Spells are the aimed half of the game: your unit fires on its own, but every cast is yours. Each kit starts with two spells; a few draft picks grant extra spells that hold two charges. The italic line is the exact in-game tooltip.
A massive bolt that ignores armor entirely: 95 damage to one enemy.
A single massive bolt that ignores armor entirely and deals 95 damage to one enemy. Because it bypasses armor, it is the Longbow's answer to heavily armored targets that shrug off normal shots. It hits one enemy only, so aim it at the biggest threat.
Starts on: Archer · Longbow
A volley into the densest pack: 70 to the middle of it, and 35 to each of up to 4 others around it.
A volley into the densest pack: 70 to the enemy at the middle of it and 35 to each of up to 4 others around it. It rewards firing into tightly bunched waves. The Longbow's area option alongside its single-target Piercing Shot.
Starts on: Archer · Longbow
A heavy rifle round that ignores armor entirely: 72 damage, plus 43 more against an enemy at or below half health. It hunts wounded targets.
A heavy rifle round that ignores armor entirely for 72 damage, plus 43 more against an enemy at or below half health, and it hunts wounded targets automatically. It is the Sniper's finisher, hitting hardest on enemies your team has already softened. Armor never reduces it.
Pairs with Executioner and other execute effects that share the half-health window.
Starts on: Archer · Sniper
A shell that bursts on impact: 70 damage to every enemy within 2 range of the target.
A shell bursts on impact, dealing 70 damage to every enemy within 2 range of the target. It gives the Sniper a reliable area option against clustered enemies. The full 70 lands on each enemy in the small radius.
Starts on: Archer · Sniper
Slap the trigger past its stop: instantly fire 3 bonus rounds at your target. They do not use your magazine, and each deals your normal round damage plus 10 bonus damage.
Instantly fires 3 bonus rounds at your target that do not draw from your magazine, each dealing your normal round damage plus 10. It lets the Minigun burst without spending ammo or waiting on the reload. Useful to dump extra damage while your magazine recharges.
Because the rounds skip the magazine, it sidesteps the Minigun's reload downtime.
Starts on: Archer · Minigun
Walk the barrel across the whole lane: your current target takes 60 damage, and up to 6 more enemies in range take 30 each.
Walks the barrel across the lane: your current target takes 60 damage and up to 6 more enemies in range take 30 each. It turns the short-range Minigun into a wide area sweep for one cast. Good for clearing a bunched wave.
Starts on: Archer · Minigun
Six knives ripple outward: 30 damage to each of up to 6 enemies, and each hit strips 60 armor.
Six knives ripple outward, dealing 30 damage to each of up to 6 enemies and stripping 60 armor from every one hit. It both softens and de-armors a whole pack at once, setting up your team and your own hits to land harder. It is the Knife Fan's core tool against clustered, armored waves.
Starts on: Rogue · Knife Fan
Vanish and reappear ready to strike. Your next 3 attacks are guaranteed crits, each carrying +48 spell damage. Casting again adds 3 more.
Your next 3 weapon attacks become guaranteed critical hits, each also carrying +48 spell damage. Casting again while charges remain adds 3 more. It converts a stretch of your normal fire into guaranteed high-damage crits.
Pairs with crit-payoff picks like Bleed and Concussive Crits so each guaranteed crit triggers them.
Starts on: Rogue · Knife Fan
Four rapid stabs into one enemy: 30 damage each, and each stab strips 30 armor.
Four rapid stabs pour into a single enemy for 30 damage each, and every stab strips 30 armor, so it removes 120 armor in one cast. It focuses everything on one target, making it the Assassin's way to melt a single tough or armored enemy. All four hits land on the same enemy.
Starts on: Rogue · Assassin
A blur of after-images: strike up to 5 enemies in range for 27 damage each — your current target is struck twice. Every strike strips 15 armor.
A blur of after-images strikes up to 5 enemies in range for 27 damage each, with your current target struck twice, and every strike strips 15 armor. It spreads damage and armor-shredding across a small group while double-hitting your focus target. Good for thinning a pack while keeping pressure on the front enemy.
