DotA Hero Ultimates.. explained!

Debi says..

I'd like to share some DotA knowledge regarding some of the cool hero ultimates and how they actually work. Warning: very wordy, but if you're a player, it's quite cool to know how these simple skills are put into motion. Read on! :)


Vengeful Spirit's Nether Swap

Based on Forked Lightning (dummy).

When the spell is casted, a trigger checks for the place where Shendelzare is, if it is not a walkable terrain, then issue a stop order to Shendelzare and display the name of a unit called "Cannot Use Netherswap here" (n03B).

When the skill goes into effect, save the X and Y coordinates of both Shendelzare and the target unit, then creates a timer that expires after 0 seconds have passed (aka instantly). When it expires, the units each get moved to the position of the other (if it matters, Shendelzare is first moved to the Position of the target). Then the lightning (aka the special effect) is added, and then all trees that are in a 300 Square AoE from both Shendelzare and the target get destroyed.

This skill when used interrupts all issued orders of both Shendelzare and the target unit, also interrupting channeling spells. While this skill is a blink like spell, it does not share the "Blink dodge", so using it while a Storm Bolt is flying towards you will not make you evade it.

Crystal Maiden's Freezing Field
The base spell of this skill is Channel, with a follow through time of 4 seconds (aka 4 seconds channeling).

When the effect of this spell is started, create a new trigger (1) with both a periodic timed event every 0.1 seconds) and a End Spellcast event, then "Hero" and "Level" (which is the level of Freezing Field or the level+1 if it was casted with Aghanim's) are saved to the cache.

(1): Recovers "Hero" and Level" from the cache, then count all enemy nondummy nonstructure alive noncycloned nonancient (except spirit bear) unit in a 655 AoE from Rylai and for each one of them: Create a dummy unit (e00E), give it a Slow ability (A10T) and tell to use it the enum unit. Now, create an angle random real between 0-90 or 90-180 or 180-270 or 270-360 (depending on which iteration it is, creating a cycle every four), a distance random real between 125-635. If the trigger was called because Freezing Field has finished casting, this trigger is destroyed (why isn't this check at the beginning so it's not that confusing?). Now, show the special effect in the angle and distance from Rylai that was randomly generated, then count all enemy nondummy nonstructure alive non cycloned nonancient (except Spirit Bear) in a 214 AoE, and for each of them make Rylai damage the enum unit for 105/170/250/310 ammount with Attack Type Spells, Damage Type Fire.

The slow is being constantly reapplied to all units in the Freezing Field AoE, not only the units that are "hit" by the skill. It slows for 1 seconds giving -30% MS and -20 IAS.

Earthshaker's Echo Slam:

The base of this spell is Fan of Knives, which provides the initial 165/230/285 damage. Note that the skill tooltip says this skill does 200/275/350, and that's because every unit is also affected by its own echo.

When its effect is started, the trigger counts every enemy non structure non dummy unit in a 500 range from Raigor (note that the trigger does not care if the enemy unit is alive or dead). Then, for each of those units, create a dummy unit on top of the enemy, give them a Fan of knives ability with its level equal to that of Raigor's Earthshock and make the unit cast the spell.

The Fan of Knives the dummy units have does 35/45/65 damage in a 500 AoE. Remember: This skill can Echo of bodies. If an enemy is spell immune when this happens, only the 165/230/285 damage will happen and the other damage will be prevented.

Pretty wordy.. Juggernaut's Omnislash:

The Base Ability of Omnislash is Storm Bolt, with a 0.01 seconds duration at all levels.

1.-When the ability's effect is started, the ability level of Blade Fury is stored in a variable. Depending on the level of Omnislash, a variable is assigned with 3/5/8. Now, if the player has leveled BladeFury, make BladeFury unavailable for that player. Now, make the player deselect Yurnero (this is only if it's the owner of Yurnero). Make Yurnero's vertex 255,255,255,125 (this one is to make him look like he does while Omni), disable his pathing and make him invulnerable. Then the Hero and the Target are stored in the game cache. And a timer with 0 seconds is done.

2.-At the time out of the timer, this new function is done which recovers the Hero and Target variables from the cache, and call another function:

3.-This new function takes the Hero and Target, then creates a random number between 0 and 360, the Hero is now moved 50 units away from the target in the random real, making him face the target and force the Attack Animation, show the Blink Caster effect on Yurnero then make him damage the target for a random number between 150 and 250 with Attack Type Hero and Damage Type Normal. He's then told to attack the target.

4.-We now return to the first trigger. Now it saves the following variables to the gamecache: Hero (Yurnero), Limit (Maximum number of slashes), BFLevel (Blade Fury level, to know what level regive Yurnero later), Counter (2), FX (the Phoenix missile which is attached to Yurnero's weapon). This trigger now creates a new trigger with 2 conditions, one is a timed event every 0.4 seconds and the other is if Yurnero is selected.

5.-This new function recovers the variables Hero Limit BFLevel and Counter. It firsts sees if it was called because Yurnero has been selected, if it is it then checks if it was the owner of Yurnero, if it was him, make him deselect Yurnero. If it was called because of timed event, see if Counter is higher than Limit, if it is, check if BFLevel has been leveled and make it available once again. Restore Yurnero's Pathing, Vertex, Clear the selection of the owning player then add Yurnero to the selection of him, and finally the trigger is destroyed. If the counter is lower or equal, then Raise the counter once, call a new function:

6.-This new function counts every visible non ancient (except Spirit Bear) non dummy non structure enemy unit in a 575 AoE, then picks a random unit in that group, and if there's a unit call the Damage Dealing trigger said above (number 3). Now, we get back to the function one line before here (number 5).

7.-Now, if there was no unit to blink to in Omnislash, check if BFLevel has been leveled and make it available once again. Restore Yurnero's Pathing, Vertex, Clear the selection of the owning player then add Yurnero to the selection of him. Then destroy the trigger.

The first slash of this ability always happen before the ministun hits, while the second slash may happen before, depending on the fact if you casted Omnislash at full distance or not.

Beastmaster's Roar:

Based on Storm Bolt, which provides the Stun and Damage to the main target.

When it goes into effect, it first saves to the gamecache "g" (an empty group now), "Angle" (the angle between Rexxar and the target), "x" and "y" (Rexxar's position) and create a timed periodic trigger every 0.025 seconds (1). Now, three dummy units (o00Y) are created at 50,250,450 distance from Rexxar at the angle discribed before. Then for all three dummy units, give them a timed life of 1 second, give them a thunderclap ability (A0NY) and tell them to use it, then count all enemy non-ancient (except spirit bear) non dummy non structure alive not cycloned and adds them to a group (do note that this is the same group that was saved to the cache earlier). Then for the group created by counting units from a 250 AoE from the dummy, make Rexxar damage the unit with 100*PrimalRoarlvl Attack Type Spell, Damage Type Fire.

(1): Recovers "Angle", "X", "Y" and "G" from the cache, sees if it has been run more than 16 times (0.4 seconds), if it has then destroy the trigger. If it hasn't, make each unit of the group G make the unit's position be 15 units away from the angle of Primal Roar in a 90º angle. Then in 0.3 seconds later, make the unit face the Primal Roar. Finally, put the Ancient Protector missile animation on their feet.

Note that since the ThunderClap has 250 AoE (hardcoded) and the trigger counts units in a 250 AoE (triggered), there's a slim chance to the units be slowed 50% but not moved away or receive the secondary damage.

You can also read more of it here. Hope you have a DA account! :)