The International 2017 | Group stage and Play-off grid

Posted on August 14, 2017 by MOBA Expert

Results of The International 2017 – Group stage

Recently group stage of The International 2017 ended, and now we know names of the teams that entered in the play off. The only losers of the event, that leaves the grid were Hell Raisers and Fnatic, that can not show a good game at all. Virtus Pro Russian Dota 2 team win 10 games and lose only 5. They ended in the 3rd line of the B group, and now they will meet LGD Gaming, that loses only four times.

Team Empire could not enter the upper grid and ended group stage only on 7th place with the 6-10score. Right now Imperials have no rights to lose with the Cloud9.

Dota 2 – patch 7.06

Posted on May 18, 2017 by MOBA Expert

Dota 2 is rebalanced again in 7.06

Recently Valve surprised us with the new update. You can always check patch notes all by yourself at the special page on the official Dota 2 Blog, but here I will highlight all main changes of this New Dota 2.

New EXP gaining system

Now it is much more useful to deny your creeps because denied creeps now give 30% of EXP to you, and only 70% of EXP to the enemy. Yes, an enemy now will receive much more EXP, but in the end, you will gain level much faster. Looks like IceFrog is trying to teach players a deny mechanics, so they will use it much more often.

Only in one thing, I’m terrified, this new mechanic may lead to the new game mechanics exploit. I hope that Valve ready for this.

Roshan now have cheese earlier

Now Cheese lovers do not have to wait for the third Roshan – Cheese appears in the inventory of the stone monster on the second respawn. On the other hand, the team’s reward for the murder of Roshan has been reduced from 200 to 150, and Roshan slightly more quickly gaining armor.

Do not die

Dying is becoming more dangerous – now the time for buy back recharging is whole eight minutes. It is expected that this will partially solve the problem of endless matches; And on the other hand, players will have to use this opportunity even more cautiously.

Another change touched talents, that reduce the time of revival – all 42 of the are just removed from Dota 2. Replacements can not be called equivalent everywhere (there is hardly anything as attractive). Nevertheless, some of the proposals are very tempting. For example, the Beastmaster will be able to summon a second wild boar, Io will stun when using Tether, and Techies will receive 250 points of an additional damage.

Another patch another item changes

Valve love to completely change the items. This time, the recipes for Aether Lens, Force Staff, Rod of Atos and Urn of Shadows have been reworked. Developers also keep a course on the rejection of recipes (non-useable scrolls) – to get the Heart of Tarrasque or Mask of Madness now will require stats items instead of those scrolls.

Aghanim’s Scepter is now better

Aghanim’s Scepter is reworked by several heroes – by tradition, it seems as imbalanced as possible. We offer to look at some of them:

Dazzle: Shallow Grave becomes a spell working within a radius of 450
Medusa: Mystic Snake turns enemies into stone for 1 second + 0.2 per jump.
Magnus: Shockwave returns back, dealing damage and slowing enemies down by 60% for 2 seconds.
Bane: Brain Sap cooldown reduced to 1.5 seconds, the skill penetrates magic immunity

Some balance fixes

Several popular heroes of the latest patches were very strongly nerfed. So, Monkey King was nerfed incredibly strong – Wukong’s Command no longer gives bonus damage, and the Basher and Abyssal Blade effect do not work in the Ultimate. Among other changes, the points concerning Naga Siren are also highlighted. Song of the Siren is now less effective, and in general, the hero is much harder to use.

Alchemist will also become less popular – this character has lost some of the bonus from Greevil’s Greed, and Unstable Concoction can now be used less often. In fact, the two abilities have lost their power, and now it’s not so easy to return to the peak of the form as a new alchemist.

New Valve’s Favs

A few words about those who in the new patch should definitely become more popular. Shadow Shaman received 6 points of damage and talent on bonus snakes, and Bane will now be able to cast Brain Sap through BKB and looks stronger in terms of performance. Among the core characters, you should pay attention to the changes Brewmaster and the invisible Windranger.

IceFrog, plz staph

Remember what kind of reaction caused the jumping Earthshaker with Aghanim. It seems that sometimes IceFrog is able to come up with something that no player would have thought of. We present you several updates, which should be the basis for 7.06-dota.

Night Stalker: The ability Hunter in the Night gives a flying movement for 2 seconds;
Queen of Pain: Talent level 25 now gives +550 to the AoE range of Shadow Strike;
Warlock: Talent level 20 now allows you to turn a hero after his death into a burning golem;
Nature’s Prophet: Talent level 25 now gives no cooldown to Teleportation.
Wraith King: Talent level 25 now with Reincarnation you will automatically cast the Wraithfire Blast.

