The Mistwoods Update brought hundreds of changes to Dota 2. The biggest addition was the introduction of Aghanim Shards. Thanks to the latter, numerous heroes received a brand-new ability that can be unlocked at minute 20 for 1400 gold.
Tens of heroes received new abilities with the release of the Mistwoods Update. Some got their old skills back, others got reworked. Out of all the changes, a couple of spells stand out as the best, and today we’ll take a look at them. Here’s our take on the top 10 Aghanim Shard upgrades:
Earthshaker
Earthshaker’s upgrades are all over the place. Aghanim’s Scepter gives him unparalleled mobility and the Shard is arguably just as good. Maybe even better in certain scenarios. If you get an Aghanim’s Shard on ES he’ll be suddenly able to work on Fissures. Additionally, any spell cast will spread the Aftershock across its length. You don’t even have to be near the Fissure in order for that to work.
Enigma
Another hero with some massive crowd control. Enigma’s Black Hole can turn games around and with a Shard upgrade, it’s even better. Getting it ensures that enemy heroes will be dragged towards the center of the Black Hole at a rate of 175.
This basically increases the radius of the ultimate thrice as the pull-in range is 1200. Anyone who isn’t already running away will be almost instantly dragged into the Black Hole.
Crystal Maiden
Maiden’s repertoire of skills already makes her quite annoying for anyone facing her. With an Aghanim’s Shard, her Frostbite gets drastically improved. She can cast it on nearby foes while teleporting and more importantly use it on herself for 70% damage reduction. She may not be able to move or attack that time, but spells are still usable.
Combining it with ultimate makes CM almost unkillable. That’s a total of +20 armor and +70% damage reduction. If you have no silence or stun you better run.
Keeper of the Light
KOTL is back with his old tricks again. The Aghanim’s Shard upgrade improves illuminate causing it to heal allies for 40% of its damage during the day. The cooldown on it is just 11 seconds. Add to that the reduction provided by Chakra Magic and it’s down to 5 seconds. Quite insane for an area of effect heal that also deals damage.
Witch Doctor
Everyone’s favorite doctor got a lot better with the Mistwoods Update. He essentially received a second ultimate. Getting the Shard upgrade gives him Voodoo Switcheroo which turns the hero into a Death Ward. The only differences from the regular ultimate are the reduced duration (2 seconds), lowered attack speed (-30), and cooldown of 70 seconds (instead of 80).
While using the switcheroo WD is hidden, invulnerable, untargetable, and unkillable. It’s also impossible to interrupt it.
Nyx Assassin
As if Nyx needed more buffs. The Shard upgrade causes Vendetta to reduce the target’s magic resistance by 20%. This will increase his overall efficiency with his other spells while also buffing damage from allied spell casters.
In addition, the movement speed bonus on Vendetta is increased by 40% and the max speed is unlocked. This means that a Nyx with a level 3 ultimate and the Shard can reach 535 movement speed without boots. Neat
Bane
Do you hate getting interrupted while channeling Fiend’s Grip? Well, worry no more! Buying the Shard will create an illusion of Bane upon casting the ultimate. The illusion also channels Fiend’s Grip so if you were to get interrupted the target will still be stunned. You can just walk away from channeling and focus on other things like making your enemies even more miserable.
Alchemist
A hero that’s already swimming in cash gets another ability that doesn’t require a slot. Great isn’t it? For Alchemist, purchasing the shard will be a must in most situations as it’s essentially a mini-Chemical Rage. Aghanim’s Shard gives him access to Berserk Potion – applies a basic dispel, grants 50 attack speed and 40 HP regen. It can also be used on allies. Lasts 10 seconds.
Batrider
Batrider gets even more utility with the Aghanim’s Shard upgrade. Flaming Lasso can now be used on allies, giving them 80% damage reduction. The cooldown of Lasso is reduced to only 20 seconds which makes using it to save a teammate more than desirable.
Skywrath Mage
The Sky chicken is an absolute menace in the early game. His late impact can vary greatly but thanks to the Aghanim’s Shard upgrade he has one more way of affecting team fights. Getting it will cause Ancient Seal to increase the duration of all other debuffs by 40%. Now that can be massive. Just imagine getting Doomed right after an Ancient Seal.
This concludes our list which may be subject to change soon as the patch is still young. Which hero would you add to it? Share your opinion on our Facebook page!
- READ MORE: Dota 2 Patch 7.28a: Balance Changes & More
For more Dota 2 guides and news such as the best safe-lane duos in Dota 2 check EarlyGame.
