Dota 2: The biggest winners of the 7.32 update

Dota 2's 7.32 update introduced massive changes to the game, with new Neutral Items introduced, over 30 new Aghanim upgrade reworks, heavy overhauls for most heroes in terms of their abilities and talents, as well as updates to the map.

With so many changes in the latest patch, it can be hard to tell which heroes came out on top after the dust settled, so we've got you covered with the five biggest winners of Dota 2's 7.32 update:

Legion Commander

7.32 changes

Overwhelming Odds

• Shard Bonus Armor per creep increased from 0.5 to 1

• Shard Bonus Armor per hero increased from 4 to 5

Duel

• Cast Range increased from 150 to 200/250/300

Talents

• Level 10 Talent +200 Duel Cast Range replaced with +8 Duel Bonus Damage

• Level 20 Talent Moment of Courage Proc Chance increased from +8% to +10%

• Level 25 Talent +30 Duel Bonus Damage replaced with +50% Moment of Courage Lifesteal

In the last few patches, the offlaner has become less of an initiator and more of a secondary carry. Offlane heroes scale better now and transition well in the late game, sometimes even becoming the team's win condition.

Legion Commander is a perfect fit for that playstyle, as the hero is designed to scale as the match goes on thanks to the free damage provided by Duel. The spell received extra cast range on all levels, making it significantly easier for the hero to land her ultimate.

The fact that the Duel talent was removed and essentially added to the skill itself allows Legion Commander to take the bonus Overwhelming Odds talent at 10, which combines well with the hero's Aghanim's Shard upgrade.

It is now easier to land multi-hero Overwhelming Odds and benefit from the bonus armor provided by the Shard.

Legion Commander gained an impressive 4% win rate since the release of the 7.32 update, and is currently winning 53% of her matches.

With a strong laning stage, great late-game scaling, and a nice buff to her Shard, Legion Commander is the fifth biggest winner of the update.

Slark

7.32 changes

• Agility gain decreased from 1.7 to 1.5

• Base Attack Speed increased from 110 to 120

Pounce

• No longer deals direct damage

• Now applies 0/1/2/3 stacks of Essence Shift

Shadow Dance

• Health Regen per second rescaled from 5/6/7% Max Health to 60/90/120 Health

Talents

• Level 15 Talent +1.5% Shadow Dance Regen per second replaced with +40 Shadow Dance Regen per second

Slark received interesting changes that aren't straight-up buffs or nerfs.

The hero has less agility gain per level, which means less attack speed and damage as he levels up, but in return, he has a faster base attack speed. Overall, the hero loses 6 agility by level 30 but has an additional 10 starting attack speed.

Pounce no longer deals damage, but instead applies stacks of Essence Shift, reducing the enemy's stats while giving Slark an edge. Shadow Dance no longer provides a percentage of max health as a heal but instead offers flat health regeneration.

When we compare Shadow Dance to previous patches, it heals more at level 1 as long as Slark has 1,200 health or less, more at level two until Slark hits 1,500 health, and at level three, Slark heals more in 7.32 until he has 1720 max health or more.

So with all those changes, how did Slark's win rate rise from 48% to 52%?

It's hard to pinpoint exactly why Slark is doing as well as he is, but we believe a big factor in the hero's success is due to a stronger early game.

Slark hits significantly faster in the early and mid-game thanks to the base attack buff. His Agility nerf is mostly mitigated by the fact that Pounce provides him with extra Essence Shift stacks and his faster attack speed helps him rack up the bonus Agility earlier in fights.

Slark also heals more from Shadow Dance at early levels, which adds to his snowballing prowess. Shadow Dance is weaker later in the game when Slark's has multiple expensive stat items but it's a good trade-off for a stronger early game.

Overall, the hero is in a better spot right now thanks to a stronger early game. Time will tell how viable Slark is in the pro scene but he sits at a 52% win rate in pubs, making him a good, if slightly risky, hero to grind MMR with.

Phantom Assassin

7.32 changes

Phantom Strike

• Now grants 10/15/20/25% lifesteal for its duration

Talents

• Level 15 Talent 15% Lifesteal replaced with +25% Blur Evasion

• Level 20 Talent +25% Blur Evasion replaced with +60 Phantom Strike Attack Speed

Unlike Slark, there is nothing ambiguous about the changes Phantom Assassin got in the 7.32. The hero received free lifesteal on Phantom Strike, along with a couple of talent changes that give the hero a little more versatility.

