Grimstroke

Stats

These are the base values written in the game files. Totals derived from attributes (HP, mana, armor) depend on engine-side formulas, so no estimated values are shown.

Abilities

Stroke of Fate

Cooldown 11 / 9 / 7 / 5s Mana 100 / 110 / 120 / 130 Range 1400 MAGICAL

ActiveCooldown11 / 9 / 7 / 5sMana100 / 110 / 120 / 130Range1400

Grimstroke paints a curved path of ink with his brush, damaging and slowing enemies. The damage is increased with each enemy the ink hits. Can be put on alt-cast to have the path be straight.

Raw values (from the game files)（18）

start_radius	120
end_radius	160
BASE DAMAGE	100 / 160 / 220 / 280
BONUS DMG PER HERO	20 / 40 / 60 / 80
BONUS DMG PER ILLUSION/CREEP	10 / 20 / 30 / 40
%MOVEMENT SLOW	50 / 60 / 70 / 80
SLOW DURATION	1.75
vision_duration	2.0
projectile_speed	2000
vector_min_cos_facing_angle	-0.99
vector_strength	0.6
vector_max_travel_time_multiplier	5
vector_acceptable_radian_to_snap_velocity	0.25
vector_distance_to_start_force_turning	100
vector_deg_turn_divisor	1.3
vector_deg_turn_max	60
vector_reticle_distance	400.0
vector_reticle_radius	140.0

Patch history

7.41 2026-03-24

• Can now be put on alt-cast to send the stroke straight

Phantom's Embrace

Cooldown 30 / 26 / 22 / 18s Mana 80 / 100 / 120 / 140 Range 900 MAGICAL

ActiveCooldown30 / 26 / 22 / 18sMana80 / 100 / 120 / 140Range900

Summons a phantom that moves quickly towards the target, latching to it when she arrives. Once latched, the phantom damages and silences. If she survives the full latch duration she rends her victim for heavy damage and refreshes Phantom's Embrace's cooldown. Hero attacks against the phantom count as 3 attacks each.

Raw values (from the game files)（12）

speed	1150
LATCH DURATION	5
ATTACKS TO DESTROY	6 / 6 / 9 / 9
hero_attack_multiplier	3
PHANTOM DPS	10 / 20 / 30 / 40
enemy_vision_time	4
tick_interval	0.5
infection_search_radius	1000
REND DAMAGE	120 / 200 / 280 / 360
return_projectile_speed	1150
latched_unit_offset	130
latched_unit_offset_short	95

• The phantom falls off if the target becomes invisible or spell immune.
• The phantom will return if the target dies during the latch.

Patch history

7.40 2025-12-15

• Cooldown is now also refreshed if the phantom's target dies before the phantom latches to it

Ink Swell

Cooldown 27 / 24 / 21 / 18s Mana 120 / 130 / 140 / 150 Range 650 / 700 / 750 / 800 MAGICAL

ActiveCooldown27 / 24 / 21 / 18sMana120 / 130 / 140 / 150Range650 / 700 / 750 / 800

Grimstroke shrouds an allied unit in ink, increasing its movement speed. Enemies in range of the allied unit are damaged with inky tendrils over time. After 3 seconds it applies damage and stun in an area around the unit in proportion to how long ink tendril was near any hero.

Raw values (from the game files)（9）

BUFF DURATION	3
%MOVEMENT SPEED BONUS	20
RADIUS	375
MAX DAMAGE	90 / 180 / 270 / 360
MAX STUN DURATION	1.6 / 2.0 / 2.4 / 2.8
damage_per_tick	6 / 9 / 12 / 15
tick_rate	0.2
INK TENDRILS DPS	30 / 45 / 60 / 75
MAX THRESHOLD DURATION	2.5

Patch history

7.40c 2026-01-21

• Cast Range increased from 500/600/700/800 to 650/700/750/800

Dark Portrait

Cooldown 35s Mana 200 Range 1200

ActiveCooldown35sMana200Range1200

Creates an ink illusion of a target enemy hero. Illusion is debuff immune, has 90% magic resistance, and has bonus movement speed and attack damage.

