Chen
Born in the faithless Hazadar Desert, Chen found redemption through the church after a failed raid. Now he converts both the faithless and the beasts of the wild to his righteous cause.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“The flock is not gathered, it is led. Master these principles and you shall command the wilderness itself.”
Know Your Army
Every creep has a purpose. Study neutral abilities, understand timings, and select your army based on enemy composition and game needs.
Control the Battlefield
Your creeps are vision, they are disables, they are pressure. Use them to dominate jungle control and create advantages across the map.
Heal in Harmony
Your abilities complement each other. Penitence amplifies damage, Divine repositions, Hand saves. Time them perfectly.
Adapt and Evolve
Early nukes become late-game auras. Know when to sacrifice current creeps for better ones and always think ahead.
Global Presence
Your impact spans beyond your position. Hand of God saves across lanes, creeping affects entire map. Think globally, act locally.
Micro is Might
Perfect creep control wins fights. Practice staggered stuns, coordinated attacks, and precise positioning. Your army extends your will.
Hero Overview
Chen excels as a position 4 support who controls the battlefield through converted neutrals and strategic healing. His ability to create a personal army from the jungle while providing global sustain makes him unique among supports. Chen's power peaks during the mid-game when he has multiple creeps with varied abilities ready to execute ganks and push objectives.
Chen's gameplay revolves around creep micromanagement and strategic positioning. Holy Persuasion allows him to build an army of neutrals, each with unique abilities that can turn the tide of skirmishes. Penitence amplifies damage while slowing enemies, setting up perfect opportunities for your creep army. Divine provides mobility and repositioning, while Hand of God serves as your emergency button to save allies across the map.
Pros
- Unique creep control mechanics
- Global healing with Hand of God
- Excellent teamfight utility with Penitence
- Great at pushing and taking objectives
- High mobility with Divine Favor
Cons
- Requires extensive creep knowledge
- Vulnerable if caught without creep army
- Mana intensive early game
- Weak against anti-creep heroes
- Complex micro-management required
Ability Analysis
Penitence
ActiveChen condemns an enemy, causing them to take increased damage and be slowed.
Notes: Damage amplification works on Roshan and towers. Attack speed bonus applies to allies attacking the debuffed target. Essential for setting up kills and securing objectives.
Holy Persuasion
ActiveChen converts a neutral creep to his cause, taking control of it.
Notes: Core ability that defines Chen. Max creep level increases with skill level. Creep death gives no XP if you exceed cap. Practice creep selection for maximum effectiveness.
Divine Favor
ActiveChen blesses an ally unit, teleporting them to safety after a delay.
Notes: Teleports all persuaded creeps when cast on yourself. Cancelled if target takes damage. Excellent for saving allies and repositioning creep army.
Hand of God
ActiveA wave of divine energy heals all allied units and buildings across the map.
Notes: Global healing that affects all allied buildings and units. Aghanim's Scepter provides temporary debuff immunity but doesn't dispel existing debuffs. Use judiciously for maximum impact.
Penitence (Shard Upgrade)
ActivePenitence can now be cast on allies, amplifying their healing.
Notes: Provides healing amplification to allies while maintaining enemy debuff function. Great for burst healing combos with other supports.
Hand of God (Aghanim's Scepter)
ActiveHand of God now grants temporary debuff immunity to affected allies.
Notes: Powerful teamfight ultimate that can save allies from enemy bursts. The debuff immunity can turn teamfights but doesn't dispel existing effects.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Chen is the master of creep control and team sustain. His Holy Persuasion creates an army that can dominate map control, while Hand of God provides global healing potential.
Key Insights:
- Creep selection is everything - know your neutral camps
- Penitence's damage amplification works on Roshan
- Divine Favor provides unparalleled mobility for your entire army
Chen rewards strategic thinking and micro-management skills. Success comes from understanding creep abilities and positioning, not just individual hero mechanics.
