Zeus, the almighty thundergod is a feared hero in Dota 2. It is rather disrespectful to call him a hero, as he is nothing less than a god when it comes to domination in-game. Primarily played in the mid lane, Zeus can fare extremely well if he is facing low magic resistance heroes or melee heroes which grants him the opportunity to relentlessly bully his counterparts with his ungodly magic damage without facing any retaliation. However, even god has his weaknesses! Zeus hates laning against heroes with high magic resistance or heroes with mobility who can reach him from a long distance, which can prove to be lethal as he has low armor and is generally squishy.
Tired of seeing Zeus dominate your ranked games? We are here to the rescue with the 10 Zeus Counters which render him useless right off the bat! These heroes are extremely relevant in the current meta and leave no stone unturned when it comes to ripping their foes apart.
Best General Items Against Zeus
- Pipe of Insight - Upon activation, it provides magic resistance to the caster and nearby allies, which is essential against Zeus as it reduces the magic damage that you take from his spells. The duration lasts for 12 seconds and can block up to 400 magic damage.
- Black King Bar - On usage, it provides spell immunity. This entirely negates the damage from all of Zeus’ spells, as they all are magical types.
- 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 catch or initiate on Zeus in case he uses Heavenly Jump.
- Scythe of Vyse - Upon usage it hexes the targetted 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 Zeus while your team slaughters him.
- Orchid of Malevolence - 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 Zeus and entirely shut him off from the team fight.
- Eul’s Scepter - Can be used to sweep yourself or the targetted enemy into the air for 2.5 seconds, making them unable to use spells or move. This can be used to lock Zeus down or temporarily shut him off from the fights.
10. 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 most heroes due to the lack of AoE damage from them, however, Zeus can give him a run for his money in the early game due to his constant early-game AoE magic damage spam. Chaos Knight can eventually turn the tides in the late game, and destroy squishy Zeus in no time with his high physical damage along with his illusions.
Although he lacks in the farming department, CK is extremely tanky and is only threatened by multiple heroes at once. CK can snowball easily if he manages to get a few kills in the early game. He can also sustain himself in team fights due to his naturally high armor and HP. All he needs is a good early game and free farm to counter Zeus in the late game.
Why is Chaos Knight a great counter to Zeus?
- Zeus can be destroyed easily with the multiple illusions from CK’s ultimate. His AoE spells lack the damage to quickly disperse the illusions.
- Zeus has low base armor which makes him highly vulnerable to Chaos Knight's high damage output and armor reduction.
- Chaos Knight has a high health pool due to him being a strength hero, making him resistant to Zeus' burst damage.
- Also, Phantasm can dispel the Veil of Discord, a typical item purchased by Zeus.
Items to Buy against Zeus
- Armlet of Mordiggian - Provides increased HP and damage, and is toggleable. CK benefits highly from this toggleable HP mechanic against Zeus due to the latter’s high magical burst damage.
- Black King Bar - It provides CK with spell immunity from all of Zeus’ magic damage spells, making him invulnerable in the fight. It is always a top priority item against Zeus.
- Manta Style - Can work in tandem with Reality Rift, exceptional to push lanes and dispel spells
- Assault Cuirass - Increases armor and attack speed while reducing the same for enemies in an AoE.
- Eye of Skadi - It reduces HP regen and healing upon physical attacks from CK. It helps reduce Zeus’ regen if he opts for Bloodstone. Eye of Skadi also provides increased stats and HP to Juggernaut.
- Echo Sabre - It provides insane stats along with increased damage and attack speed. It is an essential item that is built in the early game of Chaos Knight.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Zeus
9. Ursa
This ferocious and breathtaking bear is a force to be reckoned with. Ursa is one of the most played carry heroes in the game, known for his ability to jungle smoothly and slay Roshan alone. He can also rip through squishy heroes like Zeus within no time! His Fury Swipes stack up quickly, combined with his second spell, Overpower, make him deal high amounts of physical damage right from the early game. Ursa’s ultimate, Enrage, makes him take less damage from Zeus’ magic spells, making him slightly invulnerable in teamfights.
Buying a Morbid mask allows him to sustain in lane and turn around a fight swiftly coupled with his ultimate. Ursa almost always purchases a Black King Bar due to his poor natural magic resistance, and doing so against Zeus is a no-brainer. Zeus stands no chance if Ursa has a smooth early game
Why is Ursa a great counter to Zeus?
