The Harpoon is one of the most versatile and exciting items in Dota 2, introduced in patch 7.33. With its unique mix of active and passive abilities, it’s a game-changing artifact capable of turning the tide in battles. By offering both initiation and combat enhancements, the Harpoon stands out as a must-have for specific heroes. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about the Harpoon, including its attributes, abilities, recent updates, synergy with heroes, and strategies for optimizing its use.
Harpoon – Attributes Overview
The Harpoon offers a robust set of attributes that enhances survivability, mana pool, and combat effectiveness. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
- Health: 550
- Health Regeneration: 2.5
- Mana: 120
- Mana Regeneration: 0.5
- Magic Resistance: 1% flat base
- Attack Speed: 10
- Main Armor: 1.67
- Attack Damage Bonuses:
- 25 main attack damage to all heroes
- 10 main attack damage to both melee and ranged heroes
- 31.5 main attack damage to universal heroes
Harpoon – Abilities Breakdown
Active Ability – Draw Forth
Draw Forth is an essential active ability, perfect for initiating fights or reeling in enemies strategically.
- Targeting: Unit Target
- Affects: Enemy Units
- Effect: Fires a projectile that pulls the caster and the target closer together.
- Melee Heroes: Target always pulled to melee range.
- Ranged Heroes: Target pulled 35% closer to the caster.
- Min Pull Distance: 100 units
- Max Pull Distance: 1000 units
- Pull Duration: 0.3 seconds
- Mana Cost: 50
- Cooldown: 19 seconds
- Counterplay: Blockable via debuff immunity, Spell Block, or Spell Reflection.
Passive Ability – Echo Strike
Echo Strike is a devastating passive ability exclusive to melee heroes, adding immense combat potential.
- Effect: Causes melee attacks to strike twice in quick succession, applying a movement slow with each hit.
- Enemy Movement Slow: 100% (1 second duration per attack).
- Self Attack Speed Bonus: 490 until the second attack is executed.
- Cooldown: 5 seconds.
- Additional Details:
- Only works for melee heroes.
- Slow does not stack but refreshes duration.
- The attack speed bonus applies to hero clones (but clones cannot inflict the slow).
Usage and Recommended Heroes
Harpoon excels on heroes that rely on initiation and crowd control. It’s versatile enough to fit into the kits of various roles, including offlaners and midlaners post-laning phase. Below are the heroes that synergize exceptionally well with the Harpoon:
- Magnus: Use Harpoon to pull enemies into Reverse Polarity.
- Slardar: Leverages Harpoon for quick initiation alongside Slithereen Crush.
- Lycan: Combines Harpoon’s utility with his chasing potential and summons.
Recent Balance Changes
The Harpoon has undergone several tweaks over recent patches to maintain balance:
- Patch 7.35:
- Increased strength bonus from 20 to 25.
- Reduced intelligence bonus from 16 to 10.
- Increased attack damage bonus from 15 to 25.
- Reduced attack speed bonus from 10 to 0.
- Patch 7.34:
- Increased mana cost for Draw Forth from 0 to 50.
How to Optimize Harpoon in Gameplay
If you want to make the most of the Harpoon, follow these strategies:
- Early Game: Build Harpoon if your hero needs both mobility and damage augmentation for fights.
- Team Fights: Use Draw Forth to isolate squishy enemies or counter enemy initiators by pulling them into your team.
- Counter-Itemization: Be cautious against Spell Block and Spell Reflection mechanics.
Step-by-Step Harpoon Build Guide
- Farm Gold Efficiently: Focus on last-hitting creeps to build up resources quickly.
- Combine Components:
- Purchase key components, including Ogre Axe and Belt of Strength.
- Approach the secret shop for final assembly.
- Practice Execution: Use training lobbies to master Draw Forth and Echo Strike mechanics.
FAQs – Harpoon and Dota 2
What is Harpoon in Dota 2?
Harpoon is an artifact introduced in the 7.33 patch. It provides utility, survivability, and damage, making it effective for melee and ranged heroes.
Which heroes synergize best with Harpoon?
Heroes like Magnus, Slardar, and Lycan benefit greatly from Harpoon due to its initiation and utility attributes.
Can Echo Strike work with ranged heroes?
No, Echo Strike is a melee-exclusive ability.
What counters Harpoon’s abilities?
Debuff immunity, Spell Block, and Spell Reflection can counter both Draw Forth and Echo Strike.
What is the cooldown for Echo Strike?
Echo Strike has a 5-second cooldown.
Is Harpoon suitable for midlaners?
Yes, midlaners can utilize Harpoon in the mid-game to control tempo and initiate fights.
What are the key attributes of Harpoon?
Harpoon provides +550 health, +120 mana, +25 attack damage, and additional magic resistance, among others.
Does Harpoon’s Draw Forth work against clones?
No, Draw Forth can only target enemy heroes and units, not illusions or clones.
How much mana does Draw Forth cost?
Draw Forth costs 50 mana per use.
Can Harpoon slow enemies indefinitely?
No, the slow applied by Echo Strike refreshes the duration but does not stack.
Source : DotaCinema
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