How status resistance works and how to counter it in Dota 2

Understanding how status resistance works can help you avoid certain death in Dota 2.

Status resistance is a polarizing mechanic. On one hand, there are supports barely getting out alive thanks to Aeon Disk. On the other are Ursas and Spirit Breakers who just refuse to stay stunned. Understanding the finer points of status resistance allows players to use it to their advantage. It’s also possible to counter opponents’ status resistance with the right items and strategies.

First and foremost, status resistance is meant to counter stuns. Heroes start with zero but gain it through items and abilities. If a hero has 25% status resistance, a four-second stun will become a three-second stun. This applies for other debuffs as well. Orchid Malevolence will only silence for 2.5 seconds against a hero affected by Tinker’s Defense Matrix. In the same situation, Wraithfire Blast will stun and then slow for just one second.

In addition to lowering the amount of time heroes are affected by slows, status resistance also works on the slow itself. Skywrath Mage’s Concussive Shot usually slows 40% for four seconds, but against an Enraged Ursa, the slow is reduced to 20% and lasts only two seconds. This makes status resistance incredibly powerful against heroes that rely on slows such as Lifestealer and Venomancer.

How to counter status resistance in Dota 2

To counter status resistance, it’s important to know that there are several exceptions to the rule.

The most universal counter is Eul’s Scepter of Divinity. The active suspends the target for three seconds regardless of their status resist. Using Eul’s Scepter against Ursa or Spirit Breaker is a great way to wait out their status resistance buffs.

Certain abilities including Doom’s ultimate and Venomancer’s Poison Nova also ignore status resistance. Check the unofficial unaffected abilities list to check which spells fit that category.