Drow Ranger spends most of her time living a solitary existence slaying the beasts in the wild. Her stealth has made her impossible to be trapped in someone’s gaze, her sight is a sign big enough to know your end may be near. The recent surge in the Drow Ranger pick rate is due to a variety of reasons, including the launch of the sizzling arcana and the immense buffs.
We bring you the Best 10 Counters to Drow Ranger in the current meta. These heroes are extremely powerful regardless of the matchup and turn the skilled markswoman into an unskilled noob.
10. Tinker
The mechanical maniac is also a genius, known to tinker around with gadgets and fry Drow with lasers. Weak laners like Drow Ranger stand no chance in the laning phases against a Tinker as she will always be targeted with constant harassment in the form of rockets and lasers. With the addition of the Shield, Tinker can easily escape or otherwise initiate and lock her down with his annoying Scythe and Rearm combo!
Why Tinker is a great counter to Drow Ranger?
- Laser applies a blind debuff, making Drow Ranger miss her high damage attacks.
- Heat-Seeking Missile lets Tinker out-range Drow Ranger and hit her in the backline of a team fight.
Items to buy on Tinker
- Scythe of Vyse - Great disable to completely shut her down and eliminate him from the fight
- Aether Lens - Increased cast range to use laser and other spells and items
- Aghanim’s Scepter - Increased damage and AoE for spells
- Shiva’s Guard - Can effortlessly push lanes and provides increased armor which is essential against Drow
- Bloodstone - Can quickly heal up if found by Drow, also provides decent mana again
9. Phantom Lancer
The countless army of fierce warriors is quite overwhelming for his foes. The sheer capability to multiply and confuse his enemies. Phantom Lancer may be quite underwhelming in the early game due to the lack of items but the late game is quite a treat for him as he can fight with the help of his items. His ultimate is extremely great against heroes that lack AoE abilities to counter him. He can pounce on enemies easily and deal a ton of physical damage.
Why is Phantom Lancer a great counter to Drow Ranger?
- Phantom Rush lets Phantom Lancer get close quickly and disable Marksmanship.
- Juxtapose's illusions are hard for Drow Ranger to deal with as she has no AoE damage naturally.
Items to buy on Phantom Lancer
- Diffusal Blade - Slows down Drow and burns her mana
- Mana Style - Exceptional to push lanes and dispel her silence
- Butterfly - Increased evasion, agility, and movement speed
- Eye of Skadi - Great for reducing Drow’s regen while also providing stats.
- Abyssal Blade - Can be used to quickly lock down Drow after getting on top of her, allowing you to beat her down with the physical damage
- Heart of Tarrasque - Increased HP, useful to survive the massive physical damage from Drow
8. Clockwerk
Another mechanical genius on our list is the Clockwerk! Often played in the offlane or as roaming support, early rotations can cause great damage to core heroes. After reaching level 6, the Hookshot makes sure the enemies hiding in the distance are caught and punished. All of his skills can help gank enemies due to the scout and lock down their potential of them. Only the players who are brilliant at positioning know how to stay away from this robotic menace!
Why is Clockwerk a great counter to Drow Ranger?
- Hookshot lets Clockwerk close the gap to Drow Ranger, disabling her Marksmanship bonus.
- Power Cogs and Battery Assault keep Drow Ranger from escaping.
- Power Cogs and Battery Assault also keep Drow Ranger close, nullifying Marksmanship.
Items to buy on Clockwerk
- Blademail - Reflects back Tiny’s damage upon activation
- Pipe of Insight - Provides immense magic damage block on activation, and affects the whole team.
- Aghanim’s Shard and Scepter - Scepter essentially refreshes Hookshot, allowing him to use it twice, exceptional if Drow has the BKB on
- Force Staff - Another great tool to close gaps or escape from Drow
- Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity from Drow’s silence
7. Chaos Knight
Chaos ensues when this veteran of the countless battle of a thousand worlds steps his foot into the battlefield. Chaos Knight is unbearably strong against Drow Ranger due to the lack of HP and armor on her, allowing his phantasms to freely do the job and get some heavy-hitting done. Although he lacks in the farming department, CK is extremely tanky and is only threatened by multiple heroes at once. All he needs is a good early game and free farm to counter Drow in the late game!
