With the new patch slowly approaching, it is perhaps the time to have a discussion on what changes we would like to see. While the hero changes are always a breath of fresh air, changes to the items usually have a much bigger impact on the overall meta, as they are options available throughout the whole match and not something you sometimes blindly commit to during the draft stage. With that in mind, here are some of the item changes we would like to see.
We’ve talked about the item previously and while we firmly believe that it is an excellent item in its little niche, the niche itself is just way too narrow. This item is only good on heroes who can attack multiple targets, mostly Ember Spirit or Pangolier, and it is only good against heroes with sustained ability damage, be it Leshrac, Timbersaw or Bristleback. The subset of games where it is a worthwhile purchase is incredibly small and it is the reason we see so little of it.
There are also other problems with the item, the biggest one being the opportunity cost. With a 2400 gold price tag, this item can’t compete with Hood if Defiance in terms of cost efficiency as a magic damage mitigating item. It can’t compete with a simple Falcon Blade as a mana regeneration tool or with Echo Sabre as a tempo purchase. It has a bit of everything and it is never a bad purchase per se. It’s just rarely the best purchase.
Making it lean heavier into one of its aspects could do wonders for the item. Adding a slow, perhaps based on enemy cooldowns, similar to Void’s Time Dilation could fit thematically and gameplay-wise. Or getting rid of the recipe and adding an extra component with extra stats could help it shine.
Maybe a Hood of Defiance price nerf could make Mage Slayer a more appealing option. Considering how the Pipe of Insight recipe is more expensive than the Hood, maybe splitting the recipe cost into two parts, one for Hood, one for Pipe would not only bring Pipe back into the meta, but will also allow Mage Slayer to have some breathing room.
The item is in a weird spot, where it is even being forgotten in games where it can be a good purchase. Maybe over buffing it slightly for a short period so players actually know about the existence of this option could do wonders for Mage Slayer.
Somehow Vlad’s stopped being an independently valued item. Ever since the introduction of Helm of the Overlord the Vlads’ been losing a lot of popularity, as most players think of it as part of the Helm, and Helm is a pretty niche item itself.
Helm is also mostly a core item, while Vlad’s doesn’t feel like one. It is a good aura, but it’s not something you go for as one of your first items on a core, even an offlane one, unless you are Beastmaster or Lycan. It used to be decent on TIdehunter, but then other items usually take priority.
Separating the two is not necessarily the way to go, but perhaps changing some of the buildups could work and return Vlad’s into the realm of supports. A small price decrease could do wonders in that regard.
Making Helm of the Overlord more appealing to a wider variety of heroes could also work, but we are not entirely certain how feasible it is: very few heroes can fully utilize an extra creep and very few players actually want to.
While Helm of the Overlord and Vlad’s suffer from being a little bit too niche, there are three items that, in our opinion, suffer from the current meta. It feels a little bit too burst-heavy, making items like Guardian Greaves, aforementioned Pipe and Crimson Guard seem out of place.
Pretty much every single meta offlaner wants a Blink Dagger and at this point, with the ability to initiate deep into the enemy formation, why go for defensive items, when you can build more burst? Armlet on Mars and Legion Commander, Tidehunter with an Aghanim’s Rush, a Shadow Blade Spirit Breaker or Meteor Hammer OD is what the meta is about.
Go in, get a quick kill, snowball the fight is how the vast majority of lineups are being played. This leaves very little room for defensive builds, with Offlaners sometimes getting Hood or Vanguard and calling it a day.
The trio of defensive items is also not that cost efficient, unless you fight 5v5. Both Pipe and Greaves have incredibly high recipe costs, pricing supports out. Crimson simply doesn’t have a good support buildup. This results in a situation where cores don’t want these defensive items and supports can’t afford them.
Perhaps the situation will change with the new patch without direct buffs to the items. However we feel like the higher level of Dota now almost requires constant aggression and there is very little room for save. Having the first move advantage became a little bit too important and playing off counter-initiation is a little bit too expensive and unreliable.
We feel like a tankier meta, with significantly more back-and-forth in the teamfights and “higher TTK” could really benefit the game, at least for a little while. Do you agree, or do you feel like the meta is in a good place and it is just these three items that could use a little buff to become slightly more popular? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.