DOTA2PROTIPS

How it works/Items

How the Item Data Works

Item tier lists

The item tier list answers a simple question: what do Legend to Immortal players actually build on these heroes? The data is first full purchases from STRATZ.

Why not win rate? Because a finished item's win rate mostly measures game state: the team that's winning finishes expensive items, the team that's losing buys Midas. Even same-minute comparisons are skewed, because the item next to it is often someone's second purchase. So it's ranked by popularity.

  • Items are split by cost — early (up to 2,000 gold), core (up to 4,500) and late — and only compared within their group.
  • Components are left out — if an item gets built into something bigger 60%+ of the time (Yasha, Sange, Buckler), it's a stepping stone, not a target.
  • Level-ups are left out — Dagon 2, Boots of Travel 2 and so on count as the base item.
  • Minimum samples: 20,000 purchases for the overall list, 4,000 for a role list, and the item has to be built on at least 3 heroes.
  • In a role list a hero only counts if it's played in that role at least 20% of the time, weighted by that share — otherwise core items would leak into the support lists.

Within each group: top 10% are S, up to 30% A, up to 60% B, up to 85% C, the rest D. Refreshed every two days.

Neutral item tier list

Neutral items are only compared within their own tier — a tier 5 item only drops late, so ranking it against tier 1 makes no sense. The score is win rate plus half the weight of popularity (same as heroes), from OpenDota public matches since the current patch started. Refreshed every two days.

Item pages

  • Stats, cost and recipe — from the game data.
  • Who buys it — the heroes that build it most, and at which stage of the game (OpenDota).
  • Win rate by hero and build timing — OpenDota data across all ranks. Win rate is shown here as reference, with the same game-state caveat as above.

Item meta

The item meta page shows upgrade item win rates and typical build timings from OpenDota public matches, plus every neutral item by tier. Refreshed every two days.