First off, I'd like to apologize for taking so long. It's actually embarrassing how many hours this took me. But alas I still find it fun, so it all works out!

It is very cool to see the Aghanim's Scepter evolve over time. When it was first introduced in Dota 1, it was only for a few heroes and the upgrades were fairly generic. Now almost every hero can build it, and the variety in upgrades is becoming quite diverse. Kudos to Icefrog & Valve for making a boring item into something that can not only help heroes scale later in the game, but also define new playstyles for certain heroes. At this point I'd say a vast majority of the Aghanim's Scepters listed below are good, which definitely wasn't always the case.

Remember that the comparisons made are to my last list, and some changes in ranking are based on me simply changing my mind about an item, especially after play-testing it myself. Others can be attributed to changes in the game, both direct and indirect. I’ve also notated changes to the hero that I feel would impact an Aghs purchase in some way.

Since the last list was before 7.00, I've also listed talents that synergize with the Aghs itself. A lot of the talents indirectly help the heroes, but we're going to try and stick with upgrades that help the Aghs more directly. Example: gold/min will help a hero get Aghs faster. I didn't include XPM even though in some cases it would help the upgrade be more effective.

98 of the 113 heroes now have Aghs. The ones that currently do not are: Arc Warden, Broodmother, Clinkz, Death Prophet, Dragon Knight, Ember Spirit, Io, Lycan, Monkey King, Phantom Assassin, Slardar, Spectre, Templar Assassin, Terrorblade, and Troll Warlord.

I was not strongly influenced by stats, but I still reviewed and considered them. I didn't want to notate a lot of them for fear of being too technical. Thanks to Noxville (@followNoxville) for reference.

Thanks to some of the people that helped with feedback: shane (@shaneomad), brax (@braxlikesdota), Trent (@TrentPax), Glex (@thatguyglex), and syndereN (@syndereNdota). And finally thanks to bukka (GET A TWITTER ALREADY BRO) for the site & Nikki (@Sajedene) for the graphics.

The criteria is more or less the same as last time. Click below if you want to read more about it. If you are looking to give feedback, I implore you to read the criteria first to better understand the perspective in which this was designed.

There will probably be some mistakes so let me know if I've missed anything (@SUNSfanTV). Enjoy.

Most Overrated: Anti-Mage

Most Underrated: Shadow Shaman

Aghanim's of the Future: Riki!

Biggest Drop: Earth Spirit, Morphling, & Dazzle (-61)

Biggest Climb: Outworld Devourer (+55)

Aghs Suggestions: Based on a lot of the recent Aghs added to the game, it's evident Valve values unique ideas, as opposed to the more straight forward upgrades (like Juggernaut). I was looking at the remaining heroes with no Aghs, and I thought a couple of them could actually benefit from less convoluted upgrades. Here are my stupid ideas:

• Dragon Knight - Permanent Dragon Form
• Slardar - Corrosive Haze works on allies as a buff for half the value

Changelog:

v1.0

• Released

v1.1

• Treant Protector - 9 to 23
• Zeus: 44 to 34
• Luna: 25 to 35
• Enchantress: 33 to 47
• Drow Ranger: 51 to 55
• Underlord: 82 to 73
• Juggernaut: 61 to 74
• Kunkka: 73 to 97

Tier 10: US West Pubs (Complete Dumpster)

NEW

98

Sniper

Assassinate

Changes Assassinate into an AoE Spell. Will lock on all enemy heroes and illusions in the 400 AoE and launch a 2.8x critical strike & procs headshot on player-controlled units

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +5 Mana Regen. Level 20: 25% Cooldown Reduction.

SUNSfan's Notes

Here's an item that would be pretty cool to build a team around. And you'll have to do just that. That's right. For this to be viable, you'll have to build an entire team around picking up this item on Sniper. Why is that? For it to be effective, you have to build complete glass-cannon (hello Rapiers). When you build glass cannon, you die easier, which means you need a lot of assistance from you team. I can't see this being more than a thing you mess around with in a pub, but I'd love to be wrong here. Also note, that although not mentioned, the ministun from the original Assassinate still applies to enemies. By the way, if you see someone trying this in a pub, just get blademails. EZ GAME!

97

20

Kunkka

Ghostship

Boat Drags units (200 Radius) & travel time reduced (3.1 ⇒ 1.55)

CHANGES

Ghost Ship now always crashes where Kunkka targets it.

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +120 Gold/Min

SUNSfan's Notes

So apparently this changes the way boat works. There was a recent change that made it easier to cast boat, making it land wherever you click. To prevent abuse, the Aghs right now reverts back to the original design, meaning it becomes more difficult to cast again. Since it actually makes the skill worse in many ways, I have to put this in this horrendous tier for now. I'm not sure if this will be fixed in the future, or if they will just think of an entirely new idea. Either way, it is really bad in its current form. Keep in mind that heroes can still use items and skills while being dragged. This includes BKB and Manta. Not sure if it's a bug, but if you use manta while being dragged, your 2 illusions will still be dragged to the end point, but you will not. All in all, this feels more like a support Kunkka item, which typically will have a hard time farming this up. The level 10 talent certainly helps. In the end, this is one of the biggest unknowns considering we rarely see it in action. Quick, someone get Attacker's opinion!

REWORKED

96

60

Dazzle

Shallow Grave

Gives a 450 AoE to Shallow Grave

CHANGES

Old Scepter used to increase the armor per second gained/lost with Weave

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +100 Cast Range

SUNSfan's Notes

I don't know man. This actually seems terrible. Dazzle's last Aghs wasn't great, but I find it hard to believe that this one is better. In the very rare circumstance that Dazzle can build this, you have to believe there are more impactful items to purchase for your team. A lot of the Aghs this low are terrible because they don't fit the hero build whatsoever. That really isn't the case for Dazzle as he only has money issues. He'd love to have an Aghs. The problem is the effect is just plain awful.

95

20

Sven

God's Strength

Grants bonus damage (125%) to allies in 900 AoE

CHANGES

God's Strength attack bonus reduced from 200% to 160% to make up for 40 Strength gain.

SUNSfan's Notes

In theory, could be considered semi-viable on a support Sven, but that isn't something we've seen to be viable in years. Keep in mind that the 900 AoE is an aura that stays around you during the duration.

NEW

94

Chaos Knight

Phantasm

Reduces cooldown (130 ⇒ 110) & allows it to be cast on allied hero with 1200 range

CHANGES

Phantasm Illusion damage taken from 200% to 260%.

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +120 Gold/Min. Level 25: 20% Cooldown Reduction

SUNSfan's Notes

Much like Sven, this would work on a support CK, which isn't too common at the moment. In theory, it could be a very powerful Aghs with the right lineup. Unfortunately Chaos Knight has trouble farming, and the 120+ Gold/Min talent comes too late at level 20.

Tier 9: Slacks' Career (For the Memes)

NEW

93

Slark

Shadow Dance

Reduces Shadow Dance cooldown (60 ⇒ 30) and causes it to be active in a 325 AoE, hiding allied heroes

Talent Synergies

Level 20: 10% Cooldown Reduction

SUNSfan's Notes

The only thing appealing about this new Aghanim's upgrade is the reduction in cooldown for Slark, which is quite significant from 60 to 30 seconds. You'll probably have a difficult time fitting this into your skill-build, but it can probably be quite good in some scenarios. In it's current iteration, the fact that it works on teammates is pretty gimmicky, as the range is quite low and the regeneration won't work on them.

92

9

Wraith King

Reincarnation

Nearby slain allies will transform into a wraith for 7 seconds

SUNSfan's Notes

The way this works is if your teammates (or you) die, they will come back to life for 7 seconds and be able to cast any of their abilities that were off cooldown. The Level 25 talent that applies Wraith Fire blast to enemies in an AoE is super cool. Unfortunately it doesn't do jack for his Aghs. As for the upgrade itself...I really want this to be a thing. And I think it could definitely work in some random pub games, but I just can't see this being good yet. A cool trick is if you have a Gem/Rapier you can TP back to base as a wraith in order to drop the aformentioned item safely in base.

91

13

Winter Wyvern

Arctic Burn

Arctic burn becomes togglable, removes limit on number of attacks per target

CHANGES

Default Arctic Burn flight duration increased from 6 to 8 seconds

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +50 Damage or +20 Movement Speed. Level 20: +120 Gold/Min. Level 25: +15% Arctic Burn Slow

SUNSfan's Notes

One day in the future, carry Wyvern will be a thing. And when it's a thing, Aghs will be purchased on her. Other than that it is extremely difficult to justify the purchase when there are so many other utility items to invest in.

90

27

Elder Titan

Earth Splitter

Slow duration increased (5 ⇒ 6) & Disarms

CHANGES

Earth Splitter radius increased from 300 to 315

SUNSfan's Notes

I definitely had too much faith in this Aghs before, as we see it drop dramatically. It sounds nice on paper, but the disarm is only going to be good against certain heroes and is NOT like Halberd in that it can easily be removed. Plus you'll find much more efficient items to buy on ET in general.

