Creep-heroes

A creep-hero is a creep-type unit which is considered a hero by the game. This means, although it still is a creep, many spells and other effects treat it as a hero instead.

The following units are creep-heroes: Earth, Storm, Fire, Astral Spirit, Spirit Bear, Familiars, and Warlock's Golem.

Spell interactions

There are many spells which behave differently based on what their target is. Several spells are exclusive to heroes only, while some are exclusive to non-hero units. There are also spells which are able to affect both, but have different effects or durations based on whether the target is a hero or a non-hero.

Creep-heroes, being in between creeps and heroes, have therefore many unique interactions with these spells.

If a creep-hero also has the ancient unit tag (is an ancient creep-hero), interactions change even further. All interactions listed in here apply to them, on top of the ones listed below.

Hero-only spells

The following spells are able to target or affect heroes only. However, some of them treat creep-heroes as heroes, fully working on them as well, while others treat them as creeps, not affecting them.

Fully affecting

The following hero-only spells fully affect creep-heroes.

• Abaddon – Borrowed Time
• Ancient Apparition – Ice Blast
• Arc Warden – Magnetic Field
• Bottle – Regenerate
• Clarity – Replenish
• Dazzle – Shallow Grave
• Dazzle – Weave
• Enchanted Mango – Eat Mango
• Glimmer Cape – Glimmer
• Healing Salve – Salve
• Huskar – Inner Vitality
• Io – Relocate
• Kunkka – X Marks the Spot
• Linken's Sphere – Transfer Spellblock
• Linken's Sphere – Spellblock
• Magnus – Skewer
• Monkey King – Wukong's Command
• Necrophos – Reaper's Scythe
• Nyx Assassin – Mana Burn^*
• Oracle – False Promise
• Outworld Devourer – Essence Aura
• Phantom Assassin – Blur
• Puck – Dream Coil
• Razor – Static Link
• Shadow Amulet – Fade
• Slark – Shadow Dance
• Sven – God's Strength
• Witch Doctor – Maledict

^* Since only heroes have intelligence, casting Mana Burn on creep-heroes does nothing but waste mana and cooldown.

Not affecting

The following hero-only spells do not affect creep-heroes.

• Alchemist – Aghanim's Scepter Synth
• Bloodseeker – Thirst
• Chaos Knight – Phantasm
• Crimson Guard – Guard
• Dark Seer – Wall of Replica
• Disruptor – Glimpse
• Drow Ranger – Marksmanship
• Forged Spirit – Melting Strike
• Keeper of the Light – Recall
• Legion Commander – Duel
• Lifestealer – Control^*
• Lifestealer – Assimilate
• Luna – Lunar Blessing
• Mirana – Moonlight Shadow
• Morphling – Replicate
• Morphling – Hybrid
• Monkey King – Jingu Mastery
• Outworld Devourer – Sanity's Eclipse
• Pudge – Flesh Heap
• Riki – Tricks of the Trade
• Rubick – Spell Steal
• Shadow Demon – Disruption
• Silencer – Intelligence Steal
• Slark – Pounce
• Slark – Essence Shift
• Spectre – Haunt
• Terrorblade – Reflection
• Terrorblade – Sunder
• Tinker – Heat-Seeking Missile
• Troll Warlord – Battle Trance
• Urn of Shadows – Soul Release
• Weaver – Time Lapse
• Witch Doctor – Death Ward
• Zeus – Thundergod's Wrath

^* The ancient unit tag has priority over the creep-hero tag, so that Control can take over creep-heroes if they also are ancient creeps.

Partially affecting

The following hero-only spells partially affect creep-heroes.

• Alchemist - Unstable Concoction
  
  Cannot target creep-heroes. Area damage and stun can hit creep-heroes.

Creep-only spells

The following spells are able to target or affect creeps only. None of them treat creep-heroes as creeps, rendering them useless against creep-heroes.

