Spectre

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Spectre #44 21 + 2.5 25 + 2.1 16 + 1.7
Level 0 1 15 25 30 Health 120 582 1352 2166 2474 +1 +3.1 +6.6 +10.3 +11.75 Mana 75 267 543 891 1023 +0 +0.8 +1.99 +3.44 +3.97 Armor 0 4.17 9.07 14.57 16.65 Magic Resist 25% 26.6% 28.98% 31.88% 32.93% Damage Block 16 (50%) Damage 23 27 48 52 77 81 110 114 122 126 Attack Rate 0.53/s 0.68/s 0.85/s 1.04/s 1.12/s Attack Range 150 (600) Attack Speed ▶️ 90 (1.7s BAT) Attack Animation 0.3 + 0.7 Projectile Speed Instant Move Speed ▶️ 290 ( 320) Turn Rate 0.6 Collision Size 27 Bound Radius 24 Vision Range (G) 1800 ( 800) Gib Type Ethereal Internal npc_dota_hero_spectre

Haunts her enemies and teleports to her target.
An eternal being of violent energies, Mercurial, the Spectre is irresistibly drawn to conflict. Throwing out a Spectral Dagger, creating a shadowy trail to her foes in which she may travel unobstructed. Harm done to Mercurial is partially deflected and Dispersed onto nearby foes that prolongs her endurance. Even in the most Desolate wilderness, travelers are Haunted by visions of Spectre, seeming to prey on their solitude. But these are no mere illusions. It is said that for one in every five haunted, the apparition becomes Reality, and alongside these unfortunate victims the Spectre Shadow Steps to, bringing with her the destruction and wrath that she eternally craves.
Roles:	Carry Durable Escape
Complexity:
Adjectives:	Female, Undead Legs ( 0 )

Bio

Mercurial, the Spectre

▶️ "Among the Transcendencies, you would be thought ignoble."

Lore:

Just as higher states of energy seek a lower level, the Spectre known as Mercurial is a being of intense and violent energy who finds herself irresistibly drawn to scenes of strife as they unfold in the physical world. While her normal spectral state transcends sensory limitations, each time she takes on a physical manifestation, she is stricken by a loss of self--though not of purpose. In the clash of combat, her identity shatters and reconfigures, and she begins to regain awareness. She grasps that she is Mercurial the Spectre--and that all of her Haunts are but shadows of the one true Spectre. Focus comes in the struggle for survival; her true mind reasserts itself; until in the final moments of victory or defeat, she transcends matter and is restored once more to her eternal form.

Alias:

Mercurial

Voice:

Gin Hammond (Responses)

Abilities

Spectral Dagger

▶️▶️QD

Ability
Target Point / Target Unit

Affects
Self / Enemies

Damage
Magical / Pure

Spectre flings a dagger to draw a Shadow Path, dealing damage and slowing the movement speed of any enemies along the trail. Units hit by the dagger also trail a Shadow Path. While treading the path, Spectre phases through otherwise impassable terrain. Spectral Dagger applies an instance of Desolate to targets with no allied units within 400 radius of them.

Cast Animation: 0.3+0.37

Cast Range: 1800

Effect Radius: 125

Damage: 70/120/170/220 ( 150/200/250/300)

Move Speed Change: 10%/14%/18%/22% ( 22%/26%/30%/34%)

Path Duration: 12

Path Creator Duration: 7

Move Speed Change Linger Duration: 4

Free Pathing Linger Duration: 1

Path Radius: 175

Flying Vision Radius: 200

 22/20/18/16 ( 18/16/14/12)

 130/140/150/160

Debuff Immunity Notes:

Shared vision pierces debuff immunity.

Spell Block / Reflection Notes:

Cannot be reflected.

Does not interact with the primary target at all.

Does not proc when hit while ground-targeted.

Procs only on secondary targets while a hero is the primary target.
However, Spectral Dagger instantly attempts to reapply the debuff, putting the Spell Block source on cooldown.

Break Notes:

Does not prevent Spectral Dagger from applying Desolate.

Illusion Notes:

Illusions do not benefit from the Shadow Path bonuses.

Modifiers [?]

modifier_spectre_spectral_dagger_path

Undispellable

modifier_spectre_spectral_dagger_in_path

Any

modifier_spectre_spectral_dagger_path_phased

Death

modifier_spectre_spectral_dagger

Any

Ability Draft Notes:

Desolate must be drafted as well for it to get applied.

Mercurial's dagger eclipses the physical plane in shadow, a state in which mortals cower, but spectres thrive.

• The Spectral Dagger travels at a speed of 800.

