Ace on Patch 7.41d: “Mars is officially back”

Mage Slayer has been nerfed, with its bonus damage reduced from 15 to 12. Still, this item is strong because of the magic damage reduction and its easy build, not because of the attack damage bonus. People will still buy it on heroes like Ember Spirit or Kez. The nerf is minor.

Clockwerk’s Power Cogs now have a fixed cost of 75 mana at all levels, which significantly increases the cost of spamming them in the early game. The knockback and damage mechanics have also been adjusted so they work properly against heroes like Huskar. And the damage from the cogs has been recalculated and reduced at high levels. Combined with the nerf to the level 15 talent, this is a noticeable step backward. Although, to be honest, the hero’s core abilities are so good that he’ll still remain quite popular.

Kez has been hit hard by the balance hammer; Valve has nerfed practically everything. The bonus damage from stance switching has been reduced from 16% to 12%, and the cooldown for both Kazurai Katana and Shodo Sai has been increased at early levels. Additionally, the parry duration has been reduced to 1.5 seconds. Combined with the nerfed level 10 talent, the hero becomes much more manageable. But you shouldn’t completely write him off. In the hands of a specialist, Kez is still completely broken; he will continue to dominate in high-level drafts because his mechanical versatility remains intact.

Mars is officially making a comeback. He has completely disappeared from the meta recently, but Valve continues to give him cumulative buffs. Dauntless’s radius has been significantly increased—from 700 to 900—allowing him to hold the lane much more effectively. Additionally, God’s Rebuke now dynamically turns Mars toward the target, and the damage from Arena of Blood clones has received a substantial buff at high levels. He’s ready to return to the fray. Top priority.

In Patch 7.41d, the meta for carries and offlaners is shifting. Faceless Void and Tiny are forced to step back. Morphling, Chaos Knight, and Nature’s Prophet are stepping up to fill the void. Meanwhile, heroes like Lone Druid and Kez have survived the balance hammer, retaining their overpowered status, and continue to dominate in games.

Lane bullying from Snapfire and Sniper has been completely neutralized. If you mindlessly spammed heroes from last week’s tier list, it’s time to adapt your pool before your opponents take advantage of this.