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Disables (also called crowd control, or CC) refer to any abilities or status effects that prevent, impede, or otherwise inhibit a Hero from acting. Disables come in many different varieties, and most Heroes have access to some form of disable. Sometimes "disabled" or "fully disabled" refer to stun.

Mechanics Interaction[]

Disable Target's Interaction with the Disable
Movement Attack Ability Usage Item Usage Vulnerable
Stun Prevented Prevented Prevented 2 Prevented Yes
Sleep / Cyclone Prevented Prevented Prevented Prevented Situational
Move Speed Slow Slowed - - - Yes
Attack Speed Slow - Slowed - - Yes
Silence - - Prevented - Yes
Break - - Disables Passives - Yes
Mute - - - Prevented Yes
Forced Movement Forced Situational Situational Situational Yes
Root Prevented 1 - Situational Situational Yes
Leash Confined - Situational Situational Yes
Hex Reduced Prevented Prevented Prevented Yes
Trap Confined - - - Yes
Taunt Forced Forced Prevented Prevented Yes
Fear Forced Prevented Prevented Prevented Yes
Hide Prevented Prevented Prevented Prevented No
Ethereal Situational Prevented - - to Abilities
Disarm - Prevented - - Yes
Blind - Misses - - Yes
1 Does not prevent turning.
2 Certain abilities can still be cast while stunned if stated in ability notes, e.g. Upgradable by Aghanim's Scepter. Enrage icon Enrage.

Stun[]

Main Article: Stun

Stuns are the most common and most dependable kind of disable. Upon getting stunned, the unit stops its current order and stands still until the effect expires. While stunned, the unit cannot move, attack, cast abilities or use items.

It also interrupt all channeling abilities, such as using Town Portal Scroll icon Teleport. In general, stuns can be categorized into three types, with each using a different modifier to stun the target(s). Stuns from the same group use the same modifier, therefore they refresh each others' duration based on when they affect the target and do not extend its stun duration.

Stun
Modifier Type
Definition Example
Stunned Do not place their own individual modifiers, but refresh each other. Magic Missile icon Magic Missile (Regular Stun)
Lightning Bolt icon Lightning Bolt (Mini-Stun)
Bash Do not place their own individual modifiers, but refresh each other. Infernal Blade icon Infernal Blade
Unique Uses a custom modifier, meaning each of them place their own modifiers on their targets. Shackles icon Shackles

Certain stun abilities requires the caster to channel the ability in order to stun the affected target(s), or it applies negative effects onto the caster themselves. These abilities mostly use the Unique Modifier (e.g. Black Hole icon Black Hole and Fiend's Grip icon Fiend's Grip).

Sleep[]

Main Article: Sleep

Sleep is a rare status effect that completely disables those affected for the entire duration. However, units affected can be awaken by dealing damage to them. Some sources of Sleep provides invulnerability (e.g. Nightmare icon Nightmare), while some do not (e.g. Echo Stomp icon Echo Stomp).

Cyclone[]

Main Article: Cyclone

Cyclone is a status effect that causes afflicted units to be lifted up, completely disabling them, but also rendering them invulnerable. Some cyclone sources also apply a basic dispel on the target. While being lifted up into the air, other units can pass below it. Sources of Cyclone are Tornado icon Tornado and Eul's Scepter of Divinity icon Eul's Scepter of Divinity.

Slow[]

A type of status effect that reduces the afflicted units movement speed by a percentage, and/or attack speed by a flat value of their current speeds. In general, slows from different sources stack with each other, but multiple of the same instance do not, but refresh their duration instead. There are some exceptions to this.

Slow Disabled Aspect / Definition Examples
Move Speed Slows
  • Reduce a unit's movement speed by a percentage of its speed.
  • Currently, there are no sources of movement speed slow which reduce a unit's movement speed by a fixed value. A unit affected by a haste is immune to movement speed slowing effects.
Thunder Clap icon Thunder Clap
Attack Speed Slows
  • Reduce a unit's attack speed by a fixed value and stacks additively.
  • Currently, there are no sources of attack speed slow which reduce a unit's attack speed by a percentage value. There is no effect which grants a unit immunity to attack speed slows either.
Liquid Fire icon Liquid Fire

Ability and Item Disables[]

