Witch Doctor was the standout support hero in Dota 2 Patch 7.34, but since he was nerfed in Patch 7.34b and Vengeful Spirit received another buff, the wrathful hero is challenging his throne.
Vengeful Spirit’s Magic Missile stun duration was increased by 0.3 seconds. It might not sound like much, but it means teams can fit in more right-clicks, and it’s making a difference. Her win rate has shot up to 52.38 percent this patch, according to Dotabuff. That number is even higher (54.2 percent) in high-level matches based on D2PT data too.
It followed on from a few other buffs in the previous patch. Her base attack speed was increased by 10. Wave of Terror was tweaked to reduce the damage of affected enemies by 15, 20, 25, and 30 percent, depending on the level. Her level 10 talent was changed to add 200 damage to Nether Swap instead of 150, and her level 15 talent was buffed to cause Wave of Terror to reduce the armor of affected enemies by four.
Vengeful Spirit hasn’t quite pipped Witch Doctor in terms of overall win rate. He’s still more of a nightmare for carries at this point. But, she has overtaken him in high-level matches, and if that trend continues, it’s only so long before she becomes a more meta pick.
The optimal build for abilities is maxing Magic Missile and Wave of Terror first, without skipping her ultimate, Nether Swap. Playing her well is as simple as landing Magic Missile, spamming Wave of Terror, and using Nether Swap to swap an enemy into a death or swap an ally out of danger.
As for items, high-level players tend to build a Magic Wand first, followed by Tranquil Boots, Medallion of Courage into Solar Crest, Aghanim’s Shard, and Aghanim’s Scepter. Arcane Boots disassembled into Aether Lens, Glimmer Cape, and Force Staff are also viable.
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Aghanim’s Shard is the most important piece of the puzzle. It makes Magic Missile bounce onto a second enemy hero and stun them, making it twice as effective, and it drops from the Tormentor for free.
