Zet, the Arc Warden: Skills and Item Build Guide — DotA 1

Zet, the Arc Warden, is a formidable, highly complex Intelligence-based carry and pusher in DotA 1. Armed with a toolkit centered around space manipulation, area denial, and the ability to clone himself, he dominates the map by creating two instances of his own devastating power. With robust base Strength and balanced Agility scaling, Arc Warden transitions from a lane-dominant harasser into an unstoppable late-game engine, capable of sieging enemy bases from safety while his perfect electrical incarnation decimates targets across the battlefield.


2. Base Stats & Attributes

Hero Attributes

Attribute Base Value Growth (per level)
Strength 25 +3.0
Agility 15 +2.4
Intelligence 24 +2.6

Statistics & Mechanics

Statistic Value Mechanic Value
Damage 46-56 Base HP Regen 0.25/s
HP 700 HP Regen +2.75/s
MP 338 MP Regen +1.21/s
Armor 0.1 Turn Rate 0.7
Move Speed 285 Base Attack Time (BAT) 1.7
Attack Range 625 (missile: 800) Attack Animations 0.3 / 0.7

3. Hero Skills Breakdown

1. Flux

Engulfs an enemy unit in swirling volatile energy. The target suffers from reduced movement speed and sustains magical damage over time if they are positioned alone. The effect is muted if another enemy unit is within the immediate vicinity of the target.

  • Damage Type: Magical
  • Mute Condition: Effect is silenced if an allied enemy unit is within the defined area of effect
  • Spell Immunity: Does not affect spell-immune units
Level Damage per Second Movement Speed Slow % Cooldown Manacost
1 15 20% 16 seconds 75
2 30 30% 16 seconds 75
3 45 40% 16 seconds 75
4 60 50% 16 seconds 75

2. Magnetic Field

Distorts the space in a targeted area, generating a circular field. All allied heroes and buildings within this field gain complete evasion against incoming attacks and a significant boost to their attack speed. If an enemy enters the field, they are no longer affected by the evasion bonus.

  • Area of Effect (AoE): 300 radius
  • Evasion Type: 100% evasion (Applies only to units/structures standing inside the field)
Level Attack Speed Bonus Duration Cooldown Manacost
1 50 3.5 seconds 20 seconds 50
2 60 4.5 seconds 20 seconds 70
3 70 5.5 seconds 20 seconds 90
4 80 6.5 seconds 20 seconds 110

3. Spark Wraith

Summons an unstable wraith to haunt a targeted area. The wraith takes time to materialize fully before it begins patrolling. If an enemy enters the wraith's detection range, it fuses itself to them, dealing magical damage and slowing their movement speed.

  • Wraith Lifespan: Up to 50 seconds
  • Materialization Time: 2 seconds
Level Magical Damage Slow Duration Cooldown Manacost
1 100 0.4 seconds 4 seconds 80
2 170 0.5 seconds 4 seconds 80
3 240 0.6 seconds 4 seconds 80
4 310 0.7 seconds 4 seconds 80

4. Tempest Double

Vibrates at extreme speeds to create a perfect electrical incarnation of himself. This double is capable of casting all of Arc Warden's spells and utilizing all items in his inventory. The clone spawns with the same health and mana as the hero at the time of casting. If the double is killed, the enemy receives gold and experience.

  • Limitations: Clone cannot wield Divine Rapier, Gem of True Sight, Smoke of Deceit, Wards, or consumables.
  • Aghanim's Scepter Upgrade: Adds the Forge Rune ability, allowing the hero to spawn a rune beside himself.
Level Clone Duration Bounty (Gold/XP) Cooldown Manacost
1 18 seconds 180 60 seconds 0
2 22 seconds 240 50 seconds 0
3 26 seconds 300 40 seconds 0

4. Item Build Guide

Phase Recommended Items Strategic Purpose
Early Game Bottle, Boots of Speed, Magic Wand Bottle is vital for rune control and maintaining mana for constant Spark Wraith harassment. Boots increase map mobility, and Magic Wand aids in early-game survival.
Core Items Midas, Maelstrom, Scythe of Vyse Hand of Midas is essential to accelerate your farm and your Tempest Double's gold. Maelstrom increases push speed, and Scythe of Vyse allows for a double-hex combo on key targets.
Late Game Mjollnir, Butterfly, Eye of Skadi Mjollnir provides massive physical damage and attack speed. Butterfly leverages your Agility growth for evasion, and Eye of Skadi adds tankiness and movement slowing for sustained teamfights.

5. Quick Gameplay Tips

  • Double-Hex Initiation: With a Scythe of Vyse, summon your Tempest Double and have both units cast Hex on the same target sequentially. This creates a chain-disable that can lock down the strongest enemy carry for a duration no hero can survive.
  • The Midas Engine: Use Hand of Midas on your main hero, then immediately summon your Tempest Double and use it to activate Midas again. This allows you to gain double the gold and experience from the item in a very short window, drastically shortening the time needed for your late-game power spikes.
  • Magnetic Field Base Defense: When your base is under siege, place your Magnetic Field directly over your allied towers. This grants the tower 100% evasion, rendering it completely immune to physical attacks from enemy heroes and creeps, effectively stalling the push while your team prepares to counter-engage.