Nature’s Prophet emerges stronger than ever

Nature’s Prophet was at his lowest level throughout Valve’s introduction of Innates and Aspects in Patch 7.36. His Ironwood Treant took just a few updates to search out its footing, however as soon as it did, it introduced him again to the highlight. As an alternative of tuning the Side, Valve eliminated it, changing it with one other and buffing Soothing Saplings.

Nonetheless, this Side rework backfired, as Nature’s Prophet is flourishing greater than ever. How did one of many worst characters final 12 months change into one of the vital contested and profitable heroes in matchmaking and professional play? It seems that many components contributed to his present overpowered state. 

Patch 7.36 was considered one of Dota 2’s main patches, including Innates and Aspects to all heroes. Nature’s Prophet acquired two Aspects: Soothing Saplings and Ironwood Treant. At launch, Ironwood did not make an impression. Gamers lamented the swap of dependable multi-treants for one slower, much less versatile unit, particularly on the alternative value of expertise timber that beforehand amplified Nature’s Name.

Moreover, the patch was tough on the hero as he was the goal of a number of nerfs to his general injury. These nerfs have been salt added to the injuries from earlier patches that gutted his stats, and this noticed his win charge plummet to as little as 30%.

Nonetheless, the next patches laid the groundwork for Nature’s Prophet’s return to type. For over a 12 months’s value of patches, Nature’s Prophet was blessed with buff after buff till he turned a staple choose in matchmaking and professional video games. 

Particularly, the Better Treant created by the Ironwood Side turned tankier and extra deadly all through every replace. The cumbersome Treant was a lane bully with a excessive base HP and the Strengthened passive, which meant it took much less injury from heroes, illusions, and summoned items. 

This technique value nothing for Nature’s Prophet, who was content material right-clicking at a distance whereas his bodyguard did the work. Out of the laning part, the Better Treants proceed to place in work on waves and targets, making them a splitpushing menace. No tower was protected from Nature’s Prophet’s international teleportation and buffed-up treants

In 7.38, the hero underwent a groundbreaking change, changing into a Common hero from Intelligence. Nature’s Prophet was already a versatile choose with many viable construct paths, however this solidified his strengths much more. 

Within the Immortal bracket, his win charge stabilised at above 50% with a excessive contest charge. He was additionally a favoured choose amongst execs, the place gamers like miCKe and Satanic leverage his international presence and excessive assault velocity to win tournaments.

On Patch 7.39, Nature’s Prophet’s problematic Ironwood Treant Side was eliminated, changed with Nature’s Revenue. The Side spawns a cash tree every time he kills an enemy hero or one dies close by. After the novelty wore off, the group turned its consideration to a different buff to the hero in that patch. 

His Soothing Saplings Side, largely ignored for the previous 12 months, was reworked to grant a robust heal per second aura. Moreover, utilizing Sprout impacts all common timber close by his enchanted ones, letting his therapeutic attain extra of his teammates.

In case you thought Better Treant was a lane bully, this Side enabled Nature’s Prophet himself to outtrade anybody. Sprout was a spammable capability that dealt on the spot injury (as an alternative of injury over time from the previous), and now the extra heal helps survive or go even towards beforehand troublesome lane matchups.

Not too long ago, Nature’s Prophet has been discovering huge success with the buffed Spirit Vessel and Blademail, enabling him as a assist, too. His international presence is greater than welcome in Dota 2’s expanded map.

Ironwood Treant broke Dota 2 by permitting Nature’s Prophet to bully lane opponents and siege effortlessly. Soothing Saplings is overtuned and smooths out the hero’s weak early recreation whereas staying related all through the match.

Traditionally, Nature’s Prophet has skilled durations of dominance within the meta or being largely neglected. His international presence and skill to splitpush outlined the “rat Dota” playstyle popularised by Alliance in TI3. The hero’s actual energy comes all the way down to uncooked numbers and stats.

Nature’s Prophet has one of many lowest base assault occasions within the recreation at 1.5. This places him second to Juggernaut and Anti-Mage, each at 1.4. Due to this, he has pure synergy with Maelstorm and its improve, Mjollnir, and might successfully use whichever merchandise is most potent within the present patch. As seen along with his success with Spirit Vessel and Blademail.

His change to change into a Common hero amplified his function as a core. Because of this Nature’s Prophet advantages extra from his wonderful stat achieve per stage, in comparison with when he was an Intelligence hero.

Nature’s Prophet depends on pressuring the map, gaining an early lead, and shutting out the sport earlier than he will get outscaled. He leverages his teleport and Wrath of Nature final to farm quick for his gold networth. As a result of, as a core, he lacks the standard talents that may allow him to face his floor towards different carries. 

As a assist, he closely depends on Sprout to lock down enemies earlier than they will flip round and burst his teammates. On an excellent or shedding recreation, Nature’s Prophet’s final lacks the clutch potential of huge teamfighting talents like Phoenix’s Supernova. He’s a feast or famine hero, in-game and idea.

Balancing Nature’s Prophet is a slippery slope. Oblique nerfs to his gadgets or his stat achieve can destabilise his total gameplay loop by hampering his scaling. Ironwood Treant and Soothing Saplings each anchored him within the early recreation, the place he’s at his most susceptible, and these Aspects want tuning to present the hero a transparent weak point.

Nature’s Prophet has been robust for over a 12 months in matchmaking and professional, and Valve could overcorrect in balancing him. Ironwood Treant and Soothing Saplings each labored to make him have an effect early on, they usually have been overpowered of their present state. Valve ought to begin conservatively with these ache factors earlier than undoing their onerous work over the 12 months.

Finally, Nature’s Prophet doesn’t have important causes to select him over heroes. He’s largely depending on his uncooked numbers, favoured gadgets, and whether or not his versatile itemisation may also help shut down the enemy group. Many components might see him push again into irrelevant shadows with forgotten heroes like Earth Spirit.