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Exploring New Hero and Item Combos in Patch 7.39
With the release of patch 7.39, Dota 2 has once again shifted the landscape of hero builds and item synergies. While not every change is game-breaking, some combinations — both unexpected and underexplored — have emerged as particularly interesting or surprisingly effective. Whether you’re looking for a competitive edge or just something fun for your next pub game, the post-patch experimentation period is the perfect time to try new ideas.
In this article, we’ll explore a few standout hero and item combos that are worth testing out. Not all of these are guaranteed to dominate high-level play, but they offer unique interactions and potential that may influence the evolving meta. We’ve also included combinations involving neutral items, so keep in mind that some of these builds depend on RNG to fully come together.
Invoker and Radiance: A New Burning Scholar
Leading the list is one of the most surprising and entertaining builds: Invoker with Radiance. At first glance, this combo might sound unorthodox or outright bizarre, but the new Scholar of Koryx facet makes it more than viable — it makes it fun and oddly powerful.
Here’s what changed: Ice Wall has now become Invoker’s new Aghanim’s Scepter ability, dealing 75 + 25 × Quas level as magic damage once. When paired with Aghanim’s Shard, Ghost Walk gains an additional 150 radius for its slow effect and applies Ice Wall’s damage over time (based on the level of Exort) to all affected enemies.
This sets the stage for a great synergy with Radiance. With Ghost Walk and Ice Wall activated, Invoker becomes a walking death zone — slowing, burning, and melting his enemies while invisible. And since Radiance adds even more area-based burn damage, any enemies caught near him will suffer continuous punishment. It’s unconventional, yes, but undeniably effective in the right situations. This might also be an indirect buff to Tundra since bzm is so good with this hero.
Brewmaster and Urn of Shadows: An Old Classic Returns
Next up is a familiar face making a comeback: Brewmaster paired with Urn of Shadows (and by extension, Spirit Vessel). While not a brand-new combo, the changes to these items and to Brewmaster himself breathe new life into this synergy.
Urn of Shadows now grants +2 All Attributes instead of flat health, making it more suitable for Universal heroes — like Brewmaster. Moreover, all of Brewmaster’s active abilities received small buffs, making him more impactful in early and mid-game engagements.
Upgrading to Spirit Vessel not only continues the +Attributes theme (+10 now), but its effect has also been buffed to reduce Health Restoration and Healing Amplification by 70%, aligning with the general changes to healing mechanics in patch 7.39.
The real synergy, however, comes when pairing Spirit Vessel with Cinder Brew, which stacks damage over time and slows enemies. This combo, once a pro scene staple, seems poised to return — especially given the meta’s renewed interest in attrition-based teamfighting.
Dezun Bloodrite and AoE Casters: Risky but Rewarding
While this one isn’t tied to a specific hero, it’s too potent to ignore. Dezun Bloodrite, one of the new neutral items, increases Spell AoE by 15%, but with a major trade-off: spells cost health equal to 35% of their mana cost. This makes it risky but incredibly rewarding on the right caster.
Ideal candidates include Leshrac, Underlord, Kunkka, and even Sand King. For example, giving Leshrac an AoE boost turns his Pulse Nova into an even deadlier death zone — especially when paired with Gleipnir for added control and Area of Effect.
Kunkka’s Ghost Ship and Torrent become significantly easier to land on grouped enemies. Underlord’s Firestorm and Pit of Malice turns into a battlefield-wide damage trap. Keep in mind that heroes with naturally high HP pools or built-in lifesteal/sustain are best suited to offset the health cost. PARIVISION has also been making good use of most of these herores.
Strength-based casters like Kunkka and Underlord adapt to this trade-off more easily than glass-cannon intelligence heroes. If your lineup already leans into area denial or mass disable, Dezun Bloodrite can take it to the next level. Just don’t forget that health cost.
Huskar and Giant’s Maul: The Duelist’s Delight
Finally, we round out this list with a potent Tier 4 neutral item synergy: Huskar with Giant’s Maul. This item adds a Crushing Blow passive on attack that slows movement (10%), attack speed (15%), and cast speed (20%) for 4 seconds.
These debuffs pair perfectly with Huskar’s Life Break, allowing him to stick to his target while reducing their ability to respond. Unlike Legion Commander’s Duel, Huskar’s ultimate doesn’t lock enemies in place — but with Giant’s Maul, it doesn’t have to. The slowed enemy can’t get away, attack effectively, or cast spells with speed.
Other heroes who benefit from this combo include Ursa and Troll Warlord, but Huskar’s naturally aggressive playstyle and low-cooldown ultimate make him the most synergistic choice. With Giant’s Maul on a 15-second cooldown and Life Break maxing out at 12, the synergy lines up beautifully.
Got your own off-meta patch 7.39 combo to share? Let us know in the comments and check out more patch coverage, meta analysis, and pro scene updates on the Strafe website!
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