Cover-Credits:
The recent 7.33 patch has brought significant changes to various heroes in Dota 2, including the hero Medusa. With the changes, Medusa's base strength and strength gain were reduced to 0, making her very susceptible to damage. To compensate for this, her third skill, "Mana Shield," was amped by a significant margin, with each point of mana blocking 4 damage. At max level, the skill can block up to 98% of incoming damage, which makes Medusa an incredibly durable hero as long as she has mana to spare.
Medusa's Winrate Soars in Pubs
Despite this buff, Medusa struggled in the early stages of the 7.33 patch, with a low winrate due to her increased vulnerability. Once enemies could chew through her mana, the hero had an abysmal winrate of 43% in pubs, which was very low. However, after even more buffs to her Split Shot and Mana Shield in the 7.33b patch, her winrate increased to 60%, and her pick rate increased from 3% to 16%. This increase in pick rate and winrate has made her one of the most popular and successful heroes in the current patch.
The Rise of Medusa: A Breakdown of the Hero's Recent Success in Pro Games
Medusa has been performing exceptionally well in pro games recently. Despite initial struggles at the Berlin Major 2023, where it lost both games in the group stages, Medusa has since become one of the most highly contested heroes in the tournament. Medusa has been either first-picked or first-banned in many games at the Berlin Major and has built up an impressive 76% winrate - the highest of any hero with over 10 games played. This success has made her a top priority for many teams, with some even going so far as to build their entire draft around her.
Part of Medusa's newfound success can be attributed to her versatile playstyle. While traditionally played in the carry role, Medusa has also seen success in the mid and offlane positions. This flexibility allows teams to adapt to their opponent's strategies and draft accordingly, making Medusa a valuable pick in many different team compositions.
Medusa has already given us some memorable moments in the Berlin Major 2023. During the first game of the upper-bracket playoffs of the Berlin Major Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov, playing Axe, used his ultimate, 'Culling Blade,' to one-shot Anton "dyrachyo" Shkredov’s Medusa, who had only 230 HP due to the new changes.
Medusa’s unique skill set and potential for late-game dominance make her a very valuable asset in both pubs and competitive games. As the Berlin Major continues, it will be interesting to see how teams continue to utilize Medusa and adapt to her presence on the battlefield.
