It is obvious that if you have clicked on this article, you are having trouble climbing through your MMR ladder. With over 120 heroes in the game, it is often confusing to pick the right hero in the right circumstances. Picking an irrelevant hero can often prove to be fatal for your team. The same hero can’t be suitable for every matchup. Yet, certain heroes are considered to be the cream of the crop of the current patch, these heroes can do well regardless of the enemies they are facing due to the recent buffs to their spells or items they usually purchase. With these heroes, you can effortlessly climb up the ranks within no time!

To assist you to pick the right and relevant heroes for your MMR journey, we bring you a list of the Best 15 Solo Queue Heroes in the current patch. These heroes have extremely high win rates in the new meta, they farm fast, gank faster, and destroy their foes within no time!

15. Invoker

If there is one hero who has stood the test of time and stayed relevant in the majority of the patches, then it has to be Invoker. His skill set allows him to act both offensive and defensive, depending upon the scenario. Unlike most mid-laners, Voker can gank and push lanes fairly early on in the game. This gives him that edge in both experience and farm. Invoker is seen as a squishy mid-hero against the physical damage-dealing lot of heroes, but his abilities allow him to defend himself from the terrorizing lethal enemy heroes. He provides decent crowd control with his spell combos, which can help him turn the tides in teamfights if he has enough backup from his allies.

The master of the arcane arts is a quintessential mid-counter to squishy and low magic resistance heroes, and there are various reasons for it. Low magic resistance is a weakness that Voker takes great advantage of. Invoker often breaks even in the laning phase but is known to dominate the late game. Invoker fares well in the laning phase, sometimes even breaking against some annoying and aggressive heroes like Zeus and Viper. An experienced Invoker player will always try to harass the enemy midlaner out of the lane and demote him to the jungle.

Why is Invoker a great Solo Queue hero? 

• Invoker has a total of 10 spells that can be used both offensively and defensively depending on the situation.
• He has multiple crowd control spells, which allow him to essentially dictate the trajectory of the game.
• Decent sustain with the Quas Wex build, allowing him to play defensively.
• Decent aggression with the Quas Exort build, allowing him to play offensively.
• Snowballs quickly if not contained in the early game due to his ungodly magical damage.

Choose Invoker if

• Your team lacks heroes with magic damage
• Your team lacks crowd control or disabler heroes.

Best 5 End-Game items to buy on Invoker 

• Scythe of Vyse - Scythe of Vyse - Upon usage it hexes the targeted unit, essentially making them unable to use spells or items, along with reducing their movement speed for 3.5 seconds. This item is excellent on Invoker as he can also use it defensively to save himself from heroes initiating on him.
• Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity against any magic damage spells, allowing him to stand his ground in teamfights.
• Aghanim’s Scepter - Creates a Cataclysm when Sun Strike is double-tapped. Puts it on a 100-second cooldown. Creates 2 visible Sun Strikes within 160-200 range of each enemy hero. This is a highly useful spell if used in tandem with other crowd-control spells.
• Blink Dagger - Upon cast, Blink transports Invoker 1200 units in the distance he is facing, can’t be used for 3 seconds if he takes any form of damage. Blink is used for closing the gap and getting on top of enemies and following up with spells, or it can also be used to escape away from a bad teamfight.
• Refresher’s Orb - Can refresh spells and items to use them again in quick succession to delete enemies from the team fight.

Invoker is strong against

• Wraith King - EMP allows Invoker to burn Wraith King's mana to prevent Reincarnation from triggering (only until Wraith King gets his Aghanim's Shard).
• Huskar - Sun Strike deals pure damage and pierces spell immunity, and Huskar tends to drain his HP, making him a susceptible target.
• Necrophos - Tornado allows Invoker to purge Necrophos's Ghost Shroud, nullifying any benefits he could get out of it.

Invoker is weak against

• Faceless Void - If Invoker is caught in Chronosphere, he will most likely be the primary target due to the large teamfight contribution he can provide.
• Broodmother - Broodmother is both an Orchid Malevolence and a Nullifier carrier. As she can farm it early, she can kill Invoker easily.
• Pugna - Nether Ward on its own can greatly hinder Invoker from casting many of his abilities, at least until he gets a significant amount of HP or is under the protection of spell immunity from Black King Bar.

https://www.dota2.com/hero/invoker 

14. Pudge

Pudge, the menacing butcher is undoubtedly one of the most picked heroes in the game. His popularity is credited primarily due to his Hook spell, which drags enemies from a significant distance back to the Pudge, for him to mow them down within no time. Most heroes can fare well against Pudge in the laning phase as they can deal immense damage to him or brush off his spells as he does not have any follow-up in the early game. But as we know, most heroes require their ultimate to be strong, and if Pudge is quick enough to acquire his level 6 before his foes, he can go around the map ruining their gameplay and decimating them in no time. 

You don’t have to be the greatest hooker in the game but it does not take a Dendi to hook stationary targets. Pudge can easily save his allies or eat them if they are caught in an unfair teamfight, healing them while they’re inside him. He is also extremely tanky and can be ignored by enemies if he has his Rot spell on. Overall, a good Pudge can do enough damage to make most players abandon the game entirely!

Why is Pudge a great solo queue hero?

• Immensely tanky hero right from the laning stage due to his high armor and acquired Flesh Heap charges.
• Deals immense AoE damage with Rot, which can also be used for farming and chasing enemies down while slowing them
• Pudge is also highly picked as an initiator, making him a perfect fit in multiple roles regardless of the meta.

Choose this hero if

• Your team lacks a tanky hero who can also farm and stand his ground in fights.
• Your team lacks an initiator hero who can also be a tanky frontliner.

Top 5 End Game Items for Pudge 

• Aether Lens - Provides increased cast range on items and spells, and can be used to catch the enemies off-guard with the increased range.
• Aghanim’s Scepter - Can “eat” an ally, basically ingesting them and healing them inside him, it can be used on allies affected by certain enemy spells.
• Blink Dagger - Upon cast, Blink transports Pudge 1200 units in the distance he is facing, can’t be used for 3 seconds if he takes any form of damage, though Rot damage does not count. Blink is used for closing the gap and to get on top of enemies to follow up with Dismember or Hook, or it can also be used to escape away from them.
• Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity from all enemy magic damage spells, making Pudge invulnerable in the fight
• Blademail - Reflects enemy damage to them upon activation. This is highly useful in teamfights, making enemies ignore you for the majority of the duration. 