• Treat clones, illusions and the Spirit Bear as heroes, other creep-heroes as creeps.

• When unit-targeted, the Spectral Dagger homes in on the target unit until it reaches it.
  • Only heroes can be unit-targeted.
  • Targeting other units other than heroes causes the Spectral Dagger to be ground-targeted.

• When ground-targeted, the Spectral Dagger travels 1800 range in a straight line and does not home in on any target.

• Spectral Dagger damages every enemy unit that comes within 125 range of the travelling dagger and applies movement speed slow with the path modifier.

• The dagger also applies one instance of Desolate based on its current level if the target is a lone target within 400 radius.
  • Only units damaged by Spectral Dagger are considered valid targets for this Desolate application.
  • Desolate notes fully apply. If it is not learned, or if the caster does not have Desolate, no bonus damage is applied.
  • Spectral Dagger first deals its damage, applies Desolate, then applies the Spectral Dagger debuff.

• Applies the Dagger Path Creator debuff on hit enemy heroes, making them trail a Shadow Path like the Spectral Dagger.
  • This debuff also grants shared vision over the enemy heroes, revealing their silhouette when they become invisible.

• Grants Spectre the following bonuses while on the Shadow Path:
  • Movement speed bonus from the path modifier, and its buff lingers for 4 seconds after leaving the path.
    • Successive movement speed buff refreshes its duration from the same source.
    • An enemy Spectral Dagger does not apply the movement speed slow on Spectre when she has the buff modifier.
    • Although the path modifier is applied on illusions, it does not increase their movement speed.
  • Unobstructed movement from a hidden buff, and its buff lingers for 1 second after leaving the path.
    • The hidden buff is not applied to Spectre's illusions.

• The Shadow Path's segments last 12 seconds from the moment they were created, not as the ability was cast.

• The Shadow Path grants 200 radius flying vision around itself.

• Both the path modifier on Spectre and on enemies while being on the path is dispellable.
  • However, as long as Spectre stays on the path, it is immediately reapplied to her again.
  • For enemies, the movement speed slow debuff is not reapplied immediately but is applied again if they leave the path and enter it again.
  • Dispelling the path creating debuff on enemy heroes stops them from creating or extending the path, but does not remove already created paths.
  • The number of debuff reapplication attempts is affected by the following conditions:
    • When Spectre, the primary target and the secondary target are in a straight line, the debuff will be reapplied 11 and 10 times on the secondary target with a 24-bound radius and an 8-bound radius respectively.
    • The debuff will reapplied 8 times, when the secondary target touches, but does not intersect with the Spectral Dagger path.

• Spectral Dagger of different sources are independent of each other.

• Does not affect Couriers.
• SPELL STEAL
   / 
  MORPH NOTES
  All bonuses are lost upon losing ability despite the path still being visible.

Desolate

▶️WL

Ability
Passive

Affects
Enemies

Damage
Pure

Deals bonus damage whenever Spectre attacks an enemy that does not have any allied units within a 400 radius around them.

Radius: 400 ( 300)

Damage: 21/34/47/60 ( 33/46/59/72)

Break Notes:

Does not affect illusions created after being affected by Break.

Modifiers [?]

modifier_spectre_desolate

Undispellable

Often times, warriors find themselves alone with a vision of Mercurial - the fated question is if it is the true Spectre.

• Applies Desolate's effects in the following conditions:
  • Upon Spectre's attack hitting the target.
  • Upon a lone target being damaged by Spectral Dagger or Reality within 400 radius.

• The bonus damage is dealt in a separate damage instance and counts as spell damage.
  • This means it is not affected or considered by anything that works with attack damage.
  • This also means that it fully works with spell damage amplification and spell lifesteal.

• Works against any enemy unit, except for wards and buildings.

• Desolate completely ignores nearby wards, buildings, ally Couriers, invulnerable and hidden units.
  • This means that Desolate still deals its damage when the target only has any of the above as allies nearby.

• Only checks for allies of the target, meaning nearby neutral creeps do not prevent it from dealing damage to units of the enemy team, and vice versa.

Dispersion

EI

Ability
Passive
( No Target)

Affects
Self / Enemies

Damage
Source Type
(No-reflection)
(HP Removal)

Damage done to Spectre is reflected on her enemies, leaving her unharmed. The effect lessens with distance.

Passive Component

Min Radius: 300

Max Radius: 800

Damage Reflected: 8%/12%/16%/20% ( 13%/17%/21%/25%)

Damage Reduction: 8%/12%/16%/20% ( 13%/17%/21%/25%)

 Cast Animation:  0+0

 Damage Reflected Multiplier: 2

 Duration: 5

   25

  50

Aghanim's Shard Upgrade:

Dispersion can be activated to increase damage reflected by 100% for 5s.

