Our inaugural tournament, BLAST Slam I, has concluded with the BetBoom Team taking home their first championship trophy. The team overcame significant challenges to secure their victory.
If you're curious about the meta heroes of the tournament and their performance statistics, we've got you covered. This article dives into the most impactful heroes of BLAST Slam I .
It's important to note that the tournament was played on Patch 7.37e. Keep reading to discover which heroes dominated the scene and shaped the competition.
Alchemist was nearly contested in every match
BLAST Slam I showcased something truly remarkable: Alchemist, a long-forgotten hero, emerged as the most contested pick of the tournament.
Hey there not so little buddy.
Players had tried to play the hero as a flex pick in the past. However, this time was different. In BLAST Slam I, Alchemist was exclusively drafted as a safelaner.
This shift in strategy could be attributed to his facet, Seed Money, which grants him additional bonus gold at the start of the match.
This early economic boost enables players to invest more heavily in starting items, significantly improving their laning stage.
A stronger laning phase, in turn, allows players to hit critical item timings much faster, solidifying their dominance in the mid-game.
Alchemist has a fluctuating win rate in pubs. However, the hero has an impressive 53.85% at BLAST Slam I in the thirteen matches he was picked in.
Dragon Knight Joins Alchemist in the contest rate
Alchemist wasn’t the only hero boasting a 95.35% contest rate during BLAST Slam I. Joining him at the top is none other than Dragon Knight.
This guy is really due for a nerf.
The hero has been a meta staple for quite some time, thanks to his incredible flexibility. He can seamlessly fill the roles of safelaner, midlaner, or offlaner, adapting to the needs of his team.
What makes Dragon Knight so effective is his facet, Fire Dragon, which ensures his scalability throughout the game.
This strength plays a pivotal role at the highest level of competitive play. At BLAST Slam I, professional teams were often more comfortable facing Alchemist than Dragon Knight.
As a result, DK managed to make it through the draft in only eleven matches.
Despite this, Dragon Knight’s performance was nothing short of exceptional, achieving a solid 72.73% win rate in the games where he was picked.
Every safelaner's favourite water boy.
Rounding out the list of top safelaners at BLAST Slam I is none other than Morphling. The hero remains a strong presence in the meta, primarily due to his innate ability, Accumulation, which allows him to scale effortlessly into the late game.
Even with some of his core items receiving nerfs in recent patches, Morphling continues to be a top-tier safelane pick.
His adaptability and survivability make him a reliable choice as games reached around the 40-minute mark in this meta.
During the tournament, Morphling boasted a 74.42% contest rate across thirty-two matches. However, he only managed to make it through the draft in fourteen matches, where he achieved a 50% win rate.
The other popular heroes
Pugna, Monkey King, and Chen are some of the most contested heroes at BLAST Slam I. Monkey King, in particular, is often drafted as a flex pick.
Monkey King's release come with his own arcana.
As a support, he excels at breaking smoke ganks, scouting, and applying pressure on the midlaner during the laning stage. Later in the game, he can transition into a fourth core if required. He can also play as a midlaner or a safelaner.
Monkey King boasts an 81.40% contest rate across 35 matches. In the six matches where he was picked, he achieved an impressive 83.33% win rate.
Furthermore, as a support, he can transition into a fourth core as the game progresses if needed. Monkey King had an 81.40% contest rate in 35 matches.
In the six matches where he was picked, he boasted an impressive 83.33% win rate.
This little annoying guy is returning to meta as a support.
Pugna is another hero who remains relevant in the meta, with his viability at BLAST Slam I showing no signs of decline.
Thanks to his Siphoning Ward facet, Pugna can significantly influence skirmishes as a support, while his abilities provide valuable utility and saving potential.
The hero recorded a 62.79% contest rate in 27 matches, with a 78.57% win rate in the 14 games where he was picked.
At the tournament, the hero has a 62.79% contest rate in 27 matches. He has a 78.57% win rate in 14 matches where he got picked.
Shadow Demon, another support with strong saving potential, was also highly contested at the tournament. With an 86.05% contest rate across 37 matches, Shadow Demon provides significant security for his team.
His toolkit includes harassment, saving abilities, and a dispel, which are all highly sought after by players. He achieved a 63.64% win rate in 11 matches where he was picked.
As a support, SD provides a lot of security for his team. His toolkit consists of a harass, save and even a dispell which is highly sought after by most players.
The Quas, Wex, Exort juggler blessed us with his presence.
Invoker is also one of the most contested heroes at BLAST Slam I. Despite his nerfs in the recent patches, Invoker is still a viable option in the meta, as demonstrated by his popularity at the event.
As a midlaner, he has a 65.12% contest rate across 28 matches. In the 10 matches where he was picked, Invoker achieved a 60% win rate.
Timbersaw was another surprising hero at BLAST Slam I, with a higher contest rate than expected.
This may be due to his flexibility, as he can play both midlane and offlane roles effectively.
Additionally, Timbersaw provides excellent frontline prowess and, in favourable matches, can snowball to a decisive victory.
He was contested in 53.49% of 23 matches and achieved a 71.43% win rate in the seven games where he was picked.
While some of the heroes on this list are highly contested at the tournament, their performance in pub games has been abysmal.
This stark contrast highlights the nuanced difference between professional and casual play.
With the ongoing ESL One Bangkok 2024, a new patch is likely on the horizon, potentially reshaping the meta once again.
