Let's have a moment of silence for Ring of Aquila in patch 7.20, as we ponder the swath of changes to Dota's items. The patch introduced five new items--Kaya's combinations, Holy Locket, Ring of Tarrasque, and the new Crown--and reworked some of our most beloved trinkets.
Phase Boots can now be bought in the side shop, and Treads now gives attack damage instead of movement speed bonus. The Phase Boots change seems intended as a quality of life buff, giving players the constant phase bonus rather than an active item ability. Remember when the active ability was cancelled by using spells or items? It was another layer of complications--or skill, depending on your point of view--to consider when using the item. Then again, we're still Tread switching.
Slow heroes will remain slow, as patch 7.20 changes movement speed bonuses across the board from adding flat amounts to percentage bonuses calculated from a hero's base movement speed. It may seem trivial at first, for example Boots of Speed on Treant gives him about +40ms vs the +50 on Pugna, but Dota is a game where the smallest margins matter. Buffs in minute amounts, from base damage, armor, and movement speed, have shifted heroes back and forth from viability.
Players now have two items that Kaya can build into: Kaya and Sange and Yasha and Kaya. Since its introduction, Kaya fit on very few heroes. Without a larger item to build towards, Kaya needed to be stat efficient on its own, and it seemed like Storm Spirit was the only hero who could make the most use out of the item. In 7.20, the item effectively got nerfed. It became more expensive and its spell amplification reduced from 10% to 8%, perhaps to offset the casual Null Talismans (+3% spell amplification) players are stacking.
Maim is now gone in favor of Status Resistance, a relatively new mechanic to Dota that Valve has experimented with. It used to be part of Strength's quirks, and then it was removed. So far, the mechanic seems counter-intuitive when it comes to team fights. Targets of Invoker's Tornado can now fall at different times, disrupting follow up combos. Earthshaker will have issues chaining his spells, should one of his targets have Sange and Yasha. But perhaps that's the point.
With TP scrolls now having its own dedicated slot, that frees up more room for players to stack the new Bracer, Wraith Band, and Null Talisman. For 45 extra gold, the items add one extra base stat and respectively 6% Magic Resistance, 7% Attack Speed, or 3% Spell Amplification. While they no longer build into future items (Aquila, Veil, Drum), they have enough value to at least double up on for most core heroes.
Headdress Recipe reduced from 300 to 175
Recipe increased from 900 to 950
Mana restore increased from 135 to 160
Heal increased from 275 to 300 Mana restore increased from 160 to 200
Now gives the +2 Stats from its components
This patch introduced Ring of Tarrasque, Holy Locket, and Crown. Holy Locket is the biggest item here, which offers much value for its cost at 2650 gold. Since it also buffs self regeneration, its a natural core item for Necrophos, but it's also a boon to support heroes like Dazzle and Witch Doctor, who benefit from its healing buff and its defensive stats.
Arcane Boots essentially received a 19% buff to its mana restore, and healing items across the board are cheaper. Mekansm is now 75 gold cheaper, and note that Pipe of Insight didn't receive a corresponding cost increase to offset the Headdress cost reduction, so now its 125 gold cheaper. And now that the default aura range is 1200 (from 900), the change also applies to actives from Mekansm, Crimson Guard, Pipe, and Greaves.
Can now override Slark's Pounce
This was a much needed change, as Slark is now the 3rd most picked hero and 3rd winningest hero in 7.20. With Pounce's new Leashed state, you can no longer reflexively TP when a Slark tries to pick you off. Force Staff breaking Pounce is small recourse for support heroes, but given the way that Slark is dominating pubs, it won't be enough.
Nerf slark please.
Slark is completely buffed from every aspect of game. Lucky he got nerfed on 7.20b
Don't know if adding 100 and removing 1 from it can be called nerfed.
There is an error in the text right at the start. I'm sure you meant to write that Treads now give attack damage instead of attack speed, not movement speed.
Funny how everyone complains to nerf stuff. I simply play the broken stuff till fixed.
^ yes
Lel Jack is the true sage
i thought maybe after svens 7 months absence in pro games they will buff him but funny that they still keep nerfing sven
1) cleave is now worse, you cant nuke enemies with cleave anymore.
2) warcry no more effects creeps, you cant push towers anymore
the hate is real !!!