• Battle Fury – Quell¹
• Chen – Holy Persuasion²
• Clinkz – Death Pact
• Doom – Devour²
• Enigma – Demonic Conversion
• Hand of Midas – Transmute
• Helm of the Dominator – Dominate
• Iron Talon – Quell^{1 3}
• Lich – Sacrifice
• Quelling Blade – Quell¹

¹ The ancient unit tag has priority over the creep-hero tag, so that these abilities do affect creep-heroes if they also are ancient creeps.

² The creep-hero tag has priority over the ancient unit tag in this case, meaning even upgraded, these spells still cannot target creep-heroes which are also ancient creeps.

³ Iron Talon's Chop is technically able to target creep-heroes, but only if they are neutral, which is impossible without cheats. However, the ancient tag has priority here as well, so that it can only target creep-heroes without the ancient tag.

Other spells

These spells act differently when applied on heroes as when on creeps. Their behavior against creep-heroes is inconsistent.

Treated as hero

These spells treat creep-heroes as heroes.

• Batrider – Flaming Lasso¹
• Bristleback – Viscous Nasal Goo
• Centaur Courser – Cloak Aura¹
• Centaur Warrunner – Return Aura
• Crystal Maiden – Frostbite
• Diffusal Blade – Purge
• Enchantress – Enchant²
• Faceless Void – Time Lock¹
• Hellbear – Cloak Aura¹
• Keeper of the Light – Chakra Magic¹
• Lifestealer – Consume
• Mirana – Sacred Arrow
• Ogre Magi – Bloodlust
• Pudge – Dismember
• Ring of Aquila – Aquila Aura
• Ring of Basilius – Basilius Aura
• Rubick – Fade Bolt
• Shadow Demon – Demonic Purge
• Slardar – Bash of the Deep¹
• Sniper – Assassinate
• Storm – Cyclone
• Undying – Flesh Golem
• Vengeful Spirit – Nether Swap¹
• Witch Doctor – Paralyzing Cask
• Wraith King – Vampiric Aura
• Zeus – Lightning Bolt

¹ These spells prioritize the ancient unit tag over the creep-hero unit tag, meaning they treat units with both tags as creeps, not as heroes. All other listed spells always treat them as heroes, regardless of any other tag.

² Enchant's targeting rules prioritize the ancient unit tag over the creep-hero unit tag, meaning it cannot target units with both tags when the talent for it is not chosen. However, its effects prioritize the creep-hero unit tag, meaning if the talent is chosen, targeted units with both tags are slowed, not converted.

Treated as creep

These spells treat creep-heroes as creeps.

• Ancient Apparition – Chilling Touch
• Ancient Thunderhide – Slam
• Batrider – Sticky Napalm
• Boots of Travel – Teleport
• Bounty Hunter – Track
• Brewmaster – Thunder Clap
• Buckler – Armor Bonus
• Centaur Conqueror – War Stomp
• Drow Ranger – Frost Arrows
• Drow Ranger – Precision Aura
• Earth Spirit – Rolling Boulder
• Earth Spirit – Geomagnetic Grip
• Earth Spirit – Enchant Remnant
• Elder Titan – Astral Spirit
• Ember Spirit – Sleight of Fist
• Faceless Void – Time Dilation
• Guardian Greaves – Guardian Aura
• Gyrocopter – Homing Missile
• Invoker – EMP
• Kunkka – Ghostship
• Legion Commander – Overwhelming Odds
• Leshrac – Pulse Nova
• Lich – Ice Armor
• Lycan – Howl
• Magnus – Shockwave
• Monkey King – Jingu Mastery
• Nature's Prophet – Wrath of Nature
• Necrophos – Death Pulse
• Phoenix – Supernova
• Pugna – Life Drain
• Roshan – Slam
• Sand King – Burrowstrike
• Shadow Fiend – Necromastery
• Shadow Fiend – Requiem of Souls
• Skywrath Mage – Arcane Bolt
• Skywrath Mage – Ancient Seal
• Smoke of Deceit – Disguise
• Spiderling – Poison Sting
• Tusk – Snowball
• Tusk – Frozen Sigil
• Undying – Tombstone
• Vengeful Spirit – Vengeance Aura
• Vhoul Assassin – Envenomed Weapon
• Viper – Nethertoxin
• Weaver – The Swarm
• Wraith King – Mortal Strike
• Zeus – Nimbus