Starts on: Rogue · Assassin
Throw one heavy axe: 90 damage and a guaranteed brief stun (1 second) on one enemy.
Throws one heavy axe for 90 damage and a guaranteed 1 second stun on a single enemy. The stun is reliable, not a chance, so it is a dependable way for the Brawler to lock down a dangerous target. It hits one enemy only.
Starts on: Rogue · Brawler
Stop aiming, start breaking: your next 3 attacks are guaranteed critical hits, and their axes strip three times the armor. Casting again adds 3 more.
Your next 3 weapon attacks become guaranteed critical hits, and their axes strip three times the normal armor. Casting again while charges remain adds 3 more, so you can stack a longer run of crits. It stops you from aiming for the duration, dumping the boosted swings into whatever your weapon targets.
Pairs with crit-payoff picks so the guaranteed crits carry extra effects.
Starts on: Rogue · Brawler
A slow, huge fireball: 58 damage to every enemy in the blast, and each one keeps burning for 18 more over 3 seconds.
A slow, huge fireball that deals 58 damage to every enemy caught in a wide blast, and each of them keeps burning for 18 more over 3 seconds. It is the Fireball kit's heavy area nuke, hitting an entire cluster at once. The burn it leaves can feed burn-dependent picks.
Starts on: Fire Mage · Fireball
Sets one enemy ablaze: 55 damage, then 55 more as it burns over 4 seconds. If the victim dies early, the remaining burn leaps to the nearest fresh enemy nearby.
Sets one enemy ablaze for 55 immediately and 55 more as it burns over 4 seconds. If the victim dies before the burn finishes, the remaining burn leaps to the nearest fresh enemy nearby, so it rarely goes to waste. A strong single-target burn that spreads through a dying pack.
Starts on: Fire Mage · Fireball
A bomb that blankets a whole stretch of the path: 80 damage to every enemy along the busiest 6 units of lane, and it sets off every live explosive charge on them, each exploding at full power right away.
A bomb blankets the busiest 6 units of the path, dealing 80 to every enemy along that stretch, and it instantly sets off every live explosive charge on those enemies at full power. On a Saboteur who has strapped charges to the pack, it turns a lane full of primed enemies into a chain of explosions. It is the kit's big area payoff.
Combos with the Saboteur weapon's charges: strap the pack, then detonate everything at once.
Starts on: Fire Mage · Saboteur
Plants a mine on the path just ahead of the front enemy. It arms in half a second and blows up when an enemy walks onto it: 73 damage to the enemy that sets it off, and everything caught in the blast — that enemy included — takes 37 more. Mines stack, so every cast adds another one that waits for its own victim.
Plants a mine on the path just ahead of the front enemy; it arms in half a second and blows when an enemy steps on it, dealing 73 to that enemy and 37 more to everything caught in the blast. Mines stack, so each cast lays another that waits for its own victim. You can seed several mines ahead of an incoming wave.
Starts on: Fire Mage · Saboteur
Dump the capacitor: instantly fire 4 bolts at your target. Each bolt deals your normal bolt damage plus 7, counts as a step toward your attack speed ramp, and sets the target burning with arcane flame (6 damage over 3 seconds).
Instantly fires 4 bolts at your target, each dealing your normal bolt damage plus 7, and each one advances your attack-speed ramp and leaves 6 arcane burn over 3 seconds. It both bursts damage and pushes the Arcane Mage's ramp toward full speed. Cast it to spin up quickly on a new target.
Combos with Overclock, which raises the ramp ceiling the bolts push toward.
Starts on: Fire Mage · Arcane Mage
Push the machine past its limit: for 7 seconds your attack speed ramp can climb 2 extra steps, up to one bolt every 0.15 seconds. Can be cast once per 7 seconds.
For 7 seconds your attack-speed ramp can climb 2 extra steps, up to one bolt every 0.15 seconds. It temporarily lifts the ceiling on the Arcane Mage's ramp, letting you fire faster than normal while it lasts. Pair it with a full ramp for peak output.
