Crystal Maiden
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Rylai, the Crystal Maiden, is a ranged intelligence hero who uses the power of frost and ice to cope with her foes.
Renowned as a well-balanced hard support, Crystal Maiden possesses strong nukes and disables that allow her to apply strong slows to enemies. Crystal Nova is a powerful area-of-effect nuke that slows both attack and movement speeds of enemies within an area for several seconds, while Frostbite encases an enemy in a block of ice for several seconds, immobilizing them and dealing moderate damage per second. Combining these two abilities together along with a laning partner's own spells is often enough to bring an enemy hero to their knees. Her Arcane Aura passive will also regenerate mana for Rylai and her allies, greatly boosting their ability to cast spells in the early game. Although her strong early game presence can be countered by her extreme frailty and poor mobility, she can still inflict a heavy amount of damage in teamfights later on if she is able to channel her deadly ultimate, Freezing Field. Her global mana aura, strong disabling and nuking prowess, simple spell layout, and almost complete lack of item dependence make Crystal Maiden a reliable support caster that can be a strong asset to any team, and judicious use of her ultimate allows her to lay waste to her enemies when used properly. With protection from her team and appropriate item selection, she can be the only support any team needs.
Contents
Bio[edit]
 Rylai, the Crystal Maiden
| |
| Play "When Hell freezes over, I'll start calling it Heaven." | |
| Role: |  Support /  Disabler /  Nuker /  Jungler
|
| Lore: | Born in a temperate realm, raised with her fiery older sister Lina, Rylai the Crystal Maiden soon found that her innate elemental affinity to ice created trouble for all those around her. Wellsprings and mountain rivers froze in moments if she stopped to rest nearby; ripening crops were bitten by frost, and fruiting orchards turned to mazes of ice and came crashing down, spoiled. When their exasperated parents packed Lina off to the equator, Rylai found herself banished to the cold northern realm of Icewrack, where she was taken in by an Ice Wizard who had carved himself a hermitage at the crown of the Blueheart Glacier. After long study, the wizard pronounced her ready for solitary practice and left her to take his place, descending into the glacier to hibernate for a thousand years. Her mastery of the Frozen Arts has only deepened since that time, and now her skills are unmatched. |
| Voice: | Gin Hammond (Responses) |
Abilities[edit]
Crystal Nova
A burst of damaging frost slows enemy movement and attack rate in the targeted area.
Cast Animation: 0.3+0.6
Cast Range: 700 (
825)
825)Effect Radius: 425
Damage: 100/150/200/250 ( 400/450/500/550)
400/450/500/550)Move Speed Slow: 20%/30%/40%/50%
Attack Speed Slow: 20/30/40/50
Slow Duration: 4.5
12/
100/
Slow persists if debuff was placed before spell immunity and when not dispelled.Modifiers
Crystal Nova: Dispellable with any dispel.The air temperature around Rylai drops rapidly, chilling all around her to the core.
Notes:
- Provides 900 radius ground vision at the target area for 6 seconds.
- Plays a sound effect during the cast time which is audible to everyone.
Frostbite
Encases an enemy unit in ice, prohibiting movement and attack, while dealing 50 damage every half-second. Lasts 10 seconds on creeps level 6 or lower.
Cast Animation: 0.3+0.6
Cast Range: 525 ( 650)
650)Damage per Second: 100
Hero Duration: 1.5/2/2.5/3 ( 3/3.5/4/4.5)
3/3.5/4/4.5)Creep Duration: 10 ( 11.5)
11.5)Stun Duration: 0.1
9/ 140/ Root and disarm persist and attempts to damage if debuff was placed before spell immunity and when not dispelled.Modifiers
Frostbite: Dispellable with any dispel. Stunned: Dispellable with strong dispels.Rylai channels winds from the Blueheart Glacier, imprisoning attackers in thick blocks of ice.
Notes:
- Despite the visual effects, Frostbite applies its effects immediately and cannot be disjointed.
- Roots and disarms the target, preventing it from moving, attacking and casting certain mobility spells.
- The root does not interrupt the target's channeling spells. However, the initial stun does interrupt them.
- Provides True Sight over the target.