89

16

Beastmaster

Primal Roar

Cast range increase (600 ⇒ 950 & cooldown reduced (70 ⇒ 45)

Talent Synergies

Level 20: 12% Cooldown Reduction

SUNSfan's Notes

Don't get me wrong, I don't think this is a garbage tier upgrade. I just think that all upgrades above this are better. So by comparison, you can argue it's garbage, but looking at it in a vacuum, perhaps not. The cooldown reduction is OK, and the range increase is quite good. But if you pick this up on Beastmaster, it means you have WAY too much gold.

88

19

Oracle

Purifying Flames

Faster cast point (0.3 ⇒ 0.1), lowers cooldown (2.25 ⇒ 1)

CHANGES

Purifying Flames cast range from 800 to 850. False Promise duration increased from 9 to 10

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +60 Gold/Min. Level 25: +250 Cast Range

SUNSfan's Notes

This is a difficult one to rate because this hero is rarely played, and when he is they don't buy Aghanim's. This of course doesn't mean it's a bad upgrade. Many times in history we've seen players underestimate a certain upgrade on a hero. It will then lay dormant until someone figures out how strong it is and abuses the crap out of it. I'm not saying that's where we're at with the Oracle Aghs, it might just be awful. But if I'm wrong about 1 Aghs in this tier, it might be this.

87

33

Lifestealer

New Skill (Assimilate)

You gain the ability to eat teammates

SUNSfan's Notes

I love this upgrade, but even I can't find a justification to keep it as high as it was before. The drop from last time is pretty huge, but in all seriousness, it shouldn't have been that high to begin with. I think it's too difficult to fit this into Lifestealer's item build. In theory, it can be quite strong though. Being able to gank a lane with 3 heroes in 1 body is nothing to scoff at. But in the end, this feels like an upgrade you will only see if it is gifted to you by a benevolent Alchemist.

Tier 8: syndereN's Face (Overrated)

REWORKED

86

14

Bane

Brain Sap

Decreases the cooldown of Brain Sap (11 ⇒ 1.5) & allows it to pierce spell immunity

CHANGES

Old Scepter used to increase the DPS for Fiends Grip & cause Nightmare to be cast on units attacking Bane while he channeled his ultimate.

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +175 Cast Range. Level 25: +200 Brain Sap Damage/Heal

SUNSfan's Notes

On paper alone, this Aghs is incredible. It lowers the cooldown of Brain Sap to a ridiculous 1.5 seconds and allows you to cast it through magic immunity. Not to mention his Level 25 will add +200 damage to it. That's 500 pure damage every 1.5 seconds. The only issue is Bane will have a very hard time farming this, unless he makes a crazy transition into a mid hero. And even if you happen to farm this on a support Bane, you're still going to have trouble staying alive. If the enemy has any common sense, they will just burst you first. All in all, this is a very powerful upgrade, but not the most realistic unfortunately.

85

17

Doom

Doom

Longer duration (15 ⇒ 16), suspends duration when within range (900 AoE), removes positive buffs, breaks passives

CHANGES

Increased Doom damage per second slightly.

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +80 Devour Bonus Gold. Level 20: +40 Doom DPS

SUNSfan's Notes

The +80 gold talent has helped Doom farm a lot more efficiently, but the hero still seems a little lack luster. In the games he is picked, you still don't see him pickup an Aghs either, as many other items hold a higher priority. When they took the "break" mechanic away from Doom itself and applied it to only be a part of his Aghs, I thought this item would see some play. But alas, it ain't happening. The duration suspending mechanic is also a little gimmicky, but could technically be quite good in specific circumstances.

84

60

Morphling

New Skill (Hybrid)

Hybrid Ability. Creates a replicate of a target ally hero for 20 seconds, which can cast all non-ultimate abilities

Talent Synergies

Level 15: 12% Cooldown reduction

SUNSfan's Notes

Support Morphling isn't too common, but is always interesting to see. Stunning heroes for over 4 seconds with 1 button is also hilarious. As for the Aghs, well...it's weird. It's really weird. I'm sure in some lineups it can be strong, but getting an Aghs on a support Morphling will be difficult to come by. The hero you copy MUST be an ally, which is unfortunate for when you are behind in the game. I imagine heroes like Terrorblade would be strong to pair this up with since his Metamorphosis is not an ultimate. But the point is, if you have to build your entire lineup around an Aghs, the lack of versatility can end up biting you. Keep in mind that the cooldown reduction talent does NOT apply to hybrid targets, but will slightly reduce cooldown of Hybrid itself.

83

41

Naga Siren

Song of Siren

Heals allies for 10% per second

CHANGES

Song of the Siren cast time increased, cooldown increased, and range increased

SUNSfan's Notes

This is one of those upgrades that in theory is amazing. You heal your team for 70% of their MAX HP. But, there is no way you pick this up on a core Naga, unless you want it as your 8th or 9th item (aka backpack). But even for support it isn't the most consistent item. Think about how you want to use your Song. This item does nothing when you use it as a means to initiate. It's only good if you want to reset in the middle of a fight, which you can't always count on happening.

82

18

Dark Seer

Wall

Illusions deal more damage (90% ⇒ 140%)

CHANGES

Wall of Replica no longer deals 150 damage. It now slows for 1 second.

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +100 Cast Range. Level 20: +10% Cooldown Reduction or +75 Vacuum AoE

SUNSfan's Notes

Dark Seer is one of those heroes that can have so many different routes in terms of itemization. Because of this, I think Aghs is a bit low on the radar. It is certainly good in those games where the enemies have heroes that you really want illusions of, because they will end up doing more damage than the original hero! But all in all, there are plenty of other items you can prioritize, making this a pretty weak Aghs in my opinion.

REWORKED

81

11

Magnus

Shockwave

Increases travel distance and speed of Shockwave & causes it to come back. Return wave slows by 60% for 2 seconds and does half damage to creeps.

CHANGES

Old Scepter used to provide an Empower aura that would also work on ranged units to gain splash attack.

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +15% Spell Amplification. Level 15: +90 Gold/Min.

SUNSfan's Notes

The previous Aghs was pretty awkward, so I'm glad it's gone. It's too early to really rate this new one. On one hand, I can see this helping you farm. Not to mention the fact that the buildup for Aghs is pretty nice for Magnus. You can also see how this synergizes with RP, which if used correctly allows you to apply a guaranteed slow to the units you've stunned. Overall I'd say this doesn't seem like an amazing Aghs, but definitely serviceable.

80

20

Lich

Chain Frost

Cast range increase (750 ⇒ 850), Infinite bounces, Damage increase (460 ⇒ 550)

CHANGES

Chain Frost cooldown reduced slightly while the slow duration was reduced. Default Chain Frost slow increased from 50% to 65%.

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +125 Cast Range. Level 20: +120 Gold/Min

SUNSfan's Notes

The previous Aghanim's used to increase the movement & attackspeed slow from 30 to 50%. Now the spell slows for a whopping 65% by default. That is a definite nerf to the Scepter upgrade. Now with a measly 100 extra range, 90 extra damage and infinite bounces (very unreliable), this Aghs isn't looking so hot anymore.

NEW

79

Bounty Hunter

Shuriken Toss

Allows Shuriken Toss to bounce twice on each hero & stuns for .75 seconds

CHANGES

Fixed Shuriken Toss interrupting the chain if one of the targets is spell immune (for aghs)

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +75 Shuriken Toss Damage

SUNSfan's Notes

On paper this sounds truly awesome. The Shuriken will bounce twice and stun for a much longer duration. Of course, in practice this is much harder to pull off. I think this is a luxury item on Bounty Hunter, and the double stun feels very inconsistent. But always having that .75 second stun can be pretty nice. This is one I'd have to see in action more.

REWORKED

78

6

Leshrac

Pulse Nova

While Pulse Nova is active, Lightning Storm will hit a unit within a 750 radius every 1.75 seconds

CHANGES

Old Scepter used to provide more damage for Pulse Nova.

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +15 Movement Speed. Level 15: +400 Mana. Level 20: +5% Spell Amplification. Level 25: +3s Lightning Storm Slow Duration.

SUNSfan's Notes

Another one of these Aghs that is so new we can only rate on potential. This kind of reminds me of the Gyro Aghs, except you have to be casting your ultimate in this case. Lightning Storm is a very underrated skill for Leshrac overall, so I can see some potential here. Keep in mind that by going for this build means you have to bypass the Diabolic Edict at 25, which is a huge upgrade to ignore. In theory, this sounds like a potential fix to an issue Lesh players have been having since time immemorial. "When do I cast Lightning Storm". Once you are farmed enough, stopping to cast Lightning can be a real pain. This is because you want to be moving around as much as possible spreading that AoE damage. Having an Aghs gives you a way to have a poor man's Lightning Storm without stopping, which sounds pretty nice at first glance. The big caveat is that it only hits 1 unit, meaning it won't bounce like the normal spell. So in the end, although Aghs is a great build-up for Lesh, this upgrade feels very underwhelming. Either the effect needs to be buffed to be an actual Lightning Storm proc, or keep it the way it is and make it proc without the use of your ultimate.

