Dota 2 Patch 7.38 – Imba Heroes and Meta Formation

Hello, everyone! The Blix team is back with you today for a thorough breakdown of the latest Dota 2 patch. This update has drastically changed the meta, and we’re excited to share everything we’ve played, tested, and analyzed over the past few days. If you haven’t yet mastered the fundamental changes, we recommend starting with the general guides first. Now, let’s dive deeper—we’ll analyze the stats, highlight the heroes currently dominating the game, and provide recommendations on how to make the most out of them. Let’s get started!

Dota 2: Patch 7.38

Lifestealer – the Most Survivable Hero in the New Meta

Dota 2 hero: Lifestealer

Let’s talk about Lifestealer (Naix), which has been a standout in the latest patch. We at Blix tried him out right after the update was released and were thoroughly impressed. Previously, in an ideal game, he could gain around 700 extra HP per minute. Now, by the 10th minute, we were consistently seeing an increase of 250 to 300 HP, and by the 34th minute, that number exceeded 1000. Lifestealer isn’t just a bulky hero; he has become an absolute tank that is incredibly difficult to break through without coordinated effort from the opposing team.

What’s Changed?

• The new Corrosion reduces the target’s armor, which synergizes perfectly with Lifestealer’s high attack speed. Although he’s traditionally dealt low damage, this debuff compensates for that by making his auto attacks significantly more effective.
• Additionally, the facet that contributes to his survivability nullifies the cooldown of Open Wounds after killing a target with it. This means that the second skill effectively becomes a spam option without a cooldown.
• Sange & Yasha is now being chosen in almost every game. You can disassemble this item to buy Manta Style and Heaven’s Halberd. Manta Style counter Silence, or utilize Heaven’s Halberd for better control, making Lifestealer a versatile powerhouse.

Our approach

We tested Lifestealer using Armlet and Desolator instead of the classic Radiance. This build offers excellent pushing potential and allows you to operate effectively in the late game with an additional 1750 HP. It shifts the focus from passive farming to actively applying lane pressure and participating in team fights. In the current meta, where many heroes are tanky (like Pudge, Magnus, Dragon Knight, and Jakiro), Lifestealer performs exceptionally well.

When facing Lifestealer, it’s important to be as cautious as you would against heroes like Legion Commander, who can deal tremendous duel damage, or Pudge with his ultimate ability. Pairing Lifeatealer with a support hero like Oracle or Dazzle greatly enhances his survivability. If the enemy team has strong crowd control, consider adding a Lotus Orb to make Lifestealer even more difficult to kill.

Winter Wyvern – The Best Hero for Teamfights

Dota 2 hero: Winter Wyvern

The next hero who impressed us was Winter Wyvern. She has become the ideal counter-pick against Lifestealer and other tanky heroes due to the updated version of Winter’s Curse. Now, after defeating an enchanted target, her ultimate ability jumps to the nearest enemy (illusions are ignored). Additionally, Winter Wyvern can attack all enemies affected by her ultimate without any damage reduction—not just the main target, but also those nearby.

What’s Changed?

• Previously, Aghanim’s Scepter, Pike, and several other items were required, which made it expensive and time-consuming. Now, these mechanics are built into the basics—just take the ultimate ability and destroy.

Our approach

Winter Wyvern has evolved into a versatile hero who not only counters tanks but also excels in team fights. Facing her without AoE damage can be quite challenging, so it’s important to pay attention to your opponent’s draft. We recommend prioritizing Cold Embrace while putting Arctic Burn on a lower priority.

Tips

• You can Infest and Control ancient creeps at the 2nd level of Infest.
• Midasing a creep that has Open Wounds on it will heal you.
• You can toggle your Armlet while TPing.

Dazzle – The Immortal Support

Dota 2 hero: Dazzle

Dazzle has received a powerful upgrade, and we at Blix have already recognized its potential in the meta. The new ultimate ability, Nothl Projection, allows Dazzle to separate his spirit from his body and fly around the battlefield. This spirit is immortal—it cannot be caught, slowed, or damaged in any way. While in this form, the spirit can hit enemies, cast spells, and use items. The only way to disable this ability is to locate and kill Dazzle’s body, which is immune to interruption for the first five seconds after casting the ultimate.

What’s Changed?

• Dazzle has refined his playstyle by staying a considerable distance from his team while utilizing Shadow Wave. Now, with the addition of Aether Lens and Ultimate, he can attack and apply armor reduction from a safe distance. 
• Enemies must locate a body on the spirit thread, but during a chaotic fight, especially when an enemy carry is advancing on them, this becomes nearly impossible. If he finds himself being chased, he can return the soul and escape safely.

Our approach

We didn’t test the bug with 20 Midas charges, as it seemed unfair and unnecessary. However, Dazzle appears to be quite powerful even without those charges. It’s best to pair him with mobile heroes like Phantom Assassin or Slark, as his spirit can support them in battles while keeping his own body safe. 

To counter Dazzle, you should choose a hero with global mobility, such as Spectre or Spirit Breaker, or a strong scouting hero like Zeus or Beastmaster. Otherwise, you may struggle to locate his body in time during engagements.

