This article was originally posted on VK (Russian social media) and in Russian, one of our reader translated it for us. Thanks to him.
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I have played one day on a new patch, the impressions are as follows:
I played mostly for Undeads, so the main thoughts will be on Undead match-ups.
Highlights:
1) The ritual dagger is useless. Why the hell do we need it for 125 gold (2 charges) for a regeneration of 100 HP? (Moreover, regeneration is lost when unit is attacked).
For fast expansion it is not suitable, there are not enough resources for the skeletons and the dagger.
Maybe for the healing in the middle of the game? Why!? I do not know the exact stats, but the regeneration of the dugger is the same as if the Undead stands on the cursed land and is under the 1st level aura of DK.
Especially considering the fact that most of the Undeads ("normal Undeads") play fast Tier 3, and the statues come out quickly, I don’t see any point in this item at all. Spending money on it is a loss of resources (there are always not enough resources when playing fast T3).
The only situation when it might be useful is if you play mass ghouls and either retreat with them or teleport back at the right moment, and then heal them at home. But again: what for!? Statues and even damn cannibalism will come out cheaper!
2) Necromancers - I don’t even see any potential to use them except against the Orcs (meaning, as a support for casters, and not garbage like the masses of skeletons).
But at the same time against Orcs it works stupidly worse than when playings banshees.
Why do I need cripple which really greatly reduces the speed of movement, at a cost of 85 mana, when I have curse (33% miss chance) for 30 mana? There is no need to comment anything here, the debuff by Cripple is simply weak (besides, it does not last long for heroes).
Frenzy has become a little weaker than before, but will not bring much meaning. First, you need to make 2 upgrades (although they are fast, 2 times faster than banshee upgrades, but more expensive).
Secondly : it is necessary to sacrifice something - complete nonsense! Anything that costs money to sacrifice is not profitable, and skeletons are not always available.
And most importantly, the range is quite modest. Sometimes it is very difficult to cover more than 5 goals by frenzy (if units are not placed in advance).
Particularly I am surprised by the stupidity that frenzy acts both on friendly and enemy units. Does it not resemble anything? (I mean here the old, non-usable healing spray of the alchemist that healed everyone earlier, before the buff [in 1.29]).
All in all, banshees are simply better. When opponent gets a dispel with 100 AOE dispel, I have to use 85 mana for a single target debuff - lol! Compare it with a banshee - which, even if there is a dispel with an orc - can always cast the Curse (30 mana) on one Blademaster manually - the effect of it will be noticeable immediately.
3) For the rest - ghouls frenzy has become stronger... Well, it’s great, but frenzy has already been great for ghouls, in my opinion ...
4) Gargs are cheaper and faster - funny, but what does it change?
However, against the old standard (not KOTG through), against DH + Panda / Naga / Alchemist + dryads / bears gargs do not work normally. And even if the mass gargs worked, it was necessary to make a transaction into the wyrms later, but they got nerfed (freezing breath became 3 times shorter).
If you play gargs against an elf that goes to the modern standard (KOTG / Alchemist + dragons and hypoarchers), you need to make a fast expansion. Again, if you make an expansion, there are 2 points:
- Elf can start with 2 AoW (and, moreover, he will also make his own expansion).
- Elf can make an expansion later, but will not go into the masses air , rather into archers and talons. It will work great for him.
If we talk about match-ups, then there is something like this:
1) Against the humans, probably, I will more often see humans playing a single base game into Tier 3 (for the orb). Or humans will just build more towers on the expansion and on the main base, the immediately go to the Knights + Orb.
Thanks God, Human Orb reduces healing for 3 seconds by 35% (and not 50% as it was in playtest release). I think humans will focus everything possible target now. Especially with new knights (Sundering Blades upgrade + 15% vs medium armor).
Although IMHO, this upgrade is made to fight the giants. But the fiends may also suffer from it. I think if the game against human goes to the late stage (and undead will have its own expansion) it will be VERY hard for Undead...
2) Against the elf it will be all the same. As I said, the early expansion against the elf is too risky. Because it can be easily be punished by the good scouting and pushingh from 2 AoWs. In the worst case, Elf can just not playing the air. Here I mean the games against KOTG first.
Maybe now Elf will more often play with DH first, and of course, potentially for Undead it is easier to make an expand. But again - what for? Should Undead play mass gargoyles? They will not be of special use anyway… It is better to make a fast Tier 3
Otherwise, the match-up is the same. Or should I play mass necros against Elf? :D
3) Against Orc I think everything is also the same. Necros are stupidly worse than bansees. And BM now has again got imba crits, therefore there will be less Far Seer plays and more and more hero focus. Already today I have seen critical damages for 250-300. Very funny!
Nerfed windwalk for me as for undesed has no meaning at all. I do have spells that can stop BM (like a human bolt, or Elf’s entangles). Blade will run away anyway, with or without a cooldown.
4) Mirrors are without any changes. Maybe a dagger will be used for healing ghouls with early expansion (with DL?), but then again, what for? Lol! Expensive and not efficient.
The rest:
Rings can change a lot of meta, especially BM & DH will be happy with them. They will tank (two +3 rings are better better than two +6 claws). And for me, as Undead, sometimes, the rings are really very worth it sometimes.
In other words, physical damage will become less effective, but it works in both directions. Of course, for me as for Undead it is an advantage because Undead uses coil-nowa. But at the same time if BM has a couple of rings and Rune Braces, how should I kill him now?
Maybe it will be worth it to take Pitlord as tanking hero.
Buff of crystalball looks interesting! Now it will not immediately go for sale.
Aura armor. Now it is unlikely to sell it because +2 armor is really a powerful aura!
The remaining moments (for me, as Undead) are not so important.
These are the thoughts. In general, I don’t expect any special changes of the meta (I was hoping for Necros and I thought that the dagger would be much more powerful).
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