Damage Block is a mechanic that reduces incoming damage, typically by a flat amount.
Overview[]
Damage block differs from Damage Manipulation in that it always reduces instead of increasing incoming damage, and is able to block damage with the HP Removal flag.
There exist four different categories of damage block currently, which are listed by the order of proccing below.
Mana Shield Damage Block[]
Driven by MODIFIER_PROPERTY_TOTAL_CONSTANT_BLOCK_UNAVOIDABLE_PRE_ARMOR
.
Mana Shield blocks damage of all types, before all other damage manipulation. The block value is variable and adapts to the damage value of the incoming instance.
Physical Damage Block[]
Driven by MODIFIER_PROPERTY_PHYSICAL_CONSTANT_BLOCK
.
Physical damage block reduces any physical damage a unit takes from attacks or from cleave, with the exception of damage dealt by attacks from ward-type units. Physical damage block offers no protection against spells, with only a few exceptions.
Physical damage block triggers after Mana Shield, but before all other damage manipulation. This means that the higher the unit's armor is, the less actual reduction is provided by damage block. However, the effectiveness of damage block is only meaningful in relation to the attacker's damage. See total attack damage for detailed examples with calculation.
When physical damage block procs, an ocher-colored negative number pops up on the unit, with a shield icon on the right side of the -x
number. This number shows the exact amount of damage blocked.
Chanced-based physical damage block uses pseudo-random distribution.
Innate Damage Block[]
Innate
Self
Other Sources[]
- Proc Chance: 100%
Blocked Damage: 70
Strength as Blocked Damage Bonus: 50%
Duration: 8
Buff is applied to all allied heroes within 1200 radius of the caster. - Damage Block Proc Chance: 100%
Blocked Damage: 16/34/52/70
Blocked Spell Damage[]
The following abilities' damage is blocked by Damage Block.
- Only physical damage returned or reflected is blocked. Magical and pure damage is not blocked.
- The bouncing projectiles are affected by Damage Block.
- Only physical damage returned or reflected is blocked. Magical and pure damage is not blocked.
- The bouncing projectile is partially affected by Damage Block.
- Only physical damage returned or reflected is blocked. Magical and pure damage is not blocked.
- Storm Spirit - [[Storm Spirit#|]]The bouncing projectile is partially affected by Damage Block.
Not Blocked Attack Damage[]
Attack damage setting is not blocked by Damage Block.
- 1 Requires talent.
- 1a When not talent upgraded.
- 2a Requires Aghanim's Scepter.
- 2b Requires Aghanim's Shard.
Magical Damage Block[]
Driven by MODIFIER_PROPERTY_MAGICAL_CONSTANT_BLOCK
.
Magical damage block reduces any magical damage a unit takes from attacks or from spells.
Magical damage block triggers after Mana Shield, but before all other damage manipulation. This means that the higher the unit's magic resistance is, the less actual reduction is provided by damage block.
When magical damage block procs, a cyan-colored number pops up on the unit, showing the exact amount of damage blocked.
Universal Damage Block[]
Driven by MODIFIER_PROPERTY_TOTAL_CONSTANT_BLOCK
.
Universal damage block reduces damage of all three types a unit takes. It triggers after almost every other source of damage manipulation. Therefore, on-damage effect will proc directly afterwards.
Sources[]
- Damage Absorb (HP≥70%): Blocks damage partially so that wielder remains with 70% health
Damage Absorb (HP<70%): Blocks all damage
This effect takes place immediately preceding the activation of Combo Breaker and is distinct from the activated Combo Breaker damage reduction.
Stacking[]
Within the same damage block category, if multiple sources of damage block activate, the actual blocked damage is taken from the source with the highest block value, and the other sources cannot reduce damage any further. Sources from different categories simply block the damage sequentially, independent of each other. Thus, it is inadvisable to stack multiple damage block sources of the same category.
Side Effects[]
Many sources of damage block have negative side effects that can take place when blocking damage. When multiple sources of the same category activate at once, even though only the source with the highest block value actually reduces damage, the side effects will all activate regardless.
