Climbing through the ranks in Dota can be very stressful, especially if you aren’t updated with the meta heroes. As different patches roll out, there are various nerfs and buffs to heroes which essentially give birth to a completely new era of playstyle. Some previously strong meta superstars might be nerfed into the ground while some underrated heroes might be bestowed with the almighty buffs by IceFrog. Hence, it is essential to spam a set of relevant heroes to have that edge over your enemies in your ranked adventures.
We bring you the best 15 Heroes for climbing MMR in the current meta. These heroes are IMBA in the patch and will help you rise through the ranks within no time.
15. Broodmother
The terrific Broodmother is known to be a dominant force from quite early on in the game. Just like Meepo or Arc Warden on this list, she is known to split-push early quite effortlessly with her spiderlings. Broodmother is quite the terrific counterpick against squishy heroes without AoE in the laning stage as he lacks the AoE damage early on to prevent her aggressive plays. Most heroes find no better option than abandoning the lane and farming the jungle as laning would be nothing less than a death threat if Brood has her army of Spiderlings, which eventually destroy the enemy structure and heroes.
However, the late game can be more enemy-sided due to them having either AoE damage or disables like Scythe or Orchid. Broodmother further can focus on right-click builds in such scenarios, using Spiderlings as a secondary source of damage or only while she is pushing the towers. But all this AoE damage and disable is only acquired in the middle of the late game, meaning Brood has free rein for the first 30 minutes of the game and maybe knock at enemy tier 3s before they know it.
What makes Broodmother great for climbing MMR?
- Broodmother has an army of spiderlings that deal a ton of damage if left unattended, which makes her a lethal force against the towers and squishy creeps.
- A good Broodmother is always known to rat towers and move sneakily throughout the map.
- Most heroes are squishy in the early game, and Brood being a monster, takes advantage of this fact as she is always hunting for early-game kills
- Broodmother has various ways of standing her ground in a fight, with the help of Insatiable Hunger and Black King Bar, there is no way enemies have it easy versus this 8-legged beast.
Broodmother is strong against
- Arc Warden - Arc Warden has low armor and magic resistance, falling prey to Broodmother’s high damage potential.
- Nightstalker - Nightstalker has minimal escape potential, making him unable to fall back in case of a bad teamfight against Brood.
- Outworld Destroyer - Outworld Destroyer has no escape potential against a hunting Broodmother.
- Lifestealer - Lifestealer is immune to magical damage under the effect of Rage, but he lacks the AoE damage which makes him an easy target against Broodmother
- Lone Drid - Lone Druid can be overwhelmed by the army of Brood’s spiders, which can deal high damage to the former while he has no effective counters due to the lack of AoE damage.
Broodmother is countered by
- Earthshaker - Due to Earthshaker’s immense AoE potential, Broodmother can find it hard to stick around with her spiderlings and fight alongside them.
- Axe - Axe can easily jump Broodmother in the trees, initiating on her and her spiderlings.
- Terrorblade - Terrorblade can make Broodmother’s life hard with his Reflection spell, dealing massive damage back to her.
- Crystal Maiden - Broodmother can’t easily escape Crystal Maiden’s root, which locks her down and makes her vulnerable to further damage.
- Naga Siren - Broodmother can be rooted by Naga Siren, making it hard for her to escape a teamfight.
Watch 33 play Broodmother Offlane
14. Clockwerk
Clockwerk, the mechanical genius is witnessed frequently in the current meta, often picked against slippery enemies. He is played as a roaming support, as early rotations can cause great damage to potent and vulnerable heroes. With his ultimate, Hookshot, Clock can easily stun and trap enemies even if they have Black King Bar, he is a thorn in the backside of enemies with the Hookshot into Cogs combo. With the new update, he can use his Cogs to trap enemies, while also pushing them out if he hits the cogs in their direction, decimating their mana as well.
The scout potential with Rocket Flare can help track enemy locations and potentially remove them from teamfights. Most enemies can lane well and deny farm to Clockwerk in the laning phase but Clock as we know relies more on levels as opposed to farm to have an impact in the game. Items just amplify his impact in the late game. Clockwerk is a fun addition to your hero pool as having an initiator and late-game proof support hero on your team is always a plus.
Why is Clockwerk great for climbing MMR?
- His ultimate, Hookshot allows Clockwerk to initiate on enemies from a significant distance and stun them for a brief duration.
- Power Cogs greatly limits enemy positioning, potentially wasting the duration of Black King Bar in a team fight if Clockwerk gets to use Hookshot.
- Battery Assault makes it hard for enemies to fight Clockwerk inside his Power Cogs.
Clockwerk is amazing against
- Earthshaker - Battery Assault and Power Cogs make it hard for Earthshaker to initiate or retreat after initiating.
- Enigma - Clockwerk can hook an Enigma under the effect of Black King Bar, making him an effective counter for the black hole.
