Lycan

Hero

 

Strategy

 

Equipment

 

Gear

 

Talents

 

Relics

 

Responses

 

Sounds

 

Animations

 

Lore

 

Old Abilities

 

Changelogs

 

Known Bugs

 

Lycan #72 26 + 3 18 + 1.8 23 + 1.2
Level 0 1 15 25 30 Health 120 692 1616 2540 2914 +0.25 +2.59 +6.37 +10.15 +11.68 Mana 75 351 543 831 927 +0 +1.15 +1.99 +3.19 +3.59 Armor 0 3 7.2 12.2 14.03 Magic Resist 25% 27.3% 28.98% 31.38% 32.18% Damage Block 16 (50%) Damage 4 9 50 55 109 114 176 181 202 207 Attack Rate 0.65/s 0.75/s 0.9/s 1.08/s 1.14/s Attack Range 150 (600) Attack Speed ▶️ 110 (1.7s BAT) Attack Animation 0.55 + 0.25 Projectile Speed Instant Move Speed ▶️ 305 ( 335) Turn Rate 0.6 Collision Size 18 Bound Radius 8 Vision Range (G) 1800 ( 800) Gib Type Default Internal npc_dota_hero_lycan

Shapeshifts into a ferocious beast.
Part man and part wolf, Banehallow stands as the lone surviving heir to the noble House of Ambry. Not one to squander his curse, Banehallow Summon Wolves to scout ahead and aid him in the hunt. A blood-curdling Howl empowers his animal companions, sinking fang and claw to cripple his prey. But these abilities pale in comparison to the true manifestation of his lycanthropy. Under the full moon, he Shapeshifts and Bites his ally, transforming both of them into a lupine form, and takes on supernatural haste with Feral Impulse as they sprint unhindered across the battlefield to tear the throats from their enemies.
Roles:	Carry Pusher Durable Escape
Complexity:
Adjectives:	Arachnophobic, Bearded, Fuzzy, Nose Legs ( 2 )

Bio

Banehallow, the Lycan

▶️ "A wolf in man's clothing."

Lore:

Banehallow was noble-born to the house of Ambry, the greatest of the landed castes in the old kingdom of Slom. Before the Fall, as the King's wants grew strange, and his court grew crowded with sorcerers and charlatans, the house of Ambry was the first to rise against the avarice of the throne. No longer willing to pay homage and fealty, they instead sent six-thousand swords into the capital, where they were wiped out in the Massacre of the Apostates. And then came the teeth behind the old truth: When you strike a king's neck, you had better take his head.

Enraged by the betrayal, the king exterminated the vast Ambry bloodline, sparing only the lord of the house and his youngest son, Banehallow. Before all the royal court, with the disgraced lord chained to the ornate marble floor, the King bade his magicians transform the boy into a wolf so that he might tear out his own father's throat. "Do this," the king said, "so that Lord Ambry will understand the bite of betrayal." Powerful magic was invoked, and the child was transformed. But though his body was changed, his spirit remained intact, and instead of biting the exposed neck of his father, he attacked his handlers, tearing them to pieces. A dozen of the King's knights perished under the wolf's teeth before they managed to drive it off into the night. Lord Ambry laughed from his chains even as the King ran him through with a sword. Now the heir to the lost house of Ambry, Banehallow wanders the trail as the Lycan, part warrior, part wolf, in search of justice for all that he lost.

Aliases:

Banehallow, Lycan

Voice:

Nolan North (Responses)

Abilities

Summon Wolves

▶️QV

Ability
No Target
( Passive)

Affects
Wolves

Summons two wolves to fight for Lycan. Level 3-4 wolves have Permanent Invisibility, and level 4 wolves have Cripple.

Passive Component

 Number of Lane Wolves: 1

Cast Animation: 0.3+0.73

Number of Wolves: 2 ( 4)

Duration: 50

 30

 115/120/125/130

Aghanim's Shard Upgrade:

Causes one of your creep waves to include one uncontrollable wolf that moves with the wave. Additionally, wolves spawned this way may Cripple towers.

Break Notes:

Lane Wolf spawn is not disabled.

Modifiers [?]

modifier_kill

Death

The very enchantment that twisted his being also summons canine familiars.

