The countless army of fierce warriors is quite overwhelming for his foes. The sheer capability to multiply and confuse his enemies. The one-man army, Phantom Lancer requires no introduction! Being quite relevant in the current meta, there was no way we could miss out on helping players on how to counter this lethal force!
We bring you the best 10 Heroes that are known to counter Phantom Lancer and are very relevant in the current meta! We hope you master these heroes and destroy PL if you see him in the enemy team!
10. Razor
The electrifying rage of Razor is quite unmatched in the current meta. Most melee heroes do not fare well versus this beast, this includes our PL as well! Having high movement speed and AoE damage ensures that he does not escape alive! Razor can also out farm PL, giving him the upper hand. Razor easily snowballs if not ganked a few times!
Why is Razor Great against Phantom Lancer?
- Plasma Field can destroy Phantom Lancer's illusions or damage them heavily.
- Static Link cannot be broken even with Doppelganger, serving as a marker for the real Phantom Lancer.
- Storm Surge gives Razor's high mobility to chase down Phantom Lancer making Spirit Lance and Diffusal Blade 1 icon.png Diffusal Blade slow uselessly.
- Eye of the Storm along with Aghanim's Scepter icon.png Aghanim's Scepter can quickly reduce Phantom Lancer's armor.
Items to Buy Against Phantom Lancer
- Assault Cuirass
- Refresher’s Orb
- Shiva's Guard
- Aghanim’s Shard
9. Pangolier
The handsome swashbuckling Pangolier is a relatively new hero to the game but players quickly recognized it as one of the vital counters to PL. There are a lot of factors for this, one of them includes the Disarm mechanic and the extremely high physical AoE damage dealt by him in team fights. PL’s Illusions will disintegrate and be reduced to rubbles quite quickly! It is a given that Pangolier farms way better and more efficiently compared to PL!
Why is Pangoler Great against Phantom Lancer?
- High AoE physical damage and disarm
- Immense control with Rolling Thunder
- High wave clear potential
- Quite a slippery fish!
Items to Buy Against Phantom Lancer
- Maelstorm
- Abyssal Blade
- Shiva's Guard
- Aghanm’s Scepter and Shard
8. Leshrac
It’s quite advantageous to pick a ranged hero if you’re facing PL. Leshrac solves all your problems against him due to his high magical damage, AoE, and lockdown potential. The best part is that Leshrac is often picked as a flex hero, meaning he can be played in quite any lane!
Apart from countering PL, Lesh can also mow down buildings with Edict and farm faster than quite literally any hero in the game! A successful early game translates to domination in the late game!
Why is Leshrac Great against Phantom Lancer?
- Leshrac's AoE abilities destroy Phantom Lancer's illusions.
- Diabolic Edict and Pulse Nova require no targeting, thus hitting Phantom Lancer whenever he's nearby.
- High AoE magical damage output
Items to Buy Against Phantom Lancer
- Aghanim’s Shard
- Bloodstone
- Eul’s Scepter
- Kaya and Sange
- Black King Bar
7. Sand King
Melee on melee action could go either way against the Phantom Lancer, but not when he can’t see his opponent! Sand King can farm and deal damage quite effortlessly without even moving! Apart from dealing lethal AoE damage, SK farms fairly quickly and is ready to rotate to other parts of the map! All it takes is one Blink Dagger or Veil of Discord for him to dominate and destroy his enemies! PL’s illusions turn to dust due to his vicious attack!
Why is Sand King Great against Phantom Lancer?
- All of Sand King's abilities deal AoE damage.
- Epicenter will usually eliminate all illusions in one cast. Phantom Lancer lacks any disables to stop the channeling.
- High potential to get stun-locked if initiated by Sand King
Items to Buy Against Phantom Lancer
- Blink Dagger/Overwhelming Blink
- Shiva’s Guard
- Veil of Discord
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
- Eul’s Scepter
6. Tidehunter
Tidehunter does exceptionally well against melee heroes, especially against Phantom Lancer. With little to no damage being dealt by PL due to Anchor Smash and high base armor, PL has no choice but to ignore this melon man during team fights! But this does not mean that Tide ignores PL, he ferociously pounces on him to ravage and decimate his illusions and eventually kills off the real one!
Why is Tidehunter Great against Phantom Lancer?
- Kraken Shell and Anchor Smash make it very difficult for Phantom Lancer's illusions to damage Tidehunter.
- Ravage will stun the real Phantom Lancer while clearing most of his illusions.
- Anchor Smash reduces base damage, which is the majority of Phantom Lancer's auto-attack damage.
