Dota’s landscape has evolved massively over the past few years. With increasing skill ceilings and rank distribution, players are more vigilant regarding what they ban or pick in certain metas. The recent 7.33d meta has given rise to the era of spellcasters and tempo-control heroes, which further propels players to ban the most relevant heroes out first.
We bring you an extensive list of the 15 Most Banned OP Heroes in the current meta. These heroes have largely impacted the patch due to their massive buffs. If you aren’t acquainted with these heroes, we recommend you ban them out; else they can wreak havoc in your pubs!
15. Lone Druid
This wise and kind Druid isn’t lonely by any means! His pet bear takes care of any problems that come his way. Lone Druid is played as a carry majority of the time, this is due to the vast potential that the bear has to offer in both teamfights as well as while pushing towers (thanks to the Demolish ability) and securing objectives. The bear can easily shred through heroes with damage-dealing items. Decent micro-skills are required to play this beast, which only comes with practice. Lone Druid is banned heavily in this patch owing to the buffs endowed to him by IceFrog
Squishy enemies are quickly reduced to rubbles when Lone Druid and his ferocious bear attack it. His spells provide immense synergy, which allows the Bear to safeguard Lone Druid while dealing damage in a teamfight. The immense lifesteal and attack speed combined with damage items like Desolator and Skull Basher is highly helpful in slaying the structure, something which Lone Druid does just with the help of his bear!
What makes Lone Druid the most banned in the game?
- With the help of True Form (Lone Druid’s ultimate), LD can freely hit his enemies without worrying about HP as the ultimate provides him with increased HP and armor while increasing his ability to root and deal higher damage to structures thanks to the Demolish ability.
- Lone Druid’s Bear deals ungodly damage to towers with items such as Skull Basher, Desolator, and Assault Cuirass, making it easy for him to mow down the structure within a few hits (The Bear has to be a minimum of level 4 for this, as early level bear can not soak up so much damage)
- Upon usage, the Spirit Link ability provides immense lifesteal to LD on the damage dealt by the Bear while also increasing both of their attack speeds, while they can also share up to 20% of their armor with each other, making them tanky while team fighting.
14. Tinker
The genius mechanical maniac is back on the scene! Tinker is known to tinker around with gadgets and fry weak foes with lasers and rockets. Tinker is an ideal support hero due to his impeccable ability to deal high amounts of damage within a short duration. He is a highly active laner who does not fall off in the early game, thanks to his shield which keeps him tanky. Even if Tinker has a bad lane, he can just rotate to the other lanes to get kills and help his lagging teammates.
Most low magic resistance heroes are weak laners against Tinker and thus stand no chance as they will always be targeted with constant harassment in the form of magical damage from rockets and lasers. With the addition of the Shield, Tinker can easily escape or otherwise initiate and lock enemies down with his annoying Scythe and Rearm combo. Without a Black King Bar, enemies have no means of staying resilient in a teamfight, let alone have any means of gap closing even if they manage to farm enough.
Why Tinker is the most banned in the game?
Tinker has multiple spells that allow him to deal high magical damage right from the early game, making him a great in the laning phase
Tinker also can refresh his spells with his ultimate, which allows him to constantly keep on dishing out high-damage
Tinker is banned heavily due to the quick levels he gets, making him dish out high damage when he gets his ultimate, Rearm.
Tinker also exhibits fast-paced gameplay that this hero naturally has, making him an annoying hero right off the bat
13. Nyx Assassin
The nefarious Nyx Assassin is an extremely annoying hero to play against heroes who have no way of escaping his clutches. Nyx has various ways of disabling his foes with his extensive toolkit. Nyx can stun them, mana burns them, stun them again, and finally hit them down with the impressive damage from his ultimate, Vendetta. He is active right from the laning phase, as he can acquire a few levels and wander off into other lanes to catch unsuspecting enemies. If he gets a follow-up from his team, there is no way his enemies escape alive, making him an annoying hero who is often banned in the pub games.
Nyx is often picked instantly against squishy spell-casting heroes. His abilities are just too good to be ignored if you’re looking to expand your hero pool as a position 4 support player. A well-timed use of spells can catch enemies off guard and turn the trajectory of the game in Nyx’s favor. He is highly useful right from the get-go, hence he is ranked so high up on our list. He can be the enemy carry’s worst nightmare if disablerlet him have the chance!
What makes Nyx Assassin most banned in the game?
- Ny Assassin has high movement speed and armor right off the bat, making him survive the laning phase
- Spiked Carapace can stun enemies without breaking invisibility from his ultimate, Vendetta.
