Less than a week after releasing one of the largest Dota 2 updates ever, Valve has returned with another sizable patch 7.36a to help smooth out the rough edges of Patch 7.36.
Dota 2 Patch 7.36a is not solely concerned with resolving issues that arose as a result of its mega predecessor’s extensive changes. Instead, it addresses some serious issues while also rebalancing many abilities and effects, primarily centered on Hero Facets and the Innates introduced in 7.36.
While Dota 2 patch 7.36 introduced Hero Facets and Innate Abilities, which completely altered how certain heroes interact with one another and the map, 7.36a is a supplemental list of updates aimed at smoothing out the remaining rough edges.
We’ve already seen how the 7.36 patch line will affect Dota 2 at the highest level, as Team Falcons won DreamLeague Season 23 on the patch last weekend. However, that event, combined with thousands of other matches played, has revealed some immediate imbalances.
The Most Significant Changes in Dota 2 Patch 7.36a
Force Staff no longer counters the Leash
Force Staff is a fantastic item that allows supports to propel themselves or other heroes in the direction they are facing. It can be used to chase enemies or escape dangerous situations.
Dota 2 patch 7.36a weakens Force Staff by preventing it from breaking Leashes. This is a significant boost to Slark, Clockwork, and Nature’s Prophet. When facing these heroes (particularly the first two), Force Staff renders their Leash abilities useless; however, this is no longer the case.
It’s important to highlight that players can use Hurricane Pike on enemies to propel themselves while Leashed, but it’s a costly upgrade that doesn’t work on allies.
This is a harsh nerf, but it only applies to a few heroes, so while it is devastating against Slark and Clockwork, it will have little effect on the majority of matches.
Eternal Shroud Lost 5% Magical Resistance
One of the most common complaints about the current “tank meta” is that heroes with powerful armor abilities (Axe, Timbersaw) can purchase Eternal Shroud and become unkillable.
This has been Team Falcons’ favorite tactic, as they frequently pick up three strength cores, multiple Eternal Shrouds, and then celebrate another tournament victory. But seriously, how long will the MENA squad continue to dominate the scene?
For Eternal Shroud, losing 5% base resistance adds up. The item still offers an absurd level of survivability, but this is a step in the right direction.
Major Hero Rebalances
As with every patch, the most powerful heroes are nerfed, while others who are lagging are buffed.
Legion Commander has been nerfed, as he no longer gains a 100% barrier when using Overwhelming Odds to damage heroes. That facet has been nerfed by half. It’s a needed change, yet Stonehall Plate remains the best facet in the game, it’s just not insanely broken in Dota 2 patch 7.36a.
Juggernaut also received nerfs in almost every aspect. His spells deal less damage, and his Aghanim Scepter is less powerful. It’s somewhat deserved, given his win rate skyrocketed following the last patch.
Ability Adjustments
- Force Staff and similar abilities can no longer be used on Leashed targets (e.g., Slark Pounce, Puck Dream Coil, Time Zone).
Crash Fixes
- Fixed crashes related to the following abilities:
- Lich’s Chain Frost
- Lycan’s Shapeshift
- Mars’ Arena of Blood
- Morphling’s Replicate
- Silencer’s Glaive of Wisdom
- Venomancer’s Plague Ward
Bug Fixes
- Light Collector: Corrected the penalty from 25% to the intended 75%.
- Quelling Blade: Corrected damage values for Melee/Ranged.
- Blademail: Fixed reflection of Witch Doctor’s Scepter Death Ward bounce damage back to him.
- Yasha and Kaya: Fixed Cast Speed stacking.
- Skadi: Corrected slow values for Ranged vs Melee.
- Disperser: Fixed double dispels when cast on self.
- Radiance: Ensured dynamic updating with changes to AoE Bonus.
- Shiva’s Guard: Ensured dynamic updating with changes to AoE Bonus.
- Gris-Gris: Fixed tooltip errors.
- Axe Shard: Corrected to grant Counter Helix Cooldown instead of the Scepter.
- Axe One Man Army: Fixed HP loss issue when continuously dispelled.
- Abaddon’s Curse of Avernus: Ensured attack speed bonus is given to allies.
- Ancient Apparition’s Chilling Touch: Fixed strength increment per level.
- Batrider’s Sticky Napalm: Corrected first application damage.
