Interesting Dota fact of the Week

Here's an interesting dota fact,

When a hero is transforming, they are invulnerable to stuns (they will still take damage.) This is something that can be widely abused. The one hero that you can abuse this like crazy is Syllabear. His tranformation time when he casts his ultimate is probably more than 1 second. If you can time this when someone throws a stun, then it just might save you from a potential death!

Another hero that has this ability is Alchemist, however the timing must be extremely precise. Since his transformation time is a split second, you can only avoid a stun if you cast ult mlliseconds before it hits. This is the explanation for many of those games when you throw a stun at Alchemist, and he casts ult. The result leaves many people confused and angry as they can think of no reason why the stun did not occur.

dota 6.60 update 2

Hey all,

Icefrog has recently announced more changes.

First is the organization of recipes. Many would agree that the recipes are very disorganized. Icefrog has taken the liberty to attempt to sort them so that it is easier to find what you need.

Another thing is Linken's sphere's interaction with spells. There will now be more spells that Linkens now work against due to recoding of these spells. However there will still be some spells that do not work.

Here's the full post taken from Icefrog's blog at icefrog.com

"

Hey guys. I apologize for the delay since my last post. I've been focused on the next update. It has a huge change log with many things that need playtesting.

One issue I've been trying to tackle in this patch is the organization of recipes. Most would agree that they are pretty disorganized right now, especially the 5th shop. With the addition of some items in 6.60 and the overdue need to organize the shops, I've been working on sorting them. I'm looking for input on organization approaches, as well as thoughts on the matter in general, so feel free to drop me a line. I might post a few screenshots of the shop layouts here.

Another extra tidbit of information, regarding Linken's Sphere: many abilities have now been rewritten to provide better compatibility. This has been one of the most requested items to fix, so I have given it some much needed attention. While there are still some spells that do not interact well with it, there are many more that do now.

This update has been taking much longer than I had originally hoped for, but rest assured I won't take a minute longer than absolutely necessary.

"

Pugna has 2 Attacks

Interesting Fact of the Week

Pugna has two different attacks. He has his normal one, and then he has a magical one. The magical one only appears when he attacks a decrepified hero. Thats right. Pugna can attack decrepified heroes.

You may be saying that "clearly he can't because I've tried to when I decrepified a hero." Actually the reason why you couldn't is because you weren't carrying an orb of slow based item. In other words, Pugna needs to carry one of the following : Skadi, Mjollnir, Maelstrom, Desolator, Sange and Yasha. If he has one of these items, he can attack someone in decreped form.

However, Pugna will NOT do any physical damage to the unit when they're decrepified.

So is this effective in any way?

Well yes and no.
Yes being that if you have Skadi you will still slow them. If you have Mjollnir or Maelstrom you can still cast chain lightning on them. If you have deso you will still subtract armor from them. And if you have sange you can still maim.
No being that this strategy is not very effective. There are still better items to get than the ones mentioned above for Pugna. This is not meant to be a guide, but just an interesting fact.

In my opinion, Mjollnir works the best with this tactic. Get some attack speed and sit back and laugh. But please don't get this in high level games -.-.

Bloodstone or Orchid's on Storm?

I personally still debate whether to get Bloodstone or Orchid's as first item on Storm. Both items have their good and bad on Storm.

First off : What does Storm really need?

In my opinion, Storm doesn't need that much mana. He does need some hp however, which is why Bloodstone is a good choice. What he really needs is high mana regeneration. Both Bloodstone's mana regeneration becomes increasingly better, and Orchid's mana regeneration is decent as it is. So the lowdown.