I like changes , but in this patch meepo and slark got so much benefits from changes (meepo: wraith band change - slark: game mechanics(like leash) and that agility steal shit) and dazzle and lich are broken a.f ...
please correct wraith band's 7% AS to simply 7 AS
7% or 7 AS?
@blue at first, I also thought it was a nerf, but it seems to be a buff too. Now, if you hit target with high armor (the carry), u do more cleave dmg on lower armor unit (the supports). Usually, in teamfight, u would only hit the carry with more than 20 armor, so the cleave dmg is also reduced by 20 armor, but now the cleave dmg get reduced by different amount of armor.
Simple explanation :
Carry armor : 20 armor or 70% dmg reduction
Support armor : 7 armor or 30% dmg reduction
If u have 100% cleave and u have 100 dmg then hit the carry, then the cleave dmg would deal 70 dmg on the support (this patch) instead of 30 dmg (7.19 and below patch)
Dude you didnt even meantion the changes to Solar Crest, the item is by far the strongest item in the game right now
Lots of armor, all status, mana regen, moviment speed. Use in allies for more armor and attack speed, use in enemies for less armor and slow. Doesnt even cost mana to activate and its not even expensive.
You can justify this item in any support, and also in any core that is not just magic or pure damage.
How is that item not a core item in Chaos Knight? Fix his mana problems and give back the minus armor from Reality Shift while giving his illusions all status.
Assault Cuirass feels so weak compared to Solar Crest right now.
Yeah I was also thinking solar crest will be a go to item now
Solar Crest is still only 10 damage... But it sure fills a lot of gaps right now... For example, when I get around to playing another game on Bristle, guess what I will be going for... Solar Crest like x4 or something... Shit ton of armor, good mana regen, some speed and some stats to really drive out any hope that the enemy has of killing that thing.
I really dislike Wraith Band atm and I was not thinking about it at first but making every items unique so that you can only ever wear 1 of it each might solve some problems I guess.
Heroes like slark need so much commitment from all team members to kill thats insane. Why the fuck did they make him fucking OP again?!?
Force Staff breaks the Leash but doesn't move you so Slark just runs your ass down anyway.
But even then people won't care cause unless he's unplayable no one wants to hear about him cause it takes actually buying detection and actually grouping up and not running 5 greedy cores to kill him. People hate being told to play actually good stun supports and to buy wards rather than try to build items as supports against a stealth hero. Lich's new gaze could single handedly fuck Slark and if your carry has any sort of stun to follow up with or maybe a second support with one it's done and it's rather minimal commitment in that case since without the freedom to ult Slark is as prone to exploding as Sniper.
as i know icfrog i think he will buff slark next patch
dota is changing, community stay !=")!="$§
Very sad for Solar Crest, it was very useful back then against PA / other Evasion / Butterfly build heroes & now it cost very expensive, when it should be a mid game items & support can be bought too for increase their durability... What a hard nerf...
@nep its a big nerf also on warcry. now warcry give you a shield that will end after getting one crit. totally it blocks 400 dmg.
but before you had 20 armor for 12 seconds , 12 second armor im sure could block 2 times more dmg than new 400block
@B.L.U.E pretty sure 7.19 warcry last for 8 sec not 12
but damn a straight, Sven is pretty bad for a while now, but instead of buff Icefrog making him to trash tier
- change cleave mechanic (got least number adjustment of all cleave in game, well really suit "Great Cleave" name /s)
- warcry buff is better for support/gank sven but worse for carry sven
- Armor inflation really kill his perk
There is no place for sven in current patch at all
no reason to pick him at all while other do alot better and easier
Maybe Icefrog hate this hero
btw. fck slark and lunar
Shit patch. Broken game when every hero in every lane has 4 of same item. Rubick 4 null, Lifestealer 3 Wraith Bands. Zeus 4 Null Ogre 4 Bracers and Centaur 4 bracers. game ended 20 min. One starting bracer null or wraith replaced with 3k item from T3 and rax gold.. SAF patch.
am still rush battlefury,
ogre still rush midas,
solo ranked :
always 4 carry and 1 support,
in mid-game 3 dogs jungle(and blame if they dying), 1 carry and 1 support roaming and feeding
still same game for me :)
haha,,,
roflmao
I started spamming slark in 7.20c still too strong :)