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AgilityAgility · Ranged

Medusa

Immobilizes her enemies with her stone gaze

CarryDisablerDurableSimple to play
Medusa portrait

Win rate

48.9%

C across all ranks

Pick rate

2.7%

of public matches

Public picks

90.1K

in the sample

Pro scene

0

0 bans · 0% win rate

Win rate by rank

  • Herald1Herald48.8%
  • Guardian2Guardian50.7%
  • Crusader3Crusader49.3%
  • Archon4Archon48.6%
  • Legend5Legend49.4%
  • Ancient6Ancient47.5%
  • Divine+7Divine+46.7%

Bars start at 50%. Sample sizes: Herald 2.4K · Guardian 8.1K · Crusader 14.8K · Archon 22.7K · Legend 24.4K · Ancient 11.9K · Divine+ 5.8K.

Last 6 days

48.9%

Popular item build

Starting items

Bought before the horn

  1. 1

    Iron Branch

    55g
  2. 2

    Magic Stick

    200g
  3. 3

    Circlet

    155g
  4. 4

    Enchanted Mango

    65g
  5. 5

    Magic Wand

    460g

Laning

The first minutes

  1. 1

    Boots of Speed

    500g
  2. 2

    Power Treads

    44%1,400g
  3. 3

    Null Talisman

    505g
  4. 4

    Blade of Alacrity

    1,000g

Mid game

Core items

  1. 1

    Manta Style

    44%4,650g
  2. 2

    Butterfly

    53%5,450g
  3. 3

    Ultimate Orb

    62%2,800g

Late game

The full build

  1. 1

    Eye of Skadi

    66%5,900g
  2. 2

    Daedalus

    5,200g
  3. 3

    Blink Dagger

    2,250g
  4. 4

    Black King Bar

    4,050g
  5. 5

    Disperser

    6,100g
  6. 6

    Butterfly

    53%5,450g

Most-bought items for Medusa in OpenDota’s sample of parsed public matches (1,905 purchases counted). Bars compare each item with the most-bought one in its phase. The percentage is the win rate in games where Medusa bought the item by minute 30 (green or red when it is clearly above or below Medusa’s average). Teams that are ahead buy items sooner, so a high number shows the item goes with winning games, not that it causes the win. Items with fewer than 100 games show no percentage. Cheap components are hidden from the mid and late game.

Best win rate by purchase time

Bought ≤ 12 min

  1. Yasha

    228 games

    51%
  2. Power Treads

    420 games

    44%

Bought 12–15 min

  1. Manta Style

    110 games

    61%
  2. Yasha

    135 games

    39%

Bought 15–20 min

  1. Eaglesong

    138 games

    57%
  2. Manta Style

    236 games

    40%

Bought 20–30 min

  1. Crystalys

    71 games

    66%
  2. Eye of Skadi

    106 games

    66%
  3. Ultimate Orb

    287 games

    65%

Final items compared within the same purchase window (at least 60 games each), so they are not simply ranked by how late or expensive they are. Still a correlation: a team that is far ahead can buy anything sooner.

What these items do

  • Iron Branch

    55

    • +1 All Attributes

    Use: Plant Tree: Targets the ground to plant a happy little tree that lasts for 20 seconds.

  • Magic Stick

    200

    Active: Energy Charge: Instantly restores 15 health and mana per charge stored. Max 10 charges. Gains a charge whenever a visible enemy within 1200 range uses an ability.

    Full description

    17s

    Active: Energy Charge. Instantly restores 15 health and mana per charge stored. Max 10 charges. Gains a charge whenever a visible enemy within 1200 range uses an ability.

    • Gains charges for spells cast by visible enemies in 1200 range.
    • Certain abilities and item abilities will not add charges.
  • Circlet

    155

    • +2 All Attributes
  • Enchanted Mango

    65

    • +0.4 Health Regen

    Use: Eat Mango: Instantly restores 100 mana.

    Full description

    Use: Eat Mango. Instantly restores 100 mana.