Why is Chaos Knight Great against Drow Ranger?
- Reality Rift will disable Drow Ranger's Marksmanship, along with Chaos Bolt he can keep her locked for enough time to be killed.
- Phantasm's illusions are hard for Drow Ranger to deal with as she lacks of AoE damage.
Items to Buy on Chaos Knight
- Armlet of Mordiggian - Increased damage and HP, can toggle through Drow’s damage
- Black King Bar - Spell immunity completely Drow’s spells
- Manta Style - Can work in tandem with Reality Rift, exceptional to push lanes and dispel spells
- Assault Cuirass - Increased armor gain, while also reducing Drow’s armor
- Eye of Skadi - Reduced HP gain for Drow while offering immense stats
- Echo Sabre - Great stat gain along with immense damage and attack speed
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Chaos_Knight
6. Tusk
Tusk is known to be a heavy hitter right from the laning phase. His icy disables and chilling moves paralyze Drow and eliminate all her chances of escape. Tusk can hunt her 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 enemy mid, which can be done quite easily with Snowball and Tag team!
Why is Tusk a great counter to Drow Ranger?
- Snowball lets Tusk get to Drow Ranger and stop her Marksmanship bonus. It can also be to save allies affected by Gust.
- Tag Team allows Tusk to slow her down and land a killing blow on her.
- Walrus PUNCH! slows Drow Ranger and deals a huge amount of damage to her.
Items to buy on Tusk
- Blink Dagger - Great for gap closing or initiating
- Desolator - Increased damage and armor corruption
- Drums of Endurance - Provides increased movement and attack speed to Tusk and his allies on the activation
- Force Staff - Another great tool to close gaps or escape from Drow
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard - Scepter provides Walrus Kick which allows him to kick Drow away during teamfights, even if she has BKB on!
- Shadow Blade - Provides invisibility which can be used to escape or set up on Drow
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Tusk
5. Slark
This lethal creature of the deep sea knows no bounds! Slark is one of the stealthiest and deadly carry heroes in the game. His lethal skills make him quite popular in the current meta to counter the deadly Wraith King. Diffusal Blade makes him immensely strong as it causes his foes to lose mana quickly. He can also purge off Wraith Blast, allowing him to chase him effortlessly. Slark also farms faster compared to his counterparts and is capable of dodging spells.
Why is Slark a great counter to Drow Ranger?
- A well-timed Dark Pact can dispel Frost Arrows and Gust, letting Slark engage and escape freely.
- Shadow Dance lets Slark quickly close the gap and deal heavy damage without giving Drow Ranger a chance to retaliate.
- Pounce counteracts Frost Arrows' slow, letting Slark easily pin Drow Ranger down or flee.
Items to buy on Slark
- Silver Edge - Provides invisibility which can be used to escape or set up on Drow
- Aghanim’s Scepter - Increases Pounce distance by a huge margin, also providing him two charges of the same
- Eye of Skadi - Great for reducing Drow’s regen while also providing stats.
- Butterfly - Increased evasion, agility, and movement speed
- Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Slark
4. Axe
Doing immense physical damage right off the bat is quite unheard of in the early stages of the game, but Axe is one noble exception! A few Counter Helix spins and boom you’re dead! It gets messy to communicate with your team as you have more units around you, the more damage the Axe Call does. No matter how farmed you are as a carry hero, all it takes is one Axe Blink Call to get you down to 0 HP in no time.
Why is Axe a great counter to Drow Ranger?
- Berserker's Call forces Drow Ranger to attack Axe up close, disabling her Marksmanship bonus.
- Counter Helix occurs more often with Drow Ranger's high attack speed.
- Culling Blade is a dangerous ability against a low-health hero like Drow Ranger.
