Broodmother

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Broodmother
18 + 2.8 15 + 2.8 18 + 2
Level Base 1 15 25 Health 200 560 1340 1900 Health regen 0 1.8 5.72 8.52 Magic res. 25% 26.08% 28.43% 30.11% Mana 75 291 627 867 Mana regen 0 0.9 2.3 3.3 Spell dmg 0% 1.26% 3.22% 4.62% Armor 0 2.4 8.67 13.15 Att/sec 0.74 0.82 1.05 1.22 Move sp amp. 0% 0.75% 2.71% 4.11% Damage 29‒35 44‒50 83‒89 111‒117
Movement speed 275 Attack speed 125 Turn rate 0.5 Vision range 1800/800 Attack range 150 Projectile speed Instant Attack animation 0.4+0.5 Base attack time 1.7 Collision size 24 Legs 8  Gib type Goo

Black Arachnia, the Broodmother, is a melee agility hero who is a notably powerful pusher. Her trademark spiderlings, as both an asset and a liability, define her play style. While a possible additional source of income, experience and lane pushes, spiderlings can easily feed opponents when not handled with deft micro and great awareness. Broodmother's abilities allow her to summon those spiderlings to do her bidding and to slow and kill heroes with relative ease if caught off guard, all while staying as elusive as possible with her webs and passives. She spends most of the early game pressuring a lane with little concern, due to her spiderlings and her added health regeneration, but she can also transition into a difficult to kill melee carry, which can dive in on and rapidly kill lone enemies with the right items later on.

Bio

Black Arachnia, the Broodmother

▶️ "I've promised you to my children."

Lore:

For centuries, Black Arachnia the Broodmother lurked in the dark lava tubes beneath the smoldering caldera of Mount Pyrotheos, raising millions of spiderlings in safety before sending them to find prey in the wide world above. In a later age, the Vizier of Greed, Ptholopthales, erected his lodestone ziggurat on the slopes of the dead volcano, knowing that any looters who sought his magnetic wealth must survive the spider-haunted passages. After millennia of maternal peace, Black Arachnia found herself beset by a steady trickle of furfeet and cutpurses, bold knights and noble youths--all of them delicious, certainly, and yet tending to create a less than nurturing environment for her innocent offspring. Tiring of the intrusions, she paid a visit to Ptholopthales; and when he proved unwilling to discuss a compromise, she wrapped the Vizier in silk and set him aside to be the centerpiece of a special birthday feast. Unfortunately, the absence of the Magnetic Ziggurat's master merely emboldened a new generation of intruders. When one of her newborns was trodden underfoot by a clumsy adventurer, she reached the end of her silken rope. Broodmother headed for the surface, declaring her intent to rid the world of each and every possible invader, down to the last Hero if necessary, until she could ensure her nursery might once more be a safe and wholesome environment for her precious spiderspawn.

Voice:

Ellen McLain (Responses)

Abilities

Spiderling
Summon
Level 3 Duration 60 Health 280 ( 730) Health regeneration 2 Armor 0 Magic resistance 40% Status resistance 0% Attack damage 14‒16 ( 44‒46) Acquisition range 500 Attack range 100 Base attack time 1.35 Attack animation 0.5+0.3 Movement speed 350 Follow range 100 Turn rate 0.5 Collision size 8 Vision range 700 Vision type Ground Bounty 9 Experience 9 Model scale 0.3 Abilities Poison Sting Spawn Spiderite

Spawn Spiderlings

▶️

Q

W

Ability
Target Unit

Affects
Enemies

Damage
Magical

Broodmother injects her young into an enemy unit, dealing damage. The spiderlings will hatch if the target is killed while under this influence.

Cast Animation: 0.2+0.5

Cast Range: 700

Damage: 70/140/210/280 ( 195/265/335/405)

Number of Spiderlings: 1/2/3/4

Debuff Duration: 2

Spiderling Duration: 60

11/10/9/8 ( 8.8/8/7.2/6.4)

100

Debuff persists if debuff was placed before spell immunity and when not dispelled.

Blocked upon impact.

Modifiers

Spider Hp: Undispellable.

Spawn Spiderlings: Dispellable with any dispel.

Black Arachnia continues to raise her young, even amidst the field of combat. The brood quickly learns how to support their mother.

Notes:

• Spawn Spiderlings' projectile travels at a speed of 1200.