- Deals 50 damage in 0.5 second intervals, starting immediately, resulting in 3/4/5/6 ( 6/7/8/9) damage instances against heroes, or 20 ( 23) damage instances against creeps.
- Can deal up to 150/200/250/300 ( 300/350/400/450) damage to heroes, or 1000 ( 1150) damage to creeps (before reductions).
- Treats illusions, creep-heroes and
Roshan as heroes.
Arcane Aura
E
R
Ability
Aura
Aura
Affects
Allies
Allies
Gives additional mana regeneration to all friendly units on the map. This bonus is increased for Crystal Maiden.
Radius: Global
Allies Mana Regen Bonus: 1/1.5/2/3
Self Mana Regen Bonus: 2/3/4/8
Modifiers
Brilliance Aura Effect: Undispellable.Cold temperatures promote the essence of magic, causing Rylai's presence to allow spell usage in abundance.
Notes:
- The aura's buff lingers for 0.5 seconds.
- Restores in the form of regeneration, so it regenerates 0.1/0.15/0.2/0.3 mana in 0.1 second intervals, which is 1/1.5/2/3 mana per second.
- Regenerates 0.2/0.3/0.4/0.8 mana in 0.1 second intervals for Crystal Maiden, which is 2/3/4/8 mana per second.
- Stacks with all other sources of flat mana regeneration.
- The flat mana regen bonus is not considered by percentage mana regeneration increases.
- Regenerates up to 60/90/120/180 (120/180/240/480 on self) mana in one minute.
Freezing Field
Cast Animation: 0.3+0
Max Channel Time: 10
Slow Radius: 835
Explosion Spawn Radius Min: 195
Explosion Spawn Radius Max: 785
Explosion Damage Radius: 300
Damage: 105/170/250 ( 155/220/300)
155/220/300)Move Speed Slow: 30%
Attack Speed Slow: 30
Slow Duration: 1
110/ 200/
Applies Frostbite to any unit that has been standing in the Freezing Field for over 2.5 seconds. Slow persists if debuff was placed before spell immunity and when not dispelled.Modifiers
Freezing Field: Undispellable. Freezing Field Slow: Dispellable with any dispel. Freezing Field Tracker: Undispellable.Once the place of her exile, Icewrack has become an anchor for Rylai's frigid onslaught.
Notes:
- The slow is applied to all enemies within the radius in 0.1 second intervals, regardless of the ice explosions.
- Every 0.1 seconds an explosion occurs, for a total of 100 explosions.
- Each ice explosion can spawn within a random distance of 195 to 785 away from Crystal Maiden.
- The explosion spawn radius is divided into four 90° segments (0°–90°, 90°–180°, 180°–270°, 270°–360°).
- The first explosion occurs within the north-east segment of the circle, following explosions proceed counterclockwise.
- Can damage units up to 1085 range away (max spawn radius + explosion radius).
- The average damage is roughly constant up to a radius of 485, falling off after that.
- It is slightly less than 50% at a radius of 785. The very center does slightly (5%) more damage.
- Deals about 2000/3300/4800 damage to enemies within 485 range over the full duration, ±1.9 explosions.
- If all explosion could hit a single target, it would deal up to 10500/17000/25000 ( 15500/22000/30000) damage (before reductions).
- The radius is always centered on Crystal Maiden's and follows her even when she gets moved (e.g.
Force Staff).
- Despite the visual effects, the damage is dealt as the falling ice shards are spawned, not upon them reaching the ground.
-
Aghanim's Scepter adds an aura to Freezing Field, which tracks enemies within the area.
- If an enemy unit is affected by the tracker modifier for 2.5 seconds, it gets
Frostbite applied based on its current level. - A unit can only be frostbitten once per cast of Freezing Field. Even if they re-enter the area, they do not get hit a second time.
- If a unit is already frostbitten by a manual cast, it can still be frostbitten again by Freezing Field, refreshing the duration.
- The tracker resets whenever it gets reapplied on a unit. This means a unit must be affected by it for 2.5 seconds continuously in order to get frostbitten.
- The tracker does not affect invulnerable or hidden units.
- The tracker modifier lingers for 0.1 seconds.
