King Leoric, the Skeleton King, is a highly durable and relentless melee Strength carry in DotA 1. Celebrated for his exceptional frontline survivability and straightforward yet devastating physical damage output, his main attribute strengths grant him a massive natural health pool and superb health regeneration. He excels at absorbing immense pressure in team fights and turning the tide of battle by refusing to stay dead.
Base Stats & Attributes
Hero Attributes
| Attribute |
Base Value |
Growth (per level) |
| Strength |
22 |
+3.0 |
| Agility |
18 |
+1.7 |
| Intelligence |
18 |
+1.6 |
Statistics & Mechanics
| Statistic |
Value |
Mechanic |
Value |
| Damage |
59-61 |
Base HP Regen |
0.25/s |
| HP |
640 |
HP Regen |
2.45/s |
| MP |
266 |
MP Regen |
0.91/s |
| Armor |
1.6 |
Turn Rate |
0.5 |
| Move Speed |
315 |
Base Attack Time (BAT) |
1.7 |
| Attack Range |
150 (melee) |
Attack Animations |
0.56 / 0.44 |
Hero Skills Breakdown
1. Hellfire Blast
Leoric launches a sphere of hellfire from the end of his sword, causing his victim to burst into flames. Deals magical damage and stuns the target, and then slows it down.
- Damage Type: Magical
- Movement Slow: Fixed 20% slow
- Slow Duration: Fixed 2 seconds
| Skill Level |
Stun Duration |
Burst Damage |
Burn Damage (per second) |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
1.1 sec |
70 |
10 |
14 sec |
95 |
| Level 2 |
1.4 sec |
80 |
30 |
12 sec |
110 |
| Level 3 |
1.7 sec |
90 |
50 |
10 sec |
125 |
| Level 4 |
2.0 sec |
100 |
70 |
8 sec |
140 |
2. Vampiric Aura
Nearby friendly melee units deal bonus damage and restore health based on the damage they deal when attacking enemy units. Lifesteal and damage bonus on Skeleton King himself have a multiplier. Aura does not affect creeps, and Skeletons only gain a fraction of normal bonus damage. Affects an area around the hero.
- Area of Effect (AoE): 1200 area
- Target Restrictions: Only affects friendly melee units and summoned Skeletons; does not apply to regular lane creeps.
- Skeleton King Multiplier: Receives a 1.5x multiplier on the baseline damage and lifesteal values.
- Skeleton Modifier: Active Skeletons only receive 50% of the normal bonus damage values.
| Skill Level |
Base Bonus Damage |
Base Lifesteal % |
Leoric Bonus Damage |
Leoric Lifesteal % |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
6 |
5% |
9 |
7.5% |
Passive |
0 |
| Level 2 |
12 |
10% |
18 |
15% |
Passive |
0 |
| Level 3 |
18 |
15% |
27 |
22.5% |
Passive |
0 |
| Level 4 |
24 |
20% |
36 |
30% |
Passive |
0 |
3. Mortal Strike
Skeleton King passively gains a chance to deal massive critical damage on an attack. Every few kills on an enemy unit adds a skeleton charge. When Mortal Strike is activated, the hero starts summoning uncontrollable Skeletons, one per each charge collected. Skeletons autoattack any enemy around they are close to. If Hellfire Blast is casted, all Skeletons nearby will switch to the ability's target instead.
- Critical Damage Value: Fixed 300% of normal damage
- Charge Generation: 1 charge added for every 2 enemy unit kills
- Skeleton Lifetime: Fixed 60 seconds
- Unique Skeleton Behaviors: Uncontrollable, auto-attacks nearest targets, and possesses a one-time Reincarnation feature.
- Skeleton Attributes: 175 HP, 350 Move Speed, 50% Magic Resistance, 30-35 Hero Damage, and high attack speed.
- Target Redirection: Casting Hellfire Blast instantly overrides current Skeleton aggro, forcing all nearby Skeletons to focus the target of the ability.
| Skill Level |
Critical Strike Chance |
Max Skeleton Charges |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
9% |
2 |
50 sec |
50 |
| Level 2 |
11% |
4 |
50 sec |
60 |
| Level 3 |
13% |
6 |
50 sec |
70 |
| Level 4 |
15% |
8 |
50 sec |
80 |
4. Reincarnation
When killed the Skeleton King will come back to life and slow enemies in an area.
- Area of Effect (AoE): 900 area
- Movement Slow: Fixed 75% slow
- Slow Duration: Fixed 5 seconds
- Reincarnation Delay: Fixed 3 seconds
- Scepter Upgradeable: Dead allies within a 1200 AoE temporarily transform into Wraiths for 7 seconds, delaying their death.
| Skill Level |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| Level 1 |
200 sec |
160 |
| Level 2 |
120 sec |
160 |
| Level 3 |
40 sec |
160 |
Item Build Guide
| Phase |
Recommended Items |
Strategic Purpose |
| Early Game |
Power Treads, Magic Wand, Soul Ring |
Power Treads provide crucial attack speed and stat flexibility. Soul Ring is critical for providing an emergency burst of mana right before death to ensure Reincarnation can trigger. |
| Core Items |
Armlet of Mordiggian, Blink Dagger, Black King Bar |
Armlet massively amplifies his physical critical strikes and scales with his lifesteal. Blink Dagger solves his mobility issues, while Black King Bar prevents him from being kited or disabled. |
| Late Game |
Assault Cuirass, Abyssal Blade, Heart of Tarrasque |
Assault Cuirass shores up his low base armor while boosting attack speed for critical strikes. Abyssal Blade adds lockdown, and Heart maximizes his overall durability. |
Quick Gameplay Tips
- The Skeleton Target-Lock Combo: Do not summon your Skeletons aimlessly while farming or wandering. Instead, build up maximum charges, activate Mortal Strike in a team fight, and immediately cast Hellfire Blast on your priority target. This forces all active Skeletons to lock onto the stunned enemy hero, delivering high-speed burst damage.
- Guarding the Ultimate Buffer: Always keep track of your mana pool during engagements, especially when facing heroes with mana burn mechanics. You must maintain a strict reserve of 160 mana at all times to ensure Reincarnation triggers. Use your Magic Wand or Soul Ring actively to recover mana right before your health bar falls to zero.