- His stun lock potential can allow his allies to follow up with immense damage to beat down his foes.
- Mana Burn deals more damage to intelligence-based heroes, making him counter at least one hero picked by the enemy team.
- He can freely scout around the map with Vendetta which renders him invisible for a decent duration.
NYX ASSASSIN Soft Support Gameplay
12. Huskar
The ferocious hunter Huskar leaves no stone unturned. His crazy damage potential is unmatched in the low MMR trenches. He is perfect for lane dominance and early-game aggression. Huskar fares well against pretty much all heroes as they stand no chance even in a 1v5 matchup if the former has the right set of items. Most heroes can’t simply deal with the overwhelming amount of damage being dished out by the harrowing Huskar.
Huskar is known to initiate a teamfight, hence he builds items that allow him to start and sustain team fights. Killing Roshan and procuring the Aegis is the right step before engaging in a teamfight if you’re playing Huskar! Huskar can quickly mow down Roshan with his Burning Spears ability that does great damage over time, this combined with his immense attack speed with his passive makes it easy for him to bring the mighty beast down. Huskar can also use lifesteal items to sustain himself in the Roshpit.
Why is Huskar most banned in the game?
- Huskar is a durable and tanky hero due to his armor and Berserker's Blood, making him stand his ground in extended fights, which also makes him a perfect fit for the low MMR pool
- Huskar relies more on levels than items to be a resilient hero, something which is a great quality for the low MMR pool as the players generally lack the farming skills to acquire items quickly
11. Medusa
Medusa, the serpentine warrior, is a tough nut to crack, she is one of the most lethal and tanky carry heroes in the game. With the recent buffs to her Mana Shield, she takes little to no damage as all the damage is absorbed by her mana. She is highly effective in the late game as she can amplify her tanky nature with more items which makes her even harder to kill. Her tankiness allows her to be the center of the fight without worrying much about her enemies, which she can still crack down on thanks to her immense attack damage.
Along with being a hard-to-kill hero, Medusa is known to farm faster than most carry heroes. Agreed, some heroes have higher mobility than her, but Medusa has sustainability and effective damage, making her an ideal hero in the later stages of the game due to how well she fares against multiple heroes. This is something that squishy carry heroes can’t excel at. All the attack modifiers and tank potential are too hot for the enemy team to handle even in the late game, making most players eventually tap out against this serpentine warrior.
Why is Medusa most banned in the game?
- Mana Shield's ability absorbs the damage she takes, which comes at the cost of her mana pool, but she isn’t highly reliant on it as it is evident.
- Medusa also has innately high armor gain, making her stand her ground right from the laning phase.
- Medusa also builds tanky items like Eye of Skadi, Manta Style, and Butterfly which provide her with increased HP, stats, and evasion, making her a raid boss in the late stages of the game.
10. Broodmother
The terrific Broodmother is known to be a dominant force from quite early on in the game. Just like Meepo or Arc Warden on this list, she is known to split-push early quite effortlessly with her spiderlings. Broodmother is quite the terrific counterpick against squishy heroes without AoE in the laning stage as he lacks the AoE damage early on to prevent her aggressive plays. Most heroes find no better option than abandoning the lane and farming the jungle as laning would be nothing less than a death threat if Brood has her army of Spiderlings, which eventually destroy the enemy structure and heroes.
However, the late game can be more enemy-sided due to them having either AoE damage or disables like Scythe or Orchid. Broodmother further can focus on right-click builds in such scenarios, using Spiderlings as a secondary source of damage or only while she is pushing the towers. But all this AoE damage and disable is only acquired in the middle of the late game, meaning Brood has free rein for the first 30 minutes of the game and maybe knock at enemy tier 3s before they know it.
What makes Broodmother most banned in the game?
- Broodmother has an army of spiderlings that deal a ton of damage if left unattended, which makes her a lethal force against the towers and squishy creeps
- A good Broodmother is always known to rat towers and move sneakily throughout the map
- Most heroes are squishy in the early game, and Brood being a monster, takes advantage of this fact as she is always hunting for early-game kills
- Broodmother has various ways of standing her ground in a fight, with the help of Insatiable Hunger and Black King Bar, there is no way enemies have it easy versus this 8-legged beast.
9. Meepo
The menacing Meepo is a solid hero with the right set of items and skill builds. Although we barely see the mischievous digger in the current meta, his dominant playstyle and early-game aggression can prove to be deadly if picked against the right heroes. Meepo is an efficient farmer who also excels at split-pushing and teamfights. With items such as Eye of Skadi, Aghanim’s Scepter, and Diffusal Blade, Meepo can easily solo kill squishy heroes and Roshan without breaking a sweat.
