Dota is a game that requires true grit and determination as some matches can last up to an hour or even more! Ultimately, it boils down to heroes who can stay relevant throughout the game and have a long-lasting impact. Such heroes are often the best heroes in the meta and are often referred to as “late-game heroes”, which shine bright as the game progresses. Their items and their abilities allow them to be powerful and relevant damage-dealing heroes while their enemies fade and grow powerless and feeble.
To help you deal the maximum damage in the late stages of the game, we bring you the Best 15 Damage Heroes for the Late game. These heroes are highly dominant in the new patch thanks to their buffs, making them a formidable force.
15. Naga Siren
The vicious yet soulful Naga emerges from the deep seas as a beautiful yet threatening entity whose voice can cause lethal damage on the battlefield. She is one of the few late-game heroes capable of dealing serious damage when she acquires her items. Along with her damage, she can also lock enemies down with her net or the ultimate, providing her with the much-needed crowd control which can cripple enemies. Naga Siren’s high damage and late-game potential have made her a hot commodity in the current meta.
You can feel the fire in the late game when Naga becomes immensely tanky and unkillable. This is because she acquires certain items which help her farm quickly as well as stand her ground, making her hit like a truck while also immensely tanky. Naga indeed requires more of her things to have an impact, but when she does acquire those items, there is no way you can put an end to her destruction. She cuts deep and drowns her enemies with her high-damage-dealing things. In the current meta, Naga has been the rage due to her damage in pro games.
What makes Naga Siren a great damage hero?
- Naga Siren is known to build high-damage items like Manta Style, Butterfly, Eye of Skadi, etc., which allow her to rip through her enemies in the late game
- Naga Siren also has Rip Tide which reduces enemy armor in a short AoE, dealing high damage to them and reducing their impact
https://www.dota2.com/hero/nagasiren
14. Luna
The moon rider Luna is a rage in the current meta. She is known to be a great damage-dealing hero as she is highly versatile. Her AoE damage output makes her a force to be reckoned with. Although laning can be tough for Luna, she can fall back on the jungle to farm with the help of her Moon Glaives and decent early-game damage. Luna is a great pick for dealing with hybrid damage as her ultimate Eclipse deals an ungodly amount of magical damage which complements her physical damage. In 7.33, we see Luna back in action as she is constantly picked due to the buffs to her ultimate and also because of her impact in the late game.
The hybrid damage dealt by Luna is the prime reason behind her being picked so much. She can be played as an offensive physical damage carry or a punishing magical damage mid-hero. She clears waves quickly, allowing her to farm and split push at an impressive pace. Other carry heroes often struggle to keep up with Luna if the game goes on for more than 40 minutes. Additionally, Luna can be paired with heroes who have massive crowd-control abilities, giving them an advantage over their weaker opponents.
What makes Luna a great damage hero?
- Luna has hybrid damage, meaning she can go both physical or the magical damage build if required, making her a great late-game hero that does not fade away
- Luna’s ultimate, Eclipse, can be a great source of damage even in the late game if followed up by allied spells
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Luna
13. Phantom Assassin
Phantom Assassin is the queen of the late games. She is known to rip through her enemies and deal copious amounts of damage right from the laning phase. Most heroes can’t survive the onslaught of Phantom Assassin due to her high physical damage right from the laning phase. The lack of mobility in enemy heroes makes it easy for Phantom Assassin to catch up to them and turn them into dust. She also farms extremely well due to her mobility. Her damage just gets out of hand in the late game as she acquires more items and gets more kills due to it.
The notorious assassin is known to dominate the game with her terrifying damage. Phantom Assassin is agile and silent in her moves, as an assassin generally is, while also being one of the most-played late-game damage heroes in the game due to her ease of spells. Phantom Assassin has great base movement and attack speed, which is rarely found in a carry hero. Her spells may seem underwhelming in the early game but as she reaches the late-game mark, she can do a lot with just one Stifling Dagger.