Break Notes:

Since it fully disables all aspects of the ability, the multiplier does nothing.

Modifiers [?]

modifier_spectre_dispersion

Undispellable

modifier_spectre_haunt

Death

modifier_illusion

Death

modifier_invulnerable

Death

A daunting task lies before enemies of Mercurial - killing a shadow with blade and magic.

• Dispersion reflects damage before all damage manipulations (including damage from allies), the damage received can only be affected by incoming damage manipulation applied on Spectre by enemies.
  • This effectively reflects overkill damage dealt to Spectre. If a damage source exceeded Spectre's current health and killed her, the damage reflected will be the same damage value.
  • If both Spectre and an enemy would die to the damage simultaneously, the enemy is always killed first.

• Applies generic incoming damage reduction on Spectre. Stacks additively with other sources of generic incoming damage manipulation.
  • Neither reduces nor reflects damage flagged as HP removal.
  • Effectively increases Spectre's survivability against all damage types by 9%/14%/19%/25% ( 15%/20%/27%/33%).

• Affects and reflects all damage types Spectre receives, the reflected damage is returned as the same damage type as it was received.
  • Damage reflected is flagged as HP Removal, it does not trigger any on-damage effects.

• Reflected damage is not shared between enemies within the radius, all of them take the full amount of damage based on their distance with Spectre.

• Reflects the full 8%/12%/16%/20% ( 13%/17%/21%/25%) within a 300 radius from Spectre. Then the reflected damage decreases linearly up to a 800 radius from Spectre.
  • This is how much damage Dispersion reflects back to enemies at certain distances:
    • 300 Distance: 8%/12%/16%/20% ( 13%/17%/21%/25%) × 2 of dealt damage.
    • 425 Distance: 6%/9%/12%/15% ( 9.75%/12.75%/15.75%/18.75%) × 2 of dealt damage.
    • 550 Distance: 4%/6%/8%/10% ( 6.5%/8.5%/10.5%/12.5%) × 2 of dealt damage.
    • 675 Distance: 2%/3%/4%/5% ( 3.25%/4.25%/5.25%/6.25%) × 2 of dealt damage.
  • SHARD
    Adds an active component to Dispersion that increases damage reflected to 16%/24%/32%/40% ( 26%/34%/42%/50%) while active, with the passive effects still present.

Reality

▶️DR

Ability
Target Point / Target Unit

Affects
Self

Damage
Magical / Pure

Spectre exchanges places with a chosen Haunt and casts the current level of Spectral Dagger on the haunt's Target.

Cast Animation: 0+0.7

Cast Range: Global

 3

 0

Modifiers [?]

modifier_spectre_spectral_dagger_path

Undispellable

modifier_spectre_spectral_dagger_in_path

Death

modifier_spectre_spectral_dagger_path_phased

Death

modifier_spectre_spectral_dagger

Death

Ability Draft Notes:

Spectral Dagger and Desolate must be drafted as well for them to get applied respectively.

Sub-ability of Haunt.

Both Reality and Spectral Dagger are linked abilities.

The scattered shadows unite into the one true Spectre.

• Reality is unlocked upon learning Haunt and always stays active.

• Does not disjoint projectiles upon cast.

• When ground-targeted, Spectre exchanges places with the closest Shadow Step-based illusion from the targeted point.

• Spectre still plays the full ability cast animation when casting this sub-ability when there are no currently active Shadow Step-based illusions.

• Instantly applies Spectral Dagger modifier without using a projectile, based on its current level on the target. This can only happen once per illusion.
  • Also apply one instance of Desolate based on its current level if the target is a lone target within 400 radius.
  • Spectral Dagger applied by Reality does not cost any mana and is applied even if the ability itself is currently not castable.
  • Spectral Dagger notes fully apply. If it is not leveled, no buffs or debuffs are applied.

• SCEPTER
  Can be cast multiple times until Haunt ends or all Shadow Step-based illusions are dead.
  • After swapping positions, the Shadow Step illusion still walks towards its target and attacks it.

Haunt

▶️▶️FE

Ability
No Target

Affects
Enemy Heroes

Creates a spectral nemesis to attack each enemy hero. At any moment during the duration, Spectre can use Reality to exchange places of a given haunt.

