Dota 2
In Dota 2's ever-evolving environment, each patch introduces a new set of heroes that captivate millions of players worldwide. Recently, we wrote about the Most Expensive and Rarest Items in Dota 2, and now it's time for heroes. From the latest game patch notes, five standout heroes significantly changed the meta, each with unique abilities that make them extremely powerful or "OP" (overpowered).
Highlights
- List of the overpowered heroes of the patch 7.35c
- Description of the changes introduced by that patch
- A review of each of those heroes' benefits based on his abilities list
- Exposition of the players using that hero
Dive deep into Phantom Assassin, Juggernaut, Huskar, Grimstroke, and Visage — most of the new changes brought in by the last patch on their abilities, reasons why they were considered OP, and the best professionals with these heroes.
Most OP Heroes List
- Phantom Assassin
- Leshrac
- Grimstroke
- Mars
- Dragon Knight
Phantom Assassin
Dota 2 Hero: Phantom Assassin
Phantom Assassin has been a solid hard carry, known for her ability to throw off her opponents with incredible burst damage potential. Recent patches have improved her ability to survive in the early game, and reaching late-game critical potential is much easier now for Phantom Assassin.
The massive crits with Stifling Dagger and Coup de Grace make the Phantom Assassin ability a dire threat in any match. Her Blur ability gives her a vast evasion, an essential aspect of dodging attacks and, hence, being in team fights in the first place.
Played by
Arteezy
Miracle
Ana
Abilities
Stifling Dagger
Throws a dagger, slowing and dealing minor damage.
Phantom Strike
Blinks to an enemy, granting attack speed.
Blur
Passively evades attacks; can be activated for invisibility.
Coup de Grace
Grants a chance for critical hits.
The latest adjustments to Phantom Assassin in Dota 2 patch 7.35b have revitalized her presence in the game. With an alarming low win rate at the highest levels of play, the buffs to her abilities like Stifling Dagger, Phantom Strike, and Blur were necessary. These changes enhance her combat efficiency and survivability, making her a more formidable opponent in the meta. These strategic enhancements should encourage players to explore new tactics and compositions, potentially increasing their pick rate and match success.
Leshrac
Dota 2 Hero: Leshrac
Leshrac, the Tormented Soul, has seen a significant resurgence in Dota 2's patch 7.35, primarily due to strategic item enhancements and meta-shifts. This versatile hero, known for his AoE magic damage and pushing capabilities, has climbed in popularity and effectiveness within the game's scene.
Patch 7.35 has indirectly buffed Leshrac through item changes, notably Shiva's Guard, which now applies a debuff, causing enemies to take 15% more magic damage. This buff and Bloodstone's in AoE on spell casts have significantly boosted Leshrac's on the battlefield. The Aghanim's Scepter further amplifies his capabilities, making him a devastating force in team fights.
Played by
GG.Quinn
BetBoom.gpk
AR.Somnus
Abilities
Split Earth
Strikes the ground with a lightning bolt, creating an area of delayed stun and damage.
Diabolic Edict
Emits explosions around Leshrac, dealing damage to nearby enemy units and structures.
Lightning Storm
It hurls a bolt of lightning that bounces through enemy units, slowing and damaging them.
Pulse Nova
Leshrac's ability creates a pulsing nova around him, which deals with continuous magic damage to nearby enemies.
Leshrac offers a blend of high damage output and utility, making him a valuable asset in pushing lanes and team engagements. His strengths include rapidly clearing wave minions, dealing sustained AoE damage, and demolishing towers with Diabolic Edict. However, Leshrac's influence on mana and the need for positioning to unleash his full damage potential effectively can be considered downsides. Moreover, with adequate protection and escape mechanisms, he can be protected from ganks and targeted attacks by the enemy team. Balancing his build between damage and survivability is vital to maximizing Leshrac's success in any match.
Grimstroke
Dota 2 Hero: Grimstroke
Grimstroke's recent update increased the range of his Ink Swell, which is now valuable for him in more offensive or defensive situations. Grimstroke's skill set, including Phantom's Embrace and Soulbind, gives a tremendous amount of control and damage in fights. His versatility makes him a preferred choice for your support hero, who is good in any type of lineup.