    • Hold Control to use on a nearby allied hero.
  • Magic Wand

    460

    • +3 All Attributes

    Active: Energy Charge: Instantly restores 15 health and mana per charge stored. Max 20 charges. Gains a charge whenever a visible enemy within 1200 range uses an ability.

    Full description

    15s

    Active: Energy Charge. Instantly restores 15 health and mana per charge stored. Max 20 charges. Gains a charge whenever a visible enemy within 1200 range uses an ability.

    • Gains charges for spells cast by visible enemies in 1200 range.
    • Certain abilities and item abilities will not add charges.
  • Boots of Speed

    500

    • +45 Move Speed

    Movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack.

  • Power Treads

    1,400

    • +25 Damage

    Active: Switch Attribute: Switches between +10 Strength, +10 Agility, or +10 Intelligence. Movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack.

    Win rate when bought43.7% · 421 games

    • ≤ 12 min44%420
    • 12–15 min–0
    • 15–20 min–1
    • 20–30 min–0
    Full description

    Active: Switch Attribute. Switches between +10 Strength, +10 Agility, or +10 Intelligence. Movement speed bonuses from multiple pairs of boots do not stack.

    • Power Treads can be built using a Belt of Strength, Band of Elvenskin, or a Robe of the Magi.
  • Null Talisman

    505

    • +5 Intelligence
    • +2 Strength
    • +2 Agility
    • +1 Mana Regen
  • Blade of Alacrity

    1,000

    • +10 Agility
  • Manta Style

    4,650

    • +10 Strength
    • +26 Agility
    • +10 Intelligence
    • +15 Damage
    • +10% Move Speed

    Active: Mirror Image: Creates 2 images of your hero that last 18 seconds. Melee images deal 33% damage, while Ranged images deal 25%. Illusions take 300% damage.

    Win rate when bought44.2% · 396 games

    • ≤ 12 min–11
    • 12–15 min61%110
    • 15–20 min40%236
    • 20–30 min21%39
    Full description

    34s125

    Active: Mirror Image. Creates 2 images of your hero that last 18 seconds. Melee images deal 33% damage, while Ranged images deal 25%. Illusions take 300% damage. Dispel Type: Basic Dispel

    • Has a 0.1 second cast time during which you are invulnerable.
    • Many effects are removed upon using Manta.
    • Yasha based movement speed bonuses from multiple items do not stack.
  • Butterfly

    5,450

    • +30 Agility
    • +35% Evasion
    • +30 Damage

    Win rate when bought52.9% · 274 games

    • ≤ 12 min–1
    • 12–15 min–1
    • 15–20 min–26
    • 20–30 min49%246
    Full description
    • Stacks diminishingly with other sources of Evasion.
  • Ultimate Orb

    2,800

    • +15 All Attributes

    Win rate when bought61.8% · 322 games

    • ≤ 12 min–3
    • 12–15 min–3
    • 15–20 min–29
    • 20–30 min65%287
  • Eye of Skadi

    5,900

    • +35 All Attributes

    Passive: Cold Attack: Attacks lower enemy movement by -25% if they are melee and -50% if they are ranged.

    Win rate when bought66.1% · 112 games

    • ≤ 12 min–0
    • 12–15 min–1
    • 15–20 min–5
    • 20–30 min66%106
    Full description

    Passive: Cold Attack. Attacks lower enemy movement by -25% if they are melee and -50% if they are ranged. Attacks also lower enemy attack speed by -25% and Health Restoration by 50%. Lasts for 3 seconds.

  • Daedalus

    5,200

    • +88 Damage

    Passive: Critical Strike: Grants each attack a 30% chance to deal 225% damage.

    Full description

    Passive: Critical Strike. Grants each attack a 30% chance to deal 225% damage.

    • Critical Strike does not work against buildings.
  • Blink Dagger

    2,250

    Active: Blink: Teleport to a target point up to 1200 units away. Blink Dagger cannot be used for 3 seconds after taking damage from an enemy hero or Roshan.

