The fiery Ember Spirit is a hot pick in the recent meta due to the buff to his spells. His sharp blades cut and burn deep into his enemies, his damage is undoubtedly lethal and there is no way around it if you do not stop this beast quite early on in the game. Ember Spirit is also quite a flexible hero, as he can be played both in the mid and carry roles and he excels well in both of these roles. His item builds can also be changed according to the heroes he is up against, something that most heroes can not do due to their limited scalability. A pure mid-matchup against most typical mid-heroes favors the Ember Spirit due to his dangerous damage.
Surely, Ember Spirit is a lethal and blazing force but he can also be countered with the right set of heroes. His spells are of no use if he gets countered with certain spells or items. We bring you the Best 10 Ember Spirit Counters in the current meta.
Best general items against Ember Spirit
- Orchid of Malevolence - Silences the Ember Spirit for 5 seconds, also dealing him an extra 30% damage at the end of its duration. It can be useful to silence Ember and entirely shut him off from the team fight.
- Scythe of Vyse - It hexes Ember Spirit upon usage, essentially making him unable to use spells or items, along with reducing his movement speed for 3.5 seconds. This is extremely useful to shut down Ember while your team slaughters him.
- Abyssal Blade - Upon cast, it stuns the targetted hero for 2 seconds. Can be used to quickly lock down Ember after blinking on top of him, allowing you to beat him down with the physical damage
- Heaven’s Halberd - Upon usage, it can be used to disarm Ember Spirit, making him unable to attack for a few seconds. Ember being a melee physical damage hero is affected severely by this item as it can prevent him from doing damage in teamfights.
- Eul’s Scepter - Can be used to sweep yourself or Ember Spirit into the air for 2.5 seconds, making him unable to use spells or move. This can be used to lock Ember down or temporarily shut him off from the fights.
- Glepnir - Upon activation, this item roots heroes in an AoE, making them unable to use spells. Ember can get decimated if he gets locked down by Glepnir as he has no way to activate the remnant unless he gets magic immunity.
10. Doom
Nimble heroes like Ember Spirit are exceptional in the current meta, but they hate playing against heroes who nip their freedom, and Doom is one prime example of such a devastating hero. This demon has sent countless of his enemies to the realm of hell, and the fierce warrior is no exception. His abilities are highly lethal, as they deal high damage right off the bat. He is considered to be a great counterpick in the mid-lane against Ember Spirit, due to the high Infernal Blade damage and disable coming from his eponymous ultimate.
Doom is known to farm effortlessly right from level one, courtesy of Devour. His high base armor provides him sustain while fighting or laning against Ember Spirit. He is regarded as one of the most deadly disablers in the current meta. Ember Spirit hates disabling as it makes him unable to cast any spells, rendering him useless in fights. All it takes is one Blink and Doom to get Ember Spirit out of the fight, he virtually has no way to counter Doom.
What makes Doom a great counter to Ember Spirit?
- Doom can stop Ember Spirit from casting spells, which makes him useless during team fights if she didn't cast Exorcism before the fight.
- Has high base magic resistance and is tanky right from the get-go.
- Doom (the ultimate) disables Ember Spirit’s spells and makes him take high damage. It is easy to say that once Ember Spirit is doomed, there is no way he stays alive.
- Ember Spirit can also face constant lane harassment with Scorched Earth and Infernal Blade.
Items to buy against Ember Spirit
- Shadow Blade - Provides invisibility upon on cast which can be used to escape or set up on Ember Spirit
- Blink Dagger - On cast, Blink transports you 1200 units in the distance you are facing, can’t be used for 3 seconds if you take any form of damage. Blink is used to close the gap and to get on top of Ember Spirit, or it can also be used to escape away from him.
- Shiva’s Guard - Upon activation, it deals damage in an AoE, slowing down the affected targets. It also provides increased armor and reduces enemy armor in an AoE.
- Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity from all of Ember Spirit’s magic damage spells, making him invulnerable in the fight
- Refresher’s Orb - Can refresh spells and items and use them again in quick succession to delete DP from the fight
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Doom
9. Lion
Lion is one of those heroes who can cripple any hero right from the laning phase. Ember Spirit is known to perform well against most support heroes, but Lion is a noble exception. Lion can disable Ember Spirit with his lethal toolkit. He can also drain Ember Spirit’s mana, making him unable to escape this hellish torture. Lion also has very lethal nuke damage with his Finger of Death ultimate, which can further be amplified with the number of kills he gets with it, allowing a possibility of one-shotting the stone giant in the later stages of the game.