Pudge is strong against

• Drow Ranger - Meat Hook can pull Drow Ranger to Pudge, disabling her Marksmanship.
• Phantom Assassin - If Phantom Assassin jumps on Pudge first with Phantom Strike, she will be a very easy target for Pudge's Meat Hook and Dismember combo.
• Spectre - He can easily tank the damage reflected by Dispersion due to his high strength and the healing from Dismember.

Pudge is weak against

• Anti-Mage - Mana Break can quickly drain Pudge's low supply of mana, which may render Meat Hook and Dismember unusable.
• Bristleback - Bristleback, in combination with his strength gain, high health, common itemization for magic resistance, and damage reduction from Bristleback makes him a poor target for Pudge.
• Doom - Doom disables the toggling of Rot and, if cast at the right time, may leave Pudge with a potentially lethal health drain

 https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Pudge

13. Hoodwink

Not all support heroes manage to stay so relevant regardless of the meta. Hoodwink is an exception, as she shook the player base with her exceptional toolkit. Being one of the latest additions to the game, Hoodwink’s potential to decimate the enemy team with her spells is highly lauded. The elusive squirrel is an effective support hero as her spells can lock enemies down and deal immense damage with the help of her ultimate. She is also highly flexible as she can be played both roaming support or lane support depending upon the matchup. Hoodwink also is very mobile, making it difficult for her foes to catch her easily.

Along with being an effective team fighter, Hoodwink is also known to easily shove enemies out of the lane with her annoying damage. She can also translate well into the late game if she has a decent farm. She is one of the few support heroes who can stand her ground in the late game. Her ultimate, Sharpshooter, is highly lethal as it causes her enemies to decimate within no time. If you’re new to the game and want to play support, Hoodwink is, without a doubt, the best option you have! This hero is highly fun to play and is a devastating support right from level 1.

What makes Hoodwink a great solo queue?

• Sharpshooter ability deals massive damage to heroes, and if combined with Ethereal Blade, it can instantly neutralize a hero with low magic resistance.
• Bushwhack and Scurry can be used to easily kite enemy heroes.
• High movement speed right from the early game.
• Hoodwink has decent damage from the early game, allowing her to poke and shove enemies out of the lane.

Choose Hoodwink if

• You want a decent damage-dealing support hero
• You want a crowd-control hero who can fight right from the get-go

Top 5 Best Endgame items for Hoodwink

• Glepnir - Upon cast, Glepnir roots enemies in an AoE and deals damage to them over time. It is an exceptional item on Hoodwink as it can be used in tandem with her spells, allowing her to catch multiple enemies off-guard.
• Aether Lens - Provides Hoodwink with increased cast range on both spells and items along with providing decent stats and mana. It can further be upgraded into Octraine Core which reduces spell and item cooldowns by 25%.
• Aghanim’s Scepter - Turns Hoodwink invisible, increasing her movement speed, and creates a decoy illusion that starts aiming a decreased damage Sharpshooter at the nearest enemy hero.
• Spirit Vessel - Deals significant damage per second and reduces heals and lifesteal when used on enemies. Works exceptionally well with Hoodwink’s spells, decimating heroes within no time.
• Ethereal Blade - Upon cast, it releases a projectile that disarms the targeted unit, making them take extra magical damage. It can instantly kill a hero if combined with Hoodwink’s Sharpshooter.

Hoodwink is strong against:

• Monkey King - Hoodwink can easily catch Monkey King with Bushwack while he is hiding in the trees while providing flying vision with her ultimate, Sharpshooter.
• Phantom Lancer - Bushwack and AoE damage from all of Hoodwink’s spells and items ensure Phantom Lancer’s illusions get decimated quickly.
• Morphling - It is quite easy for the Hoodwink to burst down Morhpling with her spell combination if she catches the latter using Agi Shift.

Hoodwink is weak against:

• Storm Spirit - He can catch the pesky squirrel down with his ultimate, Ball Lighting.
• Zeus - He can burst down Hoodwink with his high magical damage, while also revealing her whereabouts with his ultimate and Aghanim’s Upgrade, Nimbus.
• Nyx Assassin - His stuns disable Hoodwink while also disturbing her with his Manaburn. Spiked Carapace ensures Nyx doesn’t burst down by Hoodwink’s lethal combination of spells.

https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Hoodwink 

12. Sniper

Looks are often deceiving, this dwarf marksman is the stuff nightmares are made of. Sniper’s significant attack range makes it quite hard for melee heroes especially to target him, while the marksman can simply demolish them with his attack damage. If there is one hero that most players could permanently delete then it would have to be the annoying yet lethal Sniper! He is highly reliable due to his immense range which allows him to attack safely from the backlines while his team tanks in the front lines. The reason why Sniper is on this list is due to his ability to participate in the teamfights from the early game, without being much reliant on items.

The late game can be quite tricky for the Sniper as enemies can close the gap with the help of items like Blink Dagger or Shadow Blade, as they allow him to get on top of the dwarf and beat him down. Positioning is always the key while playing against such mobile heroes. A good Sniper player can have an impact in teamfights without being in the forefront. All his items grant him ungodly amounts of damage which can ruin the game of the Void if he does not lock him down.

Why is Sniper a great solo queue hero?

• High base attack range and movement speed right off the bat
• AoE spell that accelerates his farm, while also annoying enemies in the early game, shoving them off the lane.
• Sniper has flexible build potential, making it easy for him to change builds depending on who he is facing
• Excellent Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade which can be used to stun enemies with his ultimate, Assassinate, providing a way for you to lock enemies and beat them down within no time.
• Great talent tree that scales extremely well with items in the later stages of the game.

