Patch 6.86 has been out just over a month and the meta is still very much evolving. The Shanghai Major Qualifier displayed various approaches to the new patch and a variety of different picks. Each region showed its own kind of meta and the Americas region had a very special hero in the back of their heads. Enchantress was banned a total of 38 times in the Americas qualifier. In comparison, Enchantress was either picked or banned a total of 23 times in the other three regions together.
What made Enchantress so popular there? The offlane! Even before this patch, a few North-American pro players would play the Jungler in the offlane. Why does it work and what has changed in 6.86 to make her offlane potential even more viable?
Enchantress is a hero that has been buffed quite a lot over several patches. In addition to these buffs, the global HP increase has also helped her a lot.
6.86 Reduced Enchant cooldown from 30/25/20/15 to 30/24/18/12. 6.85 Increased Nature's Attendants number of wisps from 3/5/7/9 to 4/6/8/10. Impetus is no longer a Unique Attack Modifier. 6.84 Increased Untouchable attack speed slow from 30/60/90/120 to 40/70/100/130. Enchant can now be cast on controlled units to refresh the Enchant duration. Impetus now pierces spell immunity. 6.83 Increased movement speed from 315 to 335. 6.82 Increased movement speed from 310 to 315. 6.81 Increased Untouchable slow duration from 3 to 4.
Despite all these patches, she hasn’t seen as much popularity, mostly due to past metas not benefitting her or any jungler in general. She is still not the jungler that most people are looking for, which is why some have taken her to the offlane.
Even though the offlane Enchantress is something very North-American these days, there’s a case to be made that the idea came from the ever so innovative slahser. His guide for offlaning Enchantress dates back to May 2015. With the 6.84 changes, her Untouchable became strong enough to attract the attention of innovators such as slahser. Instead of maxing Enchant in order to jungle or gank, you max Untouchable and Nature's Attendants for more sustain in the lane.
Slahser’s video shows a build that maxes Nature’s Attendants over Untouchable. However, maxing Untouchable is much more effective. The reason you’d go for a maxed Nature’s Attendants is if you fear being zoned out or potentially killed by sustainable magical damage or chain disables. However, that shouldn’t be that much of an issue anymore, but more on that later.
The idea with running the offlane Enchantress is to disrupt the enemies safelane and build up a reliable damage dealer in the mid to late-game. If picked in the right scenarios, Enchantress is unkillable in the offlane, eventually proving to be quite the nuisance.
The whole concept of running Enchantress in a more core position has become even more viable with the introduction of Dragon Lance. We addressed it briefly before, but the new item is a more cost effective version of her Aghanim’s Scepter.
As mentioned above, generally maxing Untouchable is the way to go--it certainly is what the pros usually do in competitive matches. But as always, you wouldn’t want to blatantly copy anything you see online. You need to see where it makes sense. If you face a somewhat magic damage intensive lane, a point more in Nature’s Attendants can’t hurt. Here’s where it gets interesting though. Depending on the lane, you might even want to start out with a point in Enchant. Getting some xp and gold early, as well as a creep to stay in lane with, can help you be more sustainable. The additional camp in each offlane helps immensely, as you do not waste as much time going into your own jungle, or run the risk of going into the enemies’.
In fact, it might even be recommended to start out with a creep, regardless of the lane you face. Unless you are certain to win your lane without a creep, having that additional point in Enchant makes it so you can always fall back to farm a camp. However, that should be the only point in Enchant early on. Often times you’ll see pro players skip putting any further points in Enchant, prioritizing Stats.
As for items, Dragon Lance and Aghanim's Scepter are generally the main items you want to build towards. Before that, however, Drum of Endurance and Power Treads are good pick-ups for the early to mid-game.
After Dragon Lance and Aghanim’s, the world is an oyster for Enchantress. You can build any item catered towards the enemy. Obviously, getting items that improve her Intelligence or Mana(regeneration) are good, because sustaining Impetus can be difficult, even with tread-switching.
In the past year or so, players have found ways to utilize the jungle as efficient as possible, but they optimized it in a way that made it difficult for junglers to exist. Flashfarmers, like Storm Spirit or Shadow Fiend completely edged out any junglers from the meta. Despite the fact that flash-farming is less viable, we still don’t see a huge resurgence in junglers. A push meta still favors certain other heroes, unless they’re Chen.
Enchantress used to be a stellar jungler and ganker, but her potential seems much stronger in the offlane and it feels more reliable as well. Her success in the offlane is symbolic for what the Dota currently has to offer: A wide pool of viable offlaners, while Junglers have yet to find their continuous success. Even Enigma has had a similar transition, although not as successful, in the professional scene, when Vici Gaming’s IceIceIce would utilize him in the offlane.