For example, Infused Raindrops and Dandelion Amulet will both go on cooldown from one single magical damage instance, and a single attack can remove a stack from both Fire Shield, Gravekeeper's Cloak, while simultaneously causing Ghostship rum hangover.
Thus, it could be inadvisable to try and stack multiple damage block sources of the same category.
Chance-based blocking[]
The proc chances of physical damage block work independently from each other. The probability of proccing any damage block when there are multiple damage block sources of the same value can be defined as
% Block = 1 - (1 - Damage Block Sources i )
Examples[]
- Example 1
- Huskar has two Vanguards in his inventory. What is the probability that one of them will proc when he is attacked?
- Block Chance
- = 1 - (1 - 0.6) × (1 - 0.6)
- = 1 - 0.16
- = 0.84
- As Vanguard has a Damage Block proc chance of 60%, the probability of Damage Block proccing when he is attacked is 84%.
- Example 2
- Warlock is affected by Guard and he has one Vanguard in his inventory. What is the probability for each source of Damage Block to proc?
- As Guard procs on every hit, and its blocked damage value is greater than that of Vanguard,
- Vanguard will have no effect on damage blocked whether it procs or not.
Preventing on-damage effects[]
Many abilities react on damage a unit receives. In some cases, fully negating the damage causes them to not proc. However, some on-damage effects also react on 0 damage so they still may proc even when the proccing damage got negated.
The following abilities and effects do not react on damage when it gets fully negated (reduced to 0):
- Aegis of the Immortal – Expire Restore
- Ancient Black Dragon – Splash Attack1
- Blink Dagger – Blink
- Bloodthorn – Soul Rend
- Bottle – Regenerate
- Bristleback – Bristleback2
- Clarity – Replenish
- Healing Salve – Salve
- Lifesteal – All sources
- Lifestealer – Open Wounds
- Mjollnir – Static Charge
- Monkey King – Tree Dance
- Orchid Malevolence – Soul Burn
- Pugna – Life Drain
- Regeneration Rune – Regeneration
- Spell lifesteal – All sources
- Spirit Vessel – Soul Release
- Templar Assassin – Psi Blades1
- Tidehunter – Kraken Shell2
- Urn of Shadows – Soul Release
- Visage – Soul Assumption2
1 These work when the damage gets negated by Aphotic Shield.
2 These abilities have damage counters, which do not work when the damage gets negated.
The following abilities still do react on fully negated damage:
- Lua error: Found no Cargo data for "Bane - Nightmare".
- Batrider – Sticky Napalm
- Battle Fury – Cleave
- Blade Mail – Damage Return
- Chen – Divine Favor
- Death Prophet – Exorcism
- Dragon Knight – Elder Dragon Form (splash damage)
- Elder Titan – Echo Stomp
- Invoker – Ghost walk
- Kunkka – Tidebringer
- Lifestealer – Feast
- Lone Druid – Summon Spirit Bear
- Magnus – Empower
- Spectre – Dispersion1
- Spirit Bear – Return
- Lua error: Found no Cargo data for "Sven - Great Cleave".
- Tiny – Tree Grab
- Tiny – Tree Throw
- Viper – Corrosive Skin
- Warlock – Fatal Bonds1
1 The damage of Dispersion and the damage spread of Fatal Bonds are fully unaffected by any form of reduction, except for magic resistance and armor.
Recent Changes[]
<div> <div class="updatetablehead"> <div id="version">Version</div><div id="description">Description</div> </div> <div class="updatetablebody">
- REMOVEDPoor Man's Shield.
- Damage Block (Melee)
- Now works against player-controlled units again.
- Now follows the same stacking rules as other sources of Damage Block, instead of fully stacking with all of them.
- Reduced proc chance from 100% to 50%.
- Increased blocked damage from 8 to 16.
- Damage Block (Melee) no longer works against player-controlled non-hero units.
</div> </div>