Game Strategy
Early Game
Timeframe: 0-15 minutes Objective: Establish creep army and harass lanes Key: Jungle from level 1, prioritize key neutral creeps; Use creeps to gank vulnerable lanes; Keep creep army close for safety; Control vision with creep abilities Items: Arcane Boots (Mana sustain); Magic Wand (Emergency sustain); Tango stacking (Jungle sustain) Tips: Ice Harpy for early nukes, Ghost for slows; Keep army size manageable for control; Use Divine Favor to escape danger; Stack camps while farming neutrals
Mid Game
Timeframe: 15-30 minutes Objective: Teamfight dominance and objective taking Key: Coordinate creep stuns for ganks; Use creep army for tower pushing; Position for Hand of God saves; Control Roshan with creep help Items: Mekansm (Team healing); Aghanim's Shard (Utility); Boots upgrade (Mobility) Tips: Centaur and Mud Golem for stuns; Dark Troll for skeleton push; Save Hand of God for critical moments; Use creep abilities to interrupt channels
Late Game
Timeframe: 30+ minutes Objective: Sustain team and control objectives Key: Alpha Wolf for damage aura; Ancient creeps with Shard; Global healing impact; Positioning for team fights Items: Aghanim's Scepter (Team utility); Pipe of Insight (Magic protection); Guardian Greaves (Ultimate sustain) Tips: Alternate creep abilities for maximum control; Use Divine Favor for team repositioning; Hand of God timing is crucial; Protect creep army at all costs
Tips & Strategies
Creep Selection Priority
- Level 1-2: Ice Harpy (Chain Lightning) > Ghost (Slow) > Centaur (Stun)
- Level 3-4: Alpha Wolf (Damage aura) > Mud Golem shard stuns > Ancients (with Shard)
- Always have at least one disable: Centaur stomp, Mud Golem shard, Troll Ensnare
- Consider enemy composition when choosing creeps: slows vs mobile, stuns vs channelers
Advanced Creep Tactics
- Mud Golem death creates two Shards - use your cap to force split for double stuns
- Hellbear death provides AoE buff - time deaths before teamfights
- Twin Gates cost mana for ALL passing units including creeps
- Spear Kobolds can disarm towers - even Glyphed towers after 3 attacks
Teamfight Execution
- Lead with Penitence on primary target for damage amplification
- Coordinate creep stuns sequentially, not simultaneously
- Use Divine Favor to reposition key allies or your entire army
- Hand of God saves across map - keep vision on all lanes
Item Guide
Starting Items
Basic survival and mana regen. Tango for early jungle healing, Faerie for emergency escapes, Mantle for mana pool boost.
Tango, Faerie Fire, Mantle of Intelligence
Core Items
Arcane for mana sustain, Wand for burst heal, Mekansm for additional team healing synergy with your ultimate.
Arcane Boots, Magic Wand, Mekansm
Situational Items
Shard for penetration, Pipe for magic damage team utility, Force Staff for positioning, Greaves for late-game sustain.
Aghanim's Shard, Pipe of Insight, Force Staff, Guardian Greaves
Counter Guide
Good With
Chen synergizes with heroes who can capitalize on his creep control and healing abilities. Enchantress provides complementary creep control and healing, while Broodmother benefits from Chen's ability to control vision and provide additional disables. Lich and Crystal Maiden work well with Chen's teamfight healing approach, creating sustain-heavy compositions. Beastmaster offers additional control through Primal Roar, stacking disables. Centaur Warrunner provides AoE disables that complement Chen's creep stuns perfectly. The key is heroes who need additional control or benefit from sustained fights where Chen's healing and creep army create significant advantages.
Bad Against
Chen struggles against heroes who can neutralize creep control or exploit his vulnerabilities. Doom completely removes Chen's utility with Devour, while Winter Wyvern's Winter's Curse renders creep armies uncontrollable. Axe and Brewmaster excel at clearing creep stacks with Counter Helix and Thunder Clap. Enigma and Faceless Void can isolate Chen from his army with Black Hole and Chronosphere. Nyx Assassin and Bounty Hunter excel at picking off Chen who often positions too aggressively. Pudge can hook Chen away from his creeps, while Timbersaw cuts through creep waves and Chen himself. Heroes with area damage, strong disables, or anti-creep abilities pose serious threats to Chen's game plan.
Good Against
Chen dominates heroes who rely on positioning, are vulnerable to sustained damage, or struggle with multiple units. Illusion heroes like Phantom Lancer suffer from Chen's creep auras and stuns clearing illusions efficiently. Channeling heroes such as Witch Doctor and Crystal Maiden become easy targets with coordinated creep disables. Slow heroes like Medusa and Anti-Mage struggle to escape sticky situations created by creep slows and stuns. Squishy supports without mobility are prime targets for coordinated creep ganks. Heroes reliant on sustained fights like Bristleback and Spectre struggle against Chen's healing and creep pressure. The combination of damage amplification, multiple disables, and team sustain makes Chen a nightmare for heroes who cannot position quickly or survive prolonged engagements.