The last DPC even of the year is over and Team Liquid had the last laugh. They couldn’t win a Major throughout the season but did manage to take the plaudits in Shanghai at the Dota 2 Supermajor. Valve did mention that all patches after this will be balance patches and that is what patch 7.17 is. Although it is supposed to be a balance patch, it does take into account a lot of heroes. The impact of this patch will be felt on the upcoming TI 8 Open Qualifiers and Regional Qualifiers. Let’s see who got a good deal and who will be left sulking..

Winners

1) Abaddon

* Abaddon: Level 10 Talent increased from +20% XP to +25%

* Abaddon: Level 15 Talent increased from +60 Mist Coil Heal/Damage to +75

* Abaddon: Level 15 Talent increased from +6 Armor to +8

After a popular stint about a year back, Abaddon has not been a very common pick. Not that he isn’t played at all, but only in 245 professional games this season. The problem with the hero is he lacks the initiation most offlaners have. However, the buffs have been racking up on the hero since the last few patches and with longer games incoming, Radiance Abaddon could soon have a position in the meta.

2) Ancient Apparition

* Ancient Apparition: Level 10 Talent increased from +60 Gold/Min to +90

AA was a very common pick a couple of months back. I remember Kyle mentioning at DAC 2018 that Tiny-AA was the best opening in Dota at that time. A few nerfs saw the hero go down the pecking order, nut I believe +90 GPM at level 10 is a big impetus for picking him. He is one of those position 5 heroes that benefits a lot from an Aghanim’s Scepter and the bonus gold helps a lot.

3) Clinkz

* Clinkz: Base armor increased by 1

* Clinkz: Strafe dodge now works against non-player units

* Clinkz: Strafe attack speed increased from 80/140/200/260 to 110/160/210/260

I guess the only way to make Clinkz viable in the meta is by declaring the team that picks Clinkz as the winner. And even with that, I’m not sure he will be picked! That is how much he has been ignored this season. With just 3 games to his name since 7.08 and the biweekly patches began, Clinkz is the least pick hero in the professional meta along with Necropos and Riki. The firey skeleton has been buffed time and again and I believe it is only a matter of time when teams suddenly realize how good the hero is. The increase in armor gives him better lane sustain and the attack speed increase for early levels of Strafe improves early pick off and tower taking potential.

4) Crystal Maiden

* Crystal Maiden: Crystal Nova cooldown reduced from 12/11/10/9 to 11/10/9/8

* Crystal Maiden: Level 15 Talent increased from +120 Gold/Min to +150

The only other hero that has +150 GPM at level 15 is Phenix. CM joins him in the elite club. Tal ‘Fly’ Aizik already mentioned a few patches ago the hero was close to making a comeback. Maybe this is the patch that tips the scales in her favor. 150 is a lot of gold for a position 5!

5) Enchantress

* Enchantress: Nature’s Attendants cooldown reduced from 45 to 35

* Enchantress: Enchant slow rescaled from 3/4/5/6 to 3.75/4.5/5.25/6

Like a lot of changes, these buffs are targeted towards the laning stages. More sustain with heal, more killing potential with increased slow. Would be interesting to run a baby sitting Ench with max heal, because that heal is considerable amount.

6) Enigma

* Enigma: Demonic Conversion manacost reduced from 170 to 140/150/160/170

* Enigma: Demonic Conversion Eidolon HP regen increased from 0.25 to 4

It is a bad jungling meta with the reduced XP and gold, but these changes to Demonic Conversion really make it enticing to take Enigma to the jungle. Well, the also can be put to use in the lane, but the major advantage will be see in the jungle with the Eidolons having more survivability.

7) Huskar

* Huskar: Level 25 Talent changed from 0 Inner Vitality Cooldown to Burning Spears Pure and Pierces Immunity

* Huskar: Level 25 Talent increased from +125 Attack Range to +150

This is definitely something Huskar needed. Huskar lineups usually aim for the early game, finish the game before the enemy cores have a chance to come online. But incase that does not happen, Husk falls off and the game is lost. Well timed BKBs make his ultimate totally ineffective and the damage from Burning Spears is negated as well. Burning Spears turning to Pure changes that. The damage cannot even be mitigated with a Hood or Pipe. The only thing is, level 25 might be a bit too late for it. It is good change no doubt, but I wonder if that will shoot up the pick rate for Huskar.

8) Lich

* Lich: Frost Blast attack slow increased from -20 to -30

* Lich: Frost Blast cooldown reduced from 8 to 7

* Lich: Level 10 Talent increased from +175 Health to +200

Steals XP from the opposition, provides armor to the carry and makes enemies crawl. What more do you want? The dual buff to Frost Blast makes Lich a scary proposition in lane.

9) Magnus

* Magnus: Base strength increased by 1

* Magnus: Skewer slow increased from 2.5/2.75/3/3.25 to 3.25

* Magnus: Shockwave damage increased from 75/150/225/300 to 90/160/230/300

The buff to Shockwave makes it equivalent to Lina’s Dragon Slave (Which has a damage of85/160/235/310). It has less AoE, but a lot lesser mana as well with just 90 mana at all levels. Makes last hitting and harassing a lot easier in lane. And if anyone is to be taken back into tower range with Skewer, the increased slow probably means an extra attack taken from the tower.

