Why Dota 2 Players Spam Spectre in This Meta
Spectre has always been one of the best carry heroes in Dota 2. This monster has a slow start but quickly takes over the mid game if nothing is done to prevent her from farming. As long as the rest of her team is active on the map, Spectre will be able to both farm and participate in team fights.
But these are just the old reasons why people used to pick Spectre in Dota 2. These days, the reasons are even better.
The Success of Spectre in Dota 2 Patch 7.32d
Right now, Spectre’s win rate is enormous at the community level: 54.3%. The pick rate is also impressive for a hero that requires excellent map awareness and the ability to endure a tough laning phase without losing morale. Spectre is part of 9.3% of all Dota 2 matches, which means that she is an important part of the meta.
Other heroes that get picked when Spectre is banned or ignored are Razor, Lycan, Riki, Drow Ranger, and Arc Warden. But some of these heroes are not always played in the safe lane, while Spectre simply cannot go anywhere else.
https://twitter.com/esldota2/status/1410870907334180869?lang=en
What Makes Spectre so Strong at the Moment
Spectre was supposedly nerfed in Dota 2 patch 7.32, so why is she so successful? The answer has to do with the buffs to her item build. And in particular, Blade Mail. This item is now surprisingly strong and every Spectre player likes to use it.
In many ways, the effect that the Blade Mail buff had on Spectre is similar to the one that the Diffusal Blade buff had on Riki. Both heroes have playstyles that are enabled by one or two key items. If those items get buffed, their power peaks and mechanics are changed dramatically for the better.
Blade Mail gives Spectre the extra damage she needs to farm faster (28), +6 armor, and an enormous amount of passive return damage. Combined with her natural return damage, which she gets from Dispersion, Spectre turns into an absolute beast.
In the early game, anyone who attacks Spectre damages themselves for around 50% of the damage! And that’s without the active use of Blade Mail.
https://twitter.com/redditdota2/status/1583780348655128576
Nobody knows what IceFrog was thinking when he buffed this 2100 gold item so much but he clearly changed the meta and unless the change is reverted, Spectre will be one of the toughest carry heroes to play against. For players who love Spectre, such as OG’s Artem “Yuragi” Golubiev, this is a great meta to compete in.
Header: Valve Corporation