Hello, friends! Librarian Husky here. Let’s dive into the latest changes Valve has introduced to keep the game balanced. The patches have been coming out at an impressive pace, showing their dedication to the game. The recent 7.37 patch and its follow-up updates have been deployed swiftly. Now, it’s time to take a closer look at the item changes and see what’s new on the horizon!

Item Changes in Patch 7.37 C

One of the most popular items in this patch is Gler, which had its health bonus reduced by 50. Eternal Chains saw a damage decrease by 65, though I still believe this item’s active ability will remain in the meta. Guardian Greaves also had a small nerf, reducing its health restoration from 350 to 325.

Nerfs to Healing Items

Holy Locket, a key item for many healing heroes, was nerfed. This makes sense as heroes like Oracle, Undying, and Abaddon have been dominant in the meta with high win rates. Mech also saw a reduction of 25 health, and Pipe’s barrier was reduced by 25.

Other Item Nerfs

Atos experienced a slight nerf, while Solar Crest‘s active bonus armor was reduced from 7 to 5, which is a significant decrease. Losing two full points of armor is a tough hit, but the item is still likely to remain useful despite this change.

Impact of Item Changes on Gameplay

The item in question is still solid overall, but the recent adjustments, especially the reduction in bonus armor, can significantly affect drafts that rely on this particular strength. The Harpy Stormcrafter also saw a minor nerf, with the mana cost for Chain Lightning being increased, which slightly impacts its effectiveness in the game.

Hero Buffs: Ancient Apparition and Anti-Mage

Ancient Apparition received a significant buff to his ultimate, with the duration now lasting an additional two seconds, extending from 10 to 11/12 seconds. This is a notable improvement for his gameplay. Anti-Mage also got some beneficial updates. His Counterspell now reflects more damage, with the spell amplification increased from 20% to 30%. Additionally, his blink cooldown at early levels was reduced by 1.5 seconds, making him even more mobile in the early game.

Hero Buffs: Arc Warden and Bane

Arc Warden received an increase of two base damage, which is surprising considering his already solid win rate. Despite being strong, he continues to receive buffs. Bane also got a significant improvement, with his Nightmare ability’s cast range increased by 50 at all levels. This makes it easier for him to set up plays from out of vision or smoke, making a substantial difference in his utility.

Other Hero Adjustments

Dawnbreaker’s health regeneration was slightly increased by 0.25 HP, which is a minor buff, but it still helps her overall sustainability. Meanwhile, Death Prophet experienced a nerf, though it’s unclear why, as she wasn’t overperforming significantly in the current meta.

Hero Adjustments and Balancing

The adjustments to several heroes have created a noticeable shift in the current meta. One notable change involves a 5% reduction in Morning Ritual’s effectiveness at all levels, which slightly impacts gameplay. Meanwhile, Doom’s Devil Bargain has had its buyback cost penalty increased from 15% to 20%, making it more expensive if you choose this ability.

Changes to Popular Heroes

D.A., a hero known for her solid performance in average pubs, received a small buff with 10 extra bonus proc damage on her ultimate. While it’s a nice change, it’s not game-changing. Eraker, on the other hand, suffered a major nerf to his Slugger facet. The ability no longer requires Enchant Totem to be leveled for activation, but it now scales with Echo Slam instead of Enchant Totem, delaying its full potential until level 18, which significantly weakens him as a lane dominator.

Ember Spirit and Mana Rescaling

Ember Spirit had his mana cost rescaled, with Searing Chains now costing 60 at level one instead of 65. While this change makes his early game a bit easier, his Flame Guard has lost five damage per second at all levels. Despite this, he remains a strong hero in the meta.

Enchantress Nerf

Enchantress saw her experience gained on cast decrease from 50% to 35%, a clear nerf aimed at her performance in pro play. This adjustment may not impact her much in regular pubs, where her win rate is already below average, but it affects her viability at higher levels of competition.

XP Gain from Enchanting Creeps

When you enchant creeps, you used to receive 50% of the experience as if you had killed them. However, the changes in this patch have significantly altered how experience is gained, impacting certain strategies. Additionally, the slow duration on Hooding’s Aorn Shot has been reduced from 35 to 3, a change that seems minimal and somewhat pointless.