Choose Sniper if

• You want ranged damage-dealing carry or mid hero
• Your team lacks physical damage hero

Top 5 End Game Items for Sniper

• Maelstorm/Mjolnir - Malestorm provides Sniper a chance to deal AoE damage on physical attacks. It’s a great item to counter the familiars by dealing AoE damage to them. Its upgrade, Mjolnir, can be used to cast on yourself or allies to deal AoE damage to enemies attacking you under its duration. 
• Dragon Lance - Provides increased stats and regen along with increased attack range. Sniper is anything but tanky, but an early-game Dragon Lance assures he does not get prioritized by enemies in fights. It can further be upgraded into a Hurricane Pike.
• Mask of Madness - Increased attack speed and lifesteal, along with increasing your movement speed. This allows Sniper to deal high damage without many intervals.
• Shadow Blade - Provides invisibility which can be used to escape or set up on enemies. It can later be upgraded into Silver Edge which can disable the latter’s passive Bash right after breaking invisibility.
• Monkey King Bar - Provides increased physical attack damage, and also provides true strike upon physical attacks, preventing or essentially countering enemies if they purchase Butterfly.
• Daedalus - Deals high critical damage, it can be used to deal high damage to enemies in the mid-game.

Sniper is strong against

• Drow Ranger - Shrapnel and Assassinate provide vision over her and slow her down, making it easier for your team to focus on taking her down
• Enigma - Enigma's Eidolons from Demonic Conversion are useless to push against a Sniper as he will easily kill them, especially with Maelstrom/ Mjollnir.
• Shadow Fiend - Take Aim and Headshot allow Sniper to harass Shadow Fiend in lane without getting into the range of his Shadowraze.

Sniper is weak against 

• Ember Spirit - Ember Spirit can close the distance between Sniper easily with his Activate Fire Remnant and further keep Sniper in place with Searing Chains.
• Invoker - Invoker's arsenal of magical spells is troublesome for Sniper who has low HP and high armor, which does not benefit him much against Invoker.
• Lifestealer - Lifestealer can close the distance to Sniper by using Infest on a fast or durable creep to tank Sniper's damage.

https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Sniper

11. Mirana  

Princess of the Moon, the pristine Mirana is a highly praised hero of recent times. Her high pick rate at the recent International is evidence of her high capacity to dominate games. Mirana can be a flexible hero, meaning she can be played in multiple different positions depending upon the heroes she is facing, but ideally, she is to be played as roaming support, as it is the role where she shines the most at! In the current patch, Mirana is often played as a position 4 hero, this is due to the buffs to her arrow, making her highly relevant as a ganker.

Mirana is often picked as a support hero in the current meta as her exceptional spells allow her to have an optimum impact in teamfights, supplementing her ally cores. She can save her allies with her ultimate, making all of them invisible regardless of their position on the map. It can also be used offensively to gank unaware enemies, catching them by surprise. Mirana is an excellent position 4 hero, as she can fit into any lineup regardless of the heroes she is facing, making her a great addition to your team if you’re lacking team fight.

Why is Mirana a great solo queue hero? 

• Leap can be used to initiate or escape from teamfights, providing decent mobility.
• Sacred Arrow allows Mirana to stun for a significant duration or help allies chain-stun enemies during a teamfight.
• The invisibility from Moonlight Shadow gives a degree of mobility, which can make Mirana or her teammates difficult targets in fights.

Choose Mirana if 

• Your team lacks survivability
• Your team lacks a team fighter support hero who can be relevant right from the early stages of the game.

Top 5 End Game Items on Mirana 

• Spirit Vessel - Deals decent damage per second and reduces heals and lifesteal when used on enemies. Works exceptionally well with Mirana’s spells, decimating heroes within no time.
• Lotus Orb - Can reflect single targeted spells if timed correctly, while also providing a basic dispel to Mirana upon usage.
• Force Staff - Allows Mirana to force herself or the targeted unit 600 units ahead in the direction they are facing, it can be useful to catch or initiate on enemies.
• Eul’s Scepter - It can be used to sweep the Mirana or the targeted enemy into the air for 2.5 seconds, making them unable to use spells or move. This can be used to lock them down or set up for teamfights with the arrow.
• Mekansm - Upon usage, it can be used to heal Mirana or her allies in an AoE, and can further be upgraded to Guardian Greaves in the late game, which provides a basic dispel on Mirana upon usage.

Mirana is strong against

• Crystal Maiden - Sacred Arrow can be used to interrupt Freezing Field from a safe distance, forcing her to cancel it to dodge or get hit.
• Witch Doctor - Paralyzing Cask is a slow-moving stun, and Mirana can Leap away from her allies to keep it from bouncing.
• Drow Ranger - Sacred Arrow can be used to interrupt Freezing Field from a safe distance, forcing her to cancel it to dodge or get hit.

Mirana is weak against 

• Abbadon - Abaddon can remove Sacred Arrow's stun from his teammates with Aphotic Shield, or remove it from himself with Borrowed Time.
• Arc Warden - Flux will slow and damage Mirana even after she Leaps since she will likely not be near allies.
• Meepo - Earthbind prevents Mirana from Leaping or going invisible with Moonlight Shadow. She can be easily killed by Poof and Ransack while disabled.

https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Mirana 

10. Zeus

Zeus, the Thundergod is quite undoubtedly a great counter-pick to squishy magic resistance heroes. Zeus fares extremely well if he is laning against certain heroes as he can smite them down in the early game as soon as he reaches level six. This allows him to gank other lanes without even being there! Zeus is also an excellent farmer which allows him to acquire multiple items which help him further dominate the game. The game gets slightly icky if the enemies get magic resistance items but as long as Zeus is in the backlines, he can pump out enough damage to turn the tides in his favor. 

Zeus acquires items like Aether Lens and Veil of Discord, squishy mid-heroes can’t handle the DPS, which proves to be extremely lethal. Ideally, most heroes do not want to build a BKB, but facing a magical Zeus will force them to opt for it, slowing down their progress on other more useful items, which can give his carry an edge over them in the late game. His Aghanim’s Scepter upgrade is by far the best in the game, if combined with his ultimate, it can smite down enemies from anywhere on the map. The late game is where Zeus is known to shine bright like a star.

