by The Night of Exaltation is over and Kez is finally here – the one hundred and twenty sixth (126) hero in the Dota 2 universe. This "Flying" hero carries two weapons and a separate set of magic for each. His primary choice is the Kazurai katana while he carries a Shodo Sai blade in his other hand. If you thought that complicated heroes had come to an end, you are wrong. This is one of the most complex so far. The potential for success is high, just like with the previous circus hero (Ringmaster), but in the wrong hands this hero is fodder for opponents. Here are his magics:
Thanks to the latest facet and ineit magic update, we have to start from there, and Kez's ineit ability is – Switch Discipline precisely the possibility of changing weapons. This spell has an 8 second cooldown that decreases by 0.2 per hero level. His face is doing nothing for now. Note that spells share the same cooldown and it is impossible to use all 7 at the same time.
Katana:
- Echo Slash – this is a creep cleaner. Magic that works like a pangolier's swashbuckler, throwing items and hitting everything in its path. It has a small lag between hits, slows to 0.25 seconds 100% and has bonus DMG against heroes.
- Grappling Claw – this is mobility and survival magic. It works like timber's second spell. Kez throws a hook that attracts him to an opponent or a tree and if the target is an opponent, he automatically attacks him and takes 100% of the damage done plus an additional 200HP on heroes. The range is a huge 1000.
- Kazurai Katana – this is a passive magic reminiscent of ursine fury swipe. Each hit or spell adds one stack of this effect that lasts up to 8 seconds and deals 10% of the original damage dealt. As if that wasn't enough this passive magic reduces the opponent's regeneration of any type by 35% at maximum level.
- Raptor Dance - the ultimate Katana style magic that gives Kez a bkb effect for 1 second while channeling the magic and then in a 450 radius spins a massive version of his Katana around himself 4 times and does 75 plus 4% of the opponent's max health damage while also buffing himself for 100% of the damage dealt . This is a very strong magic if Kez finds himself in a bad situation.
Sai: Sai:
- Falcon Rush - a buff type of magic that gives Kez a double hit for 7 seconds that destroys all items and effects and constantly keeps him in the "Rush" effect (the same effect as the launcher's 3 magic). To make this not the best spell in the game, Kez's attack speed is significantly reduced during the duration of the spell.
- Talon Toss – the simplest magic so far, but no less useful, Kez throws his dagger at a target up to 1200 away and deals damage(225DMG) and silences(2.5s) enemies in a 275 radius around the target.
- Shodo Sai – the third magic of this form is the most similar to Mars Boulevard. Kez enters the phase of blocking blows in the chosen direction, but he himself is disarmed. If he successfully blocks the shot, the attacker is caught and marked. Marked opponents are slowed and Kez's first strike at them is an automatic critical hit that lands and cannot miss. This spell passively grants a 17% chance to mark an opponent with each hit.
- Raven's Veil – the ultimate blade style magic that dispels Kez and hides in an invisibility effect for 9 seconds. Kez has increased movement speed while invisible and breaks out of invisibility when attacking. At the same time, this magic marks all opponents in a radius of 1500. Marked opponents have reduced visibility for the first 4 seconds.
This is one of the few heroes that have both a unique shard and a scepter upgrade immediately upon release. If you buy Aganim's scepter this hero uses magic to put the cooldown on Switch Discipline to 0. At the same time, the first magic that Kez casts within 3 seconds after switching weapons does not put his alternate spell on cooldown. This brings the complexity of combinations to a new level and the hero becomes truly incredible.
His Aganim's shard on the other hand, it is much simpler. In katana form, it gives the possibility to activate the previously passive magic Kazurai Katana, which stops the opponent for 0.6 seconds and deals all the DMG sustained up to that moment at once. In Shodo Sai form, the shard grants passive 10ms (movement speed) plus an additional 10ms for each marked opponent.
Of course, in addition to the new hero, we also got Act 4 of Fall of the Crown - Towers of Skyvrat.
With this act comes a lot of new mini-games and prizes, but most importantly, the continuation of the story about our favorite heroes of the Dota 2 universe. If you helped Venga in Act 3, you've already found your way through the frozen tundra of Icewrek, found the exiled Skyvrat, Kez, and convinced him to join you. In the final act, he plans to rebuild the Kazurai group and help you dethrone the Empire of Skyvrath for all time.
Act 4 is the epic conclusion of a journey that takes you from the modest markets of Midgate through the changing red deserts of Drud and the wastes of the icy north of Ajsvrek to the Nest of Thorns - the courtroom of the queen herself for the final showdown. Completing this act brings alternate arcana styles for Venga and Sky as well as many other sets and bonuses along the way.
Please note that the event lasts until January 15, 2025, and all Skyvrat coins should be used by then.
It is interesting that this update came out in the middle of the DreamLeague24 tournament. Of course, the new hero is outside the competitive Dota 2 scene, but many pro players have already tried it in their ranked games. Here is the current state of the tournament:
