How do I apply a buff?

Ive looked through countless resources and threads and have tried multiple approaches, but I cant seem to figure out how to apply a buff to a unit.

I just want a unit to have a cold attack. I can simulate all the effects via triggers, but I want to have the icon on the command card.

Maybe im just stupid, or maybe im just tired. But if someone wants to post a map where a simple custom buff is applied to a unit, that would be awesome.

wyrm cold attack doesn't work in your map?

The Tornado Slow Aura ability (in the special folder or something) allows this. Change the Aura to affect self only, change its slow factor to 0 (or whatever you want), and make the buff you want placed as this ability's buff. Then add the ability to a unit when you need to add the buff, and remove the ability (and the buff ability) when you want it to end. The coolest part about this is that you can create infinite buff abilities all based off Tornado Slow Aura, and they will all stack perfectly on a unit at the same time.

Edit: It's in the folder Neutral Passive\Slow Aura (Tornado)

How about "Unit - Add Buff" I'm certain I've seen that trigger before, 'cause I've used it.

No such trigger exists. The game will not allow you to directly add a buff ability to a unit. The easiest way to achieve the desired effect is to use the method I described above.

Thanks, thats exactly what I need. Will test and report back.


To be honest, I have no idea what works or doesn't. I tried giving a dummy unit an attack effect that applies a buff, I tried to get a dummy unit to cast frost nova (the nova happened, but my custom buff never applied to the target).

Edit: It worked! Thanks Szythe

So... you did an ability based on frost attack, with a custom buff based on frost attack's buff, and it doesn't show the buff? weird....

The advantage using this is that you need zero code to implement it.

Which is what I like since all I needed was the command card icon. I already wrote the systems to handle all the buff effects and now they look official.

I'm a person who hates using object editor and loves full control on everything in the map. Because of those 2 things, I tend to do everything in code as object editor has its weird quirks that never quite work as expected.