77

24

Natures Prophet

Wrath of Nature

Increases damage (170 ⇒ 205), and creates treants if units are killed by it

CHANGES

Reduced base damage of Wrath of Nature but increased damage per bounce. Aghanim's no longer increases number of bounces.

SUNSfan's Notes

To the inexperienced this will just feed gold to the enemies, but to the savvy it can make a huge difference in your split pushing. This is definitely not an upgrade you'll want to get every game.

NEW

76

Medusa

Mystic Snake

Causes Mystic Snake to turn enemies to stone for at least 1 second. Adds 0.2 seconds per bounce

SUNSfan's Notes

This is a pretty cool upgrade. It seems the Dark Moon event was a playtest of sorts for this idea. Medusa is very item dependant, so the question is whether she can even build this. I think as far as the stats are concerned, they are perfect. She makes use of every component, unlike many other heroes in the game. As for the effect, it's hard to say for sure, but I'd say it's below average in general practice, but AMAZING vs illusions. The reason for this is because the stone form debuff automatically kills all illusions. Keep in mind that this also works as a way to stop TPs or general channeling spells.

REWORKED

75

5

Axe

Battle Hunger

Units afflicted by Battle Hunger will have their damage output reduced by 30%. Also, if an enemy hero is killed with Culling Blade, Battle Hunger will then be cast upon enemies in a 700 AoE

CHANGES

Old Scepter used to lower cooldown & increase damage threshold of Culling Blade

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +3 Mana Regen. Level 25: +100 Battle Hunger DPS

SUNSfan's Notes

The tooltip says Battle Hunger will be cast in an AoE "after a successful Culling Blade". One would think this only works on heroes, but it apparently works on creeps, despite Culling Blade going onto cooldown afterwards. This item has a pretty high potential (especially if you dunk someone in a crowd). I'd say it's still a bit underwhelming though. It's extremely difficult to gauge the strength until we see more games with it. For now we are going to be conservative and leave it here.

Tier 7: Bruno's Wardrobe (Flashy but All Over the Place)

74

2

Juggernaut

Omnislash

More slashes (9 ⇒ 12), decreases cooldown from 110 to 70

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +20 Damage. Level 15: +20 Attack Speed. Level 20: +8 All Stats. Level 25: +20 Agility

SUNSfan's Notes

This is a decent Aghs, but the extra 3 slashes isn't just damage, but more time for you to do a number of things, including blinking away (if you have a blink dagger of course). The cooldown reduction ensures you have this for every fight as well. Also keep in mind that pretty much all of his talents make his ultimate better as well.

NEW

73

Underlord

Atrophy Aura

Causes half your current bonus damage to allies in a 900 AoE. Also increases the bonus damage duration (60 ⇒ 100 seconds)

SUNSfan's Notes

This Aghs is very interesting as it allows your allies to gain damage based on how much you've collected via Atrophy Aura. The duration lasting 40 seconds longer is pretty nice too. Overall though, it feels very momentum based. In other words, only good if you are snowballing. Despite this, it still sounds strong in theory, and the build-up is very nice for Underlord. We're hoping this will get some play in the future, but it is way too early to tell the true power level of this upgrade.

72

31

Omniknight

Guardian Angel

Longer duration (8 ⇒ 10), becomes global and affects buildings

CHANGES

GA cooldown increased by 10.

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +60 Gold/Min

SUNSfan's Notes

I definitely overrated this Aghs last time. It's OK, but nothing more. The global reach can be clutch for sure & having another way to fortify you buildings is legit. But heroes are still likely to itemize against this (diffusal) and this upgrade does nothing to prevent it.

REWORKED

71

10

Crystal Maiden

Freezing Field

Applies Frostbite to units that have been standing in the Freezing Field for over 2.5 seconds

CHANGES

No longer increases Freezing Field damage, no longer increases movement & attackspeed slow. Now causes Freezing Field to apply Frostbite to any unit that has been standing in the AoE for 2.5 seconds. Freezing Field cooldown lowered.

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +12 Gold/Min or +50 Freezing Field Damage. Level 25: +1.5s Frostbite Duration

SUNSfan's Notes

Her previous Aghs was boring, but still pretty decent. The new one sounds completely godlike if you're able to pull it off. But will you be able to consistently cast for over 2.5 seconds? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, I think we can all agree that technically speaking this new Aghs is less consistent than the previous, but its ceiling is higher. So in the end it's around the same ranking for me right now until I see more.

70

11

Viper

Viper Strike

Decrease mana cost (250 ⇒ 125) & cooldown (30 ⇒ 10), increases range (500 ⇒ 900)

CHANGES

Viper Strike now deals its first tick of damage immediately. Viper Strike cooldown rescaled to be lower at levels 1-2.

Talent Synergies

Level 25: +80 Viper Strike DPS

SUNSfan's Notes

I'd say this is a pretty solid Aghs pickup. Nothing terrible, nothing amazing. You can definitely farm this on Viper, but do you really want to rely that heavily on your ultimate? I'd say this Aghs is dependent on the game.

69

7

Lion

Finger of Death

Adds AoE (325), damage increase (850 ⇒ 1025), lower cooldown (40 ⇒ 20), lowers mana cost (650 ⇒ 625)

CHANGES

Aghanim's Finger of Death radius slightly increased.

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +75 Cast Range. Level 15: +90 Gold/Min. Level 20: +8% Spell Amplification

SUNSfan's Notes

A 1025 damage AoE nuke with a 20 second cooldown seems pretty good in theory. Especially considering you have the ability to mana drain consistently. In practice it feels a bit lackluster though. And getting the Aghs is pretty luxury considering the host of items you need in order to survive as a support. In most cases it feels like a quick way to push a wave of incoming creeps. But there is always opportunity to make a huge play hitting multiple enemy heroes in one shot, which is partly dependent on your team's hero composition.

68

3

Earthshaker

Enchant Totem

Enchant totem now works as a leap (900 range)

CHANGES

Increased Aftershock damage slightly & Enchant Totem has True Strike.

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +50 Damage. Level 25: -2s Enchant Totem Cooldown

SUNSfan's Notes

It's hard to think of this as anything but a meme item, but I feel it definitely has a place. Mobility is the name of the game for Earthshaker, with common purchases being Blink Dagger, Forcestaff, and even Shadow Blade. An Aghs gives you a pseudo blink with a 5 second (and with the talent 3) cooldown. This is definitely a luxury item on Earthshaker, but it's not too shabby overall.

67

11

Huskar

Life Break

Increases damage (42% ⇒ 65%) and reduces cooldown (12 ⇒ 4)

CHANGES

Life Break leap speed increased from 1000 to 1200. Life Break Damage dealt/taken from 35% to 42%.

Talent Synergies

Level 25: +500 Life Break Cast Range

SUNSfan's Notes

Technically this was nerfed since the regular ultimate does more damage now. All in all, it's actually a pretty underrated Aghs. Being able to essentially bounce from target to target is super fun and decently effective. The only issue is this hero is pretty garbage right now, and fitting this into his item build is difficult.

66

60

Earth Spirit

New Skill (Enchant Remnant)

Grants the Enchant Remnant ability, which allows you to turn a hero into a Stone Remnant.

CHANGES

Gripping Targets is not part of Aghanims anymore. It is now a level 25 talent.

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +90 Gold/Min

SUNSfan's Notes

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Earth Spirit's Aghs used to include the ability to grip allied heroes, but that portion has been changed to be a level 25 talent, which Earth Spirits don't see too often. Of course you can still turn heroes into stone and then kick them RIDICULOUS distances away, which can end a game in the blink of an eye. The issue is that it's very inconsistent considering how small the cast range is (125 ). The gripping of allies was by far the most consistent portion of the Aghs, which means this upgrade is not nearly as good anymore.

65

1

Tidehunter

Gush

Cast range increased (700 ⇒ 1800), becomes AoE (240 Width), Lowers cooldown (12 ⇒ 7) and does a small ground reveal on units that are hit

CHANGES

Gush manacost reduced at earlier levels. Aghanim's Gush now does a small ground reveal on units that are hit.

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +6 Mana Regen. Level 25: -6 Gush Armor or 20% Cooldown Reduction

SUNSfan's Notes

The ground reveal is a nice little buff, but overall doesn't change that much. This is an extreme luxury item for Tide, or simply a good anti-push strat option available to you. That -6 Armor is SUPER tempting, but it's hard to pass up cooldown reduction with a skill like Ravage in your arsenal.

