We’re not even two weeks into the new Dota 2 patch, and already we’re getting a minor revision.
Released earlier today, Patch 7.07b nerfs certain high-tier heroes and buffs those most in need. In particular, dominant picks such as Anti-Mage and Dark Willow have been hit by lead developer IceFrog’s nerf bat.
Anti-Mage’s illusion on Blink talent has been moved from level 15 to level 20, making him an easier target to deal with in the early to mid game. His strength gain and base intelligence have also been toned down, presumably to make him a more fragile hero and to reduce the mana he has on hand for using Blink.
As the one new hero with a respectable win rate, Dark Willow has also received negative changes. Bramble’s maze now deals its damage over time, rather than all at once. Bedlam’s cooldown has been increased to 40, 30, and 20 seconds at each respective level, and its damage has been decreased to 220 at most.
These changes should help curb both heroes’ pick rates and win rates going forward. Anti-Mage reached a staggering 57 percent win rate at his peak in the previous patch, with his pick rate also skyrocketing as a result, according to Dota 2 stats site Dotabuff.
On the other hand, Pangolier has received a whole host of improvements, which were sorely needed seeing as the hero had a win rate as low as 36 percent at one point last week. Combined, the buffs given to him should make him more effective and somewhat easier to use.
Interestingly, Medusa has actually received a net buff in this patch. Although her strength gain has been drastically reduced, her talents have gotten small yet positive increases. For example, Mystic Snake now steals 15 percent of a hero’s mana, up from 10 percent before the update.
Several other popular heroes’ talents have also been changed in the patch. Bane’s damage steal talent on Enfeeble has been moved from level 15 to level 20, replaced by a cast range bonus of plus-100. This change neuters his ability to go toe-to-toe in the mid lane with other solo heroes, and makes the fact that he can now attack Nightmared targets somewhat less impactful.
Beastmaster’s Wild Axes talent has been toned down slightly, thanks to a 20 point reduction in the additional damage. Kunkka’s Ghost Ship talent now releases three ships instead of four.
Other less notable changes may be found in the complete patch notes, posted on the Steam website.
