Dota 2 introducing changes to Hoodwink a day after launch is not really a surprise. That’s pretty much what happens every time there’s a new hero. While it may have undergone testing, it’s still going to be different once the hero is in the hands of many players. What is interesting, however, is that our foxy hero got a bunch of nerfs. This shows how powerful she is.
If you want to learn more about Hoodwink and what she brings to the table, read here.
Before we continue, we say the nerfs are interesting because new heroes often get buffs after being released. The nerfs come sometime later. It appears that Dota 2 couldn’t be bothered to wait and immediately went with nerfs.
In a report citing the data from Dotabuff, Hoodwink had an 85.3% pick rate along with a 51.4% win rate the first day she was launched. Although she was played on different lanes, the data showed that her highest win rate was in the Off Lane at 54.6%. Safe Lane was at 50.9% and Mid Lane was at 51.9%.
So, what are the changes? For starters, her Base Agility is lowered by 4. This clearly has an impact on her starting damage. It means that last hitting will be a bit more difficult.
Given what her skills can do, it’s not shocking that two of them got nerfed. For Acorn Shot, the nerfs are:
- Bonus damage reduced from 25/50/75/100 to 20/40/60/80
- Bounce count reduced from 3/4/5/6 to 2/3/4/5
This skill is what players need to look out for, especially once Hoodwink gets damage items. With this nerf, it will be a bit easier to deal with what she can dish out in the early- to mid-game.
That said, Bushwack got nerfed as well. Changes include:
- Cast range reduced from 1200 to 1000.
- Radius reduced from 325 to 275.
This skill was indeed a bit OP and could be deadly if coupled with Acorn Shot. With both cast range and radius lowered, it would be more difficult to get the stun. This gives enemies a fighting chance.
Finally, there's nerf on her Talent Tree, particularly Level 20. The -5 Armor Corruption isn't really fair even at Level 20. Thus, it’s now -3 Armor Corruption. Like with other skills, this makes it a bit more tolerable and manageable.
Chances are, this won’t be the last hero to get a change. Let’s see what happens over the next few days.
What about you? Do you think the nerfs are justified?
