When was the last time I picked an AGi-Hero?

I can't remember. I don't play them anymore. Maybe i don't like their playstyle, but when I play DotA, I also want to win the game. And you just can't do that in non -em when picking an agi hero.

Okay, you can win. If you play against retarded noobs. But if you opponents have brains, you need to pick strength or int to win.

There are two exceptions. Brood and Jugger. Brood can push, brood can hold a lane, brood can farm and jugger can make himself magic immune and even invurnerable. He can initiate and he is a semi-carry (still he is picked quite rarely in competitive).
Maybe Spectre is also viable but - no not anymore. Ah, Potm! But she is rather a caster than a typical agi-hero.

But hey, I am talking about competitive right? In pubs AGIs are picked every game. If so, it would justify their existance. But public players learn from the proes. And in a lot of public games, the picks are close to competitive picks (with few exceptions of course).

But why does no one want to pick AGI heroes, except for noobs and those who like to pwn noobs with them?

First of all, the obvious reason: A change in playstyle. Games got faster, they end faster, picking carries which have to farm for the first 20 mins means losing the game. Most AGI heroes are carries - Void, Troll, Spectre - so picking them is in many cases an auto loss if your opponents are smart.

But the other - In my opinion more important - reason, why AGIs are not favored so much, is due to the items.

If you need someone carry, then just pick a strength or int semi carry. Period. Over the last versions so many new items have been impelemented that this works.

Take Krobelus or Storm or Tinker. Shivas anyone? Bloodstone? Oh not to forget about Orchid and Guinso's has been awesome since ever. Bloodstone turns Int heroes into tanks with infinite mana, Shiva slows all DPSers and greatly decreases the effectiveness of carries. Yeah these items are great and i love them. And int heroes can actually farm them. I know Butterfly is stronger. But how do you want to farm it? A Stomr or a Krobelus or a Tinker can get the items they need to pwn. And guess what? They are also good in early game! Unbelievable! So why paly an AGI carry that can't farm the items he needs because Int heroes keep him down early game and get a great item advantage?


But this argument is nothing compared to the next one. The death of all AGI heroes, has four names:

Bracers, Treads, BKB and Armlet. Oh yeah, they are neck-breakers.

Bracers: Ints need those for survivability. And they are happy about it! Because they can buy cheap HP, they get a bit more armor and some int and since most of them are ranged, 2 bracers are enough.
Strength heroes get almost 120 HP (like everyone else) +6 damage and some int. And they are even happier about it! They get a damage boost early game for about 10% (base damage is around 50 to 60). Get two of them and you are ready for early game. But what about agi heroes? On the one hand they need the HP, but they also need the damage. they dont profit from Bracers as much as they would need to, but Wraiths... Yeah they add damage, but no survivability. His means, you have to live without damage (getting bracers) or you have to spend mroe money to get survivability (buying 4 wraiths instead of 2 bracers).
---> Conclusion: Early game adavantage for Strenght heroes.

Treads: Treads are great since they add +10 to a certain stat. Being a strength hero means: 190 HP, soem regen and 10 damage. Being an AGI means either say no to 190 HP (which is a great boost early game) or to say no to 10 bonus damage. A small calculation to illustrate the problem:

Strength hero:

2 Bracers = 1020 gold for 12 damage and ~ 240 HP
Strength Treads = 1850 gold for 10 damage and 190 HP

= 2870 gold for 430 HP and 22 damage


AGI Hero:

2 Bracers = 1020 gold for 6 damage and ~ 240 HP
Strength Treads = 190 HP

= 2870 gold for 430 HP and 6 damage

or

4 Wraiths = 1840 gold for 228 HP and 24 damage
Strength Treads = 1850 gold for 190 HP

= 3690 gold for ~ 430HP and + 22 damage

What does this mean?

If an Agi hero wants the survivabilty of a Strength hero he get 16 damage less than the Strength Hero.
If he wants the same survivability and damage he has to pay 800 more gold.

(I know i Ignored armor. But since in early game most of the damage comes from spells, HP is more important. And I ignored attackspeed. But IAS is not as important as burst damage early game)

BKB: Carries (or semi carries need this). But again, there is ogre Axe in it, it gives strength. Another bonus for strength heroes (not very significant though at that stage of the game, but still existant)

Armlet: This is the reason why all AGI heroes died, why they are useless. Why we don't need them anymore. Let's see... It is easy to farm, it is cheap for what it gives, it increases HP by 475 and damage by 25. Okay, you lose 35 HP a second. What does that mean? Right, if you don't use it longer than 13 seconds you have no HP disadvantage. Armlet is just WTF. It gives Str Heroes the edge over AGIs. An early midgame item which greatly boosts HP and damage. It gives armor, IAS. Everything. Get two bracers, Str Treads and Armlet on SK, Sven, Slardar or Naix and rape your enemies. I'd even say that Armlet is the best item in the game. It is the reason why Str Heroes carry better than agis. Due to Bracers and Treads they have a better early game than AGIs could ever have. And then after this early game advantag they can farm Armlet. Good night everyone.

It is bizarre. I have seen bounty hunters going 5-0 (decent players) and still get owned after 25 minutes by strength herous jsut because there is no good early game item for AGI heroes. Tell me: after bracers/wraiths/treads what item to buy as an agi? Maelstrom? Great! Good farming, good damage. You know what? You still will get insta-gibbed by nukes and die first in battles. Diffu? Expensive but good. But doesn't help you survive either. Same goes for deso and all the other things. They are good for glass cannons - but no one needs glass canons. And please don't mention S&Y...

Just to sum it up: A good damage dealer needs a good balance of survivability and damage. Strength heroes have this balance, AGIs have to choose between damage and Survivabilty. Thus, they suck.

It is not only the metagame, not only the current playstyle, not only the heroes themselves, no: It is the items that really favor Strength and Int heroes more than ever.

Maybe I am wrong. But besides some remakes (Troll, Sniper...) we need oen thing: A useful early-midgame item like Armlet - but just for agility heroes.