What makes Phantom Assassin a great damage hero?
- Phantom Assassin’s ultimate Coup De Grace, allows her to deal upto 450% critical damage, which means she can essentially one-shot heroes in the late game
- She is also known to solely deal physical damage, which is highly effective against heroes with low armor, making her a highly effective hero in the late game.
12. Wraith King
None can face the Wrath of the Wraith King! The vampire king is simply too strong in the current meta to be taken lightly. Wraith King is one of those few heroes who are lethal right from the laning phase. You witness utter chaos and domination from the side of the Wraith King if you leave him to his own devices in the early game. He can split push with the battalion of his skeletons while he farms away securely, preparing himself for a team fight. With Mortal Strike, he can decimate heroes with just a few mouse clicks, making him a highly lethal hero to face.
Along with being a great damage-dealing carry hero, Wraith King is also a great counterpick to most carry heroes due to his tanky nature. His immense lifesteal and crit make him a durable and lethal hero in teamfights. Speaking of teamfights, most heroes do not stand a chance in fights when Wraith King gets his Reincarnate and Black King Bar. He can simply negate all the damage dished out, and in turn, deals truckloads of physical damage to his enemies. Most heroes fall off in the late game as they find it hard to both survive and have an impact, which is a struggle that Wraith King does not relate to!
Why is Wraith King a powerful damage hero?
- Wraith King has massive damage potential with his Mortal Strike, that essentially deals up to 300% critical damage, which can be a great way of striking down low HP or low armor enemies
- Wraith King is also known to be a great late-game hero due to the powerful damage items that he purchases, like Monkey King Bar, Overwhelming Blink, Assault Cuirass, and much more.
11. Monkey King
Monkey King is a powerful damage-dealing carry hero who can dominate games with his mobility and lethal physical damage. His toolkit allows him to deal massive damage with his Jingu Mastery. Monkey King's Boundless Strike ability can be used to initiate fights and control the battlefield while his ultimate, Wukong's Command, can turn him into an unkillable clone army. He is a popular choice in both competitive and pub games in the 7.33 meta due to his massive buffs. There are also various builds that you can follow on Monkey King that allow you to stand your ground and be a resilient damage-dealing hero.
Monkey King’s damage combined with his immense fight potential has put him on this list. He can be played as a carry, making him a versatile pick for any team composition. Additionally, he is a strong laner and farmer, allowing him to gain an early advantage over his opponents. Monkey King's ultimate is especially potent in team fights, as the clone army can absorb incoming attacks and deal significant damage. He is a hero that can easily snowball out of control and take over the late game, making him a nightmare for any unprepared enemy team.
Why is Monkey King a great damage?
- His Boundless Strike ability deals massive critical damage (which depends on his physical damage), making it an excellent tool for bursting down enemy heroes if he has great items
- His ultimate, Wu Kong's Command, also provides him with additional damage and great crowd control, making it hard for enemies to get to him easily while he dishes great damage
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Monkey_King
10. Faceless Void
The master of time manipulation, Faceless Void is a highly devastating hero if played well. His ultimate can quickly turn the game around for good or for worse! He is a hot commodity in the recent patch due to his high crowd control and damage-dealing potential. He has a high pick rate due to his ability to catch multiple nimble heroes. Faceless Void is a highly dangerous hero in the late game against most enemies due to his high damage from the items he builds (ex. Eye of Skadi, Monkey King Bar, Daedalus, Mjolnir). His late-game potential is unmatched because all he needs to brawl is his ultimate and a few items.
Most carry heroes can’t match Void’s damage and fast-paced farming skills. The hero works best if paired with heroes that supplement his Chronosphere ultimate ex. Kunkka, Invoker, Skywrath Mage. His late-game potential allows him to essentially 1v5 enemy heroes if he is farmed enough. There is no way you can escape the wrath of the mighty Faceless Void in the late game if he is farmed. The damage dished out by Faceless Void is hard to negate if you are lacking behind in the game.
