Very recently the original Dota got patched up to version 6.74. The patch contained some very interesting hero changes, and these changes are almost certain to carry over to Dota 2 as Icefrog’s vision is to have the two games shadow each other as close as possible. Please note these patch changes are NOT in Dota 2 yet, however once you read them you will realise they are the solution to many of the problems Dota 2 is experiencing at the current state of the game. The full patch notes can be found over at playdota, however below I have selected some of the major Dota 2 relevant changes and also briefly gone into my opinions on them – certainly something to discuss in the comments below!

1. Hero Changes

Clockwerk



A change that will hopefully make my favourite hero see more action at a pro level. This change makes his cogs a much more feared skill in an offensive situation, with a 50% increase in the amount of hp/mana drained at it’s max level!

Doom Bringer



Crystal Maiden



Dark Seer


A hero currently regarded as ban or pick, these changes focus on Dark Seers ultimate, in specific how it functions with Aghanim’s. First change is a slight nerf to the illusions in general, with them taking more damage from all attacks. The next two are the big changes. Just as it says Aghanim’s will no longer allow you to make illusions of your allies when they walk through the wall. In trade off for this there has been an increase in the damage the illusions do. This means less illusions, but ones that hit harder – however they do die a little bit easier than before. I personally view this as a very minor nerf, requiring more skill in the ult itself as you own team can now longer walk through an make illusions. Can guarantee the Seer will still be high on the banning list if you ask me.

Drow Ranger



Enigma


Tobi Wan’s favourite change of the patch – now more chance for epic black holes!

Furion



Invoker


Big changes! Very well deserved ones too if you ask me. EMP no longer hits people which are invulnerable or in the tornado. His most OP combo of moves was always going to get a nerf, we all need it, however do not fear as a truly good invoker will still be able to land a good EMP, he will just have to time it for when they land from the tornado rather than fire it straight away. The whole Wex/Quas invoker has generally taken a hit, with some small buffs to other skills which will hopefully result in us seeing some more skill combinations from invokers from now on.

Juggernaut



Kunkka


Small buffing love to a much missed out hero that, much like Clockwerk, I wish we could see getting a bit more action at a pro level.

Lina



Lion


A good half second added to Voodoo from level one, with a trade of for a bit more cooldown and mana cost. Should help early game more than anything else.

Mirana



Puck


Most likely in response to the bug linked to Pucks auto casting phase shift (look it up if you do not know the story behind it). A great change with ethereal jaunt now dodging projectiles, just a very minor niggle I have always had with it in the past. Small buffs for phase shift and dream coil with Aghanim’s leave puck pretty much unchanged, albeit now fixed and hopefully bug free.

Pugna


Good small buff to decrepify and also more health from life drains, that extra 20hp drained at skill level 1 could really make a difference in the early lane phase.

Queen of Pain


Teams have players already unlocking the potential of Queen of Pain in dota 2 so it really makes me wonder how this buff will be perceived? Quite possibly will push Queen of Pain into the top tier of the hero list.

Shadow Fiend


Another of my personal favourite heroes, and one that again I feel is overlooked by many pro teams as a viable mid carry. 6 souls for a hero kill mainly effect this hero when recovering from dying, which loses him 50% of his soul count, drastically dropping his damage. Now a good place ult that snags a kill or two will pay off allowing Shadow Fiend to continue the team fight at near maximum damage even if fresh out of the well.

Sniper



Storm Spirit



Tinker



Viper



Warlock


Buffed not too long ago if I remember correctly, but regardless here he is with a decent buff. Steady addition of damage from infernal permanent and shadow word should make the hero a little more appealing to people wanting to try out Warlock.

2. Item Changes

Animal Courier



Flying Courier


Small transfer of 20g cost from the start of the game to the mid game. May seem like nothing but potential is there to open up some slightly better starting item builds, mainly for the support heroes who usually buy the courier.

Bloodstone



Ethereal Blade



Eye of Skadi



Flying Courier



Mjollnir



Veil of Discord



Tranquil Boots



Sange & Yasha


Changes to disassembling items which finally make sense! Tranquil boots now potentially a good pick up for support heroes early on; simply disassemble them and make them into other boots plus some other stat items – the heal is such an overlooked item on these boots and it would be interesting to see them fit into the game more often. Taking Sange and Yasha apart after merging them opens the potential to make one/both of them into higher tier weapons if you are getting fed more than Dendi playing Pudge mid!

3. Gameplay Changes



*Please note there is little chance the bug fixes/UI changes will make it over to Dota 2 for fairly obvious reasons*

Thank you very much for reading this quick guide on what is to come – potentially – in future Dota 2 patches, some interesting changes I am sure you will agree! Discuss it all at your leisure in the comments section below!

Article by: Ghostchanter

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