Played by
Fy
JerAx
Tims
Abilities
Stroke of Fate
Damages and slows enemies in a line.
Phantom's Embrace
Sends a phantom to latch onto enemies, silencing and damaging them.
Ink Swell
Grants an ally speed and a damage aura, ending in an area stun.
Soulbind
Binds two enemy heroes together, duplicating spell effects from one to the other.
The arsenal of Grimstroke is tailor-made for team fights, with crowd control and damage amplification for allied heroes. Ink Swell and Soulbind, for example, can single-handedly overturn fights with their significant impact. His silencing and binding guarantees ensure that the hero exudes a lot of utility.
Mars
Dota 2 Hero: Mars
Mars is known for his prowess on the battlefield, wielding a massive shield and spear to dominate enemies. Mars' abiMars revolve around his combat skills, primarily using his spear to impale enemies and his shield for defense and crowd control. His ultimate, Arena of Blood, traps enemies in a gladiatorial combat scenario, making him a formidable initiator and team fighter. Unfortunately, the exact adjustments to his abilities or stats in patch 7.35 were not detailed in the sources, indicating that any changes to him might be subtle or part of the general balance adjustments rather than direct reworks or significant ability changes.
Played by
Oblivious Rabbit
cripple
Boris
Abilities
Spear of Mars
Throws his spear, damaging and impaling an enemy hero against obstacles.
God's Rebuke
Swings his shield, dealing damage and knocking back enemies.
Bulwark
Passively grants Mars additional protection from attacks in front of him.
Arena of Blood
Summons an arena that traps enemies inside, with Mars causing additional damage to those caught within it.
From our standpoint, Mars brings considerable benefits and downsides to a team composition. On the upside, Mars is a robust front-liner capable of absorbing massive amounts of damage, especially from the front and sides, thanks to his shield. His ultimate can change the tide of team fights, providing damage and strategic control of the battlefield. However, the downsides include his reliance on timing and positioning to maximize the effectiveness of his abilities. His Spear of Mars can significantly reduce his impact in skirmishes, and his ultimate, while powerful, can sometimes be turned against his team if executed properly. Additionally, the hero lacks direct mobility skills, which can limit his escape options and make him vulnerable to kiting.
Dragon Knight
Dota 2 Hero: Mars
Dragon Knight embodies the quintessence of resilience and versatility on the battlefield. Wielding the power to transform into a fearsome dragon, he balances tackiness and damage output, making him a formidable force in various game stages. While the specific changes introduced to Dragon Knight in patch 7.35 were not explicitly detailed in the sources, the patch has brought numerous adjustments across the board, influencing how heroes like Dragon Knight could be played or built in the new meta.
Played by
AR.fy
GG.Quinn
BetBoom.Save
Abilities
Breathe Fire
Reduces enemy damage output while dealing damage.
Dragon Tail
A stun that becomes ranged when in Dragon Form, allowing for effective initiation.
Dragon Blood
He provides passive health regeneration and armor, bolstering his tackiness.
Elder Dragon Form
Transforms Dragon Knight into a dragon, granting him new abilities and enhancing his attack.
In professional and high-level play, Dragon Knight has been utilized by numerous players, showcasing a variety of item builds and strategies. Notable performances have been observed in matches played in various regions, reflecting Dragon Knight's Knight's slity to different game dynamics and team compositions. The item builds for Dragon Knight often emphasize durability, initiation capability, and damage output, with typical choices including Power Treads, Blink Dagger, and Black King Bar, alongside situational picks like Aghanim's and Mage Slayer to tailor to specific matchups and game states.
Summary
Each of the heroes that a team picks for Dota 2 has some specialty attached to them. Crystal Maiden is a hero who is very good at controlling the battleground by freezing skills and providing much-needed mana regeneration for the teammate heroes. Earthshaker can use his powers and seismic ability, which can break the formation of enemies and is excellent for starting a team fight.
Invoker offers a massive range of spells and a big chance that can quickly adapt for use on most things required by the team, from crowd control to high damage output. Such heroes — many of them, in fact — each bring their unique strengths to the team, showing the right choice in strategic composition to secure victory in the many-faceted arena of Dota 2.
