DotA 6.78 Changelogs (Patch Notes)

DotA 6.78 changelogs are as follows. For those who don't know, this map brings 2 new heroes (STR and INT) to Sentinel side and massive number of changes to heroes and items for balance. Captains mode is reworked.
The v6.78 surely revamps the current scene of DotA and will surely allow room new strategies for tournaments and public games.You can read the full changelog below:

DotA 6.78 Changelogs:

HEROES:

Two new Sentinel heroes added.

1. Kaolin, The Earth Spirit (Strength)
2. Nerif, The Oracle (Intelligence)

 Arc Warden

- Magnetic Field AoE decreased from 325 to 275

- Tempest Double unit is now visible to the enemy players as the fake

 Axe

- Counter Helix cooldown decreased from 0.65/0.6/0.55/0.5 to 0.55/0.5/0.45/0.4

 Ancient Apparition

- Ice Vortex cooldown decreased from 6 to 5

- Ice Blast base AoE increased from 225 to 275

- Added Aghanim's Scepter

Ice Blast duration increased from 8/9/10 to 17

 Batrider

- Vision decreased from 1800/800 to 1400/800

- Flamebreak manacost increased from 80/100/120/140 to 140

 Beastmaster

- Greater Hawk invisibility fade time decreased from 5 to 4

 Bloodseeker

- Strygwyr's Thirst now gives you bonus 3/4/5/6 armor when active

- Bloodrage dispels the target before applying its buff

This would cause it to remove things like Ethereal

- Rupture damage is now HP loss

This causes it to go through Magic Immunity now

 Bounty Hunter

- Track manacost from 70/60/50 to 50

 Bristleback

- Quill Spray hit memory increased from 10 to 14 seconds

 Broodmother

- Incapacitating Bite miss chance from 10/20/30/40% to 30/40/50/60%

- Spawn Spiderlings unit count increased from 1/2/3/3 to 1/2/3/4

 Centaur Warchief

- Added to Captain's Mode

 Clinkz

- Strafe cooldown decreased from 60/50/40/30 to 45/40/35/30

 Clockwerk Goblin

- Power Cogs no longer knock back magic immune units

 Crystal Maiden

- Brilliance Aura mana regen increased from 0.5/1/1.5/2 to 1/1.5/2/2.5

- Freezing Field explosion AoE increased from 215 to 230

- Aghanim's Freezing Field's attack speed reduction aura increased from -20 to -50

 Dark Seer

- Vacuum cooldown increased from 22 to 24

 Dazzle

- Shadow Wave target count increased from 3/3/4/5 to 3/4/5/6

- Shallow Grave can now be cast on magic immune allies

 Death Prophet

- Movement speed decreased from 285 to 280

- Silence AoE increased from 200/275/350/350 to 350

- Witchcraft move speed bonus increased from 4/8/12/16% to 5/10/15/20%

 Disruptor

- Thunder Strike from 3 strikes over 4 seconds to 4 strikes over 6 seconds

- Thunder Strike damage per strike decreased from 50/75/100/125 to 40/60/80/100

- Thunder Strike AoE increased from 200 to 240

 Doom Bringer

- Doom now disables Feast, Backtrack, Dispersion, Juxtapose, Bristleback and Blood Bath

- Aghanim's Scepter upgrade duration reworked

Aghanim's Doom duration doesn't count down while the target is within 550 range of Doombringer

 Dragon Knight

- Corrosive Breath passive from Level 1 Elder Form now carries over to Level 2 (the DPS)

 Drow Ranger

- Trueshot Aura increased from 14/18/22/26% to 16/20/24/28%

 Earthshaker

- Turn rate improved from 0.4 to 0.6

- Fissure range increased from 1200 to 1300

- Echo Slam now considers illusions as heroes

This affects Aghanim's Scepter upgrade as it does extra damage for each hero in the area.

 Ember Spirit

- Flame Guard DPS increased from 30/35/40/45 to 30/40/50/60

- Added to Captain's Mode 

 Enchantress

- Aghanim's Scepter bonus attack range increased from 165 to 190

 Enigma

- Malefice scaling reworked

Old Malefice:

==============

Duration: 2/4/4/6 (1/2/2/3 ticks)

Damage: 40/40/65/65 (total dmg: 40/80/130/195)

Stun Duration: 1

New Malefice:

==============

Duration: 6 (3 ticks)

Damage: 25/40/55/70 (total dmg: 75/120/165/210)

Stun Duration: 0.25/0.5/0.75/1

 Goblin Shredder

- Base Strength increased by 3

- Int growth increased from 1.8 to 2.4

- Chakram initial manacost rescaled from 125/150/175 to 75/125/175

- Chakram move speed increased from 800 to 900

 Gyrocopter

- Flak Cannon cooldown increased from 20 to 30

 Huskar

- Base Strength increased by 3

- Burning Spears DPS increased from 4/8/12/16 to 5/10/15/20

- Life Break HP cost increased from 35/30/25% to 40/35/30%

- Berserker's Blood Reworked

Old Berserker's Blood:

----------------------

Huskar feels each of his wounds and channels the pain, increasing attack speed and damage for each 7% missing health. First bonus starts at full health.

