Counterspell
passive Documented When to buy Counterspell Counterspell +23s Cooldown +20 Spirit Power +6s Buff Duration +0.8s Spell Parry Duration +50 Bonus Health +5 Spirit Power
Buy against telegraphed single-target ultimates and hex-style point-and-click abilities you can read and parry.
When to skip Counterspell
Skill-dependent — avoid if you cannot time the parry, and it does not help against sustained damage.
Gotchas
The mechanics people most often get wrong about this item.
- Multiple abilities can be parried in the window, but the heal and buffs only apply from the first
Problems it answers
- Burst damage — “I die before I can react.”
- Stuns and hard CC — “I get locked down and deleted.”
- Channelled ultimates — “Their ultimate wins the fight on its own.”
Heroes that make this worth a slot
Heroes whose kit creates the problems Counterspell answers. This is derived from kit properties, not from measured build results.