- Monkey King - With new and improved cogs, Monkey King can be shoved out of his ultimate by Clockwerk.
- Tinker - Clockwerk can spot Tinker with Rocket Flare, making it easy for him to hunt the squishy Tinker.
- Shadow Shaman - Clockwerk can stop Shaman from channeling his shackles while also trapping his multiple illusions in his cogs.
Clockwerk is countered by
- Chen - Chen can save his allies trapped under Clockwerk’s toolkit with his ultimate, healing them and buying time while his team assists.
- Beastmaster - Wild Axes deal amplified damage to Clockwerk, which can further be worsened with Beastmaster’s Roar, making him quite less effective in the laning phase.
- Huskar - Huskar thrives on low HP and if Clockwerk initiates on him, there is no way he can escape alive due to the former’s massive attack speed and damage over time.e
- Phantom Lancer - Phantom Lancer can get out of Clockwerk’s cogs with Doppelganger
- Visage - Visage can use his familiars to block getting himself or his allies hooked with Hookshot.
Watch Ceb Clockwerk Hard Support Gameplay
13. Bane
Bane is the culprit of endless nightmares in the shadow realm. He remains a solid counter to various heroes in the game, especially escape heroes. He can quickly disable them by applying debuffs, and locking them down for a good duration! The late stages of the game bear witness to utter control by Bane if he manages to use Fiend’s Grip on his foes without getting caught! A skilled Bane will also save his allies from potentially lethal damage by using Nightmare on them at the right time.
Bane's ability to disable enemies is unmatched, making him a must-have hero for any team composition. His debuffs can render even the strongest enemies helpless, allowing his team to secure kills or escape from a dangerous situation. Along with that, Bane's Nightmare can be used to save allies from danger, making him a versatile support hero who can contribute to the team in multiple ways. With the right items and skillful play, Bane can be a nightmare for the enemy team to deal with.
Why is Bane a great hero for climbing MMR?
- Fiend's Grip pierces spell immunity, allowing him to disable enemy carries from the team fight.
- Nightmare sets Bane's team up for chain disables on foes
- Enfeeble lowers the enemy’s status resistance and magic resistance, making them more vulnerable to disables and magic damage.
Bane is strong against
- Puck - Bane can use Nightmare or Fiend's Grip to cripple Puc, making it hard for her to escape the fight.
- Ember Spirit - Grip and Nightmare can disable Ember’s route of escape while also ensuring that his remnants expire.
- Elder Titan - Bane has powerful single-target abilities that can help mow down Elder Titan.
- Morphling - As Morphling loves living on the edge with a low HP pool, Bane can take advantage of this and use Brain Sap to harass and further deal more damage to him
Bane is weak against
- Chen - Chen can use his creeps to get the Nightmare off his allies or himself during a teamfight.
- Terrorblade - Bane has no AoE solution to dealing with Terrorblade or even ways of catching the right one in the teamfight due to Manta Style.
- Silencer - Silence can prevent Bane from using his spells effectively in a fight.
- Meepo- Bane's single-targeted arsenal of abilities makes him an easy target for Meepo and his clones.
- Chaos Knight - Bane’s lack of AoE damage makes Chaos Knight an easy counter to him in a fight.
12. Pugna
The Skeleton is back! Pugna makes a much-awaited comeback to the pro-scene! A pure lane matchup can favor Pugna against squishy cores as he has more INT and mana pool than the latter. Along with that, his enemies face constant harassment and get shoved out of the lane due to the bonkers damage Pugna deals which they can’t negate so easily in the early game. Due to low magic resistance, most heroes are easy to counter, the Decrepify and Life Drain combo decimates enemies within no time.
Pugna may not be a tanky hero like other heroes on the list but his spells make him extremely hard to kill as he can restore his HP quickly while draining his enemy’s HP while being unable to be attacked. Pugna is known to farm effortlessly due to his AoE spell and hit his item timings relatively early. He also loves dishing out magic damage, while not allowing others to do so with Nether Ward. Pugna is an extremely flexible pick and can be played in pretty much all five roles depending on the matchup. This allows him to be a staple pick if you are lacking a durable team-fighting hero.
Why is Pugna a great hero for climbing MMR?
- Pugna’s Life Drain and Decrepify combination is hard to cancel out in the early game, as it is the reason behind his tanky nature throughout the game, healing him quickly while draining his enemies.
- Pugna is also known to build effective items like Black King Bar, which further make it hard for enemies to cancel his infamous combo and amplify his durability by a margin.
- Pugna can also transition into the core role later in the game if he is facing heroes with low magic resistance.
Pugna is strong against:
- Necrophos - Once Necrophos uses his Ghost Shroud (which increases the magical damage he takes), Pugna can use his Decrepify to further amplify the magical damage dealt to him.