And this is only a small part of the whole update with nerfs and buffs, changes in creeps and buildings, and dozens of edits. It seems that Dota 2 will become surprisingly unusual and new – however, this happens almost after every big patch so everything is as usual.

Look at some my next articles about various Moba genre games:

Dota 2: Chuan is back

Posted on April 18, 2017 by MOBA Expert

Returning of the legend: Chuan’s comeback

The last team of this legendary players was Newbee Boss team that participated in The Internation 2012. This team always played just for fun, and for fans. But Chuan – is professional and soon he will prove this to all world.

In the sixth of the April in his twitter Wong “Chuan” Hock tell about his plans to return into the Dota2 with a humorous message – “I’m back.”

Today we already know his team, and it is Vici Gaming. This is because ddc will be transferred to the LGD.Forever Young.

The Vici Gaming do not participate in tournaments for a long time (they lose at the qualification matches DAC 2017 and Manila Masters), that why we so excited with the Chuan’s comeback. He already wins the battle with his weight, and now preparing for other victories.

Vici Gaming team:

Yang “End” Pu
Zeng “Ori” Jiaoyang
Zhou “Yang” Haliyang
Xu “Hym” Zhi
Wong “ChuaN” Hock Chuan

HotS: Combinations of Heroes

Posted on December 8, 2016December 11, 2016 by MOBA Expert

Hello and welcome to the Moba Fans! Today we will analyze powerful combinations of heroes from the free rotation.

Combinations of Free heroes in Heroes of the Storm

Gul’dan + ETC

Today we look at a normal bundle with the ETC and additional damage dealer. ETC-tank with a bunch of great control and great potential of teamwork during the game events. Gul’dan – is a good burst DPS with a high survival rate, allowing you to live a long life even under the most demanding batch. Great bunch, allowing them to combine their Ultimate, and opening up many other possibilities. For example, control on the line with full mobility and availability of the necessary damage. Map is not important.

Illidan + Li Li

Illidan and Li Li – is not just a two heroes for a quick game. This – the best combination of “killer + healing” in the game, and I’ll explain why: Illidan itself has a lot of hp and has no control. He also has the ability to exit from difficult situations (when Q and W can be considered as such), so it will be easy to survive and provide the necessary damage as a solo player. Li Li is perfect for him, because she can heal himm all the time. Illidan is often targeted first and all burst-damage is going in him with which ussuals healer sometimes can not have the time to handle, it is impossible to say about Li Li – with the help of Ultimate + Q-skill she heal him for maximum health. This helps to longer stay in the team battle, and quietly kill enemy heroes. It is also worth mentioning the magnificent E-skill of Li Li – Breeze – which will save from autoattacks. These characters complete each other like Yin and Yang.

ETC + Zagara + Li Li

Interesting combo, with good damage and combining of Ultimates.

The main use – is the ability to control fights with ETC, do damage with the help of Li Li’s ult and deal damage with Zagara.

On the lining stage it is better to cooperate Zagara with Li Li, ETC can go anywhere alone. but in team fights they need to be together. Initiate also possible, but only when you all together.

Sonya + Tracer

This bunch is good with theirs Ultimates, and in general. Quick Tracer and Sonia dynamically initiate fights, quickly breaking face of opponents. The basic essence – a distraction from Sonya and damage from Tracer, since the latter is quite vulnerable. This bundle can work, in addition to conventional fights, and through their Ultimates. Clamping opponents to the ground by Sonya, makes it possible to arrange Tracer fire and throw her mine at a given point, using a maximum profite from Ult.

Try to check my other Moba related articles like:

Dota 2: Speculation about new heroes

Posted on November 18, 2016 by MOBA Expert

That is no secret that Valve transfer all heroes from Dota in Dota 2. The point in this process put Underlord. It would be difficult to find ideas for the further expansion of the list of characters, but at the last TI6 Valve announced the Monkey King, than surely have pleased fans of the game.

New heroes in Dota 2

All you have repeatedly heard about the Monkey King, and maybe even familiar with its history, so it makes no sense to repeat. An interesting point is that the Monkey King is the owner of the very Monkey King Bar – the well-known artifact of DOTA 2. What is interesting in it? Perhaps in this way Valve reveal the principle that new characters will be added to DOTA 2. There is a probability that they, like Monkey King, will be taken from the lore of DOTA, which, incidentally, very well established. It contains references to various mythologies, the cult and the history of the world of Warcraft.