- If an enemy unit is affected by the tracker modifier for 2.5 seconds, it gets
Talents[edit]
| Hero Talents | ||
|---|---|---|
+300  Crystal Nova Damage
|
25 | +1.5s Frostbite Duration
|
+50  Freezing Field Damage
|
20 | +120 Gold/Min |
| +250 Health | 15 | +125 Cast Range |
| +60 Damage | 10 | +15% Magic Resistance |
Notes:
- The attack damage is added as bonus attack damage, and therefore does not benefit illusions.
- The magic resistance stacks multiplicatively with other sources of magic resistance.
- Upgrading health increases maximum health capacity and keeps the current health percentage.
- Gold granted from the talent is unreliable gold.
- The Frostbite talent affects the hero and non-hero duration, although only the hero duration is displayed in the description.
Recommended items[edit]
Starting items:
-
Tango and 
Healing Salve provides Crystal Maiden with enough basic regen to remain in-lane and support her teammates without being harassed away and being forced to return to base. -
Clarity is a useful purchase due to Crystal Maiden's low base intelligence preventing her from casting too many spells in the laning stage. The additional mana replenishment can allow her to bring both of her disables to bear on an enemy, greatly increasing the odds of a kill during a gank. -
Gauntlets of Strength can give Crystal Maiden more HP, which can help extend her survivability. -
Animal Courier should always be purchased by Crystal Maiden. -
Observer Wards should be purchased regularly and placed at key areas around the map. As a support, giving your team map vision is critical to victory.
Early game:
-
Magic Wand is very useful on Crystal Maiden as it is a cheap way to give her stats and more survivability, key requirements for hard support heroes. The increased charge storage also allows her to restore up to 255 HP and mana instantly, which can allow her to do more in fights. -
Boots of Speed are a crucial early purchase on Crystal Maiden due to her extremely low base movement speed. Increasing her mobility allows Rylai to get within range to cast her disables on her foes, or outrun pursuing enemies. -
Bracer can be upgraded from Gauntlets of Strength to provide a good mix of attributes, the strength bonus being especially useful to improve Crystal Maiden's survivability. -
Town Portal Scroll is mandatory for all heroes, but should be carried in surplus on Crystal Maiden as her disables can drastically turn ganks around. -
Soul Ring can using it to effectively gained mana. -
Flying Courier is important to purchase as early as possible if gold permits, in order to facilitate delivery of items to teammates around the map.
Core items:
-
Tranquil Boots are the cheapest upgradable boots available, and allow Crystal Maiden to remain out in the field for extended periods of time. As 
Arcane Aura restores her mana pool while Tranquil Boots's passive heals her, Crystal Maiden can stay out in the field indefinitely and never need to return to base. The increased movement speed and extra armor are also a boon, allowing her to roam, gank and flee more effectively. -
Eul's Scepter of Divinity grants Crystal Maiden additional movement speed, allowing her to be more mobile, and grants her a larger mana pool and mana regeneration. The active can be cast on yourself to make yourself temporarily invulnerable while also removing debuffs, or as an additional disable against enemies. -
Blink Dagger augments Rylai's mobility, allowing her to instantly jump within range for locking down enemy heroes with her disables. The improved mobility also allows her to move around the map more easily to support her teammates, or escape pursuing enemies. -
Drum of Endurance gives Crystal Maiden stats across the board and can be upgraded from an already-purchased Bracer. The extra movement speed can also increase her movement speed, allowing her to position herself for casting spells more easily. -
Sentry Wards should be regularly purchased in order to destroy enemy Observer Wards, as well as to counter invisible enemy heroes.