Cast Animation: 0.3+0.5

Radius: Global

Shadow Step Illusions

Damage Dealt: 80% ( 110%)

Damage Taken: 200%

Duration: 7

 160

 150

Modifiers [?]

modifier_spectre_haunt

Death

modifier_illusion

Death

modifier_invulnerable

Death

Ability Draft Notes:

Requires drafting Shadow Step to be unlocked.

Both Haunt and Shadow Step are linked abilities.

At the height of combat, Mercurial's physical manifestation shatters, and the shadowy pieces haunt those who still cling to life.

• Requires Aghanim's Scepter to be unlocked.

• Haunt illusions are selectable and have unobstructed pathing, but uncontrollable.

• The illusion spawns 87-distance from the affected enemy hero if the target's collision size is 27, and 58-distance if its collision size is 18, at a random spot around the target.
  • All Haunt-based illusions have a
    expr
    2 × IllusionLVL bounty.

• They do not attack but still follow invisible heroes. They also spawn on and follow invulnerable and hidden heroes.
  • Treats Meepo Clones and the Spirit Bear as heroes, and other clones and illusions as creeps.

• The illusions disappear once their target dies.

• COSMETIC
  Has a cast backswing of 0.85 with the Phantom Advent equipped.

Shadow Step

▶️▶️RT

Ability
Target Unit

Affects
Enemy Heroes

Creates a spectral nemesis to haunt a single visible enemy hero. At any moment during the duration, Spectre can use Reality to exchange places of a given haunt.
Haunt illusions are uncontrollable, take extra damage, and deal less damage than Spectre herself. They ignore terrain.

Cast Animation: 0.3+0.5

Cast Range: Global

Number of Illusions: 1

Shadow Step Illusions

Damage Dealt: 40%/60%/80% ( 70%/90%/110%)

Damage Taken: 200%

Duration: 5/6/7

 60/50/40

 150

Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade:

New Ability

Grants the Haunt ability.

Modifiers [?]

modifier_spectre_haunt

Death

modifier_illusion

Death

modifier_invulnerable

Death

Both Shadow Step and Haunt are linked abilities.

With great focus of will, Mercurial can sometimes limit the extent of her division.

• The Shadow Step illusion are selectable and has unobstructed pathing.

• The illusion spawns 87-distance from the affected enemy hero if the target's collision size is 27, and 58-distance if its collision size is 18, at a random spot around the target.
  • All Shadow Step-based illusions have a
    expr
    2 × IllusionLVL bounty.

• Cannot be cast on creep-heroes.

• The illusions disappear once their target dies.
• SPELL STEAL
  Grants the Reality sub-ability upon acquiring ability.

Talents

Hero Talents
+5% Dispersion	25	+30% Haunt Illusion Damage
+12% Spectral Dagger Slow/Bonus	20	+350 Health
+80 Spectral Dagger Damage	15	+12 Desolate Damage
-100 Desolate Ally Radius	10	-4s Spectral Dagger Cooldown

Notes:

• The health talent increases the max health capacity and keeps the current health percentage.

Recent Changes

Main Articles: Changelogs, Old Abilities and Hero Lore

Version

Description

7.35

• Reduced base health regeneration from 2 to 1.
• Reduced Dispersion min radius from 400 to 300.
• Reality now triggers one Spectral Dagger per illusion.
• Aghanim's Scepter upgrade:
  • Reduced Haunt cooldown from 180 to 160.

• Talents:
• LVL 10

   

  +5 all stats ➜ -100 Desolate search radius.

7.34e

• Reduced base armor from 1 to 0.

7.34d

• Reduced Shadow Step cooldown from 80/60/40 to 60/50/40.

Recommended Items

Starting items:

• Tango regenerates health to keep Spectre in lane as long as possible.
• Healing Salve also restores health which can save Spectre at the last moment.
• Enchanted Mango gives passive health regeneration and burst mana for one more usage of Spectral Dagger.

Early game:

• Quelling Blade helps with getting last hits to farm for later items.
• Boots of Speed help her escape gankers and chase down weakened enemies.
• Infused Raindrops gives a large amount of magic damage block, which is calculated after Dispersion. It also gives much needed early-game mana regeneration, which allows her to farm and fight without breaks.

Mid game:

• Power Treads benefit Spectre's illusions with attributes. Against weakened targets that cannot deal with the illusions, the extra attacks with Desolate may produce a kill.
• Radiance speeds up Spectre's farm and deals burn damage to all enemies during Haunt, complementing her tanky and AoE fighting style.
• Manta Style lets Spectre farm fast by sending illusions either into lane or into other jungle camps that, with Radiance, lets them take out the camps, and combines with desolate to deal a ton of damage to unwary foes.

