Is Hydra's Breath A Dud In Dota 2 Patch 7.41a?

Dota 2 patch 7.41 introduced several new items. Among the newcomers is Hydra's Breath, a DPS weapon uniquely designed for ranged enemies. But is it any good?

In this article we will go over what Hydra's Breath does, how good it is, and who should be buying it.

What does Hydra's Breath do?

Hydra's breath allows ranged attacks to hit multiple targets. It's a 30% chance to hit three additional targets in a 120 degree cone around the main arget. The proc also adds 150 extra attack range. Ths bonus targets only take 75% of the attack's damage, and it cannot proc any modifiers except Miasma, which is a unique modifier from Hydra's Breath that deals 2.5% of the target's max health in damage every second for three seconds.

Let's talk about Hydra's stats, cause they are pretty good. Since most buyers will be Agility heroes, they will massively benefit from the 30 agility bonus, along with the 25 attack damage. An extra 15 strength is always welcome. And of course, since it builds from Dragon Lance, you get a nice 150 attack range.

All in all, Hydra's Breath provides sizeable and useful stats. But it has to considering the enormous 5900 gold price tag on it. But, does that mean you should be buying it?

So how good is Hydra's Breath in Dota 2 patch 7.41a?

Well..... Not amazing honestly.

Yes the stats are nice, bu reminder that Hydra's Breath competes against several stat heavy items, such as Eye of Skadi (5900), Hurricane Pike (4450), and Sange and Yasha (4250). All of these items provide nearly the same amount of stats for far less, or significantly more at the same price. So if you're looking for big stats, there are better options.

But what about damage? well agility heroes are gaining about 55 damage and 30 attack speed, which isn't bad at all. But MKB costs 5000 gold and provides 50 damage and 50 attack speed. Daedalus is 88 damage with 30% chance to crit, and Butterfly gives 35 agility, 25 damage, and 20% bonus base attack speed. While arguments can be made that hitting multiple targets amplifies Hydra's Breath's damage a lot, that's... not a super good one.

In Dota 2, you'd much rather burst one guy down fast, than whittle down several enemies at once. Hydra's Breath is also somewhat cumbersome to use, as it requires enemies to be in a cone. It's les Gyrocoptor's Flak Cannon and more Drow Ranger Multishot. And it's no contest which of these two is easier to use.

Lastly, the nail in the coffin so to speak is that ranged heroes can only use one Dragon Lance and it's upgrade. Between Hurricane Pike and Hydra's Breath, one definitely fulfils it's usage (push enemies away while dealing damage) far better than the other (hitting multiple targets).

Best users of Hydra's Breath

Sniper

Thanks to his ultra long range, Sniper has the easiest time attacking his targets. He can also pick which enemy is best suited to focus on, to get maximum value out of activating multi-shot.

Weaver

Weaver tends to duck in and out of fights, often picking targets on the fringes. Since Weaver tends to be close to multiple enemies, it's easy for him to pick which one to focus first in fights.

Morphling

One of the best users for the extra stats. Similar to Weaver, Morphling is relatively close range and benefits from being able to dive in and pick which targets to pummel first in a fight.

Overall, even these users might be better off buying something else. Until the price drastically reduces or the stats get an upgrade, we believe it's best to avoid Hydra's Breath in most games.

READ MORE: The Biggest Losers Of Dota 2 Patch 7.41a

Featured Image Source: Valve