Dota 2 patch 7.18 continues series of pre-International balance tweaks

The International 8’s qualifiers out of the way, and the Dota Pro Circuit is completely done. Now, this means Icefrog and the Dota 2 development team finally have a little bit of breathing room to make Dota 2 in their vision, through their previously-announced regular balance changes.

This time, there are a lot of flashy heroes getting fixed up in time for the big tournament. Take Enigma, for instance, whose AOE damage-dealer Midnight Pulse has been buffed, making him a plenty more viable pick. Tidehunter got a direct buff to his trademark ult, Ravage, as well, bringing up the duration by a fraction of a second — a big deal in a game banking on moments. Meanwhile, recent meta favorite Night Stalker got a mild nerf during the day through his Void ability, and, for whatever reason, Icefrog doesn’t think Dark Willow is strong enough still.

Be sure to read through the full patch notes for all the details on what’s getting changed this time around!

Items

• Aeon Disk: Cooldown increased from 90 to 115
• Echo Sabre:
  Strength bonus increased from 10 to 12
  Damage bonus reduced from 15 to 12
  Slow duration increased from 0.7 to 0.8
• Hand of Midas: Cooldown reduced from 95 to 90
• Orb of Venom: Damage per second reduced from 5 to 3 on ranged heroes
• Maelstrom: Chain Lightning damage reduced from 170 to 160

Heroes

Abaddon

• Base movement speed increased from 305 to 310

Alchemist

• Greevil’s Greed Gold Bonus Cap increased from 16/20/24/28 to 20/24/28/32
• Greevil’s Greed Stack Duration increased from 30 to 40

Ancient Apparition

• Ice Blast duration increased from 8/9/10 to 9/10/11

Bane

• Fiend’s Grip cooldown increased from 100 to 120/110/100

Beastmaster

• Wild Axes manacost increased from 80 to 80/85/90/95
• Primal Roar cooldown increased from 80/75/70 to 90/80/70
• Level 10 Talent reduced from +25 Movement Speed to +20
• Level 15 Talent reduced from +7 Armor to +6
• Level 20 Talent reduced from +100 Wild Axes Damage to +80

Bloodseeker

• Level 10 Talent reduced from +8 Armor to +6
• Level 15 Talent reduced from +300 Health to +275

Centaur Warrunner

• Base strength increased by 2

Chen

• Holy Persuasion cast range reduced from 900 to 600
• Holy Persuasion send back delay rescaled from 6/5/4/3 to 6
• Holy Persuasion cooldown increased from 10 to 32/24/18/10

Clinkz

• Strafe cooldown reduced from 45/35/25/15 to 30/25/20/15
• Strafe manacost reduced from 90 to 75/80/85/90

Clockwerk

• Power Cogs burn/damage reduced from 80/120/160/200 to 50/100/150/200

Crystal Maiden

• Crystal Nova damage increased from 100/150/200/250 to 130/170/210/260
• Arcane Aura self mana regen increased from 1.6/2.4/3.2/4 to 1.8/2.6/3.4/4.2

Dark Willow

• Bramble Maze total damage increased from 100/150/200/250 to 140/180/220/260
• Cursed Crown manacost reduced from 100/120/140/160 to 80/100/120/140

Dazzle

• Base damage spread reduced from 41-59 to 47-53
• Poison Touch damage rescaled from 10/24/38/52 to 16/28/40/52

Death Prophet

• Base armor reduced by 1

Doom

• Base movement speed reduced from 285 to 280

Dragon Knight

• Level 15 Talent reduced from +35 Damage to +30

Earthshaker

• Base HP regen increased from 2 to 2.5
• Base movement speed increased from 305 to 310
• Enchant Totem Scepter cast range increased from 900 to 1100
• Echo Slam Echo damage increased from 60/85/110 to 70/90/110
• Echo Slam waves are no longer disjointable

Earth Spirit

• Strength gain increased from 3.2 to 3.5

Ember Spirit

• Fire Remnant charge restore time increased from 35 to 38

Enchantress

• Attack range increased from 550 to 575
• Untouchable attack slow increased from -20/60/100/140 to -20/70/120/170
• Impetus damage increased from 14/18/22% to 16/20/24%

Enigma

• Midnight Pulse damage increased from 3/3.75/4.5/5.25% to 3.75/4. 25/4.75/5.2 5%
• Midnight Pulse duration rescaled from 11 to 9/10/11/12
• Midnight Pulse cooldown rescaled from 35 to 50/45/40/35
• Midnight Pulse manacost rescaled from 95/110/125/140 to 75/95/115/135
• Level 15 Talent increased from +120 Gold/Min to +150
• Level 20 Talent increased from +400 Health to +500 Health
• Level 25 Talent increased from +4 Malefice Instance to +5