Why is Zeus a great solo queue hero? 

• Zeus' abilities deal high amounts of burst magical damage, which ignores the high armor of certain heroes.
• Can reveal invisible heroes with Lighting Bolt.
• His spells deal immense magical damage which enemies find hard to contain in the early stages of the game.
• He is an annoying laner, making his mid-counterpart ferry in regen items or goes back to the base.
• Zeus' Arc Lightning is also a good way to destroy illusions or cleaver waves.

Best 5 End-Game items to buy on Zeus 

• Octraine Core - Reduces the cooldown time of all spells and items by 25%. Allowing Zeus to use his spells more often and teamfight regularly.
• Refresher’s Orb - Can refresh spells and items and use them again in quick succession to delete squishy heroes from the fight.
• Arcane Blink - Essentially an upgraded version of the Blink Dagger, providing all its properties along with gaining 25% Mana Cost Reduction, 20% Debuff Amplification and 50% Cast Point reduction for 6 seconds upon usage. It can be used by Zeus to lower his cooldowns further, making him a devastating force in the late game.
• Kaya and Sange - Provides increased stats along with increased status resistance, spell amplification, health, and mana regeneration. This is an exceptional item on Zeus as it allows him to deal immense damage to foes without worrying too much about his mana. 
• Aghanim’s Scepter - Provides Nimbus ability which creates a storm cloud anywhere on the map that automatically casts Lightning Bolt on nearby enemies. It is essential for teamfights in the late game

Zeus is strong against

• Bounty Hunter- If Bounty Hunter tries to escape a gank by using Shadow Walk, Zeus can gain vision of him with both Lightning Bolt and Thundergod's Wrath.
• Lich - Lich does not pose a big threat to Zeus in teamfights, as his spells don't have great cast range and Zeus should be too far back for a Chain Frost to bounce among him and his allies.
• Necrophos - Necrophos' Ghost Shroud increases the magic damage taken by Necrophos.

Zeus is weak against

• Juggernaut - Blade Fury negates all magical damage from Zeus.
• Faceless Void - Time Dilation can limit Zeus to casting his abilities only once in a fight, effectively serving as a 12-second silence.
• Anti-Mage - Anti-Mage can burn mana, which is a big problem for a spellcaster like Zeus who heavily relies on it.

https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Zeus 

9. Tusk

Ymir, the Tusk, is a hardcore brawling hero, he was made to fight and ruffle some feathers! Tusk is an exceptional hero against pretty much any carry hero in the current meta, there are no exceptions to that. Laning is never fun for squishy heroes against the Tusk as the latter can snowball (no pun intended) if he gets a few kills on them. Tusk is highly on demand in the meta as he can obliterate heroes within no time and be the frontliner in teamfights. He can also gank quite early on in the game, making him impactful right from the laning phase.

Tusk is known to be a heavy hitter as soon as he acquires his ultimate, Walrus Punch. His icy and chilling ultimate paralyzes enemies and eliminates all their chances of escape. Tusk can hunt his foes down with his Snowball, which can also be used to save allies by clicking on them, making them get inside the ball! All it takes is one Smoke of Deceit to gank the squishy carry, which can be done quite easily with Snowball and Tag team, essentially ruining their gameplay.

Why is Tusk a great solo queue hero?

• Snowball lets Tusk get to enemies to gank them. It can also be to save allies affected by certain spells.
• Tag Team allows Tusk to slow enemies down and allow allies to deal increased damage to them.
• Walrus PUNCH! slows enemies and deals a huge amount of damage to them while also interrupting their TPs and channeling spells, it pierces Black King Bar immunity as well.

Choose Tusk if

• Your team lacks a team fighting support who can gank right from the get-go
• Your team lacks initiating heroes.

Items to buy on Tusk

• Blink Dagger - Upon cast, Blink transports Tusk 1200 units in the distance he is facing, can’t be used for 3 seconds if he takes any form of damage. Blink is used for closing the gap and getting on top of enemies and following up with the Snowball or Walrus Punch, or it can also be used to escape away from a bad teamfight.
• Drums of Endurance - Provides increased movement and attack speed to Tusk and his allies on the activation in an AoE. It can be used to initiate a teamfight or help his allies escape a messy situation.
• Force Staff - Allows Tusk to force himself or the targeted unit 600 units ahead in the direction they are facing, it can be useful to catch or initiate on enemies.
• Aghanim’s Scepter - Scepter provides Walrus Kick which allows him to kick enemies away during teamfights, even if they have Black King Bar on!
• Shadow Blade - Provides invisibility which can be used to escape or set up on enemies with his devastating spells.

Tusk is good against

• Bane - Walrus PUNCH! can be used to cancel Fiend's Grip if he is not the target.
• Crystal Maiden - Crystal Maiden's low health and armor make her an easy target for Walrus Punch
• Pugna - Pugna's low health and reliance on channeled abilities make him very vulnerable to Tusk, although Pugna can win in a straight-up 1v1 later in the game.

Tusk is bad against 

• Disruptor - Glimpse can return Tusk to where he was after using Snowball.
• Earthshaker - Echo Slam is good against Snowball since it bunches everyone up. This can set up some prime opportunities for Blink Echo Slams.
• Razor - Static Link drains Tusk's base damage, and it also reduces his Walrus PUNCH! crit.

https://www.dota2.com/hero/tusk 

8. Ember Spirit

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. 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 solo queue hero? 

• Multiple builds can be utilized as per the game i.e Physical, Magical, or Hybrid.
• Ember Spirit can close the distance between his foes easily with his Activate Fire Remnant and further keep them in place with Searing Chains.
• With the help of Aghanim's Scepter, his enemies cannot outrun Ember Spirit or chase him.

