In DOTA 2 there are 3 types of damage: pure, magical, and physical. When we think of magical damage heroes, we typically think of massive magic nukes that can hundred to zero in a matter of seconds. Who is the best hero to pick when you need a magical damage dealer on your team?
10. Leshrac
Once a great philosopher, Leshrac accepted the meaninglessness of this life. His life philosophy became Nihilism, which turned him into the vile being he is today. Leshrac is a hero that is played mainly in Middlane. His toolkit makes him an exceptional tower pusher and, most importantly, a magical damage dealer. When he is ahead of the enemy, he deals an abysmal amount of magic. His nickname among the community is "disco pony." Try to play one game with him and you will quickly understand why.
What makes Leshrac one of the most powerful Magic Heroes:
- Almost all of his spells deal magical damage. The exception is the spell - Diabolic Edict, which deals physical damage around him. This is a great way to push towers with this hero.
- Split Earth and Lightning Storm are AoE and slow spells, respectively. They help him catch enemies.
- His ultimate is Pulse Nova. Leshrac creates waves of damaging energy around him. This energy deals a huge amount of magical damage around him.
- The Bloodstone is the most important item for Leshrac. It grants him the spell lifesteal, making him difficult to kill. He regenerates with each instance of magical damage that he deals.
Leshrac Excels in:
- Causing massive magical damage in the area around him. This magical AoE damage makes him strong against illusion heroes like Phantom Lancer, Terrorblade, or Naga Siren. Because illusions take extra damage.
- Pushing towers. He can solo push any enemy objective in a matter of seconds using his spell Diabolic Edict.
- With the correct item build, he is much harder to kill than he seems at first sight.
Leshrac is Strong against:
- Meepo
- Naga Siren
- Phantom Lancer
- Slark
- Axe
Leshrac pro play:
9. Lich
Ethreain was once a powerful frost mage. Many kingdoms were terrified by his destructive ice magic. But he was eventually caught and thrown into the bottomless Black Pool. After many decades, a geomancer seeking to verify the legend of the supposedly bottomless Black Pool discovered the body of an unknown frost mage. Geomancer resurrected this mage but immediately learned about the mistake he made. Lich threw off the shackles and devoured him. Lich is played as Soft or Hard Support. You can pick him in almost any situation.
What makes Lich one of the most powerful Magic Heroes:
- His first spell is Frost Blast. This is a magical nuke that also slows the enemy. Frost Blast is a strong spell, mainly during the laning phase.
- The Sinister Gaze hypnotizes an enemy unit, causing it to move towards Lich and drain a percentage of its current mana.
- The most magical damage comes from his ultimate spell, Chain Frost. Lich releases an orb of frost that bounces between nearby enemy units up to 10 times, slowing and damaging them each time it hits. Each bounce increases the damage that it deals.
Lich Excels in:
- Supporting. His second spell, Frost Shield, creates a magical frost shield around the target, reducing the damage that the target receives. This helps your teammates stay alive.
- He doesn't need items to be viable. His spells are powerful on their own, so he can invest more in supporting items, such as wards, the Force Staff, or the Glimmer Cape.
- The Sinister Gaze is a great way to catch and lock down enemies.
Lich is Strong against:
- Naga Siren
- Meepo
- Omniknight
- Chaos Knight
- Legion Commander
Lich pro play:
8. Skywrath Mage
Skywrath Mage's story is linked to that of another hero, Vengeful Spirit. This bitter love story is the only of its kind in Dota 2 lore. Dragonus desperately dreams of restoring his beloved to her rightful throne and restoring her back to a fully healed physical form. Sky is usually played in position 4 or 5, but in the right hands, he can also be played in Middlane. One of the downsides of Skywrath is that he is glass cannon and is easy to kill.
What makes Skywrath Mage one of the most powerful Magic Heroes:
- Spells Arcane Bolt and Concussive Shot are his long-range magical damage nukes. One slows the enemy, and the other scales with his intelligence and deals magical damage according to his current intelligence.
- The Ancient Seal seals the enemy with an ancient rune, silencing it and causing it to take additional damage from spells.