Best cast once your ramp is already high so it immediately pushes into the extra steps.
Starts on: Fire Mage · Arcane Mage
Freezes two enemies solid for 3.75 seconds and deals 76 damage to each on the way in.
Freezes the two nearest enemies solid for 3.75 seconds and deals 76 damage to each as they lock up. The long freeze is powerful hard control, buying your team time against dangerous front-runners. It affects two enemies at once.
Starts on: Frost Mage · Frost Bolt
A heavy blow: 65 damage to each of the 2 enemies closest to your base.
A heavy blow dealing 65 damage to each of the 2 enemies closest to your base. It targets the front-runners threatening your base rather than a cluster. Straightforward front-line damage for the Frost Bolt kit.
Starts on: Frost Mage · Frost Bolt
A blast of wind slows up to 2 enemies by 80% for 4 seconds and deals 40 damage to the first one.
A blast of wind slows up to 2 enemies by 80% for 4 seconds and deals 40 damage to the first one. The heavy slow is strong crowd control, dragging the front-runners to a crawl. The damage is secondary to the control.
Starts on: Frost Mage · Stormcaller
A bolt aimed at the thickest pack: 110 damage to the main target, then it forks to up to 3 more enemies nearby for 55 each. No stun.
A bolt aimed at the thickest pack deals 110 to the main target, then forks to up to 3 more nearby enemies for 55 each. Unlike the Stormcaller's weapon, this cast does not stun. It is pure chained area damage.
Starts on: Frost Mage · Stormcaller
A wave seizes the enemy closest to your base, deals 60 damage, and rapidly pushes it 4 path-units backward. It cannot be affected by other crowd control until it walks back to where it was.
A wave seizes the enemy closest to your base, deals 60 damage, and rapidly shoves it 4 path-units backward. While being pushed and until it walks back, that enemy cannot be affected by other crowd control. It buys distance against a dangerous front-runner.
Starts on: Frost Mage · Water Mage
A column of water erupts under one enemy: 90 damage and a brief stun (0.5 seconds). The eruption splashes 27 more onto everything right next to it, the struck enemy included.
A column of water erupts under one enemy for 90 damage and a brief 0.5 second stun, and the eruption splashes 27 more onto everything right next to it, the struck enemy included. It combines single-target control with a small area hit. The Water Mage's burst option.
Starts on: Frost Mage · Water Mage
Hurls a vial at the thickest pack: up to 3 enemies each catch a blight, a poison dealing 135 damage over 6 seconds. The blight is separate from your weapon poison, so both tick at once. Blighting an enemy again pays out the old blight's remaining damage instantly, so recasting is never wasted.
Hurls a vial at the thickest pack so up to 3 enemies each catch a blight, a poison dealing 135 damage over 6 seconds. The blight is separate from your weapon poison, so both tick at the same time on the same enemy. Re-blighting an enemy pays out the old blight's remaining damage instantly, so recasting is never wasted.
Stacks with weapon poison and scales with your damage-over-time picks.
Starts on: Alchemist · Venom Vial
Brands the enemy with the least health left: 90 damage, dealt instantly. The brand can never kill on its own, and if the enemy survives 6 seconds, the damage is returned. It counts toward your contribution only if the enemy dies before the damage returns.
Brands the enemy with the least health remaining for 90 damage dealt instantly. The brand can never land the killing blow, and if the enemy survives 6 seconds the damage is returned, so it only counts if the enemy dies first. It works like a spell version of Weaken, rewarding targets your team finishes quickly.
Starts on: Alchemist · Venom Vial
Throws a reagent cloud over the thickest pack: every enemy it touches takes 25 damage, cloaked enemies in it are revealed, and enemies it touches cannot cloak for 8 seconds.
Throws a reagent cloud over the thickest pack, dealing 25 to every enemy it touches, revealing any cloaked enemies inside, and preventing those enemies from cloaking again for 8 seconds. It is the Death Dealer's hard counter to cloaked units that would otherwise slip past. The reveal and cloak-block matter far more than the small damage.
