Dota 2 Hero Tier List By Roles 2025 – The Best Heroes for Each Role

The release of Dota 2 patch 7.38 changed how we play Dota 2 and the current meta. Many of the go-to heroes from the previous meta received substantial nerfs, whereas others became much stronger. Fast-forward to 7.38c and its first trends, and we can see that some heroes have risen from the ashes.

The current Dota 2 meta is all about picking the heroes that matter. Unlike before, players rely on different tactics to achieve their goals. That’s why it is time for our Dota 2 Tier List 2025 for each role in the game. 

What to Expect From This Tier List:

• You will learn the best Dota 2 heroes for each role in 2025
• Detailed overview of some of the most successful heroes in the specific role
• Learn more about the top heroes’ strengths and weaknesses
• How to maximize each hero when playing

Dota 2 Tier List by Roles

The table below contains all of the best Dota 2 heroes for each role right now. The information is based on our extensive research, testing, and analysis of some of the best teams and players, as well as sources like DotaBuff.

S+	Templar Assasin	Storm Spirit	Outworld Destroyer	–
S	Ember Spirit	Tinker	Dragon Knight	Shadow Fiend
A	Invoker	Alchemist	Void Spirit	Kunkka
C	Huskar	Dazzle	–	–
D	Puck	Razor	–	–
F	Queen of Pain	–	–	–

S+	Wraith King	Lifestealer	Medusa	–
S	Juggernaut	Anti-Mage	Spectre	–
A	Morphling	Troll Warlord	–	–
C	Clinkz	Bloodseeker	Drow Ranger	Chaos Knight
D	Slark	Ursa	Troll Warlord	–
F	Weaver	–	–	–

S+	Dark Seer	Abaddon	Tidehunter	–
S	Nyx Assassin	Axe	Clockwerk	–
A	Dawnbreaker	Night Stalker	Centaur Warrunner	–
C	Mars	Slardar	Bristleback	–
D	Underlord	–	–	–

S+	Zeus	Mirana	–	–
S	Spirit Breaker	Phoenix	Muerta	–
A	Shadow Shaman	Silencer	–	–
C	Elder Titan	Bounty Hunter	–	–
D	Bane	–	–	–

S+	Ancient Apparition	Winter Wyvern	Jakiro	–
S	Witch Dictor	Shadow Shaman	Ringmaster	–
A	Disruptor	Lich	Warlock	–
C	Lion	Skywrath Mage	–	–
D	Dazzle	Rubick	–	–
F	Crystal Maiden	–	–	–

It is important to remember that many Dota 2 heroes can fit into various roles. Also, we only decided to focus on the popular picks in the meta, so do not be surprised if some names are missing. Lastly, some of the names you find here might differ from those in the professional meta because pro players usually think outside the box.

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Dota 2 Best Mid-Lane – Tier List

We’d like to begin our Dota 2 hero tier list 2025 by focusing on the mid-lane. The heroes here usually focus on physical/magical damage and act as tempo controllers. Depending on the setup, they may be the team’s main core (each Dota 2 team usually has 3 cores – mid-lane, safe lane (carry), and offlane).

The current Dota 2 meta favours different kinds of midders, so here’s a breakdown of our best mid-lane heroes tier list:

• S+: Templar Assassin, Storm Spirit, Outworld Destroyer
• S: Ember Spirit, Tinker, Dragon Knight, Shadow Fiend
• A: Invoker, Alchemist, Void Spirit, Kunkka
• C: Huskar, Dazzle
• D: Puck, Razor
• F: Queen of Pain

Templar Assassin

• Win Rate – 50.73%
• Pick Rate – 13.56%
• Ban Rate – 0.70%

It’s been a while since Templar Assassin was an S-tier hero. The hero was nowhere to be found in the first Dota 2 tier list 7.38, but the changes in 7.38c made her very strong.

After the most recent update, Templar Assassin became one of the best tempo controllers. All she needs is a solid laning stage that will allow her to get Desolator as soon as possible. Once that happens, the hero easily becomes the biggest damage dealer on the map and can bring down anyone.

Aside from Desolator, you should get your Blink Dagger and Black King Bar as quickly as possible. These two items will let you secure kills and be more confident when taking fights. 

