Master the Art of Counter Picking in Dota 2 – Outsmart Your Opponent Every Game!

Learning how to counter-pick in Dota 2 is not an easy thing to do. In fact, we at Blix.gg believe it is among the key aspects of the game you need to master in order to improve your results. Regardless of your skill level, choosing the best hero against your enemies will make a difference. That’s why this Dota 2 counter picking guide is about to show you how to do that efficiently and what to keep in mind.

Dota 2 Counter-Pick – What Does it Mean?

Dota 2 consists of hundreds of heroes, each with unique abilities, talents, and gameplay. Each hero has its strengths and weaknesses, and some of these weaknesses are evident when playing against specific opponents. This is where the Dota 2 counter pick tactic comes into play.

In most cases, counter-picking in Dota 2 is when you choose a hero that works very well against a specific hero from the enemy team. More often than not, the hero you choose will not be ideal for your current lineup. However, since it is exceptionally strong against that specific opponent, picking it (usually) makes it worth it.

A hero can counter another hero based on many different factors. For example, some heroes are weak against physical damage, meaning that those whose main damage relies on that make them a good fit. The same can be said about heroes who reduce the enemy’s healing and those who rely on the latter to be successful.,

Before looking at a Dota 2 counter picker app or something similar, your goal has to be to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the hero you want to counter. This usually requires a lot of experience and reading some information about it.

How to Counter-Pick in Dota 2?

The most important thing you need to learn from this Dota 2 counter pick guide is how to do that properly. It goes without saying, but there are tons of things you need to consider, so let’s analyze each one.

Identifying The Hero’s Importance

Prior to looking for a Dota 2 counter-pick website, the first step of the process is to identify the importance of the hero you want to counter. Is it a support, carry, midder, or an offlaner? What is the hero good at, and is it worth dedicating so many resources? Can you deal with that hero in other ways besides picking a counter? All of these questions will help you make the right decision regarding what you need to pick. 

A part of identifying the importance of a given hero is knowing what it is capable of. Knowing what it excels in will allow you to make the best decision and pick the optimal counter for the given situation. 

Consider Your Team’s Composition

You can always find a Dota 2 counter-pick list that will suggest what to get against specific opponents. However, this does not mean you should pick that hero right away because you also need to consider your team’s composition.

Ideally, the goal should be to get a counter that also fits into your current lineup. It isn’t always possible, but if you pay attention to it, it will strengthen your team a lot. Sometimes, it is better to take a step back and pick a counter that’s not as good as another one but does better in the lineup.

Consider Your Opponent’s Team

One of the big Dota 2 counter-picking mistakes thople make is focusing solely on the hero they want to counter. Sure, this can help in some instances, but we need to remember that this opponent also has 4 allies. These allies will (usually) try to help him, so failing to take them into account often leads to problems. 

The fact that you picked a hero that works exceptionally well against another opponent does not mean you will automatically win. People with more experience in Dota 2 know that a good team can defeat everyone, including strong counterparts.

Do NOT Choose a Hero You Are Not Comfortable With

Another common mistake that not a lot of people mention in the Dota 2 counter picker guide is choosing a hero they are not comfortable with. Some players do that just because they know that “X” is good against “Y”. Although this may sound like a good idea, if you are not comfortable with “X”, you won’t do well against “Y”.

The Psychology Behind Counter-Picking in Dota 2

The idea of this Dota 2 counter pick guide is to help you make the right decision when needed. So, besides checking whether certain heroes work well against others, you also need to consider the psychological aspects of counter-picking.

It may be weird to some of you, but the psychological pressure in Dota 2 can be stronger than pretty much everything. Some people do not know how to deal with it, but if you know that, you can take advantage of it and win easily. Counter-picking is great in this area because amanypeople mentally “give up” when they know they need to face a particular opponent. 

On the topic of psychology, Dota 2, and counter-picking, you can also try to confuse your opponent. This can happen if you decide to pick a hero that usually does not work well in a particular lane or situation. As strange as it sounds, this confusion can often lead to making a lot of mistakes and ultimately frustrate your opponent and allow you to dominate. 

Popular Dota 2 Counterpicks 

Considering there are well over 126 different Dota 2 heroes, and each one is unique, it’s no surprise that you can get all sorts of counterpicks. Each situation is different, but there are certain heroes that (usually) work against most opponents.

Broodmother

If you look at most Dota 2 counter pick guides, you will notice that Broodmother will be mentioned there. She is one of those heroes that many people forget about until it is too late.

Assuming Brood herself does not have any counters (like Sand King, Legion Commander, etc), she can be absolutely devastating. The hero is almost impossible to deal with when left alone and can carry her team to victory. 

Meepo

Meepo is in a similar situation to Broodmother because he is also one of the heroes who can win games on his own. He works well against a variety of opponents and does not have as many counters as people think. So, if you have the luxury of being the last player to pick and your opponents do not have any counters, you can definitely consider adding Meepo to your lineup.

Huskar

Huskar is one of the midders/offlaners/carries that has a lot of counters. If they are not in the game, however, he can be a monster and almost impossible to defeat. 

Unlike Meepo and Brood, Huskar isn’t difficult to master. On the contrary, he is fairly easy to play and does not require any items to be effective. This makes him the ideal weapon in almost any skill bracket.

Arc Warden

Despite not being as dominant as the other names on the list, Arc Warden is among the Dota 2 heroes who do well against anyone. He is not technically a counter to most midders but does a good job against most. That is why a lot of players often ban him before anyone else.

Razor

Razor definitely has some weaknesses that players need to address. However, assuming that there are no counters against him, he is one of the names that can ruin almost everyone’s fun. 

The hero’s ability to “steal” damage makes him extremely strong in numerous situations. He can easily defeat every melee hero on the lane and can be very potent against serious physical damage carries. 

FAQs

How to pick the ideal hero against a given opponent?

Ideally, you need to have enough experience to know what works best against a given hero. You can also use different tools and websites that provide data related to a given hero’s best and worst opponents.

Should I focus mainly on counterpicking when playing PUBs?

Although counter-picking in PUBs can help you in a lot of situations, the higher your MMR, the less impact it will have. Dota 2 is a team-based game, so always keep that in mind.

When is the best time to pick the hero I want to counter an enemy with?

Generally speaking, it’s always advisable to pick last when you want to counter someone. However, if you know that a given hero is weak against something, you can get it right away.