Spirit Breaker Shines at The International 2023
Spirit Breaker, the bovine hero in Dota 2, stole the show at The International 2023, contributing to Team Spirit’s second victory in the tournament.
This unexpected success is a testament to the hero’s rise in popularity. Despite being ignored in Patch 7.34c and DreamLeague Season 21, Spirit Breaker made a comeback with Patch 7.34d, which included buffs and nerfs for his counters.
And boy, did he make a comeback. Tundra Esports’ Nine was the first to pick Spirit Breaker and demonstrated the hero’s capability in the tanky Strength and Universal meta. Spirit Breaker won six out of eight games at TI, quickly becoming a frequent ban in the drafting phase.
By the end of the tournament, Spirit Breaker boasted a 58 percent win rate from 36 picks and twice as many bans as other heroes, according to stats from Spectral. Spirit offlaner Collapse made history by winning the final game of the tournament with Spirit Breaker, leading the Russian squad to a comeback victory in game three.
One of the keys to Spirit Breaker’s success was Collapse’s unique build. Instead of the standard Sange and Yasha, Collapse opted for an Octarine Core, which he obtained before the 20-minute mark with the help of Hand of Midas.
Spirit Breaker’s high Strength gain makes him incredibly durable in the lane, and his Hand of Midas ensures he can catch up in farm. With the Octarine Core in his possession, Collapse roamed the map, pressuring enemy cores and building towards his level 20 power spike.
What sets Spirit Breaker apart is his level 20 talent, which grants a 25 percent bonus damage to Greater Bash. This enhancement significantly increases his kill potential, allowing him to decimate opposition carries with Charge of Darkness and Nether Strike.
With the support of his team, Spirit Breaker secures kills easily. Additionally, with a Silver Edge, he can take on even the toughest hyper carries in Dota 2, countering their defensive passives with his area-of-effect initiation.
The only question now is how long Spirit Breaker’s dominance will last. While other heroes may have higher win rates, none possess the complete package that Spirit Breaker offers: tankiness, speed, and burst damage. Players are likely to emulate Spirit Breaker’s success at TI12 by using him more frequently in their Dota 2 pub matches.
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