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Dota 2 7.31: Five reasons why Bracer is the strongest item in the game

If your inventory doesn't look like this, then you're playing the game wrong. (Bracer Image: Valve Software)
If your inventory doesn't look like this, then you're playing the game wrong. (Bracer Image: Valve Software)

Dota 2's 7.31 update included multiple major changes to the game. A new hero, Primal Beast, was introduced, Techies got reworked, several Aghanim's Scepter and Shard upgrades were also reworked, three new items were introduced, and more.

Among the biggest changes in the update, four items — Bracer, Wraith Band, Null Talisman, and Desolator — also received buffs that allowed them to scale as the game goes on.

Of those four items, Bracer has emerged as arguably the strongest item in Dota 2 right now and a must-have in your inventory if you have the space and the gold for it.

Here are five reasons why:

Bracer is fantastic for the laning stage

Dota 2's current patch, 7.31b, is one of the fastest patches the game has ever experienced. The average game length is around two minutes shorter than 7.30. This shorter duration places greater emphasis on the laning stage.

Bracer is a great item to have during the early game, as it provides an extra 100 HP along with 1.5 health regeneration a second for just 505 gold.

These bonuses allow players to play more aggressively without being punished, plus the bonus health also comes in handy when escaping enemy kill attempts.

No other item offers as much survivability

Continuing on the theme of survivability, Bracer's bonuses get doubled once the game hits 25 minutes. At that point of the game and onwards, the item provides 200 health and three HP regeneration. That's a lot of value for your gold, as Ogre Axe also provides 200 health but costs twice as much as a Bracer and lacks all the other benefits.

Bracer is also easy to make and provides a benefit from the laning stage until the game ends. Stacking three Bracers gives you an additional 600 health, two armor, and nine health regeneration. All that for the price of 1,515 gold — an incredible bargain.

Bracer is a great damage item for Strength heroes

So far this article has highlighted the defensive benefits of Bracer, and rightly so. However, Bracer isn’t just a good item for helping you stay alive.

In terms of how much damage it provides to strength heroes, Bracer is the king.

For the first 25 minutes, Bracer provides strength heroes with 8 damage. A reasonable amount for its cost, only slightly worse than Blade of Attack which provides 9 damage for 450 gold.

Once the item levels up at 25 minutes, though, that’s when Bracer becomes an incredible damage item for Strength heroes.

Providing 16 damage for only 505 gold is just simply insane. For comparison, the closest item with the same amount of damage provided is a Broadsword, which provides 15 damage for 1,000 gold.

While these damage numbers are fantastic, they only apply to Strength heroes.

That said, for the likes of Huskar, Mars, and Night Stalker, buying a couple of Bracers early on is probably the best use of gold in the early game.

All roles benefit from stacking Bracers

Bracer is a versatile item that can be bought on pretty much on any hero and in any role while still providing great value.

For example, Undying is the best Position 5 support to stack Bracers on, as the bonus Strength is amplified by 60% whenever the hero uses his Flesh Golem ultimate.

All melee Position 4 supports such as Spirit Breaker, Clockwerk, and Tusk also enjoy the added durability from Bracers.

As mentioned earlier, offlaners such as Mars and Night Stalker are premium heroes to stack Bracers on.

In the midlane, it’s great for heroes who want to deal damage and serve as the frontliner for the team, such as Huskar and Viper. Huskar, in particular, is the best midlaner at using Bracers, and it has contributed to his astounding win rate this patch.

With the faster tempo in 7.31b, carries are joining fights earlier in the game and certain ones like Chaos Knight are perfect to purchase Bracers on.

In every role, there are multiple heroes who benefit from every stat that Bracer provides, and that contributes to the item’s popularity. Bracer is the 16th most bought item in Dota 2 right now, which isn't at all bad when considering the game has over 200 items.

Bracer is perfect for the current metagame

The meta in Dota 2 patch 7.31b focuses on winning the laning stage, taking team fights in the mid-game in order to make space for the carry to farm, then destroying the throne around the 30-minute mark.

Bracer is a great item to have at all those key moments.

The item is fantastic when laning, provides very useful stats during the skirmishes that occur between the 10 and 20-minute marks, and provides heroes with a decent power spike at 25 minutes — right when teams start taking big objectives such as Roshan or begin sieging high ground.

With its cheap components and overall price, all-around useful stats, and 25 minute power spike, Bracer is without a doubt the best item in Dota 2 right now.

Otomo is a long-time gaming enthusiast and caster. He has been playing games since he was 10 and is the biggest Dota 2 fan.

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