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Dota 2 patch 7.36b Deletes Zeus!
It feels like just yesterday that we got Innate abilities and Facets yet already there have been two updates to balance out the game. Dota 2 patch 7.36b is here and it focuses on bringing down the most overpowered heroes while giving small buffs to others.
Besides hero changes, the latest update introduced gameplay updates and several big item buffs and nerfs.
Dota 2 patch 7.36b updates how vision works
In patch 7.36, Valve introduced a semi-new mechanic, where heroes no longer shared vision in certain situations. The most prominent of those is with Mars' Arena.
Units separated by Mars Arena do not see what's on the other side, greatly limiting how teams coordinate in such situations.
Unfortunately, the Blood Sport Facet didn't work as intended, as heroes still had vision of creeps, but not anymore.
The latest update fixes that, ensuring Blood Sport and Night Stalker's Blinding Void Facet work as intended to isolate enemies from each other.
Valve nerfs Eternal Shroud and Wind Waker
Two items that have plagued the competitive scene are Eternal Shroud and Wind Waker. The duo provides incredible amounts of survivability and are a big part of the current "tank-meta" the game is in.
Both items took hits, Shroud provides less strength, while Wind Waker's cyclone moves 60 ms slower now.
In the previous update, we said that Eternal Shroud needed another nerf to be balanced and we feel that despite the item still being strong, it is relatively balanced now.
We also believe that Crimson Guard might become the item of the patch. It now blocks 70 +2.5% of the caster's max health. While there's some math needed, this overall makes the item much better.
Dota 2 Patch 7.36b removes carry Zeus
Several meta-heroes received massive nerfs in the latest update. Most of the nerfed heroes we hit in the previous update and still seen as too strong.
At the top of the list is Sand King, who was winning 57% of the time. The combination of Dust Shroud, Stinger, and Aghanim Shard made him farm too fast and fight too well.
Axe has weaker scaling now, with One Man Army wearing off faster and getting less armor from his Innate Ability. I didn't see the hero as that obnoxious but Valve decided that his time in the sun needs to be over.
While many heroes received number changes, Zeus had one of his playstyles entirely removed. The hero received a nerf to every spell but the biggest change is that Lightning Hands no longer applies to illusions.
Carry Zeus is gone, as it's pointless to buy Manta Style and use illusions to fight or farm. This completely kills that playstyle and reverts the hero to his caster days.
But is that a bad thing?
I wasn't a fan of that build, sure some heroes need to evolve and change over time but turning Zeus from a spell user into a right-clicker felt too drastic and against the "spirit" of the hero.
Several heroes were buffed but it's difficult to predict which buff will rock the competitive scene. Tusk is looking a lot better right now, while Phantom Assassin hits harder and moves faster than before.
Overall this is a needed patch as Dota 2 heads towards the two biggest events of the year. Riyadh Masters and The International are right around the corner, and it'll be interesting to see how the meta develops by then.
READ MORE: The best Dota 2 Supports for Grinding MMR in Dota 2 patch 7.36a
Featured Image Source: Valve