Situational items:
-
Black King Bar is an expensive luxury item that should be considered only if given farm priority and all other support duties have been met. It prevents interruptions to her ultimate, as well as increasing the size of Rylai's health pool. -
Aghanim's Scepter can give Crystal Maiden a large amount of lockdown ability with Freezing Field, as well as give her stats across the board, particularly her health and mana pool, giving her both extra survivability to cast the ultimate and the mana to do so at higher levels. If your team can prevent Freezing Field from being interrupted, it can be a strong luxury item to invest in once you have the mobility to deploy it reliably. -
Force Staff is a good cheap support item to build on Crystal Maiden if saving up for a Blink Dagger is unfeasible. It provides Rylai with repositioning abilities, and increases the size of her mana pool to allow her to cast her disables more easily. -
Ghost Scepter gives survivability against auto-attacking carries by granting Rylai a brief period of invulnerability to physical damage, as well as some additional stats. The active is also useful for shielding her from attack damage during Freezing Field, preventing enemies from ending the channel by attacking her. -
Scythe of Vyse is a very expensive support item, however it gives a very reliable ranged hard-disable, a larger mana pool and some more HP, and a powerful mana regeneration boost. -
Shiva's Guard gives Crystal Maiden a strong area slow which synergizes with Crystal Nova and Freezing Field. The armor bonus also makes her much more resistant to physical damage, making it harder to focus her down. -
Glimmer Cape can be a useful item to purchase if you intend on making use of Freezing Field regularly, and is otherwise a good support item. Casting the active on yourself prior to jumping in with your ultimate can give you a little extra time to channel it, allowing you to deal more damage. In other situations, it can give you or an ally the ability to stealthily initiate on targets you have vision on, or can be used as an escape or survivability tool by granting someone on your team invisibility and greatly increased magic resistance. -
Null Talisman is a useful alternative to Bracer when purchased as a stat booster. It provides a useful amount of bonus intelligence, bolstering Rylai's meager base mana pool and allowing her to cast her spells more readily as needed. It can build into a Veil of Discord later in order to provide utility to her team. -
Urn of Shadows is a good utility item to build over Bracer as a roaming Crystal Maiden, as it can add to her damage nukes or be used to recover health after ganks. The additional strength gives her HP, while the mana regeneration works alongside Arcane Aura to keep her mana topped up. -
Veil of Discord is a cheap utility item that gives Rylai many benefits. Besides the all-around stats, the additional armor helps her survive against physical damage, the greatly increased intelligence improves the size of her mana pool, and the magic resistance reduction against enemies allows her to do more damage with her magic nukes, especially Freezing Field. -
Aether Lens is a strong caster item that greatly improves Crystal Maiden's disabling capabilities. The item provides additional mana, improving the utility of Arcane Aura and facilitating casting spells from her small mana pool. The increased cast range allows Rylai to cast Frostbite and Crystal Nova from longer ranges to catch enemies with her disables, while the spell damage amp increases the lethality of her nukes. -
Mekansm is a situational purchase that can improve Crystal Maiden's ability to support her team. It improves her overall stats while providing extra armor, and the active allows her to heal her teammates and herself in teamfights, improving overall team survivability.
Gameplay[edit]
Audio[edit]
History[edit]
Equipment[edit]
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Trivia[edit]
- Rylai is one of the oldest heroes from the original DotA in Reign of Chaos DotA. Her title used to be Frost Maiden.
- Rylai's name in Warcraft DotA was Rylai Crestfall. Her surname was removed in the transition to Dota 2 for the implementation of her sibling rivalry with Lina.
- Crystal Maiden's Arcane Aura used to be named Brilliance Aura.
- In early versions of DotA, Crystal Maiden and
Lich used to share the same 
Frost Blast ability (although they were both named Frost Nova). However, in later updates, Crystal Maiden's Frost Nova was changed to Crystal Nova, turning it into a free-cast area-of-effect ability, while Lich kept the original effects. - In Warcraft DotA, Crystal Maiden's Frostbite can freeze the enemy's Fountain and the duration was counted as creep.
- League of Legends features an item called Rylai's Crystal Scepter, a homage to the Crystal Maiden from the original DotA.
- In World of Warcraft an alliance NPC is named Rylai Crestfall, a homage to the original Crystal Maiden from Warcraft III's DotA.
- Crystal Maiden's leveling-up response Play "Is it cold in here or is it just me?" is a reference to the action movie Demolition Man.[1]
- Crystal Maiden's respawning line Play "You only live ice..." is a reference to the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice based on the novel of the same name.
- Crystal Maiden's line Play "It's all fun and games until someone's frozen solid." is a reference to a novel written by Christopher Brookmyre entitled All Fun and Games until Somebody Loses an Eye.
- Crystal Maiden's rare response Play "Can you guess my... favorite poet?" is a reference to Robert Frost due to his last name.
Gallery[edit]
Steam profile background art
Concept art
Ability icon progress
Hero icon progress
References[edit]