- Ursa rips through Zeus in no time with his physical damage
- Enrage makes Ursa take less magical damage, allowing him to stand his ground in teamfights against Zeus
- Ursa is also a great initiator and a gap closer with his Blink Dagger acquisition.
- Can prove to be a menace in the late game, especially when Zeus falters off.
Items to buy on Ursa
- Blink Dagger - Great for gap closing or initiating, allows Ursa to both escape or get on top of Zeus
- Diffusal Blade - Slows down Zeus by 100% upon casting and physical attack. It also burns his mana, making him useless as he is unable to cast any spells.
- Satanic - Provides increased lifesteal on physical attacks upon activation, also provides basic dispel from the latter.
- Black King Bar - It provides spell immunity from all of Zeus’ magic damage spells, making him invulnerable in the fight. It is always a top priority item against Zeus.
- Skull Basher - Provides a chance to Mini Stun on physical attacks. It can further be upgraded into Abyssal Blade later on in the game.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Ursa
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 Zeus from using any items makes him very powerful against him. The best part is that laning is not fun for Zeu 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.
Zeus 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. Zeus also hates heroes which deal high physical damage, Silencer not only does that, but he also steals Zeus’ Intelligence which essentially reduces his mana pool for a brief duration making him unable to cast enough spells. The Silencer is overall a solid counter to Zeus, but it is advised to play him in the support role as he also falls off terribly in the late game.Why is Silencer great against Zeus?
- Arcane Curse will punish Zeus for casting spells, which can cause continuous damage to him should he continue to cast spells.
- Silencer's Global Silence will render Zeus useless for 6 seconds in a team fight.
- Last Word can silence Zeus and prevent him from spamming his spells.
Items to buy against Zeus
- Glimmer Cape - Provides invisibility, can also be used on allies to escape or to initiate Zeus
- Rod of Atos - Locks Zeus down, making him unable to move or use any spells.
- Scythe of Vyse - Disables Zeus 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 Zeus’ 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 Zeus.
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard - Global Silence pierces spell immunity, making it impossible for Zeus to escape alive from teamfights
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Silencer
7. Viper
The venomous Viper knows no bounds and is on the same list when it comes to the most hated heroes in the game. Mid-players can benefit from playing this hero against Zeus as it is a free win! Viper has the range advantage so Zeus can’t freely come within the attack range to last hit, he has to use his spells which in turn cost him a great deal of mana. The DPS and slow from his spells are also quite annoying to play against as a squishy low HP Zeus.
Zeus players despise Viper as he makes their presence and impact disappear from the game. His ultimate, Viper Strike isn’t even needed to kill Zeus as only his Poison Attack is enough to do the job. Picking Zeus against a Viper is essentially just throwing the game away!
Why is Viper a great counter to Zeus?
- The damage over time from Viper's Poison Attack and Viper Strike proves to be lethal as Zeus has low armor and physical damage resistance.
- Nethertoxin is a big threat to Zeus due to his low range in the laning phase, making him wear out his mana, and emptying his resources.
- Viper Strike and Poison Attack slow Zeus’ movement speed so he cannot get out from Nethertoxin, essentially trapping him in.
- Viper withstands the test of time and can solo kill Zeus in the late game. Whereas, Zeus is known to fall off and does not deal enough damage to the former.
Items to Buy against Zeus
- Kaya and Sange - Increases stats along with increasing mana gain and reducing mana cost, allowing him to cast spells freely against Zeus.
- Aghanim’s Scepter - Decreases Nethertoxin duration and increases damage, destroying the squishy Zeus in no time
- Pipe of Insight - Provides immense magic damage block on activation, and affects the whole team.
- Hurricane Pike - Allows Viper to close the gap and deal immense damage to Zeus, also provides decent stats and increases attack range
- Blademail - Reflects Zeus’ magical damage to him upon activation
- Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity, negating all the magical damage being dished out by Zeus.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Viper
6. Pugna
The skeletal figure comes alive after he drains his enemies life and turns them into bones and dust. Pugna is infamous for sucking the soul out of you. A pure lane matchup can favor Pugna against Zeus as he has more INT and mana pool, along with that he faces constant harassment and gets shoved out of the lane due to the bonkers damage he deals even as a support hero with his Nether Ward. Pugna has higher magical damage when is hard to negate in the late game, unlike Zeus who is rather easy to counter with Life Drain.
