Witch Doctor Dominates Dota 2 Patch 7.34 with Powerful Buffs
Witch Doctor is causing chaos in Dota 2 Patch 7.34 thanks to two buffs that have made him a formidable opponent against carries.
These buffs include reducing Paralyzing Cask’s bounce interval from 0.3 to 0.1 seconds, making it harder to dodge, and changing his ultimate ability, Death Ward, to deal Pure Damage instead of Physical Damage. This allows him to bypass damage reduction items and penetrate debuff immunity.
As a result of these changes, Witch Doctor’s win rate in this patch has skyrocketed to an impressive 57.94 percent, according to Dotabuff. This is the second-highest win rate among all heroes, with Sand King being the only one ahead. However, considering that Witch Doctor is picked 23.43 percent of the time, compared to Sand King’s 10.85 percent, Witch Doctor is technically performing better.
This surge in performance is surprising because Witch Doctor was already considered strong. Many expected him to receive a nerf rather than a buff in this patch. However, even though Death Ward’s damage numbers were reduced, its ability to deal Pure Damage still makes it a powerful tool.
Another interesting change is that Aghanim’s Scepter-upgraded Death Ward can now bounce to creeps in addition to enemy heroes, although it still prioritizes heroes. The cost of Witch Doctor’s Aghanim’s Shard ability, Voodoo Switcheroo, has been increased, but it hasn’t significantly affected his momentum.
The playstyle with Witch Doctor remains mostly unchanged. He can stun multiple enemies with Paralyzing Cask, follow up with Maledict, and then unleash Death Ward while using Glimmer Cape or Black King Bar to ensure uninterrupted damage.
Related: The biggest winners and losers of Dota 2 Patch 7.34
This combination, along with additional damage from teammates, almost always guarantees the death of enemy heroes unless they are saved.
The current meta item build for Witch Doctor involves dismantling Arcane Boots into Aether Lens, followed by Glimmer Cape, Aghanim’s Shard, and Aghanim’s Scepter. The rest of the item build depends on the situation, but typically includes Ghost Scepter, Black King Bar, or Blink Dagger. This build is often enough to annihilate most carries.
If no changes are made, there’s a high chance that Witch Doctor will become one of the most picked or banned heroes at The International 2023.
Dota 2, esports news, Witch Doctor, Patch 7.34, buffs, carries, Paralyzing Cask, Death Ward, Pure Damage, win rate, Dotabuff, Aghanim’s Scepter, Aghanim’s Shard, playstyle, meta item build, The International 2023.