Armor

“

▶️ Armored to the teeth!

— Clockwerk

”

For items within the Armor category, see Items.

Armor is a stat that reduces (or increases, if negative) physical damage a unit takes from abilities and attacks. Every unit is capable of gaining or losing armor, and most units start with a small amount of base armor, some even starting with negative armor. A hero's armor can be passively increased with agility via leveling up, certain items, talents and some abilities. Armor of any unit can also be temporarily increased or reduced with some abilities.

Each point of agility increases a hero's armor by 0.167 or ¹/₆.

Definition

The actual total armor according to the unit's ent_text is up to two decimal places. The HUD's displays the rounded down armor value next to the hero portrait, while the details tab displays the armor value rounded up.

Armor Type	Definition	Examples
Main Armor	The armor value shown in white numbers near the shield icon on the HUD. Grants `+0.167` per agility.	Agility-based Armor
Base Armor	The unit's predefined armor value in the game files, can be either a positive or a negative value. For heroes, this is defined in `npc_heroes`. Since only heroes utilize agility, their main armor is the sum of both the Base and Main Armor.
Bonus Armor	The `+ x` armor value shown in green numbers near the shield icon on the HUD. Most armor manipulating sources in the game modifies the bonus armor value. Does not benefit created illusions.	Platemail
Armor Damage Factor	Incoming physical damage instances are reduced by a factor of the current total armor values on the attacked unit. The attacked unit's current health to incoming physical damage factor is the Effective HP of the unit.

Equations

Ability

Passive

Affects

Self

Incoming

physical damage instances are reduced by a factor of the current total armor values on the attacked unit.

Armor Formula Base b: 1

Armor Formula Factor f: 0.06

Grants the following bonuses per

agility for all heroes.

Base Armor Bonus per Agi: 0.167

Armor Damage Factor

Main Article: Damage Manipulation

All units, including buildings, have an inherent Base Armor value and attack class.

All physical damage instances applied to a unit is multiplied by the armor damage factor, resulting in either damage reduction or increase depending on the attacked target's total armor value. Hence, the armor damage factor affects the unit's Effective HP (EHP).

The lower the armor damage factor, the higher the Effective HP of a unit, and vice versa.

The armor damage factor has a lower and upper limit of 0 and 2 respectively as shown in the collapsed table below. The EHP is increased by 6% of the unit's MaxHP per armor.

Armor (+)	Factor	Armor (-)	Factor
1	94%	-1	106%
2	89%	-2	111%
3	85%	-3	115%
4	81%	-4	119%
5	77%	-5	123%
6	74%	-6	126%
7	70%	-7	130%
8	68%	-8	132%
9	65%	-9	135%
10	63%	-10	138%
11	60%	-11	140%
12	58%	-12	142%
13	56%	-13	144%
14	54%	-14	146%
15	53%	-15	147%
16	51%	-16	149%
17	50%	-17	150%
18	48%	-18	152%
19	47%	-19	153%
20	45%	-20	155%
21	44%	-21	156%
22	43%	-22	157%
23	42%	-23	158%
24	41%	-24	159%
25	40%	-25	160%
26	39%	-26	161%
27	38%	-27	162%
28	37%	-28	163%
29	36%	-29	164%
30	36%	-30	164%
31	35%	-31	165%
32	34%	-32	166%
33	34%	-33	166%
34	33%	-34	167%
35	32%	-35	168%
36	32%	-36	168%
37	31%	-37	169%
38	30%	-38	170%
39	30%	-39	170%
40	29%	-40	171%
41	29%	-41	171%
42	28%	-42	172%
43	28%	-43	172%
44	27%	-44	173%
45	27%	-45	173%

Pure Damage

Main Article: Pure Damage

Main Articles: Damage Types and HP Removal

Pure Damage is a damage type that neither interacts with Armor nor Magic Resistance. It is also not amplified by magical damage amplification abilities, fully ignores Armor and Damage Block. It does not affect invulnerable units.

There are a few sources that can manipulate Pure Damage, with Dispersion being one of them. This mechanic is called damage reduction. Pure damage affects units with Spell Immunity (because spell immunity does not block damage), but that does not mean that an ability that deals pure damage is able to target spell immune units.

Main Armor

Base Armor

Base Armor is a fixed, predefined value for each unit individually of the main armor that never changes throughout a game. Since only heroes utilize agility, the HUD of all non-hero units shows only their base armor.