64

19

Lone Druid

Spirit Bear

No bear leash & bear survives if lone druid dies

CHANGES

Rabid Attack speed increased, duration reduced slightly, and cooldown reduced. Spirit Bear attack time improved from 1.45 to 1.35

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +50 Spirit Bear Damage. Level 20: +12 Spirit Bear Armor or 50% Spirit Bear Magic Resistance. Level 25: -10s Savage Roar Cooldown or +1.5s Entangling Claws Duration

SUNSfan's Notes

After the temporary horror that was the ranged Lone Druid build, it seems the bear build is coming back. Aghs for Lone Druid is actually quite excellent, but in most cases it's only good if you've gotten at least 4 or even 5 items on the bear. Of course there will be exceptions as always. The bear being leash free opens up a whole new strategy, as you won't really have to risk a lot while split pushing. It also means your actual hero doesn't need to be completely worthless, meaning he can go into the thick of things if necessary since his death is no longer tied to the bear's. The new buff to the attack speed & talent buffs for the bear makes this hero look legitimately scary.

63

12

Ogre Magi

New Skill (Unrefined Fireblast)

Adds a new skill: Unrefined Fireblast (Damage: 275, Stun Duration 1.5, Cooldown 6, Mana cost 60% of current mana)

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +100 Cast Range or +60 Gold/Min. Level 25: +15% Spell Amplification

SUNSfan's Notes

This ability always seemed a bit weird to me. You don't really want to cast it because it uses SO much mana, which of course won't allow you to use your original fireblast as often. But at the same time, if you are already low on mana, or are simply in trouble, then this is amazing because you'll always have a stun. I think overall it's okay, but there are so many better items to be had on Ogre.

NEW

62

Phantom Lancer

Spirit Lance

Spirit Lances bounce up to 5 times

CHANGES

Spirit Lance illusions only give a 5 gold/experience bounty, instead of scaling with levels. Juxtapose max illusions increased from 9 to 10. Phantom Rush agility bonus is now granted before the first hit lands, rather than after. Technically some of his other talents that help his illusions can be considered as buffs to Aghanims (Plus stats, evasion etc.)

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +75 Spirit Lance Damage. Level 15: 15% Cooldown Reduction.

SUNSfan's Notes

This is one that is bound to be somewhat controversial. I think as a hero, PL is pretty bad right now. So no matter what items you get, you'll probably lose anyway. One reason for that is he's very easily countered. But in those special games where there is little to no AoE clear for your illusions, Aghanims is amazing. It allows you to farm faster, deal more damage in fights, and be more elusive since you'll have an army of illusions after 1 Spirit Lance.

61

13

Spirit Breaker

Nether Strike

Cast range increase (700 ⇒ 850), Adds AoE (250), lowers cooldown (60 ⇒ 20)

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +120 Gold/Min or +30% Greater Bash Damage

SUNSfan's Notes

The AoE addition for this is a bit gimicky, but when it works as intended, it's marvelous. But the real draw here is the huge cooldown reduction. In a normal game though, it will be hard to farm this up as Spirit Breaker has issues in that department. Sadly the Gold/Min talent comes a bit late at level 20.

60

7

Razor

Eye of the Storm

Faster strike interval (0.5 to 0.4), can target structures

CHANGES

Eye of the Storm prioritizes striking static linked heroes & no longer has a cast point.

SUNSfan's Notes

This is a pretty solid Aghs that is picked up because of the ability to affect buildings. So if you're having trouble going high ground, this could be the pickup. If not, you're probably better off with something else. Pretty simple actually. The minus armor mechanic does not work on buildings. If it did, this would be up 5 tiers.

NEW

59

Antimage

Spell Shield

Causes Spell Shield to passively block and reflect a targeted spell once every 12 seconds

SUNSfan's Notes

When this Aghs was introduced, many people felt it could potentially be an auto-buy on AM. After the initial hype, it seems the negatives have been exposed. If you need a defensive item on AM, you are more likely to find consistency with a BKB or Linkens. The reason for this is the Spell Shield upgrade can be abused with certain items (forcestaff), certain skills (Charge of Darkness), or disabled with Silver Edge. It could also be completely unplayable vs certain heroes (Nyx comes to mind). But on the other side of the coin, in the right game, this has proven to be a godly pickup. So in the end, I guess you can call this a situational Aghs.

58

23

Jakiro

Macropyre

Double cast range and distance (900 ⇒ 1800), increases damage (180 ⇒ 225 per second), increases duration (10 ⇒ 30)

CHANGES

Macropyre radius increased slightly.

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +8% Spell Amplification. Level 15: +125 Cast Range. Level 20: +150 Gold/Min. Level 25: Macropyre Pure Damage and pierces immunity

SUNSfan's Notes

This hero seems to find farm in pretty much every game and getting an Aghanim's isn't too crazy to see. I definitely had this too low in the last list, which is most of the reason you see it here now. Casting this on a wave during the late stages of the game essentially ensures the opponent's inability to push any further. And although I have yet to see it in game, the level 25 pure damage talent is intriguing.

57

29

Legion Commander

Duel

Longer duration (5.5 ⇒ 8). Only LC and opponent can take damage from eachother. Applies spell immunity to Legion Commander

CHANGES

Scepter now grants spell immunity to your hero during Duel.

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +30 Damage. Level 20: +7 Armor or +10% Moment of Courage proc. Level 25: +40 Duel Damage Bonus

SUNSfan's Notes

Even though it's not listed, the XP Gain talent for LC makes getting Level 25 fairly consistent in pub games. This means the +40 Duel Damage can come into play. I know most people think LC Aghs is complete garbage, and even though it's not listed super high here, I still feel the need to defend it. Occasionally, this is an AMAZING pick up and could win the game for your team. This is because sometimes it's not necessarily about killing the enemy hero, but instead taking them out of the fight for 8 freaking seconds. Of course there is a huge potential pitfall for if your teammates don't truly understand what this upgrade does and just wastes spells (don't feel bad, pros have done it too), but that's not the upgrade's fault. If ignorance wasn't a factor here, this would easily be 1 tier up. The fact that you are now magic immune also helps make it much harder for you to be disabled while going at it in a true 1v1.

56

47

Meepo

Divided We Stand

Adds another Meepo

CHANGES

Meepos now share attributes by default.

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +15 damage or +4 Armor, Level 15: 15% lifesteal or +25 Movespeed, Level 20: +25 attackspeed or 10% evasion, Level 25: -3s Poof cooldown or +400 health

SUNSfan's Notes

The change with all Meepos sharing attributes by default was a HUGE buff for this hero, and a HUGE nerf for the Aghs. Of course, you still can't underestimate having yet another hero to work with. Currently, pro players bypass this Aghs completely. I was going to put this lower, but w33 told me it was still decent so...blame him.

Tier 6: Your One 5k Friend (Pretty Solid)

55

24

Drow Ranger

Marksmanship

Splinter attack (2 targets within 375 AoE with 50% Damage Reduction)

CHANGES

Chain Lightning has a proc cooldown of 0.2 seconds.

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +6% Precision Aura Damage. Level 25: +25 Marksmanship Agility

SUNSfan's Notes

The effects of this Aghs are pretty sweet. They allow Drow to push & farm much faster. The change to how often Lightning procs certainly makes this a bit worse, which is why we see the drop here.

54

4

Puck

Dream Coil

Link break damage increase (200 ⇒ 300), Link Break stun increase (3 ⇒ 4.5), Coil duration increased (6⇒ 8), Link Break stun goes through spell immunity

CHANGES

Dream Coil cooldown reduced.

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +10% Spell Amplification. Level 25: +420 Gold/Min

SUNSfan's Notes

This is a bit of a situational item on Puck, but overall still pretty solid. If the initial stun went through magic immunity then this would be upgraded at least 2 tiers, but alas it does not. The breaking stun however is buffed massively with Aghs, so if you can catch enemies in bad positions, this upgrade really shows its power. But even without it, it is still a solid item to purchase for a couple reasons: 1) The duration is longer no matter what, and 2) If you get to level 25, you can afford literally any item in the game.

53

34

Tusk

New Skill (Walrus Kick)

Walrus Kick (Knockback distance:1400, Damage: 350, Move Speed Slow: 40%, Slow Duration: 5, Stun Duration: 1, Cooldown 8, Manacost: 100

CHANGES

Increased knockback distance of Walrus Kick from 900 to 1400 and increased cast range from 128 to 150. Increased turn rate of Tusk himself as well.

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +40% XP Gain. Level 15: +90 Gold/Min

SUNSfan's Notes

The changes made seem to have brought this into the realm of being viable on Tusk. I didn't include many XP talents, but I felt it was needed for Tusk since it's such a ridiculous number at level 10 (40%). And that gold talent at level 15 will help you on your way to getting an Aghs at some point. Of course, you'll also need some mobility (blink or in some cases shadow blade) in order to perform the proper kick. But if you're able to maintain a relatively high level of mobility, you can semi-consistently kick enemies a RIDICULOUS distance. And remember, it goes through BKB.