It seems like it becomes less and less viable to start out with heroes in the jungle. A lot of heroes eventually transition into the jungle to farm safely, but only a few seem really strong by actually staying in the jungle early on. Enchantress certainly seems much stronger in the offlane now and might be here to stay.
Sources: Headline image bny ChiZ
whao +-1
Enchantress is now strong offlaner
Another cancer offlane hero. Why does Icefrog hate safelane carries and weak laning supports so much.
she also seems pretty decent mid due to the same untouchable ability allowing her to trade hits with her opponent and her wisps for survivability.
The most fun u can have in game, is to get enchantress hard lane vs 2 melee heros in the safe lane. Just see them loosing the safe lane, and getting killed buy u.
Once I was hard lane vs sladar and jug, and a roming ogre went to gank me... I was lvl 8, killed 2 of them, and i even got stuned buy sladar and ogre...
saduhsadhuhudasauh
xyunavoobshe
I love this hero. I think in my skill bracket, people don't take this disney character seriously enough, and I usually draw first blood from their ignorance. Sproink!
i also love her, really fun to play, i stomp lot of games since 6.86, saying: "gg, commend bambi ;)" i love goin for orchid just after dragon... that way u can spam impetus !!!
When enigma is an offlaner since before dota2 even existed, you cann't call about a transition from woods to offlane :p
orchid after dagon :DD
no dragon lance or aghanims?? has to be 2 k bracket
Read his comment again
Hey Skim, there's a typo in the title. Just thought I should let you know in case you don't yet.
@scott pilgrim - thanks man, totally missed that!
patch is disgrace to dota.
I often taker her mid as well. I build a couple Null Talismans before Dragon Lance.
yep same here 2 null helps a lot ;) some time a wand or an urn too ( i said dragon not dagon)
strygwyr seems like to have less thn 2k mmr. he said dragon and yet he strygwyr said dagon. haha pathetic... lmao
strygwyr joke of the Internet today :D
SLAHSER'S WAAAAAAY
If the players keep playing enchantress in offlane especially in tournament with a high win rate, then brace yourselves negative buffs on bambi will come next patch..
"The reason you’d go for a maxed Nature’s Attendants is if you fear being zoned out or potentially killed by sustainable magical damage or chain disables. However, that shouldn’t be that much of an issue anymore, but more on that later"
If I'm not mistaken, you didn't really say anything about it later. My guess is that you mean there aren't enough spammable nukes on supports or carries in the meta, right?
Watches this goes to offlane and feeds...
Tried it yesterday.
Game ended within 24 min and me as enchantress was 10/1/4.
My build is: Treads, Wand, Midas( opcional), Drums, Dragon Lance, Agha
Starting: Circlet, Circlet or Two Branches, Tango, Fairy
Bambi 6.86 is very good hero, take more HP, armor and Magic Resistance become in FINAL BOSS.
Yeah until people get smart and lane Ursa/Gyro/Jug/Meepo etc + nuking support against you & then you're not Bambi... you're Bambi's mom.
& Matrice is right... DotA had enigma offlane quite often or mid lane in certain cases even. To talk about Iceiceice & not LightofHeaven as the offlane example is a serious flaw, he's the paragon of the offlane enigma ; "The play" resides on it.
I ll be quite honest , Hero is too good for one reason you dont know which skill to max first .
Well its kinda of a waste in the jungle considering you can rape a lane that lacks magic damage output.
Grab a Skywrath and make the bitch suffer that would do it though.
PS:Valve should half the % of slow in Rosh
Enchantress's role in the game is significant, however I feel that with proper drafting she will not be able to gain the footholds in the meta that many other offlaners hold dear, such as Clockwerk and Dank Seer.
Also, the Enchanted Mango currently has a 34.42% win rate. Together, we as a community, have the ability to fix this problem and end this horrific tragedy. Please help. It is our duty as gamers to give this item the respect it is due.
(ty dotabuff for unbanning me from posting)
heuheuheu
Nice guide. But not full(((
Lol I never liked her as a jungler. Always went offlane.
This hero is so annoying right now. I start off with 2 circlets and a ring of protection, first point into natures attendants, then max untouchable. No tangos needed, build your starting items into ring of basilius, magic wand, and drums. Also going phase boots over treads will give you godly chase/ escape potential.
suck penis dota 2 commmunity
Offlane Enchantress is the new cancer for Position 1 players and their supports. Enchants a creep and kills your supports then shanks you with impetus and forces rotations freeing up other lanes. A really good spam every other game.