Root

“

▶️ Thanks for standing still, ganker!

— Sniper

”

Root (formerly known as Ensnare) is a status effect that prevents affected units from moving, and from casting most mobility abilities. However, it does not prevent the affected units from turning, casting other abilities or using most items. Some root sources also disarm the affected units (and disarming roots were formerly known as Entangle).

Definition[]

Root Types	Disabled Aspect / Definition	Examples
Conditional True Sight	Provides True Sight over the target for the duration of the root as long as, at the time the root is applied conditionally. Certain root sources disarms as well for its duration.	Fortune's End
Regular Root	Allows the affected unit to still perform any action, except for moving and casting mobility abilities. The unit can still turn and attack (depending on situations).	Bramble Maze
Ally-Root	Roots and disarms the caster upon cast.	Rolling Boulder

There are two types of roots in the game, with each using a different modifier to root the target(s). Roots from the same group use the same modifier and follow the regular rule of disables — the longer root value overrides the shorter one.

modifier_root
Other unique root modifiers (e.g. Omnislash).

Mechanics[]

Root error message — Attempting to blink while rooted.

Root does not prevent a unit from moving by setting its movement speed to 0. It instead impairs movement in the same way as stuns do. They do not interrupt the move order either, so that the unit resumes moving towards its destination as soon as the root expires.

Root does not interrupt a unit's attack or spell cast orders either. If a unit is attacking or midst a cast animation, getting rooted neither stops it from attacking, nor cancels the cast of the spell. The unit continues executing those orders normally. If the unit's attack target or spell target gets out of range while the unit is rooted, it starts moving towards the target to attack it or cast the spell on it as soon as the root expires, similar to how the unit resumes its move command.

Some sources of root prevent a unit from attacking while rooted. However, this is not a mechanic of root. In these cases, the source abilities also apply a disarm along with the root.

Roots immediately interrupt the channeling of Town Portal Scroll and Boots of Travel, but do not cancel any other channeling effect. However, some sources of root may still interrupt all channeling abilities as a separate effect, independent from the root mechanic itself.

Some roots may apply true sight over the affected units, while others do not. This mechanic is independent from the root mechanic as well.

A major trait of roots is their ability to disable numerous mobility spells. Since a root is not a hard disable, several blink, pseudo-blink and teleport spells are disabled while rooted, to prevent an easy escape. However, although it prevents casting those spells, it does not cancel them when getting rooted while the spell is already cast. In such cases, the unit remains rooted at its new location. A list of disabled spells can be found below.

Sources[]

These roots with "Conditional True Sight" only provide True Sight over the target for the duration of the root as long as, at the time the root is applied, the target is not fading into invisibility, and the target is not already completely invisible. Examples:
- An invisible enemy hero can be seen due to Reveal. The root will not apply True Sight.
- Bounty Hunter casts Shadow Walk and is in the process of fading into invisibility when he gets rooted. The root will not apply true sight.
- Bounty Hunter gets rooted first and then casts Shadow Walk. The root WILL provide true sight.
- An enemy hero affected by Moonlight Shadow is soon to be invisible. The root WILL provide true sight, because Moonlight Shadow uses a fade delay instead of a fade time.

Root Sources with Conditional True Sight

Crystal Maiden – Frostbite³
Crystal Maiden – Freezing Field^{2a 3}
Broodmother – Spinner's Snare
Ember Spirit – Searing Chains
Gleipnir – Eternal Chains
Hill Troll – Ensnare
Meepo – Earthbind⁴
Naga Siren – Ensnare
Nature's Prophet – Wrath of Nature^{2a 3}
Oracle – Fortune's End
Rod of Atos – Cripple
Lone Druid – Entangling Claws
Spirit Bear – Entangling Claws
Treant Protector – Nature's Guise^{2b 3}
Treant Protector – Eyes in the Forest³
Treant Protector – Overgrowth³
Troll Warlord – Berserker's Rage
Underlord – Pit of Malice⁴
Underlord – Fiend's Gate^{2a 4}

¹ Requires

talent.

^2a Requires

Aghanim's Scepter.

^2b Requires

Aghanim's Shard.

³ Applies disarm as well.

⁴ Can affect unrevealed invisible units.

Without Conditional True Sight[]

Root Sources

¹ Requires

talent.

^2a Requires

Aghanim's Scepter.

^2b Requires

Aghanim's Shard.

³ Can affect unrevealed invisible units.

Ally-Rooting Abilities[]

Some abilities root the caster or ally target to prevent them while the ability is active from performing certain orders like moving or attacking. Some of them also disarms the caster.

Ally-Rooting Abilities