- Slark - Although Slark can purge off Decrepify with Dark Pact or Shadow Dance, Slark can’t escape Nether Blast’s massive damage. Nether Ward also reduces Slark’s already low mana pool.
- Storm Spirit - Nether Ward is essentially a counter to Storm Spirit who is heavily reliant on mana to be impactful. He can’t effectively use his spells as he fears getting damaged in return.
- Timbersaw - Timbersaw is also heavily reliant on his spells to be impactful. Nether Ward deals immense damage every time he uses his spells while also gradually reducing his mana. Laning is hell for Timbersaw against a Pugna.
- Winter Wyvern - Winter Wyvern is a weak laner and Pugna can take advantage of her low magic immunity with his highly magic-potent spell.
Pugna is countered by
- Huskar - As Huskar does not depend on mana, Pugna’s Nether Ward is entirely useless against him.
- Pudge - Pudge can hook Pugna or use Dismember to cancel his channeling ultimate.
- Anti-Mage - Anti-Mage can burn through Pugna’s mana pool and even dispel his Decrepify once he has Manta Style.
- Silencer - Pugna’s toolkit is entirely disabled once he is affected by Silencer’s silence.
- Primal Beast - Primal Beast has various ways of initiating or catching up on a slipper Pugna. He can also cancel Pugna’s channeling with Onslaught or Pulverize.
Puppey PUGNA Hard Support Gameplay
11. Storm Spirit
This charming and electrifying hero is a top pick in this meta. This is due to his highly active play style and fast farming speed against the likes of Ember Spirit and Queen of Pain. He is widely regarded as one of the best mid-laners in the game. Storm is mostly played as a fast-tempo mid-hero, meaning he usually rotates to gank other lanes and quickly goes back to farming or taking towers. His high mana pool enables him to jump onto the enemy and catch him off-guard. Late-game Storm is a disaster for the enemy team.
Storm Spirit fares well due to his ability to escape enemies and or initiate on them. His mobility is the key factor behind his getting picked. Storm also has various ways of disabling enemies, either with his Electric Vortex or with the items he builds. Most heroes find it hard to withstand the immense magical damage of Storm in the early game, though he can be countered when they get magic immunity and disabled. But by the time they acquire these items, Storm already is six-slotted and ready to wreak electrifying havoc!
Why is Storm Spirit great for climbing MMR?
- Storm Spirit is an active hero once he reaches his level 6, making it easy for him to rotate to other lanes while his mid counterparts might struggle in the same domain.
- Storm Spirit also exhibits excellent crowd control, making him highly effective against heroes who lack mobility.
- His facet Static Slide combined with the damage of Remnant allows him to farm fast and stack camps quite effortlessly.
Storm Spirit is strong against
- Sniper - Sniper is very squishy and cannot deal with heroes who jump onto him and lock him down. Storm Spirit closes the gap in a fight against Sniper, and Sniper has no way to escape except for some items.
- Bloodseeker - Bloodseeker has no mobility against Storm Spirit, he can simply escape his Blood Rite with his Lightning Ball.
- Bristleback - Although Bristleback deals massive damage, he has no mobility to chase Storm Spirit.
- Keeper of the Light - Keeper of the Light has low magic immunity and mobility, making him highly vulnerable to Storm’s damage.
- Ancient Apparition - Although Cold Feet and Ice Blast, lock down Storm Spirit, Ancient Apparition can initiate on him and disable his impact in the teamfight.
Storm Spirit is weak against
- Pugna - Pugna’s Nether Ward can reduce Storm’s impact as he is heavily reliant on mana to be impactful.
- Meepo - Meepo’s Earthbind spell prevents Storm Spirit from using all of his abilities and items as he is rooted under its effect, rendering Storm Spirit useless in a fight.
- Riki - Smoke Screen prevents Storm Spirit from using his abilities once inside the radius.
- Anti-Mage - Anti-Mage can easily burn Storm’s mana pool with Mana Break. Once he has Abyssal Blade, he can lock down Storm in a teamfight, targeting him first with all his spells.
- Lone Druid - Spirit Bear can root Storm Spirit while dealing massive physical damage to him, binding him to the ground, and making him unable to use his spells to escape.
10. Enigma
The mystery of this being lies within the abyss, often known to bend and manipulate time. Enigma is a deadly force that is banned in every other game. He possesses different tools that help him farm faster and more efficiently while also allowing him to split-push with the help of his Eidolons. He is known for his threatening ultimate, the Black Hole. Enigma ranks on this list due to his ability to both teamfight and farm simultaneously. Enigma is an essential hero in the current patch due to his reliable ultimate and quick farming capabilities.
It's evident that Enigma is a hero that you see picked often in 7.37e, but his impact is visible only when he is fighting heroes who are countered by him. Heroes vulnerable to magical damage due to low magic resistance are often the most prioritized by Enigma. He takes advantage of this and quickly disrupts such puny enemies whenever he can. Laning can go either way but Enigma can prevail on top if he has the level advantage, allowing him to shove secure the late game with his abilities.
