Ymir, the Tuskarr, is a ferocious and high-impact Strength-based melee initiator, ganker, and teamfight brawler in DotA 1. Blessed with excellent baseline durability and exceptional attribute growth, Tuskarr thrives on forcing aggressive, point-blank engagements. By isolating fleeing targets behind walls of ice, rolling his allies into an invulnerable bowling sphere of death, and amplifying physical strikes across his entire team, he shatters enemy formations. His signature finishing move allows him to unleash an devastating strike that launches victims into the sky, cementing his role as a premier space-maker and physical burst threat.
Base Stats & Attributes
Hero Attributes
| Attribute |
Base Value |
Growth (per level) |
| Strength |
23 |
+3.9 |
| Agility |
23 |
+2.1 |
| Intelligence |
18 |
+1.7 |
Statistics & Mechanics
| Statistic |
Value |
Mechanic |
Value |
| Damage |
50-54 |
Base HP Regen |
0.25/s |
| HP |
660 |
HP Regen |
+2.55/s |
| MP |
266 |
MP Regen |
+0.91/s |
| Armor |
3.3 |
Turn Rate |
0.7 |
| Move Speed |
315 |
Base Attack Time (BAT) |
1.7 |
| Attack Range |
150 (melee) |
Attack Animations |
0.36 / 0.64 |
Hero Skills Breakdown
1. Ice Shards
Tuskarr compresses shards of ice into a ball of frozen energy that damages all enemies it comes into contact with. When the ball reaches its target point, the shards are released, creating an impassable barrier that alters unit pathing.
- Damage Type: Magical
- Unique Behavior: Creates a semi-circular unpathable terrain obstruction at the destination location, trapping enemies or sealing off tight chokepoints.
| Level |
Damage (Magical) |
Barrier Duration |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
70 |
4 seconds |
23 sec |
100 |
| 2 |
140 |
5 seconds |
20 sec |
100 |
| 3 |
210 |
6 seconds |
17 sec |
100 |
| 4 |
280 |
7 seconds |
14 sec |
100 |
2. Snowball
Tuskarr begins rolling into a growing snowball. Allies can also be added to the snowball by right-clicking on them, even while the snowball is actively moving. While inside the Snowball, heroes are completely invulnerable and cannot act, except for Tuskarr, who can still use his abilities but cannot activate items. Once launched at the target, any victims caught in the snowball's trajectory take magical damage and are briefly stunned.
- Damage Type: Magical
- Allied Gathering Radius: 350 range
- Spell Interaction: Bypasses and completely ignores the enemy's Linken's Sphere protection.
- Unique Mechanics: Renders all gathered allied units fully immune to incoming damage and targeted spells during the movement phase.
| Level |
Damage (Magical) |
Stun Duration |
Move Speed |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
80 |
0.50 seconds |
600 |
21 sec |
75 |
| 2 |
120 |
0.75 seconds |
625 |
20 sec |
75 |
| 3 |
160 |
1.00 seconds |
650 |
19 sec |
75 |
| 4 |
200 |
1.25 seconds |
675 |
18 sec |
75 |
3. Tag Team
Temporarily applies a negative debuff aura around you, causing enemies that are attacked within its boundaries to take bonus physical damage and suffer a severe, brief movement speed reduction. The aura only enhances physical damage originating from attacks dealt by heroes, illusions, and any units directly controlled by the caster.
- Damage Type: Physical
- Aura Radius: 350 range
- Aura Active Lifespan: 5 seconds
- Movement Speed Reduction: 75% slow percentage
- Unique Mechanics: The temporary speed reduction resets dynamically with every landing basic attack, making it highly effective when paired with fast-attacking units or illusions.
| Level |
Bonus Physical Damage |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
20 |
24 sec |
70 |
| 2 |
45 |
21 sec |
70 |
| 3 |
70 |
18 sec |
70 |
| 4 |
95 |
15 sec |
70 |
4. Walrus Punch
Tuskarr connects with his mighty trademark strike, a lethal critical hit so powerful it launches its victim high into the air. Upon falling back down to the ground, the impacted target is heavily slowed for a few seconds.
- Damage Type: Physical (Attack Modification)
- Critical Damage Multiplier: 3.5x total attack damage
- Movement Speed Slow: 40% slow percentage upon landing
- Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade: Grants the auxiliary "Walrus Kick" ability, allowing Tuskarr to physically boot an enemy backwards away from him.
| Level |
Slow Duration |
Cooldown |
Manacost |
| 1 |
2 seconds |
36 sec |
50 |
| 2 |
3 seconds |
24 sec |
75 |
| 3 |
4 seconds |
12 sec |
100 |
Item Build Guide
| Phase |
Recommended Items |
Strategic Purpose |
| Early Game |
Phase Boots, Magic Wand, Bracer |
Phase Boots provide the raw attack damage needed to amplify Walrus Punch alongside the unit-walking active to position for Ice Shards. Magic Wand and Bracer secure crucial early survival stats and immediate mana retrieval. |
| Core Items |
Blink Dagger, Desolator, Shadow Blade |
Blink Dagger provides instant positioning to trap targets with Ice Shards or save allies with Snowball. Desolator heavily reduces enemy armor to maximize Walrus Punch's 3.5x crit, while Shadow Blade adds stealth and opening burst. |
| Late Game |
Aghanim's Scepter, Assault Cuirass, Black King Bar |
Aghanim's Scepter unlocks Walrus Kick to dynamically peel threats away from allies. Assault Cuirass grants attack speed and an armor reduction aura, and Black King Bar ensures spell immunity during chaotic initiations. |
Quick Gameplay Tips
- The Ultimate Saving Snowball: While Snowball is mostly known as a tool to launch an attack, it is equally powerful as a defensive tool. Because heroes loaded inside the snowball are completely invulnerable, you can target a distant creep or enemy hero, and right-click on a stunned or dying allied carry next to you. This pulls them completely out of harm's way, avoiding massive enemy ultimate abilities like Laguna Blade or Finger of Death.
- The High-Ground Shard Block: Ice Shards creates a solid terrain barrier. When an enemy is trying to run up a ramp or escape into a narrow side-path in the woods, casting the shards slightly in front of them completely traps them. This forces them to loop around the obstruction, leaving them isolated for your team to burst down.
- Tag Team Synergy Window: Always activate Tag Team immediately after launching your Snowball but right before making impact. Because Tag Team adds flat bonus physical damage to every single auto-attack landed by your controlled units, hitting an isolated target together with your summons or allies under this aura will shred their health bar before they can even recover from the Snowball's stun.