Tarrasque – French dragon

The character of a famous French mythology, which is based on one of the most expensive items in DotA Heart of Tarrasque. According to legend, a dragon lived on the banks of the Rhone, near the village of Nerluk. Now this place is called Tarrascon, in honor of the dragon itself. The beast devoured animals and humans; especially it like the taste of a virgin. Residents of Nerluka have sought to overcome Tarrasque, but they can not.

Tarasque looked like half-animal, half-fish, exceeds in thickness – bull, in length – horse. His teeth were like a sword blade, sharpened on both sides, and there were sharp like horns. On each side, he was armed with a double round shields. He was hiding in the river and kill all who try to pass it and drowned ships.

Skadi

Skadi – guest from Nordic mythology, was the patroness of hunting. Originally she was probably a fertility goddess in its winter incarnation. Skadi is winter and ice, is the wife of Njord. As you might have guessed, that to he refers artifact Eye of Skadi.

According to Scandinavian mythology, when the Æsir (in Nordic mythology, a core group of gods and goddesses) killed her father Pjazi, Skadi armed and went to avenge him in Asgard. However aces offered to Skadi as a ransom for his father to choose one of the gods as her husband. She agreed, but only if they set off laughing her. After reconciliation Odin (Supreme God) took Thiassi eyes and threw them into the sky, creating the stars of them; so between Skadi and aces became peace. It was she who helped to Scandinavian gods conclude Loki by putting on him a snake, that exuding poison.

Aghanim

Perhaps you did not know, but Aghanim’s Scepter, which can be collected are now by almost all the heroes of DotA was named in honor of this great dark wizard that serves as an antagonist in the game A Link To The Past (it is possible to play it on SEGA). In addition, it is believed that he is a father of the hero, who is in DotA for a long time – Rubick.

Many heroes have specially prepared phrases that they pronounce with the purchase of this scepter. I wonder what they will say, if they met the greatest magician, part of the power that they use. If developers will continue to add new aghanims in the game, then it is very likely that we will see that character.

Other moba articles that you may find interesting:

HotS: Minions pt.2

Posted on November 9, 2016December 11, 2016 by MOBA Expert

In our last article we discussed some basic info about minions, today we will go a little bit deeper. We will talk about their utility, and how they can help you.

Vision from Minions

Vision. that provided by creeps is needed for a perfect map control. When you pushed all lines, opponents can not move around the map without being exposed. This allows you and your team feel easier and start more aggressive rotation. Especially useful it becomes, if you have a team that need to gank enemies.

When you playing at a high level, team is constantly used vision that provided by creeps, for the creation of ganks. This can be achieved by creating pressure on the various lines, thus forcing the enemy to move. After determining the trajectory of the path of an enemy (for example some hero heading to clean up a large stack at the top), you can easily take advantage of it.

Remember that minions appear on each side at the same moment, so you can predict their movements. This can be extremely useful, you can predict when new wave of creeps will appear, and save your mana for them!

Minions support

Your play around minions is quite important in the duels. One of the most basic elements for understanding that minions deal damage, and this damage can be lethal! Never underestimate their power, especially in the early game. It will not be too smart to fight with the enemy character under his creeps without proper support. They will cause a ton of damage, if you will just stand still and let them attack you.

In addition, creeps not only inflict damage, they can also help you to heal yourself by the health spheres. These spheres have become extremely important. Blizzard has recently doubled healing effect, which provides by Globes.

The importance of creeps can not be underestimated. You should always watch at your position. In addition, the creeps are able to block a huge amount of Skilshots, for example, stun from Muradin or Dehaqas tongue. In addition, they can shoot down enemy heroes from horses, that are chasing after you. Creeps can save your life in certain scenarios.

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HotS: Minions pt.1

Posted on October 31, 2016 by MOBA Expert

Main part of All Moba Games – Creeps

HotS Creeps

Creeps are an integral component of the Nexus. They appear endlessly and die until the heroes are fighting over their heads. However, they should not be underestimated. Creeps are a strategic element of the game. After the patch 19.0 were serious reasons to discuss precisely this aspect of the Heroes of the Storm.

Few facts about Minions:

New pack of creeps appears ever 30 sec.
Creeps will attack first target that they see.
Creeps priority – Enemy creeps -> Structures -> Heroes.
Creeps give vision to the team.
They attack power increased in 300% when they attack structures.
Towers will attack minions in main priority.
You receive exp for killing them.

Now, on the basis of the above facts, lets proceed.

Experience

Hots Minions

The enemy creeps bring you experience, if allied hero was nearby, or if they die from the attack of the hero (spell or physical damage). The experience is overall, so the whole team has the same level. That is why it is important to gather experience from all three lines (or two, if we are talking about the eternal battle), to achieve a maximum level faster. In the initial stage of the game creeps pack gives almost as much as the murder of the hero. If your team has made five of gang and killed one enemy hero, but lost two packs with the other line, then you are in the bad situation.

