Tombstone – Spell Immunity
• Tormentor – Reflect
• Tormentor – The Shining
• Tormentor – Unyielding Shield
• Tornado – Tempest
• Tower (Tier 1) – Reinforced
• Tower (Tier 2) – Reinforced
• Tower (Tier 3) – Reinforced
• Tower (Tier 4) – Reinforced
• Treant Protector – Nature's Guise
• Tusk – Walrus PUNCH!⁴
• Undying – Tombstone
• Undying Zombie – Deathlust
• Undying Zombie – Spell Immunity
• Vhoul Assassin – Piercing
• Viper – Become Universal
• Visage – Familiar Talents
• Visage – Soul Assumption
• Void – Drunken Brawler
• Warlock – Chaotic Offering
• Wraith King – Reincarnation

¹ Does not disable the Eidolon's ability to multiply.&&&

² Faceless Void's immunity to Chronospheres is not disabled.&&&

³ The passive cast upon death is not disabled.&&&

⁴ Does not disable the passive proc chance.;tal&&&

Trivia

Break as a mechanic did not exist prior to version 6.84, but Doom (required in 6.82/6.83), Hex-sources (until 6.84) and Chronosphere (until 6.82) disabled a small portion of passive spell and item abilities.

The following passive components were disabled by Doom, Hexes or Chronosphere:

By all 3 sources:

• Blur [?]
• Drunken Brawler [?]
• Bristleback
• Shadow Dance [?]
• Vampiric Aura [?]
• Feast
• Bash of the Deep
• Berserker's Rage [?]
• Greater Bash
• Time Lock
• Headshot
• Great Cleave
• Blade Dance
• Chaos Strike
• Coup de Grace
• Jinada [?]
• Mortal Strike
• Shapeshift [?]
• Mana Break

 

• Butterfly's evasion
• Heaven's Halberd's evasion
• Talisman of Evasion's evasion
• Gem of True Sight's aura
• Radiance's aura [?]
• Vladmir's Offering's lifesteal [?]
• Helm of the Dominator's lifesteal
• Mask of Madness' lifesteal
• Morbid Mask's lifesteal
• Satanic's lifesteal
• Abyssal Blade's bash
• Skull Basher's bash
• Monkey King Bar's mini-bash
• Battle Fury's cleave
• Crystalys' critical strike
• Daedalus' critical strike
• Diffusal Blade's feedback
• Diffusal Blade 2's feedback

Only by Doom:

• Borrowed Time [?]
• Backtrack
• Berserker's Blood
• Corrosive Skin
• Dispersion
• Entangling Claws
• Fury Swipes
• Juxtapose
• Kraken Shell
• Linken's Sphere's spell block

Only by Hexes and Chronosphere:

• Stout Shield's damage block
• Poor Man's Shield's damage block
• Vanguard's damage block
• Crimson Guard's damage block

Recent Changes

Main Article: Break/Changelogs

Version

Description

7.32

• The following abilities no longer apply Break:
  • Doom
  • Nether Strike
• ADDED
  new Decoy ability as a source of Break.

7.28c

• Vendetta no longer applies Break.

7.28

• ADDED
  new Sharpshooter ability as a source of Break.

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