Dota 2 Patch 7.37e: Which Mid Laners Are Dominating Right Now?

Patch 7.37e has made significant adjustments to the mid-lane, revealing new favorites that are set to dominate this position. In this article, the Blix team will take a closer look at the top mid-laners of the current patch, highlighting their strengths and unique gameplay aspects. We have compiled a tier list of the best heroes who are effective at all match stages, ranking them from the best (S-Tier) to the worst (D-Tier).

Dota 2 Patch 7.37e Tier List

Dota 2 Tier List Mid Heroes

Puck – Mobile Assassin Who Has Strong Potential in the Late Game

Puck has traditionally been viewed as an unstable mid-laner due to his challenges in the laning phase. However, recent changes have significantly strengthened him, allowing him to outfarm opponents with his innate dodging abilities.

Despite having a weak attack animation and average damage, Puck truly shines in the mid-game when he acquires Power Treads, Witch Blade, and Blink Dagger. From that point on, he becomes a formidable force; his mobility lets him quickly join fights in any lane, giving his team a strategic advantage.

Dota 2 hero: Puck

It can be extremely difficult to gank Puck due to his ability to easily evade control with Phase Shift and his exceptional maneuverability. Puck becomes even more formidable in the late game, especially when he acquires Aghanim’s Scepter, which allows him to attack while using Dream Coil, effectively turning him into a lethal threat.

However, playing Puck requires a high level of mechanical skill, so it is advisable to practice in unranked matches before attempting to use him in ranked games.

Counters

Dota 2: Puck Art

• As soon as the Orb comes out, start looking for the kill. Puck may be hard to lock down, but Orb being on cooldown halves this hero’s survivability in the early game.
• Illusory Orb travels for ~3 seconds. Most stuns last ~2 seconds. Save your stun for around 1 second after an enemy Puck tosses out an Orb. If they Jaunt within that second, they didn’t get very far anyway, so whatever.
• Puck can’t Jaunt to an Illusory Orb or move with Waning Rift when rooted/leashed, however Phase Shifting is still possible.
• You can Wind Waker yourself out of a Dream Coil by moving the Cyclone.

Earthshaker – The New King of Core Heroes

Dota 2 hero: Earthshaker

In patch 7.37e, Earthshaker has emerged as one of the best mid-laners due to the substantial damage dealt by Enchant Totem. This character excels in the mid lane, efficiently last hitting creeps and punishing opponents during aggressive exchanges. His pivotal moment occurs after acquiring Aghanim’s Scepter, which allows him to move across the map, clearing stacks of creeps and dealing immense damage during team fights.

A typical item build for a mid-lane Earthshaker includes Aghanim’s Scepter, Black King Bar, Octarine Core, and Daedalus. This combination makes the hero an unstoppable force, capable of instantly eliminating careless supports and causing chaos during fights. In the hands of a skilled player, Earthshaker becomes a serious threat at all game stages.

Counters

Dota 2: Earthshaker Art

• Hey guys don’t clump, I think Shaker has blink da… Yeah… he does.
• Clockwerk makes life difficult for Earthshaker since Battery Assault cancels most of his cast animations.
• Aftershock won’t trigger if Earthshaker is under a Break debuff.
• Rooting Earthshaker will prevent his ability to jump away with Aghanim’s Scepter Enchant Totem.
• Be aware that the little stone effigy created on death by Earthshaker’s Spirit Cairn innate gives full hero vision.

Earth Spirit – Versatile Mid Laner With Strong Gank Potential

Dota 2 hero: Earth Spirit

This hero requires a specific skill level, but in patch 7.37e, he performs well in the center lane. Earth Spirit is strong due to his high strength gain (+3.8 per level), which makes him remarkably survivable. After reaching level 6, he actively moves around the map, applying pressure on the side lanes.

The basic build for Earth Spirit includes Power Treads, Blade Mail, Black King Bar, and Shiva’s Guard, making him a well-rounded character. He can initiate fights, deal damage, and survive focused attacks during team battles. In the hands of a skilled player, Earth Spirit continues to be one of the most impactful heroes in the current patch.

Counters

Dota 2: Earth Spirit Art

• During Rolling Boulder, Earth Spirit can only be touched when he’s revving up in place. Once he starts moving, he’s completely invulnerable to damage and disables.
• When killing an Earth Spirit, stand in front of his Rolling Boulder and make him hit you to prevent him from Rolling out of the situation.
• Earth Spirit cannot cast Rolling Boulder when rooted or leashed.
• Earth Spirit needs a lot of time to recharge Remnants after a team fight. Keep high aggression when playing against an Earth Spirit.
• Magnetize deals some substantial amounts of hurt. Don’t stand next to your team if you’re Magnetized and they’re not.
• Magnetize can be dispelled.