Choose Ember Spirit if

• Your team lacks a mobile mid-hero capable of dealing immense damage and team fighting right from the early game
• Your team lacks hybrid damage-dealing heroes

Best 5 End-Game items to buy on Ember Spirit

• Maelstorm/Mjolnir - Malestorm provides Ember Spirit a chance to deal with AoE damage on physical attacks. It’s a great item to counter multiple heroes by dealing AoE damage to them. Its upgrade, Mjolnir, can be used to cast on yourself or allies to deal AoE damage to enemies attacking you under its duration. 
• Shiva’s Guard - Upon activation, it deals damage in an AoE, slowing down the affected targets. It also provides increased armor to Ember and reduces enemy armor in an AoE.
• Blademail - Upon activation, Blademail reflects all the damage done to Ember back to his enemies.
• Aghanim’s Scepter - Provides increased charges to Remnant, along with increased range and speed, allowing Ember to chase down targets or initiate in teamfights quickly.
• Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity, negating all the slowness and magical damage being dealt by enemies while making him invulnerable in teamfights, allowing him to initiate a fight without any consequences. 

Ember Spirit is strong against

• Bloodseeker - Fire Remnant allows Ember Spirit to escape Bloodseeker while Ruptured.
• Templar Assassin - Templar Assassin has no inherent way to prevent Ember Spirit from escaping, a good ember player also will be able to dodge her meld attack.
• Zeus - Zeus laning against Ember is going to be punished with Sleight of Fist due to his low health pool.

Ember Spirit is weak against

• Shadow Fiend - Shadowraze can easily remove the protection from Flame Guard and kill Ember Spirit due to his low health.
• Faceless Void - Chronosphere is also a reliable lockdown for Ember Spirit, although it can be evaded sometimes by Activate Fire Remnant. Additionally, Void can easily negate Sleight of Fist damage with Time Walk.
• Outworld Destroyer - Astral Imprisonment fully negates all magic damage of Flame Guard and Searing Chains and will temporarily save himself from Sleight of Fist's physical damage, and Ember Spirit is not a hero that can counter these skills.

https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Ember_Spirit 

7. Leshrac

Leshrac has been a staple mid-hero in the current meta due to his reliability and readily available ungodly magical damage. Leshrac is relevant right from the laning phase, his damage shoves out enemies from the lane and forces them to purchase magical resistance items early on, slowing their progression on other more necessary items Leshrac can push lanes with his Edict, deal immense damage to heroes, and lock them down with his Split Earth. He is a consistent mid-hero and does not fall off in the late game. 

It’s quite advantageous to pick Leshrac in the current meta as his toolkit is highly dangerous to play against. Leshrac is known for his high magical damage, AoE, and lockdown potential, all of these elements are lethal against squishy low magic resistance heroes. 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 low magic resistance heroes, Lesh can also mow down buildings with Edict providing equal counter push and ratting in the late game if required. A successful early game for Leshrac translates to domination in the late game, as most heroes have no way to stop his lethal magic damage.

Why is Leshrac a great solo queue hero? 

• Immense farming and wave clear potential with the help of his spells
• High AoE magical damage output which allows him to fight right from the get-go, obliterating his foes within no time, also allowing him to farm quickly.
• Can also quickly push towers with Diabolical Edict.

Choose Leshrac if 

• Your team lacks magical damage-dealing heroes
• Your team lacks a sustainable mid-hero capable of dealing immense damage and team fighting right from the early game

Best 5 End-Game items to buy on Leshrac 

• Scythe of Vyse - Scythe of Vyse - Upon usage it hexes the targeted unit, essentially making them unable to use spells or items, along with reducing their movement speed for 3.5 seconds. 
• Eul’s Scepter - It can be used to sweep the Leshrac or the targeted enemy into the air for 2.5 seconds, making them unable to use spells or move. This can be used to lock them down and set up with Earth Splitter.
• Aghanim's Scepter - Grants Nihilism ability, which allows Leshrac to essentially decrepify nearby enemies, slowing them and boosting the damage of his abilities.
• Kaya and Sange - Provides increased stats along with increased status resistance, spell amplification, health, and mana regeneration. This is an exceptional item on Leshrac as it allows him to deal immense damage to foes without worrying too much about his mana. 
• Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity, making you invulnerable in the fight

Leshrac is strong against

• Io - Lightning Storm will usually hit both Io and his Tethered target since both will be close enough for the lightning to jump. It can then be followed up by Split Earth.
• Meepo - Pulse Nova deals an insane amount of damage in an area around him, which can quickly wear down Meepo clones.
• Visage - Diabolic Edict and Pulse Nova hit all units around Leshrac, making it very easy for him to kill the Summon Familiars.

Leshrac is weak against

• Pugna - Nether Ward punishes Leshrac's constant mana usage from spamming spells.
• Clockwerk - Clockwerk naturally builds Blade Mail, reflecting Leshrac's high magic damage output at him.
• Nyx Assassin - Nyx Assassin's Spiked Carapace will stun Leshrac when hit by any of his AOE abilities. While Mana Burn deals high damage due to Leshrac's high intelligence gain and burns a large amount of Leshrac's essential mana pool.

https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Leshrac

6. Disruptor

The Disruptor is a heavily picked support hero in the current meta. He is by far the most obvious support counter to spell-casting heroes regardless of the patch. This electrifying hero has all the right abilities in his toolkit. Disruptor’s low cooldown spells and surprisingly high damage make him a perfect fit in most matchups. He is an exceptional hero to lane with, as he can ensure his enemies get interrupted and annoyed, eventually shoved out of the lane. As most heroes are highly privy to magic damage in the laning stage, they are the number one target of Disruptor before they can even get their Black King Bar. 

Just like other support heroes, Disruptor is also a level-reliant hero, making him prone to team fighting more, as he does not rely too much on items, but only gets better as he acquires them. Disruptor can change the direction of the game if he manages to separate enemies from the team fight by Glimpsing them back or silencing them with his ultimate, rendering them highly useless. The Static Storm ultimate is further amplified by Aghanim’s Scepter that not only silences them but mutes his items as well. Disruptor should be your go-to support hero if your enemies have agile and slippery heroes.

What makes Disruptor a great solo queue hero?