Main Articles: Silence, Break and Mute
Ability and Item
Disables
Disabled Aspect / Definition Examples
Silence
  • Fully prevent any active abilities order, except item casts.
  • Autocast abilities that are currently set to Autocast have their functionality disabled.
  • Toggled abilities are stuck in their current On / Off state for the duration, but their functionality is not disabled.
Global Silence icon Global Silence
Break Viper Strike icon Viper Strike
Mute
  • Fully prevent item cast orders, except ability casts.
Doom ability icon Doom

Hex[]

Main Article: Hex

Hex applies multiple types of disables – silence, mute and disarm on the affected target and set its movement speed to a fixed value. All sources of hex instantly destroy illusions except strong illusions. Hexed heroes are still treated as heroes by abilities. Sources of Hex are Hex (Lion) icon Hex and Scythe of Vyse icon Scythe of Vyse.

Forced Movement[]

Main Article: Forced Movement

Forced Movement is a status effect that changes a unit's position. This movement is completely unrelated to the unit's movement speed and works on them while disabled. Most forced movement abilities prevent the affected unit from acting during, but some still allows the unit to attack, turn and cast abilities (and items).

Forced Movement Disabled Aspect / Definition Examples
Fully Disabling
  • Behaves like a stun, preventing the unit from performing any action, but continuing with them once the effect expires.
Meat Hook icon Meat Hook
affecting enemies
Non-disabling
  • Allows the affected unit to still perform any action, except for moving. The unit can still turn, attack (depending on situations), cast abilities and items.
Meat Hook icon Meat Hook
affecting allies
Upward Movement
  • Move a unit upwards, changing their Z-position.
Cyclone Sources
Pulling
  • Allows the affected unit to move normally.
Gale Force icon Gale Force

Root[]

Main Article: Root

Root (formerly known as Ensnare) is a status effect that prevents affected units from moving, and from casting most mobility abilities. However, it does not prevent the affected units from turning, casting other abilities or using most items. Some root sources also disarm the affected units (and disarming roots were formerly known as Entangle).

Root Types Disabled Aspect / Definition Examples
Conditional
True Sight
  • Provides True Sight over the target for the duration of the root as long as, at the time the root is applied conditionally.
  • Certain root sources disarms as well for its duration.
Fortune's End icon Fortune's End
Regular Root
  • Allows the affected unit to still perform any action, except for moving and casting mobility abilities. The unit can still turn and attack (depending on situations).
Bramble Maze icon Bramble Maze
Ally-Root
  • Roots and disarms the caster upon cast.
Rolling Boulder icon Rolling Boulder

Leash[]

Main Article: Leash

Leash disables casting several mobility abilities (e.g. Blink-based abilities) and it shares a few interactions with the Root mechanic. Although, Leash prevents casting certain abilities, it does not cancel them when getting leashed while the ability is cast. Leash also does not interrupt channeling, but it always cancels Town Portal Scroll icon Town Portal Scroll's teleport.

The mechanics for Leash sources works differently depending on the ability, and are detailed in its respective ability notes. For example, affected heroes leashed within Dream Coil icon Dream Coil duration are stun if they move too far from the leashed point; Pounce icon Pounce heavily slows the leashed hero when it tries to move away from the leashed point etc.

Trap[]

Main Article: Trap

A trap hinders a unit from moving, similar to how cliffs hinder a unit from moving. These abilities either create an impassable obstacle, or create a barrier or a leash which prevent units from passing by heavily slowing the unit if it tries to pass through.

Trap Types Aspect / Definition Examples
Pathing Blocker Fissure icon Fissure
Barrier
  • A barrier is a force field that prevents a unit from moving out of or into the affected area, by drastically slowing their movement speed towards 0 when close to the edges of the field.
  • This movement speed slow is not shown in the HUD.
Kinetic Field icon Kinetic Field

Taunt[]

Main Article: Taunt

Taunt forces the affected unit to drop any of its current order, and start attacking the taunting unit instead. This means it fully cancels attack orders against other units, ability cast orders and channeling. If the taunted unit is out of attack range, it moves towards the taunt source until within attack range. The unit only uses regular movement to get closer to the taunting unit, it does not utilize abilities to close the gap.

Mechanic Type Disabled Aspect / Definition Examples
Taunt
  • Forces the affected unit to drop any of its current order, and start attacking the taunting unit instead.
  • If the taunted unit is out of attack range, it moves towards the taunt source until within attack range.
Winter's Curse icon Winter's Curse

When affected by Taunt and Fear, Taunt takes priority.

