'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Mistwoods update released patch 7.28 in Dota 2. With that patch came one of the most significant changes in the game's history, the Aghanim's Shard upgrades.
In the lore of the game, the Aghanim's Shard is a fragment of a rare crystal. The origin of the shard or the crystal is unknown as it is a closely kept secret by Aghanim himself.
Since its release, the Aghanim's Shard has given fans some of the most broken moments in Dota 2. Specifically, Earthshaker's Shard upgrade became infamous, and teams worldwide first picked this hero thanks to this trend.
However, Valve has balanced most Shard upgrades in Dota 2 since then. Even so, some heroes using this item are still broken in patch 7.29c.
Also read: Dota 2 WePlay Animajor: Everything to know about the last Major before The International
Five most broken Aghanim's Shard upgrades in Dota 2
Some honorable mentions go to Medusa, Witch Doctor, Phantom Lancer, Legion Commander, Centaur Warrunner, Pudge, Riki, and Crystal Maiden.
5) Ursa
Ursa is a melee carry hero in Dota 2. His primary damage comes from auto-attacks. Thus, he is susceptible to heroes that can disable him again and again. The new Aghanim's Shard upgrade somewhat nullifies this weakness of Ursa.
Aghanim's Shard causes Earthshock to apply Enrage for 1.5 seconds and reduces cooldown by 1 second. Enrage gives Ursa a 50% bonus Status Resistance. Earthshock's cooldown after purchasing the Shard becomes 7 seconds, giving him over 50% status resistance for 1.5 seconds with a downtime of 5.5 seconds.
If Ursa has items like Sange, Satanic, and Black King Bar with the Shard, it becomes nearly impossible to kill him. His damage output becomes insane, and he can chase down and kill any hero in Dota 2 with ease.
4) Grimstroke
Grimstroke is a ranged support hero in Dota 2. His ability to enable his team's core heroes makes him one of the best supports in-game. This hero has been a staple of the pro scene ever since it was released.
Grimstroke's Aghanim's Shard upgrade causes Ink Swell to deal 40% more damage and heals the targeted ally for 40% of the damage Ink Swell deals. Upon expiration, the targeted ally receives a strong dispel.
As a result, this spell has become one of the best spells in the game. It stuns enemies while healing and dispelling allies. Grimstroke can use it to chase down enemies, save teammates, and secure kills, making this one of the most broken Shards in all of Dota 2.
Also read: ODPixel and Sheever: The Dota 2 love story
3) Slark
Slark is a melee carry hero in Dota 2. Like Ursa, his primary damage comes from auto-attacks. Disabling Slark is a tricky affair since his first ability applies a strong dispel on Slark. On top of that, this hero's new Shard makes it impossible to target him and his allies, making him even more powerful.
Slark's Shard upgrade grants him a new ability: Depth Shroud. It creates a cloud in an area within which Slark and his allies are untargetable. They also have increased speed and regeneration. It is basically an AOE ultimate for Slark and can turn team fights around within seconds.
Slark can save his allies and empower them with this spell. As a result, his team can freely deal damage to enemies who cannot see or target them, making this a broken Shard upgrade.
2) Dazzle
Dazzle is a ranged support hero in Dota 2. But with his new Shard upgrade, his viability as a core has increased by a lot. His new Shard upgrade causes Poison Touch to hex the affected targets for 1.25 seconds.
This hex is insanely powerful and can lead to chain-stunning a hero to death. Moreover, thanks to Dazzle's ultimate, Bad Juju, Poison Touch has a cooldown of just 9 seconds. This gives him the ability to hex multiple enemy heroes at a very low cooldown rate.
Even as a support, this hex can wreak havoc on the enemy side during team fights. A well-placed poison touch can hex multiple heroes that can instantly win team fights for Dazzle's side.
1) Luna
Luna is a ranged carry hero in Dota 2. Her flexible toolkit allows her to deal both physical and magical damage. Her new Aghanim's Shard upgrade amplifies both her magical and physical damage output.
The new upgrade makes Lucent Beam a potent target spell. Luna can cast it on the ground, and it will automatically hit the nearest hero within a 325 radius. On top of that, she performs instant attacks on two random enemies within a 500 radius of the targeted point or unit.
These instant attacks can proc up any attack modifier Luna has, including Moon Glaives. This allows Luna to deal both physical and magical damage from a long distance. With the correct items, she can siege enemy high grounds without even walking up there.
Since instant attacks can proc every attack modifier, Luna becomes a terror for enemy support heroes who can lose half their health if she places the Lucent Beam correctly. All these abilities combined make Luna's Aghanim's Shard the most broken in Dota 2.
Also read: Top 5 Dota 2 teams that could miss The International 10
Disclaimer: This list solely reflects the opinions of the author.