Raw values (from the game files)（7）

ILLUSION DURATION	25
images_do_damage_percent	25
%ILLUSION OUTGOING DAMAGE	125
images_take_damage_percent	175
%ILLUSION DAMAGE TAKEN	275
%ILLUSION MOVESPEED BONUS	30
immunity_resist	90

Patch history

7.41e 2026-07-30

• No longer has illusion vision penalty

7.41d 2026-06-04

• Magic Resistance decreased from 95% to 90%

7.40 2025-12-15

• Illusion Outgoing Damage decreased from 150% to 125%
• Illusion Damage Taken decreased from 350% to 275%

Soulbind

Cooldown 70 / 65 / 60s Mana 150 / 200 / 250 Range 700 / 800 / 900

ActiveCooldown70 / 65 / 60sMana150 / 200 / 250Range700 / 800 / 900

Binds a targeted enemy hero to its nearest allied hero within the bind radius, preventing both from moving away from each other. Any unit-targeted ability that either bound hero receives also gets cast on the other hero. If the bind is broken before the duration expires, the initial target will be bound to its nearest allied hero in the radius.

Raw values (from the game files)（6）

DURATION	6.0 / 7.0 / 8.0
BIND RADIUS	600
chain_break_distance	700
leash_limit_multiplier	1.3
leash_radius_buffer	50
creep_duration_pct	50.0

• If bound to another unit, affected units are leashed and prevented from blinking.
• Provides vision of both leashed units.

Patch history

7.40 2025-12-15

• Ability can now be reflected
• Reflected spells now get casted onto both units affected by Soulbind

Ink Trail Innate Passive

Passive

Grimstroke's attacks and spells cause affected enemy heroes to leave a trail of Ink behind them and deal less damage to Grimstroke for 4.0s.

Raw values (from the game files)（2）

debuff_duration	4.0
%DAMAGE REDUCTION	5

• Provides vision over affected heroes.
• Grimstroke's illusions (including Dark Portrait) also have Ink Trail.

Patch history

7.41 2026-03-24

• Now also applied when an enemy hero is affected by any of Grimstroke's abilities
• Now also applied by attacks from Grimstroke's illusions (including Dark Portrait)
• Grimstroke now takes 5% + 0.5% per level less damage from enemies affected by Ink Trail

Talents

One of the two per level is chosen. They appear in the order registered in the game files.

Patch history (hero and talents)

Background

The people of Ashkavor crowded around the temple square, eager to witness the ascension of their new guardian -- to stand near the man as he bound their souls to his own. But as his final brush strokes fell against the runestone, and the bond of a new Ascended One was forged, everyone -- even those who'd stayed in their homes -- could sense that something had gone terribly wrong. He knew the cause instantly. The droplets of ichor he'd procured to amplify the potency of his inkpots had instead contaminated them, and the power of the binding spell he'd cast now threatened to consume him. An inky corruption snaked upward from the runestone, along the handle of his brush, soon overtaking his hands. From there it spread quickly. Once it overcame his face and his mouth, he couldn't have screamed even if he'd wanted to. All of his life he'd calculated on how to attain ever greater powers than the limits presented by his teachers would allow--going so far as to break the sacred prohibition against augmenting the inks. Indeed, with the wellspring of the Ascended bond open to him, he felt a measure of power coursing into his soul like he'd never imagined. His greatest triumph was upon him, if he could only survive it. He drew deep from the power of the bond, pushing back against the corrupted ink flow. A great moan filled the air -- the collective cry of his people. Some swayed on their feet. The weakest collapsed. Many tried to run. And still deeper he pulled from their bloodline reservoir. But it wasn't enough to stop the ink tide. It was only when the breath trapped in his lungs began to fail him, and the inkpool darkness fully encased him, that he saw his way out. The bond he'd made with the Ashkavoran people -- his people -- meant to be drawn upon only in service of their protection... It flowed two ways. With a final surge of strength -- this time directed by more than just blind repulsion -- he pushed the ink torrent into the bond itself. Slowly, he felt the tide retreat... and heard the awful wails of his people as the corruption in turn rolled over them. When at last the ink relented, his eyes opened upon a world changed. The Ashkavoran people as he knew them were gone. Every last soul was transformed into terrifying shades of their former selves -- comprised no longer of blood and bone, only viscid, tainted ink.

Details