Fear[]

Main Article: Fear
Sub-Types Definition Examples
Fountain Fear
  • Units are forced to flee towards their own fountain.
Terrorize icon Terrorize
Caster Fear
  • Units are forced to flee from the source of the fear debuff.
Requiem of Souls icon Requiem of Souls
Hypnotising Fear
  • Units are forced to slowly move towards the hypnotising unit at a given movement speed.
Sinister Gaze icon Sinister Gaze

Hide[]

Main Article: Hide

Hide renders the unit unable to move, attack, cast abilities and items. All Hide sources also turn the affected unit invulnerable. Hidden units still gain ExperienceXP and Gold Gold. While hidden, a unit cannot be affected by any abilities, with very few exceptions (e.g. Shadow Poison icon Shadow Poison). For example, a Meat Hook icon Meat Hook would just fly through and possibly hit a unit behind the hidden unit.

Disarm[]

Main Article: Disarm

Disarm prevents the afflicted unit from attacking, although they can still cast abilities. When a disarmed unit is ordered to attack, they will attempt to stay within attack range of their target but will be unable to act. After the disarm's duration is over, they will resume attacking normally. A disarm prevents the affected unit from attacking. It still can be attacked by other units. Sources of Disarm are Deafening Blast icon Deafening Blast and Heaven's Halberd icon Heaven's Halberd.

Ethereal[]

Main Article: Ethereal

Ethereal, sometimes referred to as ghost form, is a type of status effect that makes affected units immune to all physical damage, grants them attack immunity, while also disarming them. It also usually - but not always - reduces their magic resistance, causing them to take additional magical damage. Affected units are able to control every other aspect of their character.

The magic resistance reduction of multiple ethereal effects does not stack, the one with a higher value takes priority, and it is defined as:

Ethereal Magic Resistance Reduction = (1 + MAX Ethereal Magic Resistance Reduction) Sources of Ethereal are Ghost Scepter icon Ghost Scepter and Decrepify icon Decrepify.

Blind[]

Main Article: Blind

Blind is a debuff that makes a unit miss upon attacking other units and sources of blind effects stack additively with each other, rendering an affected unit unable to land any attack. Blinds work fully independently from evasion. Sources of Blind are Blinding Light icon Blinding Light and Laser icon Laser.

Disabling Orders[]

Stuns (including Shackle, Sleep and Cyclone), Forced Movement, Hide and Taunt effects do not prevent the player from giving orders to their units. The given order is executed by the unit as soon as the disable expires. There are only very few abilities which can be cast normally while affected by these disables:

1 Requires Talent talent.
2a Requires Aghanim's Scepter icon Aghanim's Scepter.
2b Requires Aghanim's Shard icon Aghanim's Shard.

However, some disables prevent giving orders to units. They also prevent casting the aforementioned abilities.

Disabled orders error messages

The error messages from silence, mute, root and general order disable.

When an order is prevented, the player cannot even select a target in case of targeted orders like a unit-targeted ability. In such case, the order remains selected (i.e. a unit-targeted ability stays selected when attempting to cast it while silenced, and the player has to manually deselect it).

When giving orders is disabled, a red on-screen error message appears, telling the player why the order cannot be given. The text is usually accompanied by an error sound. The message and sound varies based on the disable.

The following status effects disable giving orders:

Status Effects Disabled Aspect / Definition Examples
Ethereal Fully prevent ordering attacks on the Ethereal Unit. Decrepify icon Decrepify
Fear Runs away from caster towards a certain direction and fully prevent any orders. Requiem of Souls icon Requiem of Souls
Hypnosis Pulled towards caster and fully prevent any orders. Sinister Gaze icon Sinister Gaze
Leash Limited movement capabilities and fully prevents ordering certain abilities. Pounce icon Pounce
Mute Fully prevent item cast orders, except ability casts. Doom ability icon Doom
Root Rooted on spot and fully prevents ordering certain abilities. Frostbite icon Frostbite
Silence Fully prevent any abilities order, except item casts. Global Silence icon Global Silence

Besides the named disables, the prevention of giving orders is also partly a disable on its own. Several abilities completely prevent the player from giving the affected units any order, while the disable the ability uses does not. The following abilities fully prevent giving orders:

Trivia[]

Main Article: Pause

Pause was an effect that completely rendered the target unable to move, attack, cast spells or items, disabled most passive abilities and caused buffs and debuffs to not tick down for the duration. It also prevented it from gaining experience.


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