Dota 2 patch 7.35 – general considerations

Every now and then, usually two times per year, IceFrog shocks the Dota 2 community with a massive patch that takes weeks or even months to fully adapt to. The changes are so numerous that you can’t even anticipate what the new meta is going to be by reading the patch notes. You need to play the game and see what works.

In some cases, even apparently tiny changes lead to massive changes in win rates and pick rates. Leshrac, for instance, was buffed in minor ways by Dota 2 patch 7.35. The damage of his Diabloic Edict was increased by 2 per explosion and his Lightning Storm now slows attack speed by 50 for 1.2s, in addition to slowing movement speed by 75%.

These buffs turned Leshrac into the most successful hero of the new meta. Right now, his win rate is 57.6%, which is huge. No doubt, he will get nerfed in Dota 2 patch 7.35b, but until then, you can gain a lot of MMR by playing him.

Item changes

One of the most exciting things about patch 7.35 is the item changes it brought. Dozens of items were either nerfed, buffed, introduced, or removed from the game. Many of these items are changing the meta in drastic ways.

Just take for instance the well-known Ultimate Orb. It now costs 2800 gold instead of 2050, but gives +15 to all attributes. Or take Arcane Boots, which now gives mana regen instead of +250 mana. The wearer gets +1.75, while his allies get +1 in a 1200 radius, which is pretty nice to have when starting to push early.

Heart of Tarrasque became much weaker, while items such as Eternal Shroud and Orb of Corrosion have been buffed. Pavise is now an insanely powerful item in the early game, while Shiva’s Guard is the strongest armor in the game by far thanks to its +20 armor bonus. For support heroes, Solar Crest is now a powerful item to buff allies.

Hero changes

This patch changed dozens of heroes in major ways. Many of them now have impressive win rates. In the case of Leshrac, Death Prophet, and Timbersaw, the changes have made them instant picks in pubs.

Death Prophet’s Silence now slows enemy movement speed by 10 – 25%. Considering that it’s an AoE spell, this is a big deal.

Header: Valve