Is Naga Siren the secret best carry of 7.33e?

7.33e did a lot to nerf the strongest heroes before the imminent release of 7.34, but it also made way for a new best carry to take control.

The relatively stale metagame of the last patch has gotten a much-needed kick in the pants, thanks to the new letter patch. As expected, carry terrors Medusa and Morphling have sharply dropped in popularity and win rate. However, a new, even fishier farmer has risen up to take their place. Naga Siren is the new hotness in pubs, and the stats paint her as a threat at nearly all skill brackets. Here’s what makes her the new best carry of Dota 2 7.33e.

First, let’s look at how the relatively small patch changed the game. Timbersaw, Medusa, Morphling, and Ember Spirit all got hit relatively hard, with some of their win rates plummeting by over 6%. However, Naga Siren, who was already at a solid 54.14%, was left completely untouched.

The result? Her win rate has shot up to 54.53% It’s even higher in top-level pubs, with Dota 2 Pro Tracker reporting a 58.4% win rate over the past week. So with that in mind, what has pushed her to become the third-most-winning hero in the game?

What makes Naga Siren the best carry of 7.33e?

The first major factor is the specific heroes that were nerfed in the update. Morphling and Medusa both got smacked by the nerf bat, so hyper-carries are mostly out of the meta. Terrorblade is the only other popular late-game demon, and he currently sits at a 46.33% win rate. Morphling and Medusa also had decent matchups with Naga, with stat stealing and area-of-effect abilities dealing with Mirror Image before and after the fact, respectively.

In addition, some of Naga Siren’s biggest offlane counters were also nerfed. Timbersaw is the most notable, as he laned quite well into Naga and could clear her illusions. Other lane bullies like Broodmother, Techies, and Undying are also worse off, boosting her laning phase presence. 

Finally, the new popular build makes her a mid-game monster while retaining her late-game presence. Manta Style still comes first for the stats and defensive utility, but it’s followed by both Orchid Malevolence and Diffusal Blade. Both items have powerful upgrades in Bloodthorn and Disperser, and the traditional Heart of Tarrasque and Butterfly or Skadi follow suit. The even curve of power combined with nerfed counters makes Naga Siren the statistically best carry hero of Dota 2 7.33e.