Legion Commander Overview

Lore & Bio

To start with the Legion Commander Tresdin stories is to start with how she came to be and where she originated from. It all began with an attack on Stonehall. From darkness came an unknown force of beasts numbering too many to count, all capable of wielding flame and various foul sorceries. They stormed through the streets and pillaged everywhere they got to, killing everyone as they went. No one could answer them, except for the mighty Bronze Legion, led by its commander, Tresdin. The legion fought bravely and confidently through bloodstained alleyways and burning markets, and after a while they reached the true source of the invasion: an ethereal rift within the city square that spawned all the creatures, with their champion and lord standing at the center. 

With a roar the leader of the horde of terrible beasts swung its massive blade, killing a legionnaire in their path swiftly. Tresdin saw, and our heroine moved to action. This came after having already fought her heart through countless monstrous figures, and by now her sword had already worn the color of blood red. The heroine and the beast locked sights on eachother; the beast turned and smiled through a maze of ferocious teeth. Inattentive of the chaos happening around them, they started to charge at each other, as if the battlefield is only reserved for them and them only.

Blows after blows came, and their duel almost resembled a terrible dance of death. One would come forward while the other would retreat and answer the blade. After a while the odds seemed to turn in Tresdin’s foe’s favor, as one of its attacks smashed into Tresdin so powerfully and so suddenly, a thrust from the side, but fortunately and skillfully Tresdin, even as she lost her balance, was able to rally her strength for another stroke. Blade kept meeting blade, til Tresdin finally pierced through the monster’s exceptional defense and at long last with the constant pressing of the attack, drove her blade through the opponent’s flesh and tore apart the heart that rested within. The beast screamed. The clouds split, as it let out its dying breaths and erupted into a torrent of gore and smell. With this, the portal that helped initiate this attack wavered then disappeared, just as abruptly as the manner it came with. The rest of the invaders that were left behind quickly fell to Stonehall warriors. 

Although this was a triumphant and no doubt honorable victory, the victors saw it unfit to celebrate: for they already lost everything. Their city was left in ruins, and survivors were barely hanging on. The odious destroyers and arsonists had already still made their marks; the fire continued to spread as civilians looked on hopelessly. Spurned by anger at the scene, Tresdin put up banners of war and started to gather allies. She pledged utter and brutal vengeance upon the forces of the abyss, those that had dared to threaten and destroy the city she held dear. She would sweep away anyone who stands in her path. This was her journey.

Attribute & Stats

• Strength: 25 + 3.3 each level;

• Agility: 18 + 1.7 each level;

• Intelligence: 20 + 2.2 each level;

• Health: 700;

• Health regeneration: + 2.5 each second;

• Mana: 315;

• Mana regeneration: + 1 each second;

• Damage: 60‒64;

• Amor: 3;

• Magic Resistance: 25%;

• Turn Rate: 0.6;

• Attack Range: 150;

• Projectile speed: Instant;

• Attack Animation: 0.46+0.64;

• Movement: 330;

• Sight Range: 1800/800;

• Base Attack time: 1.7 seconds per attack;

• Damage Block: 16.

Abilities & Talents

Skills building guide

It’s recommended that you max Overwhelming Odds first in order to maximize the damage you’re able to deal with Legion Commander. The second ability you should max is Press the Attack so that you have more attacking speed while Dueling. Moment of Courage can be maxed to help you tank damage better, as you are already satisfied with your damage.

Abilities

Overwhelming Odds

Overwhelming Odds (Point Target, Magical) 

Effect: as Tresdin deals damage with this ability, you have bonus movement speed per unit or per hero. Deals bonus damage to illusions and summoned units as a percent of their current health.

Base Damage: 40/60/80/100

Bonus Damage Per Unit: 14/16/18/20

Bonus Damage Per Hero: 30/60/90/120/105/135/165/195 

Bonus Against Summons: 25%

Bonus Movement Speed Per Unit: 3%

Bonus Movement Speed Per Hero: 9%

Bonus Duration: 7

Radius: 330/340/350/360

Cast Range: 1000

Cast Point: 0.3

Cooldown: 15s

Mana cost: 100/110/120/130

Notes:

Summoned unit bonus damage will deal before normal spell damage.