52

36

Gyrocopter

Other

Adds side gunner, which passively attacks every 1.1 seconds

CHANGES

Side Gunner attack interval from 1.2 to 1.1.

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +30 Damage. Level 20: +35 Movement Speed.

SUNSfan's Notes

I was a real hater of this item in the last ranking, but I have to admit it has grown on me quite a bit. It's been buffed a bit with the attack interval change, but also with the talents. +30 damage and 35 movespeed really synergize nicely when you have an attack that is essentially free. The really cool thing about this upgrade is that you can still attack while disabled & it will also proc items, which makes getting an MKB, Maelstrom, and Satanic that much more powerful. Looking forward to seeing this more in competitive play as time goes on.

51

28

Bristleback

Nasal Goo

Goo is AoE (700)

CHANGES

Increased Warpath max stacks. Increased Aghs Nasal Goo Radius by 50.

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +2 Mana Regen. Level 15: +4 Max Goo Stacks

SUNSfan's Notes

This is a very cool Aghs in my opinion. It's not an upgrade you'll want to get every game, but it certainly has its place. The negative is it doesn't pop linkens, but the plus side is you can activate goo without a target, thereby taking advantage of the Warpath buff. This allows you to stack up much faster than before.

50

15

Enigma

Black Hole

Adds current level of Midnight Pulse to Black Hole

CHANGES

Blackhole now slowly rotates enemy units as it pulls them towards the center.

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +120 Gold/Min or 15% Cooldown Reduction.

SUNSfan's Notes

This is quite a good upgrade for Enigma, as he is one of the fastest farmers in the game. As for the effect itself, it's pretty damn good. It means you don't have to place a Midnight Pulse before Black-Holing which is always an awkward thing. Of course, if you do happen to place a Midnight Pulse, it stacks beautifully, doing a total of 42.5% MAX HP in pure damage during the Black Hole duration alone.

NEW

49

Riki

Tricks of the Trade

Increases ultimate duration (5 ⇒ 9) and allows you to target an allied hero, thereby hiding inside of them for the duration

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +10 Agility. Level 20: +8 All Stats. Level 25: +0.4 Cloak and Dagger Backstab Multiplier

SUNSfan's Notes

This one might be a little bit of a surprise to see as I don't see many people buying this on Riki right now. But I think it's actually incredible. It adds 4 more seconds of invulnerability (9 seconds with 10 attacks) and allows you to hide inside someone. If you pick this hero, chances are you'll have decent synergy with his ult already, so being able to hide inside of someone is pretty amazing. It's not really an item you want to rush, but something you can definitely look to acquire after your first or second DPS item. Yes, it requires a decent amount of farm for a hero that we typically see in the 4 role, but let's be real, most people play this hero greedily. There is one pretty major bug right now with it though, where if you click yourself in order to ult in place, the channeling time disappears, making it very difficult to know how much longer is remaining. All in all, I predict this item will start to gain traction once teams start realizing how good it is, but hey, this is an opinionated post for a reason, as I could be horribly horribly wrong.

48

2

Shadow Fiend

Necromastery & Requiem

Increases max souls (36 ⇒ 46), Requiem returns to SF & Heals

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +6% Spell Amplification. Level 20: +2 Damage per Necromastery Soul

SUNSfan's Notes

I love this upgrade and I hope we'll get to see it more often in competitive games. If you read the description alone this upgrade is probably below average. But if you take into consideration the talent tree then it will all start to make sense. Doubling the damage of your souls is pretty insane, and this Aghs gives you even more to work with. The heal can be pretty powerful as well. In some ways, it makes more sense to play SF as a pseudo nuker, buying items to help you gain better ulti positioning. But I think this item can still be really good on a regular SF build, we just haven't had the chance to see it too much yet.

47

27

Enchantress

Impetus

Attack Range increase (550 ⇒ 740)

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +50 damage. Level 25: +6% Impetus Damage

SUNSfan's Notes

Increasing the attack range was such a unique way to buff Enchantress until we were introduced to the Dragon Lance, which incidentally stacks with the upgrade.This is also an item that she can take full advantage of (stats) and can actually attain on a reasonably consistent level. Don't forget that her level 15 gives her damage, which of course still translates to her ult in the end. Part of the reason for the dip is mainly because we just don't see this hero very often anymore.

46

21

Windranger

Focus Fire

No damage reduction (30% ⇒ 0%), reduces cooldown (60 ⇒ 15), removes penalty from Unique Attack Modifiers

Talent Synergies

Level 25: +150 Attack Range or 30% Cooldown Reduction

SUNSfan's Notes

This is such a hard Aghs to rate, because the stats behind it contradict how this looks on paper. On paper this is an amazing Aghs, which is why we ranked it so highly last time around. Reducing 0% of your damage with Focus Fire is insanely powerful. With a decent sample size, Windranger has a 26% winrate in pro games with Aghs. Without? 45%. I don't usually look into the stats too much, but this one feels like the exception. It indicates that the mid windrunner that typically buys Aghs is just horrible right now, while the support iteration that does not purchase it is...better. So the dip in ranking for this upgrade is mostly attributed to the hero just being bad in the core role right now.

REWORKED

45

29

Silencer

Glaives of Wisdom

Causes Glaives to pierce Spell Immunity & deal 100% more damage to silenced enemies

CHANGES

Old Scepter used to cast Arcane Curse on all enemies affected by Global Silence

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +60 Gold/Min. Level 20: +30 Attack Speed. Level 25: +200 Attack Range

SUNSfan's Notes

This is arguably the most viable Aghs introduced in the last year. Core Silencers have run into issues once BKBs are picked up. With this item, that isn't really a problem anymore. And if the units happen to be silenced, then you essentially have a double damage rune during those precious seconds. I think this is terrific upgrade.

44

2

Venomancer

Poison Nova

Damage increase (80 ⇒ 110 per second), cooldown reduced (100 ⇒ 60)

SUNSfan's Notes

This is almost equivalent to having a level 4 version of this spell. The difference is the cooldown is reduced even further than expected which helps make this pretty core on Venomancer. The fact that there are no talents that really boost this any further goes to show that Icefrog probably thinks this upgrade is good enough at its current state.

43

- 0 -

Lina

Laguna Blade

Pure damage and goes through spell immunity

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +125 Cast Range. Level 20: +6% Spell Amplification

SUNSfan's Notes

This is quite a solid pickup as magic immunity can be a bit of a pain for Lina. This item essentially means she will not fall off in the mid-to-late game.

42

2

Queen of Pain

Sonic Wave

Increases damage (470 ⇒ 555) and lowers cooldown (135 ⇒ 40)

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +90 Gold/Min or 12% Cooldown Reduction. Level 25: 70% Spell Lifesteal

SUNSfan's Notes

The cooldown reduction for this upgrade is absolutely massive & is the main reason for picking it up. It ends up synergizing nicely with the cooldown reduction & spell lifesteal talents as well. Being able to use this ultimate every 40 seconds means you can just spam waves without any repercussion.

41

9

Warlock

Chaotic Offering

Creates 2nd golem with reduced stats

CHANGES

Chaotic Offering manacost increased by 100 & cooldown increased from 165 to 170, both at level 4. Flaming Fists & Permanent Immolation are disabled by break.

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +150 Cast Range. Level 20: Summons a Golem on death. Level 25: +15 Chaotic Offering Golem Armor or Spell Immunity for Chaotic Offering Golems

SUNSfan's Notes

This is probably one of the more popular Aghs on a support hero. Don't get me wrong, I think it's quite good, but I think it's still a bit overrated. Having 2 golems is great, but each one will have reduced stats, which ends up equating to having around 1.5 golems. The level 20 talent is hilarious & if you can somehow get 25 then this Aghs becomes quite a bit better. Technically speaking getting Refresher first would allow you to have 2 full stat golems to work with, but as always, mana issues make that build unrealistic.

40

15

Techies

Remote Mines & New Skill

Increase cast range (500 ⇒ 700), increase damage (600 ⇒ 750), adds Minefield sign

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +200 Cast Range. Level 20: +120 Gold/Min. Level 25: +20% Cooldown Reduction

SUNSfan's Notes

A lot of people felt this should have been way higher because Techies is almost unplayable without Aghs. Honestly, I don't really care. I hate this hero so much. But since I'm writing this list I might as well give a proper description. I don't like the idea of rating an Aghs highly just because a hero "has" to get it. If he is garbage before & then mediocre after, is it really that good of an Aghs? Purchasing consistency is certainly taken into consideration, but it's not weighted too heavily.

