Ranking Every Tier Two Neutral Items In Dota 2 Patch 7.41c

It's been a while since we did a tier list of neutral items in Dota 2. There have been a lot of changes to the system, and in this list we will look at the items themselves, without any enchantments.

Be aware that the items are rated based on how well they do their intended job. This list is extremely subjective, and it's unlikely you'll agree with each ranking. However, we do believe this will serve as an overall solid baseline for people who want to know more about picking the best early neutral items.

Ranking All Tier-Two Neutral Items In Dota 2 Patch 7.41c

C-Tier

Poor Man's Shield

Poor Man's Shield is kind of... whatever, really. The amount of damage it blocks is fine, I guess. But it's hardly much to be impressed with. It's 50% more effective on melee heroes, so it's quite decent on brawlers who want to be in the thick of it.

It's hard to see situations where PMS is a better option than the above-listed items. Due to when you can pick it and the relatively low damage block, we can't rank PMS any higher than C-tier.

B-Tier

Searing Signet

Searing Signet allows users to deal 80 more magic damage when using their spells. This damage is applied over 6 seconds, so that comes to 14 damage per second. You can't apply multiple burn instances, but you do refresh the duration each time you apply it.

If you can consistently apply Searing Signet to multiple targets, his damage is quite decent. If you're playing Leshrac, Necrophos, or Zeus, it's not too difficult to hit 3+ targets and get great value out of this item. But 80 damage remains fairly on the low side by the 15-minute mark. Which is why this item is B-tier. It's solid but nothing amazing.

Tumbler's Toy

Extra mobility is always valuable, and Tumbler's Toy is a nice mini-blink in the mid-game. It's got a short cooldown and no mana cost, so it's quite possible to use it multiple times a fight.

300 units is a bit on the low side, though. Which is why we don't rate this higher. It's also situationally useful. Some heroes definitely want mobility more than others. So B-tier feels just right here. 

Medallion of Courage

Valour is a borderline ability. Reducing the enemy's armour by 7 is very good, and it does last for 8 seconds. It's kind of like a Searing Signet but for physical damage and far more focused.

I suppose my issue with Medallion is that more heroes deal spell damage at the 15-minute mark. But his was the hardest choice for me, and I can well see some people ranking Medallion much higher (and perhaps deservedly so).

A-Tier

Crippling Crossbow

When Crossbow was tier three, I thought the item was quite underwhelming. It came too late to really have the impact it should. But as a tier two neutral item, it is quite amazing.

Hobble deals 25 damage (which disables blink) then applies a 50% diminishing slow over 4 seconds. It also reduces health regeneration by 40%. Just the slow by itself is useful, but Hobble is amazing at countering high regeneration heroes (Huskar, Timbersaw, Necrophos) just when you need it. Very rarely will players have dispels by the 15-minute mark, a perfect timing for Crippling Crossbow.

Seeds of Serenity

Seeds of Serenity heals the user and all allies in a 400 AoE. It has a very short cast range, and the heal is 8 + 25% of the user's regeneration when used. This means it can heal a very generous amount when used by a Timbersaw with full reactive armour or Necrophos with multiple Sadist stacks.

I really like Seeds and originally wanted to put it in S-tier. But it does come with limitations. It's not a very large AoE; it can't follow targets, so keeping fights in one spot is pretty hard most of the time. The bonus regeneration is nice but only significant on a handful of heroes. 

Still, you can't go wrong with early AoE healing. And that's why despite some limitations, Seeds gets an A-tier ranking on this tier list.

Mana Draught

During the mid-game, mana is at a premium. Whether it's used to speed up your farm or cast spells in battle. Everyone wants mana (except Huskar). And Mana Draught provides a very nice amount of mana regeneration.

The item can also be used to help allies. The only small issue with Mana Draught is it doesn't regenerate that much mana. 70 + 3% of a target's max mana on a 65-second cooldown is slightly underwhelming. Which is why, despite how badly heroes need mana in the mid-game, Mana Draught is only an A-tier item.

Defiant Shell

Defiant Shell allows the user to return an attack every 5 seconds for 80% of the wielder's right click damage. The return attack also procs any passive ability (mana break, bash, etc.) the user has.

One way to think about Defiant Shell is that it is a built-in Echo Sabre. The extra damage is very nice and allows you to proc your passive without even hitting enemies. It's slightly better on ranged heroes, as they have much higher attack range, but it's still a viable choice on any core. 

S-Tier

Essence Ring

At the 15-minute mark, Dota 2 is all about winning skirmishes against the other team. This is when everyone except the carry does their best to take over the map and ensure a net worth lead. And very few neutral items are as useful as the Essence Ring at this point.

An extra 240 health in a pinch is a godsend. That is a lot of bulk when it is most needed in the game. Of course, it does come with a hefty 160 mana cost which limits its usage, but it is still an incredible neutral item to have.

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