HERO / GET TO KNOW THEM

Lycan

Abilities, roles and builds with an explanation for every purchase.

VALVE · 7.41fChecked 06.10.2026Game data source ↗

HERO GAME PLAN

Ruslan Ukrainskyi· OOPS DOTA

What I want to do in the game

I pressure with summons and the speed from Shapeshift, taking an objective during a limited power window.

As a man or as a wolf, Lycan devastates enemies with sharp claws and deadly jaws. Summoning stealthy wolves to scout ahead or assault a foe, his wolf transformation grants him the speed and strength to run down his enemies, or escape an ambush.

Abilities at hand

01 / ROLE IN THE TEAM

A pick is not a plan yet.

My recommendation is a starting point. We choose another position together with the team and for its needs.

Offlane · position 3

Initial recommendation

My resource is the team's space: I hold the lane and build for initiation or team protection.

Carry · position 1

I need protected farm, my item window and damage on important targets.

MY VIEW OF THE HERO

Pick for a purpose. Play with a plan.

When I pick

I choose this for early unit pressure and quickly changing engagements during Shapeshift. It is better to tie the strong window to an objective.

What I watch out for

AoE damage to units and prolonged kiting can waste the form's duration. Outside the window, the plan must be more cautious.

What I do in combat

I assemble the army in the right lane beforehand and choose a route. After a successful kill, I use the remaining time for buildings, not just another chase.

What I check first

Without my form and living summons, I do not keep pushing as aggressively out of habit.

02 / ITEMS FOR A PURPOSE

What I buy and why.

This is an editorial starting plan based on hero mechanics. It is not presented as a match I have already tested or a popularity ranking.

Offlane · position 3

My starting plan

Here is my initial plan: I do my role's job first, then choose the items the team needs. I adapt the order and expensive purchases to the opponent.

01 / First stepBoots of Speed
An inexpensive first step towards the speed you need. I choose the upgrade based on my role and the match’s needs.
02 / FoundationHelm of the Dominator
Adds a controllable creep for pressure and useful abilities; requires you to control another unit.
03 / FoundationHelm of the Overlord
Builds up your army and pressure with auras and a powerful dominated unit.
04 / Next choiceAssault Cuirass
Gives the team armor and attack speed, helping it apply physical pressure to heroes and objectives.
05 / Next choiceBlack King Bar
Provides a window for my actions against eligible magical damage and disables. I check effects that pierce the protection.

What I change for the situation 3 options

Harpoon ↗

Helps close the gap to a target and builds on items for close-range combat.

Pipe of Insight ↗

Provides team protection against substantial magical damage.

Aghanim's Scepter ↗

Unlocks or upgrades Wolf Bite. The exact effects are shown below in the abilities section.

I see the minute on the clock. And the situation too.

I do not assign one ‘correct’ minute to every purchase. I look at my gold, the next fight and the problem: am I missing mana, target access, control or protection? If an expensive slot will arrive too late, I get a useful answer earlier.

03 / HERO ABILITIES

Abilities. As in the game.

Original Valve icons and descriptions. Cooldowns and mana are shown by level from the data snapshot; talents and upgrades can change the values.

Ability

Summon Wolves

Summons 2 wolves to assist the hero in battle. From the third level, the wolves have permanent invisibility; from the fourth, their attacks have a 20% chance to cripple an enemy, dealing 8 damage per second and reducing its attack speed by 60…

↻ 30 sec.Mana 115 / 120 / 125 / 130

Details and upgrades

Aghanim’s Shard

Increases the number of wolves summoned. Grants all summoned wolves the ability Hightail, an active ability that gives them phased movement, evasion, movespeed, and attack speed.

Ability

Howl

Strikes fear into enemies, reducing armor and attack damage of all enemies within 2000 range of Lycan and his wolves. At night, Howl's armor and attack damage reductions are global.

↻ 22 / 20 / 18 / 16 sec.Mana 40

Ability

Feral Impulse

Increases the HP regeneration and damage of Lycan and all units under his control.

Ability

Shapeshift

The hero transforms into a wolf, gaining increased movement speed, immunity to slows, increased night vision, and a chance to deal critical strikes.

↻ 105 / 95 / 85 sec.Mana 100

Details

Lycan assumes his lupine form, granting him critical strikes and added vision at night. During Shapeshift, Lycan moves at increased speed and cannot be slowed. Movement and critical strike bonuses are also applied to all units under Lycan's control.

Innates, upgrades and other forms2 abilities +

These abilities are not necessarily available at the same time. I check the condition beside the name: innate ability, another form or an Aghanim purchase.

From Aghanim’s Scepter

Wolf Bite

Lycan bites an allied hero or creep-hero, granting them Shapeshift properties. Lycan and the bitten target gain 40% Lifesteal and share the healing effect of Lifesteal with each other as long as they are within 1200 range of each other.

Full description

Innate

Apex Predator

Lycan and units he controls deal extra damage to neutral creeps.

Full description

Lycan and units he controls deal extra damage to neutral creeps.

Valve base stats +

Health · base: 736
Mana · base: 351
Damage · Valve field: 52–57
Armour · Valve field: 3
Movement speed: 305
Attack range: 150
Strength · base / gain: 28 / 3.4
Agility · base / gain: 18 / 1.7
Intelligence · base / gain: 23 / 1.7

These are fields from the official source. The hero's final values in the client account for attributes and other active mechanics.

KEEP EXPLORING

One hero. Many decisions.

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