Complete guide to Linken's Sphere, by nix
Introduction:
Linken's Sphere Overview
·Interactions
------Hero Skills
------Item Abilities
------Neutral Creep Skills
·Strategy
·FAQ
·Conclusion
Introduction
This guide is my second guide ever, so any constructive comments will not go unappreciated. This guide isn't necessarily meant to be read from beginning to end, it's more of an authoritative source for everything you need to know about Linken's Sphere (as I will often henceforth call “Linken’s” for short). I wrote this guide for players who have a good basic knowledge of the game, or that you have read and understood the Learners guide. The tips in this guide are clearly guidelines to help get you started. This guide is for the official DotA map, and strategies are written for 5v5 play. This guide is very image-intensive, and as such I plan to write a text-only version of this guide for quick-reference purposes.
Please, feel free to bookmark this guide if you think you may refer to it often.
I decided to write this guide because I think the Linken's Sphere is one of the coolest strategic and situational items in the game. It's also one of the most complex items, and it can be very tough to remember how it interacts with spells and other items.
This guide is property of myself, nix. If you want to share info from my guide, you must credit this guide properly with a link included. This guide took me over 30 hours to write because there was so much data to collect. I did not base it off any pre-existing Linken's guide, as all the other ones out there are incredibly outdated.
Tips for reading this guide
Using the Ctrl+F (Find) function will help you immensely in finding what you're looking for in my guide.
Remember: if you don't see it in this guide, it has no interaction with Linken's Sphere.
Linken shpere´s overview
5175
Bought from:
Protectorate
This magical sphere once protected one of the most famous heroes in history.
BONUS
+6 HP/sec regeneration
+150% mana
regeneration
+15 Strength
+15 Agility
+15 Intelligence
Blocks most targeted spells once every 20 seconds
RECIPE
Ultimate Orb (2100)
Perseverance (1750)
Linken's Sphere Recipe Scroll (1325)
Linken’s Sphere is a high-tier defensive item. It is fairly expensive, but it provides good stats and regeneration. The recipe scroll is one of the most expensive in the game, and that’s because of the special ability it gives: Linken’s will block spells targeting its wielder. Once a spell is blocked, Linken’s Sphere goes into a 20-second cooldown during which it will not block any spells. As such, Linken’s is only considered for purchase very carefully.
But what spells does Linken’s block? Is there a list of some sort?
Worry not, this guide provides the answers. Scroll down to see how each and every spell in the game interacts with Linken’s. Linken’s Sphere strategies will be discussed more in detail further down.
Welcome to the main attraction of this guide. This is the killer part where I will proceed to list every skill or ability that interacts with Linken's Sphere in some way.
When I say the skill is blocked normally and completely, it is to be understood that the skill went into cooldown having had no effect on the holder other than sending the Linken's Sphere into cooldown, nor having an effect on the caster.
I did NOT list the skills or items that have no interaction with Linken's Sphere, so if you do not see any mention of the skill it means that it will not trigger Linken's cooldown nor will it be blocked in any way.
hs
As above, if you don't see it in this guide, it has no interaction with Linken's Sphere.