Counter Picks: Templar Assassin is not good against heroes who can bring down her Refraction fast. This includes options like Phantom Lancer, Batrider, Jakiro, and others.

Best Synergy: Ideally, you can pair TA with an offensive roaming support that will allow her to snowball. As for a general tactic around her, everything focusing on mid-game and pushing works well. This can include things like Drow Ranger, Vengeful Spirit, and so on.

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Storm Spirit 

• Win Rate – 48.41%
• Pick Rate – 8.09%
• Ban Rate – 0.62%

Storm Spirit is an important name in this Dota 2 tier list hero chart because he is finally back in the meta. The current meta works well for him because other heroes, such as Keeper of the Light, are also in it. As long as he gets a solid laning stage and snowballs, Storm Spirit can win games on his own.

Ideally, you should focus on snowballing because this will guarantee that you dominate in the game. Try farming as much as possible early on, and once you hit level 6, be on the lookout for potential kills. 

Once the mid and late game approach, you must use your mobility to pick off heroes out of position. With that said, you must keep an eye on your mana and always have a backup plan if things go south.

Counter Picks: Everything that burns mana or has high HP is a potential counter to Storm Spirit. This includes heroes like Anti-Mage, Omniknight, Naga Siren, and more.

Best Synergy: The current meta in 7.38 favors the Keeper of the Light and Storm combo. Kotl can give Storm more mana, allowing the latter to secure more kills. Other than that, Storm always works well with mobile aggressive supports and/or heroes.

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Outworld Destroyer 

• Win Rate – 52.25%
• Pick Rate – 8.27%
• Ban Rate – 3%

It’s been a while since we have seen OD in the meta, but he is definitely among the best Dota 2 heroes right now. If you focus on this hero, you will easily dominate the laning phase because of your W. This ability will also let you farm much faster.

Speaking of farming and doing damage, your main goal as OD is to increase your mana pool. Doing this will increase your damage output and make you a living nightmare.

Like the other two S+ heroes, Outworld Destroyer can become “online” relatively early. Even with just a few items, he can easily kill squishy heroes with a couple of attacks. You have to be very careful when the enemy heroes get Black King Bar because this item pretty much removes OD’s damage when it is active.

Counter Picks: Anything that burns mana or deals high physical damage can be hard to play against. This includes Templar Assassin, Nyx Assassin, Arc Warden, and more.

Best Synergy: OD usually shines when you have a pocket support next to him. Heroes like Omniknight or Oracle can be outstanding because they can keep him alive longer, allowing him to deal more damage. Besides that, OD also works with anything that has a stun because it allows him to do damage.

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Dota 2 Best Carry- Tier List

The following Dota 2 hero tier list you will learn about focuses on carries. They are usually the team’s main cores and include heroes that focus on getting last hits and items. In most instances, their role is to help the team win the mid and late game. 

Knowing which carry to get is crucial in every game, so here are our suggestions for one of the key Dota 2 roles:

• S+: Wraith King, Lifestealer, Medusa
• S: Juggernaut, Anti-Mage, Spectre
• A: Morphling, Troll Warlord
• C: Clinkz, Bloodseeker, Drow Ranger, Chaos Knight
• D: Slark, Ursa, Troll Warlord
• F: Weaver

Wraith King 

• Win Rate – 57.57%
• Pick Rate – 19.73%
• Ban Rate – 0.77%

If you check a Dota 2 hero tier list on Reddit or elsewhere, Wraith King will be there. He has been the go-to option since the arrival of the Wandering Waters update and continues to be a force to be reckoned with.

Wraith King shines because of his durability and the ability to farm fast. Once he gets an advantage on this lane, he can easily farm the side camps and even push the tower thanks to his skeletons. 

WK can also be an excellent pick when you want early game skirmishes. You can use your Q alongside your support’s abilities to kill almost any offlaner out of position. 

WK has two popular item builds that focus on farming or fighting. Depending on the situation, both work very well.

Counter Picks: Illusion-based heroes and/or those who are strong against STR heroes are hard to deal with as WK. This includes Necrophos, Underlords, Phantom Lancer, Naga Siren, and more.

Best Synergy: Wraith King works best with a support with some disables. Together, they can kill any offlaner, giving WK a good chance of snowballing. He is one of the heroes who needs to be ahead to be more useful.

