Invisibility

“

Play You can't fight what you can't see. — Bounty Hunter

”

Invisibility is a status effect which makes units and heroes not appear on their opponent's screen or minimap, and makes them unable to be targeted directly by the enemy. Invisibility makes the unit's model appear transparent, but clearly visible still for allies. If it is an allied hero, its dot on the minimap also turns into a ring for the duration. A unit can gain (usually temporarily, but not always) invisibility through certain spells, items or the Rune of Invisibility. Some units, like most wards have permanent invisibility and do not need to acquire it through other sources. Generally, a unit keeps the gained invisibility until the duration runs out, or they perform an attack or a spell or item cast. True Sight and shared vision allows a unit to see invisible enemies without dispelling the invisibility. True Sight makes the units appear transparent, while shared vision only shows a silhouette. Both make the unit directly targetable again, without dispelling the invisibility.

Fade time and fade delay

An invisible ally

Most sources of invisibility require some time to turn the unit fully invisible. During this time, the unit is still visible and targetable.

The fade time is a short delay before the actual invisibility is applied, during which a unit's model appears transparent, but still visible to everyone. During it, the unit does not automatically attack nearby enemies, no matter if the auto attack option is turned on or not. It also stops attacking when an attack order was already ongoing. Unlike during the actual invisibility, during the fade time, the unit can cast spells or items and even attack without canceling the invisibility. During the fade time, the unit is not phased, even when the invisibility of the spell phases the unit.

The fade delay is also a short delay before the actual invisibility is applied, but has some significant differences. First off, during the fade delay, the unit's model does not appear transparent. Furthermore, the unit does not stop automatically attacking nearby enemies when the auto attack option is turned on, and the fade delay does not cause the unit to cancel an already ongoing attack order either. Unlike during the fade time, it is not possible to cast spells or items or attack during the fade delay without resetting it. During the fade delay, the unit is not phased, even when the invisibility of the spell phases the unit.

Unit behavior during invisibility

While invisible, a unit never automatically attacks any nearby enemy, not even when it is revealed by True Sight and being attacked. However, when issuing an attack ground order, the invisible unit attacks. Generally, the invisibility is lost upon reaching the attack point. For ranged heroes, this is upon projectile launch. Depending on the source, invisibility may or may not apply a phase effect on the unit.

As for spell casts, the invisibility is lost upon reaching the cast point of the spell. This means that spells with extended effects like Eclipse or Epicenter do not cancel the invisibility upon each beam or pulse. Channeling spells do not cancel it either when going invisible after the channeling started.

All ranged attacks and most projectiles of abilities are disjointed by invisibility. It is enough for a unit to turn fully invisible even just for a split second as a disjointable projectile flies to fully disjoint it. However, some projectile abilities still affect invisible units, and some have other effects entirely. Invisible units are still fully or partially affected by spells which affect an area.

Sources of invisibility

• Bounty Hunter - Shadow Walk
  
  Fade Time: 1/0.75/0.5/0.25
  Duration: 20/25/30/35
  Phased: Yes
  Affects self.
• Clinkz - Skeleton Walk
  
  Fade Time: 0.6
  Duration: 20/25/30/35
  Phased: Yes
  Affects self.
• Glimmer Cape - Glimmer
  
  Fade Delay: 0.6
  Duration: 5
  Phased: Yes
  Can be cast on self or allied heroes. The target stays invisible for the whole duration. When breaking invisibility, the unit turns invisible again after the fade delay.
• Invisibility Rune - Invisibility
  
  Fade Time: 2
  Duration: 45
  Phased: No
  Affects the hero activating the rune.
• Invoker - Ghost Walk
  
  Fade Time: 0
  Duration: 100
  Phased: Yes
  Affects self.
• Lycan Wolf - Invisibility
  
  Fade Delay: 1.7
  Phased: No
  Affects self. Permanent. Available for level 4 wolves only.
• Mirana - Moonlight Shadow
  
  Fade Delay: 2.5/2/1.5
  Duration: 18
  Phased: No
  Affects all allied heroes. Affected heroes stay invisible for the whole duration. When breaking invisibility, the unit turns invisible again after the fade delay.
• Nyx Assassin - Vendetta
  
  Fade Time: 0
  Duration: 40/50/60
  Phased: Yes
  Affects self.
• Nyx Assassin - Burrow
  
  Fade Time: 0
  Phased: Yes
  Affects self. Stays invisible until unburrowing or death. Invisibility is not lost upon casting spells or items. Immobile and disarmed while burrowed.
• Observer Ward - Invisibility
  
  Fade Time: 0
  Phased: Yes
  Permanent.
• Oracle - False Promise
  
  Fade Time: 0 ( )
  Duration: 8/9/10 (