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Frostbite | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Freezing Field | . |
 | Starts cooldown, neither damage nor slow is blocked. |
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| Enchant | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| Dream Coil | . |
 | Blocks initial damage and stun or broken leash damage and stun. |
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| Penitence | . |
 | Slow is blocked, the bonus damage is not blocked, despite animation. |
| Test of Faith | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. Allied Chen's Test of Faith has no interaction with Linken's Sphere. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Illuminate | . |
 | If targeted on the Linken's holder, Linken's will go into cooldown, but won't block. If targeted on the ground, no interaction. |
| Mana Leak | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Blinding Light | . |
 | Blocks the blind debuff normally and completely, but the pushback still applies. |
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| Arc Lightning | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely if Linken's holder is primary target. If Linken's holder is secondary target, it will block the damage but not the bounce. |
| Lightning Bolt | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely, and Truesight of area is not gained. |
| Thundergod's Wrath | . |
 | Blocks damage, vision is still gained. If Linken's holder is invisible, there is no interaction. |
|
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| Sprout | . |
 | If Linken's holder is the primary target, blocks spell completely, but Linken's is NOT PLACED ON COOLDOWN. No interaction if it's cast on ground or on an adjacent target. |
| Wrath of Nature | . |
 | Whether Linken's holder is primary or secondary target, damage is blocked normally and completely, but the bounce is not prevented. |
|
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| Last Word | . |
 | Blocks silence normally and completely. No effect on the int transfer (upon death). |
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| Laguna Blade | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| Electric Vortex | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Overload | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| Shackleshot | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. If Linken's holder is the secondary target to which a primary target is shackled, despite the animation, the stun is blocked for the Linken's holder. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Thunder Strike | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. If Linken’s cooldown ends during Thunder Strike, Linken's will go back on cooldown without blocking or ending any instance of Thunder Strike. |
| Glimpse | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
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| Flaming Lasso | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Cold Snap | . |
 | Linken's cooldown is triggered but spell is in no way blocked. |
| Ghost Walk | . |
 | If Kael breaks Ghost Walk invisibility with an attack, this attack is blocked normally and completely by Linken's. |
| Tornado | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. If Linken's cooldown ends during Tornado, Linken's will go back on cooldown without blocking or ending Tornado. |
| Deafening Blast | . |
 | The damage occurs, the pushback occurs, but the attack-disable is blocked. |
|
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| Grave Chill | . |
 | Blocked completely for Linken's holder, however, Visage still gains the buffs. |
| Soul Assumption | . |
 | Blocked normally and completely. |
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| Fireblast | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. Multicast will not proc. |
| Ignite | . |
 | If cast on Linken's holder, blocks normally and completely. If Multicast is skilled, and Ignite is cast on unit near Linken's holder, blocks normally and completely for the holder. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Poison Touch | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. If Linken's cooldown ends between the initial projectile and the 1s stun, the slow will not be blocked, the damage will not be blocked, the disable will be blocked but will not trigger Linken's cooldown. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Ether Shock | . |
 | If Linken's holder is primary target, it's blocked normally and completely. If Linken's holder is a secondary target, there is no interaction. |
| Voodoo | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. If Linken's cooldown ends during Voodoo, Linken's will go back on cooldown without blocking or ending Voodoo. |
| Shackles | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Telekinesis | . |
 | If Linken's holder is primary target, it's blocked normally and completely. If Linken's holder is a secondary target, there is no interaction. |
| Fade Bolt | . |
 | If Linken's holder is primary target, it's blocked normally and completely. If Linken's holder is a secondary target, the damage is blocked, but the damage reduction and the the spell's bounce are not blocked. |
| Spell Steal | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. The effects of a stolen spell are the same as the original spell. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Laser | . |
 | The damage is not blocked, but the blind is blocked normally. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Lightning Storm | . |
 | If Linken's holder is primary target, it's blocked normally and completely. If Linken's holder is a secondary target, the damage is blocked but the bounce is not stopped. |
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This guide is written property of nix
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Dual Breath | . |
 | Blocks slow, but neither damage nor damage-over-time is blocked. |
| Ice Path | . |
 | Linken's cooldown is triggered, but the spell is not blocked. |
|
This guide is written property of nix
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Paralyzing Cask | . |