• Spawn Spiderling first applies the debuff, then the damage.

• Spiderlings only spawn when the targeted unit dies while having the debuff on.

• It does not matter who kills the target, if it dies in any way, the Spiderlings spawn.

• The amount of spiders spawned is based on the level of the ability as the spawn happens, and not on what level it was upon cast.

• Spiderlings are fully affected by Spin Web.

• Choosing the damage upgrading talent immediately upgrades all of Broodmother's currently flying Spawn Spiderling projectiles.

• Choosing the health or attack damage upgrading talent does not upgrade any of Broodmother's currently living Spiderlings or Spiderites.

Spin Web
Other
Level 1 Duration Permanent Health 100 Health regeneration 0 Armor 0 Magic resistance 0% Status resistance 0% Collision size 8 Vision range 0 Vision type Ground Bounty 0 Experience 0 Model scale 1 Abilities Destroy Spin Web Notes Invulnerable Phased

Spin Web

▶️

W

B

Ability
Target Area

Affects
Self

Spins a large web that grants Broodmother a passive movement speed increase, gives free movement, and boosts regeneration while in its vicinity. Spin Web charges restore every 45 seconds. Spin Web can be cast from anywhere as long as the new web touches an existing web. Webs never expire, and can be manually destroyed. When the maximum limit of webs is exceeded, the oldest web disappears.

Cast Animation: 0.4+0.4

Cast Range: 1000

Web Radius: 900

Max Amount of Webs: 2/4/6/8 ( 6/10/14/18)

Health Regen Bonus: 3/5/7/9

Move Speed Bonus: 25%/40%/55%/70% ( 30%/50%/70%/90%)

Aura Linger Duration: 0.2

Number of Charges: 2/4/6/8 ( 6/10/14/18)

Charge Replenish Time: 45 ( 36)

0

50

Increases movement speed, removes movement speed limit, and increases Spin Web max count.

Modifiers

Spin Web Charge Counter: Undispellable.

Spin Web Invisible Applier: Undispellable.

Spin Web: Undispellable.

Weaving a bed of silken fibers, Arachnia's web both protects her and her offspring, as well as giving advancing opponents a sense of foreboding.

Notes:

• Has a global cast range when a part of another web is within the targeted area.

• Upon learning, Broodmother instantly gains 2 charges. However, leveling it up further does not instantly grant the other charges.
  • Acquiring Aghanim's Scepter the first time instantly grants 10 charges as well. This only happens once, so re-acquiring it does not grant another 10 charges.

• Only affects the caster, and all Spiderlings and Spiderites under the player's control. Other player-controlled units are unaffected.

• Can regenerate up to 180/300/420/540 health in one minute.

• The effects are provided by an aura. Its buff lingers for 0.2 seconds.

• Webs are visible on the minimap for Broodmother and her team. They do not provide vision but are selectable through the Fog of War.

• Does not affect invulnerable or hidden units.

• Spin webs possess the Destroy Spin Web ability.

• Spin webs do not block neutral creep camps.

Incapacitating Bite

E

P

Ability
Passive

Affects
Enemies

Broodmother's venom cripples enemy units, causing her attacks to slow and giving the affected unit a chance to miss its attacks.

Move Speed Slow: 16%/26%/36%/46%

Miss Chance: 30%/40%/50%/60%

Duration: 2

Slow and blind persist if debuff was placed before spell immunity and when not dispelled.

Modifiers

Incapacitating Bite Orb: Dispellable with any dispel.

Paralytic toxins come from Black Arachnia's fangs, causing a slow and painful death to those who intrude on her webs.

Notes:

• Successive hits with Incapacitating Bite on the same target do not stack, only the debuff gets refreshed.

• The attacks first apply the debuff, then their own damage.

• Does not affect buildings, wards, or allied units when attacking them.

• Incapacitating's blind uses pseudo-random distribution.

Insatiable Hunger

▶️

R

T

Ability
No Target

Affects
Self

A violent lust for vital fluids increases Broodmother's attack damage and gives her a vampiric attack.

Cast Animation: 0.2+0.5

Attack Damage Bonus: 60/100/140 ( 120/160/200)

Lifesteal: 60%/100%/140% ( 120%/160%/200%)

Duration: 14

45 ( 36)

100

Modifiers

Insatiable Hunger: Undispellable.