Pugna is known to farm effortlessly due to his AoE spell and hit his item timings relatively early. You can also save your low HP allies with Life Drain. Zeus hates when his spellcasting is interrupted, and Pugna on the other hand loves interrupting heroes with Nether Ward which makes them take damage whenever they cast a spell, along with actively reducing their mana whenever they are in the vicinity of the Ward.
Why is Pugna great against Zeus?
- Immense damage on spell usage and mana drain dished out from Nether Ward causes Zeus to cool down with his constant harassment
- Decrepify can further increase the damage dealt by Nether Blast upon Zeus. However, if used on Pugna himself or one of his allies, it will amplify the damage done by Zeus' abilities.
- Pugna has higher magical damage potential with all his spells and items.
- Life Drain can save Pugna if he is being burst by Zeus.
Items to Buy against Zeus
- Aether Lens - Increased cast range along with providing decent stats and mana. It can further be upgraded into Octraine Core which reduces spell and item cooldowns by 25%.
- Aeon Disk - Saves him from getting burst quickly from Zeus’ spell combo and also applies a basic dispel, although it has an extremely high cooldown of 180 seconds.
- Scythe of Vyse - Disables Zeus and removes him from the fight, as he can’t use his spells or items. Scythe also slows his movement speed.
- Dagon - Huge single targetted burst damage, Dagon can be upgraded, increasing the cast range and damage it deals on highest level (level 5). This combined with Decrepify can quickly eliminate Zeus from the team fight.
- Blink Dagger - Great for gap closing or initiating, allows him to both escape or get on top of Zeus
- Black King Bar - Provides spell immunity from all of Zeus’ magic damage spells, making him invulnerable in the fight
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Pugna
5. Doom
Doom is a devastating enemy to phase if you are playing a squishy hero like Zeus. This demon has sent countless of his enemies to the realm of hell, and the thundergod 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 Zeus, 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 Zeus. He is regarded as one of the most deadly disablers in the current meta. Zeus 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 Zeus out of the fight, he virtually has no way to counter Doom.
What makes Doom a great counter to Zeus?
- Doom can stop Death Prophet from casting spells, which makes her 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 Zeus’ spells and makes him take high damage. It is easy to say that once Zeus is doomed, there is no way he stays alive.
- Zeus can also face constant lane harassment with Scorched Earth and Infernal Blade.
Items to buy against Zeus
- Shadow Blade - Provides invisibility on cast which can be used to escape or set up on Zeus
- 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 closing the gap and to get on top of Zeus, 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 Zeus’ 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
4. Death Prophet
The chilling Death Prophet looms over her prey, foreshadowing their existence and planning her every move toward chaos! Seeing Death Prophet in pub games is quite a common sight in the recent meta, as she is a textbook counterpick to massive spell-casting heroes like Zeus. The latter is obliterated in the laning phase as is subjected to constant harassment and also has the attack range disadvantage.
DP can ward Zeus off the lane with her Spirit Siphon, further solidifying her lead in the early game. Late-game Death Prophet is a whole different beast as her ultimate, Exorcism allows her to not only fight well but also take down towers. It also heals her at the end of the duration. The game can essentially be over for Zeus if Death Prophet manages to silence him and have all her Exorcism spirits target him.
Why is Death Prophet a great counter to Zeus?
- Death Prophet can return the harassment to Zeus with her spamable spells.
- She has a long duration silence, which can help remove Zeus from teamfights
- She is relevant even in the late game due to Exorcism and the damage it can do to both buildings and heroes, which is exceptional as Zeus does virtually zero building damage.
Items to buy against Zeus
- Eul’s Scepter - Can be used to lock Zeus down and set him up for silence
- Black King Bar - Magic Immunity from all of Zeus’ magic damage spells
- Aghanim’s Scepter and Shard - High damage which can be used to push towers or deal immense damage during teamfights
- Kaya and Sange - Increases stats along with increasing mana gain and reducing mana cost, allowing DP to cast her spells freely against Zeus.
- 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.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Death_Prophet
3. Lifestealer
The threatening Lifestealer is a deadly force to be reckoned with. His strength ruptures even the most meta heroes like Zeus. As you may know, Lifestealer is a carry hero, and he is quite good at carrying the team on his back, especially if he is playing against squishy heroes. It is highly unlikely that Lifestealer goes head to head against Zeus in the laning phase, meaning he can secure farm for himself and fare well in the early game courtesy of the lifesteal and magic immunity from Rage.