What Makes Enigma a great hero for climbing MMR?
- Enigma can deny ranged creeps to create Eidolons which can further be used to jungle or harass enemies right from level 1.
- High base movement speed and intelligence.
- Amplifies his teamfight potential whenever he acquires his Blink Dagger.
- The farm can be accelerated with high levels of Demonic Conversion, leading to stronger Eidolons!
Enigma is strong against
- Shadow Demon- Shadow Demon’s Disruption and Shadow Poison can prevent Enigma from blinking in and casting his Blackhole.
- Meepo - Midnight Pulse along with Blackhole can destroy Meepo due to the massive magical damage dished out.
- Slark - Slark is very slippery and can simply escape being Blackhole’d if he uses his pounce preemptively.
- Ogre Magi - Ignite prevents Enigma from using Blink Dagger, reducing his impact in the teamfight if he can’t jump in and cast the Blackhole at the right time.
- Lifestealer - Lacking any stun and being heavily dependent on his physical attacks and spell immunity, Lifestealer has no way to stop Black Hole, assuming he does not initiate Enigma first with Abyssal Blade.
Enigma is weak against
- Rubick - If Rubick isn’t caught in Enigma’s Blackhole, it will be a big problem for the latter, as he can simply steal it and use it against him.
- Bristleback - Bristleback's constant harassment from Quill Spray will greatly hurt Enigma's laning and kill his Eidolons.
- Medusa- Medusa under the effect of Stone Gaze can stop Enigma if he steals Blackhole, penetrating Black King Bar.
- Warlock - Warlock’s Golem pierces spell immunity, preventing Enigma from effectively casting Blackhole
- Wraith King - Wraith King can easily get on top of Enigma, mowing him down with his massive physical damage.
9. Lycan
Lycan is a menacing shapeshifter who possesses the abilities of mass destruction. Lycan has various tools that help him farm and sustain in the lane as well as gank and be on the offensive side if needed. He can summon wolves to help him farm, split push, and howl which reduces armor. His ultimate, the Shapeshift is his selling point, allowing him to turn into a wolf and destroy the lives of his foes by dealing double the damage and being twice as fast.
Lycan is notorious for being a great gap closer, and the best part is that he is level-reliant as opposed to the farm, which is the exact opposite of most carry heroes. They are often scouted out by his wolves and if Lycan is in range, he may try to hunt the enemies with Harpoon. Not all heroes, especially in the carry roles are seen to have such great initiating powers right off the bat. Lycan is also quite flexible and can be played in the carry or offlane position depending on the overall lane matchups.
Why is Lycan a great hero for climbing MMR?
- Lycan can split push and scout with his wolves
- Shapeshift grants him with Immense lifesteal and movement speed
- Relies mostly on levels as opposed to items, making it easy for him to start ganking as soon as he has his ultimate
Lycan is strong against:
- Silencer - Lycan relies more on his damage as compared to spells to have an impact in the game, rendering Silencer’s disable useless
- Chen - Chen has no way of escape against Lycan in the early game, making the former vulnerable to high physical damage
- Nighstalker - Nightstalker can suffer in lane if Lycan is paired with ranged support, making the latter’s life hell in a teamfight
- Void Spirit - Void Spirit has excellent escape potential, however, Lycan can easily close the gap with his high movement speed under Shapeshift
- Skywrath Mage - Skywrath’s low armor can incentivize Lycan to prioritize him during a teamfight
Lycan is weak against:
- Naga Siren - Naga Siren can lock a fleeting Lycan under the effects of his ultimate with Net as well as Song of the Siren, reducing the latter’s impact in a teamfight.
- Troll Warlord - Troll Warlord’s ultimate can be highly useful against Lycan if he gets rooted multiple times
- Sven - Sven can easily lock Lycan down with his Stormhammer, further following up with his massive damage
- Slardar - Slardar’s ultimate can be easily purged off by Naga as soon as she creates illusions
Bristleback - Bristleback can easily kite as well as withstand Lycan’s damage due to his high armor and damage resistance
8. Lone Druid
This wise and kind Druid isn’t lonely by any means! His pet bear takes care of any problems that come his way. Lone Druid is played as a carry majority of the time, this is due to the vast potential that the bear has to offer in both teamfights as well as while pushing towers (thanks to the Demolish ability) and securing objectives. The bear can easily shred through heroes with damage-dealing items. Decent micro-skills are required to play this beast, which only comes with practice. Lone Druid is banned heavily in this patch owing to the buffs endowed to him by IceFrog
Squishy enemies are quickly reduced to rubbles when Lone Druid and his ferocious bear attack it. His spells provide immense synergy, which allows the Bear to safeguard Lone Druid while dealing damage in a teamfight. The immense lifesteal and attack speed combined with damage items like Desolator and Skull Basher is highly helpful in slaying the structure, something which Lone Druid does just with the help of his bear!