Lycan Wolves' formation visualized.

Lycan Lane Wolf
Summoned Lane Creep
Health 450 +0.5 ⤷ 750HP This unit has no mana. Level 3 Duration Permanent Armor 0 Magic Resistance 70% Status Resistance 0 Attack Damage ▶️ Default 38 ‒ 40 ( 48–50) Attack Range 90 Acquisition Range 500 Attack Speed 100 • 0.9s BAT Attack Animation 0.33+0.64 Projectile Speed Instant Move Speed ▶️ 325 (100) Turn Rate 0.5 Collision Size 18 Bound Radius 8 Vision Range (G) 1200 • 800 Bounty 15 Experience 10 Abilities Cripple

• Casting Summon Wolves replaces currently active wolves from a previous cast, even when they are invulnerable or hidden.
  • However, it does not replace wolves from a previous cast that are dominated by enemies.

• Grants Lycan Wolves the following abilities at the following Summon Wolves levels:
  • LEVEL 3
    Invisibility
  • LEVEL 4
    Cripple
  • Both leveling up the ability and the health increasing talent do not update the current summoned wolves' stats.
    • It also neither updates the current summoned wolves' ability values nor grants them new abilities.
  • TALENT
    However, the attack damage increasing talent does immediately update all of Lycan's currently living wolves.

• Lycan Wolves always spawn in the same formation, 200 range in front of Lycan, and with a 120 range between the wolves.
  • Lycan is always at the center of the line of the first two spawned wolves.
  • The wolves face the same angle as Lycan.

• Has a cast backswing of 0.6 during Wolf Form.

• SHARD
  1 Lane Wolf is now spawned together with each creep wave in one random lane.
  • The lane for the spawned wolf is selected at complete random each time.
  • If Summon Wolves is not learned, the Lane Wolf does not spawn.
  • The Lane Wolf has the lowest target priority than any other unit, so they are targeted by auto-attacks last.
  • The Lane Wolf spawns even while Lycan is dead.

• SHARD
  Aside from the Lane Wolf being uncontrollable, it interacts with Lycan's abilities just like a regular Lycan Wolf would:
  • Lycan is considered its owner, the last hits made by the Lane Wolf grant bounty and experience to Lycan.
  • Howl upon cast is applied around it as well.
  • Feral Impulse notes fully apply.
  • Grants Shapeshift's critical strike proc chance, but not the haste speed.
  • The Lane Wolf has Cripple and it can proc on buildings.
    • Does not have Invisibility.
• SPELL STEAL
  After losing ability, re-acquiring and recasting the ability create new Lycan Wolves without replacing the wolves from the previous cast.

Howl

▶️WW

Ability
No Target

Affects
Enemies
(Wolves)

Strikes fear into enemies, reducing armor and attack damage of all enemies within 2000 range of Lycan and his wolves. Non-hero controlled units flee for a short time. At night Howl's armor and attack damage reductions are Global.

Cast Animation: 0.3+0

Day Radius: 2000

Night Radius: Global

Attack Damage Reduction: 25%/30%/35%/40% ( 0%)

Armor Reduction: 4/5/6/7 ( 6/7/8/9)

Summons Fear Duration: 1/1.5/2/2.5

Duration: 8

 Total Attack Damage Reduction: 25%/30%/35%/40%

 22/20/18/16

 40

Modifiers [?]

modifier_lycan_howl

Any

Blood-curdling wolf cries signal to opponents that Banehallow is among them.

• Lycan and his wolves (both Lycan Wolf and Lane Wolf) apply the ability effects around them simultaneously, there is no delay.
  • Does not apply the ability effects when they are invulnerable or hidden.

• The Howl debuff has the following mechanics:
  • It does not stack. Enemies can only be affected by the debuff once, despite being within range of multiple sources.
  • The debuff can only be applied by the caster, including the caster's Lycan Wolves and Lane Wolves. Other player-controlled units do not apply the debuff around them.

• Applies a flat attack damage reduction based on the affected units' main attack damage. Does not further reduce bonus attack damage.
  • TALENT
    Howl now reduces the target's main and bonus attack damage.
    • Does not reduce conditional attack damage bonuses (e.g. Pierce or Shadow Walk).
    • Stacks additively with other total attack damage reduction sources.

