EPTold man meta
October was a good month for the climb. Dota is stale and broken and set. Lanes are predictable. 10th picks are swingy. But the throws are still true.
As the calendar turns to November, I’m a win from divine 2. Around 500 mmr higher than I was in September.
How can you climb as a senior citizen with your hands aching and your hair graying and your dreams drying up in your mind’s eye?
lets talk about spirit vessel
Side ramble about sticks incoming—
Idk how many threads I need to make about stick but seriously you should make one in like every game on almost every hero. Playing support and watching your lane partner make terrible item choices is the worst part. Like playing void vs brew and not buying a 200 gold item that salvages the lane.
As a support player, I like plays that can swing lanes and cause overcommitment. Magic stick is the easiest one to get and execute. If you are low, and they commit and dive you, burst heal and turn around is enough to win a bad lane. There’s no under 200g item that can do that (maybe salve if you are godly). That’s how you win games & lanes.
Anyway.
Spirit vessel. Okay, this is probably the best item in dota even after the nerfs. It gives so much for such an easy build up. Sustain wins solo games — it translates to objectives and gold advantage. Offensively, for 3k gold, it swings team fights hard. To the point where it makes unwinnable fights easy. Someone on your team needs this as quickly as possible every game without question. If you are a 5 it’s not ideal but it could be you.
Here’s a list of heroes vessel obliterates: alch, pudge, necro, brood, huskar, axe, bloodseeker, all blink initiators, all healing supports, all strength cores. Ench, jug, morph, dragon knight. Wisp, pugna, underlord. Undying.
faceless void. Oh man it fucks him over.
I had a game a week ago where I was lycan (I don’t usually play 1pos but sometimes it happens) and we were losing to a necro. My supports were rushing dumb items like blademail and blink so I made a vessel after book3. My team flamed me. But we crushed every fight because necro depends on his crazy regen.
but I’m playing xyz, I need to rush my {item}
Nope, you don’t, that why you are losing. Solved it. Buy this item before it’s reworked entirely. It’s gives you mana regen, a truckload of health, some armor, some MS, and a game winning active.
Your team 100% needs one, and you need someone who can use it properly (waiting for dispels, putting it on the right target, etc). Step it up.
why it’s so hard to play against
Vessel is easily obtainable on pretty much anyone. And it has to be played around or you will lose the fight. For example, necro might have to rush euls or BKB instead of straight radiance. A 4 or 5 position getting an item that changes how the enemy cores play their game is very important.
And it’s a snowball item. Once you get it, you are significantly stronger and you keep collecting charges. Charges that win fights.
next time
Old man will explain why everyone is wrong about handling broodmother
