Morphling
Once a mere sea creature, Morphling was captured and experimented on by the Naga Siren, who sought to create the perfect warrior. The process twisted him into a being of pure, adaptable fluidity. Now free, he shifts between forms and attributes, a living testament to the terrifying potential of perfect adaptation. He is a terror on the battlefield, for he can become whatever he needs to be to ensure survival and victory.
At a Glance
Core Principles
“The body is fluid, victory is constant. Adapt, overcome, and become the perfect answer to every threat.”
The Flow is Your Lifeblood
Never stop shifting. Every moment you are not converting stats is a moment of wasted potential. Health is a resource you can create on demand.
Invulnerability is a Weapon
Waveform is not just for movement; it's for negation. Use it to erase the enemy's biggest spells from existence.
Become the Solution
Your ultimate is not for copying the enemy carry; it's for solving a problem. Need a stun? Copy a stunner. Need an escape? Copy a Tinker. Be tactical.
Know Your Hard Counters
Ancient Apparition and roots are your bane. Play around them. Do not fight into an Ice Blast without a plan. Do not overextend against heroes with roots.
The Perfect Form
There is no single 'correct' attribute distribution. The perfect form is the one that wins the current fight. Shift to tank the initiation, then shift to damage to clean up.
Hero Overview
Morphling is a highly elusive agility carry, defined by his unparalleled ability to adapt his stats to any situation. He can fluidly shift between a high-damage glass cannon and a surprisingly tanky survivor, making him incredibly difficult to pin down and kill. His combination of mobility, survivability, and replication makes him a late-game monster in the right hands.
Morphling's gameplay is a delicate dance of resource management. In the laning phase, he uses Attribute Shift to balance survivability with last-hitting power. As the game progresses, he uses Waveform to farm efficiently and escape ganks. In teamfights, he leverages his high agility to burst down a target, then shifts to strength to survive the counter-attack. His ultimate, Morph, allows him to copy a key enemy, creating chaos or gaining a crucial tactical advantage.
Pros
- Unmatched survivability with Attribute Shift
- Excellent mobility and escape with Waveform
- Very strong late-game scaling potential
- Can replicate enemies for tactical advantage
- Difficult to kill due to attribute manipulation
Cons
- Extremely high skill ceiling and mechanically intensive
- Vulnerable to health restoration reduction (Ice Blast, Spirit Vessel)
- Very weak against root effects (prevents Waveform)
- Reliant on items to reach his full potential
- Complex itemization and attribute management required
Ability Analysis
Waveform
Point TargetMorphling dissolves into liquid and surges forward, damaging enemy units in his path. He is invulnerable during the duration.
Notes: Use this to dodge projectiles, absorb incoming damage, and cross terrain. A key farming technique is to use it to clear a jungle camp while moving to your next objective. You cannot use it while rooted.
Adaptive Strike
Target UnitMorphling shifts his form, either stunning an enemy based on his Strength or dealing bonus damage based on his Agility.
Notes: A versatile ability that changes based on your attribute ratio. With more Strength, it stuns; with more Agility, it nukes. Use Attribute Shift to toggle between modes for the desired effect.
Attribute Shift (Strength Gain)
ToggleMorphling shifts his attributes, converting Agility to Strength. This has a continuous mana cost.
Notes: Your core survivability tool. A critical trick is to shift to full Agility, then quickly shift back to full Strength to generate a large amount of HP out of thin air.
Morph
Target UnitMorphling replicates a target hero, gaining access to their basic abilities. He can toggle between his original form and the replicated form.
Notes: Replicates the target's current HP/Mana percentage, not their total. You keep your own items and stats. This is invaluable for scouting, escaping, or gaining a powerful ability set.
Hybrid (Shard Upgrade)
ActiveMorphling instantly creates a Hybrid of himself and a target hero. The Hybrid has access to Morph, Attribute Shift, and Adaptive Strike, and has the target's primary attribute. It cannot use items.
Notes: A powerful split-pushing and ganking tool. You can send the Hybrid down a lane while you farm elsewhere, or use it to set up a gank with its own set of spells.
Morph (Scepter Upgrade)
Target UnitAllows Morph to be cast on illusions to Morph into their source hero. Also allows Morphling to shift attributes while disabled.
Notes: Incredibly versatile. Use it to Morph into a hero from across the map by targeting their illusion. The ability to shift attributes while stunned is a massive survivability boost.
Developer's Notes
Developer Insights
Morphling is the pinnacle of mechanical skill and adaptability in Dota 2. His entire design revolves around Attribute Shift, a skill that separates the good from the great. He is not a hero who stands still; he is a constant flow of resources, converting health into damage and back again.
Key Insights:
- Attribute Shift is both your defense and your offense. Mastering the 'HP generation' trick (shifting full AGI, then full STR) is a non-negotiable skill.
- Waveform is your escape, your initiation, and your farming tool. Its invulnerability frames are as important as its damage.
- Morph is not just for copying carries; it's a utility spell for scouting, escaping, and gaining tactical advantages.
Morphling rewards players with impeccable micro-management and game sense. He is a hero who can win a lost fight by simply out-lasting and out-maneuvering the enemy.
Game Strategy
Early Game (Laning)
Timeframe: 0-15 minutes Objective: Farm safely and master Attribute Shift Key: Use Adaptive Strike in AGI mode to harass and secure last hits.; Constantly manage Attribute Shift, shifting to AGI for last hits and STR when harassed.; Use Waveform sparingly to escape ganks or secure a kill.; Prioritize securing your core items, especially Linken's Sphere. Items: Power Treads; Magic Wand; Linken's Sphere Tips: Practice the HP generation trick with Attribute Shift.; You can toggle Attribute Shift while teleporting to get to full STR faster.
Mid Game (Farming & Ganking)
Timeframe: 15-30 minutes Objective: Secure core items and find pickoffs Key: Use Waveform to farm jungle camps efficiently.; Look for ganks on isolated supports with the Ethereal Blade combo.; Use Morph to replicate key enemy heroes for scouting or gaining their abilities.; Maintain map awareness to avoid being caught without your escape spells. Items: Ethereal Blade; Dragon Lance; Aghanim's Shard Tips: The Ethereal Blade -> Adaptive Strike (AGI) -> Waveform combo can kill most supports.; Replicating an enemy hero can cause confusion and create opportunities.
Late Game (Teamfights)
Timeframe: 30+ minutes Objective: Adapt to the fight and eliminate key targets Key: Shift to high AGI to burst a target, then to high STR to survive the fight.; Use Aghanim's Scepter to replicate powerful ultimates like Black Hole or Reverse Polarity.; Use Hybrid to split push while your team applies pressure elsewhere.; Avoid health restoration reduction effects at all costs. Items: Eye of Skadi; Black King Bar; Butterfly Tips: A well-timed Morph on an enemy carry can turn a teamfight in your favor.; Your survivability is second to none when you manage your attributes correctly.
Tips & Strategies
Attribute Shift Mastery
- To generate HP, shift all your Agility to Strength, then immediately shift it all back.
- Always be shifting. You should almost always be either gaining damage or survivability.
- Shift to full Strength before picking up a Bounty Rune for maximum health.
Waveform & Replication
- Waveform makes you invulnerable. Use it to dodge stuns, projectiles, and even abilities like Duel.
- You can Morph into an enemy hero's illusion to instantly replicate them from anywhere on the map.
- A Morphed hero has a separate cooldown for its ultimate. Toggling forms can reset this, allowing for multiple ultimates.
Combat Execution
- Your standard kill combo is Ethereal Blade -> Adaptive Strike (AGI) -> Waveform -> right-clicks.
- Use Hybrid to scout Roshan pit or high ground before committing your team.
- Don't be afraid to use Morph on an ally to escape a bad situation.
Item Guide
Counter Guide
Good With
Morphling synergizes with heroes who can enable his pickoffs or benefit from his split-pushing. Shadow Demon can set up a guaranteed Ethereal Blade combo with Disruption. Dark Seer can give him the Surge needed to escape or chase. Nature's Prophet or Tinker can thrive in the space created by Morphling's split-pushing with Hybrid. Heroes with strong lockdown like Batrider can hold a target in place for Morphling to unload his full combo.
Bad Against
Morphling is crippled by effects that stop his flow. Ancient Apparition's Ice Blast completely negates his primary survivability tool, Attribute Shift. Silencer's Global Silence and Last Word prevent him from using his spells, leaving him a sitting duck. Heroes with reliable roots like Earthshaker or Tiny prevent him from using Waveform, his only escape. Nyx Assassin can burst him down with Vendetta and Mana Burn, while also disabling his passives.
Good Against
Morphling dominates heroes who rely on single-target burst or cannot handle his adaptability. He can simply Attribute Shift to Strength to survive the burst from heroes like Lina or Lion and then escape with Waveform. Against right-click carries with no lockdown, he can out-sustain and out-maneuver them. Heroes who rely on long-duration cooldowns are easily countered, as Morphling can simply use his toolkit to survive and wait for an opportunity to strike back.