• Applies fear only to the following enemy player-controlled non-hero units:
  • Boar, Eidolon, Forged Spirit, Hawk, Lycan Lane Wolf, Lycan Wolf, Minor Imp, Necronomicon Archer, Necronomicon Warrior, Spiderite, Spiderling, Treant, Wraith King Skeleton

• Treat creep-heroes as heroes.

• Successive casts update the ability values and refresh its duration.

• Howl's sound effects are Global for allies.

Feral Impulse

EI

Ability
Aura

Affects
Self

Increases the HP regeneration and damage of Lycan and all units under his control.

Radius: Global

Attack Damage Bonus: 10%/20%/30%/40% ( 35%/45%/55%/65%)

Health Regen Bonus: 1/3/5/7

Aura Linger Duration: 0.5

Illusion Notes:

Bestow the aura and benefits from the health regeneration.

Does not benefit from the flat attack damage bonus.

Modifiers [?]

modifier_lycan_feral_impulse_aura

Undispellable

modifier_lycan_feral_impulse

Death

His animalistic symbiosis with canine kind gives Banehallow enhanced reflexes and hunting capabilities.

• Grants flat bonus attack damage based on the affected units' main attack damage. Does not further increase bonus attack damage.

• Feral Impulse affects all Lycan's player-controlled units.
  • Does not affect wards and Couriers.

• Does not affect invulnerable units.

• Can regenerate up to 60/180/300/420 health in one minute.

• The aura's buff lingers for 0.5 seconds.

• Lycan illusions created by abilities (e.g. Disruption etc.) do provide their owner and units the bonuses.
  • However, Enchanted illusions do not grant Enchantress' units the bonuses, only the illusion itself keeps them.

Wolf Bite

▶️DT

Ability
Target Unit

Affects
Allied Heroes

Lycan bites an ally, granting them Shapeshift properties. Lycan and the bitten target gain 30% Lifesteal and share the healing effect of Lifesteal with each other as long as they are within 1200 range of each other.

Cast Animation: 0.3+0.73

Cast Range: 300

Lifesteal Radius: 1200

Lifesteal: 30%

Shared Lifesteal: 30%

 125/110/95 ( 110/95/80)

 150

Illusion Notes:

Shapeshift notes fully apply.

Modifiers [?]

modifier_lycan_wolf_bite_lifesteal

Death

modifier_lycan_shapeshift_transform

Death

modifier_lycan_shapeshift

Death

modifier_lycan_shapeshift_aura

Death

modifier_lycan_shapeshift_speed

Undispellable

Ability Draft Notes:

Requires drafting Shapeshift to be unlocked.

Does this bite look infected?

• Requires Aghanim's Scepter to be unlocked.

• The lifesteal component is granted immediately upon cast.
  • Grants regular lifesteal and shared lifesteal to both the caster and the target.
  • This means both Lycan and the targeted ally always are healed within 1200 no matter who attacks.
  • However, the lifesteal aura only affects the targeted ally, other player-controlled units owned by the ally do not gain these bonuses.
  • Lifesteal amplification affects shared lifesteal as well, but only if the amplification source is the healed unit.
  • The regular lifesteal works regardless of distance and stacks additively with other lifesteal sources.

• The Wolf Form properties are granted upon finishing the transformation. It relies on Shapeshift to work since it directly uses its values. This affects the following things:
  • If Shapeshift is not learned, Wolf Bite will be at level 1. Upon cast, the targeted ally is prevented from acting for 1.1 seconds and it cannot be interrupted.
  • Wolf Bite automatically levels up with Shapeshift and cannot be leveled up separately.
  • Applies all effects of Shapeshift based on its current level on the ally, including the transformation time, the base nighttime vision bonus, the critical strike proc chance and the haste speed.
  • Other Shapeshift notes fully apply.

• Treat clones and creep-heroes as heroes.

• Has a cast backswing of 0.6 during Wolf Form.

