What to Play and What Not To In 7.37c Patch in Dota 2?

**Dota 2 has just received a new patch: **7.37c. This release will change the balance of power yet again with the numerous changes it brings. That only means—huge adjustments to heroes and items, one must know the ins and outs of what's strong now and what should be better shied away from. Here is a breakdown of what to make a priority in your games.

What to Play: Strong Picks in 7.37c

Ringmaster: Although he has received some nerfs, his versatile kit keeps Ringmaster shining in the support role. He provides utility and scales well toward the later parts of the game, making him really reliable, especially in coordinated team environments. He's one to keep in your hero pool if you're looking for flexible support with lots of scenarios at your fingertips.

Phantom Lancer: The buffs to Phantom Lancer have now brought him back into the top-tier carry category. Enhanced illusion-creating and disorienting abilities make him a formidable presence in the current meta. If you want to dominate games with continuous pressure and ambiguous engagements, then Phantom Lancer is your hero.

Rising Heroes to Watch

Essence of the Blueheart Users: Heroes like Winter Wyvern are finally catching on with the buffs that the Essence of the Blueheart item gives, meaning their mana sustainability and overall fighting effectiveness go up. This might end up being a more niche pick as teams adapt to new strategies that leverage long spellcasting.

Patch for Agility Carries: The patch has nodded to agility carries in general, with heroes like Drow Ranger and Anti-Mage now being more viable within the current landscape. Their increased effectiveness positions them as strong alternatives, especially in drafts that find high mobility and quick bursts of damage to be ideal.

What Not to Play: Heroes to Avoid in 7.37c

Omniknight: The healing potential of Omniknight is hugely nerfed, which pulls away a lot of flair that he generally has for players seeking to keep their teams alive during fights. With this waning impact, the pick rate should drop as players move to other support options.

**Lina and Windranger: **Both have been hit with some nerfs, mainly to their survivability due to changes to items like Gleipnir. While they still remain within a playable bracket, their lesser effectiveness compared to that of other mid-lane damage dealers might start to push them out in the new age of competitive drafts.

Tinker: While viable, the nerfs to Tinker were oriented quite viciously toward his healing capabilities and item synergies, making him less reliable in general. Especially in skill brackets that have trouble with the execution of his complex play style, one might think twice before picking Tinker if not confident in his high-risk, high-reward gameplay.

General Trends to Avoid

Healing Meta Heroes: Besides the direct nerfs targeting certain healing items like Holy Locket and Guardian Greaves, heroes that heavily rely on healing and sustain have started to see a dip in effectiveness. This influences many support heroes who thrived in the previous healing meta, making them significantly less attractive to pick.

**Reliance on Gleipnir: **Heroes who really depended on the survivability provided by Gleipnir, such as Weaver, are now less effective since the item has been nerfed with reductions to health and damage. A proper reevaluation of item builds will be an aspect that players need to focus on for proper adaptation.

Patch 7.37c is here, with major balance changes that force players to reshape their hero pool and strategy. Playing prioritized heroes like Phantom Lancer and Ringmaster, who received some buffs, as well as avoiding heavily nerfed picks such as Omniknight and Lina, will put you one step ahead in both casual and competitive games. After all, the key to maintaining success in Dota 2 remains the same: keeping in line with new patches and community insights derived from those patches.