Creeps are valuable, mobile containers of the EXP. At the time, when you follow the map objects and teamfight has not started yet, find the greatest concentration of creeps around and go, gather this experience. This is very important, and do not be afraid pinging for help if one of the lines is empty, and you do not get to it.

Keep your skills and let the creeps just kill each other. If enemy hero appear, then just attack him furiously. It will not allow him to receive the Exp from your pack of creeps. Methodical implementation of this technique throughout the match will result in a solid set of benefits from the experience for your team.

Siege

HOTS Creep

When you attack structures, creeps will be your shield from attacks of towers and Forts. These small units do not allow to slow down the attack speed and movement of their characters.

On the other hand you should always be wary of enemy creeps. If you see that a large bundle of creep pushes one of you line with a heroe, then focus on minions. This will help you, because forts will switch to enemy heroes.

The successful siege also leads to rewards. Taking t1 t2 tower and forts on the same line,and you will release catapult. This is completely winning line, you will force the enemy to focus on the protection.

Conclusion

Full guide about creeps is much more complex. These basic concepts will help you to get benefits from this small friends of the Nexus. Apply these tips into practice in the next matches, and you realize how useful these guys can be.

Another useful information about Moba genre:

League of Legends – Training tool

Posted on October 24, 2016December 11, 2016 by MOBA Expert

Easy way to improve your skills

A year ago in the first edition of Riot Pls, dedicated to what Riot Games should do, they put themselves in an awkward position. Then they said that the tool for training – game mod in which you can practice alone – is useless and they want to get rid of that. Players do not agree, and Riot have heard.

Six months later, they have changed the opinion about the training, but decided to first bring to mind an updated client, and then engage in new opportunities. At the same time, Riot have promised to announce when they will work on a tool for training.

And this moment has come.

A tool for training and enhancement of skills

In any case, lets explain: in the 2017 season developers will work on longstanding promises and give you the tools that will make your gameplay more comfortable. Work on tool for training has only just begun, but already now they are ready to share the general information.

The first version of the tool is simple and straightforward – like small punching bag for training. Developers are doing everything that possible to fit tool for players of all levels. Each players, from the Bronze league to the Top, will be able to enjoy the benefits of a single exercise to practice the mechanics and enhance their movements on the map, but so far we do not plan to make a multiplayer version of the tool for team or professional training. As soon as the first version will be available to everyone, Riot Games will see if they have not missed something important for individual development.

Riots main desire – transform the League of Legends in the global eSport for generations, and they want to make your workouts more effective – it is not necessary to wait for 5 minutes before training your key skills. A tool for training – a punching bag for sparring in LoL: it will give you an additional opportunity to raise the level of your gameplay with the unfamiliar Champions, so you feel confident in the game.

Here are some of the tools for the exercise:

Infinite gold
Reset recharge of the skills
Fixing level
Freeze appearance of minions

Full list of features is still unclear, but future innovation will also be aimed at improving individual skills and mechanical skills. Work on the training tool has only just begun, but do not forget to follow the news during the pre-season!

Replays – way to improve your gameplay

Posted on September 15, 2016October 17, 2016 by MOBA Expert

Best way to learn your mistakes

Every time, when you play Moba games you need to find ways to improve your game play. Many people thinks that to improve his skills they need more practice. But this is not the only way to the top. You may look at yourself by a different angle, and look at all your mistakes with help of the replay system.

If you are the player, which want to learn, then i highly recommended to start watch replays. When you playing it is hard to criticize your decisions and see the whole picture of the game. Right here replays will be very helpfull.

You may be shocked with things that you may missed during the match. Ability to pause the game and rewind it, that what makes replay system so great. You may analyze every target if you want. You have full control and you can find what went wrong in fight which you lost.

Start criticize yourself

So, what you want to do, when you watch replays? There is a various things. You may look at all your death or opportunity of ganks that you missed. You may look at map timings and mistakes that you made. May see how aggressively you play, when your healer has low mana. By other words, you can look at yourself and criticize as it is a different player.

The most easy way to improve your game, by watching replays, is to watch every your death. When you see that you lost a big chunk of HP then try to understand why this happen. You was out the preferable position? Run for enemy too far, and opposite team used it?

When you see what caused your death, then you will understand what you did wrong in that situation and learn to not do it in future. Of course you could understand it in the match, but the reason why we watch replays – too see what we missed during the match.

