Playoffs are now in full swing at the Bali Major, and while a number of support heroes have maintained their pick rate from the Dota Pro Circuit’s Tour Three, one has emerged from the shadows with an absurdly high win rate this week—and it’s actually been barely touched in casual ranked recently.
Normally played as a core offlaner, Clockwerk has seen a shift into support in pro play and while the hero isn’t picked first up, his win rate has skyrocketed in Bali. In total, Clockwerk has now seen play in 21 games, winning 16 according to Dota stats site Spectral.
It is, of course, a far cry from Pugna and Techies, who are among the most-contested heroes in Bali; but the cumbersome contraption has seen action in 23 percent of matches and been picked most often in the first round of drafts.
He’s entering matches only slightly more often than throughout the DPC tour, where he was all but untouched—just like in casual Dota. Clockwerk sits 94th for pick rate and 75th for win rate in the past month in regular ranked, according to tracking site Dotabuff, so what are the pros doing that your standard Dota player isn’t?
First of all, it’s truly all about his position in the game. Where the average Dota player prioritizes farm on the hero by placing Clockwerk as a core offlaner, the pros find him more suited as a support who doesn’t need the gold or items to function well.
Between his Hookshot stun initiation, Power Cogs and Battery Assault to prevent escape, and his Rocket Flare for vision and a little burst damage, Clockwerk’s kit was incredibly versatile. Now, following mass changes in 7.33’s New Frontiers patch, the pros are beginning to catch on to his strength.
Power Cogs grant nearby allies a barrier in case they get caught inside with an enemy and Rocket Flare slows enemy movement by 100 percent for a moment when successfully hit, adding a little more utility to the hero that otherwise would throw their life away just to land the perfect Hookshot.
The standard Tranquil Boots into Blade Mail combo, while effective on a three Clockwerk, instead gives way to the more popular Pavise and Drums of Endurance set, granting shields, movement speed, and attack speed to allies.
Related: These are the 5 best and worst heroes at Dota 2’s Bali Major so far
For those seeking an alternate support option to your standard mages, give ol’ Rattletrap a look—but be sure to hit your Hookshots as the hero still relies heavily on that initial burst of lockdown.
The Bali Major playoffs have begun, and it will be interesting to see whether Clockwerk’s win rate can be maintained as the level of Dota improves this weekend.