REWORKED

39

43

Skywrath Mage

All Spells

Causes all of Skywrath Mage's spells to target a second random enemy within 700 radius of primary target

CHANGES

No longer increases duration or reduces cooldown of Mystic Flare. It now causes all of Skywrath's spells to be sent to a secondary target. Arcane Bolt cast range increased from 800 to 875

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +90 Gold/Min or +10% Spell Lifesteal. Level 25: -4s Ancient Seal Cooldown or +14 Mana Regen

SUNSfan's Notes

This is quite the boost for Skywrath Aghs. If you don't remember the last one, don't bother. It was pretty garbage. This new one seems pretty sweet on paper. The only issue is getting an Aghs on support Skywrath can be difficult. The level 15 gold talent feels like it should be at 10 for a hero that doesn't have great wave clear or easy farming capabilities. Now if we're talking mid Skywrath, then hell yeah get this. Of course, you'll still have lots of trouble against Skywrath's worst enemy: the infamous BKB.

38

9

Phoenix

Supernova

More attacks to destroy (11 ⇒ 13) and can bring ally inside

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +150 Gold/Min. Level 20: +8% Spell Amplification. Level 25: +1s Supernova Stun Duration or +2 Supernova Hit Count

SUNSfan's Notes

Adding 2 hits onto the egg is decent, but this is really about saving teammates, which incidentally will refresh their cooldowns (other than ult). This is about as strong as an Aghs can get, but of course it can be a double edged sword. If the timing is off, you can get both of you killed and throw the game. And it's also somewhat difficult to get this on a Phoenix, although the gold talent can certainly help. If you get to level 25 and choose the +2 hit, your egg is just about unkillable.

37

20

Storm Spirit

Electric Vortex

Adds 475 AoE

Talent Synergies

Level 25: +0.75s Electric Vortex

SUNSfan's Notes

This might seem pretty high for an item that is rarely picked up on Storm Spirit. I guess you could call it a luxury item, but the power behind it is so high, I would feel remiss not to place it here. This Aghs turns his vortex into a pretty damn big AoE, which is completely ridiculous when you think about how low the cooldown is and how good the talents are to accompany it. Despite this, I think even in the best case scenario, Storm will want at least 3 items before thinking about this bad boy. The stats from this item are pretty good for Storm too, although it doesn't really provide you with that much needed mana regen. Keep in mind that with this upgrade, Electric Vortex will go through Linkens, which can be huge if the enemies have already itemized against you. In some ways it's like a mini-ravage on an 18 second cooldown.

36

13

Batrider

Flaming Lasso

Deals 100 damage per second and grabs a second target within 400 range

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +5% Spell Amplification. Level 20: +15% Cooldown Reduction or +35 Movement Speed

SUNSfan's Notes

This was relatively new the last time we ranked it and it turns out it's more consistent than I gave it credit for. The 100 damage per second is nice, but the second lasso is what makes this such a good pickup.

35

22

Luna

Eclipse

Increases cast range (0 ⇒ 2500), increases beams (11 ⇒ 18), no limit per unit, shorter interval (0.6 ⇒ 0.3), and shorter duration (6 ⇒ 5.1). Can cast AoE or on other units

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +40 Lucent Beam damage

SUNSfan's Notes

Perhaps not the most common pickup on Luna, which is why you see the dip in the rankings. But this Aghs is still insanely powerful. Being able to cast it on an initiator or just an area of your choosing is pretty sweet. It also deals TONS of damage in a shorter amount of time. The no limit to lucent beams on one target means someone is likely to die. Don't believe me? Let's do some math. Disregarding magic resistance, a Level 3 ultimate with Aghs will deal 5400 damage in 5.1 seconds. With the talent upgrade you can get up to 6120. Not too shabby.

34

51

Zeus

New Skill (Nimbus)

Grants Zeus a new ability named Nimbus (creates a cloud anywhere on the map for 35 seconds that will cast Lightning Bolts on nearby enemies. Cooldown is also 35 seconds.

CHANGES

No longer increases Thundergod's Wrath damage. Now grants Zeus a new ability named Nimbus

Talent Synergies

Level 20 +0.5s Lightning Bolt ministun

SUNSfan's Notes

Zeus' old Aghs was super boring and generally considered awful (despite pub players building it all the time). Nowadays, it seems the opinion has shifted. This is yet another great team fight skill with global range at Zeus' disposal. If you're not physically there to push out a wave, just simply use this skill instead. It does an admirable job. The +.5s Lightning Bolt also synergizes directly with this skill. Go team NIMBUS! PS: Refresher Nimbus with that talent is legitimately hilarious.

33

6

Faceless Void

Chronosphere

Decrease cooldown (100 ⇒ 60)

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +120 Gold/Min. Level 25: +600 Time Walk Cast Range

SUNSfan's Notes

This is a difficult item to fit on a carry Void, but absolutely core on offlane. The cooldown reduction is pretty huge for a spell of this magnitude. It essentially means you'll have this up for every team fight & skirmish.

Tier 5: Purge's Picks (Seems Good)

REWORKED

32

57

Outworld Devourer

Astral Imprisonment

Grants 2 charges of Astral Imprisonment with a 12 second replenish time. Increases range (450 ⇒ 750) and damage areas stack

CHANGES

Old Scepter used to cast Astral Imprisonment on all enemies hit with Sanity's Eclipse.

Talent Synergies

Level 25: +8% Spell Amplification

SUNSfan's Notes

It's funny. I was almost done with my Aghs list when this latest patch came out and I really flamed the crap out of OD's Aghs, because it still hadn't been changed. I'm happy to say that this is no longer the worst Aghs in the game! At first glance, I know a lot of people's reaction concerning this was underwhelming. But, I think this is actually preetty powerful in the right hands. The stats of Aghs have always been very good on OD, and having two Astrals is terrific, especially considering the damage can stack. I think for lower levels of play this is probably not the best item though. I feel Astral in general is one of the higher skill cap abilities in the game (in team fights). I think higher skill players will love this item, but only time will tell.

31

4

Witch Doctor

Death Ward

Bounces up to 4 times & provides True Strike to Death Ward

CHANGES

Scepter provides True Strike to Death Ward.

Talent Synergies

Level 25: +175 Death Ward Attack Range

SUNSfan's Notes

Let's rephrase the description on this one. Death Ward now deals 5 times more damage. Of course, we know that isn't completely accurate. The enemies have to all be in the vicinity, and it's always difficult to keep this spell channeled for very long. This is an interesting one though. Witch Doctors can actually farm pretty well, so you see this item a decent amount. But you also need more farm to ensure you can actually keep it channeled, whether it be a glimmer cape, bkb, or in some cases linkens. If you can get THAT much farm, then yeah this upgrade works as advertised. Even without it, the threat is there for you to do massive damage. This is one of the few Aghs on a support that lives up to the hype.

30

1

Shadow Demon

Demonic Purge

3 charges with 40 second replenish time. Breaks passives

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +75 Cast Range or +8% Spell Amplification. Level 25: +400 Demonic Purge Damage

SUNSfan's Notes

What's better than 1 spell? How about 3. This Aghs is incredibly good on both paper & practice. Having the ability to slow & break passives consistently is huge. And if you somehow get to level 25 you will be doubling your Demonic Purge damage. If SD's were able to consistently pick this up, I'd probably have to boost this up at least 2 tiers. But alas, his ability to purchase the Aghs is kind of an issue. Perhaps with the camps spawning every minute we'll see some more camp stacks + Shadow Poison, but it's too early to tell.

29

23

Visage

Familiars

Summons 3rd Familiar

CHANGES

Familiars now have: fixed HP, they are affected by Gravekeeper's Cloak, they have 35% spell resistance instead of immunity, increased movement speed, affected by HP regen, increased attack damage bonus per charge, reduced attack damage recharge time and reduced cooldown. Stone Form no longer refreshes the familiar's attack damage charges.

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +90 Gold/Min. Level 25: +120 Familiars Movement Speed

SUNSfan's Notes

Good god this one is so difficult to rate. I'll admit this is probably a bit lower than it should be, but I have a hard time bringing anything else down. Familiars have been changed pretty drastically as well, mostly for the better. Aghs is also 100% a core build on Visage. The level 10 talent is a pretty good way to accelerate that Scepter, and if you can somehow hit 25, the familiar movement speed is ridiculous.

28

16

Shadow Shaman

Mass Serpent Ward

Increases attack range (600 ⇒ 825), and attacks two units at the same time

CHANGES

Serpent Wards no longer deal splash damage, but attack damage is increased. Aghs updated to also increase attack range of wards from 650 to 875 & makes them attack two targets at the same time.

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +100 Cast Range. Level 20: +4 Wards Summoned. Level 25: +1 Mass Serpent Ward Attacks Health

SUNSfan's Notes

This upgrade is deceptively good. I really think they should make the Aghs Serpent Wards look different in some way because it is quite a shock to get hit by these bad boys when you're expecting the regular old wards. They hurt!