 | If Linken's holder is the primary target, it's blocked normally and completely. If Linken's holder is a secondary target, one instance of stun is blocked. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Cold Feet | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Enfeeble | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Brain Sap | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Nightmare | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. If Linken's holder attacks a target that is sleeping from an enemy Bane's nightmare, the sleep will be blocked by Linken's and removed from the target. Allied Bane's Nightmare has no interaction with Linken's. |
| Fiend's Grip | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Ion Shell | . |
 | Skill is not blocked, but cooldown is triggered if cast on Linken's holder. |
| Wall of Replica | . |
 | Image creation and damage is blocked for the entire duration of the Wall. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Impale | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely if cast on Linken's holder. No interaction otherwise. |
| Voodoo | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. If Linken's cooldown ends during Voodoo, Linken's will go back on cooldown without blocking or ending Voodoo. |
| Mana Drain | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. If Linken's cooldown ends during Mana Drain, Linken's will go back on cooldown without blocking or ending Mana Drain. |
| Finger of Death | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| Malefice | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Frost Nova | . |
 | If Linken's holder is primary target, it's blocked normally and completely. If cast on a unit next to Linken's holder, no interaction. |
| Chain Frost | . |
 | If Linken's holder is primary target, the first instance of damage as well as minisleep is blocked, but the bounce is not stopped. If Linken's holder is a secondary target, one instance of damage is blocked. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Reaper's Scythe | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Decrepify | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Nether Ward | . |
 | Nether Ward's Mana Flare is blocked normally and completely. |
| Life Drain | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. If Linken's cooldown ends during Life Drain, Linken's will go back on cooldown without blocking or ending Life Drain. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Astral Imprisonment | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. Allied Harbinger’s Astral Imprisonment has no interaction with Linken's. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Shadow Strike | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Fatal Bonds | . |
 | If Linken's holder is primary target, Linken's will start cooldown, but the spell will work normally. No interaction if Linken's holder is a secondary target. |
| Shadow Word | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Upheaval | . |
 | Blocks one instance (1s) of slow. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Disruption | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Demonic Purge | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Mana Void | . |
 | If Linken's holder is primary target, it's blocked normally and completely. If cast on a unit next to Linken's holder, no interaction. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Shrapnel | . |
 | If Linken's holder moves into Shrapnel's area of effect, the slow is blocked and the damage is not. If shrapnel is cast onto where the Linken's holder is already standing, cooldown is triggered but Shrapnel still takes full effect. |
| Headshot | . |
 | Blocks whole Headshot attack normally and completely. Sniper's illusions will also gain a "fake" Headshot effect which can be blocked. |
| Assassinate | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Omnislash | . |
 | If Linken's holder is primary target, the ministun will be blocked, but the damage won't be. If Linken's holder is a secondary target, no interaction. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Lucent Beam | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| Adaptive Strike | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Replicate | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| Ensnare | . |
 | Blocks spell completely, but Linken's is NOT PLACED ON COOLDOWN. |
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| Spirit Lance | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| Elune's Arrow | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| Homing Missile | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. If Linken's cooldown ends while missile is en route, no interaction |
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This guide is written property of nix
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Shuriken Toss | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Track | . |
 | Blocks Track debuff normally and completely. However, Enemy Heroes around Linken's holder targeted with Track gain increased movement speed from the Track buff, but this is removed after two seconds. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Static Link | . |
 | If cast on Linken's holder, Linken's cooldown starts but Static Link works normally. If cast next to Linken's holder, no interaction. |
| Unstable Current | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Mystic Snake | . |
 | Starts cooldown but spell is in no way blocked. |
| Stone Gaze | . |
 | Starts cooldown but spell is in no way blocked. |
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| Psionic Trap | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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This guide is written property of nix
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Magic Missile | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Nether Swap | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Bloodrage | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. Allied Strygwyr's Bloodrage has no interaction with Linken's. |
| Rupture | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Wind Walk | . |
 | If Clinkz breaks Wind Walk invisibility with an attack, this attack is blocked normally and completely by Linken's. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Impale | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely if cast on Linken's holder. No interaction otherwise. |