Lina – Back to the Roots

Dota 2 hero: Lina

After a long absence from the mid-lane, Lina has returned as one of the strongest heroes. She confidently asserts her presence in the mid-lane, thanks to her passive ability and the  Dragon Slave ability. This allows her to push the lane efficiently and quickly farm the jungle. Her primary build focuses on acquiring Boots of Travel as soon as possible, which enables her to farm the entire map more effectively.

With key items like Aghanim’s Scepter, Shadow Blade, and Aether Lens, Lina transforms into a powerful force with remarkable magic damage and exceptional ganking abilities. Her greatest strength is her ultimate ability, Laguna Blade, which has a cooldown of only 25 seconds when paired with the talent at level 20. By incorporating an Octarine Core and Refresher Orb, you can essentially eliminate cooldowns, allowing you to spam your spells back-to-back.

Counters

Dota 2 hero: Lina

• There is an extremely brief (0.25s) moment after Laguna Blade connects before the damage is actually dealt. You can dodge the damage with banishes, or invulnerability from spells like Morphling’s Waveform or from items like Eul’s Scepter or Manta Style activation if your timing is impeccable.
• Lina gets a fairly large power spike at around 3-5 minutes once her nukes have a few levels. Coincidentally, this is the same time that Infused Raindrops become available for purchase. Her kill potential gets significantly cut by Raindrops, so consider buying them no matter what role you’re playing.

Storm Spirit – Master of Mobility and Tempo

Dota 2 hero: Storm Spirit

Storm Spirit is one of the most dynamic mid-heroes in patch 7.37e. Once he reaches level 6, he actively moves around the map, applying pressure on all lanes. He excels in the mid-lane due to his high damage output with Static Remnant and his ability to farm quickly in the jungle. Storm Spirit’s unique ability grants him a Bloodstone-like effect, allowing him to maintain a high mana pool if he avoids dying frequently.

The standard item build for Storm Spirit includes Power Treads, Kaya & Sange, Black King Bar, and Aghanim’s Scepter. Aghanim’s Scepter enhances his capabilities by providing an area-of-effect Vortex, making Storm Spirit extremely dangerous in team fights. However, he is highly dependent on snowballing; if Storm loses momentum, getting back in the game becomes challenging.

Counters

Dota 2: Storm Spirit cosplay

• Shut his mouth. Silences and most other disables Storm. The more time he has to spend walking around with non-Overloaded right clicks, the less happy he is.
• Tie him up. Storm can’t cast Ball Lightning when rooted. Heroes with roots/leashes are obviously great, but don’t forget about Rod of Atos.
• Mana burn can be annoying for Storm to deal with. Anti-Mage, for example, loves going up against Storm Spirits.
• Nyx Assassin can be annoying for Storm to deal with since he may inadvertently trigger Spiked Carapace with Overload or Static Remnant’s AoEs.

Ember Spirit – a Forgotten One, But Still Strong

Dota 2 hero: Ember Spirit

Ember Spirit has become less prominent after receiving several nerfs, but he remains a solid option in the mid-lane. He excels in dealing damage with his combo of Sleight of Fist and Chains, while also being capable of effective forest farming. The essential items for his build include Phase Boots, Mage Slayer, Gleipnir, and Black King Bar. With this setup, he can initiate fights, reduce enemy magic damage, and deal substantial damage.

Ember Spirit’s main strengths are his mobility and ability to escape. With Aghanim’s Shard and Remnants, he becomes nearly impossible to catch. After purchasing Shiva, the hero poses a significant threat, dealing substantial magic and physical damage from a safe distance.

Counters

Dota 2: Ember Spirit Art

• Ember hates silences, but he also really hates slows. The travel speed on Remnant casts scale off of Ember’s own move speed, so heroes with strong slows can cut Ember’s aggression significantly since he’ll need to pre-cast an escape Remnant before going in.
• Ember cannot Activate Fire Remnant or cast Sleight of Fist when rooted/leashed.
• Ember consumes all currently spawned Remnants when he Activates one.
• You can click on Ember and check his buffs to see how many Remnants he currently has out on the map. If he has zero, get ready for the easiest gank of your life.
• Sleight of Fist gets affected by evasion, disarms, and damage block.

Conclusion

Patch 7.37e introduces some intriguing changes to the midlane. Puck, Storm Spirit, and Earth Spirit continue to be strong choices, but there are also some surprising contenders—Earthshaker and Lina—who can now excel during the mid-game. Your hero selection should align with your playstyle: if you prefer mobility, choose Puck or Storm Spirit; if you focus on dealing high damage, go for Lina or Ember Spirit; and if you want to have a significant impact in fights on your own, consider playing mid-game Earthshaker. Which of these heroes do you prefer? Share your thoughts in the comments! Good luck in Dota 2! We also recommend visiting the Reddit thread for more Dota 2 content.