Arc Warden
Forged from the storm itself, Arc Warden is a relic of a vanished age, now seeking to reclaim a world that has forgotten the thunder's supremacy.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“Every spell cast twice is a storm. Let the tempest answer twice.”
Double Your Windows
Plan fights around independent Double cooldowns—double actives win the tempo war. Don’t overlap passives; choose the right item to double.
Zone Before You Pounce
Flux and Wraiths control vision and punish mispositioning. Establish the zone, then collapse with the Double.
Field Is Fortress
Magnetic Field is your anchor—use it to deny divers and protect your carries while your Double deals damage.
Micro With Purpose
Control the Double like a second hero: script spell orders, use it to block, scout, and reset cooldowns on demand.
Tempo Into Towers
Arc’s lead must become plates. Press objectives with Double uptime; towers fall fast under double actives.
Respect True Sight
If the enemy invests in detection, adapt—play around Wraith vision, disengage clean, and punish overextension rather than forcing invis traps.
Hero Overview
Arc Warden is a scaling carry/nuker who creates a secondary combat body (Tempest Double) to double his spell hits and item actives. Early game, Flux punishes mispositioning and Spark Wraiths secure vision, denies, and kills. Mid-game, he converts tempo into map pressure with double actives and fast tower pushes.
Lane with Flux harassment and Wraith vision. Stack Greed-like gold accelerations via Midas and efficient wave clear. Cast the Double near objectives to double up on actives and pressure multiple points on the map. In fights, Magnetic Field protects your team and punishes enemy divers; use the Double to layer damage and disruption while your main body survives to re-engage.
Pros
- Double actives multiply spell and item impact
- Strong lane control with Flux and Spark Wraith vision
- Global mobility and objective pressure via Double
- High burst from double Dagon/Shiva and Midas spikes
Cons
- Fragile and immobile without careful positioning
- No stuns; relies on control zones and slows
- Vulnerable to True Sight and AoE clear of Wraiths
- Hard to punish entrenched illusion spam and high-AoE lineups
Ability Analysis
Flux
Target UnitInfuses an enemy with volatile energy, dealing damage over time and slowing them. Damage is muted if the target is near allied units or neutral creeps.
Notes: Multiple Fluxes stack fully—layer them for pick potential. Use creep aggro tricks to draw enemy creeps away before applying Flux. Standing near allies or neutrals cancels damage.
Spark Wraith
No TargetPlants a wraith that arms after a delay and triggers on enemies entering its radius, revealing and damaging them. Grants ground vision while active.
Notes: Use to stack camps, scout choke points, and punish invisible or smoked units. The wraith can’t be disjointed; consider it an aoe trigger with vision.
Magnetic Field
No TargetCreates a circular field that grants attack speed and evasion to allies attacking from within it.
Notes: Anchor fights around the field. Attackers inside gain the buff; you do not get evasion by attacking from inside it.
Tempest Double
No TargetCreates a controllable copy of Arc Warden that can use spells and most items independently. Some effects don’t apply to the Double (Aegis, Gem, Rapier) and its BKB timer decrements separately.
Notes: Double-tap to cast the Double on your current position. The Double shares most passives, can activate runes/outposts/gates, and has independent cooldowns—use it to double Dagon/Shiva/Midas. It cannot pick up or move items and can’t duplicate True Sight sources.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Arc Warden turns tempo into math: you multiply your spells and items with the Tempest Double.
Key Insights:
- Use Flux to zone and pick early, but remember allies and nearby neutrals mute it
- Magnetic Field is positioning denial and teamfight insurance—anchor your zone
- The Double’s独立 cooldown windows let you double-dip on actives (Midas, Shivas, Dagon) to spike tempo
Arc rewards clean micro and proactive planning—script your double’s spell order before the fight begins.