| Mana Burn | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Urna Swarm | . |
 | Scarab’s Infestation is blocked normally and completely. |
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| Shukuchi | . |
 | If Weaver breaks Shukuchi invisibility with an attack, this attack is blocked normally and completely by Linken's. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Stifling Dagger | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| Requiem of Souls | . |
 | Starts cooldown but spell is in no way blocked. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Reflection | . |
 | Blocks the image creation, but slow is not blocked. |
| Sunder | . |
 | Starts cooldown but spell is in no way blocked. AlliedTerrorblade's Sunder has no interaction with Linken's. If Terrorblade is holding a Linken's Sphere, using Sunder will put it on cooldown (though nothing is blocked). |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Spectral Dagger | . |
 | If Linken's holder is primary target, cooldown is started but spell is in no way blocked. If Linken's holder is a secondary target, no interaction. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Venomous Gale | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Viper Strike | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Torrent | . |
 | Blocks slow, but neither damage nor disable is blocked. |
| X Marks The Spot | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. Allied Kunkka's X Marks The Spot has no interaction with Linken's Sphere. |
| Ghost Ship | . |
 | Blocks stun, but damage is not blocked. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Primal Roar | . |
 | If Linken's holder is primary target, it's blocked normally and completely. If Linken's holder is a secondary target, there is no interaction. |
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| Double Edge | . |
 | Blocks ministun, but damage is not blocked. Bradwarden still takes his recoil damage. |
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| Fissure | . |
 | If Linken's holder is primary target, Linken's starts cooldown but spell is in no way blocked. No interaction otherwise. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Repel | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. Allied Omniknight's Repel has no interaction with Linken's. |
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This guide is written property of nix
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Drunken Haze | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Earth: Hurl Boulder | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Storm: Cyclone | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. If Linken's cooldown ends during Cyclone, Linken's will go back on cooldown without blocking or ending Cyclone. |
| Storm: Wind Walk | . |
 | If Storm Panda breaks Wind Walk invisibility with an attack, this attack is blocked normally and completely by Linken's. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Storm Bolt | . |
 | If cast on Linken's holder, spell is blocked normally andcompletely. If cast next to Linken's holder, spell is blocked only for Linken's holder. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Toss | . |
 | Linken's only has an interaction with Toss if Linken's holder is the primary target for the Toss area of effect. If this is the case, cooldown is started but spell is in no way blocked. |
| Craggy Exterior | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
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| Earth Splitter | . |
 | Blocks slow, but neither damage nor pull is blocked. |
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This guide is written property of nix
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Leech Seed | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Overgrowth | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Unstable Concoction | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| Viscous Nasal Goo | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Battery Assault | . |
 | One instance of spell is blocked. |
| Hookshot | . |
 | Blocks stun and damage completely for the Linken's holder whether they are the primary or a secondary target. Rattletrap is still pulled to the target. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Dragon Tail | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Life Break | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. If Linken's cooldown ends during the charge, the slow is blocked (Linken's goes back into cooldown), but neither damage instance is blocked. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Burrowstrike | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely if cast on Linken's holder. No interaction otherwise. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Charge of Darkness | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely, from any distance. No interaction if Linken's cooldown ends during the charge. |
| Nether Strike | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Gush | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Battle Hunger | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
| Culling Blade | . |
 | Non-lethal: Blocks normally and completely. ______Lethal: No interaction. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Chaos Bolt | . |
 | A ministun will occur instead of the full stun. Damage is not blocked. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Devour* | . |
 | *refer below to the section on neutral creep skills, since Devour copies neutral creeps' abilities. |
| LVL? Death | . |
 | Blocks first instance of ministun and damage. |
| Doom | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. If Linken’s cooldown ends during Doom, Linken's will go back on cooldown without blocking or ending Doom. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Open Wounds | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. If Linken’s cooldown ends during Open Wounds, Linken’s will go back on cooldown after blocking one instance of slow. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Death Coil | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely, Abaddon does not take damage from casting the spell. Allied Abaddon's Death Coil has no interaction with Linken's Sphere. |
| Aphotic Shield | . |