Tips

• Many players don’t notice that Dazzle’s claim to fame is that all of his spells revolve around physical damage. Poison Touch ticks physically, Shadow Wave heals and deals damage physically, and Dazzle’s Weave innate is all about mitigating armor values.
• Be smart about using heals post-Shallow Grave. I’m fine if you Grave someone at 50% HP because at least you’re trying. Just don’t waste heals on a 1 HP Shallow Graved ally when there are 4 seconds left on the Grave clock. Wait for the ring around them to drop to the ground (that’s the visual showing when Shallow Grave ends) and then immediately burst heal them. You’re wasting precious healing potential by healing someone who’s safe and is going to get that HP burned off during the Grave anyway.

Dark Seer – The Return of a Legend With RPG Mechanics

Dota 2 hero: Dark Seer

Dark Seer has made a highly anticipated comeback. His attack speed has been restored, bringing him closer to his previous form, which had a 50% win rate. The new innate ability transforms him into an MMORPG-style character, allowing him to regenerate HP and mana with each level-up. Specifically, he gains 84 HP and 47 mana when leveling from level 1 to level 2, and 107 HP and 61 mana when leveling from level 2 to level 3. Remarkably, this occurs without the need for any items! With two Iron Branches, a Circlet, and a Soul Ring, he starts with an impressive total of 109 HP and 52 mana at his first level up.

What’s Changed?

• Dark Seer can now trade HP freely on the line. His regeneration allows him to remain in battle indefinitely, while Ion Shell devastates his opponents.
• With a level up, he can restore over 1000 HP. Just when you think you’ve almost defeated him, he upgrades, avoids your attack, heals, and activates Mekansm – making him a nightmare for his enemies.

Our approach

We tested a starting build without the Soul Ring, using two Circlets, three Branches, a Tango, and two Null Talismans in the lane. This setup provides enough mana, although it may impact inner ability regeneration, resulting in lane domination. For maximum survivability, we recommend building Guardian Greaves and Shiva’s Guard. Dark Seer is an excellent choice against Phantom Lancer and other illusion heroes, as Ion Shell effectively burns their clones. Additionally, Dark Seer complements the current meta favoring tanky heroes, so consider pairing him with Pudge or Bristleback.

Tips

• Vacuum can move invulnerable/sleeping targets. This means you can pull enemies like a Storm Spirit in Ball Lightning or ones that are slept from Naga Song.
• Vacuum can’t pull enemies out of a Eul’s cyclone, but bizarrely, you can pull them out of a Wind Waker cyclone, Invoker Tornado, and Brewmaster Storm Brewling Cyclone.
• Ion Shelling invisible allies is hilarious. The damage isn’t large enough to show a huge white bar of missing HP building up on an unsuspecting enemy and the purple lines emitting from the Shell don’t even appear.

Phantom Lancer – A Potential Imba Hero on the Horizon

Dota 2 hero: Phantom Lancer

Phantom Lancer currently has a win rate of around 50%, which isn’t at the top, but it possesses hidden potential. The recent change to Spirit Lance allows clone spears to deal an additional 25% damage, addressing the issue of damage output. Additionally, the new artifact, Brooch, enhances the clones by increasing their damage per second (DPS).

Why hasn’t he realized his potential yet?

• The pick rate has increased by 6.5% due to its novelty, and players are trying it out indiscriminately, even in inappropriate games.
• The Brooch has not been fully mastered; the builds are raw. For maximum damage, we recommend pairing it with a Diffusal Blade.

Our approach

Choose Phantom Lancer in games where opponents lack AoE (area of effect) damage heroes like Magnus, Jakiro, or Sand King. He’s particularly strong against enemies that rely on single-target damage. In the late game, his illusions can form an unstoppable army when paired with Manta Style and the Brooch. Experiment with the timing of the Brooch; we suggest building it after Diffusal Blade. However, if the enemy team has a lot of magic damage, consider adding Heart of Tarrasque instead.

Tips

• Doppelganger allows you to travel up and down cliffs.
• Doppelganger breaks trees upon landing. Use this to find juking enemies or to create quicker jungle routes.
• Much like every other illusion hero out there, you can sometimes be tricky by microing an illusion out of the pack to bait enemies into thinking it’s the real you.

General Patch Trends: A Meta of Tanks and Active Farming

Dota 2: Art

This patch favors tanky heroes with high survivability. Heroes like Pudge, Magnus, Dragon Knight, Jakiro, and Bristleback all benefit from the new mechanics and items introduced. The Mage Slayer item, which grants health regeneration and damage instead of instant burst, has become essential for these heroes, especially for Dragon Knight.

We’ve also observed a shift towards more active farming strategies. Players no longer sit on triangles as they once did, and neutral creeps have become less favorable for early stacking. This shift allows heroes like Lifestealer and Dark Seer to apply pressure on lanes and force the enemy to respond.

If you’re playing as a support, consider heroes that offer AoE control or healing, such as Dazzle, Oracle, or Omniknight. For carries, focus on picks with substantial damage output or mobility, like Phantom Lancer, or Slark, to effectively deal with tanky opponents.

Conclusion and Future Plans

This patch is a significant game-changer for the meta, and we at Blix have just started to analyze it. Lifestealer, Winter Wyvern, Dazzle, Dark Seer, and Phantom Lancer are the first heroes we’re focusing on. The Blix team is here for you. Good luck with your publications, and we’ll see you in the next guide! We also recommend visiting the Reddit thread for more Dota 2 content.