Minor changes in Patch 7.07b for Dota 2
The new Dota 2 patch, which was released less than two weeks ago, has already received a minor revision.
Today, Patch 7.07b was released, bringing nerfs to certain high-tier heroes and buffs to those who needed them the most. Heroes like Anti-Mage and Dark Willow have been targeted by lead developer IceFrog’s nerf bat.
Anti-Mage’s Blink talent illusion has been moved from level 15 to level 20, making him an easier target to deal with during the early and mid game. His strength gain and base intelligence have also been toned down, making him a more fragile hero and reducing the mana he has for using Blink.
Dark Willow, the hero with a respectable win rate, has also received negative changes. Bramble’s maze now deals damage over time instead of all at once. Bedlam’s cooldown has been increased and its damage has been decreased.
These changes are expected to reduce the pick rates and win rates of both heroes in the future. Anti-Mage reached a peak win rate of 57 percent in the previous patch, resulting in a significant increase in his pick rate, according to Dota 2 stats site Dotabuff.
On the other hand, Pangolier has received numerous improvements as his win rate dropped to as low as 36 percent at one point last week. These buffs should make him more effective and slightly easier to use.
Interestingly, Medusa has actually been buffed in this patch. Although her strength gain has been reduced, her talents have received small yet positive increases. For example, Mystic Snake now steals 15 percent of a hero’s mana, up from 10 percent.
Several other popular heroes’ talents have also been changed in the patch. Bane’s damage steal talent on Enfeeble has been moved to a higher level, reducing his ability to compete with solo heroes in the mid lane. Beastmaster’s Wild Axes talent has been toned down slightly, and Kunkka’s Ghost Ship talent now releases three ships instead of four.
For a complete list of all the changes, you can refer to the patch notes on the Steam website.