- Clinkz’s Burning Barrage: Ensured auto-application of Tar Bomb.
- Clinkz Skeleton Archers: Fixed Burning Barrage application when cast.
- Dawnbreaker: Fixed Gleaming Hammer effects.
- Dragon Knight’s Corrosive Dragon: Fixed Wyrm’s Wrath application to buildings in Elder Dragon Form.
- Faceless Void’s Distortion Field: Fixed undesirable interactions.
- Huskar: Fixed inability to attack ethereal targets with Revenant’s Brooch.
- Invoker’s Mastermind: Ensured proper functionality.
- Invoker spell lifesteal effects: Fixed erroneous display.
- Leshrac Level 15 Talent: Corrected movement speed stacking with Yasha-based items.
- Lich: Fixed inability to cast Frost Shield during Sinister Gaze.
- Lion: Ensured Finger of Death stacks when killing a hero with Cleave.
- Lone Druid Unbearable Facet: Fixed BAT effect.
- Lone Druid Level 20 and Level 25 Talents: Ensured proper application to the bear.
- Lycan Spirit Wolves: Corrected attack behavior.
- Mars: Fixed regen from invisible/FoW targets, preventing reveal.
- Meepo Pack Rat: Fixed Moon Shards sharing and cooldown issues.
- Meepo’s More Meepo: Ensured players don’t miss a stat or talent point.
- Muerta: Fixed respawning issue with Aegis and Dance of the Dead tooltip inaccuracy.
- Nyx Assassin Burrow: Fixed non-stacking with Aether Lens.
- Nyx Assassin Mana Burn: Corrected interaction with Spirit Vessel.
- Ogre Magi’s Learning Curve: Ensured players don’t miss a stat or talent point.
- Phantom Assassin Level 25 Talent: Fixed +10% Crit Chance.
- Phantom Assassin’s Mark of Death: Fixed double appearance and critical strike application.
- Phantom Assassin Illusions: Corrected Methodical charges behavior.
- Phoenix: Fixed blind instances applied by abilities.
- Pudge: Ensured health gain from Flesh Heap stacks.
- Puck’s Curveball: Corrected projectile speed.
- Puck Puckish: Fixed mana and health gain from disjointed projectiles.
- Shadow Demon’s Level 25 Talent: Ensured 2 Charges of Disruption work properly.
- Silencer’s Aghanim’s Shard: Fixed INT steal increment.
- Slark shard Depth Shroud: Ensured ally healing.
- Sniper: Fixed taunts canceling with Take Aim expiry.
- Spirit Breaker’s Planar Pocket: Fixed undesirable interactions.
- Storm Spirit’s Ball Lightning: Corrected mana cost.
- Storm Spirit’s Shock Collar: Fixed kill counts as denies.
- Storm Spirit: Ensured Galvanized charges aren’t lost when dying with Aegis of the Immortal.
- Templar Assassin’s Blink Dagger: Fixed muting issue when blocking damage with Refraction.
- Timbersaw’s Whirling Death: Corrected attribute reduction.
- Timbersaw’s Chakram: Fixed missing effects.
- Timbersaw’s Exposure Therapy: Ensured proper functionality.
- Tiny Grow Toss: Fixed bonus damage application.
- Undying’s Ceaseless Dirge: Fixed triggering when dying with Aegis of the Immortal.
- Venomancer’s Level 25 Talent: Ensured 2.5x Plague Ward HP/Damage works with Plague Attachment.
- Venomancer: Fixed mini-stunning if Venomous Gale is dispelled without shard.
- Vengeful Spirit Soul Strike: Corrected Abyssal Blade values.
- Warlock’s Black Grimoire: Fixed early consumption.
- Warlock Champion of Gorroth: Corrected burn damage stacking from multiple Hearts of Tarrasque.
- Warlock Shadow Word: Fixed tooltip to explain AoE effect.
- Windranger’s Whirlwind: Fixed disabling by Disarm during Debuff Immunity.
- Wraith King’s Spectral Blade: Corrected tooltip damage type.
Turbo Mode
- Gris-Gris: Passive gold now ticks twice as fast.
Ability Draft
- Fixed abilities granted when they shouldn’t be.
- Corrected wrong keybinds.
And that concludes our analysis of Dota 2 patch 7.36a. The full list of changes is available on the game’s official website.