Dota Underlords’ Big Update adds a Duos mode and new heroes

The Big Update for Dota Underlords is finally live. And boy, is it big. This update marks the beginning of the end for the game’s beta and its move towards season 1. The Big Update has brought quite a lot of changes with it, and you can read the full patch notes here.  

But the most important changes will be mentioned here along with the official patch notes. The first big change is the addition of two new modes, Duos and freestyle. In Duos mode, you will be able to team up with a partner and compete with seven other teams. Currently, to queue up for the mode you will need to have a partner in you party. In Freestyle, you will be able to create any combat scenario of your own and let it play out. 

The Big Update also adds the game’s first Underlords: Hobgen and Annessix. They are powerful units and you will be able to select one of them as the centrepiece of your line up. They have powerful abilities which will use Hype. It can be generated passively, or by killing the other Underlord or killing units. They will also lose hype when stunned or Hex. 

The Big Update also adds new heroes and alliances and changes the XP curve as well. There are some UI changes and Item Drop Table changes as well.  

NEW MODES 

DUOS

Team up with a partner in crime to battle 7 other teams in an effort to be the last pair standing. You share a health pool with your buddy and can freely trade heroes and gold with them. Currently, to queue up for Duos you will need to form a party with a friend.

FREESTYLE

Create any combat scenario that you want and watch it play out in a custom sandbox. You can easily share the board that you've set up with others. 

UNDERLORDS 

Starting with The Big Update you'll be able to pick either Hobgen or Anessix to be your Underlord. Underlords are powerful units that are the centerpiece of your crew. You'll be able to modify them throughout the game to fit your current crew by selecting Talents every 5 rounds starting at round 10. Underlord Talents modify their abilities in powerful and unique ways. Be careful though, Underlords are not immortal, and can be killed in combat each round.

Hype

Hype is required to power each of your Underlord's abilities. Each Underlord generates passive Hype in a unique way. Every time an Underlord kills a unit they gain 10 Hype. If an Underlord is Stunned or Hexed they lose 5 hype per seconds while under those effects. When the enemy Underlord is killed your Underlord is empowered and gains twice as much Hype for the rest of the fight.

Hype is not consumed when an Underlord casts an ability.

Underlord Abilities

As long as your Underlord's Hype is above the threshold for an ability then your Underlord will cast it whenever it is ready. Each ability has its own separate cooldown.

Trash Talk

Each Underlord comes with their own unique set of taunts for both the preparation phase (which go out to all players), as well as the combat phase (which will only be heard by your current opponent). 

NEW HEROES 

Nyx Assassin: 

Alliances: Insect Assassin 

Tier: 1 

Ability: Spiked Carapace - Nyx Assassin pops spikes out of its carapace, negating and reflecting 100% of the damage dealt (max once from each source), as well as stunning the source of the damage for <1/1.5/2>s. (100 mana, 10s cooldown)

 

Ability: Vendetta - PASSIVE: After teleporting to attack a unit, Nyx Assassin deals 200 bonus damage on his next attack and applies Break to the enemy for 4s, disabling all passive effects.

Shadow Demon:

 

Alliances: Heartless Demon

 

Tier: 1

 

Ability: Demonic Purge - Repeatedly purges the target enemy unit, removing positive buffs, applying Break, and slowing the target for 5 seconds. The unit slowly regains its movement/attack speed until the end of the duration, upon which <500/800/1100> damage is dealt. (100 mana, <20/15/10>s cooldown)

 

Dazzle: 

Alliances: Troll Healer 

Tier: 2 

Ability: Shadow Wave - Dazzle sends out a bolt of power that arcs between up to <3/4/5> allies that are 3 cells apart, healing each ally for <80/140/200> while damaging any enemy units 1 cell away for <80/140/200>. Dazzle is always healed by Shadow Wave. (100 mana, <10/8/6>s cooldown)

Magnus: 

Alliances: Shaman Brute 

Tier: 2 

Ability: Empower - Magnus enrages an ally granting him <30/50/80>% damage and <30/50/80>% Cleave for 20 seconds. (0 mana, 7s cooldown)

 

Weaver: 

Alliances: Insect Hunter 

Tier: 2 

Ability: Shukuchi - Weaver shifts out of visibility, becoming untargetable and quickly moving through a target up to 3 cells away. Weaver deals <60/120/200> damage to each enemy it passes through. (20 mana, <6/5/4>s cooldown)

 

Io: 

Alliances: Primordial Druid 

Tier: 3 

Ability: Tether - Io tethers to the nearest allied unit and pulls itself towards it. Io and the tethered unit gain <50/80/110> attack speed and <10/20/30>% damage reduction. The tether will break if Io is more than 4 cells away. (0 mana, 2s cooldown after tether is broken) 

Ability: Relocate - Io teleports away for 4 seconds to revive a dead hero. The two units return with full health and are purged of negative effects. (100 mana, 60s cooldown)

Legion Commander: 

Alliances: Human Champion 

Tier: 3 

Ability: Duel - Legion Commander targets the lowest health enemy 1 cell away and they are forced to attack each other for <4/4.75/5.5>s. Neither hero can use abilities. If either hero dies during the duration, the hero winning the Duel gains permanent <5/10/15> bonus damage. (100 mana, 40s cooldown)

 

Ability: Will of the Bullsnake - UNLOCKED BY THE DRAGON ALLIANCE PASSIVE: When Legion Commander wins a Duel she instantly heals for 50% of her maximum health. 

Lifestealer: 

Alliances: Heartless Brute 

Tier: 3 

Ability: Feast - PASSIVE: Lifestealer's attacks damage enemies and heal himself for <3/4.5/6>% of his target's max health.

Bristleback:

 

Alliances: Brawny Savage 

Tier: 4 

Ability: Quill Spray - Bristleback sprays quills from his back, damaging all enemy units 2 cells away. Enemies take <40/80/160> damage along with an additional <60/64/68> damage for each stack of Quill Spray they have been hit with this round up to a maximum of 5 stacks. (20 mana, 3s cooldown) 

Broodmother: 

Alliances: Insect Warlock 

Tier: 4 

Ability: Spin Web - Broodmother spins a web 2 cells wide on top of an enemy unit. Enemies on the web lose <20/30/40> attack speed, 80% movement speed, and <50/75/100>% cast speed. (100 mana, 25s cooldown) 

Faceless Void: 

Alliances: Primordial Assassin 

Tier: ACE OF ASSASSINS 

Ace Effect: Allied Assassins have a 5% chance per Assassin Alliance level to dodge attacks by jumping backward in time, fully avoiding both physical and magical damage. +15% chance of finding if you have at least one level of the Assassin Alliance completed. 

Ability: Chronocube - Creates a blister in spacetime, stunning all units caught 2 cells away from the center of the cube for <4/5/6>s. Faceless Void moves very quickly inside the cube and gains 50 attack speed. Only Faceless Void is unaffected. (100 mana, <15/12/9>s cooldown) 

Sven: 

Alliances: Human Scaled Knight 

Tier: ACE OF KNIGHTS 

Ace Effect: When Sven casts God's Strength, all allied Knights lose their Knight Alliance bonus and gain 50% damage per Knight Alliance level for the remainder of the round. +15% chance of finding if you have at least one level of the Knight Alliance completed. 

Ability: God's Strength - Sven enrages and gains <100/150/200>% damage for 60 seconds. (200 mana, 60s cooldown) 

Ability: Great Cleave - PASSIVE: This unit's melee attacks strike nearby enemies for <30/45/70>%.