Shapeshift

▶️RF

Ability
No Target

Affects
Self

Lycan assumes his lupine form, granting him and his units critical strikes and added vision at night. During Shapeshift, Lycan and all units under his control move at increased speed, cannot be slowed and have a 40% chance to deal a critical strike doing 160%/190%/220% damage.

Cast Animation: 0+0

Transformation Time: 1.1

Radius: Global

Base Night Vision Bonus: 1000

Set Base Attack Range: 150

Haste Speed: 550

Health Bonus: 200/300/400

Critical Chance: 40%

Critical Damage: 160%/190%/220%

Aura Linger Duration: 0.1

Duration: 25 ( 31)

 110/100/90 ( 95/85/75)

 100

Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade:

New Ability

Grants the Wolf Bite ability.

Illusion Notes:

Illusions created while the ability is active copy the modifier with matching duration.

Benefits but does not bestow the Shapeshift aura.

Critical strike values shown are before illusion outgoing damage and armor reduction.

Modifiers [?]

modifier_lycan_shapeshift_transform

Death

modifier_lycan_shapeshift

Death

modifier_lycan_shapeshift_aura

Death

modifier_lycan_shapeshift_speed

Undispellable

Forever a slave to his lycanthropy, Banehallow has come to accept his curse, and embrace his own savagery.

• During the transformation, Lycan is prevented from acting and it cannot be interrupted.

• Increases Lycan's base night vision to a total of 1800.

• Turns the caster into a melee unit with 150 attack range for its duration.
  • This causes items that use different values for melee and ranged heroes (e.g. Manta Style) to treat the caster as a melee hero.
  • Attack range sources are fully overridden, including passive item bonuses, talents, etc.

• The movement speed bonus and critical strike proc chance are provided by a Global aura which affects all player-controlled units owned by Lycan.
  • The aura's effects linger for 0.1 seconds.

• Does not affect invulnerable units and wards.

• Hastes affected units, meaning they cannot be slowed below 550 movement speed.

• The critical strike increases the attack damage of Lycan and all his units by an average of 24%/36%/48%.
  • The proc chances of multiple crit sources stack.
  • If two sources of critical strike proc at the same time, the higher multiplier has priority.
  • The critical strike uses pseudo-random distribution.

• Lycan gets his current and max health increased by the given value. This counts as setting health.
  • Upon losing the buff, his current health stays the same and only the max health bonus gets reverted.

• Shapeshift is fully canceled on death.

Lycan Wolf

Lycan Wolf
Summoned Creep
Health 325/375/425/475 +0.5 ⤷ 625/675/725/775HP This unit has no mana. Level 1/2/3/3 Duration 50 Armor 0 Magic Resistance 40%/50%/60%/70% Status Resistance 0 Attack Damage ▶️ Default 20/26/32/38 ‒ 23/29/34/40 ( 30/36/42/48–33/39/44/50) Attack Range 90 Acquisition Range 500 Attack Speed 100 • 1.2/1.1/1/0.9s BAT Attack Animation 0.33+0.64 Projectile Speed Instant Move Speed ▶️ 400/420/440/460 (100) Turn Rate 0.5 Collision Size 18 Bound Radius 8 Vision Range (G) 1200 • 800 Bounty 21/26/36/41 Experience 20 Abilities L3 L4 Invisibility Cripple

Invisibility

Ability
Passive

Affects
Self

Permanently invisible when not attacking.

Fade Delay: 2

Modifiers [?]

modifier_lycan_summon_wolves_invisibility

Death

modifier_invisible

Death

• Requires
  LEVEL 3+
  Summon Wolves to be unlocked.

• Lycan Wolf will keep turning invisible for its summoned duration.
  • During the fade delay, Lycan Wolf can still perform attacks.

• Invisibility sources with fade delays use the same modifier and do not stack with other invisibility sources of the same type — the longer duration overrides the shorter one.
  • While invisible, Lycan Wolf can still turn without breaking invisible.
  • Attacking breaks the invisibility and resets the fade delay. Missed attacks or attacking items do break it.

• Does not grant phased movement.

Cripple

▶️

Ability
Passive

Affects
Enemies / Allies

Damage
Magical

Gives 20% chance to cripple the target, causing 8 damage per second and lose 60 attack speed for 4 seconds.

