Since you last played
Tuned 15 times26 lines of changes across 15 patches, condensed below to the ones that still matter.
6 buffs and 12 nerfs in total: trending weaker.
Cost and recipe
- ▲Recipe cost decreased from 750 to 450. Total cost increased from 2300g to 2400gchanged 7 times across 5 patches, net buff
Biggest changes
- ▲Armor bonus increased from +6 to +7adjusted 4 times across 4 patches, net buff
- ▼Damage bonus decreased from +18 to +15adjusted 3 times across 3 patches, net nerf
- ◆Active Damage Return no longer interrupts channeling when castadjusted 2 times across 1 patch, roughly even
- ▼Damage Return passive attack damage returned decreased from 20 + 20% to 10 + 15%
- ▲Damage increased from +22 to +28
- ▼Cooldown increased from 20 to 25
- ▼Intelligence reduced from 10 to 8
- ▼Active return damage reduced from 100% to 80%
- ▼Bonus armor reduced from 6 to 5
- ▼Armor reduced from +7 to +6
- ▲Duration increased from 4.5s to 5.5s
- ▼No longer grants +8 intelligence
- ◆Now has a passive component that returns 20 + 20% of the attack damage
Most recent change patch 7.41, Mar 2026
- ▲Recipe cost decreased from 750 to 450. Total cost increased from 2300g to 2400g
- ▲Armor bonus increased from +6 to +7
- ◆Recipe changed
What it does now
- + 15 Damage
- + 7 Armor
- Damage Return Active 25s cooldownFor 5.5 seconds, return all incoming damage, increasing the percentage by 85%.
- Damage Return PassiveEverytime you are attacked, you return 10 damage plus 15% of the attack damage dealt to you.
Built from Broadsword, Splintmail plus a 450 gold recipe.
Heroes that buy Blade Mail
Most bought first, from item purchases in recent professional matches (OpenDota). Public games can differ.