What makes Lone Druid great for climbing MMR?
- With the help of True Form (Lone Druid’s ultimate), LD can freely hit his enemies without worrying about HP as the ultimate provides him with increased HP and armor while increasing his ability to root and deal higher damage to structures thanks to the Demolish ability.
- Lone Druid’s Bear deals ungodly damage to towers with items such as Skull Basher, Desolator, and Assault Cuirass, making it easy for him to mow down the structure within a few hits (The Bear has to be a minimum of level 4 for this, as early level bear can not soak up so much damage)
- Upon usage, the Spirit Link ability provides immense lifesteal to LD on the damage dealt by the Bear while also increasing both of their attack speeds, while they can also share up to 20% of their armor with each other, making them tanky while team fighting.
Lone Druid is strong against:
- Anti-Mage - Once rooted, Anti-Mage is unable to blink away unless he has Manta Style.
- Storm Spirit - Storm Spirit finds it hard to escape or initiate against Lone Druid due to the high damage and root potential possessed by the latter
- Wraith King - Wraith King is unable to have an impactful laning phase if he is targeted and mowed down by Lone Druid.
- Spectre - Spectre can be kited and locked with Lone Druid’s Savage Roar and root potential.
- Nightstalker - Nightstalker finds it hard to lane in the early game due to the range discrepancy against Lone Druid.
Lone Druid is weak against:
- Winter Wyvern - As Lone Druid often stays near his bear, there are chances that the Winter’s Curse will make the bear attack him.
- Monkey King - Winter’s Cold Embrace can’t save her or her allies from Monkey King’s high damage
- Elder Titan - Elder Titan’s lockdown and damage can make it hard for Winter to stand ehr ground in the laning phase.
- Sand King - Sand King’s high damage potential with Sandstorm and Epicenter can make Lone Druid’s mid phase very hard.
- Winter Wyvern - Winter Wyvern can lock down Lone Druid and his bear while dealing high damage to them and maintaining distance
7. Winter Wyvern
The cold and dreadful Winter Wyvern sends chills down the enemy’s spine with her icy abilities. The laning phase is quite annoying for the melee heroes especially as they can be subjected to immense harassment by the Wyvern. Some may find it hard to negate all the damage, making them retire to the jungle or switch lanes as if they ignore the Wyvern’s threat, he can quite surely lose their life within no time. A great Wyvern player knows how to position properly, ensuring she isn’t caught in threatening spells, while also using Winter’s Curse on initiating enemies, making them unable to do any damage to her team.
The bone-chilling threat of Wyvern’s curse ensures enemies don’t stick around. She can also sustain herself and her allies with her heals. She is also known to be a great pick in most situations and certainly does wonders against initiating heroes due to her great crowd-control spells. But the prominent reason for picking her is Winter’s Curse, her ultimate. It forces enemies to be positioned wisely, making them unable to initiate if they do not see the Wyvern around.
Why is Winter Wyvern great for climbing MMR?
Alchemist farms quickly due to innate ability, Greevil's Greed, which provides him with extra gold for every last hit, allowing him to procure his items faster and push lanes within no time.
He can scale well into the late game with his ability to gain bonus stats from his ultimate, Chemical Rage, making him an incredibly tanky and hard-hitting carry.
Alchemist's Acid Spray is a powerful AoE ability that reduces enemy armor and allows him to take down towers and objectives quickly if combined with Assault Cuirass or Shiva’s Guard.
He can provide utility to his team with powerful items such as Aghanim's Scepter, and Moon Shard.
Winter Wyvern is strong against:
Meepo - Meepo can get decimated if he Winter’s Curse is used on him as all of his clones will attack him, leading to sure death in the early game.
Lone Druid - As Lone Druid often stays near his bear, there are chances that the Winter’s Curse will make the bear attack him.
Visage - Visage’s familiars can attack him and lock him down for the time being if he is targetted with Winter’s Curse.
Legion Commander - Winter can use Cold Embrace on her allies or Winter’s Curse on the Legion to stop a successful duel victory for her.
Broodmother - Wyvern’s high AoE damage with Splinter Blast can stop Broodmother from pushing towers
Winter Wyvern is weak against:
Timbersaw - Timbersaw has high chase potential, making him a strong counter to Wvyvern who lacks escape potential once Timbersaw cuts through the trees.
Sand King - Wyvern or her allies can be an easy target for Sand King if she uses Cold Embrace in plain sight, prompting Sand King to deal high damage while it is on cooldown
Anti-Mage - Anti-Mage can reflect Winter’s single-targeted spells, making it hard for her to escape the teamfights
Necrophos - Necrophos can heal his allies from a distance if they are affected by Winter’s Curse.