- His ultimate spell is Mystic Flare; in the small targeted area, he deals massive magical damage that is distributed evenly among any enemy hero that stands there. This spell can deal up to a total of 2050 damage.
- After he buys Aghanim's Scepter, all his spells are upgraded and deal even more damage to more units at once.
Skywrath Mage Excels in:
- Sky is a beast during the laning phase. All his spells deal huge amounts of magical damage. If his lane partner is a hero with some kind of stun or slow, you can easily win your lane.
- The Ancient Seal is one of the most reliable ways to silence enemies.
- When you play him in Middlane and stomp your lane, you can quickly snowball the game.
Skywrath Mage is Strong against:
- Necrophos
- Leshrac
- Juggernaut
- Elder Titan
- Brewmaster
Lich pro play:
7. Tinker
You could call Tinker the mad scientist of Dota. He belongs to a race that is known for its intelligence, its cunning, and its prickly relationship with magic. With his colleagues, he managed to open a portal to a distant world, a Conveyance through which untold horrors began to pass into this world. Boush is the sole survivor of the Violet Plateau Incident. Tinker is a hero who needs a lot of practice, but after you master him, you will win your games solo.
What makes Tinker one of the most powerful Magic Heroes:
- Laser is a spell that deals magical damage and blinds the enemy, causing them to miss all physical attacks. It also bounces on all enemies within 700 radius. Aghanim's Scepter upgrades this spell even more: the enemy loses 10% of their current HP, and it shrinks their in-game model.
- His second spell is Heat-Seeking Missile, Tinker launches rockets at the nearest visible heroes. Missiles are his long-range spell that can catch enemies off guard.
- He also has a defensive ability, the Defense Matrix. Tinker places a barrier around the targeted unit, preventing damage and providing status resistance.
- The core of this hero lies in his ultimate, Rearm. Tinker resets most of his abilities and items. His ultimate also grants him Keen Conveyance, a spell that acts as free Boots of Travel.
Tinker Excels in:
- Split pushing. He can be anywhere on the map at any time with the Keen Conveyance and Blink Dagger. He can easily push two or even three waves at the same time.
- Base defense. The Heat-Seeking Missiles are really difficult to push into. Tinker can spam this spell from the safety of his fountain.
- Tinker can almost infinitely lockdown enemies, with the combination of the item Scythe of Vyse and his ultimate Rearm.
Tinker is Strong against:
- Drow Ranger
- Winter Wyvern
- Hoodwink
- Axe
- Troll Warlord
Tinker pro play:
6. Invoker
Invoker is the most complex hero on this list, and one of the most complex heroes in Dota 2. He is one of the greatest mages that ever lived, which grants him the title the Arsenal Magus. He has 9 unique spells. Each spell is created by the combination of three orbs (Quas, Wex, and Exort). If you want to play this hero, you will need to learn the right combination for the spell you want to cast and also the combos you can do with those spells. He is played in Middlane and requires a few items before reaching his full potential.
What makes Invoker one of the most powerful Magic Heroes:
- His tool kit has almost everything: EMP has mana burn, Sun Strike is a global nuke that deals pure damage, Chaos Meteor deals magical damage, and so on.
- If you can cast your combo right, you have huge magical damage-dealing potential, and you can almost 1v5.
- Usually, the first item that you buy is the Hand of the Midas, which helps him farm and gain experience faster. That way, he can scale even faster.
Invoker Excels in:
- In team fights, his combo can almost always win the fight for your team. But when you combine his toolkit with huge team fight abilities like Tidehunter's Ravage, Enigma's Black Hole, or Faceless Void's Chronospehere, only then does the fun begin.
- One of his spells summons the Forge Spirits. He can farm and split push quickly with them.
- The spell EMP is good against certain heroes, like Medusa, who rely on mana.
Invoker is Strong against:
- Tinker
- Medusa
- Slark
- Spectre
- Ember Spirit
Invoker pro play:
5. Batrider
The story of Bartrider is the definition of Stockholm syndrome. When he was a little boy, he was captured by a massive, vile-looking, bat-like creature, and he was supposed to be its dinner. But the boy put up a fight with the beast, and eventually, he ran away from the creature. After he came home, he realized that he enjoys this thrill. Now he rides the same creature that wanted to eat him. Batrider is usually played in position 2 or 3.