Massive Buff to Lich

Lich received a considerable buff, especially to his Death Charge ability, which grants him mana when units die around him. The range of this ability has increased from 1,200 to 1,500, which is a massive change. Lich was already considered a good hero in pub games, and this range buff enhances his utility further. Although his level 15 talent was nerfed by 0.1 seconds, it’s not a significant hit to his overall performance.

Nerfs to Lina and Light Strike Array

Lina’s innate ability, Combustion, has been nerfed. The damage threshold is slightly worse, but still manageable. More notably, the cooldown on Light Strike Array’s stun has been increased at early levels, making her a weaker laner. Given the nerfs to both Lina and key items like Gler, her viability in pub games has dropped unless you’re highly skilled with the hero.

Buffs to Lion and Magnus

Lion saw a few nice buffs, with his Hex cast range increasing by 25, making it easier to initiate. Additionally, his level 15 Hex cooldown talent has also been improved. Magnus, on the other hand, now deals more damage, though nothing game-changing. Both heroes have become slightly stronger, making them more appealing in their respective roles.

Marcy and Delou Adjustments

Marcy received a minor nerf, with her ally movement speed bonus duration reduced from five seconds to four. Despite this, she remains a strong hero. Delou, however, saw her max movement speed increased from 225 to 240, improving her effectiveness as a support hero with better mobility.

Changes to Support Heroes

Nature’s Prophet, a popular support hero, received significant nerfs in this patch. The base attack time for Nature’s Call Treants was increased from 1.4 to 1.6, slowing their attack speed considerably. Additionally, Wrath of Nature’s base damage was reduced by 20 at level one, 15 at level two, and 10 at level three. These changes make the hero less effective, especially for players who don’t specialize in him.

Buffs to Necrophos

Necrophos received a slight buff with an increase in his base intelligence from 22 to 23, giving him a bit more mana. Additionally, his magic damage amplification from using Ghost Shroud has been reduced from 25% to 20%, making him more survivable in fights. These buffs make him a more solid choice in various lineups.

Ogre Magi Improvements

Ogre Magi’s Bloodlust ability was buffed, gaining an additional five attack speed at all levels. His Aghanim’s Shard upgrade for Fire Shield now prioritizes protecting Ogre Magi first, followed by heroes, then buildings and creeps. This change improves his utility in team fights and gives him better survivability.

Nerfs to Omniknight

Omniknight, one of the highest win-rate heroes in the patch, was hit with some notable nerfs. His Aghanim’s Shard upgrade for Purification had its secondary heal effectiveness reduced from 75% to 65%. Additionally, the duration of Repel, one of his key abilities, was reduced from six to five seconds. This one-second reduction could have a significant impact on his win rate.

Omniknight Nerfs and Balancing

Omniknight’s Hammer of Purity trading ability lost 15 damage at level one, which is a significant downside for early game trading. However, to balance this, at level 10, you now gain Repel duration as a talent, allowing you to restore the old Repel timing. The trade-off is losing one second of Guardian Angel duration and two seconds of Repel duration at level 20, which are overall nerfs to his kit.

Pangolier and Phantom Lancer Changes

Pangolier received a nerf to his Double Jump, reducing its effectiveness by 10% at each level. Phantom Lancer, on the other hand, saw significant buffs. After previous nerfs that weakened him, these changes bring him back into viability. His abilities Venom Lancer Convergence and Divergence both gained 2% illusion damage, restoring him to previous levels of effectiveness.

Buffs to Spirit Lance and Early Game Potential

One of Phantom Lancer’s biggest buffs is to Spirit Lance, where the illusion it creates lasts for 3.5 seconds at level one, instead of the previous two seconds. While it still scales back to eight seconds at max level, this earlier increase allows for more impactful chip damage in the early game, further boosting his laning presence and overall utility.

Phantom Lancer and Phantom Rush Buffs

Phantom Rush has received a major buff where the bonus agility is now applied during the rush and lasts for 1.5 seconds after it ends. This lingering duration makes Phantom Rush much more effective, especially for melee attacks, improving both farming speed and damage output. This change significantly increases Phantom Lancer’s versatility in both laning and late-game scenarios.