• Disruptor has immense crowd control spells, allowing him to separate people in fights.
• He is a deadly nuker as his spells also deal an immense amount of magical damage right from the get-go.
• Highly effective hero right from the laning phase with his annoying spells.
• Disruptor is easy to play, making him a perfect fit regardless of the MMR pool.
• Does not fall off in the late game, unlike certain other support heroes.

Choose Disruptor if

• Your team lacks decent damage-dealing position 5 hero
• Your team lacks a disabler/crowd-control hero

Top 5 Best Endgame items for Disruptor

• Aghanim’s Scepter - Causes ultimate to mute enemy items, making it an effective crowd control ability, completely disabling enemies in an AoE.
• Aeon Disk - Saves Disruptor from getting burst quickly from enemy spells or damage if his health falls below 70%, ausing him to also gain 75% status resistance. It also applies a basic dispel, although it has an extremely high cooldown which increases every time it breaks.
• Glimmer Cape - Provides invisibility upon cast, and can be used to escape or set up to gank enemies.c
• Eul’s Scepter - It can be used to sweep the Disruptor or the targeted enemy into the air for 2.5 seconds, making them unable to use spells or move. This can be used to lock them down or set up for teamfights.
• Force Staff - Allows the Disruptor to force himself or the targeted unit 600 units ahead in the direction they are facing, it can be useful to catch or initiate on enemies.

Disruptor is strong against:

• Primal Beast - Disruptor forces Primal Beast to buy a Black King Bar much earlier than he might like but becomes a major threat to Disruptor once he does.
• Io - Disruptor can always Glimpse the Io back or his target after he Relocated nearby.
• Slark - AoE silence and the ability to mute Black King Bar is deadly to Slark at all stages of the game.

Disruptor is weak against:

• Viper - Corrosive Skin minimizes the damage Viper takes from all of Disruptor's skills.
• Kunkka - X Marks the Spot allows Kunkka or his teammates to fight back under the effect of Glimpse.
• Juggernaut - Blade Fury allows Juggernaut to simply move out of Kinetic Field and dodge Glimpse.

https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Disruptor 

5. Clockwerk

Clockwerk, the mechanical genius is quite a rare sight in the current meta, but he is often seen picked against Sven as he can easily disrupt Sven’s onslaught. He is played in the offlane or as roaming support against Sven, as early rotations can cause great damage to him. With his ultimate, Hookshot, Clock can easily stun him and trap him even if the former has Black King Bar, he is a thorn in the backside of Sven with the Hookshot into Cogs combo. 

The scout potential with Rocket Flare can help track Sven’s location and potentially remove him from teamfights. Sven 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.

Why is Clockwerk a great solo queue hero?

• 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's Blade Mail forces the enemy carry to avoid attacking while inside Power Cogs, effectively rendering him useless for a few seconds.

Choose Clockwerk if

• Your team lacks an initiating hero.
• Your team lacks a team fighter who relies more on spells and levels instead of items to have an impact

Top 5 End Game items on Clockwerk 

• Blademail - Reflects enemy damage to them upon activation. This is highly useful in teamfights to make enemy carries stop hitting you as they rely heavily on physical damage to have an impact.
• Crimson Guard - Upon usage it provides immense physical damage block to Clockwerk, his allies, and even buildings in an AoE. This is highly useful against physical damage-dealing heroes.
• Aghanim’s Shard - Provides Jetpack ability which provides flying movement, flying vision, and bonus movement speed. It is helpful to escape from Sven as he does not have unobstructed pathing.
• Black King Bar - It provides Clockwerk with spell immunity from all of the magical damage spells, making it easy for him to initiate the teamfight without worrying about getting targeted.
• Force Staff - Allows the Clockwerk to force himself or the targeted unit 600 units ahead in the direction they are facing, it can be useful to catch or initiate enemies with the help of Battery Assault.

Clockwerk is strong against

• Enigma - Black Hole requires channeling, making it easy to be interrupted with Hookshot even when Enigma has Black King Bar, as it pierces magic immunity.
• Monkey King - Power Cogs pushes Monkey King out of Wukong's Command, ending his ultimate.
• Sniper - Clockwerk is also the least optimal target for Sniper to attack in a teamfight, although more experienced players will rarely make this mistake.

Clockwerk is weak against

• Dazzle - Due to Clockwerk's slow damage output, Dazzle will have more than enough time to Shallow Grave any enemy Clockwerk initiates on.
• Disruptor - Glimpse moves Clockwerk away from allies struck by Hookshot, or under attack by Battery Assault.
• Lifestealer - With Feast and Rage, Lifestealer is nearly impossible for Clockwerk to bring down, and is the last hero Clockwerk wants to be trapped within Power Cogs.

https://www.dota2.com/hero/clockwerk

4. Tiny

The elemental stone giant, Tiny dominates the game against most heroes in this meta. The latter is quite a passive laner and Tiny takes full advantage of that right from the get-go. Tiny can be played in multiple positions, due to the flexibility of his skill set but he does extremely well in the middle lane. All Tiny needs is a Blink Dagger in the early game to mow down enemy heroes, as he can follow it up with the Toss combo or Toss them to his allies who finish the job for him. Along with the mid-lane, Tiny can also be played in the offlane or even as a roaming support. The flexibility of this hero is highly commendable.

Tiny is much more reliant on his physical damage which is equally threatening in the later stages as his magical damage essentially falls off as his foes acquire magical immunity or resistance items A pesky and annoying Tiny can attempt to Toss his enemy mid-laner back into his allies or solo kill them in no time. In the late game, most heroes can’t match the damage or impact of the stone giant due to his ungodly physical damage. Tiny is also highly active in teamfights, this is a luxury that not all mid-heroes can afford! 

Why is Tiny a great Solo Queue hero? 

• High lockdown potential right from the early game with the stun toss combo.
• Extremely active in the early stages of the game and can rotate to other lanes to fight.
• Does not require much practice to master, all it takes is a few games to learn the ways of the stone giant
• Can one-shot support heroes with his physical damage or his toss combo
• Tree Grab can obliterate enemies in no time if he goes the physical damage route.