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Lifestealer 

• Win Rate – 53.02%
• Pick Rate – 11.20%
• Ban Rate – 1.16%

Lifestealer is a hero that needs no introduction. He is a well-known carry who works in all stages of the game. Indeed, his early game is not the best, but the changes in 7.38c made him much more viable than before.

Should you decide to use this S+ tier Dota 2 hero, you need to focus on your timings. Getting the right items at the right time makes a huge difference, especially when you want to transition into the mid-game.

Lifestealer does NOT farm that fast, so you try not to fall behind. If that happens, you will have a hard time bouncing back. 

Once the mid-game arrives, LS should focus on getting his core items and taking fights as much as possible. Depending on the lineup, this is an excellent time for the “Infest bombs” with heroes like Storm Spirit and Spirit Breaker.

Counter Picks: There are 3 well-known counters to Lifestealer: Razor, Omniknight, and Slardar. With that said, illusion-based heroes, such as Naga and Phantom Lancer, can also be solid options against him.

Best Synergy: Lifestealer does great with high-mobile heroes when it comes to securing kills. He is also a great choice for drafts that focus heavily on the mid-game because this is where the hero shines the most.

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Medusa

• Win Rate – 52.34%
• Pick Rate – 14.57%
• Ban Rate – 1.61%

Medusa is one of the best Dota 2 heroes in 2025 and will continue to dominate as both carry and mid. She is among the names that do not require much more than getting some of her core items. In other words, your job will be to focus on farming and hitting your items.

Although some people will say that Medusa is kind of boring to play, the truth is that she is highly effective. Yes, last-hitting creeps for 30+ minutes might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but once you get a few items, you can start participating in fights.

One of Medusa’s main strengths is that she can “outlast” her opponents. What this means is that she can survive a lot more than others and do enough damage in the meantime. This will only be possible if she has enough stats, so most people focus on that.

Counter Picks: Anti-Mage has always been Medusa’s arch nemesis and the most effective hero. Slark, Nyx Assassin, and Sniper are also solid options.

Best Synergy: Medusa usually works well with defensive supports and a solid initiator. Think of heroes like Omniknight, Magnus, Tidehunter, and more.

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Dota 2 Best Offlane – Tier List

When you read about the Dota 2 roles, you will realize that offlaners are among the most underrated heroes in the game. Despite that, their role is vital because they are usually the heroes who enable their team in the mid-game. Moreover, these heroes have the hard task of shutting down the enemy’s carry as much as possible.

Before you check some of the best Dota 2 heroes in 7.38, here is our offlane tier list:

• S+: Dark Seer, Abaddon, Tidehunter
• S: Nyx Assassin, Axe, Clockwerk
• A: Dawnbreaker, Night Stalker, Centaur Warrunner
• C: Mars, Slardar, Bristleback
• D: Underlord

Dark Seer

• Win Rate – 51.85%
• Pick Rate – 3.59%
• Ban Rate – 0.10%

DS is one of those heroes that many people forget about until it is too late. He is among the offlaners who have a significant impact in all stages of the game, even early on. His Ion Shell allows him to control the lane and makes the life of the enemy’s carry difficult, especially if that hero is melee. 

Dark Seer is also one of the easier offlaners to pick up, at least early on. Once the mid-game arrives, however, he becomes very complex because you need to make important and fast decisions. Besides surging the right hero, you must be on time with your Blink, Wall, and Vacuum combo. You can make a huge difference once you learn how to implement it properly.

Counter Picks: Heroes with high burst and/or mobility are strong against DS. This includes Ursa, Batrider, Sven, and others.

Best Synergy: Dark Seer works exceptionally well with strong right-clicking carries like Slark, Sven, and others. Considering his Vacuum and Wall combo, he is also an excellent option with other “wombo combo” ultimates. For example, you can often find him in combinations with Shadow Fiend, Tidehunter, and others.

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Abaddon

• Win Rate – 51.84%
• Pick Rate – 6.77%
• Ban Rate – 2.14%

People looking for different Dota 2 roles heroes will notice that Abaddon can fit into many positions. However, the 7.38 Dota 2 meta made the hero one of the go-to offlaners, and he quickly became the most successful hero in the patch.