    Full description

    15s

    Active: Blink. Teleport to a target point up to 1200 units away. Blink Dagger cannot be used for 3 seconds after taking damage from an enemy hero or Roshan.

    • Self-casting will cause you to teleport in the direction of your team's fountain.
  • Black King Bar

    4,050

    • +10 Strength
    • +24 Damage

    Active: Avatar: Applies a basic dispel. Grants 60% magic resistance and immunity to reflected and pure damage.

    Full description

    95s50

    Active: Avatar. Applies a basic dispel. Grants 60% magic resistance and immunity to reflected and pure damage. For the duration of the effect, any negative effect from enemy spells has no effect. Duration: 9 / 8 / 7s Dispel Type: Basic Dispel

    • Purchasing another Black King Bar will not reset its immunity duration.
    • Avatar duration is not affected by increases to buff duration.
  • Disperser

    6,100

    • +40 Agility
    • +10 Intelligence

    Active: Suppress: Dispels both the wearer and the target. Enemy targets are slowed for 4 seconds.

    Full description

    15s75

    Active: Suppress. Dispels both the wearer and the target. Enemy targets are slowed for 4 seconds. Allied targets gain bonus movespeed and 40% slow resistance for 4 seconds. Caster is always granted the ally benefit on cast. Both movement speed reduction and increase start at 100% and gradually decrease to 0% over the course of the buff duration. Dispel Type: Basic Dispel

    Passive: Manabreak. Each attack burns 40 mana from the target, and deals 1 physical damage per burned mana. Illusions do not burn mana.

Abilities

Split Shot

Medusa magically splits her shot into several arrows. These arrows deal a lower percent of her normal damage. The extra targets will not receive other attack effects (such as critical strike).

OUTGOING DAMAGE
50 / 60 / 70 / 80%
EXTRA TARGETS
4
  • Secondary targets will be the closest enemy units excluding the primary target.
  • If illusions of Medusa are created while Split Shot is active, they will also have this ability.

Aghanim’s ScepterAllows on-hit effects to apply to the secondary attacks from Split Shot. Increases arrow count.

Mystic Snake

15 / 14 / 13 / 12s80 / 100 / 120 / 140

A mystic snake made of energy jumps from target to target dealing damage. Damage and speed increases with each jump. After it reaches its last target, it returns to Medusa to replenish her with mana. The snake returns a percentage of the targets' total mana.

JUMP RADIUS
450
JUMPS
3 / 4 / 5 / 6
BASE DAMAGE
90 / 140 / 190 / 240
MANA GAIN
15%
DAMAGE/SPEED INCREASE PER JUMP
25%
  • Mystic Snake cannot be disjointed.

Gorgon's Grasp

30 / 26 / 22 / 18s65 / 85 / 105 / 125

Medusa fires arrows in a line that land in 3 groups, with each grouping larger than the previous. Enemies struck by a volley of arrows take an initial burst of damage and then are rooted, cannot turn, are revealed to the enemy, and take damage per second.

INITIAL RADIUS
150
RADIUS GROWTH
50
DELAY
1
DURATION
0.8 / 1.2 / 1.6 / 2
DAMAGE
30 / 70 / 110 / 150
DAMAGE PER SECOND
100

Cold Blooded

Granted by Aghanim’s Shard12s

When Medusa is targeted with a spell, a single-target Mystic Snake is sent back towards the enemy that turns them into stone for 1s.

Mana Shield

Innate

Creates a shield that absorbs 98% of incoming damage in exchange for Medusa's mana. Illusions absorb 60% less damage per point of mana.

DAMAGE PER MANA
2
  • Absorbs damage before any damage reduction takes place, meaning that armor will not reduce the amount of mana needed to absorb damage.

Stone Gaze

Ultimate90s250

Any enemy units looking at Medusa will have their movement and attack speed slowed. If 2 seconds of total time is accumulated looking at Medusa while Stone Gaze is active, that unit will turn to stone. Petrified units are stunned, and take bonus physical attack damage.

