We take a look at how some of our favorite heroes are faring now Patch 7.32d’s first stats are in.
Following TI 11’s end, we played on the same patch for a couple of weeks. However, Valve decided it was time for something new, which is why they gave us access to 7.32d just a few days ago. This was not the big patch that people expected, but it delivered several important buffs and nerfs.
We’ve already covered plenty about the patch, so we won’t go into detail. Instead, this article will focus on some of the changes that took place following the arrival of the new patch. Unsurprisingly, some heroes became much more popular than others, so let’s learn more about them.
Razor’s pick rate and win rate increased dramatically
Razor has always been one of the hidden gems in Dota 2. This hero wasn’t that popular in pubs, but he always had a role in the pro meta. In fact, many of the best Dota 2 teams in the world used him a lot, including at TI.
Razor was one of the strongest mid-laners, but players like Ammar started using him in the offlaner. We’ve also seen him as a Pos 1, so it it safe to say that he is versatile and can fill in a lot of roles when needed. Nevertheless, he wasn’t that popular until the arrival of the current patch.
7.32d did not change that many things to Razor, but it seems like it was enough to make the hero the go-to option. Currency, Razor’s Storm Surge with Aghanim’s Shard deals 175 damage instead of 150. Moreover, his level 10 talent gives him +12 AGI instead of +9.
The buffs allow the hero to be even more dangerous than before. Needless to say, we expect to see him in action once the new DPC begins. In terms of his Win Rate and Pick Rage, both have gone up more than 4%.
Treant Protector is on the rise
Even though the Dota 2 patch 7.32d did not affect that many heroes, Treant Protector was one of the few names that received a lot of buffs. Most players saw this coming because Treant wasn’t that popular in the last couple of months. In fact, we barely saw him at The International 11, which was strange because he was among the most popular options before.
Treant received 2 bug buffs in the new patch, and one of them is to Leech Seed. This ability now deals more damage and healing per second and has a shorter cast point and extra range. In fact, we think that it is too strong, so we wouldn’t be surprised if Valve addresses it in the subsequent update. Treant’s second buff is to Overgrowth, which deals 10 more damage per second.
Even though some people might think that these 2 buffs are not that important, it seems like the majority of people like them a lot. Consequently, Treant Protector is the 4th most successful hero in the last couple of days.
Keeper of the Light is back
People who’ve followed the DPC probably remember that there was a time when players used Keeper of the Light as a midder. The hero’s insane magical damage allows him to clear waves and farm fast. Hence, players found a way to make use of it and had a lot of success. The bad news is that this did not last long and KotL was “removed” from the meta.
Even though it is too early to tell whether he is back, there is no arguing that the new patch made the hero stronger. 7.32d gave Keeper for the Light 2 additional base damage and increased his turn rate from 0.6 to 0.7. These two changes seem minor, but it seems like players like them because the hero’s pick rate increased a lot.
Keeper of the Light was one of the interesting support heroes teams picked when they went for a Push strategy. We are yet to see whether he will fill his role or transition into the mid-lane again.
Viper is here
Everyone who plays a lot of pubs in Dota 2 knows that Viper is among the most annoying heroes in the game. While it is true that he never became that popular among pro players, the hero always had a role in pubs. It seems like he will continue to trigger people in the mid-lane because patch 7.32d revealed a couple of buffs.
Following the changes, Nethertoxin now costs 70 instead of 85 mana, which means he can use it much more often. What’s more, Viper won’t need that much mana regen anymore, which is a huge buff, especially during the laning stage.
Nosedive also received a buff because the ability now has a 375 cast range. This makes it even more efficient against melees and actually allows Viper to disarm ranged heroes, depending on the situation.
In addition to these 2 buffs, Viper’s level 10 talent gives him +18 damage per second instead of +13, and his level 15 one increases the magic resistance to +15. All of those changes are a clear sign that the hero will continue to rip through his enemies like a knife through butter.
Even though patch 7.32d did not include that many changes, it seems like they already have an effect on the current meta. As expected, the heroes that received substantial buffs have slowly taken over the pub meta. We don’t have any information about the professional scene yet because the new DPS hasn’t started.
One thing is certain – there will be changes to some roles because certain heroes have become much stronger, whereas others have lost a lot of damage. It will be fun to see what will the professional players bet on once they start playing.