27

12

Mirana

Starstorm

Adds passive Starstorm

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +5 spell amp

SUNSfan's Notes

This hero has come by some real hard times. Her win rate is pretty awful in competitive, both with & without Aghs. I still think the upgrade is terrific and almost mandatory at this point. Regardless of the win rate, I think I had this a little too high in the last ranking, which is most of the reason behind the drop.

26

12

Chen

Holy Persuasion

Can take over Ancient Creeps

CHANGES

Holy Persuasion cooldown reduced from 18 to 10.

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +90 Gold/Min or +1000 Creep Health. Level 25: +2 Holy Persuasion Max Count

SUNSfan's Notes

Despite this not affecting Chen's ultimate anymore, this continues to be a terrific upgrade. The ability to control Ancients is amazing as they are very durable and provide some nice auras.Take into consideration that this item is VERY attainable because of his farming capabilities, and you have a respectable Aghs. The talents that synergize with this upgrade do so in impressive fashion. Being able to increase the HP of your summons & adding 2 more to your max is godly. Unfortunately they come quite late at Levels 20 & 25 respectively. Keep in mind that you can still only have a max of 3 Ancients, but having 3+3 creeps sounds like an easy way to get that aura Battle Pass challenge.

25

8

Ursa

Enrage

Cooldown reduced (30 ⇒ 18), allows use while disabled

SUNSfan's Notes

The cooldown reduction is pretty decent, but being able to cast this while disabled is HUGE. How do fights usually go in terms of the carry position? The enemy will try to disable you before you hit BKB and then proceed to throw everything at you. With this Aghs, you can't really do that. If you disable Ursa, he'll just hit R and then proceed to no damage while shredding you to pieces. Of course kiting him is still the name of the game, but that doesn't really apply to the Aghs itself.

24

11

Vengeful Spirit

Nether Swap

Cooldown reduced (45 ⇒ 10), creates illusion of self on death with refreshed abilities

Talent Synergies

Level 15 +100 Magic Missile Damage. Level 20 +65 damage. Level 25 Magic Missile Pierces Spell Immunity or 20% Vengeance Aura Damage

SUNSfan's Notes

A part of me feels like this should be higher. The cooldown reduction is INSANE for such a fight-winning spell. Having an illusion of yourself (with all your spells off cooldown!) is the icing on the cake. The Illusion will deal 50% right-click damage while taking 150% damage in turn. But I was surprised to learn that her spells will continue to do full damage. Not sure if that's a bug, but it's a small detail either way. I love this upgrade.

Tier 4: Envy's Blog (Powerful)

23

11

Treant Protector

Overgrowth & New Skill (Eyes in the Forest)

Eyes in the forest. Overgrowth does damage (175 per second) when enemies are near an Eye

CHANGES

Eyes in the Forest cooldown increased from 25 to 35

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +90 Gold/Min Level 20: 15% cooldown reduction

SUNSfan's Notes

The gold/min talent helps Tree get to that Aghs at some point in the game, which is especially important for a hero that cannot farm very well. The effect he gets from Aghs is pretty damn amazing, as are most abilities that give vision. Of course the negative aspect of this, is it can be countered by cutting down trees. But on the other side of the coin, you are still forcing the enemies to waste time trying to find the trees you've planted. In addition, being able to place them strategically allows you to deal damage with your ultimate from a global range, which can be very annoying for enemies trying to farm camps or TP away. Overall, there are some counters, but vision is too important in a game like dota. If Treant has enough money, he will almost always try to pick this item up. That alone should paint a picture as to how good this item is.

22

18

Necrophos

Reaper's Scythe

Lowers cooldown from 70 to 25

CHANGES

No longer disables buyback.No longer increases damage. Cooldown lowered from 70 to 25. All respawn talents removed from game.

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +5 Spell Amp.

SUNSfan's Notes

This took a bit of a dip, but it is not as disastrous as some originally thought. The buyback disable was arguably the most game-breaking mechanic in all of dota. Without that & the damage increase, what do you have? It turns out, you still have a pretty damn good Aghs. The cooldown reduction is massive for such a powerful spell. And remember, you still increase the respawn time of enemies & you won't have to worry about any respawn talents anymore.

21

16

Brewmaster

Primal Split

Earth gains Thunder Clap, Storm gains Drunken Haze, and Fire gains Drunken Brawler

CHANGES

Drunken Haze important changes: Not AoE anymore, cast time reduced, movement speed slow increased, miss chance increased at lower levels (slightly reduced at highest), duration decreased. Demolish damage increased, Hurl Boulder cast point reduced, earth spirit's base attack time reduced. Fire spirit has phasing movement. Drunken Brawler crit increased.

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +75 Thunder Clap Damage. Level 20: +2s Thunderclap slow. Level 25: +2000 Primal Split Unit Health

SUNSfan's Notes

Brewmaster's spells have gotten quite a bit of love from both his talents as well as general buffs over the last few patches. This of course means his Aghs is that much more powerful. Even though I don't like to mention the level 25 talents too often (since they aren't reliable to attain), I'd feel remiss not to mention that the +2000 HP for his little buddies is a big deal. When his original Aghs was introduced many years ago, it provided a stat boost to his spirits. This was removed once they added the spell-using functionality. Now you get the best of both worlds. This is one of the highest skill-cap upgrades in the game, which means the sky is the limit.

20

10

Sand King

Burrowstrike

Doubles cast range and travel distances (650 ⇒ 1300). Caustic finale is added to heroes stunned

CHANGES

Burrowstrike no longer applies Caustic Finale to illusions.

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +120 Gold/Min

SUNSfan's Notes

Caustic Finale no longer being applied to Illusions can definitely be a big deal at times, but despite that, this upgrade is still top notch. The item is relatively easy for SK to attain as he does a pretty good job of farming. With this Aghs, Sand King adds yet another way to be an elusive pain in the ass. In a lot of ways it just amplifies the effectiveness of Blink Dagger, Forcestaff, & Sand Storm. Mobility is the name of the game for SK.

19

9

Clockwerk

Hookshot

Cooldown from 40 to 12

SUNSfan's Notes

This dramatic cooldown is very impactful in fights & for general mobility. Blowing this on a neutral camp in order to get away is pretty common as well. Overall this ranking hasn't changed much since last time and I don't think you'll hear many complaints about its placement in this list.

18

16

Tinker

Laser & Missile

Lasers bounce, and increases missiles (2 ⇒ 4)

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +4% Spell Amplification. Level 20: +75 Cast Range. Level 25: +100 Laser Damage or 20% Spell Lifesteal

SUNSfan's Notes

This Aghs is pretty disgusting. Just read what it does again and then read all his talents. Just plain disgusting. How do you go high-ground against this? Having to blow a BKB charge just to hit the towers a few time doesn't seem like a great solution, which means the best way to defeat this is to dive the base, which can always be super risky. Of course you could always just own Tinker early on so he can never afford this right?

17

6

Disruptor

Static Storm

Damage increase (300 ⇒ 420 per second), duration increase (5 ⇒ 7), mutes items

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +60 Gold/Min or +100 Cast Range, Level 20: +10 Spell Amp

SUNSfan's Notes

Most players go for the +60 Gold/Min talent, and this is one of the reasons why we've seen more Scepters than normal on Disruptor. If used correctly, it can be completely game breaking as it's one of the only abilities in the game to be able to mute item usage.

16

3

Bloodseeker

Rupture

2 charges. 40 second replenish time (instead of 60 sec cooldown)

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +14% rupture damage

SUNSfan's Notes

Not much change from last time, because it's still this good. Having 2 Ruptures can completely change the complexion of a team fight, especially considering the damage is Pure & pierces magic immunity. The level 20 talent is also a nice boost, but he remains countered by his long-time arch nemesis, the TP scroll.

15

7

Pudge

Meat Hook

Increases damage (360 ⇒ 450) and lowers cooldown (11 ⇒ 4)

CHANGES

Reduced Hook Speed from 1600 to 1450. Meat hook no longer works on invulnerable units.

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +150 Gold/Min

SUNSfan's Notes

Meat Hook's speed was reduced slightly, but I'd say this upgrade isn't affected negatively. In fact, one could argue that as a result of the hook nerf, Aghs is better than before because missing one isn't the end of the world. In general though, Repositioning spells are super OP in Dota, and although Meat Hook is a skill-shot, it is still no exception. Having it on this short of a cooldown is borderline preposterous.

14

7

Undying

Decay

Strength steal increase (4 ⇒ 10)

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +90 Gold/Min, Level 25: -2s Decay Cooldown

SUNSfan's Notes

In a vacuum, this is one of the best upgrade in the game. Unfortunately it is difficult for Undying to attain in a normal game. That Level 10 talent certainly helps his cause, which is why you see the bump up in differential. And if you can get level 25...GG.