10) Necrophos

* Necrophos: Level 15 Talent increased from +16% Ghost Shroud Slow to +20%

* Necrophos: Level 25 Talent increased from -1.5s Death Pulse Cooldown to -2.5s

* Necrophos: Level 25 Talent increased from +0.6 heartstopper Aura to +0.8

Along with Clinkz, Necro has been the least picked hero since the turn of 7.08 with 3 games to his name. That is rough. The buffs he has received are good no doubt, but unlike most heroes, these are targeted towards the latter stages of the game. What Necro will need to make a comeback is something that helps him more in the early game. The level 25 talents are pretty cool though. 2.5 second Death Pulse cooldown and 3.1% Heartstopper Aura. For someone like a tanky Spectre with 3000 HP, that is 93 damage per second!

11) Phantom Assassin

* Phantom Assassin: Stifling Dagger slow rescaled from 1/2/3/4 seconds to 1.75/2.5/3.25/4

* Phantom Assassin: Level 20 Talent improved from Double Strike Stifling Dagger to Triple Strike Stifling Dagger

At some point, IceFrog and Valve need to realize how much ever they buff PA, she will not be a common pick in the professional meta. But she is crazy strong in pubs. Triple Strike Stifling Dagger? Imagine triple critting the enemy when they try to seize high ground. Makes the hair on the back of my neck stand.

12) Phoenix

* Phoenix: Supernova stun duration from 1.5/2/2.5 to 2/2.5/3.0

A 3 second AoE stun? That’s more than Ravage! I know it is a more difficult to land, but 3 seconds is a big time. Finding the perfect combo, like a Chrono, to make sure the Supernova goes off could be a gank turner.

13) Pudge

* Pudge: Level 10 Talent changed from +5 Armor to +30% XP

* Pudge: Level 15 Talent changed from +75 Damage to +12% Rot Slow

30% XP increase is something that will propel Pudge to further levels and get to the Rot Slow and +180 GPM/ 15% Cooldown Reduction quicker.

14) Tiny

* Tiny: Base movement speed increased from 280 to 285

* Tiny: Tree Throw splash damage increased from 130% to 150%

* Tiny: Grow Status Resistance increased from 20/30/40% to 30/40/50%

The Stone Giant was nerfed and never seen again after 7.14. With the buffs in 7.16 and 7.17, Tiny might be back but with the top teams not playing again till TI 8, you can’t be sure. Additionally, the main thing about Tiny was the 100% cleave which helped him farm really fast. Without that, I’m not sure teams will go there.

no sky or wr nerfs Feelsgoodman — Ioannis Loucas (@Foggeddota) June 10, 2018

Losers

1) Bane

* Bane: Base damage reduced by 2

* Bane: Brain Sap manacost increased from 70/100/130/160 to 90/115/140/165

Bane is a lane winner if there ever was one. High base damage for harassing, decent armor and a pure damage skill (that heals for the damage!) to start with. Had to be brought down a notch. Although I don’t see this affecting his pick rate.

2) Clockwerk

* Clockwerk: Base damage reduced by 4

Combine this nerf with the increased mana cost for Cogs in 7.16 and it puts a dent in Clockwerk’s claim as a priority pick.

3) Gyrocopter

* Gyrocopter: Level 15 Talent changed from +3 Flak Cannon Attacks to +0.5s Homing Missile Stun Duration

* Gyrocopter: Level 20 Talent reduced from +45 Movement Speed to +40

Gyro has been nerfed time and again but he keeps being picked and he keeps winning! Gyro has been picked 772 times this season with a win rate of 53.24%. This here, is a considerable nerf as the talent of +3 Flak Cannon Attacks was picked nearly 100% of the time. The extra charges help in fighting and in team fight. Hopefully, this does actually affects him.

4) Io

* Io: Spirits damage reduced from 25/50/75/100 to 20/40/60/80

* Io: Tether movement speed reduced from 7/10/13/16 to 5/8/11/14%

* Io: Level 10 Talent reduced from +60 Damage to +45

* Io: Level 20 Talent reduced from +20 Health Regen to +15

Since 7.12, Io has been banned so many games that the ball has been picked in only 55 games. And of those, Io has won 40 with a win rate of 73.72%! Like Bane, it won’t deter teams from picking the hero, but it will make it a bit easier to win against it.

5) Night Stalker

* Night Stalker: Crippling Fear cooldown increased from 12 to 24/20/16/12

* Night Stalker: Void cooldown increased from 8 to 11/10/9/8

7.16 saw the change that Void would not apply a mini stun during the day. The Void cooldown is a bigger nerf than Crippling Fear. A lot of times, getting off a last ditch Void is the difference between getting a kill and getting killed. 3 seconds may not seem a lot, but it sure is in the laning stage.

6) Sand King

* Sand King: Base damage reduced by 3

* Sand King: Caustic Finale slow reduced from 21/24/27/30% to 15/20/25/30%

What needs to be done to keep Sand King down and out? The hero has become a comfort hero for so many teams that even with so many nerfs, he keeps getting picked. And SK isn’t even a very successful hero at that. The most played hero of the season with 1162 games, SK’s win rate is 45.18%. But teams keep going towards him, despite of the below average win rate and nerfs. Like most changes, SK’s nerf is targeted towards the early game. Hopefully, it’ll make him stay in his Burrow and not Strike in the foreseeable future.

Although there were a lot of changes, most of them were minor ones. These were the ones I thought would have more of an impact on the game. With Open Qualifiers and Regional Qualifiers all happening within the next two weeks, it will be interesting to see if teams decide to stick to what they know or experiment on a few things based on Dota 2 7.17!