Proc Chance: 20%

Damage per Second: 8

Move Speed Slow: 15%

Attack Speed Slow: 60

Duration: 4

Modifiers [?]

modifier_lycan_summon_wolves_critical_strike

Undispellable

modifier_lycan_summon_wolves_crit_maim

Any

• Requires
  LEVEL 4
  Summon Wolves to be unlocked.

• Deals damage in 1-second intervals, starting second after proccing, resulting in 4 instances.

• Can deal up to 32 damage to the target (before reductions).

• Successive debuff procs on the same target stack.
  • The proccing attack first applies the debuff, then its own damage.
  • Can proc on allied units as well. Does not proc on wards or buildings.

Talents

Hero Talents
+2 Wolves Summoned	25	Howl Reduces Total Attack Damage
+25% Feral Impulse Damage	20	+6s Shapeshift Duration
-15s Shapeshift Cooldown	15	+300 Summon Wolves Health
+10 Wolves Damage	10	+2 Howl Armor Reduction

Notes:

• The attack damage and health talents affect the regular Lycan Wolves and the Lane Wolves.
  • Grants flat bonus attack damage.

Recent Changes

Main Articles: Changelogs, Old Abilities and Hero Lore

Version

Description

7.34e

• Increased base agility and gain from 16 + 1.4 to 18 + 1.8.

7.34

• Howl no longer affects creep-heroes.

• Talents:
• LVL 10

   

  +20% Howl attack damage reduction ➜ +2 Howl armor reduction.

  LVL 15

   

  +250 Lycan Wolves health increased to +300. [?]

7.33d

• Reduced Shapeshift cooldown from 125/110/95 to 110/100/90.

• Talents:
• LVL 15

   

  +200 Lycan Wolves health increased to +250. [?]

Recommended Items

Starting items:

• Tango sustains health in lane.
• Healing Salve restores good amount of health in the early game.
• Iron Branch gives attributes for cheap; use with Tango to get more heal.
• Quelling Blade helps Lycan with getting last hits.

Early game:

• Boots of Speed give a basic movement speed bonus.
• Blight Stone will improve wolves' damage output by reducing targets' armor. It can build into Medallion of Courage or Desolator.

Mid game:

• Power Treads gives you movement speed, attack speed, and ability to switch to suitable attributes.
• Helm of the Dominator controls a neutral creep, which will also benefit from Lycan's abilities.

Late game:

• Assault Cuirass gives armor and attack speed to Lycan and his allies (including his summons), and reduces the opponents' armor (including their towers').
• Desolator improves Lycan's tower pushing and increases his damage. It also synergizes with an Assault Cuirass pickup and creates a huge armor disparity.
• Black King Bar gives more strength and temporary spell immunity so Lycan can shred his targets without worrying about disables.

Situational items:

• Smoke of Deceit lets Lycan and teammates slip into Roshan's pit unnoticed by the enemies.
• Armlet of Mordiggian boosts the damage output of strength heroes efficiently with bonus attack speed, attack damage, and strength. It also increases survivability with health regeneration, armor, and toggling of Unholy Strength to create more health.
• Mask of Madness greatly increases attack speed to farm creeps and heroes.
• Vladmir's Offering gives lifesteal, damage, and armor in an aura, so his wolves get more powerful as well. The mana regeneration also helps with his small mana pool.
• Helm of the Dominator provides the ability to control a neutral creep that comes with its own abilities and auras, and which can benefit from the bonus attack damage of Feral Impulse.
• Helm of the Overlord allows Lycan to take control of an ancient creep which can benefit from Feral Impulse and Shapeshift. However, the ancient creep will give away 250 gold on death.
• Echo Sabre applies double attacks and movement speed slow, easing ganking.
• Nullifier will give Lycan great attack damage and a dispel to use against heroes who try to protect themselves against Lycan with becoming ethereal.
• Heaven's Halberd boosts Lycan's survivability with strength, status resistance, and evasion. The bonus attack damage and disarm also helps him fight enemy heroes better.
• Boots of Travel gives superb navigation in the late game, allowing Lycan to teleport to and push down lanes or join allies in ganks. You can target any friendly creeps, including your wolves.
• Monkey King Bar gives Lycan's attacks true strike, allowing him to fight back against heroes who rely on evasion, making this item good in combination with Shapeshift.
• Bloodthorn can give Lycan silence to use to disable enemy heroes while making them more vulnerable and causing Lycan's attacks and attacks from his wolves to deal critical damage and to have true strike on the affected target.
• Abyssal Blade provides a reliable stun and random bashes to lockdown a target, ameliorating Lycan's lacks of disables.
• Scythe of Vyse provides a ranged disable for Lycan, helping him lock down heroes with an escape.
• Heart of Tarrasque greatly increases health and health regeneration allowing Lycan to tank more effectively. The damage gained from it is also entirely based on strength, which is amplified by Lycan being a strength hero and by Feral Impulse. Lycan can also run out of a fight with Shapeshift at very low HP and come right back into it after a short rest.
• Aghanim's Scepter gives Lycan the Wolf Bite ability, with which he can boost an allied hero with Shapeshift properties, giving them hasted movespeed, 400 HP, immunity to slows, a 40% chance to deal a critical strike dealing 150% damage, and lifesteal as long as Lycan is within a 1200 radius. Bear in mind, however, that the affected hero will have melee attack range.
• Aghanim's Shard allows Lycan to passively summon one uncontrollable wolf that moves with the normal creep wave. Additionally, wolves spawned this way may Cripple towers, which can greatly boost Lycan's pushing potency.

