With his unique skill set and the potential to alter the course of the game, Magnus has become a force to be reckoned with. In this article, we will explore Magnus's strengths and his impact on the current patch meta.
In the new patch, game developers made changes that fundamentally shifted the game balance - they introduced a fourth attribute for heroes, in addition to strength, intelligence, and agility. Valve referred to these heroes as "universal." This new attribute category includes some old heroes that previously had a different attribute. Their peculiarity lies in not having a primary attribute but gaining 0.7 attack damage for each point of attribute. With this innovation, the game creators could significantly alter the heroes since their conceptualization and item builds will completely transform.
Similar to previous patches, Magnus is a viral hero. Do you agree? After all, he fits well with almost any playstyle due to his versatility. You can farm neutrals at a high pace with him, but he also appeals to players who enjoy making plays across the map since he requires minimal resources for successful engagements.
In patch 7.33, as you may have noticed, Magnus became one of those heroes with a universal attribute. This change had a strong impact on the hero's demand. Many professional players started experimenting with different item builds, ultimately blurring the lines of the hero's classic role. Previously, Magnus was primarily used as a position three hero, focusing on building aura items for the team along with a Blink Dagger for initiation. However, the hero can now be utilized in core positions, be it as a carry or even a mid-laner.
Numerous professional players in the position one have taken notice of the new Magnus, including Arteezy, monet, Yatoro, RAMZES666, shiro, skiter, and others. In this new playstyle, most players have reached a consensus on the skill build: prioritizing Shockwave and Skewer at levels one and two, and then focusing heavily on Empower, our main ability that allows us to farm efficiently. Skewer is leveled up next, while Shockwave remains at a single skill point. We then invest in +2 to all attributes because they scale noticeably, taking advantage of Magnus' universal attribute, as we mentioned before. This skill point allocation also helps compensate for the mana shortage.
For laning, most players prefer to start with a Bracer or Wraith Band. Power Treads are the recommended boots, and we should not forget about the usefulness of Magic Wand, particularly against heroes with spamming abilities. In the mid-game, a good choice for us is Mask of Madness, followed by Echo Sabre.
These two relatively inexpensive items greatly enhance our farming potential, providing mana regeneration, attack speed, damage, and lifesteal. We then upgrade Echo Sabre to Harpoon and acquired Black King Bar, which makes us incredibly strong until around the 20-minute mark. Late-game item choices are situational, including Silver Edge and Blink Dagger for positioning or Skadi/Satanic/Manta Style for stats.
The prevalence of Magnus in the mid position in patch 7.33c showcases the hero's versatility and impact on the Dota 2 meta. With his control abilities, farm potential, and ability to amplify his team's capabilities, Magnus has become a reliable choice for teams aiming to control team fights and dominate the game. So, the next time you find yourself in a Dota 2 match, consider picking Magnus as your primary position and unleash his destructive potential to lead your team to victory.