Attack Speed: 3/6/9/12 IAS per stack

Damage: 2/4/6/8 damage per stack

New Berserker's Blood:

----------------------

Huskar feels each of his wounds and channels the pain, increasing magic resistance and attack speed for each 7% missing health. First bonus starts at full health.

Magic Resistance: 4/5/6/7% magic resistance

Attack Speed: 8/12/16/20 per stack

- Removed from Captain's Mode

 Invoker

- Alacrity manacost decreased from 100 to 75

- Ghost Walk slow increased from 20/23/26/30/33/36/40 to 20/25/30/35/40/45/50

- Ghost Walk cooldown decreased from 60 to 35

- Tornado damage rescaled from 70+(Wex+Quas)*20 to 70+(2*Wex+Quas)*15

 Io

- Spirits no longer provide vision, except temporarily when they collide with an enemy hero

- Overcharge hp/mp cost increased from 3.5% to 4.5%

 Juggernaut

- Omnislash no longer jumps on Tombestone Zombies

 Keeper of the Light

- Base Strength decreased by 2

 Kunkka

- Ghost Ship damage increased from 300/400/500 to 350/450/550

- X Marks The Spot manacost decreased from 80/90/100/110 to 80

- X Marks The Spot vision from 1000 flying to 400 ground vision

 Legion Commander

- Duel bonus damage per victory increased from 10 to 10/14/18

- Added to Captain's Mode

 Lich

- Chainfrost bounce count increased from 7 to 10

 Lifestealer

- Open Wounds cast range decreased from 600 to 200/300/400/500

 Lina Inverse

- Attack range increased from 625 to 635

 Lion

- Mana Drain break and cast range improved by 100 (750/1100 -> 850/1200)

- Aghanim's Finger of Death CD decreased from 160/100/40 to 100/60/20

 Lone Druid

- Spirit Bear now has its HP drained by Armlet when active 

- Spirit Bear bounty increased from 100 to 300

 Lord of Avernus

- Movement speed increased from 300 to 310

 Lycanthrope

- Armor increased by 1 (Shapeshift total armor is still the same as before)

 Magnataur

- Reverse Polarity damaged decreased from 150/225/300 to 50/125/200

 Medusa

- Stone Gaze Reworked

Old Stone Gaze:

===============

Any unit facing Medusa has its attack and movement speed slowed by 100%. Dispels enemy units and deals 500/1000/1500 damage to illusions and summoned units.

Lasts 5 seconds. Attack and Movement speed is slowly regained over the duration.

View Angle Spread: 75

AOE: 800

CD: 140/100/60

Manacost: 200/100/0

Note: Once a unit is affected, it retains the negative buff until the spell is over, regardless of facing direction.

Stone Gaze:

============

Any unit facing Medusa will have its attack, movement and turn rate reduced by 50% until the end of the spell. If you accumulate 2 seconds time (in total) facing Medusa, you will turn to stone.

Stoned units are disabled, have 100% magic resistance and take extra damage from physical attacks.

View Angle Spread: 85

Gaze Duration: 6 seconds.

Stone Duration: 3 seconds

Bonus Physical Damage: 30/40/50%

AOE: 1000

CD: 90

Manacost: 200

Note: Kills illusions instead of petrifying them

- Removed from Captain's Mode

 Meepo

- Innate magic resistance increased from 25% to 35%

 Mirana

- Elune's Arrow now deals up to 100 extra damage based on distance the arrow traveled

- Moonlight Shadow cooldown decreased from 160/140/120 to 140/120/100

- Starfall will choose a new target for the second star if the first died before impact

 Morphling

- Base attack time improved from 1.7 to 1.6

 Naga Siren

- Rip Tide cooldown rescaled from 19/16/13/10 to 10

 Necrolyte

- If a unit dies under Reaper's Scythe, it will be credited to Necrolyte

- Aghanim's Reaper's Scythe causes buyback to be disabled on heroes it kills for that death