Game Strategy
Early Game
Timeframe: 0–10 minutes Objective: Harass, secure farm, and enable early Double plays Key: Use Flux to punish isolated targets; be mindful of ally/neutral mute range; Plant Spark Wraiths to deny runes, scout ganks, and stack camps; Manage creep aggro to get safe Fluxes in lane Items: Hand of Midas for accelerated levels and Double uptime; Boots of Speed for repositioning; Early Null/Force tools if lane is hard Tips: Kill the enemy ranged creep first to reduce return damage on Flux trades; Double-tap Tempest Double to cast near your body during short TP windows; Use Wraiths to block common gank paths; they reveal invisible targets
Mid Game
Timeframe: 10–25 minutes Objective: Convert tempo into map pressure and pick potential Key: Drop Double near objectives to double actives (Midas, Bloodthorn, Shiva); Anchor fights with Magnetic Field and punish divers; Hunt lone supports with Flux + Wraith + Double burst Items: Bloodthorn (core for pick and burst); Shiva's Guard or Dagon for AoE/Nuke spikes; Eul's Pike or Blink for self-peel or initiate Tips: Time Double to reset cooldowns mid-fight for back-to-back actives; Avoid overlapping passives (e.g., Shivas aura) by planning which item to double; When against True Sight, avoid over-relying on invis/Wraith traps
Late Game
Timeframe: 25+ minutes Objective: Control high ground through Double uptime and defensive layers Key: Maintain a staggered Double so you always have an extra set of actives; Use Hex/BKB/Field defensively to protect backline while the Double deals damage; Refresher plays for triple spells can decide pickoffs and sieges Items: Refresher Orb for triple spells/actives; Black King Bar for spell-immune bursts; Daedalus/Manta for right-click scaling if applicable Tips: Focus fire the Double in teamfights to deny bounties and resets; Beware of AoE that clears Wraiths before they trigger; Position Magnetic Field to deny enemy attackers rather than buffing your own right-click
Tips & Strategies
Flux Mastery
- Multiple Fluxes fully stack—layer them to force quick decisions or kills.
- Allied units and neutral creeps mute Flux; use creep aggro tricks to isolate a target before casting.
- Kill the ranged creep first; then Flux the enemy carry when they step forward to last hit.
Spark Wraith Tricks
- Spark Wraiths trigger on invisible and smoked units—use them to lock down roams.
- They provide ground vision—plant them to scout choke points and Roshan pit entrances.
- Stack camps by placing a Wraith just as the camp respawns; it arms to catch the first creep.
Tempest Double Micro
- Double-tap to cast the Double on top of your hero for instant pressure.
- The Double can activate runes, outposts, and Twin Gates, but cannot pick up or move items.
- BKB time decrements independently on the Double; cast your window accordingly.
- Consider enabling dota_player_smart_multiunit_cast true—double spells will auto-cast to the selected unit that still has the spell available.
Item Synergy with Double
- Two Shivas’ actives can be doubled for a huge magic nuke; passives and slow aura don’t stack.
- Eul’s Scepter can cyclone your Double or vice-versa; use creatively for peel or pick setups.
- Hand of Midas is core due to the Double effectively doubling its value over time.
- Dagon 5 doubles into massive magic burst; beware enemy BKBs and Aeon Disk counters.
- Neutral item right-click cooldowns and Basher do not work on the Double.
- The Double copies charges on items like Urn and Locket but cannot copy Aegis, Gem, or Rapier.
Item Guide
Starting Items
Sustain and a bit of early movespeed to set up Flux harass and wraith positioning.
Tangos, Faerie Fire, Wind Lace
Core Items
Midas accelerates levels for double uptime; Bloodthorn gives silence, crits, and tempo through double actives.
Hand of Midas, Boots, Bloodthorn
Situational Items
Pick tools to punish backline (Shiva/Eul’s), spike bursts (double Dagon), self-peel (Pike), spell immunity windows (BKB), or illusion matchups (Manta). Refresher can triple spells/actives on a pick.
Shiva's Guard, Dagon, Eul's, Blink/Hurricane Pike, BKB, Daedalus, Manta, Refresher
Counter Guide
Good With
Arc Warden excels with heroes that amplify zone control and pick potential. Grimstroke lines up long-range disables that let you land Flux and Wraiths safely, then convert with the Double. Enigma punishes clustered enemies with Black Hole while Magnetic Field keeps your carries alive. Dark Seer sets up Ion Shell + Surge to help Arc split push and kite enemies while the Double presses objectives. The goal is to chain control into double actives to snowball tempo and towers.
Bad Against
Arc struggles vs True Sight pressure, illusion spam, and global burst. Anti-Mage pressures your mana and punishes early Double downtime. Zeus and Disruptor can clear Wraiths with AoE and punish Telegraphed Double setups, with Disruptor able to send fresh Doubles back to the fountain. Phantom Lancer overwhelms with illusions; dispels mute Flux and his rush ignores Magnetic Field evasion. Heavy AoE and True Sight make Wraith plays unreliable and force conservative positioning.
Good Against
Arc dominates fragile, isolated cores and siege-heavy backlines. Sniper, Lina, and Tinker cannot trade into Flux + Field, and Double actives punish their low mobility. With careful Wraith placement, he can deny invis roams, and the Double converts pick windows into towers. His lack of hard CC means he prefers to zone and burst rather than lock down; he shines when the enemy can’t establish vision or sustain under pressure.