[Question] Could you always...

... use a lifesteal ability to allow ranged units to recover? That ability from Mask of Death worked on a unit that was a Missile (Splash) attacker. It just struck me as very odd.

So could this always be done?

I believe the lifesteal orb inherent to wc3 won't work on ranged units, ever.

Whatever ranged lifesteal you saw had to have been triggered, I think.

The Item Life Steal ability used by Mask of death most definitely works on ranged units.

Yes, why else would the orb ability have a projectile image and speed defined if it was only melee? It could be that Vampiric Aura is melee only, not sure about that one.

yes vamp aura is mele only

I play DotA, and I see it all the time. Dragon Knight transforming into frost dragon, with splash slow damage AND lifesteal.

It is because his slow counts as a buff placer and the life steal as an orb. In WC3 a unit/hero can have 1 buff placer and 1 orb effect.

In very sure Ranged units can lifesteal with Itema nd Frostmourne lifesteals.
Vamp Aura most definitely does not work.

I don't think the Mask of Death lifesteal is an orb at all. But, as mentioned, it sure does work on ranged and melee units. And Vampiric Aura only works on melee units.

Yes, let's all restate the same thing one more time.