The brand new patch is ridiculously massive. In truth, it’s so big it took us two days of continuous Dota to kind an preliminary impression. Seems, there are means too many issues to debate and analyse to suit right into a single weblog put up, so as a substitute we’re going to spotlight a few of our most attention-grabbing and shocking findings.
That is probably probably the most shocking bit, given the sheer dimension of the patch, however the Dota fundamentals are largely intact. In truth, we might argue that because of no map or economic system modifications, the sport works surprisingly much like the earlier patch on the macro degree.
The highground push is unquestionably simpler these days. Taking the primary lane of barracks early on is feasible, particularly in case you are snowballing. Which means that gaining the map management benefit is each simpler and might probably occur earlier, when it’s extra significant. The brand new Roshan Banner additionally feels much more intuitive and impactful to make use of, although it does really feel extra excessive threat, excessive reward.
There are a number of high quality of life modifications as effectively, most notable being the mana bar being all the time seen. Contemplating that it was the knowledge available regardless, it shouldn’t be an enormous deal for greater degree video games, however in a mean pub it may well probably improve the extent of aggression: punishing an enemy who’s out of assets is an effective behavior and this variation ought to assist newer gamers in its growth. It’s a little bit of an oblique nerf to heroes who generally pretend their talents, like, for instance 
Kunkka, however it’s nonetheless a really welcome QoL enchancment.
The 2 new sport mechanics launched within the new patch are a variety of enjoyable. From a purely pub perspective, they permit for a complete new dimension in theorycrafting and jank buildmaking, one thing we’re personally keen on. The place it may well actually shine, although, is aggressive play. Being able to regulate on the fly and probably adapt to a counterpick is usually a big distinction maker on the highest degree of play.
Proper now the system is already nice, although there are undeniably some over- and under-tuned Aspects. A few of them really make the hero worse than the earlier default, which can be barely questionable, however we have now little question that Valve will form the system into one thing actually nice, like they did with Impartial Gadgets. For now, you may examine which Aspect works higher on the Dotabuff hero web page.
Lastly, we come to the concepts that you would be able to utilise right now in your pubs, in case you are keen to threat it. We aren’t going to go over the same old suspects: everybody might be conscious that Bladeform 
Juggernaut, One Man Military 
Axe, Stonehall Plate 
Legion Commander and Spectral Blade 
Wraith King are type of busted. As an alternative, we’re going to have a look at probably janky, however very potent concepts to attempt.
The hero web page paints a really bleak image for the methodical PA and for purpose. Regardless of having a better multiplier on her final, the 6-hit requirement is simply too punishing. It’s not being methodical, it’s being sluggish, except…
Being an impact that you simply stack on makes it work with 
Manta Fashion, which is a sport changer, so long as you may really management your illusions effectively sufficient to proc the crit from the true hero, fairly than one of many clones. It in all probability requires an excessive amount of micro ability on the facet of the participant, however the potential payoff is a 550% Crit each second assault from the true hero, with illusions setting it up. Is it constantly robust? In all probability not. Can it’s a enjoyable problem? Nearly positively.
Place one Darkish Seer is, unironically, viable. No less than in our opinion. Common heroes are very robust DPS-wise by default, however Fast Wit Darkish Seer takes it to a different degree, with overlapping DPS-increasing Innate and Facet.
His innate makes it in order that his Intelligence all the time catches as much as his Power or Agility, relying on which is greater. The Fast Wit Aspect offers Darkish Seer 0.5 AS per level in Intelligence. The top result’s a hero who will get +1.4 harm and +0.5 AS per level of Power, when constructing Power solely. Informal 
Ogre Axe giving +14 harm and +7 AS, on prime of all the opposite advantages is, frankly, busted.
The hero farms extremely quick, courtesy of Ion Shell. Can lane into most offlaners, can take stack with ease and might be a part of fights comparatively early. By constructing tankiness objects solely, the hero turns into a quick and hard-hitting monk that has tons of HP, tons of Magic Resistance and excessive right-click and skill DPS. He additionally has all of the mana to maintain it, whereas additionally scaling with the enemy via Wall of Duplicate.
You possibly can attempt to make the case for pumping Agi, however because of an enormous discrepancy between DS Agi (1.8) and Int (2.7) development the impact isn’t as pronounced. Although you do technically get +1.5 AS per level of Agility, which is a vital DPS attribute, as mentioned not too long ago.
We all know that the Spectral Blade Aspect is technically stronger, however we really feel like gamers are underestimating the Bone Guard. It’s a flash-farming Aspect with robust pushing potential and a variety of chaotic teamfight presence. And it additionally makes Lich have near infinite mana in lane by degree 5.
Each skelly from Bone Guard offers Lich 2.5% of max mana when dying. Every of them dies twice, so a degree one potential already offers lich 10% of his max mana, on prime of the 20% max mana he will get from the creep wave.
Bone Guard does have a reasonably lengthy cooldown, but when always stacking, pulling and killing enemy heroes, Lich ought to have mana for days. Mana that he can convert into much more kills and lane presence.
It’ll take us some time to determine the intricacies of the patch. Furthermore, some nerfs are greater than doubtless and greater than obligatory, from the appears of it. So for now we’ll avoid speaking about stats and meta, as a substitute concentrating on enjoyable, academic concepts to check out or broaden on.
For that purpose, we additionally ask you to share your ideas within the remark part beneath. The patch is MASSIVE and there’s a lot to debate and experiment with, it’s actually not possible for a single particular person to do. Don’t hesitate to suggest loopy and janky concepts both — Dota is a ravishing sport with limitless potentialities, so every thing can work!
