Disarm

Disarm is a status effect that prevents the affected unit from attacking while still allowing normal movement, hero abilities, and item use unless another disable is also present.

What is Disarm in Dota 2?

Disarm removes a unit’s ability to perform attacks for the duration of the effect. The affected hero can normally keep moving, cast abilities, and use items. If given an attack order, the unit may move into attack range but cannot complete the attack while disarmed.

Because disarm targets only attacks, its value depends heavily on the enemy hero. It can shut down a right-click carry for several seconds while having much less impact on a spellcaster whose main contribution comes from abilities.

How Disarm is used in a match

Disarm is often saved for a moment when an enemy physical damage dealer has committed to a fight and wants uninterrupted time to attack. Removing those attacks can protect a focused ally, waste an offensive buff, or force the enemy to retreat until the effect ends.

A disarmed hero can still respond with spells and items, so the attacking team may need additional control if it wants a full kill setup rather than only reducing incoming attack damage.

Do not confuse Disarm with...

Disarm stops attacks, not abilities or items. Silence stops active abilities, mute stops active items, and stun prevents a much broader range of actions. Blind is different again: a blinded unit can attack, but its attacks may miss.