The reason why Meepo is ranked so low on this list is because of the sheer mechanical skill required to play him. It is obvious that this hero is a hard hero to master, but he proves to be a reliable and sustainable hero if paired with the right allies. Meepo with a minimum of two clones and a maximum level in Ransack (which provides immense lifesteal with max levels) can mow down heroes quite effortlessly.
What makes Meepo most banned in the game?
- Multiple clones from the Divided We Stand ultimate make it easy for him to deal high damage, thanks to Ransack and Poof.
- Not only does Meepo deal solid damage to his enemies, but he also sustains with the help of Ransack's ability's lifesteal which affects all the Meepos, keeping them healthy while hitting the mighty structure.
- Meepo generally farms quickly due to his global split push potential, making it a cakewalk for him to destroy towers and farm efficiently, while other heroes may require some time to farm efficiently and acquire items.
8. Outworld Destroyer
Being a ranged hero does wonders especially if you’re against melee heroes in the mid-lane. His foes do not fare well if they are facing Outworld Destroyer. The INT disparity damage is simply too much to handle for them, combined with the magical damage output, and Astral save can turn around team fights. OD is essentially a beast against most mid-laners in the late game. With so many item builds to choose from, Outworld Destroyer is one of the most flexible mid-heroes in the game.
Outworld Destroyer is a menace in the late game as the intelligence-based damage gets too much for his foes to handle. From immense save potential to fight potential with Astral Imprisonment and Sanity’s Eclipse, OD is the ultimate mid-counter to all heroes in the game. Further, he can be played as a carry hero if required, depending upon the game conditions. The damage output and setup potential rank him so high on this list of banned heroes!
Why is Outworld Destroyer most banned in the game?
- Menace in the laning stage 1v1 due to his ability to disrupt farm and setup for teamfights
- High damage dealing AoE ultimate makes him a dominant hero in the late game.
- Relies more on kills to get farm, meaning more rotations and faster item timings compared to most opponents
- Has various item builds, which can change according to the heroes he is facing.
7. Shadow Fiend
Nevermore, the haunting Shadow Fiend is the enslaver of all souls. His eerie abilities harness him the power to dominate the battlefield. Shadow Fiend is one of the top-tier mid-heroes in the game, he can be on the Mount Rushmore of Mid heroes. Every core player has him in their rotation, primarily due to how easily this hero can farm and deal damage right from the early stages of the game. The recent buffs to his Facets and Presence of the Dark Lord have also brought him under the radar of carry players, making him a versatile pick. If you want to expand your hero pool while climbing up the MMR ladder, then Shadow Fiend is the right carry hero in this patch.
The haunting Shadow Fiend is an excellent hero in the meta, but with certain builds and items, he can dominate the game quite easily. Certain builds include the Sange and Yasha into Hurrican Pike, Black King Bar and Monkey King Bar, which make him a lethal force to be reckoned with. Although all these items can sound overwhelming to acquire, all you need is a Mask of Madness and a few levels in Raze and Presence of the Dark Lord to wreak havoc.
Why is Shadow Fiend most banned in the game?
- Shadow Fiend’s updated facet provides him with armor corruption, which works effectively on buildings as well as heroes, making him a lethal right-clicker right from the laning phase.
- Shadow Fiend can be an active carry hero from the early game, as all he needs is a few levels in Shadow Raze and Requiem to be impactful in a teamfight.
- Shadow Fiend has a strong talent tree, which can make it easy for him to deal high physical damage from his Razes while increasing his overall threat in a fight.
6. 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!
What makes Pudge most banned in the game?
- Pudge is an 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.
5. Sniper
The deadly dwarf is a lethal and highly banned hero in the current meta due to his early-game fighting skills. 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 and end the game by sub-30 minutes.
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.
What makes Sniper most banned in the game?
- Shrapnel accelerates his farm, while also annoying enemies in the early game, shoving them off the lane.
- Sniper also has a high base attack range and movement speed right off the bat which helps him deal ungodly damage within no time.
- Sniper also possesses a great talent tree that scales extremely well with items in the mid-game, allowing him to be a menace within no time.
4. Axe
Mogul Khan, the Axe, is a ruthless frontliner whose impact is felt right from the laning phase. He is an exceptional laner and leaves no stones unturned against melee heroes. The latter group of heroes finds it hard to fight Axe as he has immense armor and killing potential with his spells. His Berserker’s Call provides him with 25 armor for a brief duration, making him hard to kill in the teamfight. Along with that, Axe also builds tank items like Crimson Guard, Blademail, Heart of Tarasque, Black King Bar, etc, which further amplify his tank potential. Axe is a tough nut to crack when he acquires the mentioned items.
