Zeus is a hero in Dota 2 that other casters have overshadowed for years, but recent item and skill reworks have helped him step into the spotlight with new builds. With the 7.31 update, Zeus's old Aghanim's Shard, Heavenly Jump, became a default ability, giving him the mobility he needed to survive dangerous situations. Unfortunately, Zeus's win rate isn't spectacular currently, but it's hard to say whether this is due to the numbers being too low or players not knowing how to play the new Zeus.
Zeus's main purpose as a hero is still dealing lots of magical damage. While he now has a new tool to stay alive, this doesn't change the fact that he'll still quickly fall against any kind of heavy damage or disable. Because of this, Zeus's item builds in Dota 2 rely heavily on increasing his damage and survivability.
7.31 changed several items and added a few new ones, and a few of these changes are particularly interesting for Zeus. For example, ethereal Blade became a dedicated caster item due to its recipe rework, including a Kaya, and Bloodstone got reworked entirely into a magic user's Satanic. Both of these items fit wonderfully on common Zeus builds in Dota 2, and other changes are good for the builds that they don't fit on.
Best Zeus Item Builds For All Roles In 7.31b
Note that like all things Dota 2, updates, meta developments, and situations can call for unique item builds.
Best Support Zeus Item Build In 7.31b
Zeus isn't frequently played as a support in Dota 2 competitive games due to other heroes like Skywrath Mage or Techies doing what he does but better with fewer items. Still, he does have a completely unique niche that can occasionally warrant it: being able to deward effectively and reveal invisible units with Lightning Bolt at level 1. Without the farm of a core, support Zeus desperately needs enough mana to be able to contribute, and Null Talismans, Enchanted Raindrops, and the Tranquil Boots + Soul Ring combo help provide that mana. Aether Lens lets Zeus cast from a safer distance while further contributing to mana regen. Force Staff is essential for a squishy hero like Zeus since it provides mobility that is desperately needed and a bit of extra health. Veil of Discord is a cheap way to increase Zeus's damage once his survivability and mana concerns are dealt with.
Zeus's Aghanim's Shard is critical for scaling into the late game since it makes all of his spells deal damage based on the enemy's health. Aghanim's Scepter helps even more with this, giving Zeus a new global spell that casts Lightning Bolts in the area; this can be used to deal massive damage in team fights, get vision, or push out waves from a very safe distance. Boots of Bearing are a natural upgrade for the Tranquil Boots purchased earlier and gave Zeus a bigger team-fight presence. Finally, refresher Orb is a classic Zeus item, and support Zeus is no exception; it doubles the impact of his ultimate and his Nimbus from the Scepter.
Glimmer Cape is a great support item in general against magic damage but supports Zeus might struggle with its mana cost in Dota 2, and it isn't particularly useful if the enemies lack magical damage. Eul's Scepter of Divinity is perfect for setting up other hero's skillshots or dispelling silences. It provides a decent amount of mana regen, but the active is of little use if dispels, or setups aren't a concern. Finally, the Ethereal Blade is a perfect damage item for core Zeus, but support Zeus probably needs to prioritize cheaper items due to a lack of gold income and an increased need for survivability.
Best Core Zeus Item Build In 7.31b
Zeus is most commonly played as a mid-laner, but this build should work for any core position. Early Null Talismans help give early mana, which a Bottle can further assist if it makes sense for the game. Boots of Travel help Zeus roam around the map more quickly to pick up more farm and respond to enemy movements. Kaya builds into Ethereal Blade and is an essential part of Zeus's early mana regen as a core. The Ethereal Blade itself amplifies Zeus's mana regen even more and dramatically enhances his solo kill potential; using this combo on support might feel like outright banning them from playing Dota 2. Aether Lens gives even more mana regen and allows Zeus to play more safely with the extra cast range. Finally, Zeus's Aghanim's Shard is essential for him to scale into the midgame and late game since it allows every instance of damage he deals to take a percentage of the enemy's health.
Zeus's Aghanim's Scepter is suitable for many of the same reasons as on support Zeus, except a core Zeus can get it at an earlier time and make use of it for more. The ability to push creep waves from anywhere on the map on a low cooldown should not be underestimated. Octarine Core is a natural upgrade to Aether Lens and acts as a multiplier to Zeus's damage output due to the lower cooldowns. Refresher Orb again acts as a damage multiplier, doubling Nimbus and Thundergod's Wrath's damage and refreshing any of Dota 2's key items such as Black King Bar. Bloodstone is an excellent late game survivability item that gives Zeus a bit more mana when needed. Scythe of Vyse gives even more stats while also providing a disable to save himself or double down on the offense.
Veil of Discord is a cheap, efficient damage upgrade, but core Zeus tends to run out of item slots and thus doesn't often want to buy it, but if playing from behind or playing on a team with tons of magic damage, it can be a solid pickup. Eul's Scepter of Divinity is a perfect item for Zeus if dispels are important. Black King Bar may be necessary against teams with excessive magical burst damage or disables. Sange and Kaya is an alternative to Ethereal Blade that trades damage for survivability, and this trade can be important in some games. Finally, Linken's Sphere acts as a solid counter to specific abilities such as Legion Commander's Duel or Doom's Doom but isn't a great purchase if it's easily broken or doesn't block important spells.
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