Patch 7.41 brought a substantial refresh to the Dota 2 in-game shop. Valve added a batch of new artifacts — four (technically five) new buildable items that feel like full item slots — and they change some common purchase patterns. For players who usually skip the item section of a patch note, here is a clear breakdown of what each new artifact does and which heroes should consider buying them.
Hydra's Breath — price: 5,990. This item is firmly aimed at ranged carries. It combines three useful effects in one package: bonus attack range similar to Dragon Lance, a chance to deliver three extra attacks that hit additional targets (an effect reminiscent of Specialist's Array), and a debuff that applies extra magic damage. The net result is faster farming for ranged carries and a notable boost to teamfight DPS. Predictably, heroes that benefit most from Hydra's Breath are those who rely on long-range right-clicks and improved presence in fights.
Recommended Hydra's Breath carriers: Sniper, Drow Ranger, Arc Warden, Weaver, Morphling.
Important nuance: you will sometimes see Muerta listed among the top users of Hydra's Breath — likely due to player inattention. Hydra's Breath does not stack with heroes that already have built-in multi-target attack mechanics, so the extra-attack component will not apply on those heroes. This includes Muerta, Gyrocopter, and Medusa. Also note that other unique modifiers (aside from the built-in multi-attack effect provided by Hydra's Breath itself) will not apply to the additional targets; that makes the item somewhat less effective on heroes like Silencer or Dragon Knight.
Consecrated Wraps — price: 2,600. This is a survivability item designed for tanks and melee frontliners. In simple terms, when you are not taking damage you accumulate up to three charges of a movement-speed buff; when you start getting hit the buffs disappear and instead grant a 360-point barrier for a short time, after which the cycle can repeat if you get out of focus.
Consecrated Wraps is especially strong in the early game for two reasons. First, a 360-point shield that can be refreshed by temporarily leaving enemy focus is a significant defensive tool. Second, the movement-speed charges help neutral-farm efficiency: you spend fewer resources clearing camps and then move 20% faster to the next camp, accelerating your jungle or lane rotation.
Recommended Consecrated Wraps users include many active melee heroes: Pudge, Necrophos, Doom, Bristleback, Axe, Spirit Breaker, Tidehunter, Razor, Centaur Warrunner, and Undying. In general, any contact-focused hero that needs improved frontline survivability can make good use of this item.
A couple of mechanical notes: tower attacks do not trigger the barrier, nor does self-inflicted damage — however, if the barrier is already active it will still protect you from those sources of damage.
Essence Distiller — price: 1,775. This is a new alternative upgrade to Urn of Shadows; Spirit Vessel remains available as well. The primary advantage of Essence Distiller is price: it costs 1,000 less than Spirit Vessel, making it an attractive early purchase for supports.
Gameplay-wise there is a key difference versus Spirit Vessel. If you use Essence Distiller on an allied hero, it behaves like Urn/Spirit Vessel would: a targeted heal/charge application. Against enemies, however, it does not apply as a targeted cast. Instead it plants a trap with a wide trigger radius; any enemy that walks into that area will receive the debuff and be revealed. This makes the item useful for macro plays — protecting your carry from ganks, controlling Roshan approach paths, or simply gaining more information about enemy movements on the map.
Important details: the trap effect will apply even to enemies under Black King Bar (BKB). If multiple enemies enter the trap simultaneously, only one of them will receive the debuff.
Essence Distiller is a solid purchase for most supports who previously built Urn of Shadows. Typical recommended users are Venomancer, Pudge, Invoker, Witch Doctor, Spirit Breaker, Rubick, and Lich.
Crella's Crozier — price: 4,800. This is the most intriguing and niche item of the update. Crella's Crozier is tailored for magic-focused tanks or frontliners who actively stand in the center of fights. It extracts movement speed from nearby enemies while applying a Necrophos-like rot debuff to them, so to get full value you need to be in the thick of combat. That makes the item unsuitable for many supports and most carries: supports usually don't want to be the absolute center of engagements, and carries equipped with this item would lose a lot of their damage output.
As a result, Crella's Crozier tends to fit a narrower hero profile — certain offlaners with a magic tilt and some mids who can afford to be in melee range.
Recommended Crella's Crozier users: Necrophos, Leshrac, Pudge, Death Prophet, and Muerta. A few words on each: for Necrophos the item effectively amplifies his existing kit, increasing survivability and the speed at which enemies suffer his rot-like effects. For Leshrac it behaves like a teamfight-enhancing analogue of Nihilism combined with extra stats and mobility. Pudge benefits from the heavy movement-speed reduction against enemies around him. Death Prophet gains a defensive save and more mobility without sacrificing damage output. Muerta can use the item situationally — she does not lose her ability to deal damage with it and gains valuable mobility, though the item's stats are not ideal for a primary Muerta carry role.
Which items have you tried so far? Which heroes have you already built them on, and how did they perform?