With the help of Blademail and Counter Helix Spins Axe can kill multiple heroes and survive a ruthless teamfight thanks to the armor. Most heroes simply can’t do much to Axe when he obtains items like Black King Bar and Blademail, rendering them useless. As the warmonger is tanky, most ignore him largely in teamfights. Even if the enemies manage to hit Axe hard, they may just be susceptible to the Counter Helix spins, which can mow them down within no time if they are reckless.
What makes Axe most banned in the game?
- Berserker’s Call provides a bonus of 15 armor, allowing Axe to initiate a fight as well as sustain through it without worrying about dying
- Axe also has high natural armor which makes it easy for him to lane in the early game
- Axe is known to build tank and armor items like Crimson Guard, Blademail, Heart of Tarasque, etc, which further make him hard to kill
3. Anti-Mage
The threatening yet composed Anti-Mage is a feared late-game hero, and that explains his high ban rate! He has what you need to split-push lanes which he can do effortlessly due to his farming speed, which if timed right, can allow him to acquire items fast and end the game early. He is known to decimate his foes with both Mana Break and Mana Void. An early-game AM can effortlessly decimate enemy mana and make them retreat to base or waste gold to compensate. This will slow down their farm while AM is known to farm at a faster pace, allowing him to get ahead in the net worth within no time.
Most carry heroes tend to lose tempo in the late game while Anti-Mage only does swimmingly there by split-pushing lanes and essentially being everywhere on the map. Magic and spell-casting heroes stand no chance when a six-slotted AM pounces on them thanks to Blink and decimates them within no time. Without a doubt, something is soothing about witnessing a fully farmed Anti-Mage beat down his enemies with the help of Mana Void. He can essentially one-shot the entire enemy team if he catches them lacking in the mana department.
What makes Anti-Mage most banned in the game?
- Anti-Mage goes for pushing items such as Battlefury and Manta Style which help him push lanes fast and demolish towers quickly
- If paired with the right laner, Anti-Mage can be a disaster for the enemy team right from the laning phase
- Mana Void and Mana Break work extremely well against spell-casting heroes, making it quite hard for them to stand their ground in teamfights in the early game.
2. Arc Warden
Zet, the Arc Warden is a menace to the poor squishy enemies. He is known to deal massive damage right off the bat, prompting players to have him banned before the next game. He is also a quick farmer, as he can just duplicate and make his clone push out the lane while he farms the jungle. This addition to the list may feel a little out of fit as Arc Warden isn’t conventionally seen as a reliant hero, but with the recent buffs to Spark Wraith and Flux, one can’t help but spam spells and let it stack.
In the late game, Arc Warden can disable and obliterate enemies within a few hits and clicks of spells. He is an excellent lane pusher, and can also resort to ratting if things go south for his team. There are endless possibilities and no method to the madness of the resilient Arc Warden. Physical damage builds of Arc are also not to be ignored as that is somewhat the more orthodox build that helps people secure Aegis from the mighty Roshan.
What makes Arc Warden most banned in the game?
- High-damage items like Daedalus, and Monkey King Bar combined with a disable like Orchid or Scythe of Vyse can seal the deal for Arc Warden in a teamfight.
- Arc can also opt for the magical damage route explained above, which can help him decimate heroes with the stacks of his prime ability, Spark Wraith.
- Arc Warden also has his clone, who helps him deal an equal amount of damage in a fight, making it hard for the enemies to deal with two Arcs.
1. Kez
Behold, the newest addition to the realm of Dota! Kez, the samurai bird is the newest notorious and skill-intensive hero. With two sets of toggleable abilities, Kez is the talk of the town. This stoic samurai does everything from grappling his foes and going invisible to stunning and closing the gap. As players are still learning the ropes of Kez, he is being largely picked and banned in games across all skill levels.
Primarily being experimented in the carry role, Kez’s extensive damage-dealing potential is being explored by players. With an array of spells in his toolkit, he is being held as the “Invoker” of carry heroes; all thanks to his complexity. Kez breathes fresh air into the 7.37d meta of Lunas and Medusas. Hopefully, once he is added to the Captain's Draft mode, we can expect to see more of him on the main stage!
What makes Kez most banned in the game?
- With two sets of damage-dealing abilities, Kez is rather complex to navigate. Hence, he is highly banned, as players do not know how to counter him just yet.
- Kez’s escape potential makes him a slippery fish, making it hard for the usual meta-heroes to catch him or be useful against him
