Just one day until the start of Dota 2’s The International playoffs, and all eyes are on Dazzle. The pink Shadow Priest has been a standout performer in the group stage, particularly in an unexpected role as a mid-lane core. With an impressive win rate of five out of six games, Dazzle surpasses all other mid heroes in terms of success.
Interestingly, regular ranked players have yet to catch on to Dazzle’s potential as a mid-laner, with 71 percent of Dota players still picking him as a hard support. However, at TI 2023, Dazzle has proven to be a force to be reckoned with in the mid lane.
Dazzle’s success can be attributed to recent buffs he received leading up to the tournament. Stat boosts, the switch to the Universal trait, and various improvements to his abilities have made him a formidable presence in the midgame. One significant change was the rework of his Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade in patch 7.34, allowing Shadow Wave to bounce to nearby units while performing an auto-attack, similar to Gyrocopter’s Flak Cannon.
Professional players immediately prioritize building Aghanim’s Scepter after upgrading their boots to Power Treads. This provides them with the auto-attack bonus and increased damage for Shadow Wave. They then proceed to build Yasha into Manta Style for added mobility, attack speed, and illusion creation.
Additional item choices depend on the opposing heroes and team composition. Many pros opt for an Aghanim’s Shard to gain the Hex ability on Poison Touch. They also consider Black King Bar to prevent stuns or Silver Edge to apply Break, which cancels enemy hero passive abilities, especially effective against popular offlane hero Bristleback.
In terms of skill leveling, players typically prioritize maxing Poison Touch for lane pressure, followed by Shadow Wave to fully utilize the Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade. Shallow Grave is usually only taken at a single level early on and left for later use.
Dazzle excels as a counter to melee mid-lane heroes dominating the current meta. His burst damage from Shadow Wave and the slow from Poison Touch keep heroes like Primal Beast, Pangolier, and Kunkka at bay, as they need to enter the creep wave for last hits.
However, Dazzle’s popularity has also made him a prime target for bans at TI. He has received the most bans, surpassing even Treant Protector. While his presence may be limited in the playoffs, it is likely that he will gain significant interest in pub games soon.
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Source: DOTESPORTS