Weaver - Weaver’s escape potential makes it a tough job for Wyvern to lock the former down
6. Shadow Shaman
Many have come and gone but none can withstand the cursed abilities of this Shaman. Shadow Shaman is a great addition to your team against escape heroes as he offers you insane disable potential allowing your team to follow up with damage and spells. Apart from disabling, he is also known to push out lanes effortlessly and deal damage to buildings with his ultimate. He can also rat well in the late game if he has all the right items. Not every hero has the same disabler impact as Shadow Shaman in 7.37e.
Along with abilities, Shadow Shaman relies heavily on the right items to have a long-lasting impact in the game. Aether Lens provides a longer range of his abilities, making it easier for him to catch enemies off guard and initiate fights from a safer distance. Blink Dagger allows him to quickly reposition and get into a better position to cast his disables or escape dangerous situations. Force Staff, on the other hand, offers more versatility by allowing him to push enemies or allies in and out of danger or into better positions for his disables.
Why is Shadow Shaman a great hero for climbing MMR?
Shadow Shaman has multiple disables in his kit, making him a powerful disabler hero.
His Shackles ability can hold an enemy hero in place for up to 5.5 seconds, giving his team plenty of time to follow up with damage.
He can also trap enemies in his Serpent Wards, dealing significant damage while they are disabled.
Shadow Shaman's Hex can turn an enemy hero into a harmless critter for up to 4 seconds, making them unable to use their abilities or items.
Shadow Shaman is strong against
Ursa - Ursa hates being kited and Shaman can do just that with his shackles and hex, reducing the former’s impact in a fight
Bounty Hunter - Shaman can initate on a pesky Bounty Hunter, catching him off-guard and waiting for his team to follow up with further damage
Troll Warlord - Shackles keeps Troll stunned for an extended time, wasting his ultimate. A combo with Mass Serpent Ward only makes things worse for him, as his armor is low.
Outworld Devourer - OD’s low mobility makes him an easy target for Shaman with the Hex and Shackles combination.
Slardar - Shaman can Shackle a Slardar under the effect of Guardian Sprint, effectively wasting its duration and stopping him in his tracks.
Shadow Shaman is weak against
Meepo- Shadow Shaman can be overwhelmed by Meepo and the damage dished out by him and his clones
Silencer - Once silenced, Shaman is of no use in a teamfight as he relies on his spells to have maximum impact.
Naga Siren- Naga’s multiple illusions can help chase down Shaman, who can further be locked down by Net as he has zero mobility, making him an easy target in a fight.
Dark Seer - Dark Seer’s high damage potential makes him a strong laner against Shaman, who struggles heavily to stand his ground against him.
Phantom Lancer - Just like other Illusion heroes, Phantom Lancer swiftly overwhelms Shaman and makes him fall prey to his heavy physical damage
5. Visage
Visage continues his reign as the corruptor of seven hells, he has induced fear amongst his foes. Visage is a great addition to your team if you are looking for a threatening mid-hero who can outpace the enemy quite early on in the game. A late-game Visage is no joke and can single-handedly win you the game even against lethal heroes. He can push extremely well with the help of familiars which can be used to lock down enemies as well as deal damage to them in teamfights. He is extremely tanky and can opt for different item builds. Visage has extremely high attack speed, which with the help of his familiars and Aghanim’s Scepter can shred through enemies quite quickly.
Right from the laning phase, Visage proves to be a menace if played against squishy laners. Recent updates have buffed his Soul Consumption, as it now provides ample damage on low cooldown; allowing for easier kills and more efficient farming. Overall, Visage is a reliable core hero that can excel in any stage of the game, from the early laning phase to the late-game team fights.
Why is Visage a great hero for climbing MMR?
- Visage can easily spam spells on his enemies due to the low cooldown and decent mana generation in the laning phase
- He can also opt for various item builds depending upon the role as well as the in-game situation
- Visage does not fall off in the late game as he can split push with his familiars and rat.
Visage is strong against:
- Necrophos - Necrophos has low magic resistance which can further be amplified if he uses Ghost Shroud, which turns him into an easy target against Visage,
- Elder Titan - Despite serious damage and armor, Elder Titan lacks magic resistance, making him an easy target for Visage, who can spam his spells on the latter.
- Juggernaut - Once Juggernaut uses his Bladefury, he is highly vulnerable to Visage and his immense spell damage.
- Outworld Destroyer - Outworld Destroyer has no mobility, allowing Visage to chase him down with his familiars.
- Lifestealer - Lifestealer is highly potent to magical damage and is vulnerable if he lanes against Visage due to the range difference.
Visage is weak against:
- Naga Siren - As Visage does not deal AoE damage nor does he have any escape potential in the early game, Naga Siren can lane well and dominate against the former.
- Phantom Lancer - Visage’s lack of AoE damage can help Phantom Lancer lane and counter him in the later stages of the game.