What makes Faceless Void a great damage hero?
- Void’s Time Lock passive bashes and stuns a target while dealing increased damage per bash, this can turn deadly if combined with a Monkey King Bar or other damage items.
- Faceless Void is known to build high damage-dealing items, which makes his late-game a cakewalk when coupled with his ultimate.
https://www.dota2.com/hero/facelessvoid
9. Templar Assassin
Lanaya, the Templar Assassin, the mysterious guardian of the temple’s secrets is a lethal force to be reckoned with. TA is widely regarded as one of the best mid-heroes, this is due to the damage which she dishes out without losing relevancy in the late game. Squishy heroes can’t withstand the onslaught of TA’s physical damage and armor corruption which gets worse in the later stages of the game with Meld and Desolator. Templar’s armor reduction from both her Meld and Desolator is hard for her enemies to recover from. She essentially snowballs if she is not contained in the early game.
With the right items, Templar Assasin deals massive damage while virtually getting no damage done back to her thanks to Refraction. Most experienced TA players occasionally disappear into the jungle to farm and as soon as they have the levels and items they aim for objectives and good teamfights. Templar’s traps provide her with ample vision, slowing enemies and dealing damage to them, which allows her to mow them down and finish the job with just a few hits in the late game.
What makes Templar Assassin a great damage hero?
- Templar Assassin performs well with physical damage-dealing items like Desolator and Daedalus which help her deal immense damage in a teamfight
- With the help of Meld, TA can deal high damage to her enemies while reducing their armor, which can be worsened when she has Desolator (another tool for reducing armor)
8. Slark
Behold the elusive and formidable, Slark, whose mere presence on the battlefield sends shivers down the spines of his enemies. From the laning phase, he is known to deal high damage, thanks to Essence Shift passive which temporarily steals agility from enemies. He is the ultimate carry hero in this meta, his high-damage potential with items like Diffusal Blade, Monkey King Bar, Eye of Skadi, etc. allows him to be a reliant hero who can mow down enemies in just a few clicks.
In 7.33 Slark is even tougher to catch, thanks to his choice of items and a generous buff to his Pounce and ultimate, Shadow Dance. His build includes a Diffusal Blade, which greatly boosts his power by draining enemy mana, slowing their movement speed, and dealing heavy damage when paired with other damage-dealing items. In the late game, he is highly agile and slippery, making him a menace to play against due to his escape potential and high damage.
Why is Slark a great damage hero?
- With the help of his passive, Essence Shift, Slark can steal enemy agility, thus gaining more damage, making him stronger right from the get-go
- Slark also builds damage items like Diffusal Blade, Eye of Skadi, and Butterfly, which further increase his damage potential in the late-game, allowing him to be a hard hitter
https://www.dota2.com/hero/slark
7. Ember Spirit
The fiery Ember Spirit is widely regarded as one of the best heroes in the game. He is known to build into many different routes, making him a flexible pick against pretty much all the heroes. He is also known to farm comparatively faster due to his wide range of AoE abilities, which combined with his ultimate ensures his menacing global presence, scaring his allies off and making them vulnerable. The wise Xin has various tools in his toolkit that allow him to deal immense damage, soak up damage, and lock enemies down, making him an essential hero in the teamfight. He is an exceptional solo queue hero due to the recent buffs to his spells and armor.
Ember’s flexibility allows him to obliterate even the creme de la creme of mid-heroes quite effortlessly. Ember is an obvious counter to most enemies, not only due to his immense physical damage but also because of his mobility which allows him to chase and further lock the enemy down. Being in a pure 1v1 matchup, especially against ranged heroes can be a hard task for Ember, especially in the late stages of the game, but he defies all odds and is considered to be a great counter to enemies simply due to his AoE damage output along with the ability to soak up some serious damage.
Why is Ember Spirit a great damage hero?