 | Shield-break damage is blocked normally and completely for the Linken’s holder. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Void | . |
 | Blocks slow, but neither damage nor ministun is blocked. |
| Crippling Fear | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Dismember | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Hellfire Blast | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
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This guide is written property of nix
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Amplify Damage | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Target Fire Spirits | . |
 | Starts cooldown but only one of the four fire spirits is blocked. (Only for Targeted Fire Spirit, no effect on Fire Spirit area damage.) |
|
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Snowball | . |
 | Damage is not blocked, but stun is blocked normally whether Linken's holder is primary or secondary target. |
| Walrus Punch | . |
 | The disable (channel-canceling) effect of the spell is blocked, but the damage and animation are in no way blocked. |
|
ia
ITEM ABILITIES
| _______________________ | _________________________________________ |
| Shiva's Guard | . |
 | Arctic Blast: Blocks slow, not damage. |
| . | . |
| Guinsoo's Scythe of Vyse | . |
 | Hex: Blocks normally and completely. If Linken's cooldown ends during Hex, Linken's will go back on cooldown without blocking or ending Hex. |
| . | . |
| Medallion of Courage | . |
 | Valor: Blocked normally and completely. |
| . | . |
| Urn of Shadows | . |
 | Soul Release: Blocks normally and completely. |
| . | . |
| Orchid Malevolence | . |
 | Soul Burn: Blocks normally and completely. |
| . | . |
| Eul's Scepter of Divinity | . |
 | Cyclone: Blocks normally and completely. If Linken's cooldown ends during Cyclone, Linken's will go back on cooldown without blocking or ending Cyclone. |
| . | . |
| Force Staff | . |
 | Force: Starts cooldown but spell is in no way blocked. |
| . | . |
| Necronomicon | . |
 | Demonic Summoning: Necronomicon Warrior's Mana burn is blocked completely. |
| . | . |
| Lothar's Edge | . |
 | Wind Walk: If a ranged hero breaks Wind Walk invisibility with an attack, this attack is blocked normally and completely by Linken's. No interaction for melee. |
| . | . |
| Ethereal Blade | . |
 | Ether blast: Blocks normally and completely. |
| . | . |
| Cranium Basher | . |
 | Bash: Ranged hero: blocked normally and completely. Melee hero: no interaction. |
| . | . |
| Monkey King Bar | . |
 | Mini-Bash: Ranged hero: the entire attack's damage is blocked normally and completely. A ranged hero's illusions gain a "fake" Mini-Bash, which can also be blocked. Melee hero: no interaction. |
| . | . |
| Crystalis | . |
 | Critical Strike: Ranged hero: the entire attack's damage is blocked normally and completely. A ranged hero's illusions gain Critical Strike, which can also be blocked. Melee hero: no interaction. |
| . | . |
| Buriza-do Kyanon | . |
 | Critical Strike: Ranged hero: the entire attack's damage is blocked normally and completely. A ranged hero's illusions gain Critical Strike, which can also be blocked. Melee hero: no interaction. |
| . | . |
| Mjollnir | . |
 | Static Charge: When Linken’s holder procs Static Charge, it’s blocked completely. No interaction otherwise. |
| . | . |
| . | Chain Lightning: Damage is blocked, bounce is not stopped. |
| . | . |
| Maelstrom | . |
 | Chain Lightning: Damage is blocked, bounce is not stopped. |
| . | . |
| Diffusal Blade | . |
 | Purge: Blocks normally and completely. |
| |
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ns
NEUTRAL CREEP SKILLS
Satyr Trickster
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Purge | . |
 | Blocks normally and completely. |
|
Satyr Soulstealer
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Mana Burn | . |
| Blocks normally and completely. |
|
This guide is written property of nix
Harpy Storm
| __________________ | ______________________________________________ |
| Chain Lightning | . |
| Whether Linken's holder is primary or secondary target, damage is blocked normally and completely, but the bounce is not prevented. |
|
Strategy
Linken’s Sphere is a defensive item. It is one of the most situational items in the game, and by this I mean Linken’s is never going to be in anyone’s core build. The benefits of Linken’s differ greatly depending on lineups. It doesn’t counter a specific list or set of enemies, rather, it counters specific strategies.
USING LINKEN'S SPHERE
There are different types of heroes that benefit greatly from Linken’s Sphere.
-heroes that have spells that complement Linken’s
-heroes that can’t afford to be stunned or disabled
-heroes that already have some form of magic resistance or immunity
-heroes that need both survivability and mana regeneration
Some heroes that come to mind are Puck, Razor, AM, PL, Morph, QoP, Storm, Dusa etc.
Keep in mind that Linken’s is expensive, more so than Black King Bar (BKB), so this needs to be taken into consideration. It’s only worth it if you can farm easily it after your core and need a defensive item.
Some heroes can’t afford to be Purged, for example, Sven, Brood, Omniknight. Usually, Sven and Brood get BKB in order to carry harder. However, if the carry is relying on Repel and there’s a risk of having it Purged, Linken’s will protect the Repel buff by blocking Purge.
Some heroes that can’t afford to be disabled even by a ministun (example: Sand King) usually build BKB. But sometimes, even though it’s cheaper, BKB isn’t the best option…
Example. Suppose you’re playing Crystal Maiden. Your ultimate, Freezing Field, is a big area of effect damaging and slowing channelling spell. Much of the time, your item build may include BKB for magic immunity, effective against many stuns. However, lets suppose you’re facing an enemy Beastmaster, who usually saves his ultimate (which goes through BKB) to cancel your channelling. You could consider Linken’s as an alternative (or a complementary item) to BKB, especially if your opponents are lacking other single-target disables or spells that will get rid of Linken’s efficiently. This strategy would be maybe not so good against enemies that can interrupt through Linken's fairly easily (like Balanar's Void or Nessaj's Chaos Bolt) or against enemies like Vengeful Spirit, who has 2 ways of cancelling your channel.