 Nerubian Assassin

- Mana Burn drain and damage decreased from 5x Int to 3.5/4/4.5/5x

- Mana Burn manacost rescaled from 130/120/110/100 to 100

 Nightstalker 

- Hunter in the Night attack speed rescaled from 30/45/60/75 to 45/55/65/75 (MS remains 20/25/30/35)

 Obsidian Destroyer

- Movement speed increased from 310 to 315

 Ogre Magi

- Ignite DPS increased from 26/32/38/44 to 26/34/42/50

 Omniknight

- Added Aghanim's Scepter

Guardian Angel AoE becomes global and affects buildings (including regen)

 Pandaren Brewmaster

- Aghanim's Primal Split units now gain your current level of Drunken Brawler

- Fire Panda no longer upgrades damage with Aghanim's Scepter

It has roughly same damage with Drunken Brawler now

 Phantom Assassin

- Blur level 4 evasion increased from 35% to 40%

 Phantom Lancer

- Spirit Lance, Dopplewalk, Juxtapose and Phantom Edge illusions damage dealt decreased from 25% to 20%

 Phoenix

- Sun Ray HP cost per second increased from 3% to 4%

 Pudge

- Flesh Heap strength bonus increased from 0.9/1.2/1.5/1.8 to 1/1.5/2/2.5

 Pugna

- Nether Blast structure damage increased from 33% to 50%

- Decrepify can now target Tombstone

 Razor

- Eye of the Storm duration increased from 20/25/30 to 30

- Eye of the Storm strike interval decreased from 0.75/0.65/0.55 to 0.7/0.6/0.5 (Aghanim's to 0.55/0.45/0.35)

- Unstable Current movement speed bonus increased from 3/6/9/12% to 4/8/12/16%

 Rikimaru

- Permanent Invisibility fade time decreased from 3/2.25/1.5 to 3/2/1

 Sand King

- Invisibility fade delay when exiting Sand Storm improved from 0.3/0.6/0.9/1.5 to 1.5

- Sand Storm now has a smoother damage interval (1->0.5, total damage is the same)

 Shadow Demon

- Base Intelligence decreased by 3

- Shadow Poison no longer gives vision over the targets with the debuff

This still reveals the projectile path, but no longer locks on vision to units with the debuff on them for 10 seconds

 Shadow Fiend

- Requiem of Souls slow rescaled from 15/20/25% to 20%

- Requiem of Souls damage reduction increased from 15/20/25% to 50%

 Shadow Shaman

- Aghanim's Mass Serpent Wards damage increased from 53-59/74-79/94-100 to 85-90/105-110/125-130

Basic version damage numbers also normalized a bit from 39-43/54-58/69-73 to 40-45/55-60/70-75

 Silencer

- Global Silence now affects sleeping units

- Added Aghanim's Scepter for Silencer

Applies the current level of Curse of the Silent to all units and increases ultimate duration by one second.

 Skeleton King

- Reincarnation slow now affects attack speed as well

- Reincarnation slow happens immediately upon death rather than after reincarnating

- Critical Strike Reworked

Mortal Strike:

===============

Has a passive and active component. Passively gives you a chance to land a critical strike. Can be cast to temporarily steal HP from a target enemy hero. When the active is used, the critical strike is temporarily disabled for the drain duration.

Passive Crit Damage: 1.25/1.75/2.25/2.75

Passive Crit Chance: 15%

HP Drain: 20% of Max (Not Lethal)

Drain duration: 7

Cast Range: 550

Manacost: 30

Cooldown: 25

Note: This doesn't affect max hp, just temporarily drains then returns it.

 Slardar

- Bash damage type from magical to physical

- Sprint cooldown decreased from 40 to 28

 Sniper

- Shrapnel AoE increased from 360 to 400

 Spirit Breaker

- Charge of Darkness will now also Greater Bash its target

Instead of only affecting those it runs through, it now also affects the target as well. 

The Greater Bash portion of Charge of Darkness will go through BKB, since Greater Bash goes through BKB.

