Damage Barrier

“

▶️ A shield impenetrable. — Abaddon

”

Damage Barrier is a barrier around a unit that protects them from incoming damage based on its maximum capacity.

Definition

Damage Barrier	Definition	Examples
Physical	Only absorbs physical damage from attacks.	Resonant Pulse
	Absorbs all physical damage from abilities and attacks.	Protect
Magical	Absorbs all magical damage coming from abilities and attacks.	Flame Guard
Universal	Absorbs all damage coming from abilities and attacks. Has the lowest priority in the group of damage barriers, its capacity is depleted last when combined with other damage-type barriers.	Aphotic Shield

Damage Barrier interaction visualized.

Damage Barrier directly reduces damage upon hit, based on its damage barrier type.

After Damage Block, other generic damage reductions (e.g. armor, magic resistance, etc.) and damage-negating sources, the Damage Barrier absorbs damage values. The earliest damage barrier source applied will be depleted first. When combined with other higher-priority damage-negating sources (e.g. Borrowed Time or Refraction), damage barrier sources do not absorb any damage until the damage-negation sources expire.

Damage Barrier has the following properties:

• Does not interact with negative damage during damage calculations.
• Only absorbs flat incoming damage based on their barrier damage type. Has a lower limit of 0.
• Despite absorbing and negating damage and causing most on-damage effects to not trigger, the damage instance still deals a 0-damage instance.
• The barrier damage type capacity value is shown on the HUD as either Physical, Magical, or Universal icons.
  • Stacks additively with the same damage-type barrier sources, and independently with other damage-type barrier sources.

Physical Damage Barrier

Physical Damage Barrier Sources

• Pavise - Protect
  
  Has the MODIFIER_PROPERTY_INCOMING_PHYSICAL_DAMAGE_CONSTANT flag which absorbs both physical attack damage and spell damage.
• Solar Crest - Shine
  
  Has the MODIFIER_PROPERTY_INCOMING_PHYSICAL_DAMAGE_CONSTANT flag which absorbs both physical attack damage and spell damage.
• Void Spirit - Resonant Pulse
  
  Has the MODIFIER_PROPERTY_INCOMING_PHYSICAL_DAMAGE_CONSTANT_BLOCK_SPECIAL flag which only absorbs physical attack damage.

Magical Damage Barrier

All Magical Damage Barrier has the MODIFIER_PROPERTY_INCOMING_SPELL_DAMAGE_CONSTANT, which absorbs magical attack damage and spell damage, including magical damage with the HP Removal flag.

Magical Damage Barrier Sources

• Clockwerk – Power Cogs
• Ember Spirit – Flame Guard
• Glimmer Cape – Glimmer
• Pipe of Insight – Barrier

¹ Requires talent.

^2a Requires Aghanim's Scepter.

^2b Requires Aghanim's Shard.

Universal Damage Barrier

All Universal Damage Barrier has the MODIFIER_PROPERTY_INCOMING_DAMAGE_CONSTANT, which absorbs all types attack damage and spell damage, including damage with the HP Removal flag.

Universal Damage Barrier Sources

• Abaddon – Aphotic Shield
• Block of Cheese – Scrumptious
• Bloodseeker – Blood Mist
• Outworld Destroyer – Essence Flux^2a
• Pangolier – Shield Crash
• Safety Bubble – Bubble Up
• Tinker – Defense Matrix
• Tormentor – Unyielding Shield
• Lua error: Found no lpdb data for "Shield Rune - Shield".
• Spirit Breaker – Bulldoze¹
• Timbersaw – Reactive Armor^2a
• Vengeful Spirit – Nether Swap

¹ Requires talent.

^2a Requires Aghanim's Scepter.

^2b Requires Aghanim's Shard.

Mechanics

Damage Barriers completely negate the incoming damage they block, so that most on-damage effects do not trigger; however, a 0 damage instance is still registered.

The barriers block damage after magic resistance and armor, but before generic incoming damage manipulation. Since barriers interact with incoming damage, outgoing damage manipulation is always applied first.

Example 1

Anti-Mage has a 200 health damage barrier, and gets hit by 500 magical damage. How much actual magical damage will he take?

Base magic resistance: 0.25

Magical Damage Taken

= 500 × (1 - 0.25) - 200

= 175

Anti-Mage will take 175 magical damage in this example.

Example 2

Anti-Mage additionally has 45% generic incoming damage reduction applied on him. How much actual magical damage will he take?

= (500 × (1 - 0.25)- 200) * (1- 0.45)

= 96.25

This means the excess 175 magical damage is not absorbed, and the damage is reduced by generic incoming damage reduction to 96.25 magical damage. In this example, Anti-Mage takes 96.25 magic damage. This means a barrier is less effective when combined with generic incoming damage reduction.

Before Barrier Absorption

The following sources may manipulate the damage before damage barriers absorb the damage.

Incoming Damage Reduction Sources

• File:Armor itemicon dota2 gameasset.png Armor – All Sources
• File:Magic Resistance itemicon dota2 gameasset.png Magic Resistance – All Sources
• Abaddon – Borrowed Time
• Faceless Void – Backtrack
• Medusa – Mana Shield
• Monkey King – Mischief
• Nyx Assassin – Spiked Carapace
• Omniknight – Guardian Angel
• Templar Assassin – Refraction
• Winter Wyvern – Cold Embrace

¹ Requires talent.

^2a Requires Aghanim's Scepter.

^2b Requires Aghanim's Shard.

Constant Magical Damage Block Sources

• Dandelion Amulet – Magical Damage Block
• Infused Raindrops – Magical Damage Block

After Barrier Absorption

Main Articles: Damage Manipulation and Preventing On-damage Effects

The following sources manipulate the damage after damage barriers absorb the damage.

• Incoming damage manipulation sources.
• Illusion incoming damage amplification.
• Terminal Damage Block sources.
• False Promise: This is the only damage negation source that is calculated after damage barriers.

Stacking

Void Spirit affected by 3 types of Damage Barriers, universal, physical, and magical.

A unit can be affected by all 3 types of damage barriers at once, all working independently. Multiple sources of the same type of damage barriers stack additively. Universal damage barriers have the lowest priority in the group of damage barriers: Its capacity is depleted last when combined with the other types. This means if a unit is affected by a universal barrier and a magical/physical barrier, and then takes magical/physical damage, the universal barrier will absorb the damage last.

Example 1

Clockwerk is affected by Level 4 Power Cogs and Barrier of Pipe of Insight. He then takes 1000 magical damage. Without accounting for magic resistance damage reduction, what is the remaining magical barrier capacity he has?

Barrier capacity: + 425 = 425

Magical damage taken:

= 1000 - 425

= 575

Since incoming magical damage is less than all individual barriers. Both Power Cogs and Barrier will now have and remaining magic barrier capacity respectively in this example.

Example 2

Clockwerk from the previous example is now also affected by a Level 4 Aphotic Shield. He then takes 800 magical damage.

Barrier Capacities: Power Cogs + Barrier: 425 magical barrier, Aphotic Shield: universal barrier

The magical barrier first absorbs the magical damage based on Damage Barrier priorities.

= 425 - 800

= -375

The magical barrier's capacity is depleted, and the remaining 375 damage will be absorbed by the universal barrier.

= - 375

= -375

The damage instance is completely negated and Clockwerk has a universal damage barrier with a remaining capacity of -375.