List of BKB-penetrating interrupts
that are BLOCKED by Linken's Sphere
-Ensnare
-Doom
-Primal Roar
-Flaming Lasso
-Nether Swap
-Nether Strike
-Hookshot
-Fiend’s Grip
-Chain Frost
-Reaper’s Scythe
-Overgrowth
-Mana Void
-Assassinate
-Omnislash
-Dismember
-Walrus Punch
Linken's isn't exactly easy to farm, but it's not incredibly hard. Click here to see the components of Linken's Sphere.
The main decision you'll have to make about building Linken's is what to get first,Ultimate Orb or Perseverance. Of course, Perseverance is relatively easy to build from the side lane, and it gives better staying power. Ultimate Orb takes a larger initial investment, but it gives lots of stats which can help survivability immensely.
If you're thinking of buying Linken's and you're sitting on 2100 gold, pick up Ultimate Orb first. In general, though, you usually won't be hoarding 2100 gold too early in the game, so it's often easier to go for Perseverance first.
Some heroes benefit cleanly more from one over the other.
Ex: Morph – has suvivability, but needs lane-staying power for farming – Pers first
Ex: Prophet – needs suvivability, and can farm easily – Ulti orb first
Note:
Linken's Sphere is triggered when its holder casts Phantasm or Mirror Image, making Linken's a less-than-optimal choice for Naga Siren or Chaos Knight.
Linken’s cannot be Rearmed or Refreshed, despite what the animation may show (it will show it as off cooldown in the item slot, however the Linken's "protective buff", for lack of a better term, will not be placed on the holder until after the 20s cooldown will have ended. During this time, Linken's cannot be dropped or sold.)
Obtaining two or more Linken’s Spheres is a terrible idea and never advisable, since they share cooldown, and the spell block can get seriously messed up. If ever your Linken's is acting weird, try dropping it on the ground in a safe area and picking it up. Doing so should fix most bugs.
COUNTERING LINKEN'S SPHERE
If you've been over the massive Interactions section of this guide, you'll probably have noticed that some heroes would be excellent candidates to counter Linken's Sphere. Some heroes have few or no spells that are blocked by Linken's, like Slark or Pit Lord.
This guide is written property of nix
Other heroes would make good counters to Linken's Sphere by having skills that trigger the cooldown but aren't blocked, for example, Earthshaker. Some heroes that have more than one way to put Linken's on cooldown, like Lion. Medusa and Warlock fit well into both of these categories.
Another easy way to counter Linken's is to take advantage of certain passive skills:
-Last Word
-Incapacitating Bite
-Overload
-Headshot
-Unstable Current
-Craggy Exterior
These are the only spell passives that trigger Linken's, however, a few item passives such as Maelstrom or ranged Crystalis can be effective at burning away Linken's.
Of course, some heroes wouldn't be very good counters, like Skeleton King, whose only active skill gets blocked.
Now, it's not like you'll be able to choose your hero after you find out that your enemy is building a Linken's Sphere. You won't know if you need to think about countering Linken's Sphere usually until your opponent already has one, so the best way to bypass or burn through Linken's is to find the hero you're using in the monstrous list above (I'll say it again, Ctrl+F is your friend) and figure out how your spells (and items!) interact with Linken's.
As of this version, there are some easily obtainable items which have spells that are good at triggering Linken's sphere.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
I’m against ________ heroes, is Linken’s a good option?
I’m facing a hero with a Linken’s, how do I counter it?
I am ___ hero, is Linken’s a good option?
I am ___ hero, how should I build Linken’s?
Conclusion
This guide has taken me dozens of hours to test, draft, upload, edit, retest, revise, reset, repeat. Needless to say, it was a lot of hard work. I lost many hours of sleep over this guide, and I ripped my hair out in frustration more than once. But sometimes, when I discovered a particularly interesting interaction, I'd say "oh now that's cool" and find inspiration continue the guide. I hope you'll use this as a reference to all your Linken's problems for many maps to come. I will be updating the guide 7-10 days after each map, so you can always count on me to keep you posted.
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you learned many interesting things, as I have. Have fun!
Credits:
Thanks to everyone who commented with helpful remarks!
Thanks to spasmodia for helping with later testing revisions.
Thanks to Dracolich's test map for helping me test some recent changes.
Special thanks to my brother Xerxes231 for putting a lot of time and effort put into testing every skill over LAN when I was too tired to operate 3 computers by myself.
Written by nix
Started on Nov 10, 2009.
Drafted on Nov 18, 2009.
Published on Nov 22, 2009.
Last Revised on Oct 14, 2011.
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