- Ember Spirit has various versatile skill builds, meaning he can be played with the physical, magical, or hybrid build, depending upon the heroes that he faces.
- Ember also has a great deal of mobility from his Fire Remnant ultimate, which allows him to initiate or escape, while also allowing him to deal damage upon usage.
- Especially with the physical damage build, Ember can succeed in the late game by dealing copious amounts of damage and by also being excellent at crowd control
https://www.dota2.com/hero/emberspirit
6. Legion Commander
Tresdin, the war commander has slain more foes on the battlefield than anyone else on this list. Legion Commander is known to lock enemies down and deal some serious damage to them while also being rewarded with damage with the help of her ultimate, Duel. She is a nuisance right from the first initial levels, AoE damage and lifesteal allow her to sustain and deal damage in the lane as well as in the fight. If you get enough Duel damage, you just might one-shot the enemy supports or squishy heroes.
Primarily played in the offlane, Legion is a rare hero who does not go the utility build route but instead focuses entirely on a physical damage build, making her a secondary carry. Her Movement of Courage and Press The Attack offers her enough sustain to stand her ground in both the jungle and in teamfights. She is highly picked in pubs when a team is lacking a damage dealer and crowd control component. Legion Commander only gets stronger as the game progresses, there is no way you can stop her wrath if she accumulates enough Duel damage.
What Makes Legion Commander a great damage hero?
- Duel provides Legion Commander with bonus damage upon victory, allowing her to deal high damage to her enemies and eventually one-shot heroes with her accumulated damage
- Besides Duel, Legion can also build damage-dealing items like Desolator, Assault Cuirass, Daedalus, etc. which increase her damage-dealing output by a mile and make her a great carry hero in the later stages of the game.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Legion_Commander
5. Sniper
Sniper is a regular pick regardless of the MMR pool you are in. He is seen as a highly annoying yet impactful hero if played well. His damage is off the roof in the late-game, which is a menace because of his high attack range, making it easy for him to stay safe while attacking his enemies from a distance. Sniper’s attack damage is amplified highly because of the items he purchases. A standard build of Hurricane Pike, Mjolnir, Monkey King Bar, Butterfly, and Eye of Skadi can essentially devastate the enemy lineup.
You can have a smooth sail sniping enemy heroes and making them rage quit with Sniper’s massive range. The hero is extremely powerful in the late game and essentially when you are defending high ground. It would be safe to say that Sniper works well when played from behind.
The sheer damage and reliability of Sniper have secured him a high spot on the list. Sniper’s damage and attack range is essentially the selling point of the hero.
Why is Sniper a great damage hero?
- Sniper can comfortably in the back and deal copious amounts of damage, without being the frontliner thanks to his massive attack range and damage.
- Sniper is a late-game hero, meaning that even if you had a rough early game, there is still hope to salvage the game in the later stages if he farms well
4. Ursa
The ferocious Ursa is one of the most-played carry heroes in the game. The bear is known for his ability to deal high damage and even stand his ground against multiple enemies. He can also tear apart squishy heroes and supports within no time. His Fury Swipes stack up quickly, combined with his second spell, Overpower, make him deal high amounts of physical damage right from the early game. Ursa’s ultimate, Enrage, makes him take less damage from magic spells, making him slightly invulnerable in teamfights along with granting him immense status reduction.
Ursa does not rely much on items, as his spells deal enough damage to rip his foes apart. But his items only enrich his late-game as he can quickly initiate and deal devastating damage with them. Ursa almost always purchases a Black King Bar due to his poor natural magic resistance, and doing so against spell-casting heroes is a no-brainer. Most carry heroes stand no chance if Ursa has a smooth early game. The late-game is always Ursa favored if he gets all the ideal items and initiates on the right hero.
What makes Ursa a great damage hero?
