Hero
Troll Warlord | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Swaps between ranged and melee attacks at will. | |
Jah'rakal is an intolerable scoundrel, even for a troll. As such, being kicked out of the troll encampment only served to fuel his anger. The next day, he returned with axes in hand, and slew his former comrades in a Berserker's Rage. With each passing blow, the self-styled Troll Warlord accelerates his swings in an irate Fervor. Instantly able to swap between melee and ranged attacks, he throws his Whirling Axes to cripple from afar, while chopping down adjacent foes. To challenge Jah'rakal is to invite one's own death. The Troll Warlord enters a Battle Trance, channeling pure hatred into unequaled speed as he Rampages forward, decimating his opponents in a storm of bloody axes. | |
Roles: | Carry Pusher Disabler Durable |
Complexity: | ★★☆ |
Bio[]
▶️ "I suffer the innocents and guilty alike. There are no innocents."
Lore:
It's an easy thing to offend a troll. A prickly and contentious race, trolls thrive on argument and strife, missing no excuse to raise their voices in dispute. Males grow to maturity in subterranean chambers beneath their matriarch's domicile, feeding and amusing themselves while contributing nothing. Often they stay for years beyond the age of maturity, while the matriarch provides them with sustenance. When young trolls are finally pushed from their sub-chamber, they gather with others of their kind, forming roving gangs of malcontents who complain loudly about all manner of vexation.
As much as trolls love to argue, imagine how rare it is for a troll to be driven from his own kind for being too difficult to get along with. Such was Jah'rakal's fate, a monger troll from deep in the Hoven. So deluded was he, so bitter and abrasive, that even other trolls found his company intolerable. After one particularly vitriolic outburst in which he claimed the lion's share of loot from their latest raid, his cohorts finally snapped. They turned on him, beat him with clubs, and drove him from the encampment. Enraged at his banishment, he returned the next day, armed with steel, and slew them all, one by one. He then swore a blood oath: he would ever after be a fighting force unto himself. Now he roams the world as the Troll Warlord, bitter and angry, the Imperial high commander of an army of one.
As much as trolls love to argue, imagine how rare it is for a troll to be driven from his own kind for being too difficult to get along with. Such was Jah'rakal's fate, a monger troll from deep in the Hoven. So deluded was he, so bitter and abrasive, that even other trolls found his company intolerable. After one particularly vitriolic outburst in which he claimed the lion's share of loot from their latest raid, his cohorts finally snapped. They turned on him, beat him with clubs, and drove him from the encampment. Enraged at his banishment, he returned the next day, armed with steel, and slew them all, one by one. He then swore a blood oath: he would ever after be a fighting force unto himself. Now he roams the world as the Troll Warlord, bitter and angry, the Imperial high commander of an army of one.
Voice:
Abilities[]

Berserker's Rage ability icon while active.
While active, Troll Warlord swaps from using ranged to melee attacks. Melee attacks have a chance to ensnare, preventing the target from moving or using mobility spells. Berserker's Rage also grants additional movement speed, armor, and decreases base attack time.
Whirling Axes has different functionality while Berserker's Rage is active.
Whirling Axes has different functionality while Berserker's Rage is active.
Cast Animation: 0+0
Attack Range Loss: 350
Base Attack Time: 1.4
Root Chance: 14%/16%/18%/20%
Root Duration: 0.8/1.2/1.6/2
Modifiers [?]
modifier_troll_warlord_berserkers_rage
Undispellable
modifier_troll_warlord_berserkers_rage_ensnare
Like his anger, Troll Warlord's supply of axes is infinite.
Notes:
- Does not interrupt Troll Warlord's channeling abilities upon toggling.
- Toggling On disables Whirling Axes (Ranged) and then enables Whirling Axes (Melee).
- Turns Troll Warlord into a
melee unit with 150 attack range, and sets his base attack time to 1.4 while active.
- This causes items that use different values for melee and ranged heroes (e.g. Manta Style) to now treat the caster as a melee hero.
- Attack range bonuses are not overridden and still work normally.
- Also, it increases Troll Warlord's total movement speed to 305/315/325/335 (
330/340/350/360).
- Turns Troll Warlord into a
- When toggling On while a
ranged projectile is airborne, the projectile is treated as a melee attack by items, but it does not proc Berserker's Rage's root chance.
- These attacks landed are also considered as melee attacks, and therefore using melee values (i.e. can cleave, bash etc.).
- However, Quelling Blade uses the ranged values if Troll Warlord is in ranged form at the start of the projectile.