Heroes

Hero	Armor
	-2
	-1
	0
	1
	2
	3
	4
	5

Creeps

Unit	Armor
Undying Zombie, Greater Treant, Kobold, Hill Troll Priest, Satyr Banisher, Ogre Frostmage, Mud Golem, Hill Troll, Skeleton Warrior, Shard Golem, Boar, Treant, Spiderling, Spiderite, Lycan Wolf	0
Minor Imp, Pollywog, Kobold Soldier, Hill Troll Berserker, Vhoul Assassin, Fell Spirit, Harpy Scout, Centaur Courser, Giant Wolf, Ogre Bruiser	1
Ghost, Boglet, Marshmage Apprentice, Kobold Foreman, Harpy Stormcrafter, Satyr Mindstealer, Satyr Tormenter, Wildwing, Ancient Black Drake, Wraith King Skeleton	2
Eidolon	2/3/4/5
Ancient Ice Shaman, Croaker, Marshmage, Alpha Wolf, Hellbear, Ancient Rumblehide, Ancient Thunderhide	3
Demonic Warrior, Demonic Archer, Demonic Archer, Demonic Warrior, Centaur Conqueror, Hellbear Smasher, Wildwing Ripper, Dark Troll Summoner, Ancient Black Dragon, Ancient Rock Golem	4
Ancient Croaker, Ancient Marshmage, Hawk	5
Warpine Raider	6
Ancient Frostbitten Golem	7
Ancient Granite Golem	8
Ancient Prowler Acolyte	11
Ancient Prowler Shaman	12
Tormentor	20
Roshan	30

Summons

Unit	Armor
Astral Spirit	0
Spirit Bear	0/2/4/6
Fire	0/8/16/24
Storm	2
Familiar	2/3/4
Mars Soldier	3
Void	3/4/5
Earth	3/5/7/9
Warlock Golem	8/12/14

Main Armor Sources

These abilities directly manipulate the agility value and affects the hero's main armor.

Main Armor Affecting Sources

Attributes – Attribute Bonus
Alchemist – Aghanim's Scepter Synth
Apex – Primary Attribute Bonus
Drow Ranger – Precision Aura
Magnus – Reverse Polarity¹
Riki – Tricks of the Trade
Slark – Essence Shift
Power Treads – Switch Attribute
Phantom Lancer – Phantom Rush
Morphling – Morph^2a
Vambrace – Switch Attribute
Morphling – Attribute Shift (Strength Gain)
Timbersaw – Whirling Death³

¹ Requires a

Talent.

^2a Requires

Aghanim's Scepter.

^2b Requires

Aghanim's Shard.

³ Only affects

universal heroes and heroes with

agility as their primary attribute.

Armor Negation Sources

Armor Negation sources interact and manipulate a unit's main armor, unless explicitly stated within the ability notes. These sources do not interact with Attack Classes.

Armor Negate Sources

¹ Requires a

Talent.

^2a Requires

Aghanim's Scepter.

^2b Requires

Aghanim's Shard.

⁴ Interacts wtih total armor.

Bonus Armor

Bonus Armor is the +Armor value shown in green numbers with a plus on the left, right after the white armor number.

Most manipulation sources affect the bonus armor of the affected unit, reduction sources can nevertheless bring total armor into negative values if the main armor value is sufficiently small.

Illusions do not benefit from bonus armor sources. Their HUD still displays the bonus armor granted for camouflaging purposes.

Armor Increasing Sources

¹ Requires a

Talent.

^2a Requires

Aghanim's Scepter.

^2b Requires

Aghanim's Shard.

³ Affects the player-controlled creep.

Armor Increasing Item Sources

¹ Affects the player-controlled creep.

Talents

Bonus Armor

Ability

Passive

Affects

Self

Grants units flat bonus armor upon selecting their respective talents.

Armor Bonus: Varies

The following heroes have a talent that grants them bonus armor.

Bonus	Level 10		Level 15		Level 20		Level 25
Bonus	Left	Right	Left	Right	Left	Right	Left	Right
Armor	+4 +4	+5

Items

The following items increase a unit's armor. The effects are limited to the item's owner, which must have the item equipped.

These items have a flat armor bonus to the hero who has them equipped.

Flat Armor

Item	Value	Item Cost	Cost/Value Point
Armlet of Mordiggian	6	2500	416.67
Assault Cuirass	10	5125	512.5
Blade Mail	6	2300	383.33
Buckler	1	425	425
Chainmail	4	550	137.5
Crimson Guard	8	3725	465.63
Guardian Greaves	5	4300	860
Helm of Iron Will	4	975	243.75
Helm of the Dominator	6	2550	425
Helm of the Overlord	7	5650	807.14
Lotus Orb	10	3850	385
Mekansm	5	1775	355
Nullifier	10	4375	437.5
Parasma	7	5975	853.57
Pavise	3	1400	466.67
Phase Boots	4	1500	375
Platemail	10	1400	140
Ring of Protection	2	175	87.5
Shiva's Guard	15	5175	345
Solar Crest	4	2575	643.75
Soul Ring	2	805	402.5
Spirit Vessel	2	2725	1362.5
Tough Enchantment	0	N/A	N/A
Urn of Shadows	2	825	412.5
Veil of Discord	4	1725	431.25
Vladmir's Offering	1	2200	2200
Witch Blade	5	2775	555
Wraith Band	1.75	505	288.57
Values do not include portions from actives or auras.