Items to Buy on Axe
- Blink Dagger - Great for gap closing or initiating
- Blademail - Reflects back Drow’s damage upon activation
- Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity from Drow’s silence, making you invulnerable in the fight
- Force Staff - Another great tool to close gaps or escape from Tiny
- Crimson Guard - Provides immense physical damage block, also affects the whole team
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Axe
3. Nyx Assassin
Despised with pleasure by Drow Ranger mains, Nyx Assassin is known to be one of the most annoying heroes in the game, regardless of the patch, he is the most relevant support in the game. Especially against high INT and damage heroes, Nyx can do wonders with his powerful toolkit. One Spiked Carapace is enough to lock him down, and the best part is that it does not break invisibility from your ultimate! Heroes with AoE damage consider him to be a nightmare to play against!
Why is Nyx Assassin a great counter to Drow Ranger?
- Nyx Assassin has a lot of burst damage from his Impale, Mana Burn, Dagon, and the bonus damage from Vendetta. All of this damage is enough to kill Drow Ranger.
- Nyx Assassin is usually invisible most of the time thanks to his ability Vendetta, which allows him to gank Drow Ranger easily.
Items to buy as Nyx Assassin
- Blink Dagger - Great for gap closing or initiating
- Force Staff - Another great tool to close gaps or escape from Drow
- Aghanim’s Scepter - Allows Nyx to burrow beneath the ground, increasing his cast range and making him invulnerable
- Aether Lens - Increased cast range, can catch Drow off-guard
- Lotus Orb - Reflects targetted spells hence can also be used to dispel the silence
- Spirit Vessel - Immense DPS and heal reduction to Drow when used
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Nyx_Assassin
2. Riki
This silent assassin has overthrown empires and obliterated his enemies. He is known to be quick and slippery, not all are blessed enough to see him. Riki is the ultimate carry hero. Riki is a threat if paired with the right support in the lane. He can snowball quite easily if fed off a few kills. His invisibility is the main selling point, as it is intriguing to the newer players. He may often gank other lanes in the early game, as his Blink Strike ability assists him in striking his enemies down.
Why is Riki a great counter to Drow Ranger?
- Blink Strike gets Riki close to Drow Ranger and disables Marksmanship.
- Smoke Screen makes Drow Ranger miss her attacks.
- Cloak and Dagger let Riki stay close to Drow Ranger without her noticing, disabling Marksmanship.
Items to buy on Riki
- Diffusal Blade - Slows down Drow and burns her mana, powerful in tandem with Smoke Screen
- Abyssal Blade - Can bash Drow and prevent her from TP’ing
- Mana Style - Exceptional to push lanes and dispel spells or Silence from Drow
- Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity from Drow’s silence, making him powerful in fights
- Daedalus - Immense critical damage
1. Razor
The electrifying rage of Razor is quite unmatched in the new meta. Most melee heroes like Sven do not fare well versus this beast, this includes a lot of carry heroes as well. Having high movement speed and AoE damage ensures that he does not escape alive! Razor can also out farm Sven, giving him the upper hand. Razor quickly snowballs in under 15 mins with the right items. His high movespeed can prove to be fatal against slow movement speed heroes right from the early game.
Why is Razor a great counter to Drow Ranger?
- Static Link zaps Drow Ranger high attack damage.
- Plasma Field & Storm Surge keeps Razor close to Drow Ranger, continuously disabling Marksmanship.
Items to Buy on Razor
- Assault Cuirass - Immense armor gain, also reduces Drow’s armor at the same time
- Refresher’s Orb - Can refresh spells and items and use them again in quick succession to delete Drow from the fight
- Shiva’s Guard - Can effortlessly push lanes and provides increased armor which is essential against Drow
- Aghanim’s Shard - Ultimate affects buildings and deals immense damage to heroes as well
- Heaven’s Halberd - Can disarm Drow, making her unable to attack for a few seconds
- Blademail - Reflects back Drow’s damage upon activation
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Razor
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