- Berserker's Rage melee and ranged form persists through Troll Warlord's death. He respawns with the same form as he dies.
- The root proccing attack first applies the debuff, then its own damage.
- Provides True Sight over the target for its duration.
- Berserker's Rage's proc chance uses pseudo-random distribution.
Troll hurls a fistful of five axes in a cone shape over 950 range, slowing and damaging enemy units.
Cast Animation: 0.2+0
Cast Range: 950
Axes Travel Distance: 950
Axes Radius: 100
Axes Spread End Radius: 206.17
Move Speed Slow: 40%
Slow Duration: 2.5/3/3.5/4
Causes Whirling Axes (Ranged) to dispel enemies. Reduces cooldown and manacost.
Both Whirling Axes abilities are separate, stand-alone abilities that can be drafted and leveled up independently.
Only axes fueled by hate whirl with such a deadly spin.
Notes:
- Whirling Axes (Ranged) is only available when Berserker's Rage is toggled Off.
- The axes travel at a speed of 1500, taking 0.63 seconds to travel the full distance.
- Spawns 5 axes which spread up to 25° and affect units within 100 radius around them.
- Has no starting radius, the axes spawn at one point in front of Troll Warlord. So the total area is shaped like a cone.
- With the travel distance and axes radius, it can hit units up to 1050 range away.
- The axes first apply a basic dispel, then the damage, then the debuff.
- Does not affect Roshan.
- While Battle Trance is active, Whirling Axes (Ranged) has an instant cast time and does not require Troll Warlord to face the targeted direction.
Cast Animation: 0+0
Spin Radius: 350
Axes Radius: 100
Miss Chance: 60%
Blind Duration: 5
Whirl Duration: 3
Causes Whirling Axes (Melee) to dispel Troll Warlord. Reduces cooldown and manacost.
Modifiers [?]
modifier_troll_warlord_whirling_axes_melee
Death
modifier_troll_warlord_axe_invulnerable
Undispellable
modifier_troll_warlord_whirling_axes_blind
Both Whirling Axes abilities are separate, stand-alone abilities that can be drafted and leveled up independently.
Keep your enemies close.
Notes:
- Whirling Axes (Melee) is only available when Berserker's Rage is toggled On.
- Interrupts Troll Warlord's channeling abilities upon cast.
- The axes travel out at a speed of 1250 and move out at a speed of 233.33 until reaching the max distance in 1.5 seconds, and then returning to Troll Warlord at the same speed.
- The axes always spawn towards east and west at Troll Warlord's position and rotate clockwise.
- With the max spin radius and axes radius, it can hit units up to 450 range away.
- The axes first apply the damage, then the debuff.
- Only units within 100 range of an axe are damaged and blinded.
- The visual effects of this ability are offset and do not reflect the actual currently affected area.
- The full damage and debuff are dealt the first time when a unit comes in contact with an axe, being hit by the other axe does not deal extra damage or reapply the debuff.
- Stacks additively with other sources of blind.
- Blind uses pseudo-random distribution.
- Does not affect Roshan.
- If Troll Warlord dies, the ability ends and the axes disappear.
- With Aghanim's Scepter, applies a basic dispel on Troll Warlord upon cast.
Ability
Passive
Passive
Affects
Self
Self
With each continuous blow on the same target, Troll gains increased attack speed. If Troll changes targets, the stacks drop to zero.
Max Stacks: 12
If at first you don't succeed, strike, strike again.
Notes:
- Troll Warlord gains or loses stacks as soon as his attacks land on the target.
- This means that missed or disjointed attacks do not count, and in ranged form, it reacts on projectile hit, not on launch.
- This is how much attack speed Fervor grants with a certain amount of stacks on each level.
- Level 1: 15/30/45/60/75/90/105/120/135/150/165/180
- Level 2: 20/40/60/80/100/120/140/160/180/200/220/240
- Level 3: 25/50/75/100/125/150/175/200/225/250/275/300
- Level 4: 30/60/90/120/150/180/210/240/270/300/330/360
- At level 4 with the attack speed bonus increasing
talent, Ferver grants 35/70/105/140/175/210/245/280/315/350/385/420 attack speed bonus per stack.
- When already having stacks, the first attack against a new target removes the previous stacks, without granting a new stack.
Ability
No Target
No Target
Affects
Allies
Allies
Grants all allied Heroes globally a bonus based on whichever stance Troll Warlord is currently in. Ranged provides bonus Attack Speed and melee provides Status Resistance.
