Hero Discussion of the Week: Lycanthrope (March 23, 2012)
Lycanthrope was last discussed on December 23.
Banehallow, the Lycanthrope
Lore:
Banehallow was noble-born to the house of Ambry, the greatest of the landed castes in the old kingdom of Slom. Before the Fall, as the King’s wants grew strange, and his court grew crowded with sorcerers and charlatans, the house of Ambry was the first to rise against the avarice of the throne. No longer willing to pay homage and fealty, they instead sent six-thousand swords into the capital, where they were wiped out in the Massacre of the Apostates. And then came the teeth behind the old truth: When you strike a king’s neck, you had better take his head. Enraged by the betrayal, the king exterminated the vast Ambry bloodline, sparing only the lord of the house and his youngest son, Banehallow. Before all the royal court, with the disgraced lord chained to the ornate marble floor, the King bade his magicians transform the boy into a wolf so that he might tear out his own father’s throat. “Do this,” the king said, “so that Lord Ambry will understand the bite of betrayal.” Powerful magic was invoked, and the child was transformed. But though his body was changed, his spirit remained intact, and instead of biting the exposed neck of his father, he attacked his handlers, tearing them to pieces. A dozen of the King’s knights perished under the wolf’s teeth before they managed to drive it off into the night. Lord Ambry laughed from his chains even as the King ran him through with a sword. Now the heir to the lost house of Ambry, Banehallow wanders the trail as the Lycan, part warrior, part wolf, in search of justice for all that he lost.
""The day has eyes. Night, ears. The wolf, teeth""
| Strength | Agility | Intelligence |
|---|---|---|
| 22 + 2.75 | 16 + 1.9 | 15 + 1.55 |
| Damage | Armor | Movespeed |
| 53 - 57 | 1.24 | 305 |
| Attack Range | Base Attack Time | Missile Speed |
| 128 | 1.7 | N/A |
| Soundset | Icon | Concept Art |
Summon Wolves
Summons two wolves to fight for Banehallow. Level 2-4 wolves have Critical Strike, and level 4 wolves have permanent invisibility.
| Level | Mana Cost | Cooldown | Casting Range | Area | Duration | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 125 | 30 | N/A | N/A | 55 second | Summons 2 weak wolves. |
| 2 | 125 | 30 | N/A | N/A | 55 second | Summons 2 wolves that have Critical Strike |
| 3 | 125 | 30 | N/A | N/A | 55 second | Summons 2 strong wolves that have Critical Strike |
| 4 | 125 | 30 | N/A | N/A | 55 second | Summons 2 very strong wolves that have Critical Strike and Permanent Invisibility |
- If wolves are summoned during the duration of Howl, they will receive the damage bonus until the duration is up.
Howl
Grants bonus damage to Banehallow and all allied heroes and all units under their control.
| Level | Mana Cost | Cooldown | Casting Range | Area | Duration | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | 50 | None | Global | 12 Seconds | Adds 20 damage to heroes; 4 damage to units |
| 2 | 20 | 45 | None | Global | 12 Seconds | Adds 30 damage to heroes; 8 damage to units |
| 3 | 25 | 40 | None | Global | 12 Seconds | Adds 40 damage to heroes; 12 damage to units |
| 4 | 30 | 35 | None | Global | 12 Seconds | Adds 50 damage to heroes; 16 damage to units |
- Affects all allied player-controlled units, not just those under Lycanthrope's control.
Feral Impulse
Increases the damage and attack speed of Banehallow and all units under his control.
| Level | Mana Cost | Cooldown | Casting Range | Area | Duration | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 900 | N/A | 15% damage increase, 15% attack speed increase |
| 2 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 900 | N/A | 20% damage increase, 20% attack speed increase |
| 3 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 900 | N/A | 25% damage increase, 25% attack speed increase |
| 4 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 900 | N/A | 30% damage increase, 30% attack speed increase |
- Affects all units under the Lycanthrope's control, not just himself and his wolves.
Shapeshift
Banehallow assumes his true form, increasing his combat capabilities. During Shapeshift, Banehallow and his wolves move at maximum speed and cannot be slowed.
| Level | Mana Cost | Cooldown | Casting Range | Area | Duration | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 100 | N/A | N/A | 18 seconds | 100 bonus hit points |
| 2 | 100 | 070 | N/A | N/A | 18 seconds | 200 bonus hit points |
| 3 | 100 | 040 | N/A | N/A | 18 seconds | 300 bonus hit points |
- Cannot be slowed by any spell, including Purge.
- If hexed, Lycanthrope continues to move at maximum movespeed.
- All his summons including the Necronomicon's gets the same movement speed
- Lycanthrope's collision size is lowered in this state.
- While in this state, Lycanthrope has a Base Attack Time of 1.5 seconds, and a 1800/1800 sight range.
- Lycanthrope also gains critical strike - 30% chance to deal 1.7x damage.
zaphodbrx99 has posted a guide to Lycan on Playdota.
Also check out DotaCinema's video overview of Banehallow.
The guys at Dota 2 wiki are looking for people to help fill out hero introductions, recommended items, and basic strategy for certain heroes. Lycan's page would be a nice place to start.
As always, check out yesterday's discussion of Ember Spirit or the complete HDotD archives.
Posted Mar 23, 2012, 2:46 PM UTC