Lion is vulnerable to Ember Spirit’s physical damage, which can cause him to succumb to it in the early phases of the game, but he can purchase various items to stand his ground against the respectable physical damage being dished out by Ember Spirit. The latter, however, is vulnerable to magical damage, courtesy of his low magic resistance, which can be abused in the early game with constant ganks. Ember Spirit is effectively a melee creep against Lion if he does not have a good start in the game.
What makes Lion a great counter to Ember Spirit?
- Lion possesses two strong disables in Earth Spike and Hex and heavy magic bursts with Finger of Death which help lock him down and prevent him from escaping with Fire Remnant.
- Blink Dagger Lion can punish Ember Spirit's overextension immediately, or initiate a fight with him with disabilities.
Items to buy on Lion
- Aether Lens - Increased cast range, can catch Ember Spirit off-guard
- Blink Dagger - Great for gap-closing or initiating
- Force Staff - Another great tool to close gaps or escape from Ember Spirit
- Aghanim’s Scepter - AoE damage from Finger, also reduces the cooldown
- Aeon Disk - Saves him from getting burst quickly from Ember Spirit and also applies a basic dispel
https://liquipedia.net/dota2/Lion
8. Silencer
Silence is one lethal mechanic that counters all spell-casting heroes in the game! And well, Silencer… you know it’s kind of self-explanatory. Having spells that silence or prevent Ember Spirit from using any items makes him very powerful against him. The best part is that laning is not fun for Ember against a Silencer, frequent right-click damage, and low CD spells shove him out of the lane. Global Silence disables all the power he has, rendering him useless in most teamfights. Silencer is overall a solid counter to Ember Spirit, but it is advised to play him in the support role as he also falls off terribly in the late game.
Ember Spirit does not enjoy laning against Silencer as Arcane Curse will pretty much ruin his early game with the DPS if he keeps on spamming his spells. Ember Spirit also hates heroes which deal high physical damage, Silencer not only does that, but he also steals Ember Spirit’s intelligence which essentially reduces his mana pool for a brief duration making him unable to cast enough spells, ruining his already low mana pool.
Why is Silencer a great hero against Ember Spirit?
- Global Silence and Last Word can prevent Ember Spirit from casting Activate Fire Remnant to escape.
- Glaives of Wisdom also provide high pure damage that is not negated by Flame Guard.
- Arcane Curse is also a potent harassing tool in the laning stage as its cooldown is lower than Flame Guard.
Items to Buy on Silencer
- Glimmer Cape - Provides invisibility, and can also be used on allies to escape or to initiate Ember Spirit
- Rod of Atos - Locks Ember Spirit down, making him unable to move or use any spells.
- Scythe of Vyse - Disables Ember Spirit and removes him from the fight, as he can’t use his spells or items. Scythe also slows his movement speed.
- Aeon Disk - Saves him from getting burst quickly from Ember Spirit’s spell combo and also applies a basic dispel, although it has an extremely high cooldown of 180 seconds.
- Force Staff - Allows you to force yourself or the targetted unit 600 units ahead in the direction they are facing, it can be useful to escape or initiate on the Ember Spirit.
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard - Global Silence pierces spell immunity, making it impossible for Ember Spirit to escape alive from teamfights
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Silencer
7. Omniknight
Omniknight is by far one of the most criminally underrated heroes in the game. Support heroes often do not have their impacts felt from the laning phase, but Omniknight is a noble exception. His heal keeps him and his allies sustained in the laning phase, while also shoving out Ember if he is facing him in the laning phase. He is extremely easy to play and he is also level reliant and does not rely on items to make a dent in Ember’s gameplay. You can save allies and yourself with all your handy spells, ensuring your team has immense survivability.
Omniknight can render Ember’s spells useless with the help of his ultimate, Guardian Angel. This spell grants physical damage immunity to Omni and all his allies in an AoE, essentially ruining the game for the poor Ember Spirit. Positioning is again, key when it comes to playing against the Ember. People often ignore and fail to understand the importance of Omniknight in pub games. He is quite the tanky support hero, which makes him highly sought after against heroes like Ember Spirit.