Starts on: Alchemist · Death Dealer
Fires 6 seed projectiles that arc up and rain down onto up to 6 enemies for 30 damage each. Your current target is struck by an extra projectile.
Fires 6 seed projectiles that arc up and rain down onto up to 6 enemies for 30 damage each, with your current target caught by an extra projectile. It spreads a burst across a pack while double-hitting your focus. A clean area-damage cast for the Death Dealer.
Starts on: Alchemist · Death Dealer
Castable only while you have zombies on the field: your zombies' next 3 bites deal +100 damage each and don't use up their limited bites.
Castable only while you have zombies on the field: your zombies' next 3 bites each deal +100 bonus damage and do not use up their limited bite count. It supercharges an active zombie army rather than doing anything on its own. Cast it when your Necromancer has zombies out and enemies to chew.
Depends entirely on the Necromancer weapon's Raise Dead zombies being active.
Starts on: Alchemist · Necromancer
Seizes up to 2 enemies nearest your base: each walks backward at half speed for 2 seconds, held off other crowd control, and takes a fast poison, 18.5 damage over 2 seconds.
Seizes up to 2 enemies nearest your base, walking each backward at half speed for 2 seconds while holding it immune to other crowd control, and applies a fast poison of 18.5 over 2 seconds. It buys time by dragging the front enemies away from your base. The charm and poison land together.
Starts on: Alchemist · Necromancer
Every other player in your tower instantly repeats their attack at double damage. Plus a solo note: 10 damage + 20 more for every empty player slot in your tower.
Every other player in your tower instantly repeats their last attack at double damage. If your tower is not full, it also plays a solo note: 10 damage plus 20 more for every empty player slot. The more allies share your tower, the more repeated attacks it triggers.
Its value scales with a full tower; picks like Encore Maestro and Standing Ovation amplify each repeat.
Starts on: Bard · Lute
For 6 seconds your tune plays twice as loud: the attack-speed and mana pool your tower shares is doubled.
For 6 seconds the attack-speed and mana pool your Bard shares with the tower is doubled. Every tower-mate feels the boosted haste and mana regen for the duration. It runs on an 8 second cooldown, so there is a brief gap between uses.
Starts on: Bard · Lute
Every other player in your tower instantly repeats their attack at double damage, and every enemy those repeats strike is Weakened for 20 more. Weaken counts toward your contribution only if the enemy dies before the damage returns. Plus a solo note: 10 damage + 20 more for every empty player slot in your tower.
Every other player in your tower instantly repeats their attack at double damage, and every enemy those repeats strike is Weakened for 20 more, which counts only if the enemy dies before the Weaken returns. It also plays the same solo note as Encore when your tower has empty slots. The Dark Bard's version trades pure repeat damage for extra Weaken pressure.
Starts on: Bard · Dark Bard
Every enemy carrying your Weaken takes 45 damage, and the Weaken damage on them becomes permanent: it will never be returned. If fewer than 2 enemies carry your Weaken, the cast also strikes the enemies closest to your base, up to 2 struck in total.
Every enemy carrying your Weaken takes 45 damage and their Weaken becomes permanent, so it will never be returned to them. If fewer than 2 enemies carry your Weaken, the cast also strikes the enemies nearest your base, up to 2 hit in total. It is the payoff for stacking Weaken across a pack.
Combos with the Dirge of Fading weapon and Dark Encore, which spread Weaken for Requiem to lock in.
Starts on: Bard · Dark Bard
Puts one enemy in the limelight: it takes 30% more damage from every source for 7.3 seconds in a 5-player match (shorter with more players), and every other player in your tower immediately fires one attack at it, each hitting 15 harder. Prefers enemies not already marked.
Puts one enemy in the limelight so it takes 30% more damage from every source for 7.3 seconds in a 5-player match, and every other player in your tower immediately fires one attack at it, each hitting 15 harder. It prefers enemies not already marked. It focuses your whole tower onto a single Exposed target.