Bloodstone :

Pros

Gives good hp
Gives good mana
Grants very nice mana and hp regen which increase as you get more kills

Cons

No stat increases

As you can see, Bloodstone is actually a very good item for Storm to have as a first item. With bloodstone, Storm shouldn't be worrying about running out of mana anytime soon. However the problem arises, storm isn't the carry. Therefore he won't be getting an insane amount of kills to stack up bloodstone. Sure he'll get a kill here and there. (By the way im referring to non pub games, pub games moment storm gets bloodstone gg). Everyone in pubs gets bloodstone over orchid's. This is the mindset I had for a while too, and all I got was Bloodstone first. People will flame you for getting Orchid's and say that Storm is no longer a DPS hero, therefore he doesn't need Orchid's. However I saw that in high level games, people get Orchid's on Storm instead of Bloodstone. Lets see why :

Orchid's Malevolence

Pros

Good mana regen
Some stats
Good attack speed
Very good active spell

Cons

No hp and mana gains
No hp regen
Mana regen not high enough for extended use.

Storm is known for being a notorious ganker. Storm is also known for not being able to be ganked whatsoever. The silence that Orchid's provides ensures that whoever Storm ganks is in no position to retaliate. In addition, the additional damage the enemy gets after silence is over is pretty beast considering how much damage Storm can dish out in a couple seconds. The only problem here is that Orchid's mana regen is not enough for Storm to use extensively. His ball lightning eats up so much mana, however, that after 1 gank, Storm will most likely have to return to fountain in order to replenish his mana.

Having said all this, I think either Bloodstone or Orchid's is fine as first item. Personally after I get either one, I'll just follow up with the next (depending on situation of course.) And please don't flame anyone for getting Orchid's, as even Kuroky has gotten it on Storm and completely dominated.

Dota 6.60 update

Yesterday, Icefrog posted that he is still working hard on 6.60. He has released some new information. Many heroes are getting skill remakes, and there are also going to be item changes as well. In addition, Aghanims Scepter has been remade, and will be compatible with more heroes. These heroes will not be limited to INT heroes, so it should make the game more interesting. This is something I can't wait for :).

Icefrog has also said that each individual player will get the option to change their own personal terrian. That is the terrian will only change to player who uses the command, other players will still have default or whatever terrain they have chosen themselves. This seems really cool. Ive always wanted to play Dota in a different terrian than snow and grass.

Here is the full post taken from Icefrog's blog at Icefrog.com

"
Hey guys. I'm here to give a quick update on development status. I'm still working very hard each day to try and get 6.60 to you guys as soon as possible, I know you are all waiting. While there are indeed new heroes and items in the next version, there are also lots of hero and item remakes which can be very time consuming to get right sometimes.
For Heroes, the main challenge is getting just the right mix of changes and new abilities that will both keep the existing fans of that hero happy and satisfied while also making the hero more enjoyable to other players. There are many heroes getting at least one changed ability this time around, but not every change ends up making it to the final version if they don't pass those requirements after some play testing. For Items, whenever one is added or changed, all other items need to get checked. Sometimes older items require more changes to be consistent with other game balance adjustments that are done. This is a process that items go through many times during the beta phase and it makes the exact timing of updates a bit hard to predict because the goal isn't to just change something, but to make sure it offers something enjoyable to the players in the end.
Of course there will also be lots of balance improvements as well, and not just new/remade heroes and items. However, to try and make up for the long wait, I'll share with you guys some more specific information about the next version.
Aghanim's Scepter has been remade and in addition to its new functionality, it will also provide ultimate upgrades to many other heroes that didn't get it before (and not just Intelligence heroes).
Another new feature is a dynamic terrain morphing command available on a per user basis (including trees). For example, you will be able to change to snow terrain and snow trees at any point in the game while the other players are still using the standard forest theme. The way the new system has been developed allows easy addition of more terrains without much work, so if there is a specific terrain style you like, let me know.
Thanks again for the patience, I'll do my best to give you guys an update as soon as it feels ready and when it is only a day or two away from release. My hope is that it doesn't take too much longer. I've also been receiving some pretty nice ideas through the email, so keep them coming.\
"

Icefrog April Fools Map

Icefrog has announced yesterday that he had decided to skip making a custom map for April Fools Day this year. This is due to the high demand for Dota 6.60.

