Since the dawn of the MOBA genre, Dota has featured three types of heroes: strength, agility, or intelligence. Every hero fell into one of the three different categories, and each category had a more or less specific theme. Agility heroes were mostly made up of various carries, intelligence heroes were either support or magic damage midlaners, and strength featured all the tanky supports and offlaners.

However, each category has also included heroes, which stood out from others in their attribute. Void Spirit, the fourth spirit brother, was an intelligence hero, yet he was a melee fighter carry and played more like an agility hero. Likewise, Windranger was also an intelligence hero who played more like an agility carry. Meanwhile, Venomancer, an agility hero, played much more like a support rather than the agility hero he was supposed to be.

In order to fix this, in patch 7.33 Valve has introduced a completely new, fourth category of heroes: universal heroes. But what exactly are they? Here’s everything you need to know about the new category and how their attributes work in-game!

Also, remember, that if you want to buy Dota 2 items for any of your favorite universal heroes, be sure to check out OPmarket for the best deals possible!

What Are Universal Heroes?

The patch 7.33 brought some of the biggest changes to the game since its release. A completely new Dota 2 map, new neutral creeps, and perhaps most importantly, a completely new kind of heroes.

In the past, many of the attributes included heroes who did not fit with their playstyle into a particular category. In the patch 7.33 these heroes were re-categorized as universal heroes. At the moment, the universal attribute includes the following heroes:

• Abaddon
• Bane
• Batrider
• Beastmaster
• Brewmaster
• Broodmother
• Chen
• Clockwerk
• Dark Seer
• Dark Willow
• Dazzle
• Enigma
• Io
• Lone Druid
• Lycan
• Marci
• Magnus
• Mirana
• Nyx Assassin
• Pangolier
• Phoenix
• Sand King
• Snapfire
• Techies
• Timbersaw
• Vengeful Spirit
• Venomancer
• Visage
• Void Spirit
• Windranger
• Winter Wyvern

The attributes in Dota 2 play a much more important role, than simply categorizing heroes based on their powers. Different attributes in the game affect every heroes stats in the game:

• Each point in strength grants extra HP and HP regeneration
• Each point in agility gives your hero extra armor and attack speed
• Every intelligence points increases your hero’s mana pool and mana regeneration

However, every hero also gets 1 extra attack damage per stat gain of the attribute they’re assigned to. This means that strength heroes have attack damage gain from every extra point of strength, intelligence heroes get extra damage for every additional point of intelligence, etc.

Universal heroes, however, do not have a primary attribute and instead receive small damage gain from all the stats that they increase. Universal heroes receive a 0.7 base damage gain on every attribute point. This allows players to use completely new and different builds in the game and makes heroes such as Mirana or Broodmother more effective in the late game. Since none of the universal heroes have a single primary stat, players can build many different items on them, and still receive a significant damage boost. This makes universal heroes a great addition to any team, since their flexible nature allows them to excel at many different positions, though in some cases they are outshined by other attributes. While most universal heroes make great offlaners or supports, they still won’t match an agility carry in the raw damage output.

What Is The Damage Gain For Universal Attribute Heroes

Since universal heroes are a new addition to the game, some players are confused as to how exactly stat items affect heroes in the fourth attribute. Thankfully, here at OPmarket we have prepared for you a quick reference list on how all the stat items currently available in the game increase the damage gain on universal heroes:

• Eye of Skadi – 46.2
• Scythe of Vyse – 38.5
• Gleipnir – 36.4
• Hurricane Pike – 35
• Linken’s Sphere – 33.6
• Rod of Atos – 33.6
• Harpoon – 32.2
• Manta Style – 32.2
• Book of Shadows – 27.3
• Ethereal Blade – 24.5
• Aghanim’s Scepter – 21
• Holy Locket – 21
• Mirror Shield – 21
• Ultimate Orb – 21
• Meteor Hammer – 16.8
• Defiant Shell – 14.7
• Helm of the Overlord – 14.7
• Phylactery – 14.7
• Pupil’s Gift(Universal) – 14.7
• Bracer 2 – 12.6
• Diadem – 12.6
• Helm of the Dominator – 12.6
• Null Talisman 2 – 12.6
• Pig Pole – 12.6
• Solar Crest – 12.6
• Spell Prism – 12.6
• Wraith Band 2 – 12.6
• Vambrace – 11.6
• Ghost Scepter – 10.5
• Ring of Aquila – 10.5
• Specialist’s Array – 10.5
• Veil of Discord – 10.5
• Crown – 8.4
• Occult Bracelet – 8.4
• Bracer 1 – 6.3
• Magic Wand – 6.3
• Null Talisman 1 – 6.3
• Wraith Band 1 – 6.3
• Circlet – 4.2
• Spirit Vessel – 4.2
• Urn of Shadows – 4.2
• Iron Branch – 2.1

In Conclusion

Many players claim that after the update universal heroes became way too OP and deal insane damage for the little gold they have to spend on items. If you want to check it out for yourself, hop into the game and try out one of the universal heroes on this list today. And if you ever want to trade Dota 2 items for any of the universal heroes, be sure to check out OPmarket, where you can always buy and sell Dota 2 items for the best prices available!