Starts on: Bard · Stage Master
A stage firework bursts on one enemy for 70 damage, and up to 2 enemies near it take 35 each.
A stage firework bursts on one enemy for 70 damage, and up to 2 enemies near it take 35 each. A compact area cast that hits a small cluster centered on your target. Good for finishing a tight group.
Starts on: Bard · Stage Master
These arrive through draft picks rather than kits, and each holds two charges so you can bank a cast.
Free. Once every 45 seconds a meteor drops on the densest pack, hitting each enemy in it for 145. It aims itself.
A free spell on a 45 second cooldown holding 2 charges. When cast, a meteor drops on the densest pack and hits each enemy in it for 145. It aims itself, so you only choose when to fire it.
Granted by the Meteor pick. Being free, it never competes with your other spells for mana.
Granted by: Meteor
Free. Once every 40 seconds, conjure 3 sprites that bite the nearest enemies for 16 damage a second for 10 seconds, then fade. Sprites grow with your damage upgrades, not spell damage.
A free spell on a 40 second cooldown with 2 charges. Casting conjures 3 sprites that bite the nearest enemies for 16 damage a second for 10 seconds, then fade. The sprites grow with your damage upgrades, not your spell damage.
Granted by the Summon Swarm pick; feeds minion-scaling picks.
Granted by: Summon Swarm
Costs 8 mana. A ritual blade for 110 damage, plus 180 more against an enemy at or below half health. 20 second cooldown. It hunts wounded targets.
Costs 8 mana on a 20 second cooldown: a ritual blade for 110 damage, plus 180 more against an enemy at or below half health, and it hunts wounded targets. Unlike the free granted spells it costs mana and holds a single charge. A powerful finisher for softened enemies.
Granted by the Sacrificial Rite pick. Pairs with execute effects sharing the half-health window.
Granted by: Sacrificial Rite
Free. Every 30 seconds, set one enemy ablaze: 120 damage, then 240 more as it burns over 3 seconds. If the victim dies early, the remaining burn leaps to the nearest fresh enemy nearby.
A free spell on a 30 second cooldown with 2 charges. It sets one enemy ablaze for 120 immediately and 240 more as it burns over 3 seconds, and if the victim dies early the remaining burn leaps to the nearest fresh enemy. A heavy single-target burn that rarely goes to waste.
Granted by the Ignite pick; its burn enables burn-dependent picks like Wildfire and Cinder Wake.
Granted by: Ignite
Free. Once every 6 seconds, rally your tower: every other player here attacks 25% faster for 10 seconds, plus a 15 damage note split across the densest pack.
A free spell on a short 6 second cooldown with 2 charges. Each cast makes every other player in your tower attack 25% faster for 10 seconds and drops a 15 damage note split across the densest pack. The short cooldown keeps the tower haste almost always active.
Granted by the Crescendo pick. Best in a full tower where the speed buff hits several mates.
Granted by: Crescendo
Free. Every 25 seconds a massive icicle spears the enemy closest to your base for 150 damage and freezes it for 1.25 seconds. It aims itself.
A free spell on a 25 second cooldown with 2 charges. A massive icicle spears the enemy closest to your base for 150 damage and freezes it for 1.25 seconds. It aims itself and hits one enemy only, never a crowd.
Granted by the Glacial Spike pick; the freeze enables crowd-control-dependent picks.
Granted by: Glacial Spike
Free. Every 9 seconds a flare strikes the enemy closest to your base that is not already marked: 40 damage, and the enemy takes 30% more damage from everyone for 7.3 seconds in a 5-player match (shorter with more players). It aims itself.
A free spell on a short 9 second cooldown with 2 charges. A flare strikes the nearest unmarked enemy for 40 and Exposes it so it takes 30% more damage from everyone for 7.3 seconds in a 5-player match. It aims itself.
Granted by the Signal Flare pick. The short cooldown keeps a team Expose mark up almost constantly.
Granted by: Signal Flare