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I've been playing Techies quite a bit, and in all the video guides I see on YT I see them doing this trick with the Arcane Boots and the Soul Ring that's never fully explained.

It looks like they're dropping the Boots, activating the Soul Ring, and then picking up the Boots again, and this somehow gives you more MP.

I tried it out in a couple of games and it doesn't seem to make a difference. It seems like a bug, and I'm not quite sure if it's been patched out, or maybe I'm just not performing it correctly. Could someone explain how this is supposed to work?

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When you gain intelligence or +mana in DotA, it sets your new mana total such that it's the same percentage as before acquiring the item. If you have 50/100 mana, and your mana pool increases to 200, the game sets you to 100/200 mana to maintain the same percentage.

In this specific case, let's assume a mana pool of 500 with Arcane Boots equipped (+250 mana), and you have 200 mana remaining (200/500, or 40%). You drop the Arcane Boots, reducing your mana pool to 250, and your current mana to 100/250 (40%). You then use your Soul Ring, giving you 150 mana, putting you at 250/250 (100%) and pick up your Arcane Boots. The game looks at your mana percentage, and adjusts you to 500/500. After eight seconds the Soul Ring boost goes away and you drop to 350/500, essentially netting a "free" 150 mana (based on the 200/500 you started with).

As for whether this is a bug: like most confusing things in DotA, it's kinda just how the game works on a fundamental level.

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  • Just like creep stacking lol... I never knew this was possible but well, lol should try it out...
    – Kim Minseo
    Commented Feb 26, 2015 at 15:24
  • Seems incredibly poorly designed.
    – Waterseas
    Commented Feb 26, 2015 at 15:47
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    @Waterseas Actually I think it's a neat way of handling it. Otherwise how should it be handled fairly? You have the same amount of mana (eg. 100 mana out of 100), if you pick up a +1 int item you should have 100/107 mana? This would be increasingly worse there more int an item has. This way you don't get screwed over by picking up new items, but you can ofc "game" the system by using the above mechanic. But since this carries a risk (an enemy hero picking up or destroying your boots), it's fair.
    – Holger
    Commented Mar 4, 2015 at 15:08
  • @Holger It's not fair, since you don't have to use it around enemies. And indeed, the picking up a +1 int should keep your current mana at your current mana. That's how every other game that has hp and mana in it, whether it be RPG or MOBA does it.
    – Waterseas
    Commented Mar 4, 2015 at 16:19
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    Well with a Bounty Hunter, Nyx, Riki or some hero with a Shadow blade or Invis Rune, this is always a risk. Plus someone could just run into you and get a stun off and deny your items. It is a risk, jsut like taking off your Tranquil boots for jungling. And I can't remember if any other games do this, but I find this is an advanced mechanic that better players can use, with that risk of loosing the item.
    – Holger
    Commented Mar 5, 2015 at 9:13

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