13

4

Ancient Apparition

Ice Blast

Longer duration (10 ⇒ 17)

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +8% spell amp or +60 gold per minute

SUNSfan's Notes

Aghs adds only one thing for AA and that is an extra 7 seconds of duration to Ice Blast. Those unfamiliar with how Ice Blast works might think this is not a big deal, but if you're reading this, chances are you understand. Being able to prevent healing is an exceptionally unique mechanic in the game. And being able to prevent it for that much longer makes this a very powerful upgrade. In addition, the +60 gold talent really helps AA's feel confident in their ability to attain this item.

12

14

Abaddon

Borrowed Time

Longer duration (6 ⇒ 7) & 50% redirect damage

Talent Synergies

Level 20: 15% cooldown reduction

SUNSfan's Notes

This upgrade has proven to be as good as many thought it would be (and then some). Damage mitigation can have a huge affect on late game fights if used at the right time. It is especially great for Abaddon since it synergizes with the rest of his build nicely (blademail, radiance, octarine).

11

7

Pugna

Life Drain

Increases damage (200 ⇒ 300 per second) and lowers cooldown from 22 to 0

CHANGES

Life Drain now grants truesight vision over target. Life Drain cast range reduced from 1200 to 800. Life Drain break distance reduced from 1200 at level 4, to 1000 at all levels

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +150 Cast range. Level 25: +50% Life Drain heal

SUNSfan's Notes

Having a 0 second Life Drain changes so much for Pugna. He can reliably kill illusions & heal teammates (even as a core). This is mainly because you'll be able to just regain the life you lost pretty fast. The vision change is pretty huge as well for heroes that go into fog. The only nerf this has gotten is the cast range, which can be remedied by getting an Aether Lense & skilling that level 20 talent.

10

6

Timbersaw

New Skill (Chakram)

Gives you a second Chakram

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +5 spell amp or +150 cast range

SUNSfan's Notes

The value of having a second copy of a spell all depends on how good the spell is. For instance, Mirana's is passive (which is a plus in terms of mana cost, but a negative in terms of controlling it), but Star Storm itself doesn't scale very well. Blood Seeker's Rupture is probably a better comparison here. But for Timbersaw, Chakram doesn't pierce BKB, so why is it higher here? Well, I'd argue that Chakram is just a better spell all around. It doesn't go through BKB, but it still scales very well thanks to the pure damage. It also helps you farm and clear waves with insane efficiency. As a result of this, the benefits you gain from having a second Chakram are very consistent & should not be underrated.

Tier 3: Puppey's Headset (Game Breaking)

9

2

Tiny

Grow

Toss damage increase (65% ⇒ 80%), Attack range increase (85), Cleave, Bonus damage to buildings (75%)

CHANGES

No changes to Aghs itself, but cleave was changed from a circular area to trapezoid. Also cleave no longer is affected by spell damage amp or spell lifesteal.

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +60 damage, Level 20: +25 attack speed

SUNSfan's Notes

Not much explanation needed here. All in all, still a godly pick up for pretty much any Tiny game. It suddenly makes you a legit one-man tower sieger. His damage & attack speed talents are a pretty good complement too.

8

6

Weaver

Time Lapse

Reduces cooldown (40 ⇒ 16), Can cast on allies (1000 range)

SUNSfan's Notes

When this first was introduced, I knew it was weird, but I had hope. The only issue I had with it is that you need to hit 2 keys in order to Time Lapse yourself, which could be an issue in sticky situations. All in all, if you're playing a support weaver, that really isn't a big issue. Being able to cast this at 1000 range with a 16 cooldown is INSANE. I wouldn't say support weaver is even played that often, but regardless this upgrade is too good to have much lower in the rankings.

7

- 0 -

Centaur Warrunner

Stampede

40% damage reduction, terrain walking

CHANGES

60% to 40% damage reduction.

Talent Synergies

Level 20: +10% spell amp

SUNSfan's Notes

60% to 40% is quite the nerf, but this still remains an amazing Aghs. Just think about how great Abaddon's Aghs is currently. That provides 10% more reduction, except it's not global..and doesn't give terrain-walking. I probably had this listed too low last time, considering how ridiculous it was.

6

4

Nyx Assassin

New Skill (Burrow)

Gives burrow skill. Max HP and mana per second regen (1.5%), reduces incoming damage (40%), longer impale cast range (825 ⇒ 1350), lower impale cooldown (14 ⇒ 7), increase mana burn cast range (600 ⇒ 1050), spiked carapace becomes AoE (300)

CHANGES

Default impale cooldown increased from 13 to 14

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +5 spell amp, Level 15: +50 Impale Damage, Level 20: +120 Gold/Min, Level 25: 200% spiked carapace damage

SUNSfan's Notes

I feel like I overrated this Aghs upgrade a bit in my last list. It's funny though, because I don't remember reading any complaints about this being the previous #2 on the list. Just by looking at how many different things this item upgrades for Nyx, it's easy to understand why that was the case. But, I feel compared to the upgrades listed higher, this Aghs doesn't provide as many game-changing mechanics as the others. That's of course not to say this is a bad upgrade at all. It is still amazing, which is why it remains in the top 10.

Tier 2: Gaben's Blessing (God Tier)

5

5

Rubick

Spell Steal

Cast range increase (1000 ⇒ 1400), lowers cooldown (16 ⇒ 2), and upgrades spells

Talent Synergies

Level 10: +60 Gold/Min, Level 20: +8% spell amp or +75 Cast Range, Level 25: 20% cooldown reduction

SUNSfan's Notes

In hindsight, I had this too low last time. His talents are pretty nice as they not only give him a guaranteed income, but can also increase his cast range even more, or potentially lower the cooldown for something insane that he steals. All in all, a 2 second cooldown means you will have a much better shot at stealing that game-winning spell. This is definitely one of the best Aghs in the game.

4

4

Invoker

Invoke

Reduces cooldown (6 ⇒ 2) & manacost (60 ⇒ 0). Adds one level to the stats provided by Quas, Wex, and Exort on all Invoked spells.

CHANGES

Cooldown with Scepter from 16/8/4/2 to constant 2. Quas, Wex, Exort no longer passively grant attributes. Invoke is no longer an upgradeable ability. EMP from pure to magical & increased damage by 10%. Forge Spirit now only spawns 1 spirit (unless upgraded in talent tree).

Talent Synergies

Level 15: +1 Forge spirit, Level 25: -18s Tornado cooldown or AoE Deafening Blast

SUNSfan's Notes

The nerfs on their own definitely hurt the hero. But considering how much players prioritize getting Aghanims on Invoker, means that they will take full advantage of the cooldown buff, which makes that change in itself quite significant. Having a 2 second cooldown on Invoke that early in the game is one of the biggest buffs he's had in quite some time.

3

2

Keeper of the Light

Illuminate & Spirit Form

Constant Spirit Form, Illuminate Heals during day, unobstructed vision during day

Talent Synergies

Level 25: +400 Cast Range or +200 Illuminate Damage/Heal

SUNSfan's Notes

This is a godly upgrade, that gets even better with the talents introduced (albeit at Level 25). The fact that you never have to worry about activating your ult again is big. Having those 2 extra skills at all times can make all the difference. The unobstructed vision gives your team a massive advantage during the day, and the Illuminate heal makes high-ground offense that much more sustainable. This is an absolute must buy on the hero, as has been demonstrated by many player's efforts to rush it right away.

2

1

Night Stalker

Darkness

Unobstructed vision at night

CHANGES

Hunter in the Night can be activated during the night & provides 2 seconds of flying movement and 1200 night flight vision

SUNSfan's Notes

Vision, vision, vision. Much like Keeper of the Light's upgrade, this provides NS with unobstructed vision, but only during the night. You might be asking, why is Night Stalker at #2, while Keeper of the Light is at 3 with not only the vision mechanic, but a bunch of other upgrades too?! The answer is because NS can manipulate the day/night cycle to his benefit. And even though it's part of Night Stalker inherently, having this vision while limiting that of the enemy heroes, units, buildings, and wards makes this incredibly powerful. His new hunter in the night active is pretty cool for ganking & can definitely give you a poor man's version of the Aghs, but I still feel like the constant vision you get with the upgrade cannot be underestimated.

Tier 1: Icefrog's Concoction (Class of its Own)

1

- 0 -

Alchemist

Other

Give an Aghanim's Scepter to a teammate

CHANGES

Greevil's Greed bounty gold multiplier from 3/4/5/6 to 2. Reduced base bonus gold from 12 to 4, increased extra bonus gold per stack from 3 to 4, and rescaled gold bonus cap from 36 to 28

SUNSfan's Notes

Despite the nerf to bounty runes, it seems Alchemist can still farm up quite a storm. Who would have thunk it? And being able to give upgrades to anyone on your team without actually taking up a slot is completely imbalanced (in a good way). Much like last time, I feel like this is probably the only upgrade on this list that you can't really argue with. It is absolutely amazing in both theory and practice. And with every viable Aghanim's that is added to the game, this mechanic becomes stronger.