It’s only been a week, but their time in the sun is over — Dota 2’s most powerful items in its latest update received some massive nerfs in the 7.35b patch.
Solar Crest, Shiva’s Guard, and Bloodstone became incredibly common items after their reworks, even single-handedly bringing heroes back to the meta.
7.35b was released to address these concerns, hopefully bringing peace to gamers scarred by invulnerable Outworld Destroyers, Leshracs, and Timbersaws in their pubs.
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Solar Crest, Shiva’s Guard, and Bloodstone receive heavy nerfs in patch 7.35b
Solar Crest had become a scourge on the Dota 2 landscape. With its self-buffing potential in the main 7.35 patch, it no longer became just a support item — it became arguably the most efficient stats item in the game.
For just 2,700 gold, you got bonuses six all-stats, six armor, a boost to health, mana, and even movement speed.
And that was just the passive! Use the Shine buff on yourself for an additional 70 attack speed and a 400 health barrier, for the grand cost of zero mana.
It truly was not an exaggeration to say that every hero could buy it and feel good about it, and the item catapulted in usage amongst supports, offlaners, and even midlaners — with an especially egregious one being Outworld Destroyer. Now, most of its active no longer works when self-buffed, making it a support item once more.
Two other items, also meta monsters, were targeted. Shiva’s Guard had become ridiculously efficient with its new Veil of Discord build-up, and it received a hefty reduction — decrease in armor from 20 to 16, stats and health regeneration from eight to six.
Bloodstone received just one line for the patch — its active Bloodpact no longer restores mana. This item might still have a use case, thanks to its unique AOE increase effect, but mana guzzlers like Leshrac and Timbersaw will mourn the loss of its restorative purposes.
The patch was an otherwise small one, with adjustments made to 34 heroes — boosting the underperformers, and taking down the meta monsters slightly.
You can read the full 7.35b patch notes here.
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