Here is the full post :

Taken from Icefrog's personal blog icefrog.com

"I traditionally do custom maps each year for this day but I've decided to skip it this time. I know some of you look forward to it. There is a lot of demand to get 6.60 ready asap, so I felt that it would be more appropriate to focus all my effort on that instead. I'll make it up to you guys next year :)
A lot of players always ask me why I don't publish release dates ahead of time. I don't do it to build suspense or to keep players waiting, the main reason I don't is because it is hard to actually be sure of a date and if it is missed players become upset.
I will make sure to post here more often in the near future to keep you guys in the loop on the development and maybe give a sneak preview or two. While I can't give an exact date like I said above, I will try to let you guys know when it is a couple of days away from release and is in final translation mode.
My main focus is the quality of the changed or added content and to make sure that the gameplay overall is taking a step forward and not backwards. Sometimes things need to be redone multiple times to achieve those goals which is why it is hard to predict. That being said, 6.60 has the a very large number of changes and improvements to the game. I think it will be worth the wait.
Update: Some people emailed confused what my post meant. April 1st is a day where some people post fake things on the net for fun. The last few years I did fake maps for this that people liked playing. I didn't do a fake map this year."

Vlads is not the best starting item in the world, why do you insist on getting it?

Too many games have I played that I see players get Vladimir's Offering on carry heroes before getting damage items. This is extremely frustrating to deal with. Here is the break down of Vladimir's Offering :

Vladimir's Offering
-Recipe Item
"An eerie mask haunted with the malice of fallen vampire."

Total : 2075 Gold
Gives +16% Lifesteal Aura (MEELE ONLY)
+0.80% Brilliance Aura
+5 Devotion Aura
+15% damage Aura

Components of Vladimir's Offering:

Ring of Basilius
-Recipe Item



"Ring given as a reward to the greatest Mages of the Alliance during the Second Great War."

Total : 500 Gold

Gives +0.65 Brilliance Aura
+3 Devotion Aura
+6 Damage
*Can be clicked to make aura only work for Heroes* (Note : Even though it says Heroes only, your necromancer/druid will still get the Aura.)

-Components of Ring of Basilius

Sobi Mask

"A common mask used by Mages and Warlocks for various Rituals."

325 Gold

Gives +50% Mana Regeneration

Ring of Protection

"Due to its small size, many have trouble putting it on."



175 Gold
Gives +2 Armor

Continuation of Components for Vladimir's Offering

Mask of Death



"The phattest lewt, definetly."



900 Gold
Gives +10% Lifesteal - Orb Effect


Ring of Reneration



"The ring is considered a good luck charm among the Gnomes."



375 Gold
Gives +2 Hp Regen per second

Vladimir's Offering Recipe







300 Gold

Vladmir's Offering is not that bad of an item. It grants: good armor, decent mana regeneration, a damage aura, and a Lifesteal aura. One of the reasons why this item is so popular is that it gives Lifesteal in the form of an aura, which means that it is not an orb effect. All the more reason why many heroes get Vlads when they already have an orb effect.

But the problem lies in the fact that many players playing carry heroes opt to get Vladimir's Offering as their first item, which I think is a pretty bad choice. First off, you're getting an item that gives you lifesteal, but lifesteal requires damage to be effective. You may argue that Vlads gives you a +15% damage aura. I would have to counter argue that even with the +15% damage aura, you wouldn't be dishing out enough damage to maximize the Lifesteal given.

My point is that you should get some damage items before investing in Vlads. Stop getting vlads as your first item on Bounty Hunter, which I see A LOT. Spectre, Juggernaut, Terrorblade, and countless more, all fall in this category.

Now, here's something that you see from time to time. Ranged heroes getting vlads. That is one of the most STUPID decisions you can make in Dota. Maybe they think it gives them lifesteal. Maybe they get it for the minor damage boosting aura. Whatever the reason is, they're pretty dumb. Don't follow in their footsteps, you'll just find yourself flamed at by your whole team. If you think you have a good argument for getting Vlads on a ranged hero, please share. I'll be more than happy to destroy your argument. Kidding of course, all opinions are welcome.