Choose Tiny if

• Your team lacks a crowd-control hero
• Your team lacks heroes who can fight right off the bat

Best 5 End-Game items to buy on Tiny 

• Blink Dagger - Upon cast, Blink transports Tiny 1200 units in the distance he is facing, can’t be used for 3 seconds if he takes any form of damage. Blink is used for closing the gap and getting on top of enemies and following up with the Stun Toss combination, or it can also be used to escape away from a bad teamfight.
• Echo Sabre - It provides Tiny with insane stats and increased damage and attack speed, which causes him to attack twice in quick succession. It is an essential item that is built in the early game to make up for Tiny’s abysmal attack speed.
• Assault Cuirass - Increases armor and attack speed while reducing the same for enemies under the AoE. This item is highly useful in the game's later stages to weaken the armor of enemies while also providing Tiny with immense attack speed.
• Daedalus - Provides a chance to deal immense critical damage on physical attacks as well as increase your base attack damage. It is an exceptional item to deal high damage to enemies in the mid-game.
• Aghanim’s Shard - Tree Grab has no charges and can be used indefinitely unless you throw it on the targeted unit. This shard is extremely useful as you can cleave through the creeps and enemies in no time.
• Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity, negating all magical damage and spells being used by enemies.

Tiny is strong against

• Naga Siren - Tiny's cleave with Tree Grab and area of effect damage with Tree Volley will easily wipe out illusions.
• Broodmother - Tiny can quickly clear Spiderlings with his active abilities and cleave.
• Meepo - Tiny doesn't need to target the weakest clone while he is affected by Tree Grab.

Tiny is weak against

• Chaos Knight - Chaos Knight has a 3.2-strength growth, making him one of the tankiest heroes and a very difficult target for Tiny to burst.
• Bristleback - Tiny's nonexistent armor in the early game makes him very vulnerable to Quill Spray's large amounts of physical damage.
• Juggernaut - Blade Fury protects Juggernaut from all of Tiny's magic burst damage.

https://www.dota2.com/hero/tiny 

3. Puck

Puck, the mystical faerie dragon, can obliterate heroes with his extensive and lethal toolkit. Although, relatively a weak laner and squishy, Puck can turn the tides around against enemies if he manages to secure his early game by farming sufficiently and ganking other lanes. Most enemies may prove to have the higher ground in the early game but in the late game, Puck can triumph with his Aghanim’s Scepter which helps him stop enemies in their tracks even if they have Blac King Bar, with the help of Dream Coil. The dazzling faerie dragon is a creature better contained in the early game or else all hell will break loose in the late game.

There are various reasons why Puck is ranked so high on this list. The right items at the right time allow him to sustain himself and deal lethal magical damage without worrying about the damage dished out by both magical and physical damage heroes. Puck is equally nimble and annoying, making it hard for enemies to catch him so easily. His items allow him to catch foes off-guard and deal high amounts of damage to them. Puck does more with levels as opposed to farming, and fighting is always the priority for him.

Why is Puck a great Solo Queue hero? 

• Illusory Orb and Waning Rift provide great mobility, allowing Puck to initiate on enemy heroes or to escape.
• Puck is known to deal an immense amount of magical damage right from the get-go, annoying his foes in the laning phase.
• Dream Coil's immense control is devastating during teamfights, and can also be used to control heroes or synergize with allied heroes.
• Dream Coil's very long duration combined with follow-up from allies will ensure excellent damage done to the foes

Choose Puck if 

• Your team lacks magical damage dealing mid hero
• Your team lacks crowd control hero
• Your team needs a mobile hero who can stand their ground during teamfights

Best 5 End-Game items to buy on Puck 

• Blink Dagger - Upon cast, Blink transports Puck 1200 units in the distance he is facing, can’t be used for 3 seconds if he takes any form of damage. Blink is used for closing the gap and getting on top of enemies and following up with Dream Coil, or it can also be used to escape away from a bad teamfight.
• Aghanim’s Shard and Scepter - Can lock in spell-immune heroes even if they are under Black King Bar immunity and silence them for a longer duration with the Shard. 
• Aeon Disk - Saves him from getting burst quickly from enemy spells or damage if his health falls below 70%, causing him to also gain 75% status resistance. It also applies a basic dispel, although it has an extremely high cooldown which increases every time it breaks.
• Witch Blade - Deals increased magical damage over time upon physical attacks. This item is highly sought after on Puck as it offers him decent physical damage as well.
• Eul’s Scepter - Can be used to sweep Puck or the targeted enemy into the air for 2.5 seconds, making them unable to use spells or move. This can be used to lock enemies down and follow up with Dream Coil or Waning Rift or temporarily shut them off from the fights.

Puck is strong against

• Sniper - Sniper has no spells to disable Puck. He lacks silence to prevent spell casting and stun to disable, allowing Puck to act instantly against Sniper.
• Terrorblade - All of Puck's damaging spells deal AoE magic damage, focusing on Terrorblade's low-health pool and ignoring his armor.
• Void Spirit - Wanning Rift and Dream Coil prevent him from using two of his important mobility abilities: Dissimilate and Astral Step.

Puck is weak against

• Faceless Void - Hard lockdowns such as Chronosphere can end a Puck's life quickly. A Puck stunned for longer than 3 seconds usually ends up dead.
• Nightstalker - Crippling Fear silence can prevent Puck from casting spells, leaving it vulnerable.
• Wraith King - Waning Rift's silence is almost completely worthless against Wraith King, due to him having only 1 active ability.

https://www.dota2.com/hero/puck 

2. Lina

You should never play with fire, or you’ll end up getting burnt! Lina smokes her enemies with her insane magical burst damage, there is no way you recover from this arson. Lina can be an exceptional addition to your team if you lack magic damage. She is a tough nut to crack in the mid-lane, constantly harassing her counterpart and showing them off the lane. In the mid-game, he can rip through enemies effortlessly, with both her abilities and physical damage output. Her AoE spells can easily demolish squishy support heroes. High movement speed allows her to rotate through lanes quickly. Lina has multiple builds which ensure nothing but pain and anguish to her opponents, making her a highly flexible mid-hero, a luxury that not all mid-heroes get to have!

