Dota 2: Hand of Midas analysis in patch 7.21

Every Dota 2 Meta has a special point. It can be a 2-1-2 meta or a pillar push formation. If I had to define a new meta around patch 7.21, it would probably be Hand of Midas. Hand of Midas became extremely popular after this new patch. After a while of not being used in the recent meta, the golden hand is back. The graph below shows us how popular this item became in the pro scene just a month after 7.21. Several patches were merged because they were updated quite closely together.

The comparison table below shows us how many games take place in each stage.

We can see the Hand of Midas appear a lot in 7.21. Actually, people don’t need to look at the graph above to realize the popularity of the Hand of Midas. Let’s go into the game, we can see many heroes on Midas, whether it’s support or core. The rate of this item in 7.21 is not as high as patch 7.00 to 7.05, but the number of games is increasing gradually and this rate is sure to increase even more. The first games of 7.21, when people were still learning the meta, was the time when Midas was the least up to date.

To understand better, let’s take a look at the stats from the start to the end of the group stage of ESL One Katowice and MDL Macau. During those three days, the Midas rate of the games was 2.01. An average of two Hands of Midas are added per game, and this number is somewhat lower due to the games ending early. In games with a long run, there are 4 or 5 heroes to Midas. But the big question is why are the pros suddenly on Midas, and why did Midas only emerge in 7.21? Let’s find the answer together.

Popular from 7.00 to 7.05

So what are the similarities between 7.21 and the early patches after 7.00?

Average gold gain from Melee Creep decreased by 3

The amount of gold gained from melee creeps has decreased, and even though it’s only reduced by 3, most of the creep waves are melee creeps, so all together is a decent number. That means the amount of farm in lane has decreased. In return, in the later stages, ranged creep has somewhat made up for the shortfall. But at the beginning of the game, the farming speed was definitely slowed down. So what better way to increase farming speed? Hand of Midas!!!

Replace the Ancient yards in the main forest with a large camp

Until 7.20, we used to have two ancient yards for both sides, Radiant and Dire. With 7.21, the number of Ancients has been reduced to 1 for each side, and it reduces the ability to farm. Gold not only drops in lane, but jungle is affected too!

• The average gold in the big camp is 101, in the ancient it is 173. In total we lose 72 gold per minute from the jungle. With a 60 minute game, we can lose 4320 gold.
• The average XP in the big camp is 171.6, while in the ancient it is 261.75. That means we can lose 90.15 XP per minute.

Gold is less, XP is also less in 7.21. So what items can make up for lost gold and XP? Hand of Midas!

XP needed to level 7->12 changed from 640/660/680/800/820/840 to 720/750/780/810/840/870 (difference is 80/90/100/10/20/30XP)

XP needed from level 7 to 12 has increased compared to before. That means heroes need more time to level up to have their first talent and ultimate level 2. Midas can close the gap with 1.85x XP from Transmute. With cores, if they get to Hand of Midas early, their level will also increase faster.

Game slows down in 7.21

Overall, 7.21 slows down the meta game. We no longer have turret push formations and end the game in the first 20-25 minutes like 7.20. The game usually lasts longer and the Hand of Midas helps stabilize the hero in the late game. Not to mention, this item can be sold for 1075 gold.

After the gameplay changes, the Hand of Midas became a powerful item. Another point to point out is that Hand of Midas’ attack speed has been increased from 30 to 40. This change helps heroes like Lifestealer, which has slow attack stats in the early game. Even though Transmute is on cooldown, Midas still helps you farm faster. As for Ursa’s case, this hero is also strong with the new changes, but not strong in the late game because Ursa farming is not very good. Midas helps Ursa reach 600-700 GPM, a number rarely achieved in the past.

Conclusion

The changes in patch 7.21 make Hand of Midas a favorite item of gamers. Even though Transmute’s gold was reduced from 200 to 180 in 7.21b, Midas hasn’t lost his shape’s charm. The Midas meta is back after two years, and while it can destroy pub battles, this item makes all the difference in pro games!

According to VP Esports