- Dark Seer - Dark Seer can use Ion Shell on Visage’s familiars, prompting him to space them out and keep them away from him and each other.
- Winter Wyern - Visage’s familiars can attack him and lock him down for the time being if he is targetted with Winter’s Curse.
- Medusa - Medusa has high mana pool which acts as a shield, which makes hard for Visage to deal damage and penetrate it.
4. Abaddon
In 7.37e, Abaddon is a quintessential pick in the offlane, and there are various reasons for this. The first is his ability to shield his allies from immense damage, making them take less damage, along with him being able to heal them with Mist Coil. Borrowed Time ultimate always comes in handy as it doesn’t always have to be manually used, but is auto-activated if Abaddon falls below a certain HP threshold.
Abaddon is a great support hero against melee if he positions himself right in teamfights and does not get caught. Enemies can’t do well in the laning phase against him because of his highly high harassment capabilities, often shoving him out of the lane. Abaddon movement speed and slow with his passive. Enemies also can’t deal any damage to any target surrounding Abaddon due to his Aphotic Shield, making them extremely useless.
Why is Abaddon a great hero for climbing MMR?
Abaddon’s Aphotic Shield can complicate enemy initiations by making the shield absorb damage.
Abaddon can withstand damage with his ultimate, making him a great tanker and frontliner.
He is also a menace in the laning stage due to the buffs to his Curse of Avernus passive, dealing significant damage to enemies
Abaddon is strong against:
- Spectre - Abaddon can sustain himself in fights against Spectre and save his allies from incoming damage.
- Drow Ranger - Drow Ranger is highly vulnerable to Earth Spirit’s initiation and damage once she uses her Gust. She can also be kicked out of her Glacier with Boulder Smash.
- Silencer - Silencer has no escape potential, making him fall prey to Abaddon’s damage.
- Bane - Bane has low mobility, which Abadon can take massive advantage of, by chasing him down and making him vulnerable to massive follow-up damage.
- Axe - Axe’s impact is negated if he uses Culling Blade on an ally affected by Abaddon’s Aphoticc Shield
Abaddon is weak against:
- Anti-Mage - Abaddon’s low mana pool is further shattered by Anti-Mage’s Mana Break, making it hard for the former to utilize his spells effectively.
- Dark Seer - Dark Seer’s immense damage can destroy Aphotic Shield, making damage inevitable for Abaddon or his allies.
- Elder Titan - Elder Titan’s high armor and magical damage make Dark Seer useless, regardless of the facet he picks.
- Doom - Once Doom uses his spells, likely, Aphotic Shield or any of Abaddon’s spells escape due to the lethal damage dished out by the former.
- Lone Druid - Lone Druid roots Abaddon, making him unable to use his spells defensively or escape.
3. Bounty Hunter
This elusive hero has been gaining notoriety in he new meta, particularly due to the buff to his spellsmaking him highly relevant. His invisibility combined with his high damage output is the selling point! Bounty Hunter is known to slip from the clutches of his enemies. He is an annoying hero, who can fit into any lane! He can mow down enemy supports with just a few right clicks or he may also save his allies and provide them with heal or sustain.
Bounty Hunter can be played in pretty much any role due to the nature of his spells. This results in a vast item pool, which may include a plethora of items, making him highly versatile across MMR pools. Item builds vary according to your role, but they guarantee to amplify your skills and supplement your allies.
What makes Bounty Hunter a great hero to climb MMR?
- Track ability offers increased vision and bonus damage and gold for Bounty Hunter.
- He can easily sneak up behind enemy lines due to his invisibility.
- Bounty is highly versatile, can be bent and played in multiple roles
- Shruiken Toss deals magic damage, which is essential for heroes with high armor/HP.
Bounty Hunter is strong against:
- Clinkz - Clinz can’t easily escape Bounty Hunter’s clutches due to his reveal potential with Track.
- Sand King - Track can reveal invisible Sand King through Sandstorm.
- Bristleback - Bounty Hunter can keep on stealing gold off Bristleback, making it hard for him to lane in the early stages of the game.
- Nightstalker - Nightstalker can be seen through flying vision if he has Track applied to him.
- Warlock - Warlock has limited mobility against Bounty Hunter, making him an effective lane counter to the former.
Bounty Hunter is weak against:
- Naga Siren - Naga Siren can root and lock down Bounty Hunter with her net, making it hard for him to escape in the teamfight
- Meepo - Meepo’s Earthbind reveals invisible heroes, which can help him catch the Bounty Hunter
- Chaos Knight - With Phantsm and Manta Style, Bounty Hunter’s Track can be dispelled easily
- Shadow Shaman - Shadow Shaman has high disable potential, making it hcard for Bounty Hunter to escape in the teamfights.
- Slark - Slark can easily purge off Track and escape Bounty Hunter with his ultimate, Shadow Dance.
