Cover-Credits:
Valve
Dota 2 patch 7.31 is now live and brings a range of changes to heroes, items, and gameplay in general. Primal Beast from the popular Aghanim's Labyrinth: The Continuum Conundrum mode has been added to the game as a playable hero. Valve has also reworked and introduced new neutral creeps. In addition, it has also added new items to Dota 2, providing a breath of fresh air to the stale meta that has been creeping into the game over the last few months.
Some heroes have gained brand-new skills and Aghanim’s Shards, while many others have had their innate abilities balanced. Here is a closer look at the biggest changes that patch 7.31 brings to Dota 2.
Primal Beast has been added as a new hero
Valve has added yet another new hero to the game in the form of the Primal Beast. Players of the Aghanim's Labyrinth: The Continuum Conundrum will be familiar with the Primal Beast and its abilities since it was the final boss of this particular game mode.
Valve
The Primal Beast possesses skills that are suited to a utility or a support role. Its first spell, 'Onslaught' is a dash that has remarkable range and also stuns the enemy whilst dishing out some decent damage.
'Trample,' its second spell allows it to dish damage along the path it walks and can be used in conjunction with the first spell to potentially solo kill enemies at Level 2. Its third spell, 'Uproar' allows it to soak damage and slow down enemies significantly which also synergizes well with its first two skills.
Finally, the Primal Beast's ultimate 'Pulverize' stuns enemies in a 600 AOE radius whilst literally pounding an enemy hero to the ground.
The hero seems broken upon release and will require quite a bit of nerfs to balance it.
Reworked Techies: Not as annoying anymore?
Valve
One of the most obnoxious heroes in Dota 2, Techies has been completely reworked in Patch 7.31. Two new abilities have been added to the hero:
Sticky Bomb
The ability lobs a Sticky Bomb towards the target area. If it lands next to an enemy unit, the bomb will stick to it, slowing its movement speed. After a few seconds the bomb will explode, dealing damage in an area around the detonation.
Reactive Tazer
Techies trigger an electric charge giving them bonus movement speed for a short period of time. Enemies attacking Techies are temporarily disarmed. At the end of the effect, the charge explodes, disarming all enemies within the radius.
The Proximity Mines have also been reworked and changed into Techies' new ultimate. This ability now plants an invisible mine that cannot be detected by True Sight, but is visible if an enemy is within the 500.0 AoE of the mine. If an enemy stands inside the active AoE for 1.0 seconds, the mine will detonate and temporarily reduce that enemy's Magic Resistance. If the target is within 150.0 radius, the explosion deals full damage, and it decreases by 50% on the edge.
These changes will make Techies a much more active hero that needs to take part in teamfights and ganks to enable themselves.
New Neutral Creeps with new abilities
Patch 7.31 has also added three new neutral creeps to the game.
The Ancient Ice Shaman that throws a bomb at an enemy unit or building dealing 50 damage per second for 8 seconds.
The Ancient Frostbitten Golem is a melee neutral creep with 900 HP and 7 armor and has a Time Warp Aura that grants a 10% Cooldown Reduction in a 1200 radius.
The Warpine Raiders that are quite hard to take down with 850 HP, 6 armor and 30% magic resistance.
Valve
Several existing neutral creeps have also been reworked or given new abilities to make the jungle that little more dangerous.
Three new items and several reworks
Three new items have been added to Dota 2 in Patch 7.31 which increases the dynamic choices that heroes can have when gearing up for the game.
Revenant's Brooch
This expensive new item could enable right clicking intelligence cores like Storm Spirit or Outworld Devourer, allowing them to dish out True Strike and Pierce Ethereal Units in late game situations
Requires Witch Blade, Mystic Staff, 800g recipe (Total Cost 6200g)
+45 Intelligence
+40 Attack Speed
+8 Armor
+300 Projectile Speed
Active: Your next 5 attacks have true strike and deal magical damage. Can attack Ethereal units. Expires after 15s. Mana cost: 250. Cooldown: 45s
Passive: Causes your next attack to apply a poison for 4s slowing by 25% and dealing 1x your Intelligence as damage every second. Can only trigger once every 9 seconds
Wraith Pact
This item indirectly buffs Vladimir's Offering, giving heroes who opt for this item an upgrade path that would let them scale it to the late-game. The active ability that reduces 25% damage reduction in a massive AOE could be game changing against high DPS cores.
Requires Vladmir's Offering, Point Booster, 400g recipe (Total Cost: 4200)
+250 Health
+250 Mana
Passive: Vladmir's Aura. Grants 15% Lifesteal, 18% Bonus Damage, 1.75 mana regeneration and 3 armor to allies in a 1200 AoE
Active: Can be cast within 350 range to create a totem that reduces all enemies' attack and spell damage within 900 AoE by 25% and deals 25 damage per second. Totem can move at 150 movement speed. Lasts 25s or 5 hero hits (10 creep hits). Mana cost: 100. CD: 60s
Boots Of Bearing
Support players rejoice. They finally now have an upgrade path for Tranquil Boots and Drums of Endurance that allows it to be quite useful in the late game.
Requires Tranquil Boots, Drum of Endurance, 1500g recipe (total Cost 4125)
+8 Strength
+8 Intelligence
+65 Movement Speed
+15 HP Regen
8 charges. Gains a charge every 3 minutes
Active: Consumes a charge to give +50 attack speed and 15% movement speed allies to allies within 1200 radius for 6 seconds. During the first 2 seconds allies can't be slowed by other abilities. Does not stack with Drum of Endurance Active
Passive: Swiftness Aura: Grants +20 movement speed to allies within 1200 radius. Does not stack with Drum of Endurance Aura.
Other items including Bloodstone, Orchid Malevolence, Bloodthorn and Ethereal Blade have also been completely reworked.
There are also a host of other changes including the change in the number of Bounty Runes that spawn at the beginning of each game, economy changes, and of course hero rebalancing. You can read the full Patch Notes on Valve's official page to keep yourself updated on all the new changes.