Another thing that you can do, while watching replays – learn every teamfight. Look at your position, cooldowns. Your position and aggression must be at the same level as your allies has. No matter on which role you play, if your allies retreated, you must run with them.

Recap

Thank due to replay system, you can watch at all your decisions at a different angle. It will allow to not do the wrong decision in future matches, and improve your game play style.

Every one who want to improve his game, must give a chance to replays. Enhancement that you can get through it is incomparable with anything else. Watching replays – is the one of the most profitable ways to improve your gameplay, but unfortunately not too many people bothered to use it.

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HotS: Mana Tips

Posted on September 10, 2016December 11, 2016 by MOBA Expert

Five ways to save mana

One of the most neglected ways to improve their game in the Heroes of the Storm is the study of the proper mana management. Too many people come to the objects completely out of mana.

Nothing hits the effectiveness of the hero as much as mana ended.If you left blank at a time when the team needs your spells, then you will doom your allies. If this happens often enough then focus on a more rational use of mana. Regardless of the hero, whom you play, the following tips will help keep your blue stripe filled the whole match.

Learn the value of spells

The first step to good mana management is knowledge about mana cost of your spells. After that, pay attention to your mana pool. When these two parameters have become known to you all that is left to do is remember them until the end of the game. Almost no one keeps track of the amount of mana and just rely on their feelings, tells how much mana he has left.

For example, you may think: “I still have a third of bars, should be enough.” But in reality, you have 120 mana, and your abilities cost 70 and 60 mana, which means that you can not use both of them! You end up yourself in a situation where you will have to wait until 10 mana restored.

Obviously, to track mana throughout the match is very hard. I recommend something that is easier. Just pay attention to the value of their skills at the start of the match. Which of the abilities of the most expensive? What stands out for its low cost? If you find answers to these questions at the beginning of the match, then the understanding of the use of spells on a specific character will improve and monitor the mana cost will be much easier.

Do not waste mana to clear the Line

Too many people believe that they must use theirs skills against each pack of creeps. There are many situations where simple auto attacks wil be enough, they will help you to keep your mana until the next object on the map.

So ask yourself: “Do I need to kill the creeps right now, or I can wait 5-10 seconds?”. Often the answer is positive, especially in the early game, where a saved mana can create a huge difference in power.

Usually, after you kill the pack, you will just stand at the gate waiting for the next pack of creeps, and it is 10 seconds of inactivity that could be exchanged for mana.

Of course, there are reasons to clear line with spells. For example, you need to buy time for rotation or Ganks. Perhaps you want to push the tower. Or to kill the creeps quickly gather all the Exp and move on. In such cases, a waste of mana will be justified. Just remember that there are situations where autoattacks will be enough.

Stop use magic for meaningless harass

Just like a wasting of mana to kill creeps on line, harrassing enemy on line won’t be very effective. Recently I saw a Valla player that spent all his mana to pull Muradin to 15% health, just to see how he stepped back a little, and quickly returned to 100%. After that Valla came on a mission completely out of mana. While Muradin walked around the battlefield with two full strips!

This is an extreme case, but it shows the problem. Too often, players use their ability to harass the enemy, but do not achieve with this absolutely nothing. Remember that the health regeneration is free, healers often helps his allies and your Skilshot may miss. All these factors indicate that early harass is likely to be an empty waste of mana.

If you have an excess of mana, then there is nothing wrong with harass. It may help to loosen them up and make them an easy prey. Just think for what happens after you harass and make sure you’re ready for it.

Take some time to return to base

Almost every game has moments in which you can quickly run down to drink from the fountain, or fly to the base. A hard part is determining right and wrong time for this.

If we talk only about the fountains, then i must remind you that you can drink, even with a full stock of health, only to restore mana. If you know that you need more mana in the upcoming battle, when you run past the fountain, just use it. If you know that an objective will appear in another 2 minutes, then you can use the fountain now (even if you have 80% health) and it will be available again when you needed.

Return to the base can be more dangerous, but still worth it.

Remember the importance of the spheres

I can not count how often people walk pass by regeneration spheres. Players believe that these green balls are useless, if any of the talent does not strengthen them. But they are not useless!

If that does not expose you to the danger (or your teammate) then take every sphere that you can find! Each of them will give you a bit of mana and hp, but during the game the amount of resources will be enormous. Two spheres that you have ignored, could give you extra mana that would need to heal one that can win timfayt!

Conclusion

If you start to play and keep these five tips in your mind, you will become more conscious of mana management. Now you can remove the key “O” and “M” with the keyboard, because you no longer have to write “OOM” never!