How to handle Dota 2’s new, more dangerous jungle in patch 7.31

Dota 2 patch 7.31 buffed tons of heroes and items, but jungle creeps enjoyed bigger gains than any hero. Here’s how to deal with them.

Whether you’re a fragile support or a raging Primal Beast, the jungle is scarier than it ever has been. Every neutral camp has new tools to fight back against heroes. From new ancient camps to tons of new creep abilities, here’s everything new about the jungle in Dota 2 patch 7.31 and how it impacts different kinds of heroes.

The Ice Shamans from Aghanim’s Labyrinth are now officially in the main game mode, and guarding penguins is no longer a worry. In addition to a large attack range and high damage, Shamans spawn with two Frostbitten Golems that reduce cooldowns. This can apply to Thunderhides, which is doubly bad news since cooldown reduction can now stack again.

The ancient camp isn’t the only buffed jungle spot in 7.31. Several medium and large creeps gained new abilities which will drastically slow down farming patterns. The biggest offenders are the Wildwing and Dark Trolls. Now smaller birds can cast tornadoes on heroes when the Ripper dies, dealing heavy damage over time. Hill Trolls now cast Ensnare on attackers. Giant Wolves and Hellbears now apply attack damage and movement speed debuffs, which quickly stack up.

Overall, the Dota 2 jungle has now gotten much more difficult to farm in 7.31. Creeps are stronger on average and are more difficult to stack and clear. Carries reliant on the jungle should expect to clear it slower while supports should stick to lanes in the early game.

How to farm and abuse the jungle in Dota 2 7.31

The biggest disadvantages of the new jungle are with massive ancient stacks. Cooldown reduction from Frostbitten Golems means more Thunderhide buffs and Icefire Bombs. Armor debuffs from Stone Golems don’t help.

Soft supports should maybe hold off on stacking ancients until later in the game. Shaman or Golem stacks can quickly turn the ancient camp into a raid boss.

This applies to medium and large camps too. Wildwing Rippers, Giant Wolves, and Ogre Bruisers all gained abilities to mess with their attackers. On the bright side, several creeps including Mud Golems now have reduced magic resistance. Leshrac and Pugna will have an easier time, but physical farmers can still run into trouble.

Some heroes greatly benefit from these buffs. Heroes that can steal creep abilities or take control of them have a lot of new toys to play with. Enchantress can abuse the Hellbears’ new Death Throes abilities to cripple entire teams, while Ensnares from Hill Trolls are a great way to mess with the enemy. Chen can now create massive Tornado storms and Doom can Devour Ice Shamans to gain the Icefire Bomb ability.

While bad news for carries, Dota 2 7.31’s jungle is an indirect buff for naturalists.