Despite the underwhelming kit, Cogliostro Kettle is making quite the splash in Dota 2.
After waiting almost a year, Dota 2’s newest hero, the Ringmaster, has finally made his debut to the mixed reception of players. The cruel clockwork circus leader dropped together with the new Compendium two weeks ago to a lot of raised eyebrows. Most of it comes from his stiff animations (even for a mechanical puppet) and his bizarre list of abilities.
He certainly seems to lack a level of polish that’s found in the rest of the Dota 2 cast. The animation for his Tame the Beasts skill is particularly egregious. Not only does it make the act of cracking a whip look incredibly stiff, it also makes the Ringmaster look like a defective toy whenever he does it.
The Ringmaster’s kit itself is also a point of contention for Dota 2 fans. Based on his one and only trailer released almost a year ago, players were expecting something like a puppet master with an emphasis on trapping and controlling enemies. Some elements of that are in the Ringmaster’s current abilities but he’s mostly focused on utility, pushing him hard into a support role. It’s not exactly what people had in mind for the sociopathic showrunner.
More Than Meets The Eye
On the other hand, the Ringmaster is turning out to be quite the powerful hero in his own right. Feelings about his kit aside, it didn’t take long for people to realize how disruptive he can be to the enemy team. Escape Act and Spotlight are abilities that bring so much to the table that they can turn fights by themselves. They may not be flashy looking but completely making an ally invulnerable or hitting enemies with a 30% chance to miss is nothing to sneeze at.
In true Dota 2 fashion, players are already seeing the Ringmaster as a hard counter to illusion based heroes. His ability to quickly save an ally and his surprising amount of damage also make him fit in any team. And while it’s only been two weeks, he’s already sporting a +50% win rate. Rather impressive for a character that’s missing his Facets and Aghanim’s upgrades. Overall a strong showing for the newest member of the Dota 2 crew.
So, despite a weak first impression, it seems like the Ringmaster is going to fit just fine in Dota 2. Certain elements about the character definitely needs some tuning but it seems he’s found his niche. And who knows, maybe his quirks will grow on people as time goes by.
Banner image from Valve.