Dota 2 Philosopher’s Stone Changes: Support Community Divided

Supporting in Dota 2 can be challenging because it’s a role focused on helping others excel, often at the expense of your own hero’s potential. However, this self-denial is crucial for the team’s strength and boosts the overall chance of victory. In the game, the Philosopher’s Stone used to serve as a reliable income source for support players. Unfortunately, with Dota patch 7.37, this income source has been noticeably weakened.

What changed in the Philosopher’s Stone?

As a gamer, I currently have an item with 750 charges. Each time this item rewards me with gold, it uses up one charge. Once all the charges are gone, the item vanishes but I get an extra 375 gold pieces in my stash.

Previously, the Philosopher’s Stone could be used indefinitely. However, now it comes with a set limit of 750 charges. Once equipped, this Stone will provide extra gold to your hero, but once the charges are depleted, the item will disappear from your inventory and cease to exist. After being used for 750 charges, the item is destroyed and vanishes. There’s a small reward at the end too: the user receives an additional 375 gold upon the Stone’s destruction.

What difference does this affect in your gameplay? Earlier, players who supported had to manage their non-combat inventory continuously. During periods without combat, it was more advantageous to optimize passive income by using The Philosopher’s Stone. Similarly, when a support character dies (and they tend to die frequently), the use of The Philosopher’s Stone can result in higher gold accumulation. This strategy is effective even if you apply it after dying and while observing your teammates making one mistake after another.

After the update in Dota 2 version 7.37, using up all the charges on the Philosopher’s Stone offers a minor reward at the end. In other words, support players will accumulate an equal amount of gold throughout the game from the Philosopher’s Stone.

Mixed Community Reactions

In response to the alterations made to the Stone, the community expresses diverse opinions. On one hand, certain individuals lament over no longer being able to permanently attach the Philosopher’s Stone for increased earnings. However, another group sees these changes as a positive move in the correct direction.

A Reddit post by user /u/Statebolekurackosam focuses on the adjustment, or ‘nerf’, to the supports’ preferred item, the Stone. Once it has been used for 750 charges, it gets destroyed, limiting the potential gold income in late-game scenarios. Yet, for numerous support players, the elimination of frequent item swapping significantly simplifies the gameplay experience.

“I’m so glad I don’t have to micro my backpack so much. I think this is great” – supermopman

Reddit user Fen_ believes this update brings a positive shift, as players no longer have to hoard low-level Neutral artifacts late in the game. Notably, the Philosopher’s Stone falls under Tier 2 Neutral items.

“The change, similar to the Shovel one, is excellent. Keep in mind that it’s not wise to hang on to common, low-value items for long periods during the game. This encourages unnecessary micromanagement of minor items, which can lead to an unenjoyable experience.” – Paraphrased by AI

Destroying the Philosopher’s Stone after 750 uses implies that players will no longer benefit from the 200 Mana pool enhancement it offers. Reddit user Legiyon54 highlights this point. Few neutral items offer a 200 Mana pool increase, and since many Support characters are Intelligence-based, this extra mana pool was particularly advantageous.

The recent Dota 2 7.37 patch introduces modifications to nearly every hero in the game. Not only have aspects of various heroes been altered, but also some fundamental elements of the game itself. As a result, there are numerous changes in the most recent update.