Lina’s fiery gameplay cauterizes her enemies, and her quick and dreadful spells burn down her foes within no time. Lina is an exceptional laner due to her quick and spammable magic damage which mows down her foes. She also does not fall off quickly in the late game as she can go the physical damage route if her magical damage seems to wear off. Apart from being great in the lane, she is also great in the later stages of the game as she acquires items and turns into a damage-dealing turret!

Why is Lina a great Solo Queue hero? 

• Immense magic burst potential right from the laning stage allowing her to decimate enemies quickly.
• Her spells are spammable and AoE, helping her farm faster and acquire more items.
• Can easily harass/kill enemy heroes after getting her ultimate.
• Can participate in teamfights as soon as she acquires her ultimate.

Choose Lina if

• Your team lacks a strong mid-laner, who can stand firm in teamfights.
• You want a hero who can deal hybrid damage (Both physical and magical damage)
• You want a late-game-reliant hero, capable of being relevant throughout the game.

Best 5 End-Game items to buy on Lina 

• Shadow Blade - Provides invisibility on the cast which can be used to escape or set up on enemies with Lighting Strike Array.
• Aghanim’s Scepter - Her ultimate, Laguna Blade pierces spell immunity, allowing her to target heroes under the effect of Black King Bar.
• Scythe of Vyse - Upon usage it hexes the targeted unit, essentially making them unable to use spells or items, along with reducing their movement speed for 3.5 seconds. This is extremely useful to shut down enemies while your team slaughters them.
• Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity, negating all the magical damage being dished out by enemies, making her invulnerable in fights.
• Monkey King Bar - Provides a chance to truly strike on physical attacks while also increasing attack damage.

Lina is strong against

• Ancient Apparition - Lina builds Shadow Blade (and upgrades it into a Silver Edge), which makes it hard for Ancient Apparition to land his abilities.
• Morphling - Light Strike Array catches Morphling while he jumps in from Waveform and also prevents Morphling from using his abilities.
• Enchantress - Untouchable is decently countered by Fiery Soul, exposing Enchantress' weakness to physical damage due to her low armor.

Lina is weak against

• Anti-Mage - Blink allows Anti-Mage to get on top of Lina and deal damage with his Mana Break.
• Phantom Lancer - Phantom Lancer can quickly deplete Lina's mana pool with his illusions and deal massive damage from it simultaneously since Phantom Lancer is a natural Diffusal Blade carrier.
• Faceless Void - During Chronosphere, squishy heroes like Lina will be the main target of Faceless Void in his ultimate.

https://www.dota2.com/hero/lina 

1. Faceless Void

The time-bending Faceless Void bows to no one! The vicious mace-carrying beast has mastered manipulating time. His ultimate can quickly turn the game around for good or for worse! The hero requires immense practice and patience. The time-bending Faceless Void is a hot commodity in the recent patches and this was quite evident during the recent International. He has a high pick rate due to his ability to catch multiple nimble heroes. Faceless Void is a highly lethal hero in the late game against most enemies due to his high damage and crowd control potential. 

It is obvious that most carry heroes in the current meta can’t come close to Void due to his efficient and fast-paced farming skills along with his excellent mobility. Void is best picked with heroes who supplement his Chronosphere ultimate, making it easy for him to smite his enemies without much effort in the early game. Faceless Void’s late-game potential allows him to essentially 1v5 enemy heroes if he is fat enough. There is no way you escape alive if you’re caught out in the Chronosphere in the late game as Void’s ungodly physical damage gets too hard to negate.

What makes Faceless Void a great solo queue hero? 

• Chronosphere ultimate is a great crowd control spell, catching multiple heroes at once, and can be used to turn around a teamfight within no time.
• Time Dilation ability prevents the enemies to cast spells for a certain period depending on the cooldown and the level of the ability, making it easy for Void to strike them down without worrying about any backlash from them.
• 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 damaged items.
• Aghanim’s Scepter allows him to all bash units and heroes in his path while using the Time Walk ability.
• Immense mobility with Time Walk and Reverse Time Walk ability, making it easy for Void to escape or initiate the team fight. (Aghanim’s Shard Upgrade)

Choose Faceless Void if:

• Your team lacks a team-fighting hero who excels at crowd control as well.
• You want a carry hero who can stand his ground and fight right from the get-go.

Top 5 Best Endgame items for Faceless Void

• Shadow Blade - Provides invisibility upon cast which can be used to escape or set up on enemies with the Chronosphere.
• Monkey King Bar - Gives increased physical damage and also provides a chance to truly strike on physical attacks.
• Butterfly - Provides Faceless Void with increased evasion, agility, and movement speed. Butterfly essentially makes him untouchable in the late game due to the high miss chance.
• Eye of Skadi - It reduces HP regen and healing upon physical attacks from the Void. It helps reduce enemy regen. Eye of Skadi also provides increased stats and HP to Faceless Void. 
• Satanic - When activated, it allows Faceless Void to lifesteal 200% upon physical attacks and sustains himself in teamfights. This item also dispels any negative buffs, quickly life-stealing from 0 to 100 in no time. 

Faceless Void is strong against:

• Lifestealer - Chronosphere provides an excellent lockdown against Rage.
• Juggernaut - Faceless Void can Time Walk out of the range of Omnislash at all points of the game and with ease.
• Anti-Mage - Time Dilation while Blink and Counterspell are on cooldown will make these abilities unusable for a long time, shutting down his mobility and defensiveness.

Faceless Void is weak against:

• Chaos Knight - Faceless Void's lack of strong area-of-effect spells makes it difficult for him to fight against Chaos Knight and his Phantasms.
• Monkey King - Monkey King’s clones from Wukong’s Command and Aghanim’s Scepter are immune to Chronosphere, so it is a very bad idea to Chronosphere Monkey King with his clones around.
• Nightstalker - Crippling Fear can silence Faceless Void for a long time, preventing him from using his Time Walk and Chronosphere.

https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Faceless_Void

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