- Ursa’s Fury Swipes deal bonus stacking damage every time Ursa hits a foe, the damage can be highly devastating if the enemies aren’t aware of the stacks, causing them to lose their life within no time
- Ursa is known to build physical damage items like Battlefury, Monkey King Bar, Swift Blink, etc, which not only provide him with great damage but also make it easy for him to survive a long fight in the late game.
3. Mars
Mars is one of those heroes who fit like a glove in any lane. His impressive damage-dealing spells and initiating skills rank him very high on this list. Mars is an exceptional hero if you want someone to talk out all the damage and lead the charge for your team while also dealing great damage back to the enemies. He is a great wave clear hero as well. The gladiator synergizes well with most heroes, making him a flexible pick in every game, and can withstand hordes with his flexible and reliable item build. Mars is also extremely durable due to his Bulwark, making him stand his ground in teamfights.
Mars is often picked in the game, due to his high reliability, allowing him to opt for multiple different damage-dealing builds according to the heroes he is facing, a luxury that not all heroes get to have. He is also an exceptional crowd control hero, courtesy of his ultimate, which prevents people from entering the Arena or dealing damage from outside of it. This way he can shield himself and his allies from enemy onslaught or corner certain enemy heroes and beat them down within no time under its duration.
What makes Mars a great damage hero?
- Mars primarily relies on his God’s Rebuke ability to deal damage, as with the increased physical damage items, he can deal higher damage with it
- Mars naturally has a great source of damage with his other spells as well, which also allows him to become a great crowd-control hero and deal copious damage deep into the late game
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Mars
2. Anti-Mage
Anti-Mage’s pick rate soars high regardless of the meta or the heroes that he is facing. He has immense damage potential in the early game with the Mana Break ability, which deals significant damage that can prove lethal if followed by the Mana Void ultimate. Anti-Mage is known to farm fast, and building his Battelfury early is only a gateway for him to acquire other items fast. His devastating damage increases exponentially upon the acquisition of items like Abyssal Blade, Manta Style, Eye of Skadi, etc.
Something is soothing about witnessing a fully farmed Anti-Mage beat down his enemies with the help of Mana Void. He can essentially one-shot the entire enemy team if he catches them lacking in the mana department. Most carry heroes tend to lose tempo in the late game while Anti-Mage only does swimmingly there. Magic and spell-casting heroes stand no chance when a six-slotted AM pounces on them thanks to Blink and decimates them within no time.
What makes Anti-Mage a great damage hero?
- Anti-Mage’s damage potential is highly lethal in the late-game when he acquires his items, a quick Blink Strike followed by Abyssal Blade and Manta Style can reduce the enemies into rubble
- Anti-Mage is a fast farmer, making it quite easy for him to acquire his items fast and be a formidable late-game hero
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Anti-Mage
1. Medusa
The stone-cold, serpentine warrior is quite a hard nut to crack, her identity and prowess cement her as one of the most lethal and tanky carry heroes in the game. Medusa is an ultra late-game hero, even if her early game is disastrous, she can bounce back and turn the game around just with one fight. Her tankiness allows her to be the center of the fight without worrying much about her enemies, which she can still crack down on thanks to her immense attack damage. If not ganked, she can perpetually farm and destroy all enemies and win the game even in a 1v5 situation.
Medusa is known to farm faster than most carry heroes. Agreed, some heroes have higher mobility than her, but Medusa has sustainability and effective damage, making her an ideal hero in the later stages of the game due to how well she fares against multiple heroes. This is something that squishy carry heroes can’t excel at. All the attack modifiers and damage are too hot for the enemy team to handle even in the late game, making most players eventually tap out against this serpentine warrior.
Why is Medusa a great damage hero?
- Medusa is a carry hero, known to deal copious amounts of physical damage as she scales well into the late-game.
- Medusa’s split shot combined with her lethal damage allows her to mow down multiple heroes at once
- Medusa’s ultimate, Stone Gaze, provides her up to 55% bonus physical damage on affected targets, pumping her damage off the roof
https://www.dota2.com/hero/medusa
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