Being the sharpest in the shed has many disadvantages, everyone is after you! Sniper faces some real troubles as he is constantly targeted by heroes all around the map. Gunning down people from miles away means he is hardly seen in action, but there are various heroes who can jump on him and close the gap!
Being immensely popular this patch, Sniper is played both in the mid and the safe lane. We bring you the best heroes against this dwarf assassin who can turn the tides regardless of the position you play them in!
10. Phantom Assassin
A good Sniper player knows that the blurry Phantom Assassin is the priority when it comes to bans! It’s all fun and games until the PA is six-slotted and is pouncing on you with all her might! Farming is an essential part of playing this hero, all you need is the Battlefury or Desolator to come online! Killing squishy heroes like Sniper is quite easy as all you have to do is press Q and W a few times! You can get lucky with the crits and end up slaying Sniper in one single shot in the late game!
Why Phantom Assassin is Great against Sniper
- Phantom Strike allows her to jump on Sniper with increased attack speed.
- Coup de Grace and Desolator shreds Sniper's low health and armor.
- Blur’s passive reduces Sniper's overall effectiveness against Phantom Assassin, provided he hasn't purchased a Monkey King Bar.
Items to buy against Sniper
- Desolator
- Abyssal Blade
- Satanic
- Monkey King Bar
9. Spectre
Spectre is a melee carry, which is already a disadvantageous position to be in, despite all the odds, Spectre manages to triumph by naturally being a tanky hero and farming faster than Sniper. The late-game potential to quickly solo kill Sniper from anywhere on the map is unmatched by any other carry in the game! All you need is a few items to face against the annoying dwarf!
Why Spectre is Great against Sniper
- Haunt instantly allows her to get up and close with Sniper, and Spectral Dagger makes it difficult to escape from her.
- Spectre out carries Sniper in the late game, so Sniper must try to end the game early before Spectre comes online.
- Immense global presence
Items to buy against Sniper
- Blade Mail
- Radiance
- Diffusal Blade
- Abyssal Blade
8. Spirit Breaker
Having a global presence instantly counters Sniper. All you need is one single glimpse of him to set your eyes on him as Spirit Breaker! Even Shadow Blade can not help him against the Charge! If let loose, the squishy Sniper has no chance of retaliation against the mad bull. The Laning phase is a menace for him as Spirit Breaker can rip through creeps and land on him from anywhere on the map! You don’t even need to be farmed to cause trouble on Spirit Breaker!
Why Spirit Breaker is Great against Sniper
- Spirit Breaker can charge towards Sniper from anywhere on the map with Charge of Darkness.
- Greater Bash deals magical damage, which can prove dangerous to Sniper and his low health.
- Both mentioned abilities combined with Nether Strike ensure that Spirit Breaker can easily solo kill Sniper.
Items to buy against Sniper
- Shadow Blade
- Heaven’s Halberd
- Drum’s of Endurance
- Aghanim’s Scepter
7. Centaur Warruner
The war chieftain has seen many strong enemies, his forces has destroyed empires and defeated great warriors. Centaur is naturally a great counter to any ranged hero due to his ability to gap close with both his ultimate and the Blink Dagger. He can return some serious damage back to his enemies and it is further amplified with the Blade Mail. Sniper can not fight alone or target a farmed and fat Centaur!
Why Centaur Warruner is Great against Sniper
- Blink Dagger combined with Hoof Stomp can be used to catch Sniper.
- Centaur can also utilize Stampede to cover the distance.
- Double Edge can easily finish off Sniper after Centaur initiates on him.
Items to buy against Sniper
- Blink Dagger
- Blade Mail
- Force Staff
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
- Crimson Guard
6. Bounty Hunter
This silent assassin is quite hard to see, but he sees you at all times! Such is the irony of Bounty Hunter. The Laning phase is quite the weak point for Bounty, but as soon as he gets a few kills with track and steals gold with Jinada, he has all the farm he needs! Even if the annoying Sniper has Shadow Blade or is doing damage from a mile away, all you need is one track for him to be revealed! Decent team coordination can lead to the team focusing on Sniper first and getting him out of the fight!
Why Bounty Hunter is Great against Sniper
- Bounty Hunter can use Shadow Walk to get close, and Jinada can do massive damage and slow down Sniper on the first attack.
