Cleave

Cleave or Splash causes your attacks to deal a portion of your damage in an area around the attack point. Buildings do not take Cleave or Splash damage.

Mechanics[ | ]

Cleave or Splash will deal damage in an area around the target based on your attack damage. Cleave or Splash damage does not apply to the primary target. If the user missed an attack, Cleave or Splash damage will not be applied. Cleave and Splash damage is reduced by Armor, but not Deflection.

All forms of On Attack effects and modifiers except Critical Strike do not apply to Cleave or Splash.

Multiple Cleave sources will NOT stack additively. It used to, but they changed it.

Cleave vs. Splash[ | ]

The gameplay difference between Cleave and Splash is that Cleave deals damage in a circular area in front of the user, while Splash is centered around a projectile. If you were to buy a Runed Cleaver on Sir Benzington, you will always deal Cleave damage in a circle in front of you that's 225 radius wide, regardless of how far you attack. For Splash damage, the radius is based on where the primary target is once the attack projectile connects.

Technically, Cleave and Splash effect type in the game codes do not have any real difference. Splash effects are coded for certain gameplay mechanics such as not affecting units with Splash Immunity (Ex. Shiver), and Cleave effects do not deal damage to units affected by Mesmerize or Consumed by Power from Gauntlet Blast.

Sources[ | ]

Cleave[ | ]

Hero/Item	Source	Cleave %	Radius	Notes
Myrmidon	Forced Evolution	100%	250	SotM version only; Deals 140/190/240 Magic damage to non-Magic Immune units; Applies Waterlogged debuff
Runed Cleaver	Passive	60%	275
The Gladiator	Flagellation	100%	380/420/460/500	Cleave deals True damage

Splash[ | ]

Hero/Item	Source	Splash %	Radius	Notes
Hammerstorm	Mighty Swing	30/40/50/60%	450
Maliken	Possession	50/75/100% (75 AoE) 35/50/65% (200 AoE) 20/25/30% (350 AoE)	350
Puppet Master	Whiplash	25/50/75/100%	150	Triggers every 4 charges
Shadowblade	Essence Shift	30/50/70%	225	Boosted version only; Active if Strength is copied; Applies to both Melee and Ranged

Pseudo-Cleave/Splash[ | ]

Abilities that behave like Cleave or Splash, but does not follow its rules.

Hero	Source	Damage	Radius	Notes
Doctor Repulsor	Electric Frenzy	30/45/60/75 (Magic)	300
Kraken	Splash	60/120/180/240	325	Bonus damage applied to primary target; AoE is centered around target
Prophet	Shared Fate	50%	450	Deals 50% of Prophet's attack damage to all other units within Propagation Field; Also propagates Debilitate and Persecution
Solstice	Solar Slash	40/60/80/100	250	Deals 120% additional damage to non-hero units, bonus damage is applied to primary target; Heals 10/15/20/25% of Splash damage dealt; Damage is not typed as "Cleave Splash"

Splash Immunity[ | ]

A few units are immune to Cleave or Splash damage. All buildings are immune to splash damage. Couriers (both Ground and Winged) are immune to splash damage, as well as Tundra's Shiver. Units and gadgets with a set life based on number of hits are also immune, such as Arachna's Spiderling.