Item Slam Patch 7.41f
Blade Mail

Blade Mail: best heroes by WPA

Blade Mail in patch 7.41f: WPA of the purchase on 13 heroes, by role and build slot, against the other items bought in the same slot. Best confirmed result: Axe core, 3rd item (+2.64 pp).

By hero and slot

WPA of the item against the other items bought in the same slot, in matches of every rank. Slots with fewer than 30 purchases are left out.

Hero Role Slot Purchases WPA 95% CI Verdict
AxeSupport1st item51 (9.8%)+2.74−0.22 to +5.59Inconclusive
AxeCore3rd item1,075 (9.7%)+2.64+0.62 to +4.52✓ Better
AxeSupport3rd item67 (19.0%)+1.65−0.39 to +3.75Inconclusive
UndyingSupport2nd item98 (1.5%)+1.40−2.30 to +5.23Inconclusive
UndyingCore2nd item93 (3.6%)+1.08−2.61 to +5.13Inconclusive
NecrophosCore2nd item37 (0.3%)+0.95−3.44 to +6.24Inconclusive
AxeCore1st item6,763 (54.6%)+0.95+0.22 to +1.68Inconclusive
UndyingCore1st item221 (7.8%)+0.89−3.37 to +5.57Inconclusive
Legion CommanderCore1st item4,115 (41.0%)+0.87−0.19 to +1.92Inconclusive
DawnbreakerCore2nd item95 (0.7%)+0.85−1.90 to +3.99Inconclusive
UndyingSupport1st item194 (2.3%)+0.62−4.25 to +5.27Inconclusive
AxeSupport2nd item159 (34.6%)+0.37−0.88 to +2.06Inconclusive
NecrophosCore3rd item47 (0.4%)+0.06−4.11 to +4.10Inconclusive
Legion CommanderSupport2nd item46 (51.1%)+0.03−0.82 to +0.67Inconclusive
Legion CommanderCore2nd item4,780 (49.1%)+0.03−0.26 to +0.28Inconclusive
AxeCore2nd item3,435 (28.2%)−0.09−0.53 to +0.45Inconclusive
NecrophosCore1st item119 (0.8%)−0.28−5.64 to +5.78Inconclusive
Legion CommanderCore3rd item132 (1.6%)−0.52−3.69 to +2.32Inconclusive
PudgeSupport1st item916 (2.4%)−0.71−3.15 to +1.49Inconclusive
Spirit BreakerSupport2nd item212 (1.6%)−0.83−4.74 to +2.22Inconclusive
PudgeSupport2nd item1,462 (4.4%)−0.86−2.59 to +0.76Inconclusive
Queen of PainCore2nd item42 (0.7%)−0.88−6.09 to +4.57Inconclusive
DawnbreakerSupport1st item31 (6.0%)−0.88−4.87 to +3.93Inconclusive
NecrophosCore4th+ item54 (0.2%)−1.15−4.83 to +2.10Inconclusive
Spirit BreakerSupport1st item164 (1.0%)−1.27−6.78 to +3.76Inconclusive
DawnbreakerCore3rd item48 (0.4%)−1.35−4.32 to +2.19Inconclusive
DawnbreakerCore1st item816 (6.1%)−1.58−4.32 to +1.38Inconclusive
Ember SpiritCore2nd item116 (0.9%)−1.74−6.45 to +3.60Inconclusive
Wraith KingCore2nd item134 (2.6%)−1.90−5.27 to +2.90Inconclusive
Night StalkerCore2nd item44 (0.4%)−2.20−6.65 to +3.63Inconclusive
PudgeCore2nd item914 (4.9%)−2.25−3.79 to −0.01Inconclusive
Queen of PainCore1st item95 (1.5%)−2.28−8.51 to +3.60Inconclusive
DawnbreakerCore4th+ item50 (0.3%)−2.28−5.22 to +1.15Inconclusive
Wraith KingCore4th+ item32 (0.4%)−2.31−5.57 to +0.52Inconclusive
PudgeSupport3rd item519 (2.5%)−2.32−4.56 to −0.29Inconclusive
PudgeCore3rd item370 (2.4%)−2.44−4.40 to −0.62Inconclusive
PudgeCore1st item977 (4.9%)−2.51−5.01 to −0.05Inconclusive
Wraith KingCore3rd item88 (1.9%)−2.83−6.16 to +0.17Inconclusive
TidehunterCore2nd item45 (0.5%)−3.02−6.62 to +0.84Inconclusive
Spirit BreakerSupport3rd item60 (0.8%)−3.07−7.06 to −0.22Inconclusive
Night StalkerCore1st item44 (0.4%)−3.13−9.47 to +3.85Inconclusive
AxeCore4th+ item142 (0.7%)−3.42−5.87 to −0.67Inconclusive
Wraith KingCore1st item139 (2.6%)−4.40−10.08 to +0.70Inconclusive
TidehunterCore4th+ item43 (0.3%)−4.94−9.10 to −0.29Inconclusive
TidehunterCore1st item70 (0.7%)−5.72−11.36 to +0.46Inconclusive
PudgeSupport4th+ item218 (1.8%)−6.27−9.16 to −3.27Inconclusive
Ember SpiritCore1st item69 (0.5%)−6.62−12.02 to −0.36Inconclusive
PudgeCore4th+ item236 (1.4%)−7.18−9.82 to −4.20Inconclusive
Dragon KnightCore4th+ item31 (0.1%)−7.20−13.19 to −1.85Inconclusive

How to read

What is WPA?

Win probability added: how much choosing an item changed the chance of winning, in percentage points, compared with what the hero usually buys in that same slot and situation. +1.0 means the choice won 1 percentage point more than the typical purchase. Unlike raw win rate, it accounts for the game state when the item was bought, so an item bought from ahead doesn't look good just because the game was already won.

Build slots

1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th+ count completed items. Components that become another item in most matches (Perseverance, Dragon Lance, Kaya) do not take a slot: the item they build into does. Boots get a card of their own.

Confirmed or not

The ✓ Better or ✕ Worse badge only appears when the effect passes the false discovery control (10%) in both ways of measuring: at the start of the decision and at the moment of purchase. Without a badge, the sign of the WPA is a trend.

Where the data comes from

Ranked (All Pick) matches parsed by OpenDota in the current patch. One model estimates the chance of winning from the game state; another, the effect of each item at the time of the decision. It is association, not causation: the model sees the game, not who is playing.