My advice to you : Stop getting Vlads before damage in most cases. Stop getting Vlads just for the damage aura. DON'T get Vlads on a ranged hero, unless you really want to get flamed to death.

Welcome to Dotadon

Hey Everyone. I have been playing DotA for more than 4 years now. I can soundly say that over these 4 years, I have gathered a good amount of game experience. Realizing that I want to help others become better DotA players, I started this blog. This blog is going to serve many purposes. For one, I will release my anger and frustration I have always had with pubs here. Two, I'm going to track events in the competitive world of Dota. And finally, I will provide guides and tips for everything you will ever need in order to become a better player at Dota.

SHOUTOUT TO ALL YOU DOUBLE VANGUARD DOTA PLAYERS

Here is something that I see a lot in pubs. People getting more than one Vanguard. This really got on my nerves. Contrary to popular belief, Vanguards are NOT the best item in the whole game. You should NOT get it on EVERY SINGLE HERO. Need convincing? I'll help you with that.

Vanguard

-Recipe Item

"The discarded mantlet of one of Gul'dan's Death Knights, Vanguard

defends it's wielder from even the most vicious of attacks with ease"



Total : 2275 Gold


Gives +300 Hitpoints
+5 Hp regen per second
Gives +65% chance to block 40 damage

Components :

Ring of Health

"A shiny ring found beneath a fat halfling's corpse"
875 Gold

+5 Hp regen per second

Vitality Booster



"Minie"



1100 Gold

Gives + 250 Hitpoints

Stout Shield




"One man's wine barrel bottom is another man's shield!"


300 Gold

Gives +40% chance to block 30 damage

This is the oh so popular, overrated item : The Vanguard. Pretty much as long as there is some kind of strength hero in a pub, then this item will probably be found. Seriously, why do people insist on getting a Vanguard? I mean there are some legitimate reasons of getting it, such as not being able to farm very well, or needing a boost in hp without spending a lot of gold. But many times, I see pubs have good lanes with decent farm, and they still get Vanguard.

I really don't see how you can justify getting this item on every hero. The hp regen is decent, and the bonus 300 hp is helpful, but it has such a mediocre passive. A 65% chance to block 40 damage is only going to help you tank creeps, which you shouldn't be doing anyways unless you're Axe or Centaur or some other hero that is supposed to tank. But even if thats the case, you shouldn't always get a vanguard. There are plenty of other items to get, most notably armlet. I will go deeper into why armlet is such an underrated item in another post.

What truly ticks me off the most, is when players get Vanguards ASAP for a carry. Are you serious? I have seen countless Antimages, Spectres, and Dragon Knights get it. The main problem here is that they're sacrificing better item passives and abilities with the gold they're spending on a Vanguard. Carries who get Vanguards are also sacrificing damage. Antimage would be better off having treads and a couple wraiths. Spectre would be better off with treads and wraiths too. Dragon Knight would be MUCH better off with an armlet.

Another scenario I commonly see, is Tidehunter getting Vanguard. Not only does he not need it, but in reality, his passive overrides Vanguard's passive.

So you see, Vanguard is really not that great of an item. If you really need the hp and hp regen, invest in a BloodStone. This item has much greater potential late game than useless Vanguard.

A final note, stop getting two Vanguards. One is already bad enough. Don't even think about getting two. Especially with Axe, I see many many players get two Vanguards. To my knowledge, the percentage for Vanguard stacks fully, but is that even signifigant? Is it really worth it to spend 4.5k on 600 bonus hitpoints, 10 hp regen, and the ability to pretty much always block 40 dmg? Personally I disagree. Realistically if you're farming well, and you manage to get 4.5k very fast, why would you even spend that money on this garbage? Wouldn't you instead buy a BKB? (depending on situation, but most games it's good to have a BKB)

On the other hand, I see people have a very hard time farming; they continue to get vanguard, which saddens me.

My advice to you : Stop getting Vanguard on every single hero. Two Vanguards is even worse, so please think twice before pursuing that path. Vanguard as first item on a carry is garbage and shouldn't be done.