Unique

• Ancient Granite Golem - Granite Aura
  
  Places the aura buff on creep-heroes, but does not work for them.
• Axe - Culling Blade
  
  Goes on cooldown when successfully culling creep-heroes. When Scepter upgraded, applies Battle Hunger on creep-heroes.
• Chen - Test of Faith (Teleport)
  
  Although able to target heroes and creeps, it cannot be cast on creep-heroes.
• Chen - Hand of God
  
  When under the caster's control, Hand of God does not heal creep-heroes, unless they are also ancient creeps.
• Dark Seer - Ion Shell
  
  Although able to target heroes and creeps, it cannot be cast on creep-heroes. Damages creep-heroes normally.
• Io - Spirits
  
  Treats creep-heroes as heroes, exploding on collision. However, no explosion sound is played. Also acknowledges the ancient unit tag, so that it also deals its passing damage to ancient creep-heroes, on top of exploding on them.
• Juggernaut - Blade Fury
  
  Creep-heroes take full damage from Juggernaut's attacks during Blade Fury, unless they are also ancient creeps.
• Lotus Orb - Echo Shell
  
  Can be cast on creep-heroes. Does not reflect spells for creep-heroes.
• Lycan Wolf - Cripple
  
  Although able to affect heroes and creeps, it cannot affect creep-heroes, unless they are also ancient creeps.
• Moon Shard - Consume
  
  Cannot be cast on creep-heroes, with the exception of Spirit Bear.
• Spirit Bear - Entangling Claws
  
  Although able to affect heroes and creeps, it cannot affect creep-heroes.
• Pugna - Nether Ward
  
  Mana degen aura treats creep-heroes as heroes, affecting them. The Ward itself treats creep-heroes as creeps, taking less damage from their attacks.
• Skywrath Mage - Concussive Shot
  
  Targeting treats creep-heroes as creeps. When Scepter upgraded, the secondary projectile can target creeps and creep-heroes, but prioritizes heroes.
• Skywrath Mage - Mystic Flare
  
  Treats creep-heroes as creeps, unable to damage them, although particle effects appear. When Scepter upgraded, the secondary cast can target creeps and creep-heroes (still not damaging them), but prioritizes heroes.
• Spectre - Spectral Dagger
  
  Can directly be cast on creep-heroes like heroes. However, spell effects treat creep-heroes as creeps, no projectile homing, and no trail attaching.
• Tango - Devour
  
  Can be cast on creep-heroes, but only ones with a working inventory get a charge.
• Tinker - Laser
  
  Treats creep-heroes as creeps, lasting longer on them. When Scepter upgraded, bounces treat creep-heroes as heroes, bouncing to them.
• Treant Protector - Living Armor
  
  When ground-targeting, nearby creep-heroes are registered, but the armor is not applied, wasting mana and cooldown.
• Underlord - Atrophy Aura
  
  Treats enemy creep-heroes as creeps, gaining less damage from their deaths, and treats allied creep-heroes as heroes, buffing their attack damage when upgraded.
• Underlord - Dark Rift
  
  Can be cast on creep-heroes, teleporting to them. Can teleport creep-heroes.
• Undying Zombie - Deathlust
  
  Although able to affect heroes and creeps, it cannot debuff creep-heroes. The debuff is not placed on them, unless they are also ancient creeps. The Frenzy buff is still placed on the zombies.
• Visage - Soul Assumption
  
  Damage counter treats creep-heroes as heroes. When the double-strike talent is chosen, the secondary projectile prioritizes heroes.
• Wraith King - Wraith Delay
  
  Places the aura buff on creep-heroes, but does not work for them.