He can completely negate Zeus’s magic damage with his Rage, making him invulnerable against the thunder god in teamfights. Lifestealer mainly relies on kills to get gold, making him a fight-oriented hero, as with the right items he can obliterate the enemy team and turn Zeus’ ashes into dust.
Why is Lifestealer a great counter to Zeus?
- Lifestealer has inbuilt magic immunity with Rage, allowing him to dodge all the magic damage from Zeus’ spells.
- Zeus is squishy and can be destroyed with just a few physical attacks in the late game.
- Lifestealer can avoid Thundergod's Wrath with Infest.
Items to Buy against Zeus
- Armlet of Mordiggian - Provides increased HP and damage, and is toggleable. Lifestealer benefits highly from this toggleable HP mechanic against Zeus.
- Desolator - Provides increased damage along with armor corruption on physical attacks. It can also gain stacks and increased the mentioned perks with the increase in stacks. Desolator is ideal to mow down the squishy Zeus
- Skull Basher - Provides a chance to Bash (Mini Stun) on physical attacks. It can further be upgraded into Abyssal Blade later on in the game.
- Sange and Yasha - Provide decent stats, agility, strength, and physical damage. SnY also provides status resistance and increased movement speed, making Lifestealer fast and stronger against Zeus.
- Assault Cuirass - Increases armor and attack speed while reducing the same for enemies in an AoE.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Lifestealer
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 Zeus due to mana break. An early-game AM can effortlessly decimate Zeus' 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.
While it is uncommon to see a Zeus face off against AM in the laning phase, it's soothing to see the former being obliterated effortlessly with just a few items. Zeus does farm well, but he tends to lose his tempo in the late game when AM acquires his Battlefury and Black King Bar. Zeus 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 Zeus?
- Anti-Mage has naturally high magic resistance plus Counterspell decreases magical damage taken from Zeus.
- He can also close the gap by simply blinking on top of Zeus and beating him down with his ungodly physical damage.
- Zeus relies heavily on mana, and Anti-Mage burns mana with his Mana Break passive spell, making him unable to cast spells and have an impact.
- Mana Void can be used on Zeus due to his high intelligence and mana reliability.
Items to Buy against Zeus
- 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 Zeus’ 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 Zeus 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 Zeus’ 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. Juggernaut
Juggernaut, the masked Samurai is a deadly hero that is best left untamed. It is impossible to contain him if he unleashes his true potential. Juggernaut fares exceptionally well against squishy heroes, and Zeus is undoubtedly squishy even in the late game. One single Omnislash is all it takes for Juggernaut to demolish Zeus. On top of that, he also fares well against the mighty thundergod in the laning stage, as he can essentially dodge the magic damage by just using Blade Fury which makes him immune to magic damage.
Juggernaut can also control the tempo with his ultimate. He can also farm quickly and be more dominant in the mid and late games, whereas Zeus falls off after the mid-game. He is also known as one of the most flexible heroes in the game in terms of item and skill builds, allowing him to alter his builds accordingly. Zeus can’t go head-to-head in the late game against Juggernaut, as this matchup is almost never in his favor.
Why is Juggernaut a great counter to Zeus?
- Omnislash can easily take down Zeus. However, be aware that most players will get a Eul's Scepter of Divinity or a Ghost Scepter against Juggernaut.
- Blade Fury ignores all magical damage from Zeus.
- Can sustain himself in the lane with Healing Ward, granting him a way to deal with the constant magical harassment from Zeus
Items to buy against Zeus
- Diffusal Blade - Slows down Zeus by 100% upon casting and physical attack. It also burns his mana, making him useless as he is unable to cast any spells.
- Sange and Yasha - Provide decent stats, agility, strength, and physical damage. SnY also provides status resistance and increased movement speed, making Juggernaut swift and stronger against Zeus.
- Aghanim’s Scepter - Grants Swiftslash ability, which is essentially a mini Omnislash, dealing the same amount of damage as the ultimate.
- Aghanim’s Shard - Allows Juggernaut to perform instant physical attacks under the Bladefury duration, along with increasing his movement speed.
- Butterfly - Provides Juggernaut 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 - 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 Juggernaut.
https://dota2.fandom.com/wiki/Juggernaut
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