Maelstrom

For the caster, see Maelstorm.

• Item
• Changelogs
• Old Abilities

Maelstrom is an item purchasable at the Main Shop, under Artifacts.

Maelstrom
A hammer forged for the gods themselves, Maelstrom allows its user to harness the power of lightning.
Artifacts Cost 2950 Sell Value 1475 Passive ? Chain Lightning Bonus ? +25 Attack Damage +25 Attack Speed Shareable Disassemble Usage Alert ? Recipe

Ability

Chain Lightning

Ability
Passive

Affects
Enemies

Damage
Magical

Grants a 25% chance on attack to release a bolt of electricity that leaps between 4 targets within a 650 radius, dealing 110 magical damage to each. Lightning proc pierces evasion.

Proc Chance: 25%

Bounce Distance: 650

Number of Bounces: 4

Bounce Interval: 0.25

Damage: 110

Illusion Damage Multiplier: 1.5

 0.2

Modifiers [?]

modifier_maelstrom_chain

Death

NOTES

• Chain Lightning proc chance does not stack with other Maelstrom-based items:
  • Chain Lightning (Maelstrom), Chain Lightning (Mjollnir), Chain Lightning (Gleipnir)
  • When obtaining multiple items with the Chain Lightning ability, only the one that has been continuously the longest in the inventory works.

• The lightning bounces in 0.25-second intervals, so hitting 4 targets takes 0.75 seconds.
  • All bounces together can deal up to 440 damage (before reductions).
  • Against a lone target, Chain Lightning adds an average of 27.5 magical spell damage to every attack.

• Chain Lightning can proc while a previous Chain Lightning is still bouncing.
  • Does not hit the same unit more than once per proc.

• Attacks which proc Chain Lightning cannot miss.
  • Can proc on invisible units or units in Fog of War, but it does not bounce toward those units.

• Does not proc if the attacker is dead. However, it can proc if the target is dead.
  • Neither procs on nor hit attack immune units.

• Chain Lightning uses pseudo-random distribution.

• The hidden modifier is a hidden buff required for the lightning to bounce.

• Chain Lightning uses a custom cooldown system. It is neither displayed on the item icon when procced nor is affected by cooldown manipulation.

Recommended Heroes

Tips

• Maelstrom is a very good item for speeding up farming. If the extra experience is not needed, it is a good alternative to Hand of Midas.
• It is also great to deal with illusions or mass-summons like Broodmother's spiders, Nature's Prophet's treants, etc. Especially useful for ranged heroes that lack area damage, since they cannot make use of cleave.
• The Chain Lightning deals magical damage which ignores armor and Damage Block, making it good against heroes that get a Vanguard, or Tidehunter with his Kraken Shell, and against heroes with high armor like Dragon Knight or Terrorblade.
• Maelstrom is a useful pickup against mega creeps in order to help clear waves.

Gallery

• 

  Chain Lightning

• 

  Icon when Claszian Apostasy in its first style is equipped.

• 

  Icon when Claszian Apostasy in its second style is equipped.

• 

  Item icon progress

• 

  Early item icon concept

Recent Changes

Main Article: Maelstrom/Changelogs

Version

Description

7.36
(2024-05-22)

• Reduced Chain Lightning damage from 120 to 110.

7.35d
(2024-03-21)

• Reduced Chain Lightning proc chance from 30% to 25%.

7.35
(2023-12-14)

• REWORKED recipe and stats.

 OLD    Maelstrom  Recipe:  Mithril Hammer ( 1600 ),  Javelin ( 1100 ) 

Total cost: 2700 Attack damage bonus: 24

 NEW    Maelstrom  Recipe:  Mithril Hammer ( 1600 ),  Javelin ( 900 ),  Gloves of Haste ( 450 ) 

Total cost: 2950 Attack damage bonus: 25 Attack speed bonus: 25

• Reduced Chain Lightning damage from 135 to 120.