 Storm Spirit

- Electric Vortex cooldown decreased from 20 to 21/20/19/18

 Tauren Chieftain

- Ancestral Spirit vision type from Flying to Ground

- Natural Order aura increased from 20/40/60/80% to 25/50/75/100%

 Terrorblade

- Conjure Image illusion duration increased from 25 to 32

- Sunder minimum HP exchange decreased from 33/28/23% to 25/20/15%

 Tidehunter

- Ravage AoE rescaled from 825/925/1025 to 1025

 Tiny

- Toss cooldown decreased from 10 to 9

- You can now Toss units to Runes 

 Treant Protector

- Leech Seed slow increased from 24% to 28%

- Leech Seed's healing effect no longer ends when the target dies

 Troll Warlord

- Battle Trance cooldown increased from 20 to 30

- Battle Trance duration decreased from 10 to 7

 Tuskarr

- Snowball cooldown decreased from 24 to 21

 Undying

- Soul Rip cast range increased from 650 to 750

 Ursa Warrior

- Fury Swipes duration increased from 6 to 15

 Vengeful Spirit

- Strength increased from 16 + 2.3 to 18 + 2.6

- Nether Swap cast range rescaled from 600/900/1200 to 650/925/1200

 Venomancer

- Poison Sting duration increased from 6/7/8/9 to 6/8/10/12

 Viper

- Corrosive Skin affects any damage source not just regular attacks

- Viper Strike is no longer removed by Dark Pact or Kraken Shell

 Winter Wyvern

- Intelligence growth increased from 2.4 to 3.1

- Arctic Burn no longer provides flying vision

 Witch Doctor

- Death Ward cast range rescaled from 300/350/400 to 400

- Maledict cast range increased from 400 to 525

ITEMS

 Ancient Janggo of Endurance

- Recipe cost increased from 750 to 800

 Armlet of Mordiggian

- HP regen decreased from 8 to 7

 Assault Cuirass

- Positive armor aura is no longer prevented from stacking with other items

This means that it works with items like Vladmir's Offering

 Black King Bar

- Magic Immunity now has a 6th level of decrease

So it decreases on usage until it gets to 4 duration and 50 CD. Previously the lowest level was 5 duration and 55 CD.

 Blade Mail

- Armor increased from 5 to 6

- Damage Return cooldown decreased from 22 to 17

 Bloodstone

- Initial charges increased from 6 to 8

- Can be activated to instantly kill yourself 

This will cause it to trigger the AoE heal that always happens when you die with Bloodstone. 300 second cooldown. Targets the ground to be used, to help prevent accidental usage.

 Bottle

- While empty, Bottle causes couriers to move 30% slower

 Courier

- Courier no longer block neutral creeps from spawning

- Courier Speed Burst from 100% to 50% MS bonus (still reaches max speed)

This primarily a factor when carrying an Empty Bottle. Without an extra slow, Couriers will still reach maximum speed.

 Dagon

- Recipe cost decreased from 1300 to 1250

 Dust of Appearance

- Now stacks in inventory

- Now slows heroes with an invisibility buff on them by 10%

 Ethereal Blade

- Self or ally cast duration increased to 4 seconds

 Eul's Scepter of Divinity

- Movement speed bonus increased from 30 to 35

 Force Staff

- Recipe cost decreased from 1000 to 900

 Gem of True Sight

- Gem can no longer be destroyed

- Gold cost increased from 700 to 850

 Headress of Rejuvenation

- Regeneration Aura AoE increased from 500 to 750 (now equal to Mekansm's active)

 Kelen's Blink Dagger

- Cooldown decreased from 14 to 12

 Linken's Sphere

- Cooldown decreased from 20 to 17

 Lothar's Edge

- Damage decreased from 30 to 22

 Medallion of Courage

- Cast range increased from 800 to 1000

 Mekansm

- Regeneration Aura AoE increased from 500 to 750 (now equal to active)

 Nathrezim Buckler

- Armor bonus AoE active increased from 700 to 750 (now equal to Mekansm's active )

 Necronimicon

- Warrior and Archer armor type changed from Heavy to Hero

This causes them to take a bit less damage from creeps, but same damage from heroes.

 Null Talisman

- Recipe cost decreased from 145 to 135

 Observer Ward

- Initial Stock now starts at 1 instead of 2 (max stock is still 2)

 Quelling Blade

- Can now target Observer or Sentry wards dealing 100 damage (wards have 200 hp)

- Cast range increased from 100 to 350

 Radiance

- Burn damage increased from 45 to 50

 Sange and Yasha

- Minor changes to stats

Old:

=====

+16 Agility

+16 Strength

+15 Attack Speed

+15% Maim chance

+12 Damage

+12% Movement Speed

New:

=====

+16 Agility

+16 Strength

+16 Attack Speed

+16% Maim chance

+16 Damage

+12% Movement Speed

 Sentry Ward

- Sentry Wards AoE decreased from 950 to 800

 Shadow Amulet

- Fade time decreased from 2.6 to 2.4

 Shiva's Guard

- Shiva's Guard aura AoE decreased from 1000 to the standard 900

- Shiva's Guard AS reduction increased from -30 to -40

 Stygian Desolator

- Corruption armor reduction increased from 6 to 7

 Veil of Discord

- Discord AoE increased from 550 to 600

GAMEPLAY and COSMETICS

Captain's Mode bans changed from 2/3 to 2/2/1

* Captain's Mode picks changed from 3/2 to 2/2/1

* Adjusted ban/pick/reserve times Captain's Mode

Old Captain's Mode:

===================

Team 1: Ban [40 sec]

Team 2: Ban [40 sec]

Team 1: Ban [40 sec]

Team 2: Ban [40 sec]

Team 1: Pick [40 sec]

Team 2: Pick [40 sec]

Team 2: Pick

Team 1: Pick [40 sec]

Team 1: Pick

Team 2: Pick [40 sec]

Team 1: Ban [50 sec]

Team 2: Ban [50 sec]

Team 1: Ban [50 sec]

Team 2: Ban [50 sec]

Team 1: Ban [50 sec]

Team 2: Ban [50 sec]

Team 1: Pick [40 sec]

Team 2: Pick [40 sec]

Team 1: Pick [40 sec]

Team 2: Pick [40 sec]

Total Pick/Ban Time: 780 (not counting Reserve time)

Reserve Time: 90 seconds (per team)

New Captain's Mode:

====================

Team 1: Ban [30 sec]

Team 2: Ban [30 sec]

Team 1: Ban [30 sec]

Team 2: Ban [30 sec]

Team 1: Pick [40 sec]

Team 2: Pick [40 sec]

Team 2: Pick [40 sec]

Team 1: Pick [40 sec]

Team 2: Ban [30 sec]

Team 1: Ban [30 sec]

Team 2: Ban [30 sec]

Team 1: Ban [30 sec]

Team 2: Pick [40 sec]

Team 1: Pick [40 sec]

Team 2: Pick [40 sec]

Team 1: Pick [40 sec]

Team 2: Ban [30 sec]

Team 1: Ban [30 sec]

Team 2: Pick [40 sec]

Team 1: Pick [40 sec]

Total Pick/Ban Time: 700 (not counting Reserve time)

Reserve Time: 110 seconds (per team)

* Deny XP and Bonus XP/Gold AOE is now the same as regular XP AOE (1000->1200)

* 4 hero XP bonus changed from 15+6*Level to 20+5*level

* 5 hero XP bonus changed from 10+5*Level to 15+4*level

* Level 11 XP requirements reduced from 6500 to 6000

* Level 12 XP requirements increased from 7700 to 8200

* Gold for ending a spree changed from 50->400 (3x->10x) to 75->600

* Buy back cooldown increased from 5 to 6 minutes

* Level 1 and Level 2 towers armor increased from 18 to 20

* Towers no longer have separate bounty values when creeps or allies get the last it, it now gives the same reliable bounty to all players as if a creep killed it.

* Hero getting last hit on tower gives 100-200 bonus gold. Does not affect team bounty in any way

Previously if you get the last hit:

- You would get no team bounty

- Allies get slightly less gold

Now:

- Allies always get the same amount regardless of who last hits

- A hero last hitting gets roughly the same overall amount as before

* Backdoor protection now also reduces incoming damage by 25%

* Siege units HP increased from 500 to 550

Now always requires 4 hits from tier 1 towers instead of sometimes 3 and sometimes 4

* Repicking a randomed hero now re-adds the hero to the pool

* Swapping a hero that you randomed now costs you 100 gold

Bug Fixes:

Fixed a bug with Call Down slow sometimes lasting too long

* Fixed Call Down inaccurate tooltip

* Fixed Echo Stomp stun sometimes ending too early

* Fixed Ancients not having backdoor protection

* Fixed the left range rax not upgrading the siege units properly for the Sentinel

* Fixed the active component of Tranquil Boots being enabled on Illusions

* Fixed an inconsistency with mana sharing on Tether

* Fixed an issue with Primal Split's Level 2 Storm interaction with Smoke

* Fixed Shadow Amulet not working when you are Magic Immune

* Fixed Rod of Atos sell price

* Fixed Smoke of Deceit not working on Familiars

* Fixed suicides causing aoe bonus XP to be given out

* Fixed attack speed with Armlet on Spirit Bear

* Fixed level 3 Skeleton King Reincarnation scoreboard

* Fixed Rupture sometimes remaining on you when you revive

* Fixed a very minor damage inaccuracy with Eye of the Storm