- Track gives additional speed to Bounty Hunter and makes Shadow Blade useless, allowing Bounty Hunter to easily kill him with a few attacks.
- With decent levels and farm, Bounty can easily solo kill Sniper
Items to buy against Sniper
- Aghanim’s Scepter
- Octraine Core
- Kaya and Sange
- Desolator
5. Ember Spirit
Behold the wise Xin! The humble Ember Spirit is widely regarded as one of the best mid heroes in the game. He is known to build into many different routes, making him a flexible pick against pretty much all the heroes. Though he may lack against Sniper in the laning phase, a few ganks and rotations are enough to turn the game around!
Known to farm comparatively quickly against Sniper, a late-game Ember is a whole different beast! All it takes is one Slight of Fist to get a kill with 2 rapiers!
Why Ember Spirit is Great against Sniper
- Multiple builds that can be utilized as per the game i.e Physical, Magical or Hybrid.
- Ember Spirit can close the distance between Sniper easily with his Activate Fire Remnant and further keep Sniper in place with Searing Chains.
- With the help of Aghanim's Scepter, Sniper cannot outrun Ember Spirit or chase him, even if Sniper builds mobility items.
Items to buy against Sniper
- Aghanim’s Scepter
- Blademail
- Shiva’s Guard
- Eul’s Scepter
- Octraine Core
4. Clockwerk
Another mechanical genius on our list is the Clockwerk! Often played in the offlane or as a roaming support, early rotations can cause great damage to Sniper. After reaching level 6, the Hookshot makes sure the Sniper hiding in the distance is caught and punished. All of his skills can help gank Sniper due to their scout and lockdown potential of them. Only the players who are brilliant at positioning know how to stay away from this robotic menace!
Why Clockwerk is Great against Sniper
- Can scout Sniper’s location with Rocket Flare
- Can close gap using Hookshot
- Can disable Sniper for a long time, relying on follow-up from allies to confirm the kill
Items to buy against Sniper
- Force Staff
- Blademail
- Shiva’s Guard
- Spirit Vessel
- Aghanim’s Scepter
3. Tinker
The mechanical maniac is also a genius, known to tinker around with gadgets and fry his enemies with lasers! Sniper stands no chance in the laning phases against a Tinker as he will always be targeted with constant harass in the form of rockets and lasers! With the addition of the Shield, Tinker can easily escape or otherwise initiate and lock Sniper down with his annoying Scythe and Rearm combo!
Why Tinker is Great against Sniper
- Great at disabling Sniper with Scythe and Rearm combo
- Can close gap with Blink Dagger and Shiva’s Guard
- Immense nuke magical damage with all of his spells
- Reduced damage with the shield.
Items to buy against Sniper
- Scythe of Vyse
- Aether Lens
- Aghanim’s Scepter
- Shiva’s Guard
- Bloodstone
2. Axe
The giant red war mogul is a fearless warrior! Axe knows how to chop down even the most strongest of his enemies! Sniper may deal more damage in the early phases of the game, but Axe is acclaimed for his critical ability to farm quickly. An early Blink Dagger or Blade Mail can ensue some great chaos against the Sniper if he is not expecting an early gank! In the late game, Axe can fare well if he has decent armor and great positioning!
Why Axe is Great against Sniper
- With items such as Blink Dagger and Shadow Blade, Axe can be a great gap closer against Sniper.
- With the combination of his spells, Axe can quickly solo kill Sniper
- Menace in the laning phase with constant Battle Hunger spam.
Items to buy against Sniper
- Crimson Guard
- Blink Dagger
- Shadow Blade
- Force Staff
- Blademail
1. Storm Spirit
Prepare for stormy weather time! Storm Spirit is one of the well-known counters to Sniper! This is due to his ability to jump directly on him and control him while his teammates follow up! Played exclusively in the mid lane (unless you’re below 3K) Storm struggles severely in the lane, but as soon as he gets his level 6, he can change the trajectory of the game with his spells. A late-game 6-slotted Storm is a lethal force to be reckoned with!
Why Storm Spirit is Great against Sniper
- Great gap closer with Ball Lightning
- Can disable with items and Electric Vortex
- Great talent tree that scales excellently with items!
Items to buy against Sniper
- Scythe of Vyse
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard
- Orchid of Maleovalence
- Bloodstone
- Shiva’s Guard
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