Late game:

• Heart of Tarrasque gives a huge amount of health and health regeneration, coupling with Dispersion's damage reduction to make Spectre tough to kill and reflecting that damage back on her enemies.
• Butterfly grants agility and evasion to increase Spectre's and her illusions' damage output and survivability.

Situational items:

• Urn of Shadows is a great early game item to take advantage of Haunt to get a lot of charges.
• Phase Boots grant movement speed and attack damage to hunt enemy heroes.
• Diffusal Blade increases the damage your illusions deal, gives you some much needed mana and agility, and has a slow to keep up with enemies.
• Mask of Madness is a good early-game farming tool. Once you've haunted, rifted to a target and thrown your dagger, you don't mind being silenced, and will gladly take the bonus movement and attack speed.
• Drum of Endurance raises attributes. It combos well with Urn of Shadows.
• Vanguard gives a large amount of damage block, which is calculated after Dispersion. It also gives much needed early-game HP, as well as HP regeneration, which most farming heroes need to farm without breaks.
• Blade Mail works well with Spectre's constant AoE damage and punishes enemies who try to focus you down. Also, it can help you easily farm ancient stacks.
• Sange and Yasha is a midgame snowballing item. The stats transfer well to illusions and the extra movement speed will help Spectre stick to her target.
• Eye of Skadi is a good luxury item on Spectre. The stats benefit dispersion and your illusions, the slow means enemies won't be able to escape you, and the mana can help sustain the low cooldown Spectral Dagger talent.
• Assault Cuirass adds extra durability and damage and makes Haunt a global -5 armor for the duration while giving any teammates in range extra armor and attack speed.
• Abyssal Blade adds some damage and HP along with spell immunity-piercing disable and chase potential that again forces attention onto her.
• Mjollnir adds significant farming and push potential, while filling the AoE damage role of Radiance while also scaling better and having an easier buildup. Illusions can benefit from the attack speed but not the lightning effect.

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
Kills during Spectral Dagger Desolate Damage Dispersion Kills Reality leading to Kills Debuffs purged with Manta Style Mana Reduction Physical Damage Blade Mail Damage Radiance Damage Near Death Kills Triple Kills Mega Kill Streaks Kill Assists Kills	Bronze	▶️ Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! ▶️ I'll stand by you.
	Silver	▶️ Wrong. ▶️ I do not understand.
	Gold	▶️ What is this? ▶️ A useful skill.
	Platinum	▶️ Can no one understand me?
	Master	▶️ Miserable and ignorant.
	Grandmaster	▶️ What strange properties this world has.

Equipment

Spectre Equipment (expand sets) Sets Dimensional Seep Enduring Solitude Flowering Shade Flowing Entropy Malicious Efflorescence Set Phantom Advent Bundle Phasma Phasmatis Spectral Conservator Spoils of the Shadowveil The Ephemeral Haunt Set The Eternal Light Set Volatile Firmament Weapon Blade of the Abyss Possessed Blade Seething Orbit Soul Diffuser Head Spectral Light Shoulder Transversant Soul Transversant Soul of the Crimson Witness Voice Mercurial's Call Taunt Taunt: Ghostriding

Trivia

• The name Mercurial most likely comes from the DeviantART account of Kenneth Tan, the person who made the 6.28-6.32 loadscreen. 6.28 is also the version in which Spectre got released in DotA.

• In 6.28-6.32, Spectre used to known as the "Avatar of Vengeance", which is also the name of the unit summoned by the Warden in Warcraft III.

• "Mercurial" means "swift, shrewd, and deceitful", which is attributed to the Roman god of thieves, Mercury, as Spectre is an agile and quick Hero. It can also refer to the planet Mercury, since Spectre is an otherworldly entity. Mercurial can also hint towards the element Mercury, often called "quicksilver," which is another reference to Spectre's speed and mobility. When used as an personal adjective, mercurial can mean a personality quick to change and dangerous to both the person receiving and transmitting. Someone quick to forgive and quick to anger would be mercurial, but not someone who holds grudges or holds none. See Mercutio (obviously named) from Romeo and Juliet.

• Spectre's alternate/fun name "Qwerty-" was given to her for remembering a legendary Dota player Zaven "Qwerty" Terminasov, who died on December 5, 2010.

• Spectre's voice responses are overlayed with the same track playing backwards, bearing a huge similarity to the Spirit of Vengeance's voice in "Warcraft III: Frozen Throne", which is also the voice of Spectre in DotA.

• Spectre has fewer model animations than any other hero in the game.

Gallery

• 

  Spectre with old weapon model

• 

  Ability icon progress