Item Slam Patch 7.41f
Vanguard

Vanguard: best heroes by WPA

Vanguard in patch 7.41f: WPA of the purchase on 2 heroes, by role and build slot, against the other items bought in the same slot. Highest WPA, still inconclusive: Axe core, 3rd item (+3.27 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
AxeCore3rd item66 (0.6%)+3.27−1.24 to +7.36Inconclusive
AxeCore2nd item34 (0.3%)+3.23−1.10 to +7.19Inconclusive
Anti-MageCore1st item203 (1.4%)+0.82−4.61 to +5.32Inconclusive
AxeCore1st item1,550 (12.5%)+0.38−1.74 to +2.06Inconclusive
AxeCore4th+ item93 (0.5%)−0.24−3.89 to +3.27Inconclusive

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.