Nowadays, Abaddon is a hero that you can use in many situations and with a variety of lineups. Aphotic Shield allows him to be more aggressive than most offlaners and gives him more room for mistakes. Even though the shield looks simple to counter, it is hard to deal with it early on, making the hero a solid pick.

His natural tankiness also makes him a great frontliner and ideal for pushing. What’s more, the hero has the ability to transition into a carry if needed, and many take full advantage of that. 

Counter Picks: Lone Druid, Dark Seer, and Outworld Destroyer are solid Abaddon counters.

Best Synergy: Abaddon works well with all Dota 2 lineups that focus on pushing or are in need of a tank. He is very strong against enemies with many CCs because his shield can dispel most of them.

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Tidehunter

• Win Rate – 51.28%
• Pick Rate – 10.33%
• Ban Rate – 0.60%

Tide has always been one of the classic offlaners in Dota 2, and we are happy to have him on this Dota 2 hero tier list by roles 2025. The changes after 7.38 made him even harder to kill, and despite the small nerfs after that, Tidehunter remains a solid choice for the offlane.

If you decide to play with him, you need to focus on getting to level 6 as fast as possible. Once that happens, you can rotate when your ultimate is on and use it to secure team fights around the map. 

Tide is among the heroes that does not have problems with farming. You should also not be scared to be more aggressive, especially in a lane where both heroes are melee. Many forget to take advantage of Tide’s natural tankiness and damage output and do not make the most of him early on.

Counter Picks: Tidehunter is weak against magic damage dealers such as OD, Puck, Tinker, and others. He is also not good against Huskar.

Best Synergy: The hero is best paired with other “wombo combo” ultimates in the game due to how the hero works. He can also be a solid pick in a matchup where the mid or carry has a glass cannon build. Since Tide is very tanky, he can give that hero enough space so that the latter can do tons of damage.

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Dota 2 Best Soft Support – Tier List

The soft support (also known as position 4) is a crucial element of every Dota 2 team. These heroes are responsible for ganks and making sure that the lanes are taken care of. Failing as a position 4 puts you and your team in a bad spot for the mid game, so it’s essential to pick the best possible options. Here is our full Dota 2 soft support tier list in the current meta:

• S+: Zeus, Mirana
• S: Spirit Breaker, Phoenix, Muerta
• A: Shadow Shaman, Silencer
• B: Elder Titan, Bounty Hunter
• D: Bane

Just remember that some of the names here can also be played as cores or hard supports, depending on the situation.

Zeus

• Win Rate – 49.92%
• Pick Rate – 13.93%
• Ban Rate – 0.43%

Zeus is definitely not your typical position 4, but he works really well in the 7.38 meta. The reason why the hero stands out is because of his ability to harass opponents and reward them very easily. Lightning Bolt gives him a huge economy advantage because he does not have to waste gold on sentry wards. This may not seem like much, but it adds up over time and makes the life of his opponents a lot harder.

Aside from his damage output and rewarding capabilities, Zeus is also great for providing vision. Thundergod’s Wrath provides global vision when needed, which makes Zeus a solid option for the late game as well. 

Lastly, let’s also not forget that the hero can scale well over time. Even as a position 4, Zeus can still do a lot of damage. 

Counter Picks: Zeus lacks mobility and is fairly fragile, making him vulnerable against almost all fast cores. This includes Storm Spirit, Meepo, Void Spirit, and more.

Best Synergy: As position 4, Zeus will work well with more aggressive cores (especially the mid-laner) because this will result in a lot of early-game kills. The hero is also good for setups that do not work well when caught off guard (thanks to his ult, the team will always know what’s going on).

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Mirana

• Win Rate – 50.69%
• Pick Rate – 5.15%
• Ban Rate – 0.08%

Despite not being one of the best Dota 2 heroes for beginners in 2025, Mirana can be a solid position 4. There were times when the hero was a mid-laner, but nowadays, more people rely on her to gank and help the lanes.

It goes without saying, but you should try to hit your enemies with your arrow as much as possible. A good arrow can be the difference between winning a fight and losing a fight.

You should also remember that the primary hit from Starstorm will not hit units in the fog, but the secondary can do that. This means that, in situations when someone is very low HP and is juking you, Starstorm might be enough to land a kill. 

Other than that, Mirana is straightforward when playing. Use your Leaps to escape or chase, depending on the situation, and your ultimate to set up ganks or escape.