Phantom Assassin jumps on enemies with Phantom Strike and the added lifesteal now makes her more difficult to kill if she isn't controlled.

The hero is known for her powerful critical hits, which means that Phantom Assassin can now sustain herself in long drawn-out team fights.

Another nice change for the hero is being able to have 75% Blur evasion at level 15.

Since no core wants to buy a Monkey King Bar that early in the game, this allows Phantom Assassin to essentially be immune to physical damage in mid-game skirmishes.

When equipped with a Black King Bar, the hero now has an impressive mid-game presence thanks to the talent change.

Besides the hero changes, the gameplay in the new meta is significantly slower than previous patches, allowing farming carries a chance to shine.

Phantom Assassin has always been a strong late-game hero, and with games going longer, she finally has her time in the limelight.

Thanks to the free lifesteal buff, the slower metagame, and more versatile talent choices, Phantom Assassin is the third biggest winner of the update.

She now wins an additional 4.40% of games, turning from an underwhelming 48% win rate hero to a reliable 52% pick.

Clinkz

7.32 changes

Burning Barrage

• Number of arrows increased from 3/4/5/6 to 6

• Damage Per Arrow decreased from 65% to 50/55/60/65%

• Channel Time rescaled from 1.2/1.6/2.0/2.4s to 2.0s

Skeleton Walk

• Mana Cost increased from 75 to 80

Talents

• Level 15 Talent Death Pact Bonus Health decreased from +25% to +20%

Clinkz took some small nerfs to Skeleton Walk and the Death Pact talent, but in return, his Burning Barrage is now better at all levels.

Burning Barrage went from dealing 195, 260, 325, and 390% of Clinkz's damage to 300, 330, 360, and 390% damage.

While the spell deals the same amount of damage at max level, that damage comes out faster now.

With almost half a second of channeling time removed, Clinkz can use his Barrage and then quickly chase his targets or reposition in fights as needed.

Enemies have less time to react to the hero's burst damage, which has gained the hero a win rate increase of 4.50%. Clinkz is definitely worth trying out in pubs, as he now wins 55% of his matches.

Tinker

7.32 changes

Laser

• Mana Cost decreased from 105/120/135/150 to 95/110/125/140

Rearm

• Channel time decreased from 3.5/2.5/1.5s to 3.25/2.25/1.25s

• Mana Cost decreased from 150/225/300 to 130/185/240

• Now has a 8/7/6s cooldown, which is also reset with Rearm. If Rearm is interrupted, it goes on Cooldown.

Talents

• Level 20 Talent +10% Spell Amplification replaced with Defense Matrix Grants 25% Cooldown Reduction

Ah Tinker, one of the best heroes for beginners to learn. Every day more and more new players start Dota 2 and instantly go on a 25-game win streak.

Terrible smurf jokes aside, Tinker gained a lot in the 7.32 update.

The mana cost for his spells is significantly reduced, with his Rearm-Laser combo now costing 70 less mana. This allows the hero to stay around much longer in team fights without having to refuel back in the base.

Tinker's spells didn't just get cheaper — his combo is also more dangerous now.

Rearm takes 0.25 seconds less channeling time at all levels, which allows the hero to spam his spells more frequently. This helps the hero farm the map in the mid-game as well as be more threatening in late-game team fights.

The 7.32 update introduced several map changes, with the most important for the mid lane being the removal of the small creep camp.

While this hurt heroes such as Puck and Keeper of the Light, Tinker is unaffected by this change. Tinker won't lag behind other mid-laners now thanks to the removal of the small camp.

Last and certainly not least is the new level 20 talent, which reduces the cooldown on allies affected by Defense Matrix.

Thanks to the spell's 15-second duration and Rearm refreshing the ability, Tinker can have Defense Matrix on all allies before a fight starts, essentially giving his whole team an Arcane Rune.

Thanks to the lowered mana cost on his spells, the slower pace of the game, and strong new talent, Tinker is the biggest winner of the 7.32 update.

The hero gained a whooping win rate increase of 5.5% on the first day of the new patch and has finally crossed the 50% win rate threshold.

If you're a mid-laner and you like winning, now is the best time to master Tinker.

Otomo is a long-time gaming enthusiast and caster. He has been playing games since he was 10 and is the biggest Dota 2 fan.

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