CAO CAO
Fighter
Clash Lane
Cao Cao in Honor of Kings is a Fighter known for his sustained damage and exceptional health recovery. After activating his ultimate, he becomes a formidable force in melee combat. A suitable build for Cao Cao emphasizes attack damage, lifesteal, and durability to maximize his survivability and damage output in prolonged fights.
HERO PROFILE
Fighter
Berserker
Lifesteal
Balanced
SKILLS
This is the list of skills of Cao Cao.
Passive
Only the Strong
Cooldown: 0s, Cost: 0
After using a skill, Cao Cao gains an enhanced basic attack that releases a sword energy wave, increasing his attack range and boosting his attack speed by 35%–70%. He can store up to 5 stacks of enhanced basic attacks.
Tips: This passive is the foundation of Cao Cao’s burst damage potential. With enough cooldown reduction, Cao Cao can continuously use his skills to deal significant damage to enemies.
Skill 01
Overlord’s Charge
Cooldown: 10/9.6/9.2/8.8/8.4/8s, Mana Cost: 0
Cao Cao charges forward with a slash, dealing 300/360/420/480/540/600 (+85% extra physical attack) physical damage to enemies in his path. He can use this skill up to 3 times in a row. Each unused charge reduces the cooldown by 35%. The third slash knocks enemies airborne for 0.5 seconds.
Tips: This skill makes Cao Cao very mobile, allowing for significant displacement and damage when used consecutively. It is highly useful for both chasing and escaping.
Skill 02
Unfettered Will
Cooldown: 9/8.6/8.2/7.8/7.4/7s, Mana Cost: 0
Cao Cao unleashes a powerful sword energy wave, dealing 350/420/490/560/630/700 (+130% physical attack) physical damage to enemies in its path and reducing their movement speed by 25%/30%/35%/40%/45%/50% for 2 seconds. Each enemy hero hit restores 150/180/210/240/270/300 (+8% extra health) health, halved for non-hero units.
Passive: Each basic attack that hits an enemy reduces the cooldown of “Sweeping Sword” by 0.5 seconds.
Tips: This skill deals physical damage to enemies in a straight line and slows them down. Combined with the passive skill, it can be used frequently.
Ultimate
Blood-soaked Legend
Cooldown: 40/35/30s, Mana Cost: 0
Cao Cao empowers his greatsword with bloodlust, cleansing himself of control effects and restoring 18% of his lost health. He also gains 100/150/200 physical attack and 10%/15%/20% tenacity for 8 seconds. Upon activation, he deals 400/600/800 (+120% extra physical attack) physical damage to nearby enemies. During the empowerment, each basic attack or Skill 1 hit restores 150/225/300 (+8% extra health) health.
Tips: This ultimate not only increases Cao Cao’s damage but also enhances his survivability in team fights.
BUILD OPTION-1
Rapacious Bite
Boots of Resistance
Axe of Torment
Spikemail
Eye of the Phoenix
Destiny
Mutation 10x
Stealth 10x
Eagle Eye 10x
Smith
COUNTER
This is the list of heroes that can counter this hero in team fight/solo fight depending on the situation.
Fighter
DHARMA
Fighter
BIRON
Fighter
SUN CE
Assassin
MUSASHI
Recommended Combo Sequence
Blood Soaked Legend → Unfettered Will → Overlord’s Charge → Normal Attack. Gain buffs with skill 3, use skill 2 to slow down the enemy, and continuously close in on and damage the enemy with skill 1.
Cao Cao Best Teammates
Zhuang Zhou: Using skill 2 to increase movement speed enhances the team’s mobility. In ganks, aside from the speed buff, skill 1 can slow down enemies, helping Cao Cao to catch them. Zhuang Zhou’s ultimate can perfectly solve Cao Cao’s control problems in team fights, providing 2 seconds of control immunity and increasing damage reduction, allowing Cao Cao to charge into battle more confidently.
Sun Bin: When paired with Cao Cao, Sun Bin can provide cooldown reduction and movement speed boosts. Sun Bin’s ultimate can silence and slow enemy backlines after Cao Cao dives, aiding Cao Cao’s assault with skill synergy, achieving greater than the sum of their parts.
Cao Cao Counter and Tips
- Wang Zhaojun’s slow and control skills limit Cao Cao’s output capability.
- Try to avoid the damage from Cao Cao’s three-stage skill 1, especially the third strike’s knock-up effect.
- After Cao Cao activates his ultimate, his lifesteal effect and tenacity are strong; try to avoid direct confrontations or attempts to control him.
Team Fight Strategy
Cao Cao has no energy cost and possesses multiple dashes and control abilities, making him a formidable opponent against squishy targets. Initially, use skill 2 to harass the opponent, and once their health is within kill range, close in with skill 1 to finish them off.
- Skill 1 can be used for both engaging and escaping.
- Skill 3 comes with a lifesteal effect.
- In team fights, look for opportunities to dive into the enemy backline, posing a significant threat to them. The lifesteal effect and tenacity provided by the ultimate make Cao Cao very durable, allowing him to continuously deal substantial damage.
