Broadsword
Splintmail
Recipe
Blade Mail in Dota 2: who buys it, when it wins and what it costs
Kevin · Dota2Arena · updated Oct 28, 2026 · numbers live from our scannerBlade Mail costs 2,400 gold and shows up in 51% of ranked matches. Players holding it at the end win 49.2% of their games across 1,387,934 inventories, most often on Axe and Legion Commander. It wins most in the early game (57.8%) and least in the late game (48.7%).
What Blade Mail does
Active: Damage Return
For 5.5 seconds, return all incoming damage, increasing the percentage by 85%.
Passive: Damage Return
Everytime you are attacked, you return 10 damage plus 15% of the attack damage dealt to you.
In numbers: +15 damage, +7 armor, 25s cooldown, 25 mana.
- Damage Return is calculated before any kind of reduction.
- Returned damage type is the same as it was received.
- Damage done by this item is considered reflected damage. Reflected damage does not provide any lifesteal and cannot be reflected.
Who buys Blade Mail
The share says how many games of a hero end with Blade Mail in the inventory, the win rate is that hero's win rate in exactly those games. A high share with an average win rate means the item is standard on the hero; a low share with a high win rate means it is a situational pick that works when it is needed.
| Hero | Share of games | Win rate with it | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axe | 93% | 51.0% | 341,452 |
| Legion Commander | 92% | 52.8% | 313,683 |
| Pudge | 22% | 50.0% | 129,342 |
| Undying | 28% | 48.8% | 70,127 |
| Bristleback | 47% | 47.2% | 62,960 |
| Spirit Breaker | 14% | 49.9% | 49,587 |
| Centaur Warrunner | 45% | 47.9% | 48,658 |
| Kunkka | 33% | 48.3% | 31,847 |
When to buy it
Win rate by match length tells you in which kind of game the item pays off. Items that win short games are usually bought early and snowball; items that win long games are late-game purchases or things you buy when the game is already going well, so read the number as "games with this item at this length" rather than as advice to rush it.
| Phase | Match length | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early game | under 25 min | 57.8% | 13,953 |
| Mid game | 25–40 min | 49.8% | 561,856 |
| Late game | over 40 min | 48.7% | 812,987 |
What to combine it with
These items sit in the same final inventory as Blade Mail most often (based on every 4th match). Boots and other staples appear on almost every list; the interesting entries are the ones specific to this item.
| Item | In the same inventory | Cost |
|---|---|---|
 Blink Dagger | 61% | 2,250 |
 Phase Boots | 59% | 1,450 |
 Black King Bar | 42% | 4,050 |
 Bracer | 27% | 505 |
 Aghanim's Scepter | 21% | 4,200 |
 Heart of Tarrasque | 16% | 5,300 |
 Power Treads | 11% | 1,400 |
 Shiva's Guard | 9% | 4,500 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Blade Mail good right now?
In our window Blade Mail ends up in winning inventories 49.2% of the time across 1,387,934 ranked games, close to the 50 % mark. It does best in the early game (57.8%) and worst in the late game (48.7%).
Which heroes buy Blade Mail?
Axe (93% of games), Legion Commander (92% of games), Pudge (22% of games), Undying (28% of games), Bristleback (47% of games). The highest win rate with it belongs to Legion Commander at 52.8%.
How much does Blade Mail cost and what do you need?
Blade Mail costs 2,400 gold in total: Broadsword (1,000), Splintmail (950) and a recipe for 450.