Cast Animation: 0+0
Radius: Global
Attack Speed Bonus (Ranged): 70
Status Resistance Bonus (Melee): 25%
Duration: 5
Requires drafting Battle Trance to be unlocked.
Notes:
- Requires Aghanim's Shard upgrade to be unlocked.
- Rampage interrupts Troll Warlord's channeling abilities upon cast.
- Affects ally heroes, clones, illusions (even if they are invulnerable or hidden).
- Does not affect creep-heroes.
- Rampage works independently from Berserker's Rage.
- When cast, it checks for the caster's current range type.
- Creates red particles if the caster was
melee on cast, and teal if they were
ranged.
- Rampage checks for the caster's range type periodically and updates the buff immediately. However, the particle effects do not update.
- For example, when cast by Rubick during Wolf Form, Rampage grants status resistance bonus.
- Stacks multiplicatively with other sources of status resistance.
- Despite the tooltip, the buff is dispellable by any dispel and it fully works on spell immune allies.
Ability
No Target
No Target
Affects
Self
Self
Troll unleashes a powerful battle trance, that forces you to continuously attack the closest enemy unit within 900 range, prioritizing heroes. Damage does not kill you during this mode. Grants you bonus lifesteal, attack speed and movement speed. Applies a Basic Dispel.
Cast Animation: 0+0.5
Enemy Search Radius: 900
Lifesteal: 40%/60%/80%
Self Move Speed Bonus: 25%/30%/35%
Self Attack Speed Bonus: 140/170/200
Duration: 6.5
Grants the Rampage ability.
Modifiers [?]
modifier_troll_warlord_battle_trance
Death
modifier_troll_warlord_battle_trance_aura
Undispellable
An adrenaline rush of pure hatred quickens your blades.
Notes:
- Battle Trance interrupts Troll Warlord's channeling abilities upon cast.
- Applies a basic dispel on Troll Warlord upon cast.
- Battle Trance first applies the buff, then the dispel.
- When cast while not attacking, Troll Warlord automatically chooses an attack target within the search radius.
- Prioritizes heroes over other units. Uses ◉ Standard auto-attack rules to decide for attack targets.
- Does not target Roshan, buildings, wards, allies, invulnerable or attack immune enemies.
- When cast while already attacking a target, Troll Warlord sticks to that target, even if it is Roshan, buildings, wards, or an ally.
- He only switches the current attack target when it becomes unattackable (turns invulnerable or attack immune, or dies).
- Grants shared vision over the current attack target as long as he stays within 900 range of the target, revealing it through the Fog of War. Does not provide True Sight.
- While attacking, Troll Warlord becomes almost fully uncontrollable. He is phased and hasted, fully ignoring movement speed slows, and completely ignores taunts.
- He can only be ordered to toggle Berserker's Rage, or cast Whirling Axes and Rampage.
- Fear and Hypnosis can stop him from attacking and cause conflicting movement.
- When no enemies are nearby, he becomes controllable and can be affected by movement speed slows again, until another visible enemy enters the search radius.
- Prevents Troll Warlord from dying by setting his minimum health to 1.
- This means he cannot die to damage, not even damage flagged as HP removal, so that it prevents him from dying to False Promise's delayed damage.
- Does not protect him against Culling Blade's kill threshold, or
Wraith Delay expiring.
- Stops Ice Blast from shattering him when Battle Trance is active while below the shatter threshold.
- Damage taken is technically not reduced, so any damage event still registers the full damage.
- The Battle Trance strong dispel
talent turns the basic dispel into a strong dispel.
- Also allows Battle Trance to be cast while stunned, cycloned, taunted, slept, hidden, or during forced movement.
- Does not allow it from being cast while silenced, hexed or prevented from acting.
- Troll Warlord is unable to ⇧ Shift-queue this ability upon learning the talent.
Talents[]
Hero Talents | ||
---|---|---|
Battle Trance Strong Dispels | 25 | Whirling Axes Pierce Magic Immunity |
+30 Damage | 20 | -15s Battle Trance Cooldown |
+90 Whirling Axes Damage | 15 | +5 Fervor Attack Speed |
+25 Berserker's Rage Movement Speed | 10 | +7 Berserker's Rage Armor |
Notes:
- This attack damage talent is added as bonus attack damage.
- Does not benefit illusions and is not affected by most percentage-based damage increasing or reducing effects.
Recent Changes[]
Main Article: Troll Warlord/Changelogs
Version
Description
- Reduced Berserker's Rage base attack time from 1.45 to 1.4.