This ability does not pierce Spell Immunity, so spell immune units are still counted when calculating bonus damage.

Dispellable.

The percentage bonus damage to summons is dealt before base and bonus damage and only taken by units which were created by an ability. This includes illusions, but excludes creep-heroes and clones.

Total damage when hitting a certain amount of heroes, with no other units nearby (before reductions) vary:

• Hero: 70/120/170/220 (Talent 145/195/245/295) total damage.
• Heroes: 100/180/260/340 (Talent 250/330/410/490) damage to each hero, 200/360/520/680 (Talent 500/660/820/980) total damage.
• Heroes: 130/240/350/460 (Talent 355/465/575/685) damage to each hero, 390/720/1050/1380 (Talent 1065/1395/1725/2055) total damage.
• Heroes: 160/300/440/580 (Talent 460/600/740/880) damage to each hero, 640/1200/1760/2320 (Talent 1840/2400/2960/3520) total damage.
• Heroes: 190/360/530/700 (Talent 565/735/905/1075) damage to each hero, 950/1800/2650/3500 (Talent 2825/3675/4525/5375) total damage.

Completely ignores units such as Couriers, invulnerable and hidden units within the area.

The initial part of the ability's sound effect plays during the cast animation and is audible.

The buff from multiple casts of Overwhelming Odds does not stack but gets refreshed instead.

The movement speed bonus gets updated on each cast based on how many targets were hit.

Press The Attack

Press the Attack (Unit Target) 

Effect: Tresdin will remove debuffs and disables from target friendly units, additionally granting bonus attack speed and health generation for a short period of time.

Bonus Attack Speed: 65/90/115/140

Heal Per Second: 30/35/40/45

Duration: 5

Cast Range: 700

Cast Point: 0.2

Cast Backswing: 0.93

Radius: 400 25

Spell Immunity Duration: 1.75

Cooldown: 16/15/14/13

Mana cost: 110

Notes:

Applies Spell Immunity and reduces cooldown to: 14/13/12/11

Does not pierce Spell Immunity.

Dispellable.

Applies a strong dispel on the target upon cast. ↓↓ Double-tapping automatically targets self.

Can regenerate up to 150/200/250/300 health over its full duration.

With Aghanim's Shard, Press the Attack also grants the target spell immunity.

• Press the Attack first applies the buff, and then the spell immunity buff.
• The spell immunity granted does not apply a spell immunity dispel on the target. Therefore certain debuffs (e.g.  Pounce) only dispelable by spell immunity are not removed.
• With the level 25 talent, Press the Attack turns into an area-targeted ability, so that it cannot directly target units anymore. ↓↓ Double-tapping centers the radius around Legion Commander. Aghanim's Shard upgrade notes fully apply. The Press The Attack triggered by winning a Duel still only affects self.

Moment of Courage

Moment of Courage (Passive)

Effect: activated upon attacked, allowing Legion Commander to attack again and gain lifesteal for a short period of time. 

Lifesteal: 55%/65%/75%/85%

Chance: 25%/33% 

Duration: 1s

Cooldown: 2.3/1.8/1.3/0.8

Notes:

Disabled by break.

Illusions gain this ability.

Procs only when a unit starts an attack against the heroine, regardless of distance. Meaning to proc it canceled or missed attacks can do as well.

Regardless of team or unit type (including wards and buildings), it can proc on attacks from anything. 

Upon proccing, Legion Commander additionally receives a buff, which grants her 1000 attack speed and lifesteal. This lasts for 1 second or until she lands an attack on an enemy, whichever is shorter. Attacks that are missed don’t count. 

If Tresdin is already attacking, the ability proccing can enable her to perform an instant attack on the current target.

• This instant attack does not interfere with the ongoing attack and uses no animation.
• The instant attack can proc any attack modifiers and on-hit effects normally. They do not have True Strike.
• This means the instant attack also uses up the 1000 attack speed and lifesteal buff immediately.

Stacks additively with other lifesteal sources.

Can’t be used to lifesteal off wards, buildings or allied units.

Uses pseudo-random distribution.

Overwhelming Odds

Duel (Unit Target)

Effect: Both the Legion Commander and the target enemy hero are forced to attack eachother for a designated duration. They can’t use items and abilities. If one of the heroes dies during it, the other wins the Duel and gains permanent bonus damage. If the victor is the Legion Commander, she autocasts Press the Attack right after the duel end. 

Winner Bonus Damage: 10/20/30/60 

Duel Duration: 4/4.75/5.5/6/7/8

Cast Range: 150

Cast Point: 0.3

Non-Duel Damage Resistance: 50%

Cooldown: 50s

Mana cost: 75

Notes:

Aghanim's Scepter once equipped will increase Duel duration to 30s, and makes Legion Commander and her opponent take less damage from other sources.

Blocked by Linken's Sphere and echoed by Lotus Orb.

While dueling,  Legion Commander and the target cannot use spells and items. Dueling units cannot be pushed by Force Staff.

Duel ends if the duelists are 2000 range away from each other.

The damage resistance applies to both Duelists, so sources other than Duelists deal less damage.

The damage resistance can be reduced by damage amplification debuffs.

Provides True Sight over both duelists for both teams, so that invisibility can’t prevent the duel from happening.

The ability will silence and mute both duelists, and taunt them against each other.

Duel's taunt has priority over all other taunts, as in other taunts will not make the duelists change their targets. 

Dueling units can be targeted, but not moved by Force Staff, Hurricane Pike or Geomagnetic Grip.

Grants both duelists unobstructed pathing, allowing them to move through cliffs, trees, and other units.

Duel ends instantly when the distance between the duelists exceeds 2000 at any point during it, resulting in no victor. At the same time, Duel also ends instantly and without a victor when a dueling unit comes under the effects of Depth Shroud, an allied Dismember or Supernova.

A victorious duelist does not need to have landed the last hit. Their opponent may be killed by enemies or neutrals, or denied by allies or themselves.

A victorious duelist gains bonus damage as long as their opponent is a hero (excluding illusions and the Tempest Double), and dies (or enters Wraith Form). However, there are a few exceptions worth mentioning:

• The dueled target does not gain the bonus damage if the duel caster dies to Ice Blast's shatter, but the caster does if the target shatters instead.
• The dueled target does not gain the bonus damage if they were hidden by Phantasm or Enchant Remnant as the caster died, but the caster does if the target was affected instead.
• Killing MMeepo grants the bonus damage only when the dueled Meepo dies from taking damage. If another Meepo dies during the duel, no damage is granted.

The victor of a duel gains bonus damage even when the victim had Reincarnation.

If Legion Commander is victorious,  Press the Attack based on its current level is applied on her. Press the Attack notes fully apply. The radius talent does not apply, Aghanim's Shard upgrade fully applies. In Ability Draft, Press the Attack must be drafted as well for it to be applied on the caster upon a victory.

Can be casted on illusions. While illusions get bonus damage from winning such duels, real heroes do not gain damage for defeating illusions. On that note, hero clones can also gain damage individually. However, the Tempest Double loses it upon respawning. Meepo clones keep their victory damage permanently.

If two enemy heroes are linked by Soulbind and duel is cast, Legion Commander gains bonus damage for any and all heroes that die during the duel. The order of death does not matter as duel simultaneously affects both heroes (Legion Commander only attacks the main target however). This link can result in doubled duel damage if both enemies die. If any enemy creep-hero is linked as a secondary target by Soulbind and duel is cast, the creep-hero gets dueled and winner gains the bonus damage.

With Aghanim's Scepter icon.png Aghanim's Scepter, applies generic incoming damage reduction on the dueling heroes. Stacks additively with other sources of generic incoming damage manipulation.

The reduction affects all damage that is not flagged as HP removal the dueling heroes take from any source except each other.

Effective items guides

Early game

Tango

Tango is a great item for regenerating against low damage harassment, and it’s also useful for lane trading.

Healing Salve

If you get into trouble, Healing Salve can help to provide a big burst of early lane regen.

Enchanted Mango

Enchanted Mango is the most cost effective item of the bunch; they give you the opportunity to trade effectively by providing instant mana. You don’t have to go out of the lane for almost a minute with clarity to achieve it. In Addition, the item also gives you passive HP generation.

Quelling Blade

Once you get in some creep and jungle kills to get sufficient gold, get Quelling Blade. It’s a necessary first item for most core melee heroes, as well as increasing your jungling both in terms of speed and efficiency.

Bracer

Bracer is also a great item in harder lanes where magic resistance and extra stats are required, and like Quelling Blade it also adds farming speed in the jungle

Phase Boots

Phase Boots are the last of necessary early game items; they are an amazing item for early survivability against physical damage, unit walking as well as allowing you to catch targets easier after using Overwhelming Odds.

Mid game

Blink Dagger

 Blink Dagger accompanies the Duel very well, and its characteristics are very effective on Legion Commander.

Blade Mail

Blade Mail also serves a similar purpose in that it will help you deal more damage during Duels as Legion Commander in situations when the Duel target can easily out-damage the heroine, names such as Huskar, Sven or Ursa. Against ranged enemy carries this item is also great since they are very fragile and might die before carrying out successful kiting. These carries include ones such as Drow Ranger, Sniper or Windranger.

Late game

Black King Bar

During this period you should focus on well-rounded useful tools, and Black King Bar is just that; it serves to help your heroine avoid disables as well as providing a secondary source of spell immunity. Do note that if you already carry Aghanim’s Scepter, this item is less needed.

Shadow Blade

Shadow Blade can be a good initiation tool to pick apart the enemy if they are farming away from each other. It will allow you an easier time gap closing without being spotted. Although it’s arguable that Blink Dagger is better, Shadow Blade is powerful and can prove their worth in matches when passives need to be disabled in order to win duels. Or if you feel like you’re unable to contribute to fights, this item will help a lot.

Situation items

Assault Cuirass

Assault Cuirass is beneficial if you’re in need of more physical damage resistance, as the item provides great armor reduction as well as bonus attack speed, which can help during duels. This item is also fantastic for when your team requires better tower push capability.

Mjollnir

If what you need is extra farming speed, Mjollnir will help since Legion Commander’s Moment of Courage can help proc Chain Lightning. The active, Static Shield of the item will further this while at the same time help increase damage output that presents during Duels and/or team fights. This item also give you extra attack speed and damage which are suitable to build on Legion Commander.

Desolator

If you’re going for straight damage dps increase, Desolator is a good choice. Its effectiveness increases further if you’re ahead and against enemy heroes with low health pools or unable to counter the effects of the item. If you don’t want to rely too much on Duel which gives you a lot of bonus damage

Abyssal Blade

Abyssal Blade will give you a reliable lockdown. In addition, it helps you to become much more tanky with the Vanguard component and is usually a great 4 or 5th item in some builds.

Heaven's Halberd

For more tanking capabilities, Heaven’s Halberd will do. It will increase your survivability by giving you extra strength, status resistance as well as evasion. It also has an active ability, which means it’s also useful during Duel and gives you a better chance at winning. It can also pop enemies’ Linken’s Sphere before using Duel

Aghanim's Scepter

Meanwhile, Aghanim’s Scepter is great for when you’re snowballing and targeted by many disables and items as you will become magic immune during the Duel. 

Moon Shard

Once you have gained respectable Duel damage, Moon Shard allows you a huge boost to your attack speed which when paired with Press the Attack will be very brutal against enemies during Duels. It can be consumed to gain half its bonus and free up an item slot.

Aghanim's Blessing

Aghanim’s Blessing will turn Scepter into a passive buff; although this makes the heroine lose the attribute bonuses it provides the same ability upgrades while also freeing up an inventory slot.

Enemies & Allies

Allies

Ancient Apparition

Ancient Apparition: the lock down time of Duel allows Ancient Apparition to use Cold Feet, Ice Vortex and Ice Blast to their full potential. The hero also helps Legion Commander win Duels easier.

Disruptor

Disruptor: Another hero that helps increase Duel’s effectiveness. Disruptor’s Glimpse and Kinetic Field help to keep enemies away from the duel, thereby preventing them from helping their dueling ally or setting up a trap against Legion Commander. Static Form also helps deal full damage when an enemy is immobilized in a Duel.

Invoker

Invoker: Invoker’s nukes are perfect for Duel, especially for Sun Strike across the map. His Alacrity also greatly benefits Legion Commander during Duels. 

Lifestealer

Lifestealer: Infest allows Lifestealer to initiate with Legion Commander when she uses either Blink Dagger or Shadow Blade, which results in a very fast gank.

Mirana

Mirana: Sacred Arrow works extremely well for Legion Commander to initiate on as it sets up long duration stuns. It also can be used to set up a maximum duration stun with Duel, resulting in a hard disable which is very useful for late game combat when the target is a hard carry. For early game, Moonlight Shadow is good to allow Legion Commander to initiate Duels during the early game.

Shadow Fiend

Shadow Fiend: although this might serve as an overkill, Requiem of Souls with Duel will usually result in a fatal attack and an instant kill.

Silencer

Silencer: Global Silence can help prevent disables on Legion Commander when she’s in a Duel.

Skywrath Mage

Skywrath Mage: Mystic Flare bursts down targets as Legion Commander locks them down in the Duel.

Ursa

Ursa: for a quick kill in the early game, Fury Swipes is good and can stack on Dueled enemies.

Witch Doctor

Witch Doctor: this is a strong hero to use with Legion Commandeer. Maledict and Death Ward are easy to target and can deal their maximum damage on Duels’ immobilized enemies. Voodoo Restoration can also help her tank better and keep her standing in Duels for longer.

Zeus

Zeus’ magical nukes as long as global damage from his Thundergod’s Wrath and Nimbus also significantly increases Legion Commander’s chance to win Duels.

Counters

Abaddon

Abaddon’s teammates can benefit from Aphotic Shield and Mist Coil which make it hard for Legion Commander to kill them in Duels. In addition, Borrowed Time also increases Abbadon’s tanking abilities significantly and makes him nigh impossible to kill in Duels, especially since Legion Commander can’t manually stop attacking.

Arc Warden

Arc Warden: Magnetic Field will help a lot against Legion Commander in Duel.

Bane

Bane: Enfeeble, Nightmare and Fiend’s Grip are very effective against Legion Commander, most especially when Legion Commander equips Blink Dagger.

Dazzle

Dazzle: Shallow Grave and Shadow Wave are both great against Legion Commander with tanking and damage dealing attributes.

Dragon Knight

Dragon Knight: he has high natural sustain and health regeneration from Dragon Blood which means he’s harder to take down in Duels.

Io

Io: Tethered heroes are harder to kill in Duels, and Relocate can cancel Duels and save allies.

Luna

Luna: if timed well, Eclipse can prevent Legion Commander from winning Duels if Luna is the target. In addition, Eclipse and Lucent Beam can also help an ally in a Duel against a Legion Commander. Although Legion Commander when using Black King Bar or Aghanim’s Scepter can make it tougher for Luna.

Mars

Mars: since Duel requires both combatants to face each other, Bulwark will help to reduce a large portion of Legion Commander’s damage. Spears of Mars and God’s Rebuke also help push the Legion Commander away in Duels against allies.

Medusa

Medusa: Mana Shield makes it very hard for Legion Commander to take Medusa down in Duels, while Stone Gaze will stop her from Dueling altogether, no matter the targets.

Omniknight

Omniknight: Purification will prevent Legion Commander from killing her target, while Guardian Angel will waste Duel’s duration.

Oracle

Oracle: Fate’s Edict will stop the attacks for a few seconds and save Oracle’s ally, while Fortune’s End dispels Press the Attack’s healing and attack speed buff, and movement speed bonus that Legion Commander gains from Overwhelming Odds. False Promise also helps to protect allies and keeps the commander from winning Duels.

Pangolier

Pangolier: a great hero against Legion Commander, with abilities such as Lucky Shot and Swashbuckle. Lucky Shot will disarm Legion Commander and reduce her armor, while if it’s an ally in the Duel, Pangolier can use Swashbuckle to inflict it on her. 

Pugna

Pugna: Pugna can stop Duels by inflicting Decrepify on either hero. Life Drain also helps the teammates by killing the commander or replenishing the ally’s health.

Razor

Razor: Static Link can help neutralize the commander’s overall primary advantage which is her accumulated damage. Storm Surge’s movement speed buff also makes Razor or his allies harder to catch in Duels, while Eye of the Storm will always hit the commander since there’s forced proximity.

Skywrath Mage

Skywrath Mage: Mystic Flare can burst down Legion Commander while she’s Dueling.

Sven

Sven: God’s Strength along with natural builds makes Sen’s tankiness an obstacle for Legion Commander in a Duel. Storm Hammer can also interrupt non-Aghanim’s Scepter Legion Commander’s Duel. Warcry will give a shield to Sven’s teammates, which will waste Duel’s duration.

Treant Protector

Treant Protector: Living Armor’s global range makes it nigh impossible for the commander to win in the early to mid game.

Underlord

Underlord: Atrophy Aura will significantly diminish the commander’s overall damage output, while Dark Rift can help save Underlord or his allies from Duels if timed well.

Ursa

Ursa: Enrage can be casted before a Duel, allowing Ursa to take no damage for a brief period. Fury Swipes also helps.

Visage

Visage: Gravekeeper’s Cloak will protect Visage from the commander’s attacks for most of the duration, while chain stuns also help a lot.

Vengeful Spirit

Vengeful Spirit: Wave of Terror will reduce the commander’s survivability, and Magic Missile as well as Nether Swap will disrupt Duels and save allies.

Winter Wyvern

Winter Wyvern: Cold Embrace will assist allies a lot in a Duel, while Winter’s Curse turns Legion Commander’s high damage against her allies. The only downfalls are that the hero lanes very poorly against Legion Commander, and if she gets Dueled she also is in trouble. 

Wraith King

Wraith King's Reincarnation allows him to severely punish Legion Commander after he revives, as her abilities are on cooldown. Legion Commander is still awarded a Duel win if Wraith King reincarnates.

Troll Warlord

Troll Warlord's melee bash and high attack speed can often help him and his allies win Duels against Legion Commander.

Items Counter

Favorable Matchups

Anti-Mage

Anti-Mage: Counterspell offers no protection in Duels, and he falls since Blink can’t help him escape from Duel.

Bristleback

Bristleback must face Legion Commander head on during a Duel, which means his passive will not be effective. 

Broodmother

Broodmother: spiderlings can be killed easily with Overwhelming Odds and can give Legion Commander a large buff. Broodmother can’t also run into the treeline since Duel will reliably lock her down. 

Chen

Chen: too fragile and with low mobility, and Legion Commander’s abilities are great against converted creeps.

Clinkz

Clinkz: Searing Arrows and Clinkz’s physical damage items are suicidal against Legion Commander as it will evoke her to use Duel instantly, and Duel is naturally a Blade Mail carrier. Skeleton Walk is also ineffective against Duel.

Drow Ranger

Drow Ranger: her low mobility and lack of defensive abilities make her a good gank target for Legion Commander. In a Duel she also loses her Markmanship which reduces her damage output significantly.

Huskar

Huskar: similar to Clinkz, this hero is not effective against Legion Commander, a natural Blade Mail carrier. His low health and low survivability is also vulnerable to Legion Commander’s high physical damage.

Nyx Assassin

Nyx Assassin: Vendetta can’t be used during Duel’s long duration. Legion Commander with Aghanim’s Scepter also allows her to bypass Spiked Carapace.

Sniper

Sniper: his low mobility and lack of defensive abilities makes him an easy target for ganks, especially when Legion Commander picks up Blink Dagger.

Terrorblade

Terrorblade: Sunder can’t help him swap health during Duel’s long duration. His illusions can be killed easily with Overwhelming Odds.

Weaver

Weaver: neither Time Lapse nor Shukuchi is effective during Duel’s long duration.

Game plan