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The changes to XP gain is ruining counterplay in unprecedented ways – Let’s review 6.84a-c changes.

Confusing? I explain what this laundry list of changes mean, including changes from 6.84b

In 6.84, Icefrog nerfed AoE bounties of hero kills, reducing the AoE bonus gold based on net worth difference by 25% and the AoE bonus XP based on Team XP difference by 40%.

Let’s take a look at the simplistic formula Dota 2 used to apply to assist XP:

5 Heroes: XP=15+4 x Victim Level

So let’s say we just 5 man ganked a level 10 ogre magi. We would all get 15 + (4 x 10) = 55 XP. The comeback would totally be unreal guys, basically no XP given to your teammates who helped you (creeps give 62 (melee)/41(ranged) XP each).

The newest formula since 6.82b is:

5 Heroes: XP = 5 x Victim Level + [(Enemy Team XP – Allied Team XP) / (Enemy Team XP + Allied Team XP) [ minimum 0] x Victim XP] x 0.15

So, let’s just say for ease our heroes are level 6, 2,000 XP. We’re ganking a Level 10, 5,400 XP. Team XP is 2,000 x 5 and 5,400 x 5 (all 5 members)

5 Heroes: XP = 5 x 10 + [(27000 – 10000) / (27000 + 10000) x 5,400] x 0.15

= 50 + [0.45945 x 5,400] x 0.15

= 422.162 XP. (CUMBACK IS REAL FOR 6.83)

6.84 Change -> The entire formula + […] x 0.15 reduced by 40% (easiest way to do that is to reduce the 0.15 multiplier by 40%), which makes it x 0.09 now instead. Now, you would get 273.292 XP apiece instead, on top of the kill experience on a level 10 (800) divided equally amongst everyone within 1300 range, that’s 160 apiece for a total of 482.162 XP, giving you 80% towards your level 7.

5-man counterganks to get back into the game no longer work well. At a 4-level difference, you earn 35% less experience. That’s one more teamfight you have to win, and more risk you have to take to get back into the game while still being unable to farm all over the map because your opponents are ahead of you.

Only a small kill and gold advantage, but on the right heroes. Team Secret pace themselves perfectly into their victories, getting farm to the right heroes.

Once a team picks up wind, it becomes incredibly hard to stop them. There are plenty of sub-30 minute pushes to tier three towers in The Summit 3, and the pushing team is more often than not unstoppable and utterly destroys the enemy despite them trying to smoke-gank or wrap around. The Summit 3 bore witness to some of the shortest games of 6.84, as well as to the shortest total duration for 3 BO 3 to occur (135 minutes!).

VG’s trademark lane ganks are more often than not executed perfectly; this will be their key to victory in this patch.

This is why the emphasis has been shifted back onto the landing stage. The team that is ahead has less risk, and provided the draft wasn’t botched, taking highground off the early game advantage can come as early as minute 20. At The Summit 3, you can attribute Team Secret’s success to Arteezy’s ability to farm even while behind, defying how teams have taken to this patch so far.

Priority picks in this patch are those which grant the team early game burst damage and/or reliable disables that are spammable (Rubick’s Telekenesis, Vengeful Spirit’s Magic Missle, etc.) Queen of Pain has become popular again due to her shadow strike giving her lane dominance as well as scream of pain being a great AoE nuke. Lina, Leshrac, Lion and Crystal Maiden have also come back more prominently into the meta due to this same reason.

Teams at The Summit 3 have had much success with Shadow Fiend, Bristleback and the insane Gyrocopter. The kits of these three heroes really demonstrate what the patch is all about: early game burst into mid-game reliable damage with BKB.

Chen Yiji
The Gaming Ground
Twitter: @TheFreakofnatur