- Battle Trance now grants self phased movement.
Talents:
- Level 20 right talent changed: 20% evasion ➜ -15s Battle Trance cooldown
- Level 25 right talent changed: +2s Battle Trance duration ➜ Whirling Axes pierce spell immunity.
- Increased Whirling Axes (Ranged) damage from 75 to 90.
- Reduced Battle Trance cooldown from 90 on each level to 90/80/70.
Talents:
- Level 10 left talent changed: +225 health ➜ +25 Berserker's Rage movement speed.
- Level 10 right talent changed: +7 agility ➜ +7 Berserker's Rage armor.
Recommended Items[]
Starting items:
- Tango sustains health so you can stay longer in lane.
- Healing Salve restores health as well.
Early game:
- Magic Wand helps to sustain in the lane against enemies that can spam spells.
- Phase Boots increase attack damage to complement Troll Warlord's high attack speed, whilst allowing him to chase faster when he is in his melee form.
Mid game:
- Battle Fury allows Troll Warlord to farm faster while also providing great HP and mana regeneration since he has a low mana pool and does not easily regain his mana due to his abysmal Intelligence and Intelligence gain.
- Black King Bar is core on troll because Battle Trance only lasts 6.5 seconds. Every second matters, and stuns and disables potentially make you unable to do anything for several seconds, wasting the spell's potential.
- Morbid Mask provides lifesteal which works well with your high attack speed. Getting this can help you take out Roshan in the early game by yourself. It also upgrades into Satanic, which helps with his survivability in the late game.
- Sange and Yasha provides good stats. It provides status resistance, making Troll more resilient to disables. It also gives bonus movement speed, which synergizes nicely with Berserker's Rage's bonus movement speed. The Health Regen and Lifesteal amplification synergizes with Morbid Mask's (or later Satanic's) lifesteal.
- Manta Style Situationally better than Sange and Yasha, as it can dispel enemy disables.
Late game:
- Butterfly provides a massive agility and attack speed bonus as well as evasion. In addition, the evasion, combined with the blind provided by Whirling Axes provides a great deal of survivability.
- Abyssal Blade provides Troll Warlord with stun and bash, which he can take advantage of due to his high attack speed. The item also gives damage block and health so he can survive in fights. Pairs up nicely with Berserker's Rage's root.
- Satanic provides an active that will allow Troll Warlord to hit enemies without the fear of dying and gain full health in a fraction of a second. The bonus strength gives the needed durability to not get bursted immediately and thus allows you to get of your BKB and Ultimate.
Situational items:
- Maelstrom is a decent alternative that increases his farm speed, allowing him to get more items quicker thanks to Chain Lightning. This can be upgraded later into Mjollnir, upgrading Chain Lightning that allows him to shred through illusions whlist providing Static Charge on himself to ease his fights against numbers.
- Shadow Blade offers cost-effective attack speed and damage increases, strong initiation and mobility, and a mediocre escape.
- Silver Edge breaks annoying enemy passives, such as Blur, Counter Helix, and Bristleback. It also upgrades from the aforementioned Shadow Blade.
- Blink Dagger allows Troll Warlord to get on top of the enemies to root and kill them. Can be upgraded later to Swift Blink for extra damage and movement speed upon cast.
- Diffusal Blade provides good agility and intelligence while allowing you to get up close and personal with its active. Not only that, but it also allows you to deplete their mana quickly thanks to Troll's passive and dealing monstrous damage against mana-reliant opponents.
- Daedalus give your attacks a great deal of damage. Because maximum attack speed is easily achievable with his ultimate and passive, Troll Warlord can focus on damage and get multiple Daedalus to crit more often and lifesteal even more.
- Monkey King Bar counters evasion from the enemies due to its magical damage procs, and gives an increase to attack damage which complements attack speed bonuses from Fervor and Battle Trance.
Gameplay[]
Audio[]
History[]
Equipment[]
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Trivia[]
- Jah'rakal's lore and certain dialogue lines make several references to Internet trolls, a type of identity or role assumed by certain Internet users.
- Troll Warlord's alternate name in DotA was Cory Clark a nod to the famous internet troll.
- Battle Trance's ▶️ sound effect is based on ▶️ this and ▶️ this line combined.
- Troll Warlord's rare Whirling Axes cast response ▶️ "Axes of evil." is a reference to the term "axis of evil" which former U.S. president George W. Bush coined and used many times during his presidency.