Neutral Items in Dota 2: A New Era of Customization
Neutral items have long been a pivotal part of building your hero in Dota 2, adding a layer of strategic depth and flexibility to the game. Prior to Patch 7.38, obtaining the right neutral item often felt like a roll of the dice, heavily influenced by RNG. However, the latest patch has introduced a more systematic approach, reducing the uncertainty and offering players greater control over their builds. Neutral items are now composed of two distinct parts: Artifacts and Enchantments. Artifacts confer unique abilities that can be active, passive, or both, while Enchantments provide stat and attribute bonuses. This system allows players to tailor their neutral items to their hero’s specific needs in any given match.
Understanding Artifacts and Enchantments
Artifacts serve as the ability component of a neutral item, ranging from utility spells to powerful buffs. Enchantments, on the other hand, offer stat and attribute boosts, enhancing your hero’s core capabilities. When crafting a neutral item, you have the choice between four Artifacts and four Enchantments at each tier, allowing for a vast array of combinations. For Artifacts, three options will come from the current tier, with the fourth option allowing you to keep your current Artifact (except in Tier One, where all four are random). Enchantments, however, do not offer the option to keep the current one and will always provide four new options. If certain Enchantments are available across multiple tiers, you can potentially receive the same bonus multiple times, further customizing your build.
Tier 1 Neutral Artifacts (Minute 5 onwards)
At the first tier, you can choose from a variety of Artifacts, each designed to cater to different playstyles and strategic needs:
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Trusty Shovel: This item allows you to channel for one second to find a Bounty Rune, Healing Salve, Enchanted Mango, or Kobold. Digging in a river guarantees a Water Rune, making it an excellent choice for heroes who need frequent health and mana regeneration or those who benefit from securing runes.
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Occult Bracelet: This passive Artifact grants 0.4 mana regeneration per stack, up to five stacks, whenever you are attacked. The stacks last for five seconds, making it invaluable for heroes who rely on high mana usage or frequent spell casting.
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Pig Pole: An active ability that turns your hero into a critter for four seconds, increasing your movement speed by 15 percent. This can be a game-changer for heroes needing a quick escape or a surprise attack.
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Mana Draught: This Artifact has both an active and passive ability. The active ability, "Bottoms Up," restores 60 base and 2 percent of your maximum mana over six seconds, and can be used on an allied hero. The passive, "Fill Up," increases the cooldown speed of "Bottoms Up" by 30 percent while in water, making it a versatile choice for mana-dependent heroes.
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Pollywog Charm: This active Artifact, "Ribbit," increases the health regeneration of a target ally by eight for 10 seconds. Allies standing in water also move 10 percent faster, making it a great support item for team fights or sieges.
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Spark of Courage: This passive Artifact provides 10 damage when your hero is above 50 percent Health and 5 armor when below that threshold, offering a balanced mix of offensive and defensive capabilities.
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Ripper’s Lash: The active ability, "Flay," embeds thorns into all enemies within a 200-unit radius, causing them to take additional damage for 10 seconds. It deals 12 bonus damage to heroes and 4 to creeps, making it ideal for heroes who need to apply consistent pressure in team fights.
- Orb of Destruction: This passive Artifact reduces the target’s armor by 2 and their movement speed by 10 percent for melee heroes or 5 percent for ranged heroes. The debuff lasts for five seconds, making it a strong choice for heroes who rely on physical damage.
Tier 1 Neutral Enchantments (Minute 5 onwards)
In addition to Artifacts, Tier 1 also offers a selection of Enchantments to enhance your hero’s core attributes:
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Keen-Eyed: This Enchantment increases your cast range by 125 to 135 and provides 1 to 1.5 mana regeneration per second, but reduces your maximum mana by 15 percent. It’s ideal for heroes who need to extend their reach and maintain mana efficiency.
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Vast: This Enchantment increases your attack range by 60 to 90, making it a solid choice for heroes who need to stay at a distance during fights.
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Greedy: This Enchantment provides a significant GPM bonus of 75 to 100 and increases your maximum mana by 200 to 250, but reduces your attack damage by 30 to 60. It’s a strong option for heroes who prioritize gold and mana over raw damage.
- Vampiric: This Enchantment grants 12 to 20 percent lifesteal and 8 to 16 percent spell lifesteal, making it a powerful choice for heroes who need to sustain themselves in prolonged engagements.
Higher Tiers: Advanced Customization and Powerful Bonuses
As you progress through the game, the tiers of neutral items become more powerful and offer a wider range of options. Tier 2, 3, and 4 introduce more specialized Artifacts and Enchantments, allowing for even more nuanced builds. For example, Tier 4 introduces Enchantments like Timeless, which increases debuff duration and spell amplification, and Titanic, which boosts base attack damage and status resistance. These higher-tier options provide significant boosts and can be the difference between winning and losing crucial battles.
The Impact on Dota 2 Strategy
The introduction of Artifacts and Enchantments has fundamentally changed the way players approach neutral items in Dota 2. The ability to mix and match different components adds a new layer of strategic depth, encouraging players to adapt their builds based on the specific demands of each match. This system not only reduces the reliance on RNG but also promotes a more thoughtful and dynamic approach to hero building. Whether you’re a casual player looking to experiment with new combinations or a competitive player aiming to refine your meta, the new neutral item system in Dota 2 offers endless possibilities and exciting gameplay opportunities.