Dota Plus Progress

Main Article: Hero Challenges

Relics track a hero's actions and statistics, and display in-game notifications when a milestone is reached. They are only available to Dota Plus subscribers.

Relics	Voice Lines
Hero Damage With Wolves Tower Damage With Wolves Kills During Howl Shapeshift Kills Controlled Unit Kills Crit Damage Teleports Leading To Kills Controlled Unit Tower Damage Kills During Black King Bar Triple Kills Barracks Destroyed Towers Destroyed Kill Assists Kills	Bronze	▶️ Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. ▶️ You fought well and true.
	Silver	▶️ Go ahead, just try to kill me! ▶️ Ha! That was a mauling.
	Gold	▶️ I am the alpha wolf. ▶️ The wolf is at your door.
	Platinum	▶️ Wolves need no armor.
	Master	▶️ I've taken a Lycan to you. Ha ha ha ha ha.
	Grandmaster	▶️ Tasty morsel.

Equipment

Lycan Equipment (expand sets) Sets Armor of the Sanguine Moon Set   Creed of the Skullhound   Curse of Ambry   Darkheart Redemption   Form of the Great Grey Set   Hunter of Kings   Mark of the Blood Moon   Requiem for Red Wolf Clan   Trail of the Grey Ghost   Winter Lineage Trail of the Grey Ghost Head Bloodmayne Avenger Shoulder Shoulder of the Noble Shapeshift Curse of the New Season   Form of the Great Calamity Wolves Icewrack Pack Kinetic Gems Kinetic: Red Moon

Trivia

• Lycanthropy refers to the ability of a human to transform into a wolf, or gain wolf-like characteristics. The term derives from the Greek word "lykànthropos", which translates to "wolf man", or "werewolf" in English.

• The name Banehallow was derived from a "Warcraft 3" hero unit called Dreadlord.

• ▶️ "Was I a wolf who dreamed he was a man?" refers to a quote by Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi - "Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man."

• ▶️ "Are you an air wolf?", refers to the American famous television series "Airwolf", counting this response is said to Gyrocopter.

• ▶️ "Who fears the wolf should fear the forest." is a reference to Russian novelist Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky quote from "The Gambler": "Who fears the wolf should never enter the forest".

• ▶️ "I thought you were Team Yakov!" is a reference (and pun) to Jacob Black from the Twilight series, who is a werewolf. Fans divide themselves into "teams" by who their most preferred main character is, one of such teams is "Team Jacob".

• ▶️ "One eye is better than none." indicates that Lycan was supposed to have only one functioning eye, with the other one probably covered by an eye patch, as seen in one of the concept arts below.

Gallery

• 
  Splash artwork
• 
  Concept art
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  Concept art
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  Concept art
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  Concept art
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  Ability icon progress
• 
  Hero icon progress