Dota 2 · Sven · Great Cleave
Sven Cleave is missing nearby enemies: check distance and attack direction
On this page
Great Cleave is not a guaranteed hit on every unit standing near Sven. Land the primary attack and check whether the secondary units are inside the cleave area extending through that attack.
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: Great Cleave. Icon © Valve. Official Sven page.
The useful diagnostic is where the primary target and secondary units were when the attack landed. Being close to Sven is not enough to prove that an enemy should have received cleave damage.
What to do, in order
- Identify which enemy actually received the primary attack. A cancelled or unlanded attack cannot be treated as a successful cleave setup.
- Compare the secondary units with the direction of that attack rather than drawing a circle around Sven.
- Check Great Cleave’s current level. Its listed cleave distance increases as the skill is leveled.
- Choose a primary target that puts the enemies you want behind the attack direction; avoid changing targets blindly between swings.
- If a secondary target still takes no damage, isolate the geometry from its defensive state before changing your build.
Match the symptom to the cause
An enemy beside or behind Sven was untouched
Cleave geometry follows the attack direction. A nearby position outside that area does not qualify merely through proximity.
A low-level cleave missed a farther unit
Base listed distance is 400/500/600/700 by level. Do not use the level-4 distance to judge a level-1 attack.
I expected the percentage to be damage dealt to everyone
A percentage is not proof of a hit. First establish target eligibility and geometry; then consider applicable defenses.
See the ability in the game
Apply it to one concrete situation
You can choose between two primary creeps. One lines up a second creep behind it, while the other points the cleave away from the pack. Changing the primary target can change useful cleave coverage without changing Sven’s damage stat.
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) | 0 |
| CLEAVE DISTANCE | 400 / 500 / 600 / 700 |
| CLEAVE DAMAGE | 60 / 70 / 80 / 90% |
Limits that matter
The directional cone explanation is documented in Valve’s cleave update history. The current hero data supplies distance and percentage, but this page does not publish an unverified width formula or armor-bypass claim.
Related questions
What percentage does the current base tooltip list?
Great Cleave lists 60/70/80/90% by level. This is a mechanic value, not a guaranteed total-damage multiplier against a whole wave.
Does every nearby enemy count?
No. Check the cleave’s directional area rather than assuming a circular aura.
Sources and review date
Valve’s English Sven 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. Directional cleave history: Valve’s cleave geometry update; current distances come from the current hero data. 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.