Classifying Items

I'm starting a new guide that goes through most of the buildable items in the game in some detail (will link once it's live, although it'll probably be Work in Progress).

I've had some difficulty trying to get the items into a reasonable number of categories. At the moment I have:

- Consumables (e.g. Tango)
- Damage ( Crystalys)
- Defensive ( Black King Bar)
- Utility ( Mekansm)
- Debuff and Disable ( Scythe of Vyse)
- Mobility and Escape ( Force Staff)
- Farming ( Battle Fury)
- UAMs (Orbs) ( Desolator)
- Misc (Dagon)

But I'm struggling to fit in the following:

Assault Cuirass - it's both an offensive and defensive item, plus offers auras/utility of some kind to the team.

Butterfly - again, it's both offensive and defensive.

Sange and Yasha - meh, mostly damage/stats but it offers a whole range of different stuff. Misc?

Manta Style - again, mostly damage, but it has both defensive and offensive power.

Any suggestions?

EDIT: Probably easier to see what I'm on about if you can see the partial guide:

Work In Progress Guide

Maybe you can fit them in more categories?

Thanks Hades - um, yeah, but could they all go in one? And what would that category be called?

Not so easy :P

I would imagine Dagon, SnY, Butterfly and Manta go under damage. Assault Cuirass under defense. Just put them under their primary uses and then make notes of their other uses. You could also just list them in multiple categories, SnY/Yasha/Manta/Drum can go under mobility.

Another alternative would be to make 3 lists, each for each attribute. Halberd would not be an offensive pick-up as an Agi hero, but as a Str hero it definitely is. Scythe of Vyse would be an offensive pick up for an Int hero, but for a Agi hero it'd be used primarily as a disable (Ei: Nyx).

Yeah it's surprisingly tricky isn't it? I'm tempted to move Armlet of Mordiggian and Mask of Madness into a new "attack speed" category with Assault Cuirass...not sure they fit into "Damage" really.

Maybe a "mixed" or "balanced" category would fit Butterfly, SnY, Manta etc?

I really think you can combine your carry and damage sections to just carry: things that increase your damage output - attack speed and damage. You can call it damage output or something along those lines.


For your misc category:

I think you can put Shiva's in defensive - I think the armour boost is primarily what most Shiva buyers want (I'm thinking Doom), while the slow is a plus (the same logic as a BKB - defensive item with offensive uses).

Vlads can easily go into utility, even if it is viable on carries as well (same logic as Drums and Necrobook). Back when pushing was more in, Vlads was very important to get. The +5 AoE armor is gamebreaking.

E-blade and Dagon are nuke items really only competitively viable on Morph and Nyx. Refresher Orb is an item that enhances utility heros with big ults. I think it's ok if you just leave a misc section.

I suggest the following:
1) Convert Utility category into Team category and include Vladmir's Offering, Ring of Aquila and Assault Cuirass.
2) Make a separate Multi-purpose category to include Eul's Scepter of Divinity, Aghanim's Scepter, Ethereal Blade, Butterfly, Refresher Orb and Shiva's Guard. Describe how those provide both defensive and defensive capabilities, based on the hero and item setup.
3) Dagon should go under Damage imo. While it’s not physical damage, it’s purpose is still very clear.

Put items in multiple categories (i.e. Abyssal in both Disable and dmg)

Then, make an index where you list every category every item is in.

I'd also suggest Aura, pushing, Spell dmg categories, as well as make subcategories (i.e. under Damage splits into +Stats, Atk Spd, and +Dmg)

Finally, add a section & make you guide more friendly about the ctr+f function.

Thanks guys, I'm still working away on the guide (think Dotafire is starting to break under the sheer length of the damned thing :)) and have taken some of these suggestions on board. Especially like the idea of having some indexes where items can be listed multiple times under seperate categories - will implement once all the text is finished.

I am sorry but nobody builds a Butterfly as a defensive item.
The escape is a plus, but in no case you may think "I am gonna build a 6k gold item to get some evasion, yeah!"
Not because it gives a slight defensive advantage means this is a defensive item.