Dota 2 · Lion · Mana Drain
Lion Mana Drain stops early: channel and distance checks
On this page
Mana Drain is a channel with a base break distance of 1,100. Check interrupted channeling and target separation before assuming the ability should keep draining for its full listed time.
What to do next ↓ · Find the failure cause ↓Mechanics source checked October 17, 2026 · Not match-tested · Practical recommendations are editorial, not guaranteed outcomes.
Identify this ability in your client: Mana Drain. Icon © Valve. Official Lion page.
The mana-transfer number is only useful while the connection remains active. A drain that ends early is first a continuity problem: establish whether Lion kept channeling and whether the target stayed connected.
What to do, in order
- Start the drain on the intended unit, then leave Lion channeling instead of immediately issuing an unrelated action.
- Watch the target’s movement and your own channel state together. A connection is not permanent just because the initial cast succeeded.
- If the connection ends, check whether Lion was interrupted or the target moved beyond the break distance.
- When replenishing an ally, select the ally intentionally: the ability also has an allied mana-giving mode.
- After an interrupted drain, use the actual remaining cooldown and mana situation to decide the next action rather than waiting for a channel that has already ended.
Match the symptom to the cause
The target ran away
Base break distance is 1,100, a different concept from the distance at which you can start a cast. Do not treat a successful initial target as an unlimited tether.
I moved or acted and the drain stopped
This is a channeled ability. Preserve the channel when you need the full effect; review the specific command or interrupt that ended it.
The enemy ran out of mana but was still slowed
The current description specifically increases the slow when the enemy has no mana remaining. Empty mana is not the same as no remaining spell effect.
See the ability in the game
Apply it to one concrete situation
At level 1, the base rate is 20 mana per second. Three uninterrupted seconds would transfer 20 × 3 = 60 mana before other restrictions; a one-second connection is not evidence that the listed per-second value is wrong. The elapsed time is an illustrative input, not a recorded match.
Current base tooltip values
Values below are the unmodified fields in Valve’s dated English ability data. Slash-separated entries are listed level values, not a recommended skill build. Read the field label: damage, range, duration and percentages have different meanings. Upgrades and modifiers can change your client’s values.
| Tooltip field | Listed base value(s) |
|---|---|
| Mana cost | 0 |
| Cooldown (seconds) | 15 / 12 / 9 / 6 |
| CHANNEL TIME | 5 |
| MANA PER SECOND | 20 / 40 / 60 / 120 |
| BREAK DISTANCE | 1100 |
| MOVEMENT SLOW/BONUS | 15 / 20 / 25 / 30% |
Limits that matter
Shard changes the connection, extra targets and Lion’s protection while channeling. The base distance table does not describe every upgraded drain. The source also uses a rounded 5-second duration label alongside channel-time data; do not infer frame-perfect timing from this guide.
Related questions
Can Mana Drain help a teammate?
Yes. The current description allows targeting allies to give mana and movement speed at the allied rate shown by the tooltip.
Does an item-independent channel make Lion invulnerable?
No such claim is made. The Shard description grants debuff immunity and magic resistance, not invulnerability.
Sources and review date
Valve’s English Lion ability data, retrieved October 17, 2026, supplies the mechanics and numeric fields used here. Valve’s official hero page supplies the ability identity and official presentation. Our diagnostic sequence and worked situations are independently written explanations, not copied match reports. No ranked win-rate, personal playtest or current item-build claim is made.