Another week, another Dota 2 Item Guide, but this time it’ll be all about everyone’s favorite – Hand of Midas. Is this ancient item still any good in the latest patch?
Hand of Midas is one of those Dota 2 items that don’t have an immediate effect. Much like Battle Fury, you’d usually get it to prepare for the late game. When should you get it? What heroes is it good on or against? Read on to find out!
- READ MORE: Dota 2 Item Guide: Eul’s Scepter of Divinity
What Is Hand of Midas?
As usual, let’s start with a short overview of the item:
- Patch: At some point in DotA
- Total cost: 2200 gold
- Grants: + 40 attack speed
- Active: Transmute - Kills a non-hero target for 160 gold and 2.1x experience. Cannot be used on Ancient Creeps. (90 seconds cooldown)
First and foremost, let’s say that buying Hand of Midas is a statement. The moment you get it, you’re betting that the game will go late. It’s one of the oldest items in Dota 2 and it has seen various changes but right now, it gives you 40 attack speed and the Transmute active.
The total cost comes at 2200 gold and you’ll have to use Hand of Midas every time it’s on cooldown with perfect efficiency for 20 minutes to make up for it. That’s a lot of time. Just don’t forget to use it on neutrals or the ranged creep for maximum experience gains.
- READ MORE: Dota 2 Item Guide: Manta Style
When to Get It?
In most cases, you’d want to get Hand of Midas in the first ten minutes of the game. Any later than that might be too late unless you already have some other items and you’re really aiming for the very late game. If you’re playing support, you can afford to get it later. The heroes that it’s especially good on include:
- Invoker
- Arch Warden
- Lone Druid
- Lifestealer
- Chaos Knight
- Wraith King
These heroes need late-game items and Midas is usually the way to go. Let’s not forget the experience multiplier component which helps with levels. Someone like Invoker will greatly benefit from that. Another example is Wraith King, as he wants to reach the level 20 talent asap and avoid dying to mana burn.
For some like Arch Warden, it’s basically a must-get due to the nature of his ultimate. It’s also great on Ogre Magi for the same reason. Characters with cooldown reduction talents are also a viable choice as long as the talent isn’t too late in their tree. That'll make the item pay for itself even faster. Arcane Rune will also reduce the cooldown of Midas.
Is Hand of Midas Worth It?
If you have a naked Midas and brown boots 20 minutes in – probably not. The attack speed will naturally accelerate your farming and increase your overall dps in team fights. On the downside, you might often wonder whether another item could’ve been more useful such as a Blink Dagger to initiate or a Force Staff to save yourself or a teammate. Everyone needs gold but if your job is to make space for the late game carry, buying Midas won't help you.
Getting Hand of Midas means you’ll be avoiding fights until you get more items. This might result in the enemy swarming at your base and ending the game before you hit minute 30. Make sure you have enough heroes that can hold the line before dedicating to a Hand of Midas. On the plus side, Midas can serve as a situational counter. Use it on creeps controlled by Helm of the Dominator, Chen, or Enchantress.
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