While most of her prey is wrapped in silken cocoons and saved for her young, the Broodmother herself has a taste for wandering heroes.

Notes:

• The bonus damage is a regular attack damage bonus.

• Stacks additively with other sources of lifesteal.

• Cannot lifesteal off of buildings, but can lifesteal off of wards and allied units.

Spin Web ability

Destroy Spin Web

Q

D

Ability
No Target

Affects
Self

Destroys the selected Spin Web.

Cast Animation: 0+0

0

Notes:

• This is cast from the web itself, allowing Broodmother to destroy webs individually instead of having the oldest one destroyed.

• Spin webs do not leave corpses.

Spiderling abilities

Spiderite
Summon
Level 2 Duration 60 Health 100 ( 550) Health regeneration 2 Armor 0 Magic resistance 40% Status resistance 0% Attack damage 9‒10 ( 39‒40) Acquisition range 500 Attack range 100 Base attack time 1.35 Attack animation 0.5+0.3 Movement speed 350 Follow range 100 Turn rate 0.5 Collision size 8 Vision range 700 Vision type Ground Bounty 3 Experience 3 Model scale 0.23

Poison Sting

Ability
Passive

Affects
Enemies

Poisons and slows enemies with each attack.

Damage per Second: 8

Move Speed Slow: 8%

Hero Duration: 2

Creep Duration: 6

Modifiers

Poison Sting Debuff: Dispellable with any dispel.

Notes:

• Successive hits with Poison Sting on the same target do not stack, only the debuff gets refreshed.

• The attacks first apply their damage, then the debuff.

• Deals damage in 1 second intervals, starting 1 second after the debuff is applied, resulting in 2 (6) damage ticks.

• Can deal up to 16 (48) damage (before reductions).

• Affects allies and wards, but not buildings.

• Treats creep-heroes as creeps.

• Spiderites do not possess this ability.

Spawn Spiderite

Ability
Passive

Affects
Enemies

Applies debuff on attack. If debuffed unit dies, a spiderite will spawn.

Number of Spiderites: 1

Debuff Duration: 2

Spiderite Duration: 60

Debuff persists if debuff was placed before spell immunity and when not dispelled.

Modifiers

Spider Hp: Undispellable.

Spawn Spiderite Debuff: Dispellable with any dispel.

Notes:

• Successive hits with Spawn Spiderite on the same target do not stack, only the debuff gets refreshed.

• The attacks first apply their damage, then the debuff.

• Spiderites only spawn when the attacked unit dies while having the debuff on.

• It does not matter who kills the target, if it dies in any way, the Spiderite spawns.

• Does not affect wards and buildings, but affects allies.

• Spiderites are fully affected by Spin Web.

• Spiderites do not possess this ability.

• Choosing the health or attack damage upgrading talent does not upgrade any of Broodmother's currently living Spiderites.

Talents

Hero Talents
+450 Spiders Health	25	+60 Insatiable Hunger Damage/Lifesteal
+50 Attack Speed	20	+30 Spiders Attack Damage
+20 Agility	15	20% Cooldown Reduction
+200 Health	10	+125 Spawn Spiderlings Damage

Notes:

• The Spiders health and attack damage talents affect Spiderlings and Spiderites.

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

• The agility talent effectively grants Broodmother 3.2 armor, 20 attack speed, 1% movement speed and 20 attack damage.

• The cooldown reduction talent stacks multiplicatively with Octarine Core and additively other sources of cooldown reduction.

Recommended items

Starting items:

• Tango provides needed health restoration during the laning phase.
• Healing Salve keeps Broodmother in lane by restoring her health.
• Enchanted Mango provides some passive health regeneration and burst mana until she is able to get soul rings.
• Clarity gives mana to produce Spiderlings.
• Iron Branch provides cheap attributes. Use with Tango for more healing.
• Quelling Blade makes last hitting easier.

Early game:

• Soul Ring allows her to use Spawn Spiderlings more often without fear of running out of mana to harass the enemies, take last hits, and amass Spiderlings.
• Magic Wand gives attributes and restores health and mana in burst, keeping Broodmother healthy to continue making Spiderlings.
• Medallion of Courage increases mana regeneration so Broodmother can continue to spawn spiderlings and it's active helps to hasten farm speed.