What makes Bartrider one of the most powerful Magic Heroes:
- With his first spell, Stick Napalm, Batrider drenches an area with oil, amplifying damage from Batrider's attacks and abilities and slowing the movement speed and turn rate of enemies in the area. Sticky Napalm can stack up to 10 instances.
- Flamebreak is his second ability. He throws an explosive cocktail, which explodes in the targeted area. Enemy heroes in are start to take magical damage over time.
- When Batrider casts his third spell, Firefly, he gains flying movement and leaves a trail of flame behind him. The fire damages enemies with magical damage.
- His ultimate spell is Flaming Lasso. Batrider lassos an enemy and drags them away. Dragged units cannot move, attack, or use abilities.
Batrider Excels in:
- Stick Napalm Stacks are a nightmare for any opponent in a 1v1. That is why Bat shines the most in the Mid. A good Batrider player can win his lane regardless of the enemy hero.
- His ultimate spell makes Batrider a great initiator. With a lasso, he can catch an enemy and drag him to his teammates.
- When he buys the Boots of Travel, he can easily out-push and split-push the lanes.
Batrider is Strong against:
- Templar Assassin
- Monkey King
- Io
- Tinker
- Broodmother
Batrider pro play:
4. Pugna
Pugna comes from the Nether Reaches. When he was only 13 months old, he was chosen as the next reincarnation of the Grandmaster of Oblivion. He now wields the emerald flames of the Nether Reaches and the power of Oblivion with indiscriminate effect, incinerating anyone he wishes, toppling their creations into ashes, and stealing whatever he wants from whoever he deigns to notice. Pugna is played in almost all positions, with the exception of Carry.
What makes Pugna one of the most powerful Magic Heroes:
- His first spell is Nether Blast. An exploding pulse deals magical damage to enemies and structures in the area.
- With his second ability, Decrepify, Pugna chooses a unit; this unit is slowed, making it unable to deal or receive physical attacks. The affected unit takes extra magical damage.
- Pugna with his third spell places the Nether Ward. The ward will fire at any enemy hero who casts a spell.
- His ultimate is Life Drain. Pugna starts to "suck" the enemy, drains their health, and heals himself.
Pugna Excels in:
- Pushing; Pugna's ability, Nether Blast, allows him to slowly but steadily push enemy objectives.
- Nether Ward deals with enemy heroes that spam spells. This makes Pugna a great counterpick against heroes who want to cast many spells in a short amount of time.
- When Pugna targets an allied hero with his ultimate, he can drain his health and heal his teammate. This can act as a save during a team fight.
Pugna is Strong against:
- Tinker
- Omniknight
- Troll Warlord
- Slark
- Winter Wyvern
Pugna pro play:
3. Crystal Maiden
Rylai was raised with her fiery older sister Lina. Later in life, her older sister was sent off the equator, and Crystal Maiden was banished to the cold northern realm of Icewrack. She studied under an unknown Ice Wizzard. After a long study, the wizard pronounced her ready for solitary practice and left her to take his place. Her mastery of the Frozen Arts has only deepened since that time, and now her skills are unmatched. She is sometimes also known as the Maiden of the North. This Dota 2 version of Elsa from Frozen is played as Hard Support.
What makes Crystal Maiden one of the most powerful Magic Heroes:
- Her first ability, Crystal Nova, is a magical AoE nuke that also slows the enemies.
- With a spell, the Frostbite, Crystal Maiden turns the enemy into ice. They are not able to move or attack, and they take damage over time.
- The Freezing Field is her ultimate ability. Rylai is surrounded by icy explosions that slow enemies and deal massive damage. When fully casted, she can deal a terrifying amount of magical damage.
Crystal Maiden Excels in:
- Supporting, Crystal Maiden doesn't need many items to be useful. Therefore, she can invest her gold into support items such as wards, the Force Staff, or the Glimmer Cape. Her passive spell Arcane Aura also grants her and her allies bonus mana regeneration.