Misery Bounty Hunter Soft Support
2. Lich
Lich, the ice-cold wizard can frostbite even the hottest heroes in the current meta. His chilling win rate is unmatched by any other support hero in the Herald to Archon brackets! Lich is a high-priority support hero in the game, his immense DPS can never go unnoticed. He is very irritating in the laning phase, pushing the enemies out of the lane and not leaving them any farm. He can farm quite easily with his AoE skills without taking much damage due to his frost armor.
The unique selling point behind picking Lich in the low MMR brackets is primarily his ease of play. Agreed that he has a lot of active spells but there is no complexity in them, he can deal significant amounts of damage in a fight and eventually acquire items that can further supplement his ability to kill and safeguard the game for his team.
Why is Lich a great hero for climbing MMR?
- Lich has multiple AoE spells which help him deal high damage right from the laning phase, which makes him an active and powerful support hero in the low MMR brackets.
- Lich also has immense crowd control potential with the help of Chain Frost and Ice Spire, which deal the majority of his damage while slowing and tormenting his enemies.
Lich is strong against
- Spirit Breaker - If used on time, Lich can prevent Spirit Breaker from escaping with his charge if he uses his Sinister Gaze.
- Necrophos - Necrophos has low magic resistance, making him an easy target to bust down for Lich
- Wraith King - Wraith King’s mana is drained with Sinister Gaze, making it hard for him to reincarnate if he does not have enough mana
- Arc Warden - Arc Warden and his clone often are in close range, making them vulnerable to Lich and his high magic damage
- Lone Druid - As Lone Druid often stays near his bear, there are chances that the Chain Frost will keep on bouncing between him and the bear.
Lich is weak against
- Shadow Demon - Shadow Demon can save himself or his allies with disruption if they are targeted with Chain Frost.
- Pugna - Lich’s low magic resistance and high spell dependability make him an easy target for Pugna to bust down.
- Anti-Mage - Anti-Mage can reflect all of Lich’s spells as they single-targeted, making it easy for him to get on top of the latter and mow him down
- Bristleback - Once Bristleback has Bloodstone and Pipe of Insight, he isn’t worried about Lich’s damage.
- Ringmaster - Ringmaster can save his allies with Escape Act, making them invulnerable from Lich’s damage.
1. Elder Titan
Elder Titan, the elemental guard, is a tough nut to crack, he is one of the most tanky and damage-dealing support heroes in the game. With the recent buffs to her facet Deconstruction, he deals high damage to enemies, lowering their magic immunity. Elder Titan is highly effective in the late game as not only does he amplify the damage he deals but can also be seen as a massive crowd control hero. His tankiness also allows him to be the center of the fight without worrying much about his enemies
Along with being a trusted hero, Elder Titan also has a high win rate in the current meta, with over 53% according to Dotabuff. Agreed, some heroes have higher crowd control than him, but Elder Titan has sustainability and high damage, making him an ideal support hero in the later stages of the game due to how well he fares against multiple heroes. This is something that Squishy supports that heroes can’t excel at.
Why is Elder great for climbing MMR?
- 7.37c brings major buffs to Elder Titan’s passive, all thanks to his facet, making him a strong counter to squishy heroes throughout the game.
- Elder Titan also has innately high armor gain, making her stand his ground right from the laning phase.
- Elder Titan has high crowd control potential along with massive physical damage, making him a strong counter to squishy heroes.
Elder Titan is strong against
- Meepo - Meepo’s multiple clones can fall easily down easily all thanks to Elder Titan’s massive AOE damage with stomp and ultimate.
- Tidehunter - Elder Titan’s passive reduces Tidehunter’s magic resistance as well as armor, making him a vulnerable hero in the laning phase.
- Lone Druid - Elder Titan’s passive is highly strong and useful against Lone Druid, who naturally has low armor and magic resistance, making him an easy target.
- Slark - Slark’s escape potential can be negated if Elder Titan uses stomp on the right time, preventing Slark from using TP in his ultimate form or escaping with pounce.
- Abaddon - As a meele hero, there is not much the Abaddon can do if he is laning against Medusa due to his low damage potential and lack of lockdowns, giving him a free lane.
Elder Titan is weak against
- Visage - Despite serious damage and armor, Elder Titan lacks magic resistance, making him an easy target for Visage, who can spam his spells on the latter.
- Windranger - Elder Titan has no mobility, making it easy for Windranger to lock him down and eliminate him with her ultimate.
- Nature’s Prophet - Nature’s Prophet has both lockdown as well as high physical damage, which can turn Elder Titan’s spells and passive obsolete in the later stages of the game.
- Phantom Assassin - Phantom Assassin’s excellent escape potential makes it hard for Elder Titan to chase her down
- Troll Warlord - Troll Warlord is known to be a beast against Elder Titan due to his ability to stand his ground and fight even after being burst down by the latter’s spells.