Mid game:

• Aghanim's Scepter increases the maximum number of Spin Web charges to 18 and increases the movement speed bonus applied by her webs. This typically removes the need for boots as the movement speed granted by her webs is more than enough.
• Solar Crest bolsters Broodmother defense with armor and attributes. Its active ability helps Broodmother and Spiderlings tear down neutral creeps and enemy heroes by lowering their armor.
• Black King Bar prevents Broodmother from being effected by most stuns allowing her to continue to attack her enemy and benefit from the amplified damage and lifesteal of Insatiable Hunger to keep Broodmother alive in team fights.

Late game:

• Assault Cuirass increases the attack speed and armor of Broodmother and her spiders, while also reducing the armor of nearby towers. A fantastic item to compliment Broodmother's strengths.
• Butterfly works very well with her passive making it even harder for enemies to hit her along with its excellent stats to increase Broodmother's carry potential.
• Nullifier can prove useful against items like Ghost Scepter or to prevent enemies from dispelling Orchid Malevolence's silence.
• Bloodthorn supplies mana and increases Broodmother's damage output. Its active ability silences the target and grants True Strike to any enemy affected.

Situational items:

• Boots of Speed If the enemy has multiple slows combining boots with her webs' move speed bonus will nullify their effectiveness.
• Hand of Midas accelerates Broodmother's leveling allowing her to reach her level 20 and 25 talents sooner.
• Vladmir's Offering useful aura that benefits both Broodmother and her spiders.
• Mask of Madness offers cost-effective attack speed to combine with the bonus damage granted by Insatiable Hunger for a cheap increase in damage output.
• Orchid Malevolence aids Broodmother in killing heroes that have abilities that allow them to escape or disable Broodmother. Also solving most of her mana problems.
• Desolator gives excellent damage and armor reduction increasing Broodmother's pushing and killing speed.
• Diffusal Blade can be picked up early for an additional slow on enemies in addition to its decent stats.
• Pipe of Insight because Broodmother can farm so fast, picking up a pipe for the team can allow her and her spiders to survive heavy magic burst that would usually prove lethal.
• Radiance applies area damage and blind chance during team fights. Because Broodmother is usually in the middle of team fights she can apply the burn to most enemies.
• Abyssal Blade offers a reliable stun and occasional bashes to further lock down enemies.

Gameplay

Roles:	Carry Pusher Escape Nuker
Complexity:	★★☆
Playstyle:	Inhabiting the lava tubes below the caldera of Mount Pyrotheos, Black Arachnia grew tired of recent adventurers stepping on her many offspring. And so, the Broodmother set out to rid the world of every potential intruder, one hero at a time. Paralytic venom drips from her fangs, crippling and blinding her prey with each Incapacitating Bite. Warm bodies make ideal nurseries, a fact not lost on Black Arachnia as she injects her eggs into dying foes to Spawn Spiderlings. Across patches of land she Spins Webs of silken fiber, sheltering herself within to recuperate injuries. Driven by Insatiable Hunger, the Broodmother goes into a feeding frenzy, sucking the vital fluids from wandering heroes to replenish herself for the next spawn cycle.

Strategy & Tips

Counters &
Matchups

Audio

Responses

Sounds

History

Lore

Old Abilities

Changelogs

Equipment

Broodmother Equipment (expand sets) Sets Amber Queen Ancient Arachnarok Arachnarok Automaton Antiquity Epoch of the Abysm Feast of the Glutton's Larder Lycosidae's Favor Pattern of the Silken Queen Steelweb of Pytheos Set The Brood Queen Set Virulent Matriarch Web of Thorns Set Webs of Perception Set Spiderling Skittering Lotus Thistle Crawler Taunt Taunt: Spider Shuffle

Trivia

• In her DotA biography, Broodmother's spiderlings originated from her relationship with Anub'arak, the Nerubian Assassin ( Nyx Assassin). In Dota 2, no relationship between the two heroes exists.
• Broodmother is sometimes called by her nickname, "Broodmama".
• Broodmother's response ▶️ "Some pig." is a reference to the children's novel Charlotte's Web.
• Broodmother's name, Black Arachnia, resembles the name of the character Blackarachnia from the Transformers franchise.

Gallery

• 

  Splash artwork

• 

  Old model and icon

• 

  Broodmother's ability icon progress

• 

  Spiderling's ability icon progress

• 

  Hero icon progress