How not to buy Dota 2 Khanda in every match

Khanda Vengeful Spirit mid-build is probably the trigger word, which many fellow Dota 2 players can relate to in the latest Dota 2 update. On paper, it stands out for its unique combination of offensive and defensive characteristics. It notably boosts a hero’s health, mana, health regeneration, and mana regeneration.

Additionally, it boosts attack speed and main attack damage, proving beneficial for heroes requiring a mix of strength and endurance. It also enhances magic resistance, providing a crucial durability against magic-based damage. Yet, despite all these phenomenal perks, why is it still the most despised item build today?

Khanda Dota 2 Item Stats and Abilities

Beforehand, here are the detailed stats of Khanda, for Kevin “Purge” Godec fans. Khanda will:

Enhances health by 176 and health regeneration by 0.8.
Increases mana by 96, with an additional 0.4 mana regeneration and 0.8% base magic resistance.
Improves attack speed by 8 and provides 1.33 main armor.
Boosts main attack damage by 8 for heroes of strength, agility, and intelligence attributes.
Grants a significant 16.8 main attack damage increase for universal attribute heroes.

Furthermore, Khanda has two distinctive passive abilities: Critical Strike and Empower Spell. Critical Strike imbues each attack with a 30% probability of inflicting 160% damage. On the other hand, Empower Spell elevates the next Unit Target spell cast on an adversary by adding an extra 100 damage plus 75% of the hero’s attack damage as bonus damage, also imposing a 50% slowing effect for 1.5 seconds.

Best Heroes to buy Khanda

Considering Morphling and his “Shotgun Item Build,” Khanda might initially appear as an advantageous acquisition due to the synergy with the Empower Spell passive. However, the decision to equip Khanda on any carry hero for this benefit alone may not always be strategic. The item’s significant cost of 5000 gold, necessitating items like Crystalys and Phylactery in addition to the recipe, represents a considerable investment in a game.

How not to buy Khanda in Dota 2

Certain mid-players, notably those favoring Vengeful Spirit and Sniper, often rush to buy Khanda. This approach can be counterproductive, particularly for mid-players whose responsibility includes enabling other lanes through utility and initiating items.

Investing in Khanda early on can compromise their effectiveness in the midgame phase. More traditional item choices may offer greater overall utility, with the option to build Crystalys into Khanda in the late game instead.

Additionally, there are alternatives that are more impactful for specific heroes. In Morphling’s case, the Ethereal Blade not only provides a substantial damage nuke but also offers tactical versatility, enabling Morphling or allies to become immune to physical attacks.

For Vengeful Spirit, the Aghanim’s Scepter emerges as a more utility-focused choice, offering a pseudo-reincarnation after death. Sniper, meanwhile, can opt for a classic auto-attack build or experiment with a magic damage approach. And in less traditional mid-hero picks, there are Khanda Dota 2 Spirit Breaker builds or even Bounty Hunter if you are feeling adventurous.

Should you buy Khanda in Dota 2?

As described earlier, there’s no doubt that Khanda is a decent item, given its stats and abilities. However, as a mid-player whose impact relies heavily on his choice of items, Khanda is not a Dota 2 item to be prioritized over any mid-carry’s typical item build. Perhaps if you are feeling adventurous, the Khanda Dota 2 Spirit Breaker build with its 30% bash proc can be a fun pos-4 or even offlane to consider in your high MMR ranked game.

For 5000 gold, seasoned Dota 2 players even go as far as to say the item needs even more calibration to be more viable.