- An Aghanim's Scepter upgraded Gush slows down and reduces all of Phantom Lancer's illusions.
Items to Buy Against Phantom Lancer
- Blink Dagger
- Shiva’s Guard
- Lotus Orb
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
- Force Staff
5. Ember Spirit
The fiery spirit of this warrior is unparalleled, his immense knowledge and capabilities are surely a sight worth witnessing. Being a melee hero vs. PL can be a hard task especially in the late stages of the game, but ES defies all odds and is considered to be a great counter simply due to his AoE damage output along with the ability to soak up some serious damage.
Why is Ember Spirit Great against Phantom Lancer?
- High AoE damage which is hybrid (physical and magical)
- Can destroy illusions quickly, helps to find out the real PL
- Farms faster compared to PL
- Great talent tree that scales well with items and spells
Items to Buy Against Phantom Lancer
- Mjolnir
- Radiance
- Shiva’s Guard
- Blademail
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
4. Legion Commander
Legion Commander is often picked against PL due to her AoE that is guaranteed to evaporate all of his illusions. Other than that, the Duel is also great to hunt down PL, but only if you can target the right one! If Diffusal’d, you could just purge it off with Press the Attack! Activating your Blade Mail mid-fight can also result in great kill opportunities!
Why is Legion Commander Great against Phantom Lancer?
- Overwhelming Odds deals high damage to Phantom Lancer's illusions.
- Duel's long duration prevents Phantom Lancer from using Doppelganger.
- Often picked with heroes that can synergize well with the Duel and offer immense damage potential.
Items to Buy Against Phantom Lancer
- Blink Dagger
- Black King Bar
- Aghanim’s Shard
- Blade Mail
3. Axe
Doing immense physical damage right off the bat is quite unheard of in the early stages of the game, but Axe is one noble exception! A few Counter Helix spins and boom you’re dead! It gets messy to control micro PL illusions as to the more units around you, the more damage the Axe Call does. No matter how farmed you are on PL, all it takes is one Axe Blink Call to get you down to 0 HP!
Why is Axe Great against Phantom Lancer?
- Berserker's Call helps to lock down Phantom Lancer in a group of illusions.
- Counter Helix combined with Blade Mail clears Phantom Lancer's illusions quickly.
- Talents that scale well against illusions
- Offers great initiation, allowing his team to follow up.
Items to Buy Against Phantom Lancer
- Blink Dagger
- Blade Mail
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
- Force Staff
- Crimson Guard
2. Winter Wyvern
The bone-chilling threat of Wyvern’s curse ensures no foes stick around! Phantom Lancer can’t withstand the heavy damage dealt by Wyvern as her spells are all AoE! An experienced PL player knows that Wyvern is an instant ban every game, if ignored then be prepared to lose the game! All the AoE damage is quite lethal and all the excellent Wyvern players know how to counter PL!
Why is Winter Wyvern Great against Phantom Lancer?
- Winter’s curse makes it hard for PL illusions to not attack him or even his teammates!
- High AoE damage
- Heals that can protect teammates in case PL attacks
- Destroys PL in the laning phase
Items to Buy Against Phantom Lancer
- Force Staff
- Glimmer Cape
- Holy Locket
- Ghost Scepter
1. Earthshaker
If there is one hero that every Phantom Lancer main hates, then it has to be Earthshaker. The sheer magnitude of his spells causes all the Doppelgangers to eviscerate. Earthshaker makes PL’s life a living hell as he can be played in multiple positions and all he needs to be active is a Blink Dagger! You may even end up doing more damage if his allies are close to him, and maybe a rampage if you’re lucky!
Why is Earthshaker Great against Phantom Lancer?
- Immense magical AoE damage
- Echo slam alone can counter all his illusions
- Chain stuns that can result in kills if followed up by his team
Items to Buy Against Phantom Lancer
- Blink Dagger
- Glimmer Cape
- Ghost Scepter
- Force Staff
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
You may also like:
- [Top 10] Dota 2 Best Carry Heroes That Wreck Hard!
- Top 10 Best Mid Heroes of Dota 2
- Top 10 Best Support Heroes of Dota 2
- In-game Best Settings for an Advantage in Dota 2
- Top 10 Best Offlane Heroes in Dota 2
- [Top 10] Dota 2 Best Agility Heroes That Wreck Hard!
- [Top 10] Dota 2 Best Junglers That Wreck Hard!
- [Top 10] Dota 2 Best Aghanim Upgrades That Are OP
