Collapse Reveals the Best DotA 2 Offlane Heroes of Patch 7.36a!

The latest patch 7.36 was quickly followed by patch 7.36a to address balance issues. However, achieving perfect balance often requires more than one adjustment. Recently, The two-time TI champion Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov released his tier list of the best Dota 2 Offlane heroes, highlighting the most powerful and impactful heroes in the current patch.

In this article, we will delve into three of the most contested and broken Dota 2 offlane heroes of patch 7.36a, examining why they stand out and how they can be effectively utilized to dominate the game.

Two-Time The International Champion Unveils His Tier List of Best Offlane Heroes (credit: Team Spirit)

The Best DotA 2 Offlane Heroes to Play in Patch 7.36a

Legion Commander

Nerfs Can't Stop Her: Legion Commander Reigns Supreme in Patch 7.36a! (Credit: Valve).

Legion Commander has surged as the top Dota 2 offlane pick in patch 7.36. The update has improved her sustainability and resilience overcoming her previous fragility while keeping her high damage output intact with the new Facets.

Innate Ability

Thanks to the innate ability system, Legion Commander’s Moment of Courage is now unlocked at level 1. This enables her to invest in Overwhelming Odds from the start, effectively making her a level 2 hero right away. This early power spike improves her laning phase, enabling better trades and early nukes.

Facets

Stonehall Plate stands out as the preferred choice for Legion Commander over Spoils of War. Let’s explore the reasons:

• Stonehall Plate: Overwhelming Odds grants an all-damage barrier based on the damage it deals to enemy heroes.
• Spoils of War: When a Duel is won, units that damaged the loser during Duel will receive a small amount of permanent damage.

Despite its recent nerf, Stone Hall remains superior to Spoils of War for several reasons. Spoils of War requires every teammate to deal damage during the Duel for maximum effect, which is rare. Additionally, many heroes rely on spells rather than physical attacks, limiting its benefit. Finally, Legion Commander gains no direct benefit from Spoils of War, making Stone Hall more effective overall.

On the other hand, we have Stonehall Plate, the more units she hits with the spell, the larger the shield becomes. This Facet is a key factor in Legion Commander’s prominence in the current patch, combining a strong nuke with a robust defensive barrier that proves invaluable in many situations. It is particularly effective during Duels, as enemies often cluster around her, making the barrier even more substantial.

Legion Commander’s Gameplay

Legion Commander excels at snowballing through effective fight engagement. Her standard item build, including Phase Boots, Blade Mail, and Blink Dagger, remains unchanged. Her gameplay strategy involves less emphasis on farming and more on actively seeking Duels by rotating with supports or mid-laners. The key to her success lies in seizing Duel opportunities, which exponentially increases her power.

A significant change to her Aghanim’s Scepter now provides debuff immunity instead of damage reduction during Duels. This makes Aghanim’s Scepter a viable alternative to Black King Bar. However, this change also emphasizes the necessity of precise initiation, as being caught out of position can be detrimental, be careful with what you choose.

Axe

I said good day, sir! (Credit: Valve)

Axe has always been one of the most formidable initiators in Dota 2, renowned for his relentless presence from the laning phase to the late game. His durability, rapid farming capability, and powerful initiation that pierces through debuff immunity like Black King Bar, make him a crucial component in many team compositions.

Innate Ability

Have you ever been frustrated by missing Culling Blade or having allies burst through an enemy before you could secure that juicy armor stack? Worry no more! With Axe’s new innate ability, he always receives the armor stack bonus as long as he secures a kill. Even better, successfully executing an enemy with Culling Blade now grants double the usual bonus.

Facets

Axe’s Facets offer versatile options, making him adaptable to various situations:

• Call Out: Axe gains Strength based on his armor as long as he’s away from his allies.
• One Man Army: Berserker’s Call gives attacking enemies more attack speed and gives Axe more armor for the duration.

While Call Out is ideal for an aggressive playstyle, focusing on maximizing damage output, One Man Army emphasizes a defensive strategy. Despite the situational nature of the choice, One Man Army tends to be more universally applicable. It enhances Axe's role as an offlaner, allowing him to initiate engagements effectively and sustain himself during crucial fights.

Axe’s Gameplay

Axe's gameplay and itemization have remained relatively consistent, with the classic combination of Phase Boots, Blade Mail, and Blink Dagger proving effective through early to mid-game. This setup provides reliable initiation, engagement, and rapid farming capabilities. For offlane initiators, the key is to target the right enemy. Thus, mastering positioning, patience, and map awareness is essential.

Night Stalker

In the Forest of The Night, There's No Escape from Him. (Credit: Valve)

Night Stalker is a nightmare for supports, backliners, and positioning-dependent heroes. While his abilities have not changed significantly, his facets and innate capabilities address previous laning phase weaknesses, allowing for a stronger start and making him more sustainable.

Innate Ability

His innate ability increases health regeneration by 40% during the night, while decreasing it by 20% during the day. This innate ability in itself is not as massive compared to other heroes, but it has its role in making his laning stage much stronger than before and we will see why.

Facets

Although both facets look alluring, Night Reign is more favorable than Blinded Void.

• Blinded Void: Enemies affected by Void do not share vision with their allies. Affected enemies take damage per second when they are not seen by their allies.
• Night Reign: The day-night cycle of the game is reversed. Also, nighttime is slightly longer than daytime.

While Blinded Void may have its uses, the damage it deals is negligible. Its main advantage is reducing enemy vision, which can be situationally useful. However, it is outclassed by Night Reign. Night Reign changes the day-night cycle, enabling the game to start at night. This synergizes well with the 40% health regeneration and the perks from Hunter in the Night passive ability, ensuring a stronger early game and an improved laning phase.

Night Stalker’s Gameplay

As a master of the night, Night Stalker relies heavily on the availability of his ultimate and the day-night cycle. To maximize his effectiveness, it is crucial to avoid team fights during the day and when Dark Ascension is on cooldown. Each game is unique, but his capacity to disrupt and control the battlefield through zoning is a major strength.

Unlike many heroes, Night Stalker's itemization requires careful consideration. Starting with one or two Bracers greatly boosts his durability. Despite having night-time mobility, Night Stalker often opts for Blink Dagger due to its precise initiation capabilities, especially against elusive heroes.

The offlane role, is often regarded as the backbone of a team's strategy. It demands heroes who can endure pressure, disrupt enemy plans, and create opportunities for their team. Embrace these heroes, adapt to their strengths, and lead your team to victory in Dota 2's ever-evolving landscape.

READ MORE: Five reasons Legion Commander is amazing for grinding MMR

Featured Image Source: Valve