RADIUS
1200
DURATION
5 / 5.5 / 6
SLOW
35%
STONE DURATION
2 / 2.2 / 2.4
BONUS PHYSICAL ATTACK DAMAGE
35 / 45 / 55%
SPEED BOOST
50%
  • Regardless of when a unit receives the Stone Gaze buff while the ability is active on Medusa, it will still receive the full debuff duration.

Talents

+2.5s Stone Gaze Duration

25

+40 Intelligence

+40% Mystic Snake Damage / Mana Gain

20

+12% Split Shot Outgoing Damage

+1 Gorgon's Grasp Volley

15

-4s Mystic Snake Cooldown

+20% Gorgon's Grasp Radius

10

+12% Stone Gaze Bonus Physical Damage

Base stats

Attributes

  • StrengthStrength0+0/lvl
  • AgilityAgility22+3.6/lvl
  • IntelligenceIntelligence25+3.6/lvl

At level 1

Damage
48–54
Attack time
1.7s
Attack range
600
Move speed
275
Armor
2.7
Magic resistance
25%
Health
120 (+0.3/s)
Mana
375 (+1.3/s)
Vision day / night
1800 / 800

Recent changes

latest 12 patches
  1. 7.41e
    • Split Shot:Toggling on/off no longer breaks invisibility and can be done while silenced
  2. 7.41
    • Gorgon's Grasp:Cooldown decreased from 30/27/24/21s to 30/26/22/18s
    • Now always centers the cast cursor around the second grouping, even if the number of volleys is increased
    • Talents:Level 10 Talent Stone Gaze Bonus Physical Damage increased from +10% to +12%
    • Level 15 Talent Mystic Snake Cooldown Reduction increased from 3s to 4s
    • Level 15 Talent +8% Split Shot Outgoing Damage replaced with +1 Gorgon's Grasp Volley
    • Level 20 Talent +1 Gorgon's Grasp Volley replaced with +12% Split Shot Outgoing Damage
    • Level 20 Talent +3 Mystic Snake Bounces replaced with +40% Mystic Snake Damage / Mana Gain
    • Level 25 Talent Stone Gaze Duration increased from +2s to +2.5s
  3. 7.40
    • Mana Shield:No longer benefits from mana cost reduction effects
    • Talents:Level 20 Talent +1.5s Stone Gaze Duration replaced with +1 Gorgon's Grasp Volley
    • Level 25 Talent +1 Gorgon's Grasp Volley replaced with +2s Stone Gaze Duration
  4. 7.39e
    • Mana Shield:Base Damage per Mana decreased from 2.2 to 2.0

Lore

Beauty is power. This thought comforted Medusa--the youngest and loveliest of three beautiful Gorgon sisters, born to a sea goddess--because she alone of the sisters was mortal. It comforted her, that is, until the day masked assailants invaded the Gorgon realm and tore the two immortal sisters from their home, unmoved by their beauty or by their tears. One of the invaders seized Medusa as well, but then cast her aside with a disgusted look: 'This one has the mortal stink upon her. We have no use for that which dies.' Humiliated, enraged, Medusa fled to the temple of her mother and cast herself before the goddess, crying, 'You denied me eternal life--therefore I beg you, give me power! Power, so I can dedicate what life I have to rescuing my sisters and avenging this injustice!' After long thought, the goddess granted her daughter's request, allowing Medusa to trade her legendary beauty for a face and form of terrifying strength. Never for a moment has Medusa regretted her choice. She understands that power is the only beauty worth possessing--for only power can change the world.

Win rates come from public Dota 2 matches (OpenDota), 3.4M matches counted, refreshed Oct 24, 2026. Tiers use the win rate in the chosen rank: S 52.5%+, A 51%+, B 49%+, C 47.5%+, D below; heroes with too few games are left unrated. Hero data and patch notes are Valve’s. Builds Forge is an unofficial fan site, not affiliated with Valve.