Counter Picks: Anything with high burst damage and that is swift can be dangerous for Mirana. Options like Storm Spirit, Slark, and Ember Spirit are well-known counters.

Best Synergy: From our experience, Mirana works best with heroes that have high burst damage. The ultimate goal with this hero is to secure kills with almost every successful arrow, so the more burst damage, the better.

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Dota 2 Best Hard Support – Tier List

The last on our Dota 2 Hero tier list by roles in 2025 is the hard support. Although people often underestimate it, the hard support is probably the most important position in the early game. These heroes allow the carry to have a good time and can help other lanes when needed. 

The Dota 2 7.38 meta favors a lot of different support heroes, so focusing only on a few options is easier said than done. With that said, here is the current tier list, according to us:

• S+: Ancient Apparition, Winter Wyvern, Jakiro
• S: Witch Doctor, Shadow Shaman, Ringmaster
• A: Disruptor, Lich, Warlock
• C: Lion, Skywrath Mage
• D: Dazzle, Rubick
• F: Crystal Maiden

Ancient Apparition

• Win Rate – 52.50%
• Pick Rate – 5.69%
• Ban Rate – 0.52%

If you have played Dota 2 in 2025, you know that Ancient Apparition is everywhere. The fact that the meta favors tanky cores make AA incredibly popular. His ultimate alone makes him an ideal pick against these heroes because it can be enough to win the fight.

Alongside the ultimate, AA can be strong throughout the game. The hero works well with utility items like Rod of Atos, Glimmer Cape, and Force Staff. Bone Chill, one of his facets, allows AA to be even more efficient against STR heroes, which explains why he has such a high win rate.

Counter Picks: This support is vulnerable against pretty much all swift cores and high-magical burst damage heroes. The list includes Slark, Tinker, Storm Spirit, and others.

Best Synergy: AA works best when picked against strong Strength Cores. Ideally, you need to hit them with your ultimate before every team fight or in the middle of it because this will give your team a huge advantage. In terms of the laning stage, the hero can be paired with pretty much any carry.

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Winter Wyvern

• Win Rate – 53.26%
• Pick Rate – 15.32%
• Ban Rate – 1.17%

Although the 7.38b Dota 2 patch nerfed Winter Wyvern, the dragon continues to be one of the best options in hard supports in Dota 2. Her ultimate alone is usually more than enough to win any team fight. Combined with her Recursive facet, which allows the ultimate to jump between different targets, it can be enough to turn any matchup around.

If you decide to use WW, you can also do much damage alone. She remains one of the best heroes to harass your opponents, and thanks to her Cold Embrace, she is also a solid pick when you need a defensive support. 

The current meta and the map changes after the Wandering Waters update made Winter Wyvern even better than before. No wonder she is one of the most successful Dota 2 heroes in the highest MMR bracket.

Counter Picks: WW is not good against heroes with high magical damage/physical damage. The list includes names like Timbersaw, Sand King, Doom, and others.

Best Synergy: The support works with a lot of heroes that benefit from her ultimate. Basically, any “wombo combo” ultimates like Magnus’s RP, Shadow Fiend’s Requiem, or something else will do wonders. 

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Jakiro

• Win Rate – 50.58%
• Pick Rate – 17.62%
• Ban Rate – 0.59%

Like Winter Wyvern, Jakiro became one of the hottest picks following the 7.38 Dota 2 meta. The hero quickly gained traction after players realized he is strong throughout all game stages. 

Early on, Jakiro can be extremely annoying because of his ability to harass. Liquid Fire is also great for pushing, which is the 2nd thing that Jakiro is great at. His Q and Liquid Fire allow him to clear the wave fast and push faster than most other supports.

Once the mid and late game arrive, Jakiro’s Ice Path becomes incredibly strong. Of course, we also need to mention his Macropyre because, when used correctly, it can do insane amounts of damage.

Counter Picks: Jakiro suffers a lot against Rubick because of his animations. He is also not good versus Pugna (for obvious reasons), and most core heroes are very fast.

Best Synergy: Jakiro is ideal for pushing, so he works with any setup that focuses on it. In terms of the laning stage, his ability to stun/slow/harass makes him an excellent support alongside any aggressive carry, such as Slark, for example.