- Surprisingly, she is a great jungler; with her ability Frostbite, she can instantly kill jungle creeps.
- With her stuns and slows, she is also good in team fights as a disabler.
Crystal Maiden is Strong against:
- Phantom Lancer
- Meepo
- Naga Siren
- Lycan
- Chen
Crystal Maiden pro play:
2. Jakiro
Even among magical beasts, a twin-headed dragon is a freak. He is an accident of nature, as most dragons of his kind are born with only one head and use either fire or ice. But Jakiro was born with both. Trapped in this paradox, the powers of ice and fire combine, and now no enemy is safe. Jakiro is played in position 4 or 5. You can safely first pick him in any situation because his skill set offers many great tools.
What makes Jakiro one of the most powerful Magic Heroes:
- Dual Breath is a spell that combines the power of fire and ice. The ice slows enemies, while the fire delivers damage over time.
- With his second ability, Ice Path, Jakiro creates a path of ice that stuns and damages enemies that touch it.
- His third ability is Liquid Fire. He adds a fire spell to his auto-attack, and he burns his enemies in an area while slowing their attacks. This can be also used on towers. When you buy Aghanim's Shard you also gain Liquid Frost. Jakiro adds a frost effect to his attacks, stunning enemies. Enemies hit are slowed and receive magical damage based on their maximum HP.
- His ultimate spell is Macropyre. Jakiro exhales a wide line of lasting flames, which deals damage per second to any enemy units caught in the fire. This spell deals an enormous amount of magical damage.
Jakiro Excels in:
- Like many other Support heroes on this list, Jakiro also doesn't need many items. So you will be mainly buying items like wards, the Force Staff, or the Glimmer Cape. He is also good during the laning phase, he can protect his Carry and harass enemy heroes.
- With Liquid Fire, he can push towers quite quickly. He can do that while he outpushes waves with his other spells.
- When he manages to use all his spells in team fights well, he can be really helpful, slowing, stunning, and dealing a massive amount of magical damage.
Jakiro is Strong against:
- Meepo
- Naga Siren
- Phantom Lancer
- Lone Druid
- Chaos Knight
Jakiro pro play:
1. Zeus
First on the list is hero that Dota 2 borrowed from Greek mythology. Similar to the Greek Zeus, he was the father to many gods. He is caught, by his wife, laying with too many mortal women. Now he is divorced, banished, and depowered from his own pantheon. Zeus has to live a mortal life; he now fights in the war of the Ancients to prove himself worthy of his wife Hera and his long-lost divinity and immortality. There is no other hero in Dota that deals more magical damage than Zeus. All his skills deal only magical damage. When you see many heroes with low magical resistance on the enemy team, don't hesitate and pick Zeus. He primarily played as a Mid and occasionally as a Soft Support.
What makes Zeus one of the most powerful Magic Heroes:
- His first spell is Arc Lightning. Zeus casts a bolt of lightning that leaps through nearby enemy units and deals magical damage.
- With the ability Lightning Bolt, Zeus calls down a bolt of lightning to strike an enemy unit, causing damage and a mini-stun.
- You should be aware when playing Zeus because he is a glass cannon. You can save yourself with Heavenly Jump. Zeus jumps forward and also slows and damages the closest enemy in the area.
- His ultimate ability is Thundergod's Wrath. This is a global ability that hits all enemy heroes with a massive bolt of magical damage.
- When playing Zeus, you should also buy Aghanim's Scepter and Aghanim's Shard. You will gain two new abilities: with the shard, you unlock passive Static Field, and with the scepter, you unlock Nimbus.
Zeus Excels in:
- Dealing magical damage: when you combine all your spells with items that increase your magical damage output even more, you will become an unstoppable magic dealer.
- Base defence, with your spells, particularly Arc Lightning, is really difficult for the enemy to push your base. You also outpush waves quickly.
- Dewarding, Zeus is the only hero who can reveal enemy wards with his spell Lightning Bolt. This spell also reveals all invisible enemies.
Zeus is Strong against:
- Sand King
- Drow Ranger
- Shadow Fiend
- Riki
- Tinker
Zeus pro play:
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