Pugna and Life Drain Adjustments

Pugna’s Life Drain has been rescaled, with the damage at level one reduced from 160 to 150, but the maximum level damage increased by 30. While this nerf to the early game may seem impactful, the late-game damage increase is more substantial. However, this adjustment doesn’t drastically change the hero’s viability, and many believe it could have been a more straightforward buff.

Riki Buffs and Agility Increase

Riki’s Backstab ability has seen a significant buff with the agility gain multiplier increased from 0.4 to 0.55 at level one, which is nearly a 50% increase. This buff positions Riki as a much stronger hero in average pub games, and there is a high potential for him to become overpowered in the current patch.

Other Hero Nerfs

Several heroes received minor movement speed nerfs in this patch. Phantom Rush Beast lost five movement speed, and Ringmaster also lost five base movement speed. Despite these nerfs, Ringmaster, considered one of the strongest heroes, remains powerful. Strong Man Tonic, one of his key abilities, was nerfed from 1.5 strength per level to 1, but he is still expected to perform well due to his overall kit.

Wheel of Wonder Nerf and Its Impact

The Wheel of Wonder ultimate received a significant nerf, with the fear duration reduced by 25 seconds and the automatic explosion time decreased from 8 to 6 seconds. While this reduction means less time for area control, it still provides decent damage and utility. Although this is a nerf, it doesn’t completely diminish the ability’s effectiveness. Additionally, Spotlight received a buff via his Shard, but it remains a relatively balanced ability.

Rubik and Sand King Adjustments

Rubik gained two base damage, making him slightly stronger in lane, while Sand King lost one base strength and had his Caustic Finale damage reduced by five. Despite these changes, Sand King remains a strong hero due to his fast farming speed and scalability, which makes him highly effective in most game stages.

Shadow Demon and Shaman Buffs

Shadow Demon’s W, the health loss ability, was rescaled from a flat 20% to 14/16/18/20%, making him more versatile in high-level games. The recommendation is to prioritize maxing E, followed by W, leaving Q for later. Shaman saw a notable buff to his Shackles, with the cooldown at level one reduced from 16 to 13 seconds, though it remains the same at max level.

Silencer and Spectre Changes

Silencer’s agility gain was slightly reduced from 2.4 to 2.2, but he received a buff of 10 base attack speed, improving his laning presence. Arcane Curse’s movement speed slow was also increased from 10% to 16% at level one. Spectre’s Spectral Dagger saw a minor mana cost reduction by 10, which helps her, but isn’t game-changing.

Sven and War Cry Nerf

Sven received a significant nerf to War Cry, with its duration reduced by two seconds. Combined with the previous cooldown nerf, this change drastically impacts Sven’s support role, making him less effective in drawn-out engagements. This nerf may push Sven further out of the support meta, as the ability’s utility has been weakened.

Tinker Nerfs and Their Impact

Tinker received significant nerfs in this patch, with his mana regeneration decreased from 0.75 to 0.5. The status resistance on Defense Matrix was rescaled, becoming better at level one but 10% worse at max level, which is more critical for later game stages. Additionally, the cast range of Matrix is now worse at max level, though it remains unchanged at level one. Tinker’s level 15 Talent, reducing the Matrix barrier from 125 to 75, is another hit. Despite these changes, Tinker is expected to remain viable, though his win rate may drop by 2-3%.

Windranger Nerfs

Windranger also saw a few nerfs, though they aren’t game-breaking. Her base agility was reduced by two, slightly decreasing her damage, attack speed, and armor. Her level 15 talent was nerfed, with the Windrun cooldown reduced from 2.5 seconds to 2. The level 20 talent for Focus Fire had its damage penalty reduction decreased from

12 to 10, which is a small hit, but the hero remains playable and competitive.

Essence of the Blue Heart Buff

Essence of the Blue Heart, an ability of Winter Wyvern, received a buff where her healing is now converted to mana. This allows Winter Wyvern to sustain her mana pool better, enabling more spell usage and enhancing her utility in prolonged fights. While not a major change, it strengthens her as a support hero with improved sustainability.

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