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Hero Counters and Matchups – What To Focus On

Now that you’ve seen our Dotra 2 Hero Tier list for 2025, you should also learn some details about the key hero matchups. Knowing how to deal with some of the most annoying heroes in the meta can help a lot, so here are a few things you should be aware of:

• Templar Assassin – Jakiro and any hard-hitting mid-laner are excellent counters against the deadly Templar Assassin. Jakiro’s ability to remove Refraction in seconds is TA’s primary weapon. Once it is out of the game, the mid hero (and Jakiro) can easily bring her down.
• Wraith King – Ancient Apparition and Slark/Lifestealer/Anti-Mage are great against one of the best carries right now. A good AA ultimate will bring WK down once, and after he is back, one of the above-mentioned carries should be able to deal with him. 
• Outworld Destroyer – Nyx Assassin in combination with any offensive hero can make OD’s life a living hell. Nyx is often underrated, but can be extremely annoying against this particular hero.
• Tidehunter – Tide is not easy to counter. However, he can’t do much against Jakiro and a ranged carry, such as Drow Ranger or Huskar. Sure, it will be hard to bring him down, but these Jakiro can prevent him from farming. Moreover, his abilities might be enough to prevent Tide from using his Blink and Ult combo.

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Recommendations Based on Your Skill

After reviewing all Dota 2 roles and the best heroes right now, you are probably wondering which one to get. Here are our recommendations, depending on the skill level.

Beginners

Those making their first step in Dota 2 should focus on heroes that are easy to play and have a high impact, such as:

• Mid-Lane: Dragon Knight – Albeit not an S+ tier hero, DK is easy to master and scales well into the late game.
• Carry: Wraith King – The most straightforward carry in Dota 2. He is easy to play and highly effective.
• Offlane: Abaddon – His ultimate alone makes him beginner-friendly because it allows you to survive for longer.
• Soft Support: Spirit Breaker – He is incredibly fun and extremely efficient in lower-ranked games.
• Hard Support: Shadow Shaman – Easy to pick up, great for team fights and pushing. 

Intermediate

If you’ve been playing Dota 2 for a while, here are some of the options you can focus on:

• Mid-Lane: Templar Assassin – Tons of physical damage, hard to kill, and great for snowballing.
• Carry: Lifestealer – Works very well against most opponents, can do well in specific combos.
• Offlane: Tidehunter – One of the best AoE ultimates in the game, hard to kill and highly effective.
• Soft Support: Zeus – Assuming the Zeus support meta is good, the hero’s damage output, dewarding capabilities, and everything else make him a solid pick.
• Hard Support: Jakiro – Incredibly strong in the laning stage, great for pushing and teamfights.

Advanced 

If you’re an advanced player, you probably know most of the names in this Dota 2 hero tier list for 2025. You should be familiar with some of the more complex mechanics and everything, so here are our recommendations:

• Mid-Lane: Storm Spirit – An incredibly high-skill cap hero who can win games independently.
• Carry: Anti-Mage – Easy to play but very hard to master, Anti-Mage can also be a “one-man army”.
• Offlane: Dark Seer – A complex hero to master, but in the right hands, he can be amazing.
• Soft Support: Winter Wyvern – If you know how and when to land your ultimates, you can make a huge difference even as position 5.

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Tips on Being More Successful

Many of Blix.gg’s members have been playing DotA since the days of Warcraft III. Although the current Dota 2 meta and game have nothing to do with what it once was, there are a few helpful tips that we believe you can use:

• Keep an eye on pro players: Some of you probably already do that, but others haven’t started yet. When you have the chance, try to watch some of the best in action and see if they do something different than you.
• Focus on the best heroes in the meta: One of the easiest ways to succeed is by focusing on the best heroes in the meta. Some names have high win rates for a reason.
• Ability combos: Many of the current meta’s hot picks are famous for having big ultimates, so make sure you combine them properly. For example, you can use Tidehunter and Shadow Fiend’s ultimates to do tons of AoE damage in seconds.

Dota 2 Tier List Conclusion

No one can deny that picking the right Dota 2 hero for your given game is crucial. Besides going for something that works against your opponents, you consider whether it is suitable for your current setup. Always consider things like synergy, farming, timings, and more. Once you have all of this information, you can make the best possible decision and dominate in your games.