The Crimson Guard is one of the most effective defensive items in Dota 2, providing a powerful mix of health, armor, and regeneration while also offering valuable teamfight utility. With its active ability, Guard, it can significantly mitigate physical damage for both the wearer and nearby allies. This makes it an essential item in games where high physical damage output from enemy carries poses a significant threat. In this guide, we will explore the full functionality of the Crimson Guard, including its recipe, stats, abilities, recommended heroes, itemization strategy, and best ways to use it effectively.
Crimson Guard – Item Statistics and Recipe
The Crimson Guard is a durable defensive item that offers excellent protection against physical damage. Its combination of health, armor, and regeneration makes it a great item for tanky heroes and initiators.
- Cost: 3725 gold
- Base Stats:
- +250 Health
- +12 Health Regeneration
- +8 Armor
Crimson Guard must be purchased from the Base Shop, but it requires a component from the Secret Shop to be fully assembled.
Crimson Guard – Abilities
Active Ability – Guard
Crimson Guard’s active ability, Guard, provides an area-of-effect damage block to allied heroes and buildings within a 1200-radius range.
- Affects: Allied heroes and buildings
- Effect: Grants a 100% chance to block damage equal to 70 + 2.2% of the caster’s max health from each incoming attack for 7 seconds.
- Mana Cost:75
- Cooldown: 40 seconds
- Additional Notes:
- Only affects allied heroes once every 39 seconds, ensuring its effect doesn’t overlap.
- Interrupts the caster’s channeling spells when activated.
- Affects illusions and invulnerable units but does not affect creep-heroes.
Passive Ability – Damage Block
Crimson Guard also has a built-in passive ability that blocks a portion of incoming physical damage.
- Affects: Self
- Proc Chance: 60%
- Blocked Damage:
- Melee Heroes: 75
- Ranged Heroes: 50
- Additional Notes:
- Uses pseudo-random distribution, meaning multiple triggers do not stack.
- If multiple sources of damage block exist, the highest value takes effect.
- Does not block damage from wards or reduce physical ability damage (except for select cases).
Additional Insights and Strategy
Why Choose Crimson Guard?
- Provides outstanding mitigation against physical right-click damage.
- A solid upgrade from Vanguard, which many tanky heroes already build.
- The Guard ability has immense value in teamfights.
- Blocks a significant portion of damage from heroes like Sniper, Phantom Assassin, and Juggernaut.
Best Heroes to Build Crimson Guard
Crimson Guard is recommended for heroes that benefit from increased survivability, especially those that already purchase Vanguard:
- Axe – Boosts durability and makes Axe even tankier in fights.
- Centaur Warrunner – Helps mitigate damage when initiating with Hoof Stomp.
- Bristleback – Further reduces damage taken due to his passive ability.
- Underlord – Provides additional sustain in fights.
How to Use Crimson Guard Effectively
Maximizing the value of Crimson Guard requires strategic activation:
- Use it at the start of teamfights to mitigate the most damage possible.
- Save it for high-damage ults like Omnislash from Juggernaut.
- Coordinate with allies to maximize protection from physical attacks.
Frequently Asked Questions – Crimson Guard in Dota 2
Does Crimson Guard stack with Vanguard?
No, only the highest damage block effect will apply.
Can Crimson Guard protect against magic damage?
No, its effect is limited to incoming physical attacks only.
What is the cooldown on Crimson Guard’s active ability?
The active ability Guard has a 40-second cooldown.
Does Crimson Guard work against illusions?
Yes, its effect extends to allies, including illusions, helping counter illusion-based heroes.
Should I buy Crimson Guard for every tanky hero?
No, it’s best against lineups heavy on physical damage and multiple right-clickers.
How does Crimson Guard block damage?
It has a chance-based block that reduces physical damage taken per hit.
Does Crimson Guard affect buildings?
Yes, the Guard active ability works on buildings, reducing physical damage taken.
Can multiple Crimson Guard effects stack?
No, if an allied hero has been affected by Guard in the past 39 seconds, they will not receive the bonus again.
Is Crimson Guard better than Pipe of Insight?
They serve different purposes—Crimson Guard blocks physical damage, while Pipe of Insight protects against magical damage.
Can supports buy Crimson Guard?
It’s more commonly purchased by tanky offlaners due to its high cost and defensive benefits.
How to Build and Use Crimson Guard in Dota 2
Step 1: Purchase Components
Start by buying Vanguard as a core component, then purchase the needed item from the Secret Shop.
Step 2: Complete Crimson Guard
Once you have all components, assemble the item in the Base Shop.
Step 3: Use Effectively
Activate Guard before or during teamfights to mitigate damage for yourself and allies.
Step 4: Pair with Other Defensive Items
Crimson Guard works well with items like Pipe of Insight for even greater durability.
Conclusion
Crimson Guard is a fantastic defensive item in Dota 2, providing vital protection against physical damage for both the wearer and allies. The item is perfect for tanky initiators and offlane heroes who need additional survivability in teamfights. With its strong synergy with Vanguard and other defensive items, it can be a game-changing addition for teams facing heavy physical damage opponents. If you find yourself in a match where enemy right-clickers dominate, consider adding Crimson Guard to your inventory for superior protection.
Source : Dota Seconds
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