Invoker

• Level 10 Talent increased from +0.5s Tornado Lift Time to +1.25s
• Level 15 Talent changed from +2.5s Cold Snap Duration to -12s Cold Snap Cooldown

Io

• Relocate now has channel time instead of a cast delay

Legion Commander

• Duel bonus damage increased from 10/14/18 to 10/18/26

Leshrac

• Split Earth cast range reduced from 750 to 650

Lich

• Sacrifice 25 manacost removed
• Ice Armor increased from 3/5/7/9 to 4/6/8/10
• Chain Frost cast point reduced from 0.4 to 0.3

Lycan

• Base armor reduced by 2
• Base damage reduced by 3

Meepo

• Base armor increased by 2

Mirana

• Level 10 Talent reduced from +20 Damage to +15
• Level 25 Talent reduced from -75s Moonlight Shadow Cooldown to -70s

Morphling

• Waveform cooldown increased from 11 to 14/13/12/11

Naga Siren

• Rip Tide damage reduced from 120/160/200/240 to 80/130/180/230
• Ensnare cooldown increased from 12 to 14

Nature’s Prophet

• Agility gain increased from 1.9 to 2.4

Necrophos

• Death Pulse damage increased from 80/120/160/200 to 100/140/180/220
• Death Pulse unit kill regen duration increased from 6 to 7

Night Stalker

• Void now deals half damage during day
• Base movement speed reduced from 290 to 285

Nyx Assassin

• Vendetta manacost decreased from 160/210/260 to 140/200/260

Oracle

• Intelligence growth increased from 3.2 to 3.5

Phantom Lancer

• Base strength reduced by 3

Pudge

• Meat Hook cast range increased from 1000/1100/1200/1300 to 1300
• Flesh Heap magic resistance increased from 6/8/10/12% to 8/10/12/14%

Riki

• Base damage increased by 3
• Blink Strike damage rescaled from 55/70/85/100 to 100
• Blink Strike cast range rescaled from 800 to 500/600/700/800
• Smoke Screen AoE increased from 250/275/300/325 to 325
• Smoke Screen cooldown increased from 11 to 17/15/13/11

Sand King

• Burrowstrike cooldown increased from 11 to 14/13/12/11

Shadow Shaman

• Mass Serpent Ward damage increased from 40/70/100 to 50/75/100

Skywrath Mage

• Arcane Bolt manacost increased from 70 to 90

Slark

• Level 10 Talent reduced from +10 Agility to +8

Sniper

• Headshot physical damage no longer ignores Spell Immmune units
• Headshot damage increased from 15/40/65/90 to 20/50/80/110

Sven

• Great Cleave damage increased from 30/42/54/66 to 40/50/60/70

Templar Assassin

• Psionic Traps bounty increased from 1 to 25

Terrorblade

• Agility gain increased from 3.7 to 4.2

Tidehunter

• Gush armor reduction increased from 3/4/5/6 to 4/5/6/7
• Ravage duration increased from 2/2.4/2.8 to 2.4/2.6/2.8
• Level 20 Talent increased from -4 Gush Armor to -5
• Level 20 Talent increased from +24 Kraken Shell Damage Block to +30

Timbersaw

• Whirling Death stat loss percentage increased from 13% to 15%

Tiny

• Strength growth increased from 3.3 to 3.6
• Tree Grab unit attack damage bonus increased from 10/20/30/40% to 25/30/35/40%
• Tree Grab building attack damage rescaled from 90/120/150/180% to 80/120/160/200%
• Toss damage increased from 75/150/225/300 to 90/160/230/300

Ursa

• Overpower attack count increased from 3/4/5/6 to 4/5/6/7
• Level 20 Talent increased from +12 Fury Swipes Damage to +16

Vengeful Spirit

• Wave of Terror damage rescaled from 45/70/95/120 to 60/80/100/120
• Magic Missile stun duration rescaled from 1.2/1.4/1.6/1.8 to 1.5/1.6/1.7/1.8

Warlock

• Shadow Word manacost increased from 90/110/130/150 to 120/130/140/150
• Shadow Word cast range reduced from 525/600/675/750 to 450/550/650/750

Weaver

• Agility gain increased from 2.8 to 3.1
• Shukuchi damage increased from 80/110/140/170 to 100/125/150/175

Windranger

• Intelligence reduced by 2
• Powershot reduced from 180/270/360/450 to 150/250/350/450

Witch Doctor

• Voodoo Restoration activation cost increased from 20/30/40/50 to 35/40/45/50

Wraith King

• Mortal Strike skeletons magic resistance increased from 30% to 50%
• Vampiric Aura increased from 15/20/25/30% to 18/22/26/30%