Armor Reducing Sources

Alchemist – Acid Spray
Ancient Rock Golem – Weakening Aura
Bristleback – Viscous Nasal Goo
Bristleback – Hairball
Chaos Knight – Reality Rift
Dazzle – Poison Touch
Dazzle – Shadow Wave^2a
Forged Spirit – Melting Strike
Lycan – Howl
Naga Siren – Rip Tide
Pangolier – Lucky Shot
Razor – Eye of the Storm
Shadow Fiend – Presence of the Dark Lord
Slardar – Slithereen Crush^2b
Slardar – Corrosive Haze
Slark – Essence Shift
Snapfire – Lil' Shredder
Templar Assassin – Meld
Tidehunter – Gush
Vengeful Spirit – Wave of Terror
Viper – Poison Attack^2b
Weaver – The Swarm

¹ Requires

talent.

^2a Requires

Aghanim's Scepter.

^2b Requires

Aghanim's Shard.

Armor Reducing Item Sources

Orb of Blight – Lesser Corruption
Desolator – Corruption
Orb of Corrosion – Corrosion
Orb of Destruction – Impeding Corruption
Stygian Desolator – Greater Corruption

Armor Corruption

Ability

Passive

Affects

Enemies

Granted by learning a

talent. Attacks now reduce the affected target's armor by a certain amount.

Armor Reduction: Varies

Duration: 10

Armor-based Sources

The following sources utilizes the hero's current armor value as an ability effect.

Armor-based Sources

Calculation Examples

Armor Calculations

Example 1 - Armor with Agility Sources.

How much armor does a hero level

Terrorblade with a

Blade of Alacrity and

Blade Mail equipped has?

Base Armor: 5

Bonus Armor:

Blade Mail +6

Total

agility: 23 + 4 * 10 +

Blade of Alacrity (10)

Main Armor

= Base + (ΣAgi / 6)

= 5 + (23 + 4 * 10 + 10) / 6

=

17.17

Total Armor

=

Main Armor +

Bonus Armor

=

17.17 +

6

= 23.17

Terrorblade has 17.17

main armor, with a total 23.17 armor displayed on his HUD.

Example 2 - Various Armor Sources with Armor Negation Interactions.

Terrorblade from the previous example is now affected by

LEVEL 3

Natural Order. How much total armor does he have now?

Armor Negation:

Natural Order (80%)

Total Armor

=

Main Armor * (1 - ArmorNegation) +

Bonus Armor

=

17.166666666667 * (1 - 80%) +

6

= 13.433333333333

Terrorblade has 13.433333333333 total armor in this example.

Natural Order affects the

main armor component, but not the

bonus armor component within the calculations.

Example 3 - Incoming Physical Damage with Total Armor Interactions.

Effective HP Calculations

Example 4 - Effective HP Against Incoming Physical Damage.

EHP Calculations

Recent Changes

Main Article: Armor/Changelogs

Version

Description

7.32e
(2023-03-07)

Reinforced units receive 10% less damage from the following units:
- Summons, but not including creep-heroes and illusions.
- Dominated Creeps.

7.31
(2022-02-23)

Attack Types and Armor Types are now represented through abilities, most damage remains unchanged.
ADDED the new following attack type abilities:
- Runty has 25% and 30% attack damage reduction against Heroes and Reinforced units respectively.
- Piercing has 50% and 65% attack damage reduction against Heroes and Reinforced units respectively.
  - However, they deal 50% more attack damage against Non-Hero units.
- Reinforced has 50%, 30% and 65% incoming attack damage reduction against Heroes, Non-Hero units, and Piercing units respectively.
  - However, they deal 50% more attack damage against other Reinforced units.
The following abilities are not acquirable in any way (e.g. Devour etc.).
The following units now have the Piercing ability:
- Ranged Creep and Mega Ranged Creep
- Serpent Ward
- Plague Ward
- Most neutral creeps' with the previous Piercing attack class now has this ability as well.
The following units now have the Reinforced ability:
- Siege Creep
- All buildings
The following units now have the Runty ability:
- Melee Creep and Mega Melee Creep
Eidolon , Treant and Lycan Wolf no longer have the Basic attack class.
Neutral creeps now all have the standard attack type, and their damage are adjusted so that the net damage is similar.