Patch 7.34 Tremors: How the Meta's Evolved
It’s been nearly a week since Patch 7.34 came out. Players are trying to figure out the meta heroes for upcoming qualifiers, and certain heroes are starting to gain attraction in pubs. Heroes like Invoker, Riki and Brewmaster are making their way into the meta as the heroes receive buffs.
Some heroes, on the other hand, are giving players mixed feelings. Despite receiving a rework and some buffs, players are uncertain where the current Phantom Assasin stands. Her ultimate ability gave PA more stability in the game, but it is counter-able by Nullifier, a 4375 gold item. Some heroes are also gaining popularity due to their hilarious interactions, making it more fun for players to play.
Orge Magi and the Misfortunes of Midas
Most Dota players are greedy. Instead of going for a game-winning crucial item, they often go for an item to maximise their farm. In Patch 7.34, this fact is put on trial as Hand of Midas received a buff, giving it two charges and separate cooldowns.
As Midas received a buff, players started picking Orge Magi more, a hero that heavily relies on RNG. Sometimes due to the RNG of the hero, Midas would work double or triple than it used to, giving players more gold and skyrocketing their farm.
During the patch's initial release, players would stack buy Hand Of Midas on Orge Magi. In theory, this would help them reach their item timing much faster. However, in reality, a hilarious action happened; Orge Magi would only have Hand Midas, making the hero relatively squishy as the game progressed.
As a result of this hilarious event, Orge Magi quickly plummeted despite the pick rate of the hero skyrocketing. In the initial days of Patch 7.34, the hero had a 47.14% win rate despite having a 21.75% pick rate. Although Valve has quickly released an update to patch this interaction, Orge Magi is slowly recovering from the Midas trauma. The hero currently has a 49.71% win rate this week.
A Doctor in Core Shoes
Many teams have tried and failed to play Witch Doctor as a core; only Gaimin Gladiators had some success. However, in Patch 7.34, this could become a reality. Witch Doctor’s Ultimate received a buff. The damage type of Death Ward got changed from Physical to Pure Damage. Pure Damage means the hero’s ability will now neglect the damage reduction from armour and status reduction. Thus, this change makes Witch Doctor more viable in the late game.
The hero’s most annoying ability Paralyzing Cask also received some change. The bounce delay of the “ annoying coconut” decreased, which means it is now possible to catch the retreating heroes. When these abilities combine with Maledict, WD suddenly becomes a threat in team fights. Maledict also offers WD a reliable laning stage because it can heavily punish out-of-position heroes. The hero currently has a 59.14% win rate in pubs, and the win rate will only increase.
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