Illusions: copies that confuse the enemy

What illusions are

An illusion is a controllable copy of a hero created by an ability (Manta Style, illusion rune, skills like Naga's or Phantom Lancer's). Visually it's nearly indistinguishable from the original, but it's actually a separate unit with its own rules.

• Copies look and stats. The illusion looks like the hero and takes its base stats.
• Its own damage multipliers. It deals less and takes more — exact numbers are set by the source.
• Doesn't cast. Illusions don't use abilities or active items, but inherit some effects.

How much they deal and take

The key points about illusion damage come down to a few rules:

1. Deal a fraction of the damage. An illusion hits for only a share of the hero's damage — the exact percent is set by the ability or item that made it.
2. Take increased damage. Incoming damage on an illusion is multiplied, which is why it dies faster than the original.
3. Weak vs buildings. Against towers and barracks copies hit noticeably less than against heroes.
4. Give little on death. A killed illusion gives the enemy scraps of gold and XP, while creeps you last-hit with them are credited to you.

So pure illusion split-push is slow — it's sped up by aura items, covered below.

Which items work

Some items carry over to illusions, some don't, and that decides their usefulness:

• Work. Radiance (burn aura), Diffusal Blade (mana burn and slow) and the stat bonuses from Manta Style — illusions use these.
• Don't work. Lifesteal, cleave, critical strike and most unique passives don't carry over to copies.
• Bash. Usually gives the bonus damage but no stun.
• Active items. Illusions don't press actives — BKB, blink and similar won't trigger on them.

How to use copies

Illusions are useful far beyond "add damage":

• Confusion in fights. The enemy wastes control and focus on copies while the real hero works.
• Split-push and farm. Copies pressure side lanes and stack camps, freeing the hero.
• Scouting. An illusion is expendable for checking a rune, Roshan or approaches.
• Baiting initiation. An illusion eats the combo first, and you see the enemy's cooldowns.

An experienced player "plays" illusions separately from the hero — a skill that markedly raises core-role effectiveness.

Common mistakes

These slips turn illusions from an advantage into lost tempo:

• Treating an illusion as a full hero. It hits weaker and without crits or lifesteal — don't expect the original's damage.
• Bunching all copies under AoE. One Crystal Maiden ult or an Eq, and the swarm vanishes for nothing.
• Feeding illusions into a tower with no auras. Without Radiance/Diffusal it's slow and inefficient.
• Giving yourself away. Move the hero and copies differently, or the enemy spots the original instantly.

FAQ