What makes Omniknight great against Ember Spirit?
- Guardian Angel can negate all the physical damage output dished out by the Ember Spirit.
- Degen Aura can make Faceless Void hard to get on top of Omniknight.
- When Ember Spirit Time Walk's on top of an enemy it becomes a perfect target for Purification and Heavenly Grace reduces his Time Lock stun duration.
Items to buy on Omniknight
- Aether Lens - It provides increased cast range on both spells and items, and can be used to catch Ember off-guard
- Guardian Greaves - Provides dispel and heals the entire team
- Force Staff - Another great tool to close gaps or escape from Void
- Lotus Orb - Reflects targetted spells
- Aghanim’s Scepter - Global Guardian Angel can save allies from Void’s immense damage in the Chronosphere from anywhere on the map
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Omniknight
6. Shadow Fiend
This spine-chilling Fiend induces fear into his enemies. His presence weakens Ember Spirit’ and makes it easy for him to pierce through his feeble armor. He embodies all that is evil and none shall escape him. The almighty Shadow Fiend. Shadow Fiend rarely appears in the pro scene but he is vastly picked in pub games against Ember Spirit. This is mostly due to his farming capabilities and massive damage output. His early-game prowess is unmatched since he can solo kill his fiery mid counterpart easily. Shadow Fiend can go both Physical or Magical build.
Shadow Fiend can falter off if he is caught off-guard a few times, but as we know, positioning is always the key when you play against nimble heroes like Ember. Shadow Fiend can match to the farm of Ember while also split pushing if he opts for Boots of Travel. All in all, the game could swing either way, it all depends upon who catches who off-guard!
Why is Shadow Fiend a great counter to Ember Spirit?
- Shadowraze can easily remove the protection from Flame Guard and kill Ember Spirit due to his low health.
- Ember Spirit is very vulnerable to physical damage from Necromastery.
- Passive abilities provide armor reduction and increased physical damage which can supplement your physical damage item build.
Items to buy on Shadow Fiend
- Eul’s Scepter - Can be used to lock Ember down and set him up for Requiem ultimate.
- Shadow Blade - Provides invisibility on cast which can be used to escape or set up on Ember Spirit.
- Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity from all of Ember’s magic damage spells, making him invulnerable in the fight
- Eye of Skadi - Reduces regen and healing upon physical attacks. It helps reduce Zeus’ regen if he opts for Bloodstone. Eye of Skadi also provides increased stats and HP to Shadow Fiend.
- Monkey King Bar - Provides a chance to true strike along with dealing increased damage upon physical attacks.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Ember_Spirit
5. Kunkka
The Admiral almighty himself! Kunkka is known to be a great counter to Ember due to his strength and physical damage both of which are naturally high from the early levels. He can effortlessly survive ganks as his high-status resistance and HP pool come to the rescue. His ultimate proves to be of great use as well as it makes sure he and his allies take the least damage in fights, allowing the fight to be in their favor. The tanky nature of Kunkka is only amplified further by high armor and high HP items.
Kunkka is an exceptional laner if we theorize a purely 1v1 matchup, he ensures that Ember is shoved away from the lane, reducing his farm efficiency. Ember Spirit is highly effective in the late stages but Kunkka can match his farm due to his AoE physical damage which Ember can’t negate easily. If Kunkka is let loose in the later stages of the game then there is no way the fiery swordsman recovers from this deficit.
Why is Kunkka such a great hero against Ember Spirit?
- High AoE physical damage with Tidebringer, which can kill waves in one hit!
- Using X Marks the Spot Kunkka can prevent Ember Spirit from escaping with Activate Fire Remnant until he purchases Eul's Scepter of Divinity or Linken's Sphere.
Items to buy on Kunkka
- Daedalus - Provides immense critical damage upon physical attacks. Most Kunkka players prefer purchasing multiple Daedaluses as the crits stack.
- Assault Cuirass - Increases armor and attack speed while reducing the same for enemies in an AoE.
- Armlet of Mordiggian - Provides increased HP and damage, and is toggleable. Kunkk benefits highly from this toggleable HP mechanic against Ember.
- Aghanim’s Scepter - Provides a fleet of Ghosthips, allowing Kunkka to continue his onslaught while also controlling the crowd immensely.
- Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity from all of Ember’s magic damage spells, making him invulnerable in the fight
4. Faceless Void
The master of time manipulation 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, and Ember Spirit is no exception to this list. Faceless Void is a highly lethal hero in the late game against Ember due to his high damage and crowd control potential. Agreed that the mighty dinosaur has high armor, but it wears off in the late game when the nefarious Void beats him down with his immense damage.
Ember Spirit can’t match Void’s efficient and fast-paced farming skills. The latter works best if paired with heroes that supplement his Chronosphere ultimate ex. Kunkka, Invoker, Skywrath Mage. His mid-game potential is unmatched because all he needs to brawl is his ultimate and a few items against Ember Spirit.
What makes Faceless Void a great counter to Ember Spirit?
- Faceless Void is one of the best heroes against Ember Spirit, providing a lot of ways of dealing with him. Ember Spirit becomes a lot weaker if affected by Time Dilation, as he can no longer spam Sleight of Fist.
- 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.
Items to buy on Faceless Void
- Shadow Blade - Provides invisibility upon cast which can be used to escape or set up on Ember Spirit.
- Monkey King Bar - Gives increased physical damage and also provides a true strike.
- 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 and physical damage.
- Eye of Skadi - It reduces HP regen and healing upon physical attacks from the Void. It helps reduce Ember Spirit’s regen. Eye of Skadi also provides increased stats and HP to Faceless Void.
- Satanic - Allows Faceless Void to lifesteal and sustain himself in teamfights. This item also dispels any negative buffs, quickly life-stealing from 0 to 100 in no time.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Faceless_Void
3. Outworld Destroyer
Outworld Devourer is an essential pick if you want to dominate enemy heroes that lack intelligence. Ember Spirit is a swift and lethal carry hero but he lacks intelligence, making him susceptible to the damage of the Outworld Devourer. OD punishes this weakness of Ember Spirit, dealing immense damage with Arcane Orb, stealing his intelligence while also using Astral Imprisonment on him. The low magic resistance of Ember Spirit makes him turn to the jungle to find farm until he can sustain himself against the arcane demon.
The INT disparity damage is simply too much to handle for Ember Spirit, combined with the magical damage output, and Astral save can turn around team fights. Outworld Devourer is essentially a beast against most carry heroes. With so many items builds to choose from, Outworld Destroyer is one of the most flexible mid-heroes in the late game.
Why is Outworld Destroyer a great counter to Ember Spirit?
- Outworld Destroyer doesn't care if Ember Spirit steals his damage because he does most of his damage through Arcane Orb.
- Astral Imprisonment can prevent Ember Spirit from using the stolen damage from Static Link or chasing with Eye of the Storm.
- Sanity's Eclipse will do a ton of damage to Ember Spirit due to his low mana pool.
Items to Buy on Outworld Destroyer
- Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity against Ember Spirit’s spells
- Force Staff - Allows you to force OD or the targetted unit 600 units ahead in the direction they are facing, it can be useful to break Static Link damage steal.
- Scythe of Vyse - Upon usage it hexes Ember Spirit, essentially making him unable to use spells or items, along with reducing their movement speed for 3.5 seconds. This is extremely useful to shut down Ember Spirit while your team slaughters him.
- Aghanim’s Scepter - Grants charges to Astral Imprisonment, increases the damage, and applies the damage in an area.
- Sange and Kaya - Provides increased HP and mana regen along with status resistance.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Outworld_Destroyer
2. Anti-Mage
Anti-Mage, the charismatic warrior has a bone to pick against the mages. His hatred for the arcane arts is unmatchable. He is the Anti-Mage! He has what you need to counter most mage heroes, especially Ember Spirit due to mana break. An early-game AM can effortlessly decimate Ember Spirit's mana and make him buy mangoes or Soul Ring to compensate. This will slow down his farm while AM is known to farm at a faster pace, allowing him to get ahead in the net worth charts. Anti-Mage is also known to deal well with the split push of Ember, as he has the ability to counter split push with the help of his spells and items.
While it is uncommon to see an Ember Spirit face off against AM in the laning phase, it's soothing to see the former being obliterated effortlessly with just a few items. Ember Spirit does farm well, but he tends to lose his tempo in the late game when AM acquires his Battlefury and Black King Bar. Ember Spirit stands no chance when a six-slotted AM pounces on him thanks to Blink and decimates him in no time.
Why is Anti-Mage a great hero against Ember Spirit?
- Ember Spirit's Remnant damage can be substantially mitigated by Anti-Mage's high magic resistance thanks to Counterspell.
- Anti-Mage's Mana Void can ruin Ember’s mana pool and potentially even kill him.
- Ember Spirit will have exhausted most of his skills and items trying to catch up to the Anti-Mage, preventing him from defending himself against any counter-initiation or a follow-up from a blink initiation.
- Anti-Mage's Blink will make him a very hard target for Remnant.
Items to Buy against Ember Spirit
- Battlefury - Provides cleave on physical attacks which can be essential to split push and farm quickly
- Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity from all of Ember Spirit’s magic damage spells, making him invulnerable in the fight. It is always a top priority, as most seasoned players prefer to purchase the BKB right after the Battlefury
- Mana Style - Creates two illusions of AM on usage, also allowing him to dispel certain spells or dodge if he times it right. It can also be used to split push lanes and farm efficiently.
- Abyssal Blade - Upon cast, it stuns the targetted hero for 2 seconds. Can be used to quickly lock down Ember Spirit after blinking on top of him, allowing you to beat him down with the physical damage
- Eye of Skadi - Reduces regen and healing upon physical attacks. It helps reduce Ember Spirit’s regen if he opts for Bloodstone. Eye of Skadi also provides increased stats and HP to AM.
- Butterfly - Increases evasion, agility, and movement speed. Butterfly essentially makes AM untouchable in the late game due to the high miss chance and physical damage.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Anti-Mage
1. Queen of Pain
Not many heroes survive against the seductive Queen of Pain. She is quite well versed when it comes to handling damage, and for sure knows how to deal twice of it back to the caster. Queen of Pain is quite dominant against Ember Spirit, putting him at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to net worth. Her naturally high magic damage is quite hard for Ember Spirit to tolerate due to his poor magic resistance. It also takes him ages to farm magic resistance items. You’re at the wrong end of the leash if you face off against her.
There is constant spam and harassment for Ember, which is irritating to lane against as if it is overlooked then it can result in his death. She has the perfect skill set to both harass and kills the enemy Ember Spirit, her mobility makes her even harder to catch as she can just Blink away if Ember Spirit uses Static Link on her. Unlike Ember Spirit, the Queen of Pain is active as soon as she gets her level 6, allowing her to gank other lanes.
Why is Queen of Pain a great counter to Ember Spirit?
- Immensely high AoE damage with all her spells ensures she can push lanes and farm quickly, matching the farm of Ember.
- Blink can be used to disengage from fights if Ember throws his remnants at her.
- Queen of Pain can disable the Ember with her Orchid, which the latter does not have many ways to negate in the early stages of the game.
Items to buy on Queen of Pain
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard - Shard releases a sonic boom when Queen of Pain blinks, at both her starting and ending locations. Aghanim’s Scepter buffs the Shadow Strike ability, making it deal Scream on Pain damage at the end of its duration. This is an exceptional way to counter Ember Spirit’s damage.
- Scythe of Vyse - Upon usage it hexes Ember Spirit, essentially making him unable to use spells or items, along with reducing their movement speed for 3.5 seconds. This is extremely useful to shut down Ember Spirit while your team slaughters him.
- Refresher’s Orb - Can refresh spells and items and use them again in quick succession to delete Ember Spirit from the fight
- Bloodthorn - Silences the target for 5 seconds, also dealing them an extra 30% damage at the end of its duration. It can be useful to silence Ember Spirit and entirely shut him off from the team fight.
- Black King Bar - Upon usage, it provides spell immunity. This entirely negates the damage from all of Ember Spirit’s magic spells.
- Eul’s Scepter - Can be used to sweep QoP or Ember Spirit into the air for 2.5 seconds, making him unable to use spells or move. This can be used to lock Ember Spirit down or temporarily shut him off from the fights.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Queen_of_Pain
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