Lion
Lion gives enemies little chance to retaliate. Stunning targets with a damaging row of spikes, or temporarily transforming them into a harmless critter, even if his powerful spells aren't enough, he and his allies should still have all the time they need to slay their foes.
- Win rate
- 48.7%
- Pick rate
- 22.8%
- Armor / MS
- 2.5 / 290
- Range
- 600
Abilities
Mechanics notes (2)
- • The spikes move at 2800 units per second.
- • Does not trigger spell block or spell reflect.
Mechanics notes (2)
- • Instantly destroys illusions.
- • The target will have a base movement speed of 120, but buffs granting maximum movement speed won't be disabled.
Mechanics notes (1)
- • Prevents heroes from going invisible.
Mechanics notes (2)
- • Finger of Death has a 0.25 delay before the damage is applied after the spell is cast, allowing certain abilities to avoid the damage.
- • Finger of Death only gains damage if the enemy hero dies within 3 seconds of being affected by Finger of Death.
Our ratings
Aghanim's upgrades
Aghanim's Sceptermedium priority
Aghanim's Shardlow priorityTips & counterplay
Playing as Lion
Laning: Earth Spike + autos; Mana Drain enemy casters.
Kill combo: Earth Spike → Hex → Finger of Death.
Staying alive: Hex the diver; Spike to peel.
From real games (OpenDota)- • Most games are in the safe lane (46.6%, 46.7% win rate).
- • Best results come from the mid lane (48.2% over 390 games).
- • Blink Dagger: usually done by 20 min; finishing it by 10 min wins 68.4%.
- • Glimmer Cape: usually done by 30 min; finishing it by 20 min wins 66.3%.
- • Ghost Scepter: usually done by 30 min; finishing it by 20 min wins 73.1%.
- • Gets stronger the longer the game goes (34.8% before 10 min → 47.7% after 60 min).
Playing against Lion
Stuns & disables Black King Bar, Linken's Sphere or Lotus Orb. Spread out so one stun doesn't catch the whole team.
Magic burst Black King Bar, Pipe of Insight, Glimmer Cape and Infused Raindrops blunt the burst. Don't stand clumped.
Mana burn Soul Ring or Arcane Boots keep you casting. Avoid long trades where they keep hitting you.
- • Respect Lion at Lvl 6: Finger + chain stuns kill anything.
- • Respect Lion at Blink Dagger: Instant pickoffs from fog.
- • Respect Lion at Aether Lens: Safer cast range.
Items that counter it
Heroes that beat it
Talents
Best items
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Power spikes
Best skill build
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q Earth Spike | Q | Q | Q | Q | ||||||||||||||
| W Hex | W | W | W | W | ||||||||||||||
| E Mana Drain | E | E | E | E | ||||||||||||||
| R Finger of Death | R | R | R | |||||||||||||||
| T Talent | ★ | ★ |
Counters
Countered by
Synergies
Best lane partners
Toughest lane opponents
Huskar−34
Juggernaut−25
Sniper−11
Invoker−11
Riki−10Live stats OpenDota · 2026-10-14
Public match stats
- Win rate (all ranks)
- 48.7%
- Win rate (Divine+)
- 48.8%
- Pick rate
- 22.8% of matches
- Sample
- 936,747 picks
- Pro
- 10 picks · 30% WR · 0.8% ban
Lane presence
Win rate by rank
Win rate by game length
Item timings
| Item | Games | Usual | Win % | Best timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blink Dagger | 3,069 | 20′ | 50.2% | ≤10′ · 68.4% |
 Glimmer Cape | 904 | 30′ | 57.5% | ≤20′ · 66.3% |
| Ghost Scepter | 380 | 30′ | 57.4% | ≤20′ · 73.1% |
| Aghanim's Shard | 379 | 30′ | 63.1% | ≤20′ · 71.7% |
| Force Staff | 351 | 30′ | 56.1% | ≤30′ · 56.6% |
 Power Treads | 264 | 8′ | 55.7% | ≤25′ · 66.7% |
| Aether Lens | 219 | 30′ | 60.3% | ≤20′ · 60% |
| Aghanim's Scepter | 167 | 30′ | 60.5% | ≤25′ · 62.5% |
 Shadow Blade | 129 | 30′ | 65.9% | ≤30′ · 73.6% |
 Eul's Scepter of Divinity | 105 | 30′ | 69.5% | ≤30′ · 71.6% |
What players actually buy
Best real matchups
Dazzle64 games59.4%
Bristleback139 games58.3%
Anti-Mage65 games56.9%Worst real matchups
Huskar82 games41.5%Sniper179 games44.7%
Chaos Knight70 games47.1%
Recent pro & league games
| League | Result | K / D / A | Length | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1win Streamers League #3 | Win | 3 / 5 / 14 | 30′ | 2026-10-13 |
| DreamLeague Season 30 Qualifiers | Win | 4 / 12 / 11 | 39′ | 2026-10-13 |
| DreamLeague Season 30 Qualifiers | Loss | 2 / 8 / 26 | 44′ | 2026-10-13 |
| DreamLeague Season 30 Qualifiers | Loss | 2 / 10 / 20 | 45′ | 2026-10-13 |
| DreamLeague Season 30 Qualifiers | Loss | 1 / 12 / 2 | 23′ | 2026-10-11 |
| DreamLeague Season 30 Qualifiers | Loss | 1 / 7 / 6 | 23′ | 2026-10-11 |
| 奇迹杯 | Loss | 5 / 11 / 14 | 40′ | 2026-10-11 |
| DreamLeague Season 30 Qualifiers | Loss | 1 / 8 / 0 | 14′ | 2026-10-09 |
Lore
Once a Grandmaster of the Demon Witch tradition of sorcery, Lion earned fame among his brethren for fighting on the side of light and righteousness. But adulation corrupts. With powers surpassed only by his ambition, the mage was seduced by a demon and turned to evil, trading his soul for prestige. After committing horrible crimes that marred his soul, he was abandoned. The demon betrayed him, striking better deals with his enemies. Such was Lion's rage that he followed the demon back to hell and slew it, ripping it limb from limb, taking its demonic hand for his own. However, such demonoplasty comes at a cost. Lion was transfigured by the process, his body transformed into something unrecognizable. He rose from hell, rage incarnate, slaying even those who had once called him master, and laying waste to the lands where he had once been so adored. He survives now as the sole practitioner of the Demon